WOT/AMOL epilogue?

[Kuston]

If you intend to and have not read The Crippled God by Steven Erickson (final book in the series) be warned there may be spoilers ahead...

 

 

Today I finished the final book in Steven Erickson's Malazan book of the Fallen series (its a 10 book epic fantasy series that if you enjoy wot you really should read, just be warned though, as quick as rj was to describe Elaynes clothing, or nyns intricate hair tugs, s.e. characers are just as quick to wax romantic about the human condition be they a 300,000 year old walking skeleton or a 12 year old girl.). The book itself while a justfiable conclusion to the series, and in itself not a bad book, left a bad taste in my mouth with its ending in that it just... well.. ended. There wasn't anything much after the final battle, a little, but not much.

 

There are SO MANY characters in the series, and it just ends basically right after the battle with a few, a very few glimpses at some of the characters, and one glimpse of who basically became the central character to the story (Fiddler) when hes an old man, and even then not very satisfying in what it gave us. Now there is a seperate part to this, another author is doing other books that sort of paralel these books, and theres 3 more to come, so theres a chance that some of the characters that did not die at the end of TCG may make appearances (lets compare this with the possible outrigger novels about matt/tuon that rj and brandon have elluded to).

 

So after having read this, it got me to thinking about AMOL, and what I wanted to see from that. I'm not gonna guess here about who does what, except that in the end the light wins.... somehow... DO killed, resealed, whatever, I dont think that he'll win.... but does the book just end there with maybe 3 pages at the very end about the aftermath. I truly hope that it doesnt end that way, that the epilogue is a true sendoff for the series, maybe the final chapter ends with do's death or rand dieing, or some other climatic moment. The epilogue the gives you a glimpse of the chars a month or a year or 5 years down the road.... yes yes i know lotr... but I personally really hate when a series gives you virtually nothing after the huge climax, I really loved the malazan series, and I feal let down a bit with the ending. I'd hate to feal the same thing with my other favorite epic series and have AMOL end with and the dark one died and it was good....

 

So what do you think? Abrupt ending or with very little about the aftermath, or should there be a 10-20 page epi talkin about what happens after, maybe something like the closing pages to Loial's book or something such?

[Majsju]

Considering that RJ said that he wants to leave us with a world that is very much alive, I think odds are strongly in favour of the ending at least giving us some hints about where people are headed after TG.

[aross]

Good topic Kuston! And a good question to ask.

 

There is so much to do in A Memory of Light. I have this unwelcome feeling that the denouement will end up being this rushed unsatisfying thing.

 

How can you write a fourteen book epic and have a worthwhile aftermath?

 

I would like a good last look at our characters before the story ends, but I fear it will be like your example. Wham, bam, thank you... and not even a peck on the cheek.

[dscott8]

It wouldn't take a huge amount of text to provide an update after the Last Battle. Maybe one chapter with Elayne hosting a 10 year reunion in Camelyn for all the major players. They could swap stories, introduce their kids, reminisce about fallen comrades, and give the reader a final assurance that life goes on in Randland.

[randsc]

It wouldn't take a huge amount of text to provide an update after the Last Battle. Maybe one chapter with Elayne hosting a 10 year reunion in Camelyn for all the major players. They could swap stories, introduce their kids, reminisce about fallen comrades, and give the reader a final assurance that life goes on in Randland.

 

I would hate that ending more than I can possibly express.

[Aquarius]

Considering the scope of the wars, the situation with the seanchan and the Aiel (as per Aviendha's visions) it could deserve its own book. The last battle could come and go without Aviendha's mission beeing completed, with collared Aes Sedai's and windfinders, with some of the main characters possibly in the hands of bad guys (former darkfriends/dreadlords/whatever).

 

Heck, with all that is left to tell just to GET to the Last battle we may even end up not seeing anything about those topics.

[Guest MichaelJBreitner]

After 15+ years of living with Rand & Co (I think I read EotW in '94), I can't imagine not waiting for another book. It will feel weird. I suppose no story can be " never ending," but I'm really going to miss these characters.

[Durinax]

I think one of the most favourable endings would be a campaign ending meeting between the leaders with it ending with everyone goign different ways

[Kestrel]

Inigo Montoya: I must know...

 

Man in Black: Get used to disappointment.

[A2597]

Let me just propose this little bit.

 

If the book ends with Rand and company at the bore, and him winning, and the last line is Rand saying It's over and collapsing...do we really need more?

 

We know Egwene is Amerlyn. So there's that.

We know Perrin and Faile are destined to rule the Two Rivers, and maybe some of hte Borderlands.

We know Mat is going off to Seanchan.

We know Nynaeve is going to be similar to Cadsuane, in that she's very powerful, and will probably be somewhat reclusive. A healer that's there when she's needed and takes charge. That's true even if Lan DOES survive, she's going to outlive him, and she won't be the type to remarry. His death is when she goes to seclusion, be that in 50 pages or 50 years

We Know Elayne is Queen, and he kids will rule after her.

 

Really, the only stuff left up in the air is what happens with the Aiel and the Seanchan. Frankly, I'd not be the least bit surprised if the Glass collums were 100% accurate, and over time they are wiped out by the Seanchan. A harsh reality, but they have always faced a harsh reality.

 

 

So do we need an "After the last battle" chapter? I'm not convinced, but I'll wager there is a little bit. Although I wouldn't be surprised if it was from the vantage point of the wind. At which point I'll throw on some Kansas while reading the last chapter. It would be oddly fitting, perfect retrospective/introspective song. :D

[Ananta]

Ending I'd prefer would go like this:

1 chapter at first about LB where Rand beats DO and wins. Then rest 50 chapters about what happens after.

[Lupy]

You know what I want? The epilogue can be Rand's funeral, and the handful of characters who didn't die can be there.

[OptimusPrime]

I'd like Rand and Moridin to have switched bodies, and Rand thought Moridin was dead, but in the epilogue... we get a PoV from someone seeing a tall red haired man with a missing hand, wearing a blindfold and carrying a beggars staff.

[Fains nose]

i personally think that rand will kill the dark one, i always have and im sticking by that no matter what anyone says. i also think that mat will die (saving tuon or something), and that the thing about rj saying that he was planning outriggers of him going to seanchan is bullshit. i think the world will radically change and we cant really say what will happen because we dont know what rj had in stall that he had the ending written since before he started the series, i dont think egwene will stay amrylin, that would actually be just pathetic, she spends the next 300+ years doing paperwork for an organisation that is irrelivant and that everyone hates? thats lame. i used to hope that perrin could go and live quietly in the two rivers, but i dont think he will as of ToM i think he will be lord(king) of the two rivers after caemlyn is destroyed and elaynes authority over him is dissapated.

i really hope nynaeve and lan can live happily together because they are my two favourite characters but we will see what happens

[Luckers]

I'd like Rand and Moridin to have switched bodies, and Rand thought Moridin was dead, but in the epilogue... we get a PoV from someone seeing a tall red haired man with a missing hand, wearing a blindfold and carrying a beggars staff.

 

... suddenly running in to a woman with pale hair, fine lines around her eyes, and a drawling accent. Then he dies.

[knutz]

Not Rand's funeral, Elayne's funeral. Many years from now. Aviendha and Min discussing the intervening years and what will happen now.

[Sleeper]

Ending I'd prefer would go like this:

1 chapter at first about LB where Rand beats DO and wins. Then rest 50 chapters about what happens after.

God no. That'd be fifty chapters of Elayne and Egwene pompously slapping everybody around and manipulating them to their own ends.

[NetSlider]

I def agree that i would be very disappointed if the book ended very shortly after the LB. I would love to see a scene where one of the trio (Perrin, or Mat, or Rand) is having a last thought on his death bad that he's the last survivor of all the people involved in the series.

Also, I've sad it before and i still think it would be sooooooo cool to see another set of books but in the another turn of the wheel. can you imagine, people talking about rand and mat as someone from distant past? it would be sooooo cool to see how their view would be distorted by time. Maybe one day BS will do it (like after the way of kings).

[eagle800]

I would heavily bet on an epilogue -- likely something in the Two Rivers, and likely involving Rand and that smoking pipe Min saw appear over him when he returned from Dragonmount.

[Duskfire]

I want the epilogue to be both Perrin and Rand losing their ta`vereness and for various reasons Mat being stuck with his and hating it, realising he will be forever at the beck and call of the Wheel :P

[Durinax]

Rand and Perrin sittin smokin a pipe in perrins mansion in the TR's.

 

afterall Min said rand has the TR's in his future :D

[Mando]

I wouldnt mind seeing someone, maybe BS, picking up on a series exclusively about the Aiel and Seanchan wars of the future. could bring in some of the old characters, but sometime in the future like maybe 30-40 years. thoughts?

[Chivalry]

I'd love to see an ending that included an end to the longevity of men/women who can channel, perhaps as part of a new Oath (I swear not to accept AS botox, I will age with grace and then leave the world to the next generation).

 

The idea of Elayne/Egwene enduring in RandLand for 400+ years really bugs me...

[dscott8]

Perhaps a grey-haired Rand, sitting on the green in the Two Rivers, smoking his pipe and spinning amazing stories of his adventures to an admiring group of young children.

[b3arz3rg3r]

I'd love to see an ending that included an end to the longevity of men/women who can channel, perhaps as part of a new Oath (I swear not to accept AS botox, I will age with grace and then leave the world to the next generation).

 

The idea of Elayne/Egwene enduring in RandLand for 400+ years really bugs me...

 

Well, I've been theorizing that perhaps Elayne's and Aviendha's life expectancy will be reduced because of their bond with Min. As some sort of unintended consequence of women being too much alike. That wouldn't help the world get rid of Egwene, but still it'd be better than nothing.

Also it would explain why those two are so conspicuously absent from Aviendha's visions.

 

On topic I would say that at least it should be made clear that the doom in Aviendha's vision has been averted.