Initial question: Mal was living, but what for?--That's a good way to rephrase what Book was saying. Life for life's sake, or is there something more to life? I don't think Book was referring to Religion/God/etc; the message was tailored specifically for Mal. He had to recognize what was driving him and make the active choice to follow that. He had to figure out what he wanted and go for it. That's what he believes in. The basic spirit behind every religion is to make the individual and the community better. Although we tend to get caught up in the specifics of what is right and wrong, and how to achieve them, Book is pushing Mal out of his stagnation and into some sort of action, on faith that Mal will choose to do something that will ultimatly be positive--because that's what Mal believes in, at the very least for his own crew, and by helping his crew (River) he can help a lot of people. (Taking action is a very "western" concept of "right" though, so it loses some of its blissful ambiguity there) I don't take Wash as a symbol for democracy at all. Nor was Mal anything but a tyrannical captain (tyrant in the ancient greek sense, not "oooo bad guy"). He was always a dictator, and democracy was already "dead" due to corperate takeover. I don't think the (privatly owned) ship captained by (a criminal) Mal works well as allegory for for an official/legal and accepted government based on democracy. Now if Mal had allowed the crew to make all the decisions previously in the series, I'd concede the point--but he doesn't. Democracy was never really alive during the series--that WAS one of the main points of the show.

Google + nerdism + reading WoT = Finding DM So I missed the first 3 years of DM.

Hello, I'm not from Canada, and you're allowed to hold it against me. Welcome to DM.

There were definitely no dark friends amond the native TRs. Certain people may be rotten apples, but that doesn't equate to darkfriend by any strech of any imagination. There is both no motivation for any, and no legitimate possible way for one to be there (at least for the early books). Even searching for the DR there is pointless, both seeing as the DF there would have to LIVE there (not really "searching" eh?), and because... it's the darned TR... a DF couldn't even get ANY useful info there about anything. I don't think any TR people would be DFs even in the later books. Although you can be sure that DF are trying if not succeeding to get in now.

I'm so glad that these two made it into some's list... I'm not the only one to have read them :P Scorpious (Farscape) I figure scifi is allowed given the number of Star Wars References already here... Speaking of which: Darth Sion (No, not for his appearence)

Rand will turn out to be the physical manifestation of the Dark One in Randland (not outside of it), created by his own obsession with the Prophesy et al. He'll find that the real battle is for himself, not the world... though there will be a battle for that too, it merely hinges on him showing up as the DO-on-earth, or... himself?

Hmmm... people like me... I'll leave now though because I'd rather be reading a book than talking about reading books... ;D (Yes, and we can see why people think I'm anti-social ;) STFU, I'm reading >:( ) ;D

lol People die in RL. I think her main point was exactly that. Good people die. Killing and death and war doesn't make sense. It's sensless. It's not JUST a little fancy fairy tale where only the people you want or don't need die.And as for Tonks and Remus... I wouldn't have done it any other way. It again has a certain reality to it. It wasn't written for reader pleasure--quite the opposite. I rather agree with Barm though... perfect time to kill Percy. But that fact that he didn't die only suits my point.

I don't think the Creator and the DO are equal at all. It's not about "power" (of which I don't think they're equal in as well) it's about knowledge. And who knows more between them? Which shows the greater wisdom? I haven't seen any wisdom from the DO, while we have at least one obvious quote showing a deeper understanding from the Creator. Next, the Creator, being the creator Has extensive knowledge of his creations. If the DO was the equal of the Creator, he'd take his ball and go elsewhere. However, he is NOT the equal is power nor wisdom (hence he is bent on taking over the creator's creations). Next, the DO can be defeated by mortals. I've never been under the opinion that a being who can be defeated by mortals is actually a "God"... no matter what the author calls them.

LOL Moroten is right, and Mr. Ares... you're picking at litterally nothing and have no case whatsoever for your viewpoints. The pattern doesn't need Artur. The Pattern doesn't need Birgitte. And people haven't forgotten Birgitte's golden braid either... otherwise, we wouldn't know of it. So there goes another point. Also, Artur was the second strongest Ta'veren after Rand in recorded History. Mat and Perrin aren't that far behind, although no comparison is made between Hawkwing and them--except that they are very nearly as important as Rand, who is greater than Artur. Is that "uncommon" enough for you? Nope? I figured not... but I could care less ;D His point Ares, is that Mat looks the part of a hero. He has done great deeds, survived things he shouldn't have--Mat is shaping to be a Hero all-round, bound to the Pattern or not. But it's a lot more likely than not once you get off the thron to think about it. --That is, unless there wont be a need for further pattern-bound heroes after the Last Battle. No, but the similarities have been commented on. Contradict yourself much? That was you after all... maybe I'm just not following the silly 'logic'. Further undermines your point. Not really. Mor never said that all heroes were remembered for the same things (ie appearance in this case). That was your imaginary qualification that you "argued against" even though he never said it. I've never seen a more BSed argument in all my days but from one other person ;D

Back on Seachan unrest for a second, yeah, there were several instances. Alivia, if she was in ANY of them, she was not in MOST of them. Seen how big Seanchan is? lol And the point remains... power MUST have been consolidated enough that the Seanchan were confident of sending troops across the sea. This isn't a war-torn nation where alivia gets to play and frollic blowing people up and whatnot to gain her "experience".

I'd like to point out that the Seanchan are unlikely to have invaded The Randland continent if there were so many battles for Alivia to become so talented in. You need a fairly united front to begin an invasion. (Yeah, don't even bother bringing up the politics... obviously not completely united... but united enough to try) She may have picked up a good bit after a few hundred years, but it's not like SHE was channeling 24/7 either. Not all her vaunted battle skills anyways. For that matter, she isn't even allowed to channel unless she is being told/shown what to do by a suldam. Lots of practice there eh? Lots of strategic thought, so many tactics flitting through her head huh? :P I'm not saying that she is inept at all, she is GREAT at doing what she is told to do, which is really only what the suldam says to do. And how is a suldam to know what the OP is capable of? Granted, they CAN be channelers... but they aren't. They don't train, they don't study the OP beyond what they have established works. They don't even let the damane fool around with the Power to learn new things. So what they know(and what they allow their damane to know) is both very specialized, and very limited. Alivia wasn't the wilder-hunter extrordanaire either. She'd be lucky to have caught as many rogue channelers as Nyn has won duels, and as has been stated, evidence points to the Seanchan using groups. Nyn DID study in the tower, granted that she had her block et al, but the basis of her knowledge is much wider. And lets face it, most battles of any sort, aren't won with extensive knowledge of one subject, it's the odd little trivia (like fireworks exploding men just as well as pretty colors ;) ) that will lead to a victory. Alivia was used for mass slaughter. THAT is her PURPOSE(or it was). Not so with Nyn, she has the other trivia and lore that follows with studying under, and embracing, the ideas of fellow channelers, who have the benefit of hundreds of years of study and use to pass on.

Crazy? ;D We could only be so lucky!!!!

Oh no! Someone else from Ohio! ;D And here I thought I was all alone... for YEARS :o