A Crown of Swords - 1st time reader **SPOILERS**

[TohIsOwed]

Hello Everyone,

 

Just finished #7 this morning and overall, I'm quite pleased with this installment.  It was engaging throughout, reading through it in about 6 days.  It didn't have the same jaw-dropping moments that were in Lord of Chaos, but it did feel like the "fluff" present in LoC was not in ACoS (looking at you circus chapters).  Elayne and Nyn continue to annoy, but at least Elayne took control of the Ebou Dar "Circle" and the Aes Sedai in the palace.  Mat had a scary moment with a new enemy, the gholam.  Seems like these creatures are going to claim some important lives before they're overcome.  It took the entire book but the Ebou Dari gang did finally get the Bowl of the Winds, excited to see what they do with that.

 

Rand was certainly the most interesting story line book, as he usually is.  He's slowly beginning to trust the Aes Sedai that swore fealty to him, but he's not quite there yet.  Min got to be with Rand pretty much the whole time since she met up with him.  Rand & Min's "comforting" of one another, as Min put it haha, after they experienced a few traumatic events - Colavaere hanging herself & Fel being torn limb from limb.  Rand & Perrin's "fight" was sad until it was revealed later in the same chapter that it was all a ruse, just don't know to what end as of yet.

 

The final act was a bit of a whirlwind as it usually is.  Rand begins negotiating with the Sea Folk who say they will swear to him, but conditions will apply.  Understandable so, Rand starts feeling PTSD being a in a confined space and cuts the negotiations short.  It's interesting he is so "I'll get to it when I get to it" towards the Sea Folk.  You would think he'd place more importance gaining the Sea Folk's allegiance which still has some loose ends to tie up in the "bargaining."

 

Rand takes Min to meet some Tear defectors and sees Padan Fain.  He's so casual about it, why did Rand not kill him immediately?!?  Fain is repeatedly referred to as "something more than a Darkfriend."  Could be a few things at this point.  A Dreadlord?  Nae'blis?  Something entirely new?  Don't know right now, but who Fain becomes interests me greatly as he obviously is going to be a major challenge.  After Rand is injured, taken back to Caihrien and eventually recovers...he's off to get Sammael.  The battle was decent, but most importantly, I don't think Sammael is dead as Rand could not confirm 100%.

 

Excited to start #8!  Let me know if your thoughts!!

 

- Torrey

 

Lord of Choas - 1st time read through!! **SPOILERS**

[Sabio]

Well he was warned a few times  about using the power there and it would of sort of ruined his disguise if he just ran up and stabbed Fain.  The point of Rand being there was so people wouldn't know who he was.  So he couldn't kill Fain and still maintain the disguise.

[TohIsOwed]

I was thinking killing Fain would be more important than maintaining his disguise considering what Rand knows about him.  Rand ends up getting stabbed, or cut, anyways.

[Sabio]

Not when you are in an enemy camp with only Min, he would be concerned his trying to kill Fain might bring harm to Min.  That's the main thing is he was alone with Min, he had no idea which way Cas would side surrounded by rebels and Aes Sedai, may of those were Reds.  

[Adventures In Oosquai]

<<Spoilers>>  I'm on my third full-series read-through and currently in Chapter 29: The Festival of Birds.  I am 45 years old, read this book for the first time when I was in my 20's, and read it a couple of times in my 30's.  The one thing I've concluded is this book feels a bit more rapey than I remember.  Yeah, I think we can all agree Mat was straight-up raped by Tylin, but what never caught my attention is I think Shaidar Haran raped Moghedien.  It doesn't come right out and say that, but I think RJ was trying to convey that SH, like lesser Myyrdraal, do their worst to their victims, and I don't think it was merely a beating.  That's my interpretation anyway.