Lack of Rand

[General Tam]

Is anyone else really upset with the lack of time Rand gets in the last couple of books. He is the Dragon Reborn afterall and alot Rests on his shoulders and I would like to alot more of what his does.

[Gandaal]

Lack of Rand in the latter books has really wrecked the series in my opinion. Hey we all love Mat but he can't carry the series all by himself.

[Leopoled Boothe]

There are four things about the latter books that anoy me:

 

1. Lack of Rand. I'll admit I kind of like the way RJ keeps us guessing about what he's up too but on the other hand I would like to see more of him. Among my favorite scenes are when Rand is facing down one of the Forsaken or Fain. Please give me more of Rand in action.

 

2. Lack of Perrin. Ok, in Book 11 he came back with a vengence, but he was virtually absent from Book 5 through Book 10. I think the rescue of Faile at the end of KOD came at the appropriate time but Faile should have been kidnapped much later (like in the middle of COT) and that whole story line condensed. He should have come up with something else for Perrin to do between Dumi's Wells and being sent after The Prophet.

 

3. Lack of Paden Fain, Moridin, and Cyndane. These are probably the three most important villans and yet we hardly seem them. Don't get me wrong Graendal and Sammael are great too but I would like to know more about what these three are up too. They were all very prominent in the earlier books (in one form or other) but where have they been since?

 

4. Over abundance of Elayne. I don't dislike Elayne and I loved reading about her when she running around the countryside with Nyneave. But once she got back the Camelyn her POVs became a real snore fest. Reading about her dealings with the other houses of Andor just didn't get it done for me.

[bratr]

I agree with all four points

 

I think MoL will have to be amazing to finish the story strongly

[Leopoled Boothe]

I agree with all four points

 

I think MoL will have to be amazing to finish the story strongly

 

I'm really counting on that. Right now I still trust that RJ has a good reason for keeping Moridin, Cyndane and Fain under wraps and that they will reveal themselves in a major way (along with Demondred what's up with him?) in aMoL.

 

I'm also keeping my fingers crossed that we will see alot more of Rand and Perrin in AMoL and that a big part of it will be wild hammer slinging and one-handed sword play. I'm also hoping for a more action oriented Elayne.

 

I could also add a 5th point but it applies more to the whole series ater TEotW and that is a general lack of Lan. Whenever he shows up its always good but its so few and far between.

[G the brave]

Rand isn't my fave chracter anyway so it doesnt really bother me. Even though he is the main chracter matt and perrin are just as important to winnning the last battle so its only fair they get there share of the book. RJ doest spend too much time on elayne though..

 

Rand doesnt seam to be doing much at the moment anyway..

[Kadere]

I miss Rand too, but RJ's got like 15 plots to move forward, and Rand's hiding from the world. We get what we need of him. He's not doing much, cause he's waiting to get all the seals to the Dark One's prision, and he's being hunted down by EVERYONE, espeicially after announcing himself to the entire world by cleansing the taint.

 

But don't worry, I'm positive he'll have the majority again in AMoL, after all, it's the last battle, and he's the Dragon Rebron.

[mègon]

I think the last battle is going to be one big chapter. Just like the cleansing of the source (at least I think that was one chapter, maybe it was more). Either way, I think the last battle will be a climax where everyone comes together, but then the big sa'angreal comes out (koeden kal, or whatever), a huge razor thin weave of air cuts all the bad guys in half at once, Rand seals the bore, his never healed wound breaks open, his bloods gets on the rocks, he dies of over exurtion, and badda bing badda boom, it's done.

 

Of course, if it's anything like the cleansing of the source the LB will come in the middle of the book and the last half (since there won't be another book to follow it) will be full of descriptions of what people thought of the last battle and their reactions to it...

[Luckers]

If what i suspect is true, the Last Battle wont even be a single battle. Moreover i believe it will take up half the last book--the first half dealing with the Tower, the Seanchan and the Borderlanders.

[Safia al-Maaz]

I could also add a 5th point but it applies more to the whole series ater TEotW and that is a general lack of Lan. Whenever he shows up its always good but its so few and far between.

 

I totally agree with that. I love Lan. And him and Nynaeve together, because he doesn't bow down to her every whim. Like the seen in the Shadow Rising when he yells at her for not telling him the truth "persay". I love those two! :D

[Telcar]

well it's true that we don't know exactly what Demandred is doing but he as been around spreading chaos in any way he can. Hasn't he?

[Roland Deschain]

I think RJ has been focusing more on moving the other main characters into position for the last battle while Rand is preparing himself.

[General Tam]

I understand that RJ has to move other characters into position but Rand should have ALOT to do. I mean the last battle is almost on the worlds door step shouldn't he have tonnes of people to see and things to do?

 

I also dont like the fact that we he have to until the last book to see Moiraine again.

 

I agree that there has been far to much of Elayne and polotics in the last couple of books and Where is Demandred we have hardly seen anything of him throughout the whole series.

 

I hope that there are more Moiraine POV's in the last book I always liked them.

[Siswaiaman]

uhh moirane can stay in never never land for all i care. up untill she went away, up untill that last scene i loathed her egotistical singleminded false serenity. Irked me like nothing else.

 

Personally it feels like aMoL is just a cap on the series. It has to potential to stretch on further and further, but this last book HAS to finish it. Im not complaining i suppose because it gives resolutions to everything, but it would like to stay ignorant and guess if it means i get to read more of the story :)

[mightisright]

Rand gets plenty of time if all he is going to do is sulk and be angry. He either needs to be whooping ass or smiling.

 

There can't be enough of Mat.

 

Elayne is more politics (not bad but not great)...which has dominated the series since fires of heaven. More decriptive action please. Its done so well I can't get enough.

 

Lan and Nynaeve are cool. Prior to book 5 Nynaeve was annoying, now she is cool.

 

Egwene was cool for 5 secs. To bad it didn't happen until book 11.

 

AMOL will be good. It will also have 25% of what people want to happen in it. Another 25% will be a suprise and 50% will be politics and Egwene talking down to men.

[PrinceOfRavens]

sigh... some people are so shortshighted :(. Dont you get it? If you make too much action the story line will suffer and the story line is one of the main things of this serie that everyone likes so much. If u want to read full action without almost any story read Tom Clancy(Got nothing against em). WoT is more intrigues

[Gat]

Personaly i don't think there is to much of Elayne. not if you remember elaida's fprtelling that the royal house of andor will be critical in the last battle(I'm at school so i cant check my books for a chapter or page number) somewhere in book 3 or 4 i think. hence the reason Elaida was wanting to get Elayne back in the tower (Nynaeve and Egwene were just taged on the same note for their strength in the power/their conection to Rand i believe)

 

i think we will likly see a considerable amount of Elayne in AMoL, and i donjt think it will be a bad thing(tho i do hope she actually gets to do something other than talking the whole time)

[Leopoled Boothe]

sigh... some people are so shortshighted :(. Dont you get it? If you make too much action the story line will suffer and the story line is one of the main things of this serie that everyone likes so much. If u want to read full action without almost any story read Tom Clancy(Got nothing against em). WoT is more intrigues

 

I understand all that, its just that a good story strikes a good ballance between action and intrigue and sometimes I think WOT leans a little too much toward the intrigue side. Yes, too much action will ruin a storyline but too little action makes a storyline boooorrrring.

 

Don't get me wrong for my money WOT is still the best fantasy series out there.

[Mercer]

Seriously, I can take a any amount of Mat, and any Rand story arcs...but Perrin's recent stuff bored the living crap out of me. I'll sum up Perrin in the last three books: "Must Find Faile! My precious falcon!". Mat at least has a sense of humour.

[Toy and Minion]

I'm currently halfway through Crossroads of Twilight and one thing I thought wierd was that at the end of perrins POV in Shadow Rising he had hurt luke/slayer and then when he came back in Lord of Chaos luke/slayer was never mentioned. Its like he completely forgot about them.

 

Anyway, thats just a pet peeve of mine.

[PrinceOfRavens]

Seriously' date=' I can take a any amount of Mat, and any Rand story arcs...but Perrin's recent stuff bored the living crap out of me. I'll sum up Perrin in the last three books: "Must Find Faile! My precious falcon!". Mat at least has a sense of humour.[/quote']

 

im with you on this one... it was just like

 

oh no they are getting away! Where is elyas! OMG... MY ROPE, i can get no more knots!*shouts for another rope*. I WANT FAILE! etc etc etc

[Wanderer]

Yes the Rand based chapters are so few that I could wep for it :cry:

 

He's the Dragon Reborn and the world should tremble for each of his step.

 

The trouble is this: Robert Jordan is keeping all the good ideas for the last book to make it a masterpiece or he is no more able to control the wonderful character he has created?

 

What I fear is that Rand and his story arc now are far more complex then what they were in the previous books and that their conclusions might end up too fast and in a simple way like what we have seen recently(a plain wooden box :evil: ).

 

I fervently pray for a big change in the direction the wind blows...

 

 

P.s. The Perrin story arc is so boring I can hardly believe he's the same character of Shadow Rising, too bad he met Faile and too bad Faile exists...

[General Tam]

I didn't find the Perrin chapters extremly boring but they could have been condensed alot, it just took way to long for him to get her back.

 

For all you people who think that Rand is to angry and to suspicious look at all he has gone through. He was kept captive in a chest and the only time he was taken out was to be beaten. Put yourselves in his shoes I think I would be a little pissed of and suspicious too. and he is trying to run like 4 nationalities at once.

 

Don't get me wrong I like Elayne but I really hope that she does more than bitch out Rand in the next book because he got her pregnant, it takes two to tango hunnie.

[Guest Fire Lord]

My main complaint as well, and I consider it the main downfall of the series, IMO. Sure, Rand is kinda hiding and resting, waiting for the Last Battle, but does that mean that he should sit there, doing nothing?

 

It's very frustrating to finish a chapter, expecting to find him, but no, behold, another Elayne chapter! She was in too much, and mostly about politics. The guy is the main character, and it annoys me to read about him more than halfway through a 700 pages book, and that one or two chapters only.

 

I could have done without Perrin, not that I don't like him, but he was rather boring and annoying.

 

And to be honest, I'm afraid Rand is not going to be satisfyingly present in AMoL. I mean, consider all those main characters who will be doing their own stuff and all.

 

I managed to understand (a bit) why the Faile kidnapping thread was dragged on like that, it ties up a few other threads, but how does anyone (or RJ himself) explains Rand's absence? He has a tons of things to do.

[Beckon]

For all you people who think that Rand is to angry and to suspicious look at all he has gone through. He was kept captive in a chest and the only time he was taken out was to be beaten. Put yourselves in his shoes I think I would be a little pissed of and suspicious too. and he is trying to run like 4 nationalities at once.

 

I think most people understand Rand's state of mind. The fact that it's understandable though, does not mean that it's healthy for him, or for the world for that matter should he actually win the Last Battle. In the scene where Cadsuane and Sorilea make their water oath they discuss the difference between hard and strong. Strong endures, hard shatters etc.

 

Cadsuane says:

The boy confuses them...He needs to be strong, and makes himself harder. Too hard, already, and he will not stop until he is stopped. He has forgotten how to laugh except in bitterness; there are no tears left in him. Unless he finds laughter and tears again, the world faces disaster. He must learn that even the Dragon Reborn is flesh. If he goes to Tarmon Gai'don as he is, even his victory may be as dark as his defeat.

 

If he keeps on as he is, there will be nothing left of Rand al'Thor after the Last Battle.