WoT re-read. EotW. Part 1/5. (Chapters 1-10)

[TheDiceAgain...]

Oddly enough, this thread got me doing a reread as well. I started this past weekend and am nearly to p. 500. If you guys want to catch up and start the discussion over, I'd be more than willing to join in.

[Angyl]

I'm just starting on a re-read as well. It would be nice to have somewhere to come discuss it.

[Xeonicus]

-edit-

Oh... I see almost everything I said is a repeat... oh well. :P

 

Chapter 1

 

Who is the "mother" than Rand remembers that Tam brought back from outside the Two Rivers with him and Rand? I do not recall right now anything other than she is not his real mother :P

 

Kari al'Thor and she was from Caemlyn.

 

It seems that Rand does not much get away from his farm to go to Emonds Field? Or is that just as of late? I guess Tam is protective.

 

Its probably just a long and relatively dangerous hike into town. It seems like they live somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 miles outside Emond's Field. With tending a farm' date=' they're probably busy the majority of the day from sun up, till sun down.

 

Then there is imagery straight from Tolkien with the black cloaked rider following them far back on the road. Definitely made me think of ring wraiths the first time I read this :)

Also, if he saw something, why not just tell Tam earlier? Tam may have been able to do something perhaps about it. I guess he was just too frightened or stunned.

 

Yea... part of the myrddraal fear gaze. Rand failed his willpower check. :P

 

We then learn about one of the more annoying characters in all the series (IMHO)' date=' Egwene al'Vere, the mayors daughter (Which I had forgotten untill this re-reading), who makes Rand increasingly "jittery", I assume because she is a very pretty girl and he's getting to that age :) Too bad nothing ever comes of it before she becomes a monster.

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I don't understand why people don't like Egwene. :P To each their own.

 

The Flame and the Void... an "odd thing Tam had thought him"... where exactly did Tam learn this in the first place' date=' can anyone remember exactly? It has been far too long since I read anything about Tam's past and it escapes me at the moment. Is there anything significant about it?

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Tam left Emond's Field when he was Rand's age and became a solder and ended up fighting in the Aiel war I think. The flame and the void is basically the same thing Lan explains to Rand while trying to teach him sword play. Its probably a fairly common technique for fighting. Remember, Tam was a blademaster so he was pretty darn good with a sword in his prime....

 

Another thing you quickly learn that comes into play a lot... I love the Two Rivers and the Two Rivers men... but come on guys' date=' get a backbone! You can't let those Women and their Women's Council push you around all the time, and ESPECIALLY not Nynaeve(I won't even start on her, *sigh*)! Stand up for yourselves men if you have any pride! lol

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This is kind of funny as it comes into play later in the series with Lolial and he is talking about ogier customs and how the women basically tell the men what to do. Mat pipes up and laughs at him telling him where he is from the men tell the women what to do. lol....

 

Dang' date=' I wish people would help me hook up as much as they're trying to hook up Tam and Rand, I could use the help :-(

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If you lived in a tiny backcountry village where the entire populace almost never left, your options are severely limited. Compounded with the fact that a lot of hard physical labor was typically required for the services people provided to make ends meet, a good strong husband (Rand/Tam) is an ideal choice.

 

Besides, people were more practical back then and marriage a lot of times was a means to keep the community stable and keep future generations coming.

 

I know you were joking around, but there is my serious answer. :P

 

When talking about the rider on the black horse' date=' Mat jokes that maybe it was the Dark One or the Dragon. [p. 13'] Rand replies, "You're just full of cheerful thoughts, aren't you?" Mat says his mother used to threaten that one of the Forsaken would come for him. So, apparently superstition os a large part of Two River life (do we see that reflected in other parts of theirs or other peoples lives in Randland?)

 

People's opinons of Aei Sedai is often part of superstition amongst villagers. Even things like the Green Man, Jain Farstrider, and Trollocs are just mythical stories told to entertain. Its often joked about amongst borderlanders that southerners think trollocs are a myth.

[Diamondmask]

I'm rereading WOT and have nearly finished book 2 (The Great Hunt). I really think Rand and Egwene were a better couple than the other partners they've chosen. In the first book there was a really cute moment when Egwene asks Rand to be her warder so they will always be together, and the whole scene is so endearing. I know others don't like Egwene, but I'm very fond her, although in general I don't like the Aes Sedai.

 

Mat has gone from my least favourite character to my absolute favourite. Due to his humour and the way he's developed a real care for those around him. Very noble in an understated way. His luck is also very amusing - how it pans out.

 

I'm also hoping Moiraine comes back - she seemed a little more human than most Aes Sedai. Especially when she and Lan were talking about how they met; Lan dumping her in the pond, then she played tricks on him every night after. I was expecting her to come back in KOD and waited anxiously through each chapter.

 

I am really, really enjoying the reread. They are great books.

[Will al Seen]

" we have fought a thousand wars, a thousand times a thousand ". Personally this is what i think it means, as one of the foresaken mention about ishy being a philosipher etc: The creator and the Dark one wag an eternal war, without end, the creator and the dark one using human surrogates or " champions " of each age. the Dragon being the creator's champion, and i believe, ishamael being the dark one's champion. Ans he is also Nae'blis(spelling?). The dark one constantly pushes the other forsaken saying they will be named nae'blis because he simply likes to see them at each other's throats, sucker for chaos it seems.But yeah, that's what i think about it all anyway i mean if the creator has a champion he spits out every age to counter the DO then the D0 must have one to counter-act. well i'll stop my rambling now.. lol.

[Will al Seen]

i know that post came in a little late but i just started reading it now and ddint bother to read all of it so i just stuck one in there :lol:

[DemandredFO]

I have a question and it ties with the Ring of Tamarlyn. Was that just a misprint when Lanfear said there were only two more powerful male sa'angreal than Callendor. She says it but then it's never mentioned again not even by Lews therin in Rands head. Was that a misprint or was the Ring on but got destroyed. Also I'm on New Spring so I be starting Eye soon. Thanks

[trevorcroft]

Alot of these posts seem like its the first time reading this series for you guys.

 

Before re-reading the first book I suggest reading ALL the books, the majority of your questions are answered there, which is why RJ usually answers with RAFO. However, There was one great post that I saw that answered most of your question.

 

As per Lanfear saying there are 2 male Sa'Angreal that are more powerful than callandor - one thing you always have to remember is that forsaken lie, ALOT. But we do know of one male Sa'Angreal that is more powerfel, the male Choedan Kal - this has played a pretty important part throughout the series.

 

I don't believe the Ring of Tamyrlin has been confirmed as being a sa'angreal. I suspect it was NOT since it seems as though the leader of the AOL Aes Sedai wore this ring, and AOLers were very democratic and I doubt they would give one person sole access to something so powerful, also, you don't need to touch an angreal (and probably a sa'angreal) to use it, which would mean any male in the Tamyrlin's presence might be able to channel through it, it's also possible (not sure though) that a female could become Tamyrlin, in which case giving her a male sa'angreal would be weird.

 

I saw some confusion with the 9 rods of dominion, they are definitely not Oath Rods!

 

 

 

 

 

================== OATH ROD SPOILERS BELOW, These Spoilers begin to be revealed around book 8 or so ==========================

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned here, but in the AOL the Oath Rod(s) were used on criminals who could channel and were called "Binders" or something similar (can't remember, this is off the top of my head), there are 3 effects:

 

#1 - binding the criminals behavior so they cannot repeat offend (I assume it was mostly used to limit the way the criminal used the one power)

#2 - Ageless look to identify criminals

#3 - Channelers live a very long time, the oath rod shortens the lives of the criminal.