If you could make 1 change

[Kesiera_Sedai]

Problem is how were they suppose to communicate? We aren't sure they could send messages or communicate through their visions. Mostly they were getting a vison of what the others were doing at that moment. With the guys all over the place, Perin didn't know how to communicate using dreams. All the women could channel, make gateways if needed, and had TAR training. The men didn't. Perin could of used a Asha'man but with Rand moving about, he wasn't easy to locate. Mat was pretty much on his own.

[Kesiera_Sedai]

Yes, but Rand didn't need to know exactly where they were remember? The image in his head should've been enough. Aviendha was able to make a gateway to a place she'd never been just from a description, and she wasn't good with that weave, at least not the way she was shown by Egwene. Or he could've Skimmed. They really spent more time trying to block each other out than anything instead collaborating, whereas I don't think the girls ever went more than a couple of weeks without communicating in some way, if it was only Egwene leaving them messages in their dreams, or the messages written in dust in the novice quarters of the Tower (pretty ingenious).

[JamesBrown]

(Lots of plot points I never considered in this thread.)

 

For me, one pain point in the series is the continual way that people use intimidation for motivation. Every category of characters--Wise Ones, Aes Sedai, Warders, Lords and Ladies, etc. are always scowling at people until they do as their told. The social pecking order seems to always be in question, but if someone can adjust a shawl and stare daggers at someone else, then the chain of command is established once again. The WoT series doesn't have much in the way of sacred texts, but it seems that everyone has read and studied "Winning Through Intimidation."

[Kesiera_Sedai]

What about "The 48 Laws of Power"?

[JamesBrown]

I've not read that one, but it sounds similar.

[LapisPharaoh]

Oh Creator, this thread is going to be the end of me. There are so many little things I want to change about these books, so I will not mention all of them, just the major ones.

The Magic System (One Power) of Wheel of Time is arguably the best thing about these books. Saidar is well established, but I wanted to see more of Saiden being used. The Black Tower was set up relatively early and I wish we saw more of it in the earlier books, so the sudden interest in it by BS wouldn't seem so out of place. I also really wanted to see more of men and women channelling together and creating wonders, even if only in the end.

Something else that I would have loved to see would have been the exploration of Seanchan (the continent) and Shara. The Ayaad and the whole selective breeding and hierarchy system seemed really interesting.

Lastly, I would have loved to see the effects of the Cleansing of Saiden on different channeling organisations like Damane, Wise Ones and Ayaad...

[Kesiera_Sedai]

Oh Creator, this thread is going to be the end of me. There are so many little things I want to change about these books, so I will not mention all of them, just the major ones.

The Magic System (One Power) of Wheel of Time is arguably the best thing about these books. Saidar is well established, but I wanted to see more of Saiden being used. The Black Tower was set up relatively early and I wish we saw more of it in the earlier books, so the sudden interest in it by BS wouldn't seem so out of place. I also really wanted to see more of men and women channelling together and creating wonders, even if only in the end.

Something else that I would have loved to see would have been the exploration of Seanchan (the continent) and Shara. The Ayaad and the whole selective breeding and hierarchy system seemed really interesting.

Lastly, I would have loved to see the effects of the Cleansing of Saiden on different channeling organisations like Damane, Wise Ones and Ayaad...

I'd be willing to bet money RJ would've explored these things if he hadn't passed...The Outrigger series?

[LapisPharaoh]

I doubt it. I don't really think RJ had great plans for Shara except in the TG.

[Sabio]

 

Oh Creator, this thread is going to be the end of me. There are so many little things I want to change about these books, so I will not mention all of them, just the major ones.

The Magic System (One Power) of Wheel of Time is arguably the best thing about these books. Saidar is well established, but I wanted to see more of Saiden being used. The Black Tower was set up relatively early and I wish we saw more of it in the earlier books, so the sudden interest in it by BS wouldn't seem so out of place. I also really wanted to see more of men and women channelling together and creating wonders, even if only in the end.

Something else that I would have loved to see would have been the exploration of Seanchan (the continent) and Shara. The Ayaad and the whole selective breeding and hierarchy system seemed really interesting.

Lastly, I would have loved to see the effects of the Cleansing of Saiden on different channeling organisations like Damane, Wise Ones and Ayaad...

I'd be willing to bet money RJ would've explored these things if he hadn't passed...The Outrigger series?

 

 

He might of, but RJ said a few times he didn't believe in tying up all lose ends.  So I think many of these things never would of been visited.  The Seanchean possibly since the planned outrigger. 

[nsmallw]

If I had my say Id have left the top 7 characters alive at the end of the book, I get that the need to show self-sacrifice and

that anyone can die . I blame the whole obsession with the  "realism" of major characters being killed at the feet of

G.R.R. Martin who made it fashionable to knock off major characters left and right. There were a copious number of

2nd and 3rd tier characters that you can knock off to show "realism" , which in fact Jordan/Sanderson did quite

effectively. There was no need to kill off Egwene or any of the other 7 main characters for that matter , excepting Rand of course,

but that's another whole can of worms to be discussed elsewhere in the forum. I know many people didn't like Egwene and were glad

that she was killed but having Cadsuane as the new Amyrlin !? <shivers< What about the plan of Egwene's to absorb the

massive number of potential Aes Sedai into the White Tower ? I can't imagine Cadsuane ever being willing to do such a thing

she is just too wedded to how things were handled in the past, she most definitely is NOT a visionary .  Also, Egwene had

developed into a great leader and would have led the White Tower for conceivably a looong time .Anyway , that's one of the things

id have changed in the series. Everyone's thoughts are encouraged and in fact hoped for. Let me know your thoughts on what

i've said. Thanks.

[mb]

Cadsuane wanting things to be handled as they were handled in the past?  throughout the series, Cadsuane seemed to handle things differently than others.

Cadsuane's main want has seemed to be people to have good manners.

 

just to be sure, who are the 7?

[DemandredFO]

Another one is some reason the Forsaken were so incompetent. Like them complaining about not having the standing flows or something and Belal to have lived longer. I mean Aginor and Balthamel got extra lives and they did crap, Balthamel at least killed Someshta. 

[JamesBrown]

I agree the Forsaken didn't seem to live up to their monstrous reputations. They merely were each book's Boss to be defeated one-by-one.

 

They also didn't seem to live up to their legendary status. Just mentioning their names was supposed to induce thoughts of horror and dread in common folk. In the real world, I suppose this would be equivalent to Hitler, Stalin, and Jeffrey Dahmer. But so often all we see the Forsaken do is work in the shadows and spring traps against a select few.

[Sabio]

The thing to rememebr about the forsaken is they were still people.  Selfish and self serving, but the big thing is you see them buy into their own hype that they are god like beings far superior to everyone else.  They view everyone else as beneath them, so you see them sort of discount everyone else.  Grendeal in book 5 I believe said it herself, if everyone is human then a new word would be needed to describe the forsaken.  They had a lot of knowledge about channeling, but that's about it.  Like everyone else they had their strengths and weaknesses. but most of all you see them buy into the hype that they were somehow superior beings.

[Ryrin]

I'd want RJ to finish the books and I'd want the prequels.

 

I'd want Siuan and Gareth to survive.

[TheSociopath]

The thing to rememebr about the forsaken is they were still people.  Selfish and self serving, but the big thing is you see them buy into their own hype that they are god like beings far superior to everyone else.  They view everyone else as beneath them, so you see them sort of discount everyone else.  Grendeal in book 5 I believe said it herself, if everyone is human then a new word would be needed to describe the forsaken.  They had a lot of knowledge about channeling, but that's about it.  Like everyone else they had their strengths and weaknesses. but most of all you see them buy into the hype that they were somehow superior beings.

yeah, but there could have been some plots of theirs that actually worked. For all their hype, if you think about it, they never really do anything successfully. I would have liked to have some 2nd tier characters killed in some of the earlier books. For example, some of Rand's top generals/helpers (or whatever you want to call them) could have bit the dust. I did like that Nalesean died, and that Jain Farstrider was killed as well. 

 

However, the biggest thing I'd change would be to have a more satisfying ending for Fain. A bit more explanation, and something actually climactic, not an after-thought "oh and this character died." 

The mop-up at Shayol Ghul felt unimportant to me. After Olver blew the horn again, Demandred was killed, and things looked up in general, the battle seemed ended, at least to me.

[jsbrads]

There was a moment at the end of the second to last book.

Meirin/Lanfear is in Rand's dream. I would have taken it a completely different path. Somehow Meirin is so badly punished by DO (as she claimed in his dream) that she loses her pride.

Cool headed zen Rand finally convinces her to join the side of the Light and once he saves her, she tells him that the seals on the original prison were threaded thru Tree of Life cells, she and Ishy severed the connection between the tree (that tree is artificial) and the prison. The aiel have to return to the way of the leaf and be allowed in any land to plant Trees. Unlike cuellidar which can be corrupted, living cells can die, but so long as there is one living tree, the prison of DO is perfect, not failing like Lews was. The ending at Shayol ghul did not work for me, it had nothing to do with Channeling, Rand just sat there and contemplated existence.

[Maedelin]

if RJ had come to you and said you could make 1 change to the series what would it be?

 

After thanking him for the series, I would have asked him to let Moirraine see Rand off at the end of the book, instead of Cadsuane.  Or, if he really wanted Caddy to be there, let them both stand there, give each other a grudging nod, then walk off in different directions.  That way Jordan could let Caddy be ambushed by the Sitters. (Granted, I am actually quite upset that Egwene died, I liked her a ton, and wish that one of the main characters didn't have to go, but I get the reasons why)

 

Alternatively, if that wouldn't fly, shorten the Shaido Aiel capturing Faile and the others by 90%.  My God, did that drag.

[Sabio]

Make the knowledge of Sul'dam being able to channel mean something.  All the OMG this will rock the empire, Suroth hiding the Sul'dam etc..  Only for it to come down to Tuon saying I choose not to channel and everyone seem fine with it.   Really anti climatic.  

[bigdoug1971]

I would have had more of Taim in the final book.  I felt like his part was certainly beefed up for a big showdown and ended too abruptly.  I also would've killed off Egwene at the Eye just to be rid of her, but that's just wishful thinking about my least favorite character.  I also felt like Hurin and Bela deserved a better ending.