On 9/6/2023 at 8:20 AM, Agitel said:

 

Fifteen books and six to eight seasons that it's being planned for because HBO and actors wouldn't commit to 15-20 years of production.

 

Imagine if the two partner Dune movie had to be squeezed into a single film? Or if the ASoIaF series only got 3-4 seasons instead of 8. That's the kind of crunch they're working with at this time if they plan to do the whole thing, that's the buy in from Amazon.

 

We have a hunt for the horn and Perrin catching up on his wolf abilities. We have Mat recovering in Tar Valon. We have Rand on a solo journey (TDR) with the introduction of Selene. We have Nynaeve's accepted test, Elayne's introduction, and the three girls in the Tower. We have Moiraine studying at Adeleas' and Vandene's Verin's. The plot threads are being laid out hitting similar beats to the book and heading in similar directions.

 

This isn't my dream adaptation, but it's what we get at this time.

 

And compared to season one, the production value and execution of what they are going for, at least, is much improved.

I'm glad I took your advice.  Canon is way out the window, but I'm enjoying the show much more after our discussions and minimizing my expectations.  Thanks for the perspective!  

1 hour ago, Ralph said:

3, 4 & 5!!!!!???? wow

You're right.  Too ambitious.  What about 3 and 4 in once 8 episode season?    

S3 E1 would be them leaving AP and venturing towards Tear.  Little bit of Mat & the girls in TV before they leave.

S3 E2 would be more on the way.

S3 E3 they arrive in Tear and the stone falls

S3 E4 off to the waste / Tanchico / Two Rivers

S3 E5 arrive at waste / Tanchico / Two Rivers

S3 E6 Rhuidean with Mat & Rand

S3 E7 Tanchico / Two Rivers finale

S3 E8 Al'Cair Dal / Rhuidean fight with Asmodean

1 hour ago, Agitel said:

Most of us seem to think Moiraine's just been shielded by Ishamael, perhaps in a way that goes beyond the type of shield she's familiar with. There are some cues for that. Others have speculated she may take Siuan's role later in the series. I personally would be on the former. 

This is an interesting theory - I certainty don't hate it.

And I agree on the Rosamund Pike point, she was the "star" draw for the show, so it's difficult to follow TGH with her largely absent.  Creating this Ishamael story circumvents that challenge.    

I'm glad I jumped on the forums for other perspectives.   

3 hours ago, Agitel said:

This isn't my dream adaptation, but it's what we get at this time.

This is a very fair rebuttal.  I tend to agree with much of what you've said, and I appreciate the idea of understanding that this isn't our ideal/dream adaptation but it's what we have at this time.  

I'll push back a little on the time it would take, as I don't believe each book would need to be it's own season.  As Jordan fans we all know there is fat that can be left off.  For example, it wouldn't be hard to imagine condensing books 3, 4 & 5 into one TV season.  I'm sure other condensing would be possible to limit the production time to something more doable.   

Ultimately my point is the wholesale changes that are being made.  I must have missed it, or maybe repressed it, from the first season - But when that  person had lost the ability to channel in S2 E1, that's what caused me to have the reaction I had which ended my previous post.  Maybe show a little more care to these characters that we've all grown to love.  

That said - You're points were valid enough for me to keep giving it a watch   

On 9/1/2023 at 6:06 AM, TamSwordsman said:

I'm halfway through S2Ep3...and I'm disgusted...

 

This Rafe bloke is destroying books I deeply love.

 

There is simply no purpose to so many of his/the producers changes.

 

This is truly "inspired by" or "based on"...in the most loosely applicable sense.

 

They are literally taking themes from the books and creating their own story...a story that doesn't even remotely follow details and plot lines accurately.

 

I get that at times Jordan was verbose and that there must be some changes in any adaptation...but the things that are true to the books are occasional homage and by far in the minority. 

 

What do others think???

I couldn't agree more.  My plan was to stay off the TV portion of the forum and just try to watch the shows and see where they go.  

Was willing to give the first season a pass, didn't think it was horrible and some of the nonconical areas didn't seem like something a person couldn't live with (In hindsight how wrong was I?).  But after finishing S2 E1, especially watching the trailer for the rest of season 2, and I'm left feeling frustrated and angry.  These are wholesale changes to a wildly successful franchise that feels more like fan fiction.  Why not just stick with canon?  There's fifteen books!  Look at how well the Dune movie is doing, in part because they aren't making sweeping changes.  

Haven't read past this post, but I'm sure there are going to be the people who say don't watch.  Fine, I get it.  But, like you, I'm such a huge fan of these books and I'm disappointed that the show isn't honoring them, as they should be honored.  Like many, I grew up with these books being a teenager in the late 90's, so they have been with me for thirty years and many re-reads.  Watching what is being done to them is upsetting. 

Watching S2 E1 I said aloud, "Did these people even read these books?", it doesn't seem much of a stretch to answer no.          

3 hours ago, Sir_Charrid said:

I don't find his stories that cool personally, I don't need high fantasy fiction to enjoy it, I mean I love the Games Workshop novels and they are not works of littery genius always lol. His stories just don't grab me and I find myself feeling nothing for his characters. They are words on a page, the worlds he builds seem interesting but the stories he tells in them just make me go a bit meh. 

I've had the same problem.  But I'm left wondering if its because I've been comparing him to RJ.  I never read any of BS before he took over WoT and the shift in style seems noticeable in the later books.  Maybe it's in my head though.    

I've recently been doing some traveling, and doing research on different places to go.  Looking into Lisbon, Portugal, I've learned that its called a City with Seven Hills based on its topography.  For some reason it reminded me of WoT and I think one of the Cities of WoT has a reference to hills (But can't remember which); the same as Lisbon. 

This got me wondering if RJ based any of the WoT Cities on real world locations.  I always thought Ebou Dar, Illian, and Tear were based on actual places, or many amalgamations of several places, but I don't remember readings if this was the case or not. 

Anyone able to point me in the right direction?  Thank you.     

Have you tried The Faded Sun trilogy?  Imagine the Aiel & Fremen meeting and blending cultures for a few hundred generations  - You'd get a close approximation of the Mri, the main protagonists of The Faded Sun trilogy.

As mentioned above, and something I've done after a WoT re-read, is go the space sci fi route.  Anything by Alastair Reynolds is good (specifically the books in the Revelation Space universe) or anything by Peter Hamilton in the Commonwealth Universe (Start with Pandora's Star).    

What's crazy is that I have the digital version from Barnes & Noble.  I just happened to catch it while reading on my Nook App.  

I guess the Wheel weaves as the Wheels wills....

On another re-read of Winter's Heart - I'm in the Chapter What the Aelfinn Said: And I've stumbled on where Mat bumps into and has to fight Tuon.  One of the sentences reads: "He had quick hands, the quickest Thorn had ever seen according to the old gleeman, but it was all he could do to ward her off, forget about grabbing her."

Is it safe to assume that Thorn is just a typo for Thom?  I don't have the Companion Guide handy so I wasn't able to look up Thorn and see if it was a character I missed.  Is anyone able to verify this error in their own copy?   I've attached a screenshot to prove I'm not crazy, HAHA.  

On 3/28/2022 at 6:59 AM, Asthereal said:

 

I think he means when the wind picks up and pushes Rand while he's training with Lan. That's the start of book 2 (either prologue or chapter 1, I think). I always interpreted that bit as either the first bubble of evil, or Rand unknowingly channeling and detecting the imminent attack from the Shadow. First one seems the most likely.

I too viewed this as one of the first bubble of evil(s), albeit a weaker one as it was the first.