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DRAGONMOUNT

A WHEEL OF TIME COMMUNITY

Kushiel's Chosen is the second book in Phedre's Kushiel's Legacy trilogy. The review of first book can be found here. The review will contain spoilers from both books.     Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey     Synopsis The book begins almost after the incidents in the first book. Phedre is living in Montreve as a comtessa. A merchant and acquaintance had chanced upon Phedre's cloak which she last worn when she was betrayed by Melisande. Fearing Melisande's return, she decides to return to Terre'd'Ange to the service of Namaah and find out Melisande before she could destroy the kingdom. In Terre'd'Ange, Phedre tries to resolve the mystery of Melisande's escape and this causes her to distrust those who would have been her allies. What follows is a journey fromTerre'd'Ange to La Serenissima to La Dolorosa, being captive and escaping and hoping to stop Melisande in time.     Pros This books is a lot faster than the first book and less chances of wanting to leave in the middle. This book has more adventure and can keep you up for late nights if you get caught up. The relationships are quite interesting. I especially liked Phedre and Melisande's complicated relationship where Phedre loves and hates Melisande. It gives a complexity to the villain.  The similarities between Phedre's world and the real world are fun to observe. Its easy to get involved comparing different regions of that world to this world.     Cons I was not happy with the ending. the first book had ended on a note that made me want to read the next book but this one ended on a happier note than I would prefer in second book of a series.  Phedre's and Joscelin's way of thinking became irritating at times.   Conclusion Most second books in series cannot match up to the first book, but this is better than the first book in some ways. There are parts which don't satisfy me and some parts which I would have not read at all so it is not a perfect book. But if you are in mood for something romantic with lots of adventure, give it a try. My rating I would give it a rating of 4/5.   Kushiel's Chosen can be found here, at Dragonmount's eBook Store.

By Panchi, in Fantasy Reviews,

The nomination period for the 2015 Hugo Awards has opened. This prestigious award recognizes the best in science fiction and fantasy each year and is voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Society. Many famous authors have been recognized with a Hugo, including Robert Heinlein, Lois McMaster Bujold, Anne McCaffrey, Brandon Sanderson and Issac Asimov. In 2014, Robert Jordan was nominated for the Wheel of Time series.    If you were eligible to vote in the Hugos last year, you are eligible to nominate this year. If you were not, then you will need to become eligible by January 31st. This year's Hugo Awards are hosted and administered by the 73rd annual WorldCon, "Sasquan", held in Spokane, Washington August 19-23. Further information about the awards and how to nominate can be found on their website. Nominations are open until March 30th.     

By JenniferL, in Community & Events,

Today Tor Books released new information about the Wheel of Time Companion, the upcoming encyclopedia-style supplement to the Wheel of Time series.   Here's what we know about the book so far: It will be released in November 2015. It's organized alphabetically, like an encyclopedia, with entries for all 2,000+ named characters in the series. It includes a complete dictionary for the Old Tongue. It includes other information about the characters, history, and world such as the relative strengths for many channelers. It includes new maps and character illustrations (although we are not sure if they are color or black and white. No artists have been announced). It includes all of the maps previously found inside the books. The complete book is over 350,000 words, which makes it as longer than an average-sized WoT novel. The Companion will have spoilers for the entire series.   The image seen here is the book cover. Harriet McDougall is, of course, Robert Jordan's widow and the editor of the entire series. Alan Romanczuk and Maria Simons are their assistants, who've had an intimate role in organizing and tracking the lore of the series for many years.     

By Jason Denzel, in A Memory of Light,

Welcome back to another edition of Dragonmount's Theory Blog, "WoT If?".  We're continuing our reread of The Eye of the World, with chapters 39 and 40.   Synopsis (taken from Encyclopaedia-Wot.org):   Chapter 39, "Weavings of the Web" Apparently, Rand and Mat have been in Caemlyn for several days. Today is the day that Logain is brought into town. Rand is going to go see Logain. He asks Mat if he wants to go as well, but Mat declines. It seems that Mat has not been out of their room since they arrived. Master Gill had told Rand of a woman named Mother Grubb who sounded a bit like a Wisdom, but Rand does not visit her. He meets Master Gill at the foot of the stairs and Master Gill says he heard that some beggar is looking for him and Mat and that there are rumors of strange shapes creeping around outside the city at night. Master Gill recommends leaving by the back way, which Rand does. At the end of the alley is Lamgwin who has been hired to help keep the inn safe. Rand has found out the meanings of the red and white cloth that everyone is wearing. The red is support for Queen Morgase and white is for those who believe her involvement with the Aes Sedai is to blame for everything going wrong. The outer part of the city is called the New City. He makes his way into the Inner City and finds a spot to watch for Logain. He is not there for long before a beggar bursts through the crowd on the other side of the street. The beggar looks around and then points directly at Rand. Rand backs out of the crowd and runs the other way. He finally finds a wall where he thinks he can see Logain pass by and he scrambles to the top of it. He scrapes his hands and knees on the way up. He is just in time as the procession comes into view. Eventually Logain comes into view on a wagon inside a large cage with iron bars. There are two Aes Sedai at each corner shielding him. They are accompanied by a dozen Warders. Logain has the presence of a king. The crowd goes quiet as he passes and then resumes screaming after he passes. Logain throws his head back and laughs and then his wagon enters the Palace grounds. He wonders aloud "Why were the Aes Sedai watching him?" A girl's nearby voice says "They're keeping him from touching the True Source, silly." He is startled, falls off the wall, and gets knocked unconscious.   Chapter 40, "The Web Tightens" Rand awakes on the ground with a bleeding head. Elayne and Gawyn climb down from a tree. Elayne starts to tend to Rand's injury, bandaging his head with a silk scarf. Gawyn mentions Elaida, Lini and Gareth Bryne. He served under three Queens and as Captain-General and First Prince Regent for two. Rand asks who their mother is and Gawyn tells him she is Morgase. At that, Rand starts for the wall to leave. Gawyn asks Rand to tell them his name and where he is from, which he does. Gawyn says "Elayne ought to choose her husband from there," meaning the Two Rivers. Galad walks up. Rand tries to remember what Hyam Kinch and Basel Gill told him about Galad. Galad distrusts Rand and wants to arrest him, but Elayne stops him. Galad then leaves. Soon after, guards arrive led by Tallanvor. He and the rest of the guards escort Rand, Gawyn and Elayne to Morgase. On the way, Rand notes only one cat. Elayne explains that Elaida hates rats and keeps them away. With Morgase are Elaida and Bryne. Morgase chastises Elayne and Gawyn, mentioning that they will be going to Tar Valon in two days with Logain's escort. She saw him up close and thinks he is still dangerous. Elaida comes over to study Rand and notices his heron-marked sword. Elaida asks Rand where he got his sword. He replies that his father gave it to him. Elaida is suspicious, but Bryne says the sword belongs with him. Elaida asks where Rand is staying. He lies and says The Crown and Lion. Elaida has a Foretelling:   "From this day Andor marches toward pain and division. The Shadow has yet to darken to its blackest, and I cannot see if the Light will come after. Where the world has wept one tear, it will weep thousands." She whispers the rest to Rand, "Pain and division come to the whole world, and this man stands in the heart of it."   Morgase questions him and then decides to release him, much to Elaida's displeasure. She recognizes Two Rivers speech from when she was young. Tallanvor, Elayne, Gawyn and several guards escort Rand to the front gate. Gawyn tells Rand he looks like an Aielman. Rand runs away from the Royal Palace.     My take:   There's not a lot in these two chapters that leads to things we don't already know.  These scenes are for building up tension, to spark more conflict between Rand and his surroundings, as well as inside Rand himself.  But for us who have read the series a dozen times and counting, they seem almost common now.  Especially the foreshadowing of his relationship with Elayne, and his Aiel heritage.   Still, there are a few things that always amaze me about these chapters as well.  First, Logain.  It was this scene of Logain trapped in a box and laughing that made me love him as a character.  There is something so insanely awesome about Rand noticing how, even though Logain's caged, he's nowhere near beaten.  Logain has so much spunk left in him, and we know that as early as book one!  That's amazing!    And I just can't help but laugh at the irony, even now, of Logain's behavior on seeing Rand.  From Rand's perspective, he can't tell Logain is looking in his direction.  And it's not till much, much later that we find out why Logain laughed the way he did (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 30, "To Heal Again").  But here, it makes Logain seem totally badass.  And it's also so impressive that Robert Jordan knew that Logain, first, had the Talent for seeing ta'veren, and had the ability to bring this reference full circle (letting us in on the joke) in Lord of Chaos.  I don't know how many times I've said it, but Mr. Jordan sure had a lot of skill in making his plotlines synch.  And it's also what makes these re-reads so much fun!   We also get a glimpse of a few characters who come into play later—another instance of Mr. Jordan's wonderful planning.  We see Lamgwin, who helps Morgase escape Caemlyn with Basil Gill, and we see Tallenvor, Morgase's eventual husband.  It's strange to see Tallenvor like this, because of how low in the ranks he is here.  How weird to think how much he and Morgase go through as the series progresses.  Right now, Morgase is still in love with Gareth Bryne, and Tallenvor is way below her notice.  My, how things change.   And one other thing to note is that Rand compares Elayne to Nynaeve and Moiraine.  He's saying it in relation to her "self-possession," but I wonder if he's able to sense her ability to channel.  Because Nynaeve doesn't have much self-possession, at least nothing like the nobility inside Moiraine and Elayne.  Nynaeve is strong willed, but she often—or always—lets her emotions control her, flying off the handle about anything and everything.  That's not the definition of self-possession; almost the opposite, in fact.  Nynaeve does always believe she is right, and will bully anyone who doesn't agree, but that's still not the same thing.   I'm sure Elayne—under Elaida's supervision—has probably touched saidar before.  We know Moiraine channeled in the Sun Palace in Cairhein before going to Tar Valon herself (The Eye of the World, Chapter 53, "The Wheel Turns"), so it would make logical sense that Elayne could be touching the True Source, even if still subconsciously.  And I wouldn't doubt for a second that Rand is able to feel that inside her already.   And there is always a stab of regret when reading about Gawyn and Rand.  They could have been friends so easily, but Gawyn messed it up so badly.  And seeing Rand come into contact with Galad is a bit funny too.  We don't know it yet, but the "handsomest man Rand had ever seen" turns out to be his half-brother.  Sometimes, this feels like a soap opera.    That's all I've got to say about these two chapters.  We'll pick up next time with the arrival of Moiraine and company, and a flight from Caemlyn!  Thanks for reading!

By Mashiara Sedai, in Theory Blog,

I am calling for applications for two people to join my staff as bloggers. Applications for these positions will be open until Monday, January 19th.   Description of the Job Positions:   1. The first position currently open is for the Forum Roundup Blogger.  This person will be responsible for doing a brief recap of some of the important events/threads happening on the forums.  Please look here for past examples of this column. 2. The second open position is for a Rotating Features Blogger. This person will be responsible for a short weekly column that will have different types of content each week. This person will work off a list of ideas for features (partly ideas that have already been thought of for you, and partly ideas you can make up and run by me for approval) and rotate the features. For instance, the first Thursday of the month could be for interviews with people who have contributed to the fandom, the second Thursday of the month could be for tips about WoT merchandise (e.g. where to get the best Aes Sedai rings), the third Thursday of the month could be a contest, etc.  Please look here for past examples of this column.   Job Duties for Both Front Page Blogger Positions:   1. Bloggers are expected to produce content in their respective areas for the front page twice per month. They must be able to meet deadlines in a timely manner.   2. Bloggers occasionally will be called upon to assist the Front Page Admin with brainstorming new ideas for features.   3. Bloggers are expected to dedicate time each week to the Front Page Bloggers Staff Board and the DM Staff Board. As members of DM Staff, they act as representatives of the members of DM and their input is vital in the decision making process. Bloggers should be actively engaged in discussions on staff boards.   4. Bloggers must be able to give at least a 6 month commitment of approximately 5 hours per week. LOAs will come up, of course.   Anyone who thinks they can fulfill the requirements may apply. Strong candidates are people who possess the following qualities: efficiency, writing ability, organizational skills, creativity, maturity, and the ability to work well with others.   The Application Process:   If you are interested, please send an email to frontpage@dragonmount.com.   In each application, please include:   * Your DM Handle. * Some details about who you are in real life, including anything you think will have prepared you for leadership (including past online leadership experience). * A sample of your writing consisting of at least three short paragraphs. This can be in the form of a brief essay, a blog, a school paper, a newspaper article, a forum post, a short story, or a role play. You do not have to write something new for this application; in fact, many of you already have forum posts that are long enough to count. I mainly want to get an idea of your writing style. * Anything else that you think would set you apart from other applicants.  Why are you the best candidate?   Note: Please specify the position for which you are applying (Weekly Roundup Blogger or Rotating Feature Blogger) in your application.   If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I will try to answer them.

By Mashiara Sedai, in DM Website news,

For our special holiday edition of Gleeman's Tales, I bring to you a delightfully morbid rendition of Winter Wonderland, written by Semirhage and Ishamael:     Happy Holidays everyone! The Light illumine you!

By Meghan Rayburn, in Humor Blog,

Today's funny feature is brought to you by the blog incorrect-wot-quotes, which combines quotes from various media and applies it to corresponding events or characters in the Wheel of Time.   First, a couple Game of Thrones crossovers:         For anyone who is a fan of the NBC show Parks and Recreation:     Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:   Of course, some Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit:         And a few random ones that I just had to include:           That's all for now! Again, all of these quotes are from the blog incorrect-wot-quote. I hope you've enjoyed; Happy Holidays!

By Meghan Rayburn, in Humor Blog,

Welcome back to another edition of Dragonmount's Theory Blog, "WoT If?".  We're continuing our reread of The Eye of the World, with chapters 37 and 38.   Synopsis, taken from Encyclopaedia-WoT:   Chapter 37, "The Long Chase" After several days on the Caemlyn Road, Moiraine, Lan and Nynaeve head north following the remaining token. One evening, Moiraine senses the token is gone. A few hours later it is back. One night, Lan returns from scouting and says he found them in a Whitecloak camp. There are wolves around. There is dim moonlight from the waning moon. Nynaeve enters the camp to steal two extra horses and finds Bela. Nynaeve feels certain they will need the extra horse. After cutting the picket lines, lightning flashes causing the horses to scatter. She sees a wolf helping to panic the horses. She rides Bela and leads another horse out of the camp.   Chapter 38, "Rescue" Perrin and Egwene are prisoners of the Whitecloaks. It is nighttime and they are in a tent. Jaret Byar enters and offers them a chance to escape. Perrin thinks it is a trap. Before he can do anything, Dapple tells them that help is coming. He also gets an image that Elyas is wounded, but alive. Lan enters the tent and knocks out Jaret Byar. They reach Moiraine, but Nynaeve has not returned. Lan almost goes after Nynaeve despite Moiraine's orders. Moiraine says that Lan is "al'Lan Mandragoran, Lord of the Seven Towers" and mentions the "oath of a Diademed Battle Lord of the Malkieri." Nynaeve returns with Bela and another horse. They ride for several hours, then make camp. Nynaeve notices Perrin's yellow eyes. She rubs ointment into his bruises and they heal remarkably fast. Moiraine knows what it is, but will not comment further. Lan, who also knows of wolves, asks Perrin if there was an intermediary. Lan knows Elyas. He says that Elyas Machera was a Warder and his teacher before his change happened. He implies that the Red Ajah tried to gentle Elyas Machera. There is a slivered moon. It is a few hard days to Caemlyn.   My take:   We're back to Perrin.  I was so caught up in Rand's affairs that I forgot about poor Perrin and his Whitecloak friends.    The first chapter is from Nynaeve's point of view, and a few things about her character clicked for me while reading it.  First is her budding feelings for Lan (and his returned feelings in the next chapter).  But more importantly is how she deals with fear.  Look at this quote from when she was cutting the Whitecloaks' horse lines:     Notice how she handles the fear.  It's the fear that calms her.  Just think of how much terror she had inside her if it's what causes her to act normal.  How often would she be terrified back home in the Two Rivers, where the women don't respect her because she's too young, and the men don't respect her because she's pretty?  That amount of fear would be staggering.  And it's only logical to conclude that that fear would lead to anger (as wise Yoda once said).     When you view her like this, it's almost impossible to not pity Nynaeve.  And it's no surprise she had a hard time surrendering to saidar.  In fact, I think the first time she was able to come to terms with her fear was when she felt responsible for Birgette being ripped from Tel'aran'rhiod.  It completely broke her, and she had to confront her fear and realize how much it dominated her life.  Once she recuperated from that traumatic event, she really matured as a character.  Yes, she was still angry most of the time, but not to cover fear—just because she has a surly personality.     I also like how she realizes the One Power is inside her no matter what she does.  As I said in an earlier blog, it's so heart wrenching to see how much the One Power is misunderstood and feared, and to see it from Nynaeve's point of view, finding out first hand what that horror feels like.  But then, when we find out Rand can channel just a few chapters later, it's even more shocking.  It's like Nynaeve's predicament, but a hundred times worse.    I think that makes us, as readers, instantly supportive of Rand.  I think that's why we forgive him so many of his sins.  I think that's why we loved him even when he approached the darkness and madness.  It seems like, with Nynaeve, Robert Jordan was showing us a really sad, pitiful example of a person being wronged.  Then, with Rand, we're shown that those same hurts all over again, except we add rubbing salt and lemon juice on his open wounds.  It makes everything worse.   But when we move onto Perrin's point of view in Chapter 38, we're shown a different kind of pity.  Nynaeve is fighting her destiny tooth and nail, while Perrin has just surrendered almost from the start.  Or, appears to surrender.  His struggles with his wolfbrother abilities surpass Nynaeve's inability to grasp saidar, but Perrin goes about it in such a different way.  But that's beside the point right now.   Perrin is defeated in this scene.  He's so afraid for himself and Egwene that he can't even sleep despite his exhaustion.  And he's probably more scared for Egwene than himself; that's just the kind of person he is.  He understands the hopelessness of their situation, knowing he'd "probably confess to anything just to make the Questioners stop."   I love Perrin so much in this book.  Despite what you think he becomes later, it's very difficult to deny how perfect he is during these few scenes.  He's discovered things about himself that scare him, but he pushes on.  He feels responsible for Egwene, so he does his best to protect her—even to the point of taking her life rather than let her be eaten by Shadowspawn ravens.  His pain just clenches my stomach.   And now that I look at that, this is also something that prepares us for how horrible things get for Rand.  Yes, Perrin's wolfbrother abilities—and his rejection of them—is similar to Rand's own rejection of saidin.  But I think it goes deeper than that.  Perrin claims to have accepted his fate, claims he won't fight against it.  Rand does that same thing, saying he'll go and die at Shayol Ghul, that he'll be the sacrifice the world needs.     It seems to me that every character's hardest challenges are reflected on Rand—that Rand overcomes everyone else's worst situations:   He deals with the fear of the ability to channel, like Nynaeve.   He deals with the burden of leadership, like Perrin.   He deals with past memories in his head, like Mat.   He deals with being made captive, like Egwene.   Everyone's suffering is combined into what Rand al'Thor must face.  He really does confront the burdens of the entire world.   Again, this is why we love and forgive him so easily, I think.  Mr. Jordan did such a beautiful job of making him suffer, and we know it, and pity him.     Well, that got me a bit sidetracked.  There's a few other points I'd like to make on Chapter 38.  One being the changes in Jaret Byar after this encounter with Perrin.  One of the things Perrin is so disgusted by is Byar's lack of emotions:     Byar does not care if Perrin and Egwene lived or died.  But after this, Byar is filled with a vengeance to see Perrin dead.  This vengeance is multiplied when Bornhald is killed at the end of The Great Hunt.  So why would this simple prisoner, and his escape, cause Byar to lose his mind so spectacularly?  Bubble of evil, is my opinion.  Something must have come along the Pattern, drawn by Perrin's ta'veren thread, and landed on Byar.  So many of the plots of the Whitecloaks in the later books are due to Byar—who was poisoned by this evil—poisoning Dain Bornhald's mind.   And we're back to Nynaeve and Lan.  Here's another quote (one of my favorites in this book), from when Moiraine is telling Lan that Nynaeve's not back from the horse lines yet.     And even after all this, Lan still doesn't move.  He is determined to go save Nynaeve, even after Moiraine calls him out on his oaths.  He's obviously very much in love with her already.  It gives me shivers, thinking of him being so defiant to Moiraine, willing to forsake his oaths, just to save Nynaeve.  And when Nynaeve does return, he grabs her by the arm, staring at her.    This is the most emotion we've seen out of the man so far.  And since he is showing emotions, we have to know that they are very strong.   And I like that Nynaeve laughs when he releases her.  She knows she got through his thick wall of faked indifference.  Good for her.   And with that little lapse in Lan's iron-clad emotions, he's almost fond in his discussion with Perrin later.  He really does care about the Two Rivers folk, even if he tires to deny it at first.     I think we'll end at that.  We'll continue with the next few chapters, and Rand's unfortunate fall off the palace walls, next time.  Thanks for reading!

By Mashiara Sedai, in Theory Blog,

Exciting news from Ta'veren Tees!  New items are available for preorder!     "Ta’veren Tees is extremely excited to announce the release of not one but TWO new products at www.TaverenTees.com: The Two Rivers Longbow Champion Tee and the 2015 The Wheel of Time Calendar.   Two Rivers Longbow Champion Tees: We know that no one can beat Tam al'Thor in the Emond's Field archery competition. We have faith that you, however, can come close.      In fact, becoming a Longbow Champ is easy. All you have to do is head to TaverenTees.com/longbow for the men's/unisex version and TaverenTees.com/longbowladies for the fitted women's style.   This tee is available for PREORDER. Preorders get 10% off the original price of $24 or $26! All preordered shirts will be shipped on November 18th when they are available. Other items purchased with this shirt will be held and shipped at the same time.   2015 The Wheel of Time Calendar: There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time... but you should still grab the official Wheel of Time calendar before 2015 at TaverenTees.com/15calendar.        This 2015 WoT calendar measures 12" x 12". It features thirteen memorable scenes from across the series (including A Memory of Light) drawn by officially licensed WoT artists Edsel Arnold, Paul Bielaczyc, Ariel Burgess, and Joe O'Hara. It runs from January 2015 through December 2015 and includes U.S. Holidays and significant WoT dates.   Orders of the 2015 calendar will receive a free 2014 calendar while supplies last (leftover 2014 calendars are very limited).    To keep up with even more upcoming product notifications and holiday sales, make sure to watch our Facebook page and keep an eye on TaverenTees.com!"

By Mashiara Sedai, in Community & Events,

Welcome once again to Friday, and Fan Art!   Halloween--a time for things that go bump in the night. Creepy crawlies, scary stories, childhood nightmares.   Eye of the World, by Boros Szikszai   But not just these things. The modern version of Halloween has grown out of ancient festivals honoring the dead, and the ancestors. In the intermediate years, it has been seen as a time when the dead can walk the earth, because the barrier between the lands of the living and the dead was thinned or even gone. One well-known festival is Samhain, which is celebrated largely on the British Isles, but there are many, many others.   Of  course, not just ghosts were able to get through. Demons, fairies, and other hellish or ephemeral creatures walked the night as well.   Goat-horned Trolloc by T-biddy   Nowadays, of course, Halloween looks a little different. Children dress in costume and go door to door soliciting candy--a tradition which also has deep roots. There are still aspects of darkness in the holiday, though, despite it's seeming childishness.   Draghkar by Cadavis3   There are two holidays in The Wheel of Time world that correlate to our Halloween: Amaetheon and Shaoman.   Amaetheon is celebrated everywhere except the Borderlands and is a day of remembrance for the dead. Shaoman is a children's holiday, in which they are celebrated, given gifts, and in some places they go door to door singing songs--and are rewarded with sweets.   Nynaeve Birgitte Moghedien and Liandrin by Myed89   In celebration of the day, I've collected some of my favorite Wheel of Time creepy crawlies: Trollocs, Fades, Dragkhar, and yes, even Moghedien! (Personally, I find Semirhage to be scarier, but Moghedien was the one about whom stories were told to small children.)   What's the scariest character/creature in Wheel of Time to you?   Myrddraal by BloodRedFullMoon   Happy Halloween, and Blessed Samhain!

By Seafolk Sedai, in Fan Art Friday,

This will conclude our special edition of Dragonmount's Fantasy Review for Shadows Beneath, the short story anthology put together by the Writing Excuses podcast team: Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, Howard Tayler, and Brandon Sanderson.  This review will be on Brandon's story "Sixth of the Dusk."   Synopsis Sixth of the Dusk is a trapper who lives and works on the island of Patji, an island more dangerous than any others in the Pantheon.  Even the smallest insects can kill.  During a routine visit to his home island, Dusk encounters Vathi, a scholar trained on the mainland; though she shares his heritage, she has never trained on the deadly islands.  Her team of explorers is there to gather information on the birds, the Aviar, of the Pantheon.  Each bird raised on the islands has a special power, depending on its breed.  The townsfolk on the mainland want to trade and expand their power with the Aviar as their bargaining chip.  But Dusk knows the islands secrets and is hesitant to share with Vathi, who may use it to their own downfall.   Pros This story was fantastic.  I had heard the podcast before reading, so I knew the general plotline of this story, and the secrets of the Aviar.  But even knowing all that, this story still shocked and surprised me.  There was so much more at stake than just the birds' secrets.  And Brandon spun that side of the tale like a master.    One of the major themes was the advance of technology versus the preservation of nature.  Vathi wanted to settle the island, tame it.  Dusk sought to keep the old ways alive, keep the island and the animal inhabitants wild.  They represented conflicting views on this issue.  And each one had a valid reason and motivation for feeling the way they did.  Their beliefs and their ultimate goals really defined the story.  There was a lot to think about after the story was finished.   I admired Dusk as a character because he had some difficult truths to face, but did it gracefully.  He could have easily struggled, making his fate more tragic.  But using logic, he could see the truth of the situation and acted the way he must, rather than the way he wanted.  And Vathi did this too.  Her decisions were just as difficult.  She could have taken the easy way, but after surviving on Patji with Dusk, she realized he was right about a lot of the situation as well.  It was a nice balance, a symmetrical alliance between the two sides.  It didn't feel forced, or overly wrapped-up.  It just fit.   Cons There aren't many cons with this story.  I may be biased, but I believe that Brandon's stories continue to improve.  I've read several of his short fiction stories, and they have been just as remarkable as his longer novels.  This tale is no different.  The shorter length may appeal to some who don't have a taste for his 100,000 word long novels.  At the same time, the shorter length may give the reader a glimpse of the world and characters, leaving them only wanting more.  One thing I will mention as a con is the humor.  Brandon's dialogue can be very witty, but sometimes it does feel a bit forced.  Vathi—like Shallan in The Way of Kings and Sarene in Elantris—makes comments that are funny, but seem so out of place within the story.  I've often compared it to the television show Gilmore Girls, where the main characters have all the right quips in all the right situations.  It's difficult for me to buy too much of that.  But, that's definitely a personal taste, and in no way takes away from the lasting effects and message of the story.   Conclusion Knowing the plot beforehand, and knowing how much I enjoyed Brandon's other works, I was expecting a lot from this story.  And I can honestly say that it was even better than I expected.  That's difficult to do when I had set the bar so high to begin with.  Anyone who admires Brandon should read this story because it's among the best I've read by him.   Rating 5 out of 5   If you're interested in listening to the Writing Excuses podcast pertaining to this story, check out the links below.   Brainstorming with Brandon Again Critiquing Sixth of Dusk Part 1 Critiquing Sixth of Dusk Part 2     And, of course, you can purchase this book from Dragonmount's eBook store here.  You can also purchase "Sixth of Dusk" on its own, without buy the rest of the anthology, here.

By Mashiara Sedai, in Fantasy Reviews,

In the style of What Should We Call Me, matrim-notabloodylord-cauthon has brought us gif reactions of characters from the series. Everything below is verbatim from matrim-notabloodylord-cathon's blog.   Here's Asmodean every day after he gets captured:     Here's Nynaeve dealing with just about any problem ever:     Here's Talmanes listening to Mat ranting:     Here's Siuan searching for Black Ajah:     Here's Ishamael listening to people talk about how awesome Lews Therin is:     And that is certainly not all of them, I have only featured a few of the most popular ones. I hope you have enjoyed! The Light illumine you.

By Meghan Rayburn, in Humor Blog,

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