"Shadowmarch" is good, but by no means Williams' best. If you're already a fan you'll want to read it, but if you're just starting to read Williams' you'd be much better off starting with his "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series, or reading his "Otherland" series which, I believe and is certainly my feeling, is considered his best series to date. "Shadowmarch" ends up playing it a bit safe and conventional, which is sad because his other fantasy series "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" broke from a lot of conventions of it's day. But my recommendation, if you haven't read Williams' before and you want to see him at his best, is go buy "City of Golden Shadow." If you're not hooked by the end of the Prologue, you should just move on to another author. But I can practically guarantee you you'll want to keep reading.

 

Hm- interesting you say this... I started reading City of Golden Shadow recently, and yea, I thought the prologue was awesome. It got me really excited for the book! But then the actual book started and it was a completely different tone... couldn't really get into it. I've never been much of a sci-fi, virtual reality person, and that's what this seemed to be. Does it return to prologue-y goodness?

 

Every 7 chapters we get back to Paul and his adventures inside Otherland, and by the end of the first book everyone's in there. The mystery's of it get bigger and more complicated, the villians more evil, and by the end of Sea of Silver Light Williams has brought everything together beautifully in one of the grandest climaxes I've ever read.

Oh! Fantastic. Okay. I'll pick it back up, then. Thanks :)

 

"Shadowmarch" is good, but by no means Williams' best. If you're already a fan you'll want to read it, but if you're just starting to read Williams' you'd be much better off starting with his "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" series, or reading his "Otherland" series which, I believe and is certainly my feeling, is considered his best series to date. "Shadowmarch" ends up playing it a bit safe and conventional, which is sad because his other fantasy series "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" broke from a lot of conventions of it's day. But my recommendation, if you haven't read Williams' before and you want to see him at his best, is go buy "City of Golden Shadow." If you're not hooked by the end of the Prologue, you should just move on to another author. But I can practically guarantee you you'll want to keep reading.

Hm- interesting you say this... I started reading City of Golden Shadow recently, and yea, I thought the prologue was awesome. It got me really excited for the book! But then the actual book started and it was a completely different tone... couldn't really get into it. I've never been much of a sci-fi, virtual reality person, and that's what this seemed to be. Does it return to prologue-y goodness?

Now re-re-reading EotW, then the next books... After that I will read Malazan book of the Fallen, after that the Count of monte cristo.

Before this I read all of Robin Hobb's books, and ASOIAF.

Are you reading the abridged or unabridged version of Monte Cristo? It's easy to tell the difference -- one is massive, the other isn't :)

I read the unabridged version without realizing there was another option, and honestly, I wish I had picked up the abridged! I know others who swear by the original, so that's just me I guess :)

I always figured it was Alviarin as well, no real reason though I suppose. She just seemed to be the big nasty at the WT.

Have NO idea what it really is, but the one that makes the most sense, to me, is that the dagger had some specific/ special connection to Mordeth, so when Mat grabbed it something was triggered....

I remember discovering the pronunciation of Semirhage and having my mind blown. Same with Rhuidean and Asmodean.

Don't remember what the term is, but in a previous thread someone pointed out that RJ just refused to let two vowel sounds slide together (Taim being a prime example).

For the past 2 weeks I've been reading Gardens of the Moon, first book of the Malazan Book of the Fallen novels, I'm either going through a readers block or this book is extremely tough to get trough, or both, or all 3 at once. Normally I would read a book this big in 3 or 4 days.

From my experience, it's mostly just that the book is hard to get through... I only made it through the first third, or so and just couldn't make myself care about the rest. Have also heard from others that it's a difficult book to read for the first time, but the subsequent books/ rereads are a lot easier...

Are Bair and Perrin the only non-channelers (excluding Slayer) who can enter T'A'R?

In tFoH chapter 10, Nynaeve and Elayne seem to knock Ronde Macura and her assistant Luci out with forkroot tea....

Isn't forkroot only supposed to affect channelers?

Considering Ronde goes over to the Seanchan later, I don't think she is one.

so.... what's the deal?

I have a question about Perrin: who (except Elyas) knows about his sense of smell? I know that Faile (and most others around him, after KoD) know some or all about his sharp eyes and ears, so I always assumed that he also told at least Faile about his sharp nose, too. I cannot recall any reference to that, though, and the few scenes after Malden wouldn't make much sense if she actually did know.

 

So. Has he told anyone? And if not, why not?

In The Great Hunt, when they are chasing Fain and the Horn of Valere from Sheinar, and after Rand, Hurin, and Loial accidentally use the portal stone. They don't have Hurin to track the Trollocs so Perrin has to be a stand-in sniffer. So, everyone in that party-- Mat, Verin, and a few random Shienarians-- knows that his sense of smell is somehow enhanced, if not the full extent of his abilities.

Other than that... idk, can't think of a time when it's mentioned explicitly.

That picture fits her much better! I haven't seen that before. Thanks for posting it.

You're welcome  :) The guy has done drawings for most of the characters (http://seamassketches.blogspot.com/2007/07/wheel-of-time-series-i-finally-got.html). IMO they are generally pretty accurate  :)

I'm sure it's meant to be her as I don't know of any other main characters who look similar. Her nose is described as 'strong', so I imagined it being fairly long although not overly so (but obviously we all have our own differing mental images of these characters). Actually, I don't think that picture is far wrong in that aspect considering we're seeing her straight on rather than at the side.

Hm. With shorter hair, this is basically how I pictured her and her "strong" nose:

Just emphasizes the point of this discussion, I guess!

Pretty sure its to seduce him.

Wait... really?

*Incidentally, I feel that picture of Faile that appears in the top left corner from time to time to be incorrect as it seems to be patterned on a more generic east Asian appearance particularly in skin colour. From that world's perspective she just looks like one of the races of Seanchan (bearing in mind the Seanchan are actually a diverse people not one specific race), rather than Saldaean. It is a beautiful picture though.

...that's supposed to be Faile? Oops... always thought it was one of the Seanchan, never really put a name on who it was though, guess that wouldn't make much sense to have a random Seanchan up there  :) oh well.

I don't understand, doesn't Faile have a hawk nose?

I have a question about a quote from The Shadow Rising.

"So am I desperate," Moiraine said firmly. "I have dedicated my life to finding him, and I will not let him fail if I can prevent it. I am almost desperate enough to--" She broke off, pursing her lips. "Let it be enough that I will do what I must."

from ch 6, Doorways.

Moiraine is talking to Elayne, Egwene, and Nynaeve in the Stone of Tear about what she plans to do with Rand. What is it that she is "almost desperate enough" to do? The conversation continues on about what she will do, but from what I gathered, this isn't referenced again.

Silly question for the day...

what exactly are "small clothes"?  ::)

 

UNDEROOS! ;D

but... but... what KIND of underoos?!?! Tight pants? Boxers? Thongs? Pantaloons? Do only men wear them?

Silly question for the day...

what exactly are "small clothes"?  ::)

Did anyone else pronounce Thom with an emphesis on the "Th"? It wasn't until like the second or third book until I realized it was supposed to be "TOM".

 

I think I went with 'Tom' from the start. Mind you I live in England where I'm used to the pronunciation of 'Thomas' as 'Tom-as'. (Last syllable more like 'ehs' than 'as'. I noticed Americans send to pronounce Thosmas with the 'th' as in 'thump' which, to be fair, does make logical sense. (We always write the short form of 'Thomas' as 'Tom' not 'Thom' for some reason.

I don't know about the Americans you've been around.... but as an American, I can say I've never heard someone pronounce Thomas with a 'th' sound  ;)

Why does it matter who has the seals on the prison? I always got the impression that they were breaking not because people were breaking them, but because the Dark One was. Or something. Or is that totally wrong?

hm, Birgitte is the only unusual one I got right!

Yeah, generally you just need to pronounce as many of the vowels separately as possible, and you're good to go.

But I can't get over Rhuidean and cuendillar.

Like, okay, seriously.

How ARE you supposed to say the Forsaken's names?

I know I have at least two of them wrong.

Asmo-deen; Semm-ur-hayj; Mog-hee-dee-an; Rah-vin; Sahm-ay-ell; Lan-fear; Mess-ahn-aa; Grenn-doll; Buh-lawl; Ish-a-mell; Aj-ih-nore; Ball-tha-mell; Duh-mann-dread.

...

I just looked 'em up on enyclopeadia-wot. About half of my pronunciations are wrong. OH WELL!

Okay, okay, okay, since WHEN is Asmodean pronounced Asmo-dee-an? I never questioned that it was supposed to be Asmo-deen. (I just watched an interview with BS that mentioned him.)

sigh....

When is the last time we saw the three ta'veren together? It feels like forever.

One fight scene I wish we could have seen is Ingtar vs. The Seanchan Hordes. It would be like 300, but way cooler.

...and the entire basis for this theory is that she's thirsty for power?  You could say the same of all the Forsaken, so why the fixation on Lanfear?

 

Because Lanfear is the one Forsaken that we really know the personality and background of. Well, relatively, at least. We know that she has always been obsessed with power. It's a bit sexist, but I guess men are almost expected to want to have absolute power, so from a woman it's... weirder. More note-worthy.

 

Anyways, I just think that Lanfear has some sort of weave or charm that makes her THE MOST ASTOUNDINGLY GORGEOUS AND FANTASTICALLY STUNNING WOMAN EVER, or distorts how people see her-- almost like the Mask of Mirrors. Clearly she was always beautiful, but her current level of beauty doesn't seem naturally possible.  ::)

 

But it is. She was considered that beautiful before she turned to the Shadow. She was with the most accomplished man ever in the AoL before he left her because of her obsession with Power. She was considered probably the most Beautiful woman of any age. Remember when she lets go of the Selene disguise how she appeared to Rand. And how he needed to close his mouth after words. I believe that she's naturally beautiful, because she took pride in her appearance. Not on the level Graendal did, but still vain none the less. I believe she does wear ter'angreal but not for her looks.

Perhaps. We know she's obsessed with power, though, and awing men with her looks seems to be a really easy way to control them.

Eh, nothing really to back it up, just a feeling.

...and the entire basis for this theory is that she's thirsty for power?  You could say the same of all the Forsaken, so why the fixation on Lanfear?

Because Lanfear is the one Forsaken that we really know the personality and background of. Well, relatively, at least. We know that she has always been obsessed with power. It's a bit sexist, but I guess men are almost expected to want to have absolute power, so from a woman it's... weirder. More note-worthy.

Anyways, I just think that Lanfear has some sort of weave or charm that makes her THE MOST ASTOUNDINGLY GORGEOUS AND FANTASTICALLY STUNNING WOMAN EVER, or distorts how people see her-- almost like the Mask of Mirrors. Clearly she was always beautiful, but her current level of beauty doesn't seem naturally possible.  ::)