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40% into book 2 or so: I'm glad Salene is so obviously telegraphed so far. Not trying to be sly with the reader and assuming you're somewhat intelligent and enough to laugh at how dense Rand is about an obvious trap.
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Dec 1, 2021 23:14
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I got sidetracked by an Expanse re read and the new novel, bur I just finished the chapter before Leavetaking in Book 1, and wow was Moraine's story and what she meant by "weep for what is lost forever" much more powerful here, but there was really no way to make that work in the show without spending a couple more episodes in the Two Rivers. Excited to get back to reading this. I also like how it shows that they don't even know why it's called Emond's field, or even that that's not the right name.
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Dec 2, 2021 14:37
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Nail Rat posted:
I bet there are loads on real world examples of place names that have altered slightly over time that have an epic history behind them - might do some digging when I have some spare time
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Dec 2, 2021 16:19
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Andoman posted:I bet there are loads on real world examples of place names that have altered slightly over time that have an epic history behind them - might do some digging when I have some spare time poo poo nobody even knows why Newport News is named the way it is, and that's only 400 years ago.
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Dec 2, 2021 16:32
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There are a few names in the books taken from the Hen Ogledd. A place whose history is all but forgotten except through legend, it's language is only traceable through place-names. We know more about the Romans that preceded them.
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Dec 2, 2021 17:02
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When I finished reading the series on Thanksgiving, I went and checked out one of the WoT wikis where I no longer had to worry about spoilers. While there, I learned that Robert Jordan had a calendar system developed, and Thanksgiving this year actually fell on Rand's birthday! A strange bit of coincidence that the story should conclude for me then
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Dec 3, 2021 22:33
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A short ways into book 3: I'm glad I was right about Selene being a villain, but I'm also glad that just like her true identity it is telegraphed that she is batting for her own agenda rather than the big bad
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Dec 4, 2021 22:07
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Book 5 is a slog. It does, at least, have the king of hats, a fez.
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Dec 5, 2021 16:06
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Finished book 3: So books 1&2 ended with reasons to split the cast up, and then each time they have adventures getting back to one another for the finale. This time it felt like they finally all got back together right at the end and then didn't really get to do anything. The trio got captured, twice, and saved, twice, and yet didn't seem to get to spoil the trap or whatever they thought they were trying to accomplish. Mat's entire trip then saves them from their decisions that didn't seem to be plot relevant except for getting them in the same place. I hope they get more agency going forward but I'm glad they're kinda growing up while they power up. Maybe some more about what they did during the Rand part gets explained at the start of book. Same with moraine and Lan sneaking in. Seems like there were some missing scenes. I'm glad at least Moraine's "if I can get close without him noticing" plan way played straight for a clean kill. As for their new power [Spoiler]I'm thinking balefire is something like "kill you across all timelines" or "erase you from wheel reincarnation" sort of magical nuke? The vibe I was getting. Seems early to introduce it of that were the case. I was expecting Egwane to do something like torch something in a dream to torch it in reality using it. Onto book 4, and if they immediately split up again I'm going to get suspicious
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Dec 6, 2021 13:49
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M_Gargantua posted:Finished book 3: [...] It does read like that but according to the author, no, people who get balefired will get reincarnated at some point. The main advantages of balefire are a) kills anything, b) immediately, (maybe spoilers for beyond book 3 can't remember) c) kills you backwards in time, undoing any effects you had on other things after a certain point, and d) prevents the Dark One specifically from catching and rezzing the soul before it loses its memories or w/e.
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Dec 6, 2021 14:09
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KOGAHAZAN!! posted:(maybe spoilers for beyond book 3 can't remember) c) kills you backwards in time, undoing any effects you had on other things after a certain point, and d) prevents the Dark One specifically from catching and rezzing the soul before it loses its memories or w/e. Working from memory, that's something like a book five or six spoiler. (There's two points behind the spoiler tag. One is explained in-book over the course of book 5, the other is ... sort of alluded to in book six, maybe not made clear immediately? I forget.)
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Dec 6, 2021 14:20
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M_Gargantua posted:Finished book 3: So books 1&2 ended with reasons to split the cast up, and then each time they have adventures getting back to one another for the finale. This time it felt like they finally all got back together right at the end and then didn't really get to do anything. The trio got captured, twice, and saved, twice, and yet didn't seem to get to spoil the trap or whatever they thought they were trying to accomplish. Mat's entire trip then saves them from their decisions that didn't seem to be plot relevant except for getting them in the same place. I hope they get more agency going forward but I'm glad they're kinda growing up while they power up. Maybe some more about what they did during the Rand part gets explained at the start of book. Same with moraine and Lan sneaking in. Seems like there were some missing scenes. I'm glad at least Moraine's "if I can get close without him noticing" plan way played straight for a clean kill.
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Dec 6, 2021 14:30
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Just got past the first Shadar Logoth chapter (I read fast but don't often get time to read). Mat really is Pippin isn't he.
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Dec 8, 2021 16:06
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Nail Rat posted:Just got past the first Shadar Logoth chapter (I read fast but don't often get time to read). Mat really is Pippin isn't he. The Mat and Perrin = Merry and Pippin allusions are super strong in the first book yeah
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Dec 8, 2021 16:41
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Rarity posted:The Mat and Perrin = Merry and Pippin allusions are super strong in the first book yeah There is a (acknowledged by RJ) LoTR feel to parts of book one, especially early on. It doesn't last though which is a good thing overall
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Dec 8, 2021 16:45
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Obviously it's too late for me to read it before Eye of the World, but is it better to read New Spring earlier on, or after the rest of the series?
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Dec 8, 2021 18:24
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Nail Rat posted:Obviously it's too late for me to read it before Eye of the World, but is it better to read New Spring earlier on, or after the rest of the series? You can fit it in any time after book 5
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Dec 8, 2021 18:24
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There is a LOT of it which is a bunch of *NUDGE NUDGE WINK WINK* WE ALL KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING, DON'T WE LADS, which is probably lost on new readers
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Dec 8, 2021 18:26
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Nail Rat posted:Obviously it's too late for me to read it before Eye of the World, but is it better to read New Spring earlier on, or after the rest of the series? It was written and released between books ten and eleven, so that's where I include it on the reading list. One recommendation from the main book thread that I quite liked was: read New Spring whenever the idea of reading about Moiraine and Lan sounds more interesting than reading about whichever characters are the focus of the book you're on. Another idea I heard was: just skip New Spring if it's your first time through the series, but then read it before The Eye of the World when/if you do a reread of the series. Reading it anywhere in the second half of the series is fine. The normal guideline is "anywhere after book five", but I think you want to put it off to after book seven to avoid even minor spoilers. I've seen some suggest just anywhere after book three. As mentioned, I personally note it down as Book 10.5. Nail Rat posted:Just got past the first Shadar Logoth chapter (I read fast but don't often get time to read). Mat really is Pippin isn't he. Andoman posted:There is a (acknowledged by RJ) LoTR feel to parts of book one, especially early on. It doesn't last though which is a good thing overall Also, book one spoilers: Pippin was never a ringbearer, which is my LotR-analogy for what carrying that dagger around does to Mat.
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Dec 8, 2021 18:44
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Nail Rat posted:Obviously it's too late for me to read it before Eye of the World, but is it better to read New Spring earlier on, or after the rest of the series? After book 5 at earliest, but I recommend publication order
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Dec 8, 2021 22:01
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The Glumslinger posted:After book 5 at earliest, but I recommend publication order I actually prefer it right after book five for thematic purposes, but anytime after five should work.
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Dec 8, 2021 22:07
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Now halfway through book four I suspect all the Aiel and Rand are eventually going to find out that most of their prophecy revolves around reuniting the Jenn Aiel/Tinkers and not just the tribes of the wastes.
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Dec 9, 2021 03:18
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The Glumslinger posted:After book 5 at earliest, but I recommend publication order I absolutely agree with this - it does kind of contain spoilers for the earlier parts of the series so I would strongly advise against reading it before at least book 5 but even later is better.
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Dec 9, 2021 11:10
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really for any series with prequels etc, I'd just go for publication order on a first readthrough
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Dec 10, 2021 10:27
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Loving Mat channeling his inner Sharpe in book 5.
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Dec 10, 2021 16:27
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I’ve started the series a few times. Maybe in the early 2000s I got 100 pages or so into Eye of the World before giving up. It felt too much like a beat for beat LOTR ripoff (which it is). Maybe 2016 or 2017 I got about halfway into book four before I petered out. There were parts I really loved but overall I got bored with it. Now that I’m 50% into book 1 again I’m enjoying it. We’ll see how far I get this time! Apparently I cannot quit these damned books.
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Dec 11, 2021 17:30
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Totally Huge posted:I’ve started the series a few times. Maybe in the early 2000s I got 100 pages or so into Eye of the World before giving up. It felt too much like a beat for beat LOTR ripoff (which it is). That was my experience. I've had 3 go-arounds since I was 8. I also stopped at book 4 or 5 tries 1 and 2. Don't ask me why I still played the poo poo out of the WoT MUD despite this  Now I'm at book 13 after starting a year ago. Something clicked once I got to 4 and I really loved it. Hopefully this time is the charm for you.
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Dec 11, 2021 19:13
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Totally Huge posted:I’ve started the series a few times. Maybe in the early 2000s I got 100 pages or so into Eye of the World before giving up. It felt too much like a beat for beat LOTR ripoff (which it is). If it helps, one reason Jordan is setting up the standard tropes (chosen one, Gandalf.comes to village, etc) is so that he can tear them down and subvert them.Chosen one is a bad guy maybe? Gandalf is female and maybe also kinda bad? For the 1990s at least those were big twists! And it gets better from there. Hieronymous Alloy fucked around with this message at 22:18 on Dec 11, 2021 |
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Dec 11, 2021 22:05
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:If it helps, one reason Jordan is setting up the standard tropes (chosen one, Gandalf.comes to village, etc) is so that he can tear them down and subvert them.Chosen one is a bad guy maybe? Gandalf is female and maybe also kinda bad? Yeah after my last attempt I read up a bit on the series and have been following the TV forum thread and there are certain things like what you stated that I've learned that got me to make the plunge again. Before this read I did not pick up on things like John Glen flying to the moon in the belly of an eagle and other hints that this is our world and their legends are from our times, etc. The overgrown cityscape in an early episode of the show really adds to that and is probably what convinced me to start reading again. I love that kind of stuff - like the Book of the New sun far far future thing. I think the world building aspects I've learned about combined with the show will keep me interested.
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Dec 12, 2021 01:58
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To be very clear, those are just fun little references - things the reader will actually understand and be amused by if they recognize it, rather unique references the reader would have absolutely no context for. The world of Wheel of Time is post-apocalyptic, but it's not post-apocalyptic Earth.
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Dec 13, 2021 02:24
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Lord Koth posted:To be very clear, those are just fun little references - things the reader will actually understand and be amused by if they recognize it, rather unique references the reader would have absolutely no context for. The world of Wheel of Time is post-apocalyptic, but it's not post-apocalyptic Earth. Except it is. Like, the apocalypse has happened a few times, but it's still Earth. Hence all the references to Earth history. It doesn't actually matter in the story though since the only stuff we actually see with any sort of mattering is only the Age of Legends, and the current day is before even that. Book 1 spoilers, at most, I think. Kchama fucked around with this message at 04:54 on Dec 13, 2021 |
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Dec 13, 2021 02:44
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Please remember to tag your spoilers with where they're from. For example I just finished book 4 and still have to go back and read a few responses to my posts that were helpfully tagged as book 5/6
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Dec 13, 2021 03:14
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M_Gargantua posted:Please remember to tag your spoilers with where they're from. For example I just finished book 4 and still have to go back and read a few responses to my posts that were helpfully tagged as book 5/6 I clarified that it isn't later spoilers, so I hope that helps.
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Dec 13, 2021 04:54
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Lord Koth posted:To be very clear, those are just fun little references - things the reader will actually understand and be amused by if they recognize it, rather unique references the reader would have absolutely no context for. The world of Wheel of Time is post-apocalyptic, but it's not post-apocalyptic Earth. Book 1 It is explicitly Earth, many of Thom's stories,/legends of long ago are references to our time, such as Merk and Mosk (America and Moscow), two giants whose fight nearly destroys the world.
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Dec 13, 2021 05:02
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There's also (book 4)the Mercedes symbol in the Panarch's palace
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Dec 13, 2021 05:13
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Skyl3lazer posted:Book 1 It is explicitly Earth, many of Thom's stories,/legends of long ago are references to our time, such as Merk and Mosk (America and Moscow), two giants whose fight nearly destroys the world. And Materese the Healer, of the Wondrous People of Ind lol
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Dec 13, 2021 06:18
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Sadly no talk of Elo the Bullshitting Prankster of the Imaginary Money, before RJ's time sadly.
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Dec 13, 2021 14:54
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Andoman posted:I bet there are loads on real world examples of place names that have altered slightly over time that have an epic history behind them - might do some digging when I have some spare time Beeston, in Nottinghamshire is like that. There's bees on the coat of arms, statues of the Beeman of Beeston, and no historical li ks to actual beekeeping whatsoever. The name comes from the old English for bent grass.
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Dec 14, 2021 15:30
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Hmm yeah I live in the western marches of England we have place names in a forgotten language (Cumbric, same family as Welsh and Cornish), Danish place names, Anglo-Saxon (including the oldest AS cross) place names as well as others. The city I live in has had many names, one of the oldest comes from the Brythonic, Place of Lugu (the actual word itself I don't know, the settlement is at the join of 3 rivers and has been settled since the dawn of man), that Romans latinised to Luguvallium. The heroic kingdom (Rheged) of kings Urien, Owain and Coel, changed the name, it could well have been the site of Loríen, but the only records of Rheged are from the chronicals of Yr Hen Oggled (The old North) and Gwŷr y Gogledd (Men of the Old North), by some guy called Taleisin, and another book by a guy called Cuthbert, and they aren't great with were places were, except battles  Eventually the City became known as the Fort (Caer) on the hill (liol?) Its now called Carlisle. There is village round here call Torpenhow. Which directly translates from 3 different languages as hillhillhill. Collateral fucked around with this message at 16:03 on Dec 14, 2021 |
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Dec 14, 2021 16:00
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Collateral posted:Hmm yeah I live in the western marches of England we have place names in a forgotten language (Cumbric, same family as Welsh and Cornish), Danish place names, Anglo-Saxon (including the oldest AS cross) place names as well as others. The city I live in has had many names, one of the oldest comes from the Brythonic, Place of Lugu (the actual word itself I don't know, the settlement is at the join of 3 rivers and has been settled since the dawn of man), that Romans latinised to Luguvallium. The heroic kingdom (Rheged) of kings Urien, Owain and Coel, changed the name, it could well have been the site of Loríen, but the only records of Rheged are from the chronicals of Yr Hen Oggled (The old North) and Gwŷr y Gogledd (Men of the Old North), by some guy called Taleisin, and another book by a guy called Cuthbert, and they aren't great with were places were, except battles What I'm getting is that the people of the British Isles are very good at identifying what are and are not hills
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Dec 14, 2021 16:45
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