Mistakes both major and minor

[Joshua Hendrickson]

I feel like Comic Book Guy just for introducing this topic, but it's probably not the first of its kind in this forum.

 

There are mistakes (not typos) that I've seen in reading TDR and TSR. A minor one is in TSR, Chapter 8, when Elayne is said to release saidin, rather than saidar. So Jordan goofed the two forms of the One Power--it's not the only time he did that, I'm sure. A more careless one is also in TSR, in Chapter 16, where Loial talks about running into another Ogier in Tear, by name of Laefar. He refers to him by this name twice. Then, a couple of pages later, he refers to the same character as Faelar. Jordan transposed the consonants--not a common mistake for him, but one that happens when (I speak as a writer here rather than as a fan) a writer loses himself in an overabundance of minor details. Careless, but not a big deal.

 

However, less forgivable is a moment in TDR where, having encountered the Darkhounds in Illian, Faile says of Old Grim and the Wild Hunt that she thought that was just a story, and worries about "Fetches." Faile is Saldaean, a borderlander, and the daughter of Davram Bashere. There is no way she would have anything other than a full working knowledge of Shadowspawn, growing up that close to the Blight. Elsewhere, of course, she boasts of her upbringing, but at that moment Jordan essentially forgot who she was and where she comes from. That, I fear, is just inexcusable--he knows his own world better than that.

 

Any other examples readers have noticed?

[Luckers]

There is no mistake in that moment--Faile expresses that she thought the Wild Hunt was a myth--as do many characters, including borderlanders--and Lan, for that matter. Darkhounds are not well known even in the Borderlands--Elyas remarks at how much effort Masuri would have had to have gone to to have found the trails of Seven Packs--seven, in all the borderlands, and that being remarkable to someone like Elyas.

 

“Are you telling me Nieda was right?” Zarine demanded in a shaky voice. “Old Grim is really riding with the Wild Hunt? Light! I always thought it was just a story.”

 

“Don’t be a complete fool, girl,” Lan said harshly. “If the Dark One were free, we’d all be worse than dead by now.” He peered off down the street, the way the tracks went. “But Darkhounds are real enough. Almost as dangerous as Myrddraal, and harder to kill.”

 

“Now you bring Fetches into it,” Zarine muttered. “Gray Men. Fetches. Darkhounds. You had better lead me to the Horn of Valere, farmboy. What other surprises do you have waiting for me?”

 

From there, there is nothing at all odd--why shouldn't Faile comment on Myrdraal being involved with something going on in Illian--and with a farmboy blacksmith at that? As for her referring to them as Fetches, Lan himself has used the various colloquial terms for Myrdraal. Fade, Halfman, Lurk, Eyeless, Fetches--all mean Myrdraal. If Lan, the ultimate Borderlander, casually uses these terms, why would it be odd for Faile to?

 

There is no mistake there.

[Joshua Hendrickson]

There is no mistake in that moment--Faile expresses that she thought the Wild Hunt was a myth--as do many characters, including borderlanders--and Lan, for that matter. Darkhounds are not well known even in the Borderlands--Elyas remarks at how much effort Masuri would have had to have gone to to have found the trails of Seven Packs--seven, in all the borderlands, and that being remarkable to someone like Elyas.

 

“Are you telling me Nieda was right?” Zarine demanded in a shaky voice. “Old Grim is really riding with the Wild Hunt? Light! I always thought it was just a story.”

 

“Don’t be a complete fool, girl,” Lan said harshly. “If the Dark One were free, we’d all be worse than dead by now.” He peered off down the street, the way the tracks went. “But Darkhounds are real enough. Almost as dangerous as Myrddraal, and harder to kill.”

 

“Now you bring Fetches into it,” Zarine muttered. “Gray Men. Fetches. Darkhounds. You had better lead me to the Horn of Valere, farmboy. What other surprises do you have waiting for me?”

 

From there, there is nothing at all odd--why shouldn't Faile comment on Myrdraal being involved with something going on in Illian--and with a farmboy blacksmith at that? As for her referring to them as Fetches, Lan himself has used the various colloquial terms for Myrdraal. Fade, Halfman, Lurk, Eyeless, Fetches--all mean Myrdraal. If Lan, the ultimate Borderlander, casually uses these terms, why would it be odd for Faile to?

 

There is no mistake there.

 

Alright, I defer to your greater knowledge (as an administrator, you surely spend much more time considering and studying WOT than I ever will). It is not a mistake. But to me it surely sounded out of character for a borderlander.

[Cybertrolloc]

Earlier printings are rife with typos especially in later books. I'd consider Saidin/ar to be such in all the cases where they're mixed up, though there's some other kinds of OP goofs. There's a few obvious misused character names as well, I think there's more than a few Egwene/Elayne in the wrong place in later tSR.

 

I think the 'strips naked, swims to ship and fills pockets with supplies' type errors are much fewer.