Chapter 1 - Spoilers - First Impressions, Thoughts

[bscuga]

After reading Chapter 1, I could not tell whether it was Robert Jordan or Brandon Sanderson who wrote it, which I think is a good thing.  I would have liked for the chapter to have had a big reveal, but I can't have everything.  It was nice to know that Rand really suspects that Graendal is in Arad Doman.  I liked the setup for a potential reveal from Lew Therin down the road on the Strike at Shayol Ghul.

 

What are everyone else's impressions?

[Copperfield]

I feel it was Brandons. All of it.

[Charlz Guybon]

After reading Chapter 1, I could not tell whether it was Robert Jordan or Brandon Sanderson who wrote it, which I think is a good thing.  I would have liked for the chapter to have had a big reveal, but I can't have everything.  It was nice to know that Rand really suspects that Graendal is in Arad Doman.  I liked the setup for a potential reveal from Lew Therin down the road on the Strike at Shayol Ghul.

 

What are everyone else's impressions?

I liked that stuff too, but like Copperfield I also thought it was all Sanderson's work.

[Shard]

Oh it was Brandon alright especially the line "Where are the white Tower guard?" I just don't feel Jordan would ever write that line. Not that it's bad but it was still a good epic feel to the chapter, very broad sweeping with the wind.

 

I think we are getting a set up here for a confrontation with Graendal, more stuff with Semirage as well. I liked seeing how much more the DO's touch as affected the world as well. Now Rand is actually snapping at Lews out loud so you know he's getting worse.  :'(

[bdev_03]

I liked how he said Asmodean twice in the chapter. :P  Hopefully we'll find out soon in this book.

 

Definitely didn't feel like RJ wrote it.  I'm sure that only being given a small clip of a very large work is part of the problem I'm having coming to terms with it.  It's seeing WoT through different eyes, and it will definitely take some getting used to.  It wasn't bad, it just wasn't RJ. I guess we knew we were getting this though and shouldn't be surprised.

 

Also, the sword. Where does Rand remember it from?  It'd be easy to place if it was Lews Therin's memories.

[Shard]

It's Laman's sword, Aviendha gave it to him back in tFoH.

[bdev_03]

I thought he said that one was too gaudy, and would slip in the user's hand  ???

Plus I don't remember it having a dragon on it

 

Oh..re-read...dragon was on scabbard.  my bad.

 

And just now I seem to recall him getting a new hilt for it or something somewhere along the lines.  Crazy how this stuff comes back to you.  Maybe I should do another re-read ;)

[Copperfield]

Semi kills Cadsuane. Makes Rand Learn. All out warfare after.

[The Watcher and Wanderer]

Well, the wind which begins this volume certainly was more tenacious than the previous eleven, none the less I did enjoy following its course as it gave us a glimpse of what it going on in  Tar Valon.  This was a bit misleading as it lead me to believe that this chapter was going to be an Egwene POV, but I must say that I wanted to stand up and applaud when Rand finally appeared on the Scene; after four years of waiting, being greeted by none other than The Dragon Reborn himself was a nice touch. 

 

I have to agree this definitely was Brandon's voice, but I was very pleased with what I read.  This only increases my confidence that Harriet did indeed make the right choice when she picked Brandon to finish this series.  I've had faith in the boy all along but it never hurts to have a bit of hard evidence to back up one's faith.  I thought the most interesting aspect was the implication that LTT might have retaliated against the female AS who refused to help him in the AOL.  Could this be the psychological source of Rand's utter refusal to harm a woman?  I always figured it was the fast that LTT killed Illyna that lead to Rand's attitude toward killing woman but perhaps there is more to it. 

 

As for Asmodean, while most of us had already come to this conclusion we can now say beyond a shadow of a doubt that Rand didn't do it.  So at least that's one more suspect stricken from the list (lol).

[Andrew the Great]

About the sword... I don't think it's Laman's sword. It seems odd that he'd bring up the same sword he's been using for the last 6 books. That makes me think that it's something else, like possibly something he saw while viewing the history of the Aiel in Rhuidean, or maybe Justice, Arthur Hawkwing's sword, which Rand saw in TGH, or something like that.

[Padraic_Seebrr]

I noticed that the wind "swept over the Black Hills and the broad Caralain Grass." Aren't the Black Hills much farther north than the Caralain Grass?

[bdev_03]

About the sword... I don't think it's Laman's sword. It seems odd that he'd bring up the same sword he's been using for the last 6 books. That makes me think that it's something else, like possibly something he saw while viewing the history of the Aiel in Rhuidean, or maybe Justice, Arthur Hawkwing's sword, which Rand saw in TGH, or something like that.

 

Okay, maybe I'm not crazy then aha.

[Bubblebutt Sedai]

About the sword... I don't think it's Laman's sword. It seems odd that he'd bring up the same sword he's been using for the last 6 books. That makes me think that it's something else, like possibly something he saw while viewing the history of the Aiel in Rhuidean, or maybe Justice, Arthur Hawkwing's sword, which Rand saw in TGH, or something like that.

 

Rand stated that the sword was from his memory, not Lews Therin's.  My impression when reading the description of the lacquered scabbard and cloth-wrapped hilt (Laman's hilt was leather-wrapped) was that it's Turak's heron-mark sword from The Great Hunt. 

[Gracel]

I re-read the part about the sword and I don't think the sword is one we've seen physically in the story before now, like Laman's or Turak's. My reason for this is not the description, but the context. Rand says the sword was recently unearthed and given to him as a gift, without those who gave it having any idea what they had. He also says he did not tell anyone about it, even Min--why keep it secret? I think it's most likely as Andrew said, something from his Aiel Memories or Justice.

 

I could tell this was Brandon not Jordan, but I enjoyed it. It will some getting used to reading WOT with a different style, but as long as we get answers to our questions I'm happy. It was infuriating to get to the end of the chapter and not be able to keep going.

 

 

[ajfurst]

I feel it was Brandons. All of it.

If not all Brandon's, then certainly the first half to two-thirds. The first part felt, not forced, but as if he was finding his feet trying to strike the balance of the descriptiveness of Jordan, without it appearing like he's forced it. By half to two-thirds through, it felt much more like a WOT chapter IMO. Which is really as much as can be hoped for. No matter how good the author, someone else isn't Jordan, and to expect it to feel 100% the same is unrealistic.

 

I'm one of those people that usually want to see a movie based on a book I've read twice, as the first time I can't help picking for differences, where as the second time I can just sit back and enjoy it(or not). By the time I was half-way through my mind had switched off trying to pick style differences out and could enjoy it or not - and really when it came down to it I did enjoy the chapter. And that's after all what's important, not whether Brandon can get to a point of having chapters that are in-distinguisable from the masters.

 

As for the actual storyline it's as much as one could expect from a chapter one of a WOT book. Chapter 1's have generally eased us into the new book and if anything this one is faster paced then most. It's brought us up to speed on Rand's current location, actions with Semirhage, reminds he knows - or at least suspects - Grandeal is in Arad Doman. Tells us he knows of Ituralde's successes against the Seanchan so any future introduction of the two doesn't have to start from scratch and that he doesn't trust Egwene (woohoo!). Lays the groundwork for things to start happening, so for storyline itself I enjoyed it as well.

 

Overall it does bring home it's still going to be The Wheel of Time, but not quite as I've known it - but still in a form I can enjoy.

[fikkie77]

I feel it was Brandons. All of it.

For sure it was Brandon's. I knew that because of the long windy part. It was longer than expected and told more of Tar Valon than I would have expected from RJ. But I did like it though. If this chapter was how Brandon wrote the rest of TGS/AMoL, it will be a very pleasing experience!

[fikkie77]

I re-read the part about the sword and I don't think the sword is one we've seen physically in the story before now, like Laman's or Turak's. My reason for this is not the description, but the context. Rand says the sword was recently unearthed and given to him as a gift, without those who gave it having any idea what they had. He also says he did not tell anyone about it, even Min--why keep it secret? I think it's most likely as Andrew said, something from his Aiel Memories or Justice.

 

I could tell this was Brandon not Jordan, but I enjoyed it. It will some getting used to reading WOT with a different style, but as long as we get answers to our questions I'm happy. It was infuriating to get to the end of the chapter and not be able to keep going.

The sword had a dragon on it and he remembers from his own memories. It felt to me as to be a OP-wrought sword, probably of Lews Therin or one of his Companions. He might have seen it in his Rhuidean memories. Why would Arthur wear a sword with a dragon?

[RAMb0211]

I gotta say that I liked it a lot, and i'd say it was mostly Brandon with some RJ guidance in the mix. I enjoy Mistborn so I'm not worried about it all that much, and it really was good as far as first chapters go. It's definitely clear now that Rand an Egwene are headed for a huge falling out, or at the least a Cold War-type situation. Not only Rand's comment on Egwene, but Lews Therin's musings on The Fateful Accord make this all but certain.  My initial thought on the sword was that it was Turak's, but that doesn't really make sense so I'd say it's either an Aiel memory thing or maybe Justice. I don't think Justice was ever properly described though. Definitely looking forward to the prologue an the rest of the book though.

[drizzt_scimitar]

I definitely could tell Brandon was writing it, but after the first part I got used to it and it felt pretty much like any WoT chapter. I think that's how the book will be. At first, since you're used to RJ it will seem a bit off, but I think that after a chapter or two you will get used to the new style and just let the story flow.

 

I really enjoyed it, and although not much really happened, there were still enough "events" to make it a very interesting first chapter - Rand's comments on Egwene, news about Semirhage, foreshadowing about Graendal, and Rand's outburst to Lews Therin. Overall great, and I can't wait to read the rest of it!

[Olorin]

To be honest, I didn't read it trying to pick out who wrote what. I would drive myself NUTS doing that, and have to move to the Isle of Madmen, never to be heard from again (until the outrigger novels). I wanted to see whether it feltlike the Wheel of Time, and to me it did. I'm stoked to read the prologue and the rest of the book!!!

 

 

[Shard]

I thought he said that one was too gaudy, and would slip in the user's hand  ???

Plus I don't remember it having a dragon on it

 

Oh..re-read...dragon was on scabbard.  my bad.

 

And just now I seem to recall him getting a new hilt for it or something somewhere along the lines.  Crazy how this stuff comes back to you.  Maybe I should do another re-read ;)

 

He said the hilt was too guady, thus he gave the hilt back to Avi and kept the blade. He then got a good hilt for the blade later on and started to wear it then. It pissed Avi off to no end that he gave the gems and hilt back to her.

[bscuga]

I agree that the sword is not a sword that we have seen before.  Like other people have said, I believe it might be from Rand's memories when he saw the history of the Aiel.  I do believe that it is a sword that Lews Therin should have recognized.  I think this line indicates Lews Therin should have know it - "And not, oddly, from Lews Therin’s memories—but Rand’s own".

[gahngpey]

One possibility - however remote - is that this is a manifistation of the merging of the two minds as predicted by Min:

 

"I saw you and another man. I couldn't make out either face, but I knew one was you. You touched, and seemed to merge into one another, and...I don't know what it means, Rand, except that one of you dies, and one doesn't." (Min to Rand; ACoS, Ch. 33).

 

 

i.e: the portions of Lews Therin's memories that become assimilated into Rand's would seem like his own, which in the transition process would indeed seem 'odd.'  Particularly if Rand recognizes the sword as formerly belonging to Lews Therin.

 

 

[Phariah]

wow...just wow i'm happy with what i have read and I WANT MORE DAMNIT  !!  :o ;D 

 

 

[claireducky]

One possibility - however remote - is that this is a manifistation of the merging of the two minds as predicted by Min:

 

"I saw you and another man. I couldn't make out either face, but I knew one was you. You touched, and seemed to merge into one another, and...I don't know what it means, Rand, except that one of you dies, and one doesn't." (Min to Rand; ACoS, Ch. 33).

 

 

i.e: the portions of Lews Therin's memories that become assimilated into Rand's would seem like his own, which in the transition process would indeed seem 'odd.'  Particularly if Rand recognizes the sword as formerly belonging to Lews Therin.

 

 

 

I agree with this being a big possibility.  I remember in one of the last couple of books there was a passage where Rand remembers what the Asaline (sp?) Gardens look like, and that LTT would sometimes speak of the Two Rivers and raising sheep as if he had grown up there.  This could be a furtherance of that line of assimilation.