Has anyone read Sapowski's Last Wish or Blood of Elves? I really want to get into the Witcher books because of the games, but I am worried about reading the series that only so far has two books in English.

Because she always knows best.

 

Again this perception isn't entirely true, or at least not much more so than most of the other main characters. We see hear admitting she doesn't always know best and showing admiration for advisers and teachers throughout the text.

 

Another thing that really irks me about Egwene is her attitude toward Rand. EVERYTHING he does, she opposes. Every major decision he has made, she has been against. Never mind the fact that he's the biggest ta'veren in history, or the fact that NOBODY really understands the prophecies of the dragon (despite 3000 years of being studied), or even the fact that the Wheel weaves as the Wheel bloody wills, he can only make the correct decisions with her direction ... the advice of the teenager Amyrlin; leader of the organization that has done nothing but screw up concerning Rand from the beginning.

 

 

As for Egwene opposing Rand, her opposing everything is obviously false but in regards to the seals any sane person would have based on his actions pre VoG. He was destroying his own armies, slaughtering innocents and on the brink of handing the DO an ultimate victory with his Dark Rand persona. He has much as admitted he has no idea how to seal the bore and is relying on Min to find the answers for him. He waltzed into the WT and said can't talk now, breaking the seals, late.

When did Rand slaughter innocents? I hope you aren't counting balefiring Graendal's hangout. No one was innocent inside there.

I think one of the biggest problems with Egwene is that she has come to embody every negative trait of the White Tower. She has a double dose of Aes Sedai arrogance, and a complete inability to relate to others.

 

The difference between Egwene and Nynaeve is that Nynaeve is fully aware of her own shortcomings andy hypocrisies, and struggles to correct them (usually). Egwene can't or won't ... she seems to thrive off of them.

/thread

OFF WITH HIS HEAD I TELL YOU!

Gawyn is probably the weakest and most selfish character in the entire series. He has zero backbone and stands for nothing but himself.

• 
   
  
• Lawfully he sides with Elaida, but allows Siuan to escape who is integral to defeating Elaida. No backbone, and you killed all those Warders for nothing.
  
• Abandons his duty as First Prince of the Sword. Duty heavier than a mountain? Not for Gawyn! No backbone, let Elayne take care of herself, good thing she has Birgitte!
  
• Vows to kill Rand to damn the entire world. Most selfish act in the entire series, and he even has people constantly telling him that Rand didn't kill Morgase.
  
• Abandons his Younglings and joins the Rebels. Live with your consequences, turncoat.
  
• Pisses off Gareth the Great Captain all the time and continually disobeys the Amyrlin Seat because "he knows better than them."
  

He needs to just die in AMoL.

It has been quite some time since I read NS; I think I read it waiting for KoD. I don't remember if there is any "hand holding" in NS like there is in the first few books, or if it just starts throwing terms around you should know like Ajahs, the power, and things/places around Randland. I always thought of it as a supplement and not a required prequel.

I think a good spot to read it would be after TSR. By that time Rand and Co have definitive roles in the series, and the books after 4 start to become more specific and less obvious stopping points. Just my opinion though.