Discuss The Full Book

[FanoLan]

 

 

To answer you saying im being contradictory, allow me to clarify.

 

I have no problem with the seanchan, sea folk, knitting circle, rodel etc being given full service and time spent on their stories in the novels, if, it is not at the expense of the primary characters.

 

Ideally i would like a 17-18 book series, to really justify the world Jordan created. Obviously this is impossible.

 

As such i find it frustrating that any time is spent on these ... storylines getting in the way of essentially Rand.

 

I hope that clarifies what i was saying.

 

So to summarize, you do not like the breadth, depth and complexity of Robert Jordan's writing style since you say it would be obviously impossible for the books to justify the world Jordan created.

 

Instead, you prefer a more restricted prose that does not deviate from development of only the primary character. Sounds like a terrible story to me, but go for it if that's what spins your wheels.

 

Please do explain why, when each of us has a limited time on this planet, you would consume a portion of yours with your activities on this message board. It appears you must delight in discussing a piece of literature which is fundamentally constructed in opposition to one which you would enjoy. That seems odd to me and I would appreciate any enlightenment you might be able to provide. It does seem as though this tendency is not exclusive to you.

[Yamahako]

So Avi's viewing shows that if Rand Bows down to the Seanchan, then things are going to pretty much suck for the Aiel and Female channelers in general.

 

Tuon is planning a MASSIVE assult on the white tower.

 

Rand provoked Egwene into pulling a huge force to the white tower to stop Rand from breaking the seals.

 

Whoever Egwene isn't bringing there seems to be coming anyway, or else is relatively close (The Band in Andor - various other Mercenary armies).

 

Mat said he next stop was the tower to pick up something that belongs to him - the Horn of Valere presumably.

 

Anyone else think see a huge group of armies meeting up, and Mat blowing the horn and Artur Hawkwing coming out, and basically telling the Seanchan to get their asses in gear and quit being retarded - thus binding Tuon to serve him. Then everyone going to march as a happy party to beat on the Dark One?

[shadowkiller_001]

Has there been any discussion of Gawyn's rings that he's wearing around his neck?

In the glossary it says that the Bloodknives' rings will activate once they come in contact with the wearer's blood and that death is inevitable. So if Gawyn is ever cut or hurt he could inadvertantly activate those rings and become a 'bloodknife'?

Since there are three rings that he's wearing, i wonder if the effect with be threefold.

[Yamahako]

Has there been any discussion of Gawyn's rings that he's wearing around his neck?

In the glossary it says that the Bloodknives' rings will activate once they come in contact with the wearer's blood and that death is inevitable. So if Gawyn is ever cut or hurt he could inadvertantly activate those rings and become a 'bloodknife'?

Since there are three rings that he's wearing, i wonder if the effect with be threefold.

 

I wonder if the regeneration effect from the Warder Bond is enough to counteract the poisoning?

[shadowkiller_001]

Has there been any discussion of Gawyn's rings that he's wearing around his neck?

In the glossary it says that the Bloodknives' rings will activate once they come in contact with the wearer's blood and that death is inevitable. So if Gawyn is ever cut or hurt he could inadvertantly activate those rings and become a 'bloodknife'?

Since there are three rings that he's wearing, i wonder if the effect with be threefold.

 

I wonder if the regeneration effect from the Warder Bond is enough to counteract the poisoning?

 

That's an intersting idea.. that would pretty much make Gawyn a super hero.

Either way I think he has a large role yet to play and i'm sure the bloodknife rings will be used.

[MKMlovesWOT]

I didn't notice anyone mentioning this, but I have skipped some of the 54 pages... Sorry if repetitive...

 

From Brandon's Tweets posted on his website.

sleepinghour Mon Nov 08

@BrandonSandrson Who is the best swordsman in #WoT right now? Lan, Galad, or Gawyn? #portalstone

BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 08

@sleepinghour Lan. Then Galad. Then Gawyn. Gawyn is luckier than he thinks he is. #portalstone

 

I know I've seen more than one comment that Gawyn shouldn't have beaten 3 bloodknives simultaneously. I wonder if there is more to it than skill, given Brandon's comment...

 

Mary

[randsc]

Three rings. One for Gawyn, one for his girlfriend, one for his sister. A perfect device for ridding Randland of its' three most irritating denizens.

[AnthonyJamesEnglish]

Has there been any discussion of Gawyn's rings that he's wearing around his neck?

In the glossary it says that the Bloodknives' rings will activate once they come in contact with the wearer's blood and that death is inevitable. So if Gawyn is ever cut or hurt he could inadvertantly activate those rings and become a 'bloodknife'?

Since there are three rings that he's wearing, i wonder if the effect with be threefold.

 

I wonder if the regeneration effect from the Warder Bond is enough to counteract the poisoning?

 

That's an intersting idea.. that would pretty much make Gawyn a super hero.

Either way I think he has a large role yet to play and i'm sure the bloodknife rings will be used.

 

I'm sure the poisoning would still work because when Bryne got poisoned during the assault Suian was forced to heal him even though he was her warder at the time. I think he picked the rings up more as a token that he was right and that he defeated 3 of the Seanchan elite.

 

If he used the rings the poisoning effect would be slowed slightly but it would still kill him. Also if it could be healed you would think they would perhaps use damane to heal them?

[pfgonzo]

Pretty sure the damane didn't know healing before the Return. They're just now learning it from the AS they captured (which are mostly useless in battle due to the Oaths). Other than the initial attack on the WT, we don't know of any other instances of the bloodknives being used. It may not occur to them to try.

[nolirion]

Pretty sure the damane didn't know healing before the Return. They're just now learning it from the AS they captured (which are mostly useless in battle due to the Oaths). Other than the initial attack on the WT, we don't know of any other instances of the bloodknives being used. It may not occur to them to try.

The three oath don't make them useless in battle , they are tortured until they feel enough insecure to channel that all

[MKMlovesWOT]

Another interesting tweet from Brandon's web page.

 

BRCayen Mon Nov 08

@BrandonSandrson I can't figure it out. . . . what was the "little thing" that was missed at the start of the series? #portalstone

BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 08

@BRCayen End of chapter 55. #portalstone

 

So that answers that...

[MKMlovesWOT]

And to clarify the Asmo death,

 

alSeen14 Mon Nov 08

@BrandonSandrson I'm assuming we can do spoilers now. What did we miss that would have told us who killed Asmo? #portalstone

BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 08

@alSeen14 I don't think people missed it. RJ said it was obvious, and many guessed it correctly. So I'd say they got it. #portalstone

 

BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 08

@alSeen14 If you ask on a fan site, they can get you the 'Sherlock Holmes' style investigation of the subject. It is right. #portalstone

 

 

I think I've read the 'Sherlock Holmes' style investigation, but I don't remember where...

[Sharaman]

Has there been any discussion of Gawyn's rings that he's wearing around his neck?

In the glossary it says that the Bloodknives' rings will activate once they come in contact with the wearer's blood and that death is inevitable. So if Gawyn is ever cut or hurt he could inadvertantly activate those rings and become a 'bloodknife'?

Since there are three rings that he's wearing, i wonder if the effect with be threefold.

 

I wonder if the regeneration effect from the Warder Bond is enough to counteract the poisoning?

 

That's an intersting idea.. that would pretty much make Gawyn a super hero.

Either way I think he has a large role yet to play and i'm sure the bloodknife rings will be used.

 

I'm sure the poisoning would still work because when Bryne got poisoned during the assault Suian was forced to heal him even though he was her warder at the time. I think he picked the rings up more as a token that he was right and that he defeated 3 of the Seanchan elite.

 

If he used the rings the poisoning effect would be slowed slightly but it would still kill him. Also if it could be healed you would think they would perhaps use damane to heal them?

Byrne was stuck with a poisoned needle by a Bloodknife - he didn't have his blood touching the ring. Damane didn't know Healing until the Corenne at least.

Anybody wondering what happened to the fourth ring since the last Bloodknife was killed the morning after the night before?

[didymos]

Pretty sure the damane didn't know healing before the Return. They're just now learning it from the AS they captured (which are mostly useless in battle due to the Oaths). Other than the initial attack on the WT, we don't know of any other instances of the bloodknives being used. It may not occur to them to try.

The three oath don't make them useless in battle , they are tortured until they feel enough insecure to channel that all

 

Actually, they pretty much are:

 

Week 21 Question: Just how can an Aes Sedai be a damane? Aren't they bound by the Third Oath: to not use the One Power as a weapon except to defend their lives, their Warder's life, or another sister's life? Wouldn't they be useless as damane to the Seanchan?

 

Robert Jordan Answers: The Aes Sedai captured by the Seanchan are indeed useless as weapons, except against Shadowspawn or Darkfriends, because they are bound by the Three Oaths, and that limits their value considerably since being weapons is a major use for damane. Damane are used for other tasks, however, including finding ores for mining (Egwene was tested for this, remember; it's a very valuable, and fairly rare, ability), for some mining operations where it would be too dangerous or uneconomical to use human miners (bringing ores out of the ground and refining them using the Power), and in some construction projects, especially where something very large or with a need for added strength is envisioned. The first two both require a high ability in Earth, which has faded considerably on "this" side of the Aryth Ocean and to a smaller degree on the other side, but construction projects and others things, such as producing Sky Lights, are well within the abilities of collared Aes Sedai. The Three Oaths don't inhibit them there at all.

[Sharaman]

Couple of intriguing points occurred to me.

Rand is no longer sick when he's OP-ing. Lots of reasons suggested including that he's always touching the source, the mysterious light that covered the taint barbs in his brain protect him, etc. A further point occurred to me - simply that he's integrated his personality.

We've mostly assumed it was a problem resulting from the balefire cross (ACoS) with Moridin in Shadar Logoth.

However, it could be that the sickness was because he had two aspects to his personality and he was increasingly scared of LTT (the nutjob) taking control to the point where it made him physically sick. Possible?

 

Second point: SH & his uber-personality clearly have huge powers over DFs and Forsaken. Shaidar can find them, shield them and er, chastise them. It's been confirmed by Brandon that Shaidar's powers are much more restricted in other situations, he had to use Elza to bust Cadsuane's wards, etc. Now Rand is not a DF but he has channeled TP.

Does that mean Shaidar can find him, shield him and umm, chastise him at need?

If so, the whole rationale for GLoD / SH setting up the Semirhage double cross and deliberately letting him channel TP changes (rather then an accidental connection with Moridin which lets him grab TP through the backdoor). It's insurance for GLoD. Rand arrives at Shayol Ghul and tries to let rip and finds he can't. Then somebody taps him on the shoulder, he turns and finds a very tall Fade standing there, smiling and saying "We really need to talk".

[Ashaman Kovan]

Honestly, my biggest complaint about the book, really one of my only ones, is the way Min calls Rand a "stupid looby". It's "woolhead" damnit!

 

Other than that..Ummm...It still wasn't Graendal. :]

[AnthonyJamesEnglish]

Couple of intriguing points occurred to me.

Rand is no longer sick when he's OP-ing. Lots of reasons suggested including that he's always touching the source, the mysterious light that covered the taint barbs in his brain protect him, etc. A further point occurred to me - simply that he's integrated his personality.

We've mostly assumed it was a problem resulting from the balefire cross (ACoS) with Moridin in Shadar Logoth.

However, it could be that the sickness was because he had two aspects to his personality and he was increasingly scared of LTT (the nutjob) taking control to the point where it made him physically sick. Possible?

 

Second point: SH & his uber-personality clearly have huge powers over DFs and Forsaken. Shaidar can find them, shield them and er, chastise them. It's been confirmed by Brandon that Shaidar's powers are much more restricted in other situations, he had to use Elza to bust Cadsuane's wards, etc. Now Rand is not a DF but he has channeled TP.

Does that mean Shaidar can find him, shield him and umm, chastise him at need?

If so, the whole rationale for GLoD / SH setting up the Semirhage double cross and deliberately letting him channel TP changes (rather then an accidental connection with Moridin which lets him grab TP through the backdoor). It's insurance for GLoD. Rand arrives at Shayol Ghul and tries to let rip and finds he can't. Then somebody taps him on the shoulder, he turns and finds a very tall Fade standing there, smiling and saying "We really need to talk".

 

I would probally lean with no he can't to the second point, mostly because there is always redemption if you turn to the light, Rand never really left the light. and post TP he is practically the poster boy for the light, i'd say any time SH could have made a move on rand has long passed.

[Durinax]

my biggest criticism is that egwene didnt die, and that she is organizing such resistance to him on the eve of the last battle.

 

I was so excited when I saw gawyn leave egwene and stay away I danced a jig, then when he got there just in time to stop two of the assassins from just running up and killing her and then he ends up killing three of them. . . it was disappointing

[capuga]

And to clarify the Asmo death,

 

alSeen14 Mon Nov 08

@BrandonSandrson I'm assuming we can do spoilers now. What did we miss that would have told us who killed Asmo? #portalstone

BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 08

@alSeen14 I don't think people missed it. RJ said it was obvious, and many guessed it correctly. So I'd say they got it. #portalstone

 

BrandonSandrson Mon Nov 08

@alSeen14 If you ask on a fan site, they can get you the 'Sherlock Holmes' style investigation of the subject. It is right. #portalstone

 

 

I think I've read the 'Sherlock Holmes' style investigation, but I don't remember where...

 

Check the WOTFAQ. It used to have a good writeup of the various suspects and discussed why Graendal was a good candidate. I assume this is still in the new version.

[Guest Lostris]

I am very upset :-(

 

I privately only had THREE little wishes for this book and I have been told by sources that I trust that NONE of the three occur in this book.

 

I am crushed.

 

Avoid reading further if you want to avoid seeing me expand on these three things:

 

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I thought my yearnings were not too much to ask for. I didn't have to have Asmo's killer revealed or some long-prophecied battle happen. My three wishes were small things and I can't believe NONE of the three occur in TOM -

 

My Three Wishes Were:

 

 

1 Mesaana's Tower Identity Revealed.

 

2 Demandred's Identity/What He's Been Up To Revealed.

 

3 Not so much Moiraine Demandred's TOG Rescue Itself...But Rand Meeting Her Again.

 

 

Please...someome tell me...in the name of all that is Team Jordan, HOW could NONE of these things be in TOM???:--(((

 

 

- Fish

 

 

It is ture that Demandread's Identity and the Rand-Moiraine meeting were not revealed in ToM but Mesaana's identity was:

 

Chapter 42 - Stronger than Blood

 

"You found Mesaana?" he asked.(Gawyn)

"Yes, though it took some time. She was impersonating an Aes Sedai named Danelle, of the Brown Ajah. We found her in her room, babbling like a child. She had already soiled herself. I'm not sure what we will do with her."

"Danelle. I didn't know her."

"She kept to herself," Egwene said. "Which is probably why Mesaana picked her."

 

hope this makes u less upset :)

[Dead Guy]

Was anyone else expecting a chapter or section about Loial after the intro snippet from his book-to-come?

 

I was a bit surprised after he described how he talked at the great stump but then there was nothing about him at all.

 

A Memory of Light Prologue?

[nolirion]

Pretty sure the damane didn't know healing before the Return. They're just now learning it from the AS they captured (which are mostly useless in battle due to the Oaths). Other than the initial attack on the WT, we don't know of any other instances of the bloodknives being used. It may not occur to them to try.

The three oath don't make them useless in battle , they are tortured until they feel enough insecure to channel that all

 

Actually, they pretty much are:

 

Week 21 Question: Just how can an Aes Sedai be a damane? Aren't they bound by the Third Oath: to not use the One Power as a weapon except to defend their lives, their Warder's life, or another sister's life? Wouldn't they be useless as damane to the Seanchan?

 

Robert Jordan Answers: The Aes Sedai captured by the Seanchan are indeed useless as weapons, except against Shadowspawn or Darkfriends, because they are bound by the Three Oaths, and that limits their value considerably since being weapons is a major use for damane. Damane are used for other tasks, however, including finding ores for mining (Egwene was tested for this, remember; it's a very valuable, and fairly rare, ability), for some mining operations where it would be too dangerous or uneconomical to use human miners (bringing ores out of the ground and refining them using the Power), and in some construction projects, especially where something very large or with a need for added strength is envisioned. The first two both require a high ability in Earth, which has faded considerably on "this" side of the Aryth Ocean and to a smaller degree on the other side, but construction projects and others things, such as producing Sky Lights, are well within the abilities of collared Aes Sedai. The Three Oaths don't inhibit them there at all.

I did not saw it that way

[didymos]

I did not saw it that way

 

Um, I'm not sure what that means. You hadn't seen that before, or you disagree with RJ?

[Byzantine279]

Gawyn is truly incredibly lucky. I wonder why he is?

 

Yes, I would say in AMoL prologue Loial will be present, but then I expect the ogier arrive on the field when Rand begins to make his statement.

 

My question is: Who is going to save Lan? Any bets?

[Darth Krewl]

My question is: Who is going to save Lan? Any bets?

 

Now, why should Lan be saved? What makes him so important, so indispensable to the overall story, that Rand or any other of his allies should spend valuable resources and time, risking themselves (and forces that'll be sorely needed for the Last Battle) only to bail out one single man troubled by his past?

 

Lan was already headed down a self-destructive path, ever since New Spring. Only Moiraine's intervention saved and kept him in check for over 20 yrs. Now that she's been gone, not even his wife could save the man from his self-chosen downward spiral. His profile and (potential) fate have been drawn out this way all along.

 

I could be wrong, but I think he's a-goner. It's already unrealistic that, after 13 books, no major character has been killed off. So, I wouldn't expect things to stay that way much longer. Such lack of drama and sense of danger would be unbecoming for such a fine series as TWoT. And, IMO, Lan is a prime candidate to bite the dust before it's all said and done. His story line's clearly been set up that way...barring some last second miraculous rescue attempt led by Rand and/or Nynaeve.

 

But if he does get nixed, it'd be cool to see him go out in a blaze of glory, delivering a painful blow to the Shadow that also helps his friends, like the hero he's supposed to be.