aMoL: Foreshadowing in the Book and Previous Books (Full Spoilers)

[Barid Bel Medar]

As some may have realised, I have taken an interest and posted some potential examples of foreshadowing in aMoL itself. 

 

I find this topic particularly interesting because it is one thing Brandon has been heavily criticised for, his utter lack of subtly as compared to RJ's excellent use of foreshadowing. 

 

I found that - intentional or not - there have been some very nice examples of foreshadowing in aMoL itself for events later in the book. Perhaps to some it was completely unsubtle and obvious, but so far I have not seen these addressed, so I can only assume that they were subtle enough, at least compared to the previous Sanderson bluntness.

 

I felt it fitting that a topic - which is fun to discuss, and for some may make aMoL more enjoyable, seeing these hidden gems - be dedicated to something I feel Sanderson has vastly improved on, if it has not been consistent. At least signs of improvement are there, and that makes me happy and excited for the author he may become. To be clear, this isn't all about Sanderson/quality, or I would have put it in the quality thread. I just thought that it should be mentioned and he be given credit. 

 

No, the topic focuses foremost on the Foreshadowing examples themselves, so we can appreciate - or groan at - the little nuggets that many have loved in the WoT. 

 

Please, if anyone picks up something they think might be Foreshadowing, chuck it in here for all to discuss. Also, this topic includes any particular instances of Foreshadowing in the earlier books that have finally been revealed in aMoL. 

 

To start off I'll give the 3 examples I found in aMoL which foreshadowed various events that happened later. 

 

1. Egwene's death and possible reflection of her being the "female Rand" as has been a popular parallel through the series. 

 

From Chapter 13: What Must Be Done 

 

 

 

Then Egwene returned to rupturing the earth. There was something energising about using raw power, sending weaves in their most basic forms. It felt as if she were one with the land itself. That she was doing the work it had longed for someone to do for so long. The Blight, and the Shadowspawn it grew, were a disease. An infection, Egwene - afire with the One Power, a blazing beacon of death and judgement - was the cauterizing flame that would bring healing to the land. 

 

The first part is speculation regarding Egwene's possible tie to the land similar to Rands. It is obviously not the same, or she doesn't know how to use it, but interesting nonetheless. 

 

The main point is the last sentence bolded, which is a very nice - IMO- piece of foreshadowing of her death and anti-balefire healing of the Pattern. This is exactly what she does, the cauterising "Flame of Tar Valon" that holds the world together. (I find it interesting that "flame" was used. Flame is not something one would generally relate to healing the land.) 

 

 

2. Perrin killing Lanfear and her attempt to Compel him in the final moments. 

 

From the same chapter as above, Chapter 13, when Perrin asks Rand to make him a Gateway into TAR so he can go in the flesh. 

 

 

 

Would Moiraine or Nynaeve know enough to try to stop him? Probably. Women were always trying to keep a man from doing what he must, as if worried he'd break his neck. 

 

The neat thing about this one is the double foreshadowing. First of all, the first part of the sentence bolded - women always trying to keep a man from doing what he must. This is what Lanfear does at the end. She tries to make him kill Moiraine and Nynaeve - which makes the foreshadowing even better,  since he is thinking about Moiraine and Nynaeve at the time - but he resists by "doing what he must." The second part being the reference to him breaking Lanfear's neck, which is obvious enough. 

 

 

3. Foreshadowing of Lan killing Demandred. 

A much more simple one, but one that was hidden in plain sight, it was neat to me anyway. 

 

Chapter 18: To Feel Wasted, Lan musing on Asha'man Deepe's death. 

 

 

 

He (Lan) found he could not drum up anger at the man. Deepe had wanted to kill one of the Shadow's most dangerous channelers. Lan could not say he would turn down a similar opportunity. if it were given to him.

 

Simple and self-explanatory. It is remenicient of RJ hiding something obvious in plain sight. 

 

Whoever wrote these, well done, I enjoyed them. I shall look for more, would like to see if anyone has found any similar. 

[Duskfire]

One of the earlier foreshadows is back in Dragon Reborn when Siuan is talking to Mat about how her uncle Haun died pulling children out of a burning house and whether he will still be around when the flames come (not exact quote.) Anyway, Siuan died helping Mat escape from a burning tent. A nice little tidbit there.

[Barid Bel Medar]

One of the earlier foreshadows is back in Dragon Reborn when Siuan is talking to Mat about how her uncle Haun died pulling children out of a burning house and whether he will still be around when the flames come (not exact quote.) Anyway, Siuan died helping Mat escape from a burning tent. A nice little tidbit there.

 

Yes, you are correct. That was a very nice one! 

[TheMightyComp]

My favorite example of foreshadowing was when Talmanes killed the second Fade - "You just have to be dead already".  Very similar to Lan and Demandred, right?

[Barid Bel Medar]

My favorite example of foreshadowing was when Talmanes killed the second Fade - "You just have to be dead already".  Very similar to Lan and Demandred, right?

 

Nice one. 

 

That's the good thing about looking at Foreshadowing. It doesn't even have to be intentional. (Note: I am not saying that this wasn't intentional, I mean in general) 

 

It just has to be something that the reader connects with a future even. Granted, technically, that is not an accurate description of foreshadowing at all - Foreshadowing is intentional- but the point being, unless the author tells us exactly what was and what was not meant to be foreshadowing, almost anything could be viewed as such, if seen from the right perspective. 

 

Maybe it's just me, but it adds something, Just a little "hey, that was neat, I liked that" to the story. 

[pmtang]

I think some authors "cheat" in the foreshadowing department.  They will write an earlier book or even paragraph and then later down the line say, "hey, I can use that".

[Barid Bel Medar]

I think some authors "cheat" in the foreshadowing department.  They will write an earlier book or even paragraph and then later down the line say, "hey, I can use that".

Hah, no doubt. Like I said, I also think that they do the same when people pick up things that were unintentional, they just roll with it and act like it was planned. 

 

Regardless, cheat or not, I still find foreshadowing an entertaining method. 

[dobraine]

I can't remember the quote but , Birgitte says it nevere ends well when she wears a sword.
She was quite right.

[nitavonne]

I love this thread!!!!Thanks.

[BFG]

Not sure if it counts, but...

 

possible forshadowing for the Flame of Tar Valon, or at least Egs discovering it...

 

(don't have the books so can only paraphrase)

 

In tGS while Eg is captive in the Tower, eventually almost all the Ajahs start trying to recruit her. We have anecdotal evidence of the White(?) but actively see the Yellow try to recruit her as healing isn't just about the healing weave.

[Yamezt]

Not foreshadowing, but not sure where to put it. I think Sanderson used Thom to poke fun of himself after having all the 3 final books out, which I enjoyed. In a way, acknowledging his critics and keeping it in the final book for remembrance.

 

The scene with Thom where Thom was trying to decide if he should use "majestically exquisite" or just let the word "exquisite" stand by itself. Kinda remind me of his critics saying he takes it one line (word) too far, and so poking fun of himself.

[pmtang]

Lan tells Rand way back in the early books that sometimes it is necessary to sheath the sword. 

[glorion]

(I find it interesting that "flame" was used. Flame is not something one would generally relate to healing the land.)

 

Actually fire is quite well known to be something that rejuvenates and heals the land. It allows certain trees to spread their pollen and stuff.

 

 

[garryturk]

From chapter 4, Rand's thoughts just after Moridin leaves the dreamshard:

"Here, willing something to be true could make it so. If only things were that simple in the real world."
 

Then of course in the epilogue:

"He regarded his pipe, riding up a little incline to the side of Thakan dar, now covered in plants. No
way to light the tabac. He inspected it for a moment in the darkness, then thought of the pipe being lit.
And it was."
 

[MauricXe]

From chapter 4, Rand's thoughts just after Moridin leaves the dreamshard:

"Here, willing something to be true could make it so. If only things were that simple in the real world."

 

Then of course in the epilogue:

"He regarded his pipe, riding up a little incline to the side of Thakan dar, now covered in plants. No

way to light the tabac. He inspected it for a moment in the darkness, then thought of the pipe being lit.

And it was."

 

 

good catch

[Richmond]

I like this thread.

 

Far less subtle, but at one point Elayne (or perhaps it was Mat) laments that one of the copies of the foxhead medallion was stolen by Mellar.  So of course it makes one final appearance.

[Edynol]

Book one or two, I forget, Moiraine or Thom talk about perrin wearing a crown and speaking high chant.  Well, now he's king of Saldae.

[Lisa Campbell]

It's probably been mentioned but I haven't seen it so far but I think that the fireflies vision of Min's was about Rand letting go of the souls of those who had died for him (letting them be their own heroes etc.). I can't think of anything else and the "stronger together" theme of the whole series fits to me. It was very obviously the lynchpin of Rand's victory with Egwene being the catalyst.

 

Edit: italicised clarified text

[CanUFeelTheLove?]

Great thread, Barid. Great finds by people, too. Now I might have to reread the book soon so I can contribute something besides "Thank you".

[Swigaro]

From chapter 4, Rand's thoughts just after Moridin leaves the dreamshard:

"Here, willing something to be true could make it so. If only things were that simple in the real world."

 

Then of course in the epilogue:

"He regarded his pipe, riding up a little incline to the side of Thakan dar, now covered in plants. No

way to light the tabac. He inspected it for a moment in the darkness, then thought of the pipe being lit.

And it was."

 

 

The pipe itself was forshadowed as well.  I caught, in a reread that Min sees a lit pipe over Rand's head when she first sees him, post-VoG in ToM.  I've read the book at least 3 times, but didn't remember the viewing until I'd read AMoL.

[Rhienne]

Not exactly foreshadowing per se, but have just started my re-read and got to this quote in EoTW when Moiraine lets slip to Egwene that there is another young woman in Emond's Field that can channel (i.e. Nynaeve):

 

 

 Moiraine gave an exasperated click of her tongue, then said sternly, "You must forget I said that.  Her road lies another way, I fear. [...]".

 

Just rings quite nicely with the fact that Nynaeve did in fact take a round-about approach to becoming Aes Sedai, and is still quite distanced from the Tower, but oddly enough she and Moiraine ended up at the end of the same 'road' - both Aes Sedai, both helping Rand to wield Callandor.

[Yamezt]

In Unweaving (Path of Daggers Chapter 2)

 

Morridin's POV:

"A way to Heal being severed, however imperfectly. That was impossible! Except they had done it. Involuntary rings... whenever he thought he had the measure of them, these primitives revealed some new skill, did something that no one in his own Age had dreamed of..."

 

Ironic that Morridin would be the one subjected to an Involuntary Ring to seal the Dark One. 

[avernite]

I don't recall the exact quote, but it's Mat commenting on the battle of Cairhien:

 

'You only truly find out how hard a man can fight when you leave him no way out'

 

 

I would say the last battle, both at Shayol Ghul and Merrilor, does kind of fit (even if the Seanchan obviously could have run away). Heck, Talmanes in Caemlyn kind of fits, too.

[blazetheearth]

Noticed on a re-read that the conversation in Ch 9 between Agelmar and Lan, when Agelmar says they have to retreat and calls Lan selfish, nicely parallels the conversation between the same two people in TEoTW in Fal Dara. But then Agelmar was trying to convince Lan to lead and attack the Gap, where as here he is convincing a Lan who leads to retreat from attacking the Gap. In both cases, Agelmar calls Lan 'Dai-Shan' and uses duty to compel him.

[Asuana]

I'm re-reading New Spring and found a possible foreshadowing.  In the chapter Shreds of Serenity, Elaida abuse both Moiraine and Siuan while they practice testing for the shawl.  Merean finds out and promises that Elaida will no longer bother them.  Later, Siuan tells Moraine "I tell you, once I gain the shawl, if she ever tries to harm me again, I'll make her pay."  (pg. 133 TOR paperback)