New Spring

[Guest liverpool10171]

Hey everyone, I just started the Wheel of Time series a little while ago, and I just finished Crossroads of Twilight. I know Robert Jordan wrote New Spring before he finished Knife of Dreams, but I was wondering if I'd be missing out anything crucial if I skipped New Spring for now, and started reading Knife of Dreams. Thanks for all your help!

[Suttree]

I don't think you would be missing all that much in relation to KoD.

 

New Spring is a quick read, that fleshes out some things quite nicely however. I think it is best to read them in the order published.

[Grizz]

I didn't read New Spring until after I finished Knife of Dreams. Nothing missed. In fact, you will probably just be putting the series on hold if you stop to read New Spring right now. Just wait until you finish Towers of Midnight. Thats my recommendation.

[Luckers]

Agreed. New Spring is a lot of fun, but it doesn't advance the plot at all--it's why people were initially disatisfied with it, which was in turn why Jordan put off writing the other two prequels. Get to the end of the series, satisfy your enjoyment of the plot, and then read New Spring for what it was mean to be--an expansion of the world and characters.

[Southpaw89]

I read New Spring after finishing Towers of Midnight and it really made me appreciate Moiraine and Lan more. I already liked them but after reading the series then reading how they met and all that it was very satisfying.

[Alric]

I have to agree that it doesn't advance the plot a lot, but I think it really fleshes out the characters of Moiraine, Lan and Siuan. You will appreciate and understand them more, and for that I think it is worth reading it before you finish the series. But I would not read it too early since it does in some way spoil a lot about how the world works. Somewhere between book 6 and 10 is a good time.

[Kadere]

Skip New Spring, read it later, after you've read it the first time you can start your rereads with it, before EotW, if you wish.

[atlas74]

I've been reading the series since the beginning in 1990, I was pretty upset at the delay a prequel put into the main series release. At that time we were waiting 2 years plus on a new novel, that being said I enjoyed the book. New Spring really did answer alot of the questions I had of the history of Mo, Lan, Siuan, Verin and several other secondary characters and the WT, it is worth the read. Like others have said it doesnt progress the story but does for some fleshing out, at the point your at in the series I would say if you have any down time in the series take a few minutes to read New Spring, it is worth the read.

[Thorum]

take a few minutes to read New Spring

 

You must be a very fast reader

[maryemi'jigede]

I really enjoyed New Spring - mainly because of a (most likely female) curiosity about Lan and Moiraine's relationship, lol. I mean, if he is as magnetic as he sounds and she is as beautiful as RJ makes out, how could those two not hook up at some stage??? But alas, according to RJ they are both made of stone. I'm sure he'd be disgusted to know that was the only reason why I picked up New Spring, tee hee. But it's a great read, and I loved reading about the young Siuan and Moiraine. They are Egwene and Elayne all over again, or Egwene and Elayne are them all over again. I don't think it makes much difference to the story whether you read it now or later. I agree with Suttree, it fleshes things out very nicely.

[mb]

I started my second time through with the prequel.

Second time through started almost immediately after first time through.

[Mandro]

New Spring has a lot of problems with it, only read it after . . .I think TFOH, and even then it really won't make sense unless you are repetative reader.

 

A fair read, however, there are mini-conflicts that will throw a new reader off.

[Mandro]

I really enjoyed New Spring - mainly because of a (most likely female) curiosity about Lan and Moiraine's relationship, lol. I mean, if he is as magnetic as he sounds and she is as beautiful as RJ makes out, how could those two not hook up at some stage??? But alas, according to RJ they are both made of stone. I'm sure he'd be disgusted to know that was the only reason why I picked up New Spring, tee hee. But it's a great read, and I loved reading about the young Siuan and Moiraine. They are Egwene and Elayne all over again, or Egwene and Elayne are them all over again. I don't think it makes much difference to the story whether you read it now or later. I agree with Suttree, it fleshes things out very nicely.

 

The timeline is what makes New Spring a problem. New Spring occurred (spoillers, avoid if you haven't read!) 19 years before Rand was found, I think that is the timeline.

 

Lan was always an accomplished captain, Not even warder trained, yet ends up in the environment of, at the time one of the top 5 AS in order to witness major viewings.

 

so unless Lan Was EXTRAORDINARILY YOUNG 19 years before Rands birth when he earned his Sword, and then became a Warder, Lan is FLOGGING OLD! I don't mean "older man" but FLOGGING OLD!

[maryemi'jigede]

I really enjoyed New Spring - mainly because of a (most likely female) curiosity about Lan and Moiraine's relationship, lol. I mean, if he is as magnetic as he sounds and she is as beautiful as RJ makes out, how could those two not hook up at some stage??? But alas, according to RJ they are both made of stone. I'm sure he'd be disgusted to know that was the only reason why I picked up New Spring, tee hee. But it's a great read, and I loved reading about the young Siuan and Moiraine. They are Egwene and Elayne all over again, or Egwene and Elayne are them all over again. I don't think it makes much difference to the story whether you read it now or later. I agree with Suttree, it fleshes things out very nicely.

 

The timeline is what makes New Spring a problem. New Spring occurred (spoillers, avoid if you haven't read!) 19 years before Rand was found, I think that is the timeline.

 

Lan was always an accomplished captain, Not even warder trained, yet ends up in the environment of, at the time one of the top 5 AS in order to witness major viewings.

 

so unless Lan Was EXTRAORDINARILY YOUNG 19 years before Rands birth when he earned his Sword, and then became a Warder, Lan is FLOGGING OLD! I don't mean "older man" but FLOGGING OLD!

 

Yeah but....still magnetic, lol. He's the Sean Connery of WOT :)

[Kadere]

I really enjoyed New Spring - mainly because of a (most likely female) curiosity about Lan and Moiraine's relationship, lol. I mean, if he is as magnetic as he sounds and she is as beautiful as RJ makes out, how could those two not hook up at some stage??? But alas, according to RJ they are both made of stone. I'm sure he'd be disgusted to know that was the only reason why I picked up New Spring, tee hee. But it's a great read, and I loved reading about the young Siuan and Moiraine. They are Egwene and Elayne all over again, or Egwene and Elayne are them all over again. I don't think it makes much difference to the story whether you read it now or later. I agree with Suttree, it fleshes things out very nicely.

 

The timeline is what makes New Spring a problem. New Spring occurred (spoillers, avoid if you haven't read!) 19 years before Rand was found, I think that is the timeline.

 

Lan was always an accomplished captain, Not even warder trained, yet ends up in the environment of, at the time one of the top 5 AS in order to witness major viewings.

 

so unless Lan Was EXTRAORDINARILY YOUNG 19 years before Rands birth when he earned his Sword, and then became a Warder, Lan is FLOGGING OLD! I don't mean "older man" but FLOGGING OLD!

 

Lan was born in 953 NE, he became Moiraine's Warder in 979 NE when he was only 26, by the time TEotW starts in 998 he's about 45. He's really not old, certainly not "flogging" old.

[Mandro]

It read like he would be in the neighborhood of 50, and there is no indication that life expectancy is all that significant. And I messed up "19 years before rand was born." I meant 19 years before TEotW. I probably should have thought about it a little bit, because Tam was a captain in the Illian army at the same time, and while aging, isn't old, or rather is older, but still quite healthy. It's just a personal ick factor as it applies to Nynaeve I think.

[Alric]

In tEotW Lan is 45 and Nynaeve 25. It isn't an "ick" factor for me but the difference is significant. If you really want to mess with your mind, add the fact that Nynaeve is probably the person in Randland with the greatest life expectancy, since strength in the Power seems to be a factor (no idea how significant a factor but at least a factor). You don't see that age difference going the other way, although Aes Sedai should have every reason to pursue younger men.

 

Another useful thing i took away from NS, is learning how Moiraine was sent to Tar Valon from the Sun Palace at age 16, and how Siuan was thrown on a boat to Tar Valon from the Maule in Tear at age 14. They have both lost their parents at the point we get to know them in NS. Their vastly different but still in some ways similar backgrounds explains a lot about their personalities and how they behave in the main books.