Mat's Arc

[Jamesmb]

The only time I can remember when Mat was not always joking around was when he had the SL Dagger. Always before and after he was joking to me. That is just the was I see it.

 

I'm trying to keep his sarcasm and actual joking separated just because I do not see them as the same thing. Like I said above, it feels like his character is more exaggerated this time around.

[Jack Shaftoe]

I think Mat's just more confident in his skin now than he was say five books ago. He can joke around, instead of making sarcastic commentaries mostly in his thoughts because he feels largely in control of his destiny. He doesn't care much if people would think him rude or dumb. And the people he jokes with are mostly the likes of Thom and Talmanes whom he has grown to trust. Aes Sedai don't impress him any more because he has spent too much time around them and has that medallion. His message for the Amyrlin is a perfect example.

 

Yes, sometimes Sanderson tries a bit too hard to bring the funny with Mat but overall I think he has really captured the essence of the character.

[Zodd]

Have we yet placed Mat's timeline at his exist of ToG? He has his vision when thinking of Rand, and it shows Rand eating with Min. Any ideas?

[f3llyn]

I thought his exit from the ToG was on the day of the meeting at the FoM. If not that then it was a day before it. He leaves the same day as Perrin does so the trick is to figure out how long he was actually in the ToG, which unless I missed it they never determine how long they were actually in it for.

[Zodd]

I thought his exit from the ToG was on the day of the meeting at the FoM. If not that then it was a day before it. He leaves the same day as Perrin does so the trick is to figure out how long he was actually in the ToG, which unless I missed it they never determine how long they were actually in it for.

 

I believe it's said somewhere that time moves faster in the ToG, but not sure. Maybe I'm confusing it with how long Bridget spent and died in there. All that running around lol.

[f3llyn]

I thought his exit from the ToG was on the day of the meeting at the FoM. If not that then it was a day before it. He leaves the same day as Perrin does so the trick is to figure out how long he was actually in the ToG, which unless I missed it they never determine how long they were actually in it for.

 

I believe it's said somewhere that time moves faster in the ToG, but not sure. Maybe I'm confusing it with how long Bridget spent and died in there. All that running around lol.

They've said you can spend what feels like a day in there and then only an hour has passed in the real world, and then the opposite can happen, too. So there isn't a sure way to tell how much time has passed in the ToG.

 

Until we learn otherwise I'm thinking about a day passed for them.

[White_star]

... I couldn't help but see Mat as a country bumkin, struggling with words and almost forcefully cursing (I recall his earlier uses of "bloody this and that" feeling more natural in their timing).

 

It's very hard to put my finger on it, but I feel like Sanderson has had Mat talk a lot more than he ever has in the series which would make it harder to keep him in character. He isn't quite the "Jokester" that he is being made out to be. Mat seemed to typically stay mostly quiet and observatory and occasionally piping up with opinions that are sometimes outrageous to his audience... but then proves that his speculations were correct to everyone's surprise. Now, while he has always been the most sarcastic, he hardly ever came off as buffoonish or uneducated... especially after he gets his memories....

While it is true, his memories probably should give him an increased vocabulary let-alone what he has learned outside the TR, he really IS a country bumpkin, just as his friends were and to some extent still are. They are only ~3yrs out of their village and all were learning country skills: for Rand it was sheepherding, farming and anything else Tam taught him (I assume Tam came back to the TR w/ more of an education then when he left too),for Perrin it was whatever his mom & dad taught him and blacksmithing, and for Mat it was milking cows and horse trading. Mat also said that books never really interested him and Loial made the comment that Rand is the only one of the three who really has a love for books so it actually makes sense for Mat to not have an advanced vocab.

 

FYI, I'm not saying Mat isn't intelligent for he has clearly demonstrated otherwise(other mens' memories aside), he's just not as literate which would account for his lack of vocab. (which is probably why Rand knew the correct term "wick" for where you put the fire on a firework and Mat didn't.)

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

Edit:I didn't mean to leave Perrins mom out

[Ogrelin]

I liked Mats letter a lot, it made me laugh :) and I loved the badger scene as well!

 

Another thing, I have a feeling Tuon will die soon (from the shadown prophecy)...will Mat be king over Seanchan then?

[dshirey09]

I loved Mat, as always, people should stop being haters. I love Sanderson's books, I love Jordan's books, and I loved ToM. We don't even know who actually wrote the letter, so how can people say that Sanderson lovers love it, etc etc. If it got past the people who read the book before it was released, it should be good enough for all of you.

 

I don't think Moiraine will be the 2nd female to use Callandor with Rand. She lost so much strength in ToG, and although she has angreal etc, I think it would make more sense to just have someone who is stronger than her without angreal use it.. That'd be like using a human to lift a heavy object, instead of a robot who was built to lift heavy objects.

 

ToM was great, Mat's PoV was great. I can't wait for AMoL (someone said they hope its 2 books because of how much stuff they Sanderson will have to cover, and I totally agree :P).

[Darth Krewl]

Anyone got bugged out when the word "technology" was used by Mat in chapter 19 ToM? Mat was telling Elayne not to sell the dragon "technology" to anyone.

I was seriously into this and picturing the whole world of WoT in my head but the word alone snapped me back to reality for some reason.

 

Please anyone make sense of all this...

 

I agree wholeheartedly.

 

Even if the word was coined in the 17th. century in real life, when Mat spells "laffing" like this on his letter, you can clearly see that he's not a highly educated dude who would say something like "technology" as naturally as he did.

 

Mat could've easily said something like, "please, do not sell the secret FORMULA for the construction of dragons" or something along those lines. So, technology is far from being the only word he could've used in that instance.

 

Not a major detail by any means, but the term did stick out like a sore thumb to me too.

[Ltsegarra]

On Mat and his ashendri...

As we have discover the ashendrai or whatever it's called was the tool need to free Thom and Mat from the "foxes and snakes". I can't help but wonder what role Mat and his staff will play in the final moments of Tarmon Gaidan. I'd like to make a guess though.

First let's look back on the whole "apples good/bad" scene and others where Rand sorta makes a "quantsm argument". Rand basically states that people just happen to open a bad bag. As if they had the chance to open a 50/50 chance. However, I think Rand is alluding to the Portal stones and alternate realities. In some realtites the apples are "bad" in others they are "good". It seems as if Rand is consciously affecting realities them as the Dark One does with his "bubbles of evil".

How does realities, Mat and his ashanderai, and Rand connenct? Well let's look back further in Books 1 or 2, while traveling the portals stones Mat has a vision of himself killing Rand. Once out Mat promises that he'd never do it and prays Rand believes him. What was it that Mat saw? Was it a vision based on a corrupt Mat using the Dagger against Rand? Was it a vision of an act Mat MUST perform? Or something innocent like another reality?

I believe in some way, the ashedaerai's ability to cleave reality as the different reality between the "elf land" and the tower of genji will play into TG. Also, I'm guessing that Mat will have will have to separate Rand from the Dragon Reborn causing Rand's figurative "Death". Maybe, that's the death that Mat envisioned in during the portal stones trip.

[pattyruss]

Sooo, I don't know in which forum I should post this or if this has been already addressed in a previous forum(s) but I'm confused about Noal. Okay, so he is Jain Farstrider the famous traveler/adventurer and also the Malkier who introduced the Cowin (the darkfriend who brought down Malkier) to the Malkier nobility etc., But when we first meet him he's portrayed/framed as a darkfriend. He's hanging out with darkfriend assassins, possibly meeting with the Forsaken, etc., If I remember correctly, he was also mentioned by Mili Skane or Carridin as being a high-status darkfriend. However Noal seems to know and resent that he's being used by darkfriends. And for the last few series of books he's been hanging around Mat and the Band, protecting Mat from the golam, Aelfinn and Eelfinn (which presumably cost him his life), and other such dangerous. Sooooooooo what's with Noal/Jain.........?

[johthohar]

I thought his exit from the ToG was on the day of the meeting at the FoM. If not that then it was a day before it. He leaves the same day as Perrin does so the trick is to figure out how long he was actually in the ToG, which unless I missed it they never determine how long they were actually in it for.

 

I believe it's said somewhere that time moves faster in the ToG, but not sure. Maybe I'm confusing it with how long Bridget spent and died in there. All that running around lol.

They've said you can spend what feels like a day in there and then only an hour has passed in the real world, and then the opposite can happen, too. So there isn't a sure way to tell how much time has passed in the ToG.

 

Until we learn otherwise I'm thinking about a day passed for them.

 

I think it's pretty clear that it can't be the day of. In the epilogue during Olver's POV he is still gone and I believe the meeting is supposed to occur at about the same time they notice the Trolloc invasion. I may need to reread the part leading up to ToG though. Isn't the Ashaman opening the daily gate for him with the Band? Or is he with Perrin's army? Now that I'm thinking about it I'm even more confused. Maybe I should just reread the whole book. Anyway, I think we would have seen him at some point in the epilogue if he had gotten back the day before the meeting.

[johthohar]

Sooo, I don't know in which forum I should post this or if this has been already addressed in a previous forum(s) but I'm confused about Noal. Okay, so he is Jain Farstrider the famous traveler/adventurer and also the Malkier who introduced the Cowin (the darkfriend who brought down Malkier) to the Malkier nobility etc., But when we first meet him he's portrayed/framed as a darkfriend. He's hanging out with darkfriend assassins, possibly meeting with the Forsaken, etc., If I remember correctly, he was also mentioned by Mili Skane or Carridin as being a high-status darkfriend. However Noal seems to know and resent that he's being used by darkfriends. And for the last few series of books he's been hanging around Mat and the Band, protecting Mat from the golam, Aelfinn and Eelfinn (which presumably cost him his life), and other such dangerous. Sooooooooo what's with Noal/Jain.........?

 

One thing that threw me off was the fact that he knows he is Jain. How is this possible unless he, like Rand, was hearing voices from past lives. If I'm not mistaken, Birgitte mentions at some point that she can never remember her past lives when she is spun out but only when she is in the Dream.

[gary0044187]

Sooo, I don't know in which forum I should post this or if this has been already addressed in a previous forum(s) but I'm confused about Noal. Okay, so he is Jain Farstrider the famous traveler/adventurer and also the Malkier who introduced the Cowin (the darkfriend who brought down Malkier) to the Malkier nobility etc., But when we first meet him he's portrayed/framed as a darkfriend. He's hanging out with darkfriend assassins, possibly meeting with the Forsaken, etc., If I remember correctly, he was also mentioned by Mili Skane or Carridin as being a high-status darkfriend. However Noal seems to know and resent that he's being used by darkfriends. And for the last few series of books he's been hanging around Mat and the Band, protecting Mat from the golam, Aelfinn and Eelfinn (which presumably cost him his life), and other such dangerous. Sooooooooo what's with Noal/Jain.........?

 

One thing that threw me off was the fact that he knows he is Jain. How is this possible unless he, like Rand, was hearing voices from past lives. If I'm not mistaken, Birgitte mentions at some point that she can never remember her past lives when she is spun out but only when she is in the Dream.

Jain never died, Noal was the compelled tool of Ishy. That is what I get out of it. Dude is really old, always described as old too.

[johthohar]

Sooo, I don't know in which forum I should post this or if this has been already addressed in a previous forum(s) but I'm confused about Noal. Okay, so he is Jain Farstrider the famous traveler/adventurer and also the Malkier who introduced the Cowin (the darkfriend who brought down Malkier) to the Malkier nobility etc., But when we first meet him he's portrayed/framed as a darkfriend. He's hanging out with darkfriend assassins, possibly meeting with the Forsaken, etc., If I remember correctly, he was also mentioned by Mili Skane or Carridin as being a high-status darkfriend. However Noal seems to know and resent that he's being used by darkfriends. And for the last few series of books he's been hanging around Mat and the Band, protecting Mat from the golam, Aelfinn and Eelfinn (which presumably cost him his life), and other such dangerous. Sooooooooo what's with Noal/Jain.........?

 

One thing that threw me off was the fact that he knows he is Jain. How is this possible unless he, like Rand, was hearing voices from past lives. If I'm not mistaken, Birgitte mentions at some point that she can never remember her past lives when she is spun out but only when she is in the Dream.

Jain never died, Noal was the compelled tool of Ishy. That is what I get out of it. Dude is really old, always described as old too.

 

Okay, just double checked a couple places. I was thinking that Jain was a long dead hero of the horn. I forgot that he was more recent in WoT history. My mistake.

[James71]

Okay, just double checked a couple places. I was thinking that Jain was a long dead hero of the horn. I forgot that he was more recent in WoT history. My mistake.

 

Jain is certainly heroic and legendary enough to join the HoV as a hero. There is nothing preventing new heros from being added. In the second book, Hawkwing mentioned that to Hurin.

 

If I had to pick a few people from the current age that could join the HoV as heros to be called in the future, assuming that the HoV survives and continues as an artifact in a future age, the list would include Jain, Mat and Perrin.

[Val Mickey]

It could be Jain is a HoH spun out.

 

Would your list include Lan? He is the most badass hero character in the series. Seems a shame to leave him out.

[MyKillK]

Brandon Sanderson totally dropped the ball on what should have been one of the most exciting and compelling events of the ENTIRE SERIES!!

 

The Tower of Ghenjei section was anti-climactic and felt like an afterthought. Was seriously disappointed.

 

And isn't this the third time now Moiraine has been able to ask questions of the Aelfinn? I thought they only allow each person one trip...

[Suttree]

Brandon Sanderson totally dropped the ball on what should have been one of the most exciting and compelling events of the ENTIRE SERIES!!

 

The Tower of Ghenjei section was anti-climactic and felt like an afterthought. Was seriously disappointed.

 

And isn't this the third time now Moiraine has been able to ask questions of the Aelfinn? I thought they only allow each person one trip...

 

Actually it's on record that RJ wrote the entire ToG sequence. Might be a good idea to research some of this before you start pointing fingers. Trust me there is plenty that I wish BS had done diff but this is one you can't blame him for.

[MyKillK]

Actually it's on record that RJ wrote the entire ToG sequence. Might be a good idea to research some of this before you start pointing fingers. Trust me there is plenty that I wish BS had done diff but this is one you can't blame him for.

 

I just searched Google for like 15 minutes, and I could not find this record you speak of. The best I could come up with is that it is "hearsay" that RJ wrote the ToG sequence, and Jason Denzel's review here on DMount says "We'll never know how much of the book was personally written by Robert Jordan before he died, and how much was written by Brandon, but the point is that Mat not only sounds right in most of his chapters, but he is in his finest form"

 

The writing style of the ToG section seems to be Sanderson as well.

[Suttree]

Actually it's on record that RJ wrote the entire ToG sequence. Might be a good idea to research some of this before you start pointing fingers. Trust me there is plenty that I wish BS had done diff but this is one you can't blame him for.

 

I just searched Google for like 15 minutes, and I could not find this record you speak of. The best I could come up with is that it is "hearsay" that RJ wrote the ToG sequence, and Jason Denzel's review here on DMount says "We'll never know how much of the book was personally written by Robert Jordan before he died, and how much was written by Brandon, but the point is that Mat not only sounds right in most of his chapters, but he is in his finest form"

 

Q&A w/ BS

 

1) What was the most jaw-dropping scene (or scenes) to you when you read the material for ToM?

 

"Verin"

"That's what you answered for Book 12. I'm asking about book 13, which I've already read"

"Everyone in line close your ears"

"The whole Tower of Ghenjei sequence. That was all written by Jim. Also, the surprise proposal at the end"

[MyKillK]

Actually it's on record that RJ wrote the entire ToG sequence. Might be a good idea to research some of this before you start pointing fingers. Trust me there is plenty that I wish BS had done diff but this is one you can't blame him for.

 

I just searched Google for like 15 minutes, and I could not find this record you speak of. The best I could come up with is that it is "hearsay" that RJ wrote the ToG sequence, and Jason Denzel's review here on DMount says "We'll never know how much of the book was personally written by Robert Jordan before he died, and how much was written by Brandon, but the point is that Mat not only sounds right in most of his chapters, but he is in his finest form"

 

Q&A w/ BS

 

 

This one? http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/11/todays-tweet-up-with-brandon-sanderson

[Suttree]

Actually it's on record that RJ wrote the entire ToG sequence. Might be a good idea to research some of this before you start pointing fingers. Trust me there is plenty that I wish BS had done diff but this is one you can't blame him for.

 

I just searched Google for like 15 minutes, and I could not find this record you speak of. The best I could come up with is that it is "hearsay" that RJ wrote the ToG sequence, and Jason Denzel's review here on DMount says "We'll never know how much of the book was personally written by Robert Jordan before he died, and how much was written by Brandon, but the point is that Mat not only sounds right in most of his chapters, but he is in his finest form"

 

Q&A w/ BS

 

 

This one? http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/11/todays-tweet-up-with-brandon-sanderson

 

 

No the Dallas stop I believe...read third post down from start.

 

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/53029-tom-signing-tour-reports/page__st__20

 

As I said plenty from BS I don't like in regards to Mat(letter to Elayne, sample chapter released before ToM) but in regards to ToG, BS himself said it was all Jim.

[MyKillK]

Actually it's on record that RJ wrote the entire ToG sequence. Might be a good idea to research some of this before you start pointing fingers. Trust me there is plenty that I wish BS had done diff but this is one you can't blame him for.

 

I just searched Google for like 15 minutes, and I could not find this record you speak of. The best I could come up with is that it is "hearsay" that RJ wrote the ToG sequence, and Jason Denzel's review here on DMount says "We'll never know how much of the book was personally written by Robert Jordan before he died, and how much was written by Brandon, but the point is that Mat not only sounds right in most of his chapters, but he is in his finest form"

 

Q&A w/ BS

 

 

This one? http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/11/todays-tweet-up-with-brandon-sanderson

 

 

No the Dallas stop I believe...read third post down from start.

 

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/53029-tom-signing-tour-reports/page__st__20

 

As I said plenty from BS I don't like in regards to Mat(letter to Elayne, sample chapter released before ToM) but in regards to ToG, BS himself said it was all Jim.

 

Well I'm quite surprised to learn it was written by RJ. Regardless, the ToG section was a huge disappointment. It should have been the focus of the book (it's on the cover even...) yet it was relegated as almost an afterthought at the very end.