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A Far Better Thing by H.G. Parry
Reviewed for Dragonmount by Michael
eBook available
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the summer of brat, it was the winter of despair. It is a gilded age of desperation as the wealthy enrich themselves at the expense of the everyperson. . .
It feels appropriate to revisit A Tale of Two Cities in the Year of our Lady 2025. Charles Dickens’ classic story set during the French Revolution against the towering backdrop of Le Guillotine, examines the lengths that people will go to for both love and revenge.
A Far Better Thing, by H. G. Parry, puts a Fae twist on the story, asking “what if Sydney Carton was Charles Darnay’s fairy changeling?”
Now, if either of those names, or the names of the Defarges; Miss Pross; Messers Cruncher, Stryver, Lorry, or Barsad, are unfamiliar to you—even if you have read A Tale of Two Cities at some point in your life—I'm going to suggest that you do what I did, and begin by reading or rereading the original work. (If you're into audiobooks, it's free to listen to on THAT app…)
I know that I read the Wishbone version, and the Great Illustrated Classics version, and I think that I also read the full text at one point in my youth. However, it has been a while and I remembered only the broadest strokes: Sydney Carton is a brilliant but troubled lawyer, Madame Defarge is a quietly terrifying menace with her knitting, and the story ends with Carton going to the Guillotine in place of the innocent Charles Darnay. Spoiler alert for the 1859 book, A Tale of Two Cities…
Rereading the original was a powerful experience. Dickens is one of the greats for a reason and his prose absolutely flows, barely slowed by the linguistic differences in the style that 150+ years will do. Even though I knew the ending was coming, the last several pages had me in tears as Sydney Carton holds the young girl’s hand and comforts her as they approach their final moments.
The machinations of the Defarges as their, and especially Madame’s, need for vengeance cannot be sated and goes from righteous to monstrous; the quiet strength of Lucie Manette as she bears the love of so many; the bottomless self-loathing and destruction of the brilliant Carton all explore complex dimensions of humanity in timeless fashion.
The introduction to the audiobook by actor Simon Callow claims that Dickens sacrificed some of his famous character building for the sake of telling a larger story of, well, two cities. Hearing that, I questioned it a bit—Madame Defarge? And Sydney Carton? Iconic characters, at the best and worst of times!
While it is true that the characters in A Tale of Two Cities are complex, they are presented essentially as is. We especially do not get a satisfactory explanation as to why Sydney Carton is so miserable in his life. A Far Better Thing fleshes out these characters, exploring motivations and subtleties that are indeed missing from the original text.
A Far Better Thing is told from Carton’s perspective, and we quickly discover that he was taken from his cradle as an infant and raised in the Faerie realm to be a servant of the Fae. Returned to the mortal realms, his servitude consists primarily of having to help the Faeries abduct other infants. There are some additional details which are better explored in the pages of the book, but this despicable task alone is sufficient to understand why Carton may have a bit of self-loathing.
Reading the premise of A Far Better Thing, which is described as “Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell meets A Tale of Two Cities,” I was curious to see what a fantasy retelling of a classic novel looked like. Would this book replace the events of the original? Was it a close retelling or an “inspired by” situation? The actuality is that the two books can exist as canon simultaneously, for we quickly learn that most mortals—including most of Dickens’ characters—are not aware of the Fae presence. Essentially, A Tale of Two Cities is the “Muggle” telling of the story and A Far Better Thing is the magical side of the story. Our narrator, being intimately connected to both the Faerie and mortal realms, can guide us readers through the intricacies of the overlap. Dickens, for all of the magic behind his pen, did not have these insights and could only relay the mortal version of the story.
Reading the two tales back-to-back generated the effect of a detective explaining howandwhodunnit at the end of a good mystery. All of the events that we saw with one set of eyes are now explored with a second set, revealing details that we missed or could not have known. The depth of pain and love in Sydney Carton’s heart is explored in wrenching detail, and his sacrifice at the end strikes the reader even harder as the full scope of his redemption is revealed.
The events of A Tale of Two Cities appear almost exactly as they do in the original, but because we are in Carton’s POV, and he is not featured on every page of Dickens’ work, we are treated to some original action and characters that allow Parry’s storytelling and prose to shine. The prose pays homage to Dickens’ writing style, and Parry’s expert familiarity (her PhD is in English literature) with the source material is evident.
If I am to find criticism—and I truly have to plumb the depths to do so—I will say that the final moments, the final sentence even, left me wanting to read the titular line. Although I understand that a retelling should be just that, I finished the book wanting to read that iconic last sentence of A Tale of Two Cities: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.” I think it would have hit the same, powerful mark but far deeper after spending so much time with the deeds and misrest of Sydney Carton. There is, also, a slight timeline issue which I only raise as a persnickety editorial type, but at one point Carton’s vision is blurring and he describes the world as looking “like an Impressionist painting.” Beautiful imagery, especially in the setting of Paris, but the Impressionist movement did not begin until the 1860s, and the events surrounding the French Revolution took place in the late 1700s.
Overall, A Far Better Thing is a beautiful, fun, and creative read. I enjoyed that it led me to rediscover A Tale of Two Cities (I cannot recommend enough reading the original first), and it more than succeeds in the ambitious undertaking of improving upon a certified classic.
“Bury my bones in the midnight soil. Plant them shallow and water them deep. And in my place will grow a feral rose.”
This book is told from the perspectives of María in 1532, Charlotte in 1827, and Alice in a much more familiar 2019. All three are swept away from their mundane lives by equally enigmatic women, and find themselves with no pulse, an unquenchable thirst, and remarkably less patience with the ways of men. Three feral roses with rather sharp thorns.
We see the most of María through the years, learning how to be a vampire without any form of instruction, and constantly reinventing herself as she travels across the world and the centuries. Some of her victims deserve it. Some. Alice at least has the benefit of already knowing what a vampire is from pop culture, as well as having ready access to the internet, but even she is entirely unprepared for what is happening to her.
As the reader, we become increasingly complicit in the crimes of our vampire trio, urging them on at first, until we realise perhaps too late that things are getting a bit out of hand. Even Alice, who is the closest to still being a good person here, is still ripping out throats with gay abandon. So, varying degrees of villainy all round, but they are always entertaining. Eventually, the stories begin to overlap, and there is a very satisfying payoff for all the backstory.
This is a wonderfully written modern take on the vampire genre, and along with “Hungerstone” by Kat Dunn, we’re definitely having a great year for sapphic exsanguination.
Highly recommended for all blood types!
Don't forget, you can pick this up in our ebook store!
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CW: violence, cursing, blasphemy, werewolves, effusive praise
Who better to lead us through the darkest timeline than Lord Grimdark himself, Joe Abercrombie? Like a trusted friend who would help you bury a body, Abercrombie doesn’t hesitate to get his hands dirty and do whatever it takes to steer you through a hellish reality.
With Abercrombie, nothing is sugar-coated or laced with sunshine-and-rainbows optimism. You can rely on him to portray people at their nastiest, the world at its bleakest, and violence in all its dirty, smelly, bodily fluid-filled detail. No one ever wins or is truly happy, but it’s OK once you accept that, and more often than not, it’s kind of funny.
Grimdark is not for the faint of heart, maybe, but as a reader with a heart prone to fainting, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that Abercrombie’s writing brings me joy in a way no other author can. His prose is sharp, funny, refreshingly real, and strangely hopeful. No one can make me laugh out loud, snort with cynical agreement, or cry at the smallest act of kindness like Abercrombie can.
But when your favorite author releases something completely new and different, you worry a little. Other than a quick detour to publish the YA Shattered Sea trilogy, The Devils is Abercrombie’s first book in 19 years to deviate from the world of The First Law, which consists of two trilogies, three standalone novels, and two sets of short stories. Turns out, when Abercrombie pivots, he just finds new ways to be awesome.
The Devils is the first of three in a set of interconnected but self-contained novels. Departing from the fictional “Circle of the World” setting of The First Law, The Devils takes place in a reimagined version of historical Europe, with one dominant religion worshipping a female Savior (but divided over which gender the clergy should be), leading Crusades against elves, and forming secret societies to do their dirty work for them.
It’s within this “real world” setting that Abercrombie introduces more fantastical elements than ever before. The First Law books are mostly character-driven political intrigue with some magic. The Devils is a character-driven adventure with a lot of magic. It’s the perfect recipe for a twisted fairytale in which the scary monsters are the heroes saving the princess from a handsome prince—or multiple evil cousin princes, in this case.
The Devils brings to mind William Goldman’s classic twisted tale, The Princess Bride, in which a giant, a pirate, and a vengeful swordsman fight corrupt noblemen to rescue the princess. And with a young female protagonist completely out of her depth but surrounded by quirky friends, and with a good chunk of the action taking place on a boat, it’s almost like a warped version of Brandon Sanderson's Tress of the Emerald Sea (also inspired, of course, by The Princess Bride).
Perhaps it’s a case of a talented author making it look easy, but The Devils seems like it must have been so much fun to write. Released from the bindings of his own First Law (“It is forbidden…to summon demons, and forbidden to open gates to hell”), Abercrombie is now free to wreak bloody havoc. It’s only with that level of reckless abandon that someone would decide to write a 560-page answer to the question of what would happen if a necromancer, a vampire, a werewolf, an elf, a boastful pirate, a lying thief, and a cursed soldier walked into a bar…and a monk was their designated driver.
And so our heroes are not exactly a found family, but a Congregation of sinners forced together into the “Chapel of the Holy Expediency” by clergy with questionable motives. A traditional found family trope might have heroes bonding over personal stories shared by the campfire. The Devils’ devils bond by harassing each other, lying to each other, throwing up on each other, f***ing each other, and trying to kill each other. It’s really very sweet. No, really.
Together, the devils face some of the most disgusting creatures you could imagine—think failed science experiments—doing the most appalling, horrific things, and yet this somehow manages to be the most heartwarming book Abercrombie has written. The Devils, ironically, has a lot to teach about friendship, loyalty, humility, honor, courage, and sacrifice. It poses the question of who are truly the monsters in the story (short answer: it’s Abercrombie, so everyone is bad).
And, as is so often the case, we find that those who proclaim themselves to be good are the ones to distrust the most, while those who seem evil on the surface may be hiding a heart of gold—or at least bronze. It’s no wonder then that the “worst” of the bunch, Vigga, the savage and bloodthirsty Swedish Viking werewolf, is easily the most lovable character.
Even then, it’s not that simple in The Devils. No preconception of any character is safe—no one is exactly who they seem, and there’s always another layer of complexity to uncover. And the twists (there are multiple) are brilliantly executed.
Make no mistake, you should never expect a happy ending from Abercrombie. The world is still under threat of war, the people in power are still corrupt, and not much changes for those deemed to be outcasts. But it’s only in a setting so bleak that readers can actually find courage to face the truths Abercrombie never shies away from: people do bad things, you rarely get what you want, life is painful, and sometimes the most you can hope for is not being dead.
In a surprisingly philosophical moment, Vigga the werewolf advises us to “clutch with both hands at any flicker of warmth that can be clawed from the uncaring darkness of existence.” Being in the dark is what makes those moments of light—from the smallest gesture of kindness to the greatest sacrifice—all the more meaningful. That’s why The Devils is so unexpectedly sweet, and it’s why we can turn to Lord Grimdark and his monsters to help us find hope and humor in the darkest of times.
Grace is a licensed mental health counselor who believes in the healing power of found family in fantasy novels and IRL. Also known as Bain & Chiad, Grace has been reading The Wheel of Time since 1998, when she and her high school sweetheart dressed up as Elayne and Rand for Halloween. She fell in love with present-day WoT fandom and was inducted into Far Dareis Mai in 2019. She is the writer of Maidens’ List and a cohost of The Light’s Work.
Dr. Saffy Walden, MThau, PhD, works at Chetwood Academy as the Director of Magic. Alongside the endless marking, meetings, and general bureaucracy that comes with her administrator position at the school, she still gets to do a fair bit of teaching to the sixth form. Which comes with the usual hormone-fuelled dramas, of course, but also the small matter of trying to keep the students from getting possessed and/or opening portals to hell dimensions. Teenagers do not always make the best decisions, but then, sometimes neither do the adults.
Further complicating things are the Marshalls, led by Laura Kenning. The Marshalls are essentially magical cops, an ancient order who are there to protect humanity from the demons (and, if somewhat unspoken, from the staff and students too). Laura has a deep distrust of Dr Walden, and the feeling is distinctly mutual—if only Laura wasn’t quite so attractive.
The world of The Incandescent is well developed, exploring a lot of the day-to-day operation of the school before things inevitably go sideways in the second half. The story did not go at all in the directions I expected, although one of the villains may as well have been twirling a moustache throughout their introduction. There is a pleasant romance subplot, although it’s not the main focus of the story.
There are several delightful and imaginative touches to this world, which is very similar to our own but with magic woven through it. For example, you have one has to be very careful not to refer to everyday objects as “you” on campus, because this will create an opening for evil forces to take up residence. As a result, the number of people swearing at the photocopier has left it with a demon inside that demands tribute before it will properly function.
While I was reading this, I soon got the feeling that the author has some first-hand experience in academia, and indeed she does; Emily Tesh teaches Latin and Ancient Greek to school kids in Hertfordshire. Applying that real-world experience to a magic school is genius, and grounds this story in a tangible realism that makes the fantastical elements work so well. It’s also enjoyable to have a book with an older, highly competent female protagonist, if not without her flaws.
I highly recommend this book to both academics and magicians alike.
Don't forget, you can pick this up in our ebook store!
If you've ever wished you could walk the streets of Emond’s Field, hear the wind howling through Blighted trees, or stand with Rand on Dragonmount and truly feel the weight of the moment—Jordan Rannells is granting more wishes than the ‘finn. His new Kickstarter project, The Soundscape of Time: Part 2, is a beautifully immersive audio experience that pairs synchronized 3D soundscapes with the official Wheel of Time audiobooks.
It's not just listening. It's weaving sound directly into the soul of the story.
Back the Kickstarter Here KICKSTARTER ENDS MAY 23rd
Give it a Listen
Aes Sedai-Level Immersion
Jordan Rannells, an award-winning sound designer and audio wizard (likely of the Brown Ajah), has been creating soundscapes for epic fantasy worlds for years—but his Wheel of Time work is an epic undertaking that even Verin might raise an eyebrow at.
These are no ordinary background tracks. His soundscapes are:
Chapter-Specific: Each track is tailored to the specific scenes and emotional tone of a chapter.
Synced with the audiobooks: Thanks to a custom-built Soundscape Syncing App, your journey through the Westlands will align perfectly with the narration.
Built with original music and layered effects: From bubbling creeks in the Two Rivers to the clash of swords at Fal Dara, it’s all meticulously crafted to tug at your thread of the Pattern.
Threads Previously Woven
This isn’t Rannells' first time spinning a yarn with immersive sound. His previous projects include:
The Eye Collection: For The Eye of the World
The Hunt Collection: For The Great Hunt
A Long-Expected Soundscape: For Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings
The Hedge Collection: For GRRM’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Each collection offers original scores and handcrafted ambiance—no illusions from a Mirror of Mists, just pure talent and clear love for the source material.
Behind the White Tower Walls
If you're curious about how these soundscapes are woven, Rannells offers fans a peek behind the Warder cloak. His website includes:
Composer's Notes and Behind-the-Scenes Videos
Ambient Mood Tracks for reading, relaxing, or Tinker-style wandering
Chapter Samples for a taste of each world
FAQ and App Support to ensure syncing your audiobook experience doesn’t require Aes Sedai assistance
And if you’re hunting for gifts (perhaps for Bel Tine?), his shop even includes gift cards and collector-worthy bundles.
A Silver Penny’s Worth of Support
Here’s the thing—even a pledge of just $1 is a thread that helps strengthen the weave. Every backer contributes to expanding this soundscape beyond the Two Rivers and into the larger world of Randland!.
And for those of us who want to listen while re-reading (or re-re-re-re-re-re-listening), The Soundscape of Time is the perfect companion.
The Pattern Demands It
This Kickstarter isn’t just about audio—it's about honoring a beloved series and making the world of The Wheel of Time more tangible than ever. It's about standing in the Fields of Merrilor and hearing the war horns, or wandering the White Tower with whispers echoing through the halls.
Whether you’re Aiel or Andoran, Cairhienin or Seanchan, Blue Ajah or Black Tower—if the Wheel weaves you toward this project, listen.
Because the Pattern is calling.
And it sounds amazing.
Back the Kickstarter Here
Watch the Demo Video
Explore More at JordanRannells.com
Kathy Campbell: Thom has seen the first three episodes and I’ve seen the entire season. Season Three of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video. And now we’re going to tell you about it.
And just so you know, This is going to be a non-spoiler review for the first three episodes from Thom and then I’m also going to provide my thoughts for the whole season. Let’s start with Thom.
Thom DeSimone: The lovely folks who work on the Wheel of Time show on Amazon [Prime Video] deemed us worthy for screeners of Season Three and thank the Light because mother's milk in a cup they're amazing. Really. Cut. We can end there, like that's my feelings for this.
If you're coming into this wanting it to be negative, you're gonna find negative, but honestly as a twenty-five-year-long Wheel of Time fan; as someone who has a character in the books based off of them, I love this show. And this season is by far the best one yet.
First off I want to do the looks of this show.To sum it up in one word, simply gorgeous.
Costuming is next level; the variation of color and texture and material. I paused several times just to look at background characters because they were just stunning. So awesome. We all know at this point that we're going to be seeing more of the Aiel in this season. And what lead costume designer Sharon Gilham did with this particular group is just nothing short of Emmy winning.
I'm looking at you, Television Academy. They're the ones apparently that vote on who get Emmys or who is nominated.
Sharon produced such a unique beauty with this group of people who wear such a limited color palette and are mostly utilitarian in their outfits (except, you know, looking at you, Savannah) that she had me backtracking to re-listen to dialogue. I was just lost in looking at their costumes.
When we see some particular favorite characters of the Aiel pop up on screen, I was lost in watching them.
Though I really do think that my favorite aspects still, even through Seasons One and Two, is going to be the Aes Sedai, Particularly their costumes, hair, and makeup. The way Sharon Gilham and Davina Lamont capture the Aes Sedai and their uniqueness of culture, personality, and everything within their costumes, hair, and makeup is just, just, like, I love it. It's so great. You can really see how each Aes Sedai comes from a different culture and a different country, different ages, different personalities.
It's beautiful.
Speaking of Divina Lamont, Davina Lamont is a multi-award winning hair and makeup designer and the lead hair and makeup designer on the Wheel of Time television show, which for the layman's that includes things like the Trollocs and Myrddraal or the practical effects on the Trollocs and Myrddraal like prosthetics and things.
Davina and Sharon work a lot together, as you can imagine, more often than not.
I had a unique opportunity to speak to both of them together prior to Season Two, and they are absolutely lovely.
And the passion they have in their work and the camaraderie they share between the two of them was palpable when I got to speak with them.
They spoke at the time about working together to come up with a look for Cairhien and their enjoyment in getting to play with a mashup of 13th century France and feudal Japan was just palpable.
Listening to them talk about how they played with hair and makeup and clothing of both cultures and also putting it into a fantasy setting was just so much fun. You could really hear the passion and excitement in their voices. And they got to play with their toys together again in this season with the Aiel. Everything from armor and weapons and hair. It was just absolutely beautiful.
The Aiel are so individually unique and beautiful that I just like, I want to go through and grab a screenshot of Aiel that pops up onscreen just to pick out the differences in each one's personal armor and cadin’sor.
But according to interviews that both Sharon and Davina did for Season Three, Tanchico is going to be the one that they had the most fun playing. So Davina had to say that one of her favorite designs was the characters of Tanchico, a world and look that we haven't seen on television before, wild and raw bunch of ruthless people. This is where we can really go crazy with our look. And Sharon, on the same thing, said “Tanchico was my favorite, especially because it challenged us to incorporate veils into society in a new and fresh way.” So book readers know that veils are a big thing within Tanchico. Most people wear veils in some form or fashion, regardless of their social standing. So really just be on the lookout for background characters, really, in all of our settings, just at their costumes and hair and makeup. It really encourages watches and rewatches and reWoTches and reWoTches and reWoTches.
Still sticking with the looks for a minute. Two men who I lovingly have given the name the Ondřejs, mainly because their names play hell on an English-only speaker with dyslexia. Mouths [me!].
But I'm going to give it a shot saying both of their names. And I'm sorry in advance if I butcher them.
Lead production designer, Ondřej Nekvasil and lead special effects coordinator, Ondřej Nierostek. Again, for those keeping track at home, a production designer would be someone that is like leading building and designing the sets. And the special effects coordinator is not, as you might think, anything to do with computer effects, but actual practical effects on the set. So, you know, explosions and things.
I also had an opportunity to interview the two of them together, and it was so much fun. I don't know why, but my very first thought seeing the two of them sitting next to each other was just like, that they were cute sitting next to each other. And I'm happy with myself that I got them to laugh when I said that whoever put them together had a sick sense of humor because Ondřej Nekvasil builds the sets, and then Ondřej Nierostek blows them up. They laughed at that, which I, you know, I will continue to think about as a highlight of my life. The beauty that Ondřej and his team brought to life seems just really taken right out of the mind of Robert Jordan himself. It just, in one word, it was stunning. The sets are gorgeous. Every single one of them. I have absolutely no notes on anything. No feelings in the negative at all on any of set design. Absolutely gorgeous
And then I was equally as impressed on how Ondřej blew them up, particularly in episode one. Seeing the cold open in episode one had me really excited for posibilities in the future
Speaking of episode one and things that happen, we could talk about the story a little bit. And I will again, still be non-spoilery, I promise. There’s a ton to unpack in the first episode let alone the first three. But I’ll try to keep it short, you know.
Well this is probably a good time to mention that, if you’re interested in a more spoiler filled review, you can check out Dragonmount’s YouTube where Chrystal and I are taking a deep dive into the first three episodes, screenshots, and clips all over the place.
And, if you’re liking our content, make sure to smash that subscribe and share our channel with some friends who you think might enjoy as well. We’re welcoming to all here, even those who don’t really like the show as long as, you know, you can sit around and have discussion about it and not be toxic
No need to munch on other peoples' bunch of crunch.
Okay, we get taken for quite a ride right off the bat in episode one, both emotionally and physically, with another 17 minute cold open. Yes, 17 minute cold open. Those of you who watched the 11 minute teaser preview will notice the time difference there. I will say that is the cold open just sans a lot of information. So it is still worth watching in its entirety when the episode airs. I will say, steel your hearts and gird your loins, it’s a doozy.
We get tossed right into moral dilemmas, tough decisions, and budding new love; as well as some old flames maybe going out. A few notable changes to some character behaviors that was a bit jarring for me at first but after it cooked a little in my brain I really grew to like it and I’m interested to see how they build out on that particular character. . . See if you guys can figure out who i’m talking about.
I think it'll be pretty epic. There are some trials that our characters go through that were particularly exciting for me to see on screen, both going into those trials and what our characters actually saw in the trial themselves.
Now to harken back to set, costume, hair, and makeup again, damn, those scenes and the actors and crew's creativity really, really just sing through. I absolutely loved it. By the end of episode three, if you're anything like me, you'll end up on your feet cheering and laughing one minute and then wiping tears away from your eyes for a character from the books that you never thought you'd have any emotion other than hatred.
And really that's all I can do non-spoilery for those first three episodes. I really can't tap myself any further without divulging more info. I'm sure we'll have so many edits to cut out my accidental spoilers already. Really just watch and rewatch and rewatch and rewatch The Wheel of Time over on Amazon, especially if we want to see a Season Four! Make sure to just leave it playing on all your devices in your home as much as you possibly can.
With that, I love all of you awesome nerds. Thanks for hanging out with me.
Kathy’s Review
Kathy Campbel: Now, first off, the incredible things. Visually, this season is even more of an upgrade than Season Two.
Season One was good.
Season Two was great.
Season Three: a whole other world.
I cannot even begin to explain to you how many times I paused the show just to look at the incredible visuals that were on the screen. So many massive wallpaper worthy prints. Just the entire world feels so much bigger than it did before and so much more detailed. I cannot wait for you all to see it.
There were so many breathtaking moments with the visual effects, how things were framed and the scenery ,how the One Power was done. Everything was just incredible.
For costuming especially, Sharon Gilham has outdone herself. Her and her team have done some incredible, incredible work this season. There is one particular character that shows up that I actually had to stop because I, like, I audibly gasped out loud with how incredible this costume was. It was , I know I'm, listen I'm gonna say incredible a lot okay because this season was incredible I can't wait for you folks to see this because it truly is just awe-inspiring, just like with Season Two hair and makeup. All of that is another step up, like it just looks so real. There's so many more battles, so many more, let's say arguments, and moments where the hair and makeup just add an extra little something.
It is flawless on the eyes. When people are having altercations with each other, it still looks stunning in the most perfect way. It is flawless.
And, of course, let's talk about the casting.
The returning cast feels like they've settled even more into their characters than they did before. There's something really comforting about seeing the Two Rivers Five, and Moraine and Lan, and all of these characters that we've grown to love from Season One. It feels like they're even more real but on top of that the new cast, oh my goodness, the number of Zaddies in the world! Let's just say, so many attractive people it should be illegal. Everyone's going to be so impressed with the new cast this season, all of these characters that we know from the books feel amazing. Even the Forsaken that show up, let me just say, y'all are gonna love it.
It's so exciting to see this world that we've seen, that we've read, that we've lived with for years, come to life. And this season especially feels like authentically Wheel of Time. As somebody who's been reading the books since, you know, the early2000s ,it's exciting to see new surprises with the Wheel of Time. And that's something that this show does.
There's so much packed into this season and yet it still feels like Wheel of Time. There are some scenes that book fans have been waiting for that are here and they are very good. However, there are some things that I know folks are going to be missing. . . There are a few moments that I wish so desperately had been in the show that were not. And you know what? That's okay.
Because I know if there had been more time, more episodes, longer episodes, any of this, the thing that gets me through these moments is the fact that I know Rafe tried as hard as he possibly could to get these bits onscreen because these are iconic moments for the books that I know are sad to be missed.
So maybe we'll see some behind the scenes, or cuts, or here's stuff we filmed that we couldn't put in the scene, like in the show, because of time or whatever. I really hope that we get to see those because again I know that Rafe loves these bits just as much as we do, but again, there are some moments especially ones that I know people have speculated would not show up they're there get ready to be swept away with an incredible season I feel like this season especially is really going to turn around people that maybe have not read the books you can get friends to watch the other seasons and then watch Season Three they're gonna be hooked they're going to want Season Four. This season shows what the show could be without the pandemic without strikes without all of these things that I know have affected previous seasons. We're finally to the point where I feel like it's spread its wings and it's ready to go.
And I think, I really, really hope that we can get more seasons of this show because this story deserves to be told and these people deserve to be the ones to tell it. So, overall, this season is wonderful. It's high fantasy at its best. It's The Wheel of Time at its best.
It's the characters that we know and love being their true selves.
It is visually stunning. It is something, it's a world that you're going to want to live in. It's a world that you're going to want to hug and embrace and visit over and over and over again. And I cannot wait for you to see Season Three of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video.
Goodbye.
In the latest press release from Prime Video, more exciting details about the online fan event this Saturday were finally revealed!
So let's do a quick recap of everything we know about this event from this press release!
The digital watch-party will begin at 10am PT on Saturday, March 8th 2025
Debuting at the start of the event, prior to Episode 301, is Unraveling The Wheel of Time, a unique two-part behind-the-scenes look at the making of the first two seasons of the series.
The first episode of Season 3 will be premiered in full after the behind-the-scenes look.
After the episode, they will be airing the pre-recorded Q&A from The Dusty Wheel Live event in London, hosted by Matt Hatch as he interviews Rosamund Pike, Marcus Rutherford, Ceara Coveney, and show-runner Rafe Judkins.
Special messages from Rosamund Pike will be sprinkled in throughout the event!
Hyped yet? You should be!
If you STILL have not yet RSVPed for this event, you can still register at this link here!
Hope to see you all there!
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