Insufficient evidence. IMO. Hm...we know of another instance where a particular member of the BA didn't care what her skirts dragged through. That's Verin, dragging her hem through straw, blood and human viscera while inspecting the bloody writing on the wall after gruesome attack on the keep at Fal Dara in TGH. However, I would add that I always thought it was Liandrin or Mesaana, before this conversation provided other suggestions.

This, pretty much exactly, except for Cadsuane (CAD-su-ain) and Egwene (EGGwain). Other of my pronunciations: Semirhage: SEH-ME-raj (viz, British Raj) Asmodean: AzMO-dee-on Nynaeve: nih-nave (originally), ny-nay-ev (now on re-read) Al'mandragoran: Al mandra goran, though the ToM audiobook says al MANDRAGORan Faile: Fail Berelain: Berreh-lain Egeanin: Edgy-ann-in.

I just finished AMoL and I am a bit confused. How was Birgitte able to be reborn as a Hero of the Horn when she was ripped out of TAR by Moghedian? Or are those two events not connected? I assumed that when she was ripped from the Pattern via being forcibly ejected from TAR, she would not be reborn and thus would no longer be a Hero. Was her murder a trigger that enabled her to be reborn? Thanks for your input.

Not my favorite but the first that made me chuckle out loud was Romanda Sedai reading, essentially, a Harlequin Romance novel (The Flame, the Blade and the Heart) in her tent in Knife of Dreams.

12 years. I started reading when I was about 14, but stopped around "Fires of Heaven," I believe. I picked it back up again this winter after I moved and worked through EotW until AMoL in four or five months.

You bring up good points, Master Ablar. I didn't quite appreciate the depth of her transformation while he, in essence, remained the same. She gained immense wisdom and experience while he didn't (or gained wisdom and experience that wasn't helpful in this situation). So, In his role as a man who loves Egwene, I can feel bad for him. But I feel there's an important difference here - a man who wants to protect his beloved can be excused for disregarding her orders; a Warder or intended Warder cannot, because giving into fear like that and insubordination might get them both killed. I understand that the Warder is meant to be the Aes Sedai's shield and weapon when she cannot defend herself, but I can't get over him disregarding the other core part of that bond: obedience and trust. Egwene, Rand, et al. are all somewhere in their young adulthood so rationality and wisdom aren't any 20something's strong suit, I'll admit. Still, to me, if he wanted to demonstrate how good a choice he was for Warder, he should have tempered himself with the discomfort and uncertainty of trust and obedience instead of just indulging in the more interesting "save the maiden" aspect. Re: Gawyn and Galad. Yes, this does seem to be very rushed towards the end. But with Galad, at least, he's becoming a dynamic character. He's demonstrating the ability to change, reconsider his prejudices, accept that he does not know it all. He's behaved in a similarly single-minded fashion as Gawyn, but he's moving beyond that. Hopefully when I read AMOL I can see some character development of Gawyn's part but based on my lurking here and numerous folks mentioning how they ended up liking Galad better than Gawyn by the end...I won't hold my breath.

I just finished Towers of Midnight, and I just cannot get over how much of a stereotypical "Nice Guy" Gawyn is. I'm not talking about being a genuinely good man with pursuits of his own, healthy appreciation of the range of male and female relationships, etc. I mean this in the negative, one-dimensional definition of a singularly woman-obsessed guy who's just been SO NICE and SO DEDICATED and becomes confused, angry and resentful about why his persistent NICENESS hasn't been rewarded with a relationship or sex or in this case, Wardership. After all, he's just been so nice, he deserves to be compensated for that, and if she'd *get over herself* she'd see that! He is insubordinate, he refuses to respect Egwene's feelings and commands, he thinks he knows better and he bungles her plans with his interference. Then....he wins the girl! His last interference happens to end well and he gets the Warder bond for which he lusts. After his previous and last bungling, he has that conversation with Bryne, resulting in an epiphany that he needs to get over this obsession and dedicate himself to another cause besides getting into Egwene's brain/bond, and leaves the White Tower to pursue that. But then he just goes back into interfering and in the deus ex machina of Brandon Sanderson's writing, he happens to luck out. I didn't feel there was any character growth there and was pretty disappointed.

[[i've only read through The Gathering Storm, no spoilers please]] . . . . . . . I was gobsmacked by how *quickly* Semirhage gave into Cadsuane's spanking. I understand that the Forsaken are, above all, selfish and power-hungry people...and that the seat of Semirhage's power is her own ego. But seriously, compared to how long Galina Casban held out being tortured by the Shaido, I was actually pretty disgusted by her behavior. I could have sworn RJ/BS was pulling a fast one by invisibly swapping Moghi for Semi in that scene.

Hi you guys! I'm in the final stretch of my first read of WOT - just finished "The Gathering Storm" last night. ...this has been the longest relationship of my life!....about 12 years to finish the series. I've been lurking here for a few months and would follow the structured conversations after I finished each book. Hopefully I can contribute constructively now. Take care!