Let's Rant.

[Deap]

Work has been a little slow this week at the TCU campus - so I've been able to do quite a bit of reading. I'm on chapter 39 "A Cup Of Wine" in The Shadow Rising.

 

I do believe that the first half of this book was by far Jordans best work yet - Mind you I'm only four books deep so I have yet to experience the other half of his fantastic little series. However, things are slowing down a bit - I have just discovered that Trolloc's are in Waste - The Beautiful Nyneave and Elayne have just landed in Tanchico - And of course Perrin is a 'bamf' slaying Trolloc's and Whitecloaks alike.

 

Lan remains to be the greatest character every made.

 

Aviendha is hilarious - "You belong to Elayne, Rand. No one else. You are hers." Good ish

I'm very curious however how these little "Peddlers" will play out. I thought it was quite funny when the skimpy girl in the red silk said to Rand "You're the Dragon? Hmmm, I would have thought you to be much more handsome." - Or something along those lines.

 

I'm curious as well - Where is Tanchico?! I see the map... but I have no freaking clue how it's possible. At first I thought it was somewhere out in the Sea of Storms - Maybe below or to the side of the Waste? But in the actual map - The Aryth Ocean is to the South of the city? WHATlol

[Elend]

Is this the Tanchico map you're talking about?

 

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090819210328/wot/images/8/8d/Tanchicomap.png

 

The directions aren't traditional on that map if so. If you look at the compass, the north is to the left so the Aryth Ocean is to the west, not south.

 

This is pretty much Perrin's book IMO. Expect lots of awesomeness from him.

 

Heheh, the peddlers. You'll see.

[WWWwombat]

TSR is the best book of the series imo.  Tanchico is in Tarabon on the western coast of the main continent.  Also, make sure you are reading the map correctly.  Iirc, the map of Tanchico is one of the ones which doesn't have North being up.

 

Edit: ^^ yeah, pretty much what he said.

 

Perrin and Rand both really shine in this book and you kind of catch glimmers of Mat's developing awesomeness, but Mat really comes into his own in the next book.

[OptimusPrime]

The Shadow Rising has regained a hell of a lot of controversy recently.

 

Its not in my top three. It is an awesome book though. Aviendha became one of my favorite female characters almost instantly, and I love TSR for showing us the Aiel.

 

Keep reading Deap, the fun is only just beginning  ;D

[TheBeerPatriot]

The Shadow Rising has regained a hell of a lot of controversy recently.

 

Its not in my top three. It is an awesome book though. Aviendha became one of my favorite female characters almost instantly, and I love TSR for showing us the Aiel.

 

Keep reading Deap, the fun is only just beginning  ;D

When I read the parts in the Aiel Waste, I felt it bogged down a bit for me (and I know I'm in the minority on this).  I'm starting a re-read of the series next week, so I'm curious what my thoughts will be on it when I finish re-reading TSR.

 

I do agree about Perrin in TSR.  It's probably his best book in the series thus far.

[Deap]

I absolutely loved the brief break in the book - To take a small peak into the time before the breaking and of course the short time right after. I freakin' love the Age of Legends lore and I want to get my hands on every little bit of it. I thought the traveling (notice the lower case T) technology was quite amusing. But the description of the Dark Ones Seal breaking was a little ambiguous (Mind you, it was probably meant to be that way, but I'm just sayin' =P)

 

The origins of the Aiel was pretty awesome as well. It ties together quite a few strings. Mind you it still left me dangling but I really enjoyed that cut from the main characters and into the history that only Wise Ones and Clan Chiefs know of.

 

I'm still waiting on why they don't use swords.... Eeek! lol

 

ALSO - Matt's little encounter with the EQ Erudite looking people was quite fascinating. I wasn't expecting him to be hanging by his little legendary weapon. =D

[OptimusPrime]

But the description of the Dark Ones Seal breaking was a little ambiguous (Mind you, it was probably meant to be that way, but I'm just sayin' =P)

ALSO - Matt's little encounter with the EQ Erudite looking people was quite fascinating. I wasn't expecting him to be hanging by his little legendary weapon. =D

 

I get your point, I thought that as well the first time round. Without going into detail, there is a realistic reason for it, but Im not sure if I know that from the books or from reading author interviews.

 

Ditto with the AoL, everything about it is awesome. And Mats ashandarei is the best weapon in the series in my opinion. Funny thing is, when picturing Mat, he makes the ashandarei a fashion accessory as well haha

[Sid]

Actually that word doesn't appear until later in the series  ;)

[Kadere]

 

I'm still waiting on why they don't use swords.... Eeek! lol

 

 

That's covered in Chapter 25: Road to the Spear. The chapter ends with Lewin and his friends going to rescue their sisters. They end up killing the bandits with spears. When they return to their parents their parents say they are no longer Jenn Aiel, but they argue that they are still Aiel because they used spears and not swords. To this day Aiel will not touch a sword because they believe that way they are still holding true to what the Aiel stand for. Lewin and his friends caused the split that became the Aiel.

[Deap]

 

 

 

When they return to their parents their parents say they are no longer Jenn Aiel, but they argue that they are still Aiel because they used spears and not swords.

 

I remember all of that good stuff - But I'm waiting on the explanation on why they don't use swords. To argue that they are still Aiel because they used spears and not swords - doesn't explain why they would argue in that particular fashion ("we used spears not swords"). A spear is still a weapon and a weapon still promotes a vision of violence - Just as a sword does.

 

I'm really just curious of the background information. Like - "We don't use swords because..."

 

As I recall: They were exiled for the simple act of violence. Thus creating a partition between the Aiel we know and love / and the now Traveling People aka Tinkers.

 

I probably just missed it. (reading at work ftl)

 

[Deap]

Elayne got a little drunky drunk today. I thought the "handsome brown eyed boy" slipped something in her drink. But then I realized I was reading Robert Jordan and not George Martin.

 

This battle over Emonds Field is getting intense! I think that these last few chapters (42-45) have been the best descriptive scenes thus far. I could literally envision each individual pike dug deep into the outskirts of town. Not to mention the 500 trolloc charge that the 'trio-fade' team led to "test" their defenses. ~Spectacular~

[Kadere]

They see a difference between using a sword and using a spear to do violence. They believe that since they never touched swords, that they can still consider themselves to be Aiel. Over the course of the past couple thousand years they've completely forgotten that they were ever descended from Da'shain Aiel, but they still hold to the idea of not using a sword to do violence. That's their justification. There is no point where they say "We don't use swords because..." The answer is simply because they still hold to that principle.

 

The Tinkers were originally Da'shain Aiel as well, but split from them in Chapter 26: The Dedicated. They decided that they would not hold to traveling with the Aes Sedai artifacts and would instead attempt to find the songs they sang before the Breaking and return to a simpler time. They still hold to the Way of the Leaf so they believed they were still Aiel. Over time they have forgotten they descended from Da'shain Aiel but continue to look for the songs and follow the Way of the Leaf. They consider the Aiel to be lost because the Aiel do not follow the Way. This is the reason Aiel and Tinkers do not get along.

[she who sees beyond]

"We don't use swords because..."

i think it's 'cause swords can only be used for killing while knifes, spears and axes have different purposes (sp). they did not touch a "killing" instrument, but uses a spear which is used for hunting

 

idk where i got that from but im pretty sure about it

[OptimusPrime]

Wasnt it something to do with Laman cutting down Avendasora?

[Entretamis]

 

 

 

When they return to their parents their parents say they are no longer Jenn Aiel, but they argue that they are still Aiel because they used spears and not swords.

 

I remember all of that good stuff - But I'm waiting on the explanation on why they don't use swords. To argue that they are still Aiel because they used spears and not swords - doesn't explain why they would argue in that particular fashion ("we used spears not swords"). A spear is still a weapon and a weapon still promotes a vision of violence - Just as a sword does.

 

I'm really just curious of the background information. Like - "We don't use swords because..."

 

As I recall: They were exiled for the simple act of violence. Thus creating a partition between the Aiel we know and love / and the now Traveling People aka Tinkers.

 

I probably just missed it. (reading at work ftl)

 

 

it is explaine din that same chapter as well. someone picks up a sowrd after the killing and the leader says: paraphrasing "a sword is made just to kill, while a spear can put food on the table." in essence they dont use swords because swords are a violent tool while spears can be used for non/violent acts. a tinker would disagree however.

[Deap]

You're amazing. I remember that now. Thank you. =D