Discuss Jason's Proper Review

[Luckers]

I also want Olver to kill someone hardcore.

 

 

Rand dropped to his knees, and for a moment he seemed to struggle to scream, then his eyes turned glassy and the halo of Light winked out. Nearby Egwene's hands spasmed one last time, and were still. The Dark One laughed softly, staring down at them.

 

I HAVE WON AGAIN, LEWS THER--

 

He did not see the knife. Staggering forward, a wordless scream on his lips, he twisted and fell back, horror twisting his newly wrought face. He plucked the blade, a thing shaped like a leaf and made of what appeared to be iron. It looked too blunt for stabbing, yet it had slid into his new body with ease. For some reason he could not quite see it properly.

 

Looking up, the Dark One saw the boy who had stabbed him. An ugly child, as humans were wont to measure things. For now the child was grinning at him, his grin splitting his face.

 

"That was for Mat."

 

Death took him, and the Dark One was no more.

[Terez]

I'm surprised more people aren't talking about this:

 

The other scene that rocked me to read is one that completely embraces the spirit of the whole series. It's the epitome of what makes The Wheel of Time stand apart from all other fantasy series. To say that I was moved by it is an understatement. After reading it, I honestly began to question whether this story will actually have a happy ending or not. I mean, let's face it. Most of us assume the series will conclude with a victory at the Last Battle, with maybe a few heroic deaths along the way, right? Well this sequence I'm talking about proves that even victory can be disaster. It shows that even the most noble of intentions can have a butterfly-effect ripple across the Pattern. The sequence was beautiful to behold, and that alone makes ToM worth of being on the shelf with your other WoT books.

 

What made Jason mock our expectation that there will be 'maybe a few heroic deaths along the way'? Why would he question whether the story will have a happy ending or not? As far as the butterfly effect goes...by far the most series-spanning plotline in this regard concerns Morgase. Mat had noble intentions when he planted the seeds that led to Morgase's disappearance. Rand avenged her 'death', and in so doing offered up his own name as a suspect. Gawyn wants to avenge her 'death' as well, and he's willing to let the whole Pattern burn to do it. Will Perrin get there in time to prevent it? It's not looking all that likely...

 

Anybody think that the cleansing of the taint might have empowered Fain, somehow? He seems to have a sort of connection to Shadar Logoth, and from the prologue he's very much more powerful than he was last time we saw him. Perhaps he returned and absorbed the taint (it might like him as much as machin shin)? Or absorbed the remnants of Shadar Logoth's power?

It's an interesting point. But since Shadar Logoth was destroyed during the cleansing, I don't know if there was any taint or residue leftover for Fain to inherit? I do agree that based on his scene in the ToM prologue that his powers are enhanced, but I don't know if that's a result of the remnants of the cleansing, or if Fain got those enhanced powers elsewhere. But Shadar Logoth is as likely as any, especially with being able to use Mashadar.

 

I think the taint-cleansing empowered Fain in the sense that destroying Shadar Logoth 'freed' Mashadar, at least in the sense that it was previously bound to the city and is now bound to the only other physical manifestation of Shadar Logoth in the world, which is the ruby dagger (or perhaps even Fain himself now). The Prologue essentially shows Mashadar trailing Fain now, and apparently obeying his commands.

 

Remember, just prior to the taint-cleansing, Fain's best attempt to kill Rand consisted of distracting him with an Illusion in Far Madding so he could stab Rand. Now, he can kill Fists of Trollocs, Worms and Fades with his deathmist, which is probably Mashadar. I would call that empowerment. In other words, the evil of Shadar Logoth is much more concentrated around Fain now.

Fain's abilities are just progressing naturally as time goes on. RJ said that the destruction of the city didn't make Fain any more or less powerful than he was before, so it's likely that Mashadar has been a part of him all along. Or at least, since he got the dagger back. I imagine that the constant cutting himself with it contributes.

[TheBeerPatriot]

Makes me think ToM is the darkest hour before sunrise. It's "The Empire Strikes Back" to to the later "Return of the Jedi."

 

I really hope that AMOL doesn't end with an Ewok music video.

 

Just imagine it, the final scene of AMOL. All the Tinkers left alive gathered in one place and then they sing the Song

 

Yub nub

eee chop yub nub

ah toe meet toe pee-chee keene

g'noop dock fling oh ah

Yah wah

eee chop yah wah

ah toe meet toe pee-chee keene

g'noop dock fling oh ah

Coatee chah tu yub nub

coatee chah tu yahwah

coatee chah tu glowah

allay loo ta nuv

Glowah

eee chop glowah

ya glowah pee chu nee foam

ah toot dee awe goon daa

Coatee cha tu goo (Yub nub!)

coatee cha tu doo (Yahwah!)

coatee cha tu too (Ya chaa!)

allay loo ta nuv

allay loo ta nuv

allay loo ta nuv

Glowah

eee chop glowah

ya glowah pee chu nee foam

ah toot dee awe goon daa

Allay loo ta nuv

 

ROFL

Good God. I just hope the Tinkers can somehow obtain the Ewok drums for the Song ;)

[TheBeerPatriot]

I'm surprised more people aren't talking about this:

 

The other scene that rocked me to read is one that completely embraces the spirit of the whole series. It's the epitome of what makes The Wheel of Time stand apart from all other fantasy series. To say that I was moved by it is an understatement. After reading it, I honestly began to question whether this story will actually have a happy ending or not. I mean, let's face it. Most of us assume the series will conclude with a victory at the Last Battle, with maybe a few heroic deaths along the way, right? Well this sequence I'm talking about proves that even victory can be disaster. It shows that even the most noble of intentions can have a butterfly-effect ripple across the Pattern. The sequence was beautiful to behold, and that alone makes ToM worth of being on the shelf with your other WoT books.

 

What made Jason mock our expectation that there will be 'maybe a few heroic deaths along the way'? Why would he question whether the story will have a happy ending or not? As far as the butterfly effect goes...by far the most series-spanning plotline in this regard concerns Morgase. Mat had noble intentions when he planted the seeds that led to Morgase's disappearance. Rand avenged her 'death', and in so doing offered up his own name as a suspect. Gawyn wants to avenge her 'death' as well, and he's willing to let the whole Pattern burn to do it. Will Perrin get there in time to prevent it? It's not looking all that likely...

Good point, I haven't really seen it mentioned either. While the Morgase plotline does provide a ripple effect, I'd say that the disappearance of Luc and Tigraine really rippled the pattern. The effects of their actions are still trickling down, 20 years after it.

 

I'm very curious (of course) to see what this sequence is that Jason refers to in the review. Could it be a battle in the Borderlands (or Caemlyn) that produces a Pyrrhic victory? Or, could it be something along the lines of a 1-1 battle (Perrin vs. Slayer, Mat vs. Tower of Ghenjei, or Rand vs. Forsaken)? I'm also wondering if this sequence centers around the Black Tower.