2015 Re-Readalong: Eye of the World and The Great Hunt

Toral Delvar

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Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: TGH Chapters 45-50

The Damane thing never really played out for me. For one, the sul'dam were a big source of potential damane that seemed to be ignored (I wonder if this would have played out in the Seanchan books had ever been written - with the various warring armies, surely someone would have taken the opportunity to get more damane), but also, would they still trust sul'dam? We are told that they are re-tested just to make sure no damane accidentally slip through, but we now know that any of them could learn to channel.
Can they tell the difference between damane and sul'dam without the a'dam? The Aes Sedai can, so if they are able to, that would at least prevent any of them trying to learn
 

Ryu Shadowborn

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Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: TGH Chapters 45-50

It would cause a great deal of chaos at least, one of the blood would probably freak out and declare All Sul'dam Marath'Damae outright, some would support them. It would certainly cause Fortuona problems as she is a Sul'dam.

Compounded with the chaos that was going on in the Seanchan Continent, I doubt "The Empire" as it was in the Third Age would not exist, it is a real shame we did not get to see the side books dealing with that, especially with Artur Pendrag himself going off to Talk some sense into his descendant.
 
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Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: TGH Chapters 45-50

Sooo, I just finished up TGH this morning. I am still 3 weeks behind everyone else but I’m still going strong I think.

I was determined this time through to re-examine some of my favorite and non favorite characters, perhaps see them in a different light. This has worked wonders on my perception of Nynaeve, Egwene, and Perrin.

The first, Nynaeve I couldn’t stand. I felt her mood always got in the way of everything, and even prevented others from listening to her generally sound opinions. Now I think I understand her and even relate a lot more. She’s used to being in a position of power, of healing, of concern for her townspeople. She’s completely removed from power after leaving Emonds field. She is being humbled in a way, slowly but surely by having a block, adhering to Aes Sedai but somehow in all her anger and frustration, manages to earn my respect. She just wants to protect everyone like she used to, and now she can’t. So she sets herself on a path maybe on the surface for revenge/petty reasons, but for truly honorable purposes. Helping Rand avoid his fate, helping Mat get his hands back on the dagger. I guess I can understand why I didn’t like her the second time through, now I think, awesome, she isn’t going to just roll over and take all this abuse. She’s committed to seeing the Light triumph, the good guys win.

Perrin, I used to like him. Like a lot. And now I think I don’t really. But I think its because he’s really just a kind of tag along. Aside from his brief time with the Tinkers, and the wolves, that’s all sort of pushed in the background. I’m having a really hard time remembering his importance in the grand scheme of things. The Wolfbrother thing is cool as hell…but does it really matter? I just have to keep forcing myself to remember Towers of Midnight or something..

Egwene has transcended just being Rand’s love interest, which is sort of the only way I viewed her in the first few books in my prior read through. Elayne at this point still doesn’t have much of a personality yet, but I know its coming. Min is waaay better in the beginning of the series than later when she seemingly devolves into Rand’s plushie/body pillow to make him feel better at night. Then again, I’m sure I’ll change my mind about this later on.

Padan Fain is best villain, it seems to me that RJ had a huge idea in mind about him. Which thinking on how he went out in book 14 makes me think we lost out because RJ died. ☹

I am also listening in with the audio book so I think what I will do this next time around is either have a notebook so I can make notes or read along. You all have said much of what I was thinking while listening already tho.

Favorite part of the book? Rand and company experiencing the portal stone’s thousand lives. That was bone chilling, all the varying lives that he went through. imagining what the others went through. What happened to Mat and Perrin I’ve always wanted to know. I think that experience alone managed to prematurely age our heroes. I had always wondered how much they grew in the space of what, like 2 years from the start of the series to the end, and I think now that the Portal Stone experience eroded a lot of their innocence. But I’ll see how that theory holds up in the next book. The Dragon Reborn is the book I remember the least I think, as I seem to recall Rand being…not exactly himself.

Oh and his blade melts when he fights Ba’alzamon on Toman Head. Does it get re-forged, I could have sworn that sword follows him everywhere.

I hope to be caught up with the rest of y’all this month, just need to sit down for longer than normal. I can catch up, I will catch up!! So that way I can contribute during rather than after the fact… :grumble
 
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I'm glad you're still reading along with us Corinne! You'll get caught up, no worries. :pleased-1:
 

Ryu Shadowborn

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I am also listening in with the audio book so I think what I will do this next time around is either have a notebook so I can make notes or read along. You all have said much of what I was thinking while listening already tho.

I use the library to figure out what chapter is what for making notesses.
 

Rhed al'Tere

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Corrine said:
I think now that the Portal Stone experience eroded a lot of their innocence.

I like this theory. :D In a way, the Portal Stone served for the men as the Arches for the Accepted test serve for the women -- it strips away innocence.

As for the sword, Rand uses the Power to duplicate the heron marked blade.
 

Imzadi Hopewind

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Yes! Since The girls weren't at the portal stones, so they had to do something similar. We should have seen what Elayne met in the rings?
 

Asandra al'Terra

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I'll catch up to you guys eventually, but two recent observations from TGH, both from Shienar:

"[Egwene] was enough ahead of him when they reached Padan Fain’s cell, at the very end, that Rand was out of the light entirely. He stopped there, in the shadows behind her lamp." <-- uh, aren't there supposed to be no shadows in Shienar? I'm guessing it's the lapses of the guards because of Fain's influence but it's weird.

"From the corner of her eye, Moiraine saw Egwene, far down the side hall, disappearing hurriedly around a corner. A stooped shape in a leather jerkin, head down and arms loaded with bundles, shambled at her heels. Moiraine permitted herself a small smile, quickly masked. If the girl shows as much initiative in Tar Valon, she thought wryly, she will sit in the Amyrlin Seat one day. If she can learn to control that initiative. If there is an Amyrlin Seat left on which to sit." <-- the foreshadowing for Egwene becoming Amyrlin is SO STRONG in these books!

also, Liandrin is the third/fourth Aes Sedai we meet in the series -- which I find interesting.
 

Rhed al'Tere

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No shadows in the streets, for sure. I'm not sure it's possible to have no shadows anywhere, otherwise they're running a fire risk by sleeping with lamps lit.
 

Asandra al'Terra

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And Verin is the 5th AS we meet. Lots of Black Ajah.

Rhed, I always assumed that Myrdraal can travel through any shadow that's larger than they are. I guess part of the problem is we don't know how Myrdraal travel -- maybe they can only get outside, but then, Rand is attacked by a Myrdraal in some town in EotW inside, isn't he?
 

Ealandrelle Melyma

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One appears in the inn (Stag and Lion?) in Baerlon, yup.

In the PC game, Fades only turned up in shadows which were at least as tall as they were. Then they sort of... rotated into being, almost the way I imagine a Gateway forming. They start as a thin line then flesh out. And disappear the same way, in reverse. Not that the computer game is to be taken as any sort of canon, but I do find that when a Fade appears in the books now, I tend to imagine them doing the rotation thing :laugh:
 

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That's kind of how I imagined it? Except instead of horizontal opening (vertical line moving out) I've imagined a horizontal darker shadow spilling into a human form. But -- I've always assumed the shadow has to have al least the height and width of the Myrdraal.

Things I wish I could have asked RJ!
 

Rhed al'Tere

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Maybe shadows need to be connected? So if there aren't shadows in the streets, the Myrdraal can't get to shadows inside?

:cheeseeni: I see a question for Team Jordan at JordanCon, if it's not explained in the Companion. :laugh:
 
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Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Chapter 14 - Chapter 20

Also, the third of the prequels was originally going to tell how Moiraine and Lan arrived just in time
So there is probably some very basic information, maybe enough to go in the Companion, but not for a whole book

The third of the prequels. .. ? I have New Spring....what other 2 are there *rising excitement...theres more? !*

A few comments on how Moiraine &Lan knew to be in Emmonds Field and the DO minions aswell.
Later in the series (including New Spring) its mentioned about Morainne (Suiane &old Amyrlin) old prophecies fulfilled and new ones spoken..and spending her life tracking down leads and narrowing the search.
Padin Faine is a yearly regular to the Two Rivers & its revealed later in one of his mad rants how the DO had all darkfriends searching with rewards on offer...which turn out to be not so good. He had his senses 'fine-tuned'
Morainne comments early on that the 3boys have to be of a certain age, not 8mnths younger or 10mnths older but just weeks apart (ch8). Faine wld have known/discovered this.
 
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Lei'Le - Robert Jordan had plans for additional prequels but sadly they were not written before his death. :(
 
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Lei'Le - Robert Jordan had plans for additional prequels but sadly they were not written before his death. :(

Oh.
Makes it even sadder :(
Highly unlikey they will get written now unless Brandon Sanderson writes more or RJ estate allow a WoT multi author short story anthology or some such. :grouphug
 
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Neither of which, from my understanding of it, will never be done. So yeah, pretty sad to think we'll be missing out on the rest of the stories in the Creator's head. :(
 
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