Sephi's Musings

Leira Galene

Aes Sedai
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The invasion of Illian and battle with samamael had far too much wasted potential.
I agree with this, it's been a while since I read this book but I remember also being disappointed.
 
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Chapter 7 onwards of path of daggers, I will switch between reading chapters and audiobook. Using audible trial from amazon. Perrin has very Obviously found Morgase.
 
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To go back a tiny bit, I started a discussion about Tylin's treatment of Mat a while back. https://www.tarvalon.net/index.php?threads/mat-and-tylin-book-7-pg-13.18525/

Edit: A while back being 4 years... man, how time flies.
I read the thread now. It's actually quite interesting to see other people talk about it.


edit: on an entirely different note, I think when stating my opinions in the future I might avoid a numerical rating because it oversimplifies things. But in a bad way. Instead I will just simply say what I think of each book in 1 Word (or few words) like I was at first. Because while I admit that is also an over-simplification, it allows a little more wiggle room to be more specific than a numerical rating can be.

I have one third of book eight left and I can already say that the book feels rather pointless, but not awful. I actually love the Rebel Aes Sedai stuff even.( I really like the story with most of the characters involved). It seems like book 7 and book 8 both have the problem of mostly containing pointless fluff and filler. And advancing the plot very little, but not being overly boring for some reason. I would even argue that book 8 is at least a little better.

I don't have to skim it like book 7, for some reason. I admit I do still switch between speed reading and regular reading at times....but that is still something that I did for most of this series anyways. Because if I literally read every single word in every single book, I genuinely would get bored with every book except dragon reborn.

For clarifications on the differences. Skimming means that I'm reading very few words on each page, except for the rare occasion where a scene is really interesting me. This allows me to usually know most of what is going on but I may miss a few things, and I definitely miss huge chunks of the slower scenes.

Speed reading means that I am reading most of the words on each page but skipping a few descriptions sometimes, or sometimes minor actions and certain redundant words in order to speed up the pacing of the reading. The only real downside to speed reading being that I at times missed the descriptions of certain things (or people), but if I get really curious I slow down long enough to read the description of something. But I still genuinely know everything that happened.


The only book that I skimmed was most of book 7. All the other books I would switch between speed reading and regular reading. Usually a lot of both options for each book, depending on the scene. Though with Dragon reborn I mostly did Regular reading.
 
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Jocasta Braithe

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I love the rebel Aes Sedai stuff! And if I remember correctly, you're starting to see some action with the Aes Sedai who are still in the White Tower too? Trying to say as little as possible in case you're not there yet, but I think you should be. I love that storyline as well.
 
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I find myself rather mixed looking back.


My all time favorite stuff in the series was Perrin in the two rivers having his battles. And the Aiel's story. But that was in the Shadow Rising...the book I hate the most. Awkward.

Meanwhile, Dragon Reborn was my favorite but looking back, part of that was due to excitement of what was to come, though I definitely enjoyed Faile back then (shes getting old now because she makes no sense anymore. All the other females in the series make sense.) and Perrin saving Gaul. And the build up to Tear and the battles to it. But it also felt like it was the promises for future books that made me like it so much, yet those felt flat in later books. Lilandrin is a huge dissapointment for one. Moheidgon filled her role instead.

For another, books 7 and 8 were just kind of...existed. Anytime something exciting happened, it almost felt like it was going through the motions of things that were supposed to be exciting and/or often became anticlimactic. (Like how Samael was beat and that battle in Illian. Like Elayne taking the thrown.) Funnily enough, the best moment in those two books was the one thing I didnt initially care about: the bowl of winds and its effects on the weather.
 
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