first-time read book 6 live tobyas reaction 🐌

[Tobyas Cuendrelle]

Comments upon Lord of Chaos, up to chapter 27 so far so spoilers through there (lmk how to tag spoilers in this kind of thread? for now i will tag it?)

Wow apparently this is a lot of salt I swear I do like these books - I love the world anyway & like the characters themselves, not so much the narration of them.
Then again, any story I really get into, I cannot do anything else until I've finished it and it's kind of like being possessed being bored & irritated by WoT is a blessing in disguise because I can actually put it down. But this book is my Threefold Land frfr

Spoiler: through Lord of Chaos chapter 27

There keep being rumours about Moiraine still being alive and it makes me so sad

I like how every group hears rumours and half-truths about every other group and they're all at cross purposes -- like the Children of the Light people think that Rand and the 'witches' are all one front plotting evilness together, when really they are n o t on the same side right now.

I appreciate that the Forsaken fight each other because it's fewer of them for us to deal with the torture scenes are really hard for me to get through. Semiraghe is kinda badass though, I have to respect it. Same with Graendel -- not sure what's going on with her and Sammael.

Cannot believe Alanna bonded Rand without consent!! !!! !! Alanna!!! lol Elayne is gonna flip out

STILL having so much trouble with every single woman being prudish and judging other women in the extreme. Not endearing -_-

I like the Wise Ones' pedagogy a bit more than the Aes Sedai. I'm liking Aiel Egwene.

That said, all of the AS & Wise Ones really irritate me with their attitude toward the world & younger people. It's like the *concept* of Serene Wise Old People, but in the real writing they all act like petty, mean nuns & just scorn all the younger people in a very shallow way that does not feel compassionate or really worthy of, you know, wise magicians. It's like the author was raised by mean parents and/or mean Catholic school and is just taking out all his trauma

I hope that once the main characters are more powerful, there won't be this constant dynamic anymore (and maybe THEY won't be so irritating themselves); I look forward to that.

Egwene and Gawyn are... cute I guess? I find it really hard to genuinely feel chemistry between anyone in the books, because the characters feel more like caricatures to me. I'm a hopeless romantic in nearly every case, but with WoT I am here for the Power and Wheel worldbuilding (and Mat's shenanigans I find him more charming than the others).
It's cute that she likes his curls though

I'm also loving Lews Therin breaking through and Rand trying to communicate. Especially as someone with a dissociative disorder it's a mood. I'm rooting for marriage counseling for them <3

 

[Tobyas Cuendrelle]

Finishing up LoC!

Spoiler: Lord of Chaos chapters 28-epilogue

ch. 28

omg lewsie is talking!!!! you go babes <3

i like the slice of life ji'e'toh Aiel & Rand bits

ch. 29

salidar my favourite arc <3

Rooting for Nyn to break her block soon! She's also the one whose misandry least annoys me since it seems in character for her

Alright Nynlayne slight making up!

The false Dragons seem to have what the kids call 'aura' lol

ch. 30

yay for siuan & leane this is a great moment and i like the new kinship between the four channelers. also because they're nerfed maybe they can survive longer than most super powerful mentors

well at least now nyn is getting some attention even if she doesn't quite like it

hell yeah Green Leane she had a fun little arc there

black ajah at salidar

ch. 31

oh noo, poor queen morgase D: Rand is not gonna be happy with this whitecloaks development

ch. 32

ooh the plot thickens, both egwene & rand heading to salidar! i am happy for egwene to be back with the other girls & the aes sedai bc she is very aes sedai-y. the wise woman part has been fun though, i wonder if we're all done with that

ch. 33

..or not quite yet? egwene has her aiel cultural immersion down better than rand

awww mat has an adopted gremlin child <3

*no comment* on yet another spanking scene. i don't kink shame but there is *a time and a place*
Again though, I like a lot of elements of Aiel culture better than the authority structures across the Spine. It's so sweet how they all adopted Egwene too

ch. 34

awe reunion! it's nice to see nyn getting *some* respect and attention

ch. 35

...okay.
okay WHAT?
what???
egwene the amyrlin *already*??!
"the biddable girl" that nynaeve overheard -- was that the Black Ajah planning and wanting to puppet her? i mean. surely this is a puppet thing regardless.

i kind of love it though just skip right to the end of the power fantasy. and the whole 'inexperienced person suddenly put into a central & powerful role'.... well. why else am i reading these books this feels so fanfictiony though omg it's like i wrote it

ch. 36

everyone calling egwene 'mother' but her getting some luxuries is nice! good for her

and i'm loving the beginning of her reign they don't know what they're getting themselves into. tower reform let's gooo

ch. 37

nynaeve trying to get angry here is really funny

ch. 38

Avi doesn't like Olver? 3 marks he turns out to be one of the Forsaken and was evil all along, why not
[oh ok no shes just being parental lol]

"there's Warders in STRIKE those them there woods"

I do complain a lot about the gender dynamics but it is HILARIOUS to me that Mat thinks Avi is gonna stab Elayne about Rand

I'm loving all the reunions <3 Nyn is really at her best when she's trying to cut everyone down to size as if they absolutely haven't left the Two Rivers, great stuff. And then not Mat trying to lecture everyone back oh Matrim

ch. 39

"Mat just looked poleaxed and sweaty" that's how i like em

All this talk that you can stop sweating just by concentrating IT'S SO NOT TRUE and the global warming plotline is really hitting too close to home. Where's our Bowl of Winds huh?

Mat and Nyn fight! fight! fight!

Egwene may be on a *slight* power trip lol

ch. 40

Some wisdom from Thom -- I do not think the analogy of the woman in an abusive marriage is accurate for Elayne & Egwene re: the Tower, but his final point about Mat supporting them is well enough

"would climb a tree to see the lightning better" is great

This part with Avi & Elayne is touching :' poor Avi. I'll give it.... 5/10 for polyamoury communication. I guess women fighting over a man is.. preferable than the reverse?

ch. 41

I think it's very interesting that Lews Therin can not only talk but fully take control of Rand. It is very much a DID mood and I'm really intrigued for the future of this

Rand some people have curly hair "how did women do that anyway" rand genetics

ch. 42

REALLY, they're calling the school the Black Tower?? what a mislead XD also yeah an ill omen of a name. Dragon Tower?

ch. 43

very interesting the extreme things they're saying about Alanna force-bonding Rand -- I kinda agree with their take that it's like assault, but wouldn't have expected that sensitivity from aes sedai hahaa

ch. 46

perrin standing up for himself his wife and his relationship <3

righttt, i forgot perrin is gonna have another woman involved with him too well you know what HE deserves it.

"your face is flushed.. i thought the heat never touched you now" okay that was good min

ok im loving the aes sedai cat lore - also IS there one healing stray cats? because im kind of hoping so after so many rumours lol

faile and perrin are THE cutest. him unbuttoning her "spying is a wife's work" what is this?? rj can write actual chemistry???

guysss the assassin said "witches", that's the children of the light's term not rand!

ch. 47

ohhh "the wandering woman" is this the origin of the Discord channel?

it worries me about the limits to Mat's medallion

ch. 49

awwee loial

again the blending between Rand and Lews already i continue to like how the dissociated identity aspects are handled

i do not like this miscommunication between Rand and the better half of the aes sedai guys communicate!! or the whitecloaks succeed in placing a wedge!

ch. 51

danngggg so if Egwene does move the Salidar people to go to Tar Valon, they'll also have to liberate Rand or at least go to him. it's all coming together > : )

tbh i still don't quite know which group of aes sedai are which but what a sad state. the salidar aes sedai [?] wanted Elayne on the throne and Rand ALSO wanted that only they didn't talk about it. and then the fake Aiel assassin, also not communicated about, driving him to the really dangerous aes sedai. I hope Alanna feels something and can take action

they doubled him up and put him in a BOX???

ch. 52

Olver is reminding me of this orphan kid from the Dungeons and Daddies DND podcast

Nyn/Avi/Elayne/Birgitte impersonating antique shoppers I guess those exist in this Age too

I love Elayne with her Ebou Dar fashion

ch. 53

do not like this Faile/Berelain plot. it's not Perrin's fault either come onn

Ooh the girls are fightinggg (elaida's aes sedai + shaido). Also the way they're torturing Rand is truly brutal; I wonder if the 'if Perrin isn't there' referred to this, where he was absent, or something in the future that Perrin will come to the rescue for. But hey, Lews & Rand team-up??

also Rand noo, don't put that in your head so firmly, it's from trusting the TOWER aes sedai

ch. 54

good aes sedai to join the wolf people!! alanna win i guess. ouch for her though feeling what she is, that's what she gets for bonding him without consent lol

ch. 55

C'mon Gawyn break with the Tower! what they're doing is totally unlike you & you're taking losses for them

BATTLE TIMEEE really interesting how everything is developing. I was expecting the attack on Sammael to be the finale here, but I guess that is in the future - and complicated by all this.

Alright, Rand unboxing!
And the way Rand and Lews were both trapped, just like Lews has been trapped all this time, and now their emotions are reallly blurring.

Gawyn is NOT gonna be a happy brother-in-law

BRUTAL asha'man. This team is absolutely destroying this set of enemies, so... one expects to see some nastier opponents soon.

Randd, you want all nations on your side but you're really gonna try and oppose ALL the aes sedai --
Oh, this is them swearing fealty? I mean I feel like it was VERY forced and there's probably still gonna be conflict.

epilogue

Oh no, Fel D:

And we have the Ebou Dar showdown also in the future, hmm

ooh Nine Moons mention! very intrigued by this. the sea people? the seanchan again?

oh noooo, nonono, of course that Aran'gar is gonna come to free Moggy I should have expected it, she's been here the whole time. Also interesting to see some playing with gender

Demandred? where has he been, did I miss that?

All in all lots of exciting things! On to the next one at once! although afaik the Slog does begin around here so we will see how exciting

 

[Aduiavas Ida]

Love reading your commentary, it reminds me of how I felt reading this

 

[Tobyas Cuendrelle]

On to Crown of Swords!

Predictions for the book & for Rand's overall fate:

Spoiler

Rand & Mat battle with Sammael in Illian?
Elayne & the girls fighting Forsaken agents for the Bowl of Winds in Ebou Dar.
Some sort of Tower shenanigans, maybe Egwene will march on Tar Valon like she was planning. There's the Salidar sisters, vs Elaida's faction, vs the Darkfriends that have infiltrated both.
This is halfway through the series, so maybe something to do with the Dark One and/or his prison.
Further developments for the Nine Moons thing? hopefully hehe

As for the series - will Rand die at the end.... The prophecies suggest that he will, and then there was some bit about him 'having to die in order to live' or something, so we're at least somewhat set up for him to die. So maybe he will scrape by somehow. I don't think it's going to be very pretty for him though. Maybe Lews will die and Rand live, or vice versa, because at this point he is kind of two people?

A part of me expects some sort of huge cataclysmic thing to do with the Wheel and the Power, something that hasn't happened in cycles past or is very rare anyway. The Dark One's definitely getting out of that prison before Rand seals him back in at any rate. I really hope saidin gets cleansed somewhere in there. We already have all these prophecies that outline what's meant to happen, so I am expecting/hoping for some sort of twist on the format.

And now to dive in! to the audiobooks, slightly sped up, whilst playing various phone games:

Spoiler: prologue-chapter 22

prologue

Oh Elaida has EGO ego. But she does want Rand to fulfill his destiny - sort of. Better than other factions. She's far too prideful and is ignoring or underestimating most everyone - I expect she will lose her power in fairly short order, probably to Alviarin among others haha.

Monkeys being described as invented - no monkeys in this Turning confirmed at least not around Tar Valon

Fascinated by this 'what has been hidden' from Tower records - am I supposed to know this already lol

Huh. Well if that's a real foretelling, it is.. not what I would expect. Elaida really doesn't have what it takes imo.

I'm enjoying Mesaana and Alviarin. Extra nervous about the foretelling now, because they clearly have the real power at Tar Valon.. but for now it's fun to see them scheming around each other.

WHOAA what in the mm whatcha say is this?? two Children of the Light offed in one scene?! and good riddance.

In this section it's fun to jump between everybody's various shades of power grabbing motivation

2

awwe poor Rand sat there mourning all the Maidens & arguing with Lews :'( buddy and you have 7 books to go

5

Always here for Perrin being infatuated with Faile <3

"whatever can be done.. can be undone" light rand that was cold. he really is taking care of business in cairhien. caemlyn,,, wherever we are XD

7

Oh no the angreal D: I think I know a spoiler about the Sammael plan, so I'm extra eager to see it all played out lol

8

Alright Mother Egwene! my fave plotline <3

No Egwene you canNOT count on Delana!! It is interesting to see more and more of the inner machinations of the Tower and how corrupt it is. Also, I suppose I can understand more of the disdain for anyone not aes sedai if these women are hundreds of years old. Still, no one will do messy human immortality like Tamsyn Muir

So what IS Aran'gar if not a Forsaken [that we know of]? also will she go mad? I wouldn't expect she'd be the Dark One yet because like, the prison isn't broken.. but she's obviously closely connected to him.

WHOAA Siuan & Leana can lie?? they're getting more and more badass. Also Leane's hot girl summer is so iconic, I love her.

9

Yeahh don't blackmail the Amyrlin this Nicola is someone to watch though with her talents & plotting, I feel like she could be turned if she hasn't been already

10

I wonder if Gawyn's 'short violent death' path coincides with the 'will marry Egwene'. Him dying in bed after all this would be,, well hey, maybe a few will survive unscathed and him among them.

ooh, Perrin's hawk is linked to Egwene?

11

Interesting that Egwene seems to want to abolish the Oaths among other things.

oh im SURE Delana is rabid about the Black Ajah this is so bad

12

all hail al'lan mandragoran and his two unsolicited grief therapists "saving a warder" like he's a bedraggled endangered animal

Eek Aran'gar/Halima D: I guess they want to depose Elaida and then depose Egwene too. I have a bad feeling the good side will be the 'remnants' in the foretelling....
Maybe Aran'gar is Mesaana? bc we don't see Mesaana in a human form..

13

I am seeing the Avi x Elayne agenda this chapter well we ARE on a ship after all

15

Hmph, Inquisitors and Darkfriends. Unsurprising that the harbingers of purity would be connected with the very thing they claim to oppose.

oh, so the Forsaken have *completely* infiltrated the Children. Great. Hate them. [i have no patience for the Children, they get all my ire]

16

hahaha Mat literally being pulled at by two factions of Aes Sedai & then snapped up by the royal family of Ebou Dar

I'm liking Ebou Dar; it reminds me of Tira, a city from the Books of Bayern that's for some reason one of those fictional locations that's stuck in my mind. Actually BoB also has women who are the only ones to wield a sort of magic. Fun books

17

joline joline joline, im begging of you please don't.. thwart our plan

18

I'm so sad for Alanna mourning all the time

Lews looking at women and *humming* babygirl you're lucky you don't have control of the body, you'd have restraining orders on you no matter how anachronistic

19

oh yeah cadsuane clean up! shes cool as, i hope she comes to rand's side

some random old man writes not to send me around him bc im so pretty i distract him, i would not be "treasuring" that note

20

what is this watcher is this the first we hear of him? i don't remember lol. he can step OUTSIDE the pattern tho? that's coolll. the last book was 'the lord of chaos' and he is talking about chaos... also I'm almost thinking like maybe he is something of the Dark One that has managed to seep out of the prison, because he is so powerful..

So we have Aran'gar with Egwene, Mesaana with Alviarin & Elaida, Sammael with the Shaido and the Children, Graendal,,, in her palace, and Moghedien we haven't heard from. And then this Watcher guy.

22

Avi & Elayne continue to be cute. Hope Min will join in a similar way

I can't believe the GIRLS have to apologise to MAT. feminism lose -_- couldn't Mat be one character who DOESN'T feel the need to be overprotective and order people around?

 

[Dorian Har'Locke]

I also love the "Slice of life" as you put it, Jietoh moments, especially as the Cairheinens begin to pick up on them in FoH.

 

[Tobyas Cuendrelle]

Aaaand we're done

Spoiler: chapters 23-end

23

Ooh, this is VERY intriguing. A new society of channelers? Can Egwene bring them onto our side? Also maybe an exiled sister.. Anyway I respect their work a lot from what we're seeing, and I like seeing some of the castoffs of the Tower. Finally some better pedagogy around here! (Odd their respect of the Tower while they're cleaning up its messes and helping a wider range of girls.)

Do not like the miscommunication plot though; I get that these Kin need to cause problems at first, but I HATE a miscommunication plot and it always feels contrived. Ask the sisters at the palace innit. Anyway oh well, we know there's going to be a confrontation so we may as well have it.

"I could hold one of the Forsaken" foreshadowing?

lemon mention??? lemons have been reborn in this age mashallah

25

Oohh very excited to see Moggy wriggle out of THIS one

Also Moridin very intriguing. Human? something else?

26

Oeuf Morgase is really going through it slimy of Valda

Dragons??!! did NOT know this was that kind of book (ok well they SEEM like dragons anyway)

Oh nooo not the Seanchan again for some reason i thought we were done with them. Ok I actually rather like the Seanchan as a concept, it's just when I actually think about the cruelty of being damane it's one of the most upsetting in the series, soo, I also dislike them.

Now they are right up Graendal's alley with their ownership of beautiful people

BUT HEY COFFEE MENTION one of my little old tongue integrations in life is that I use 'kaf'lam' for caffeine withdrawal

Umm guys maybe we shouldn't all be taking this Seanchan oath like it's nothing D:

27

uhh what happened with Rand and Perrin again that he's sending him away?Rand noo, but the power of friendship

(oh the summary says it was staged? lol you must know I am listening to these on about 1.5 speed whilst playing vampire survivors, the fine details escape me)

28

Birgitte & Mat have a cute rapport. Birgitte & Elayne too with the Warder bond

Cute Mat being snapped up.... I guess,,, in books like this you have to give up the requirement for enthusiastic consent lol

A secret of the Tower? wait do the aes sedai know about the Kin?? wowww the conspiracy goes deep

Wait Jaichim is going with Morgase's being freed now? what is he scheming....

30

Okay Elayne, tell them aes sedai that's the queen of Andor. And... someone who is gonna be facing the Whitecloaks and/or Seanchan. D:

Moggy making her way down town.. compelling fast...

31

This Nyn drowning scene is intense - the claustrophobia, the near-death block break (if Theodrin knew all she needed was waterboarding ) - Lan all wet suddenly RJ is giving the people what they want

Love this continuation of the Kin arc! they find out the truth & get added to Egwene's Tower, we have Rhianne who seems to be quite the powerful figure, and they recognise that Elayne & Nyn were TOO aes sedai lol. Also Mat & the girls absolutely tie in the Bowl race

32

Not Elaida having her stims with her knitting and her ivory pieces shes too relatable

Well great here goes absolutely shattering the Tower thanks to Mesaana & Alviarin D: let the lord of chaos reign innit. But I'm happy to see there's some resistance! fun conspiracy stuff > : )

AND a cat[-carving] lady the Tower has got a PR agent lol

33

Rand Twilight depression montage

Well good for Min - though if he'd sent Min away then she, Elayne & Avi would all come back and THEN he'd be in for it Also good for Min telling him off for all that "ohhh I can't do what you want I'll hurt you" -_- speaking what I am thinking

Hmmmm more evidence for my 'die & not die may indicate that Lews or Rand will die' theory. I WAS hoping for them to be integrated though then again Lews has been begging for death since forever, so maybe it isn't so bad.

I am a bit concerned long-term for Alanna, because four women bonded to him is just TOO many. Then again no doubt Elayne is gonna be grabbing that bond off of her, so Alanna may make it out with her life hehe (as I hope she does. Show Alanna has endeared me to all Alannas)

34

"the world is a laughing matter" Rand is becoming the Joker fr

Beyond that (maybe because of that) Rand is really starting to pull it together. Claiming to be the Dragon confidently & with followers to show for it.

The Bermuda Triangle: Seanchan Edition? bloody Seanchan. I'm with Rand, how are they back already I hope they join Rand though. I mean aren't they here for some Artur Hawkwing prophecy? that could refer to him...

35

Min wanting to throw away Rand's angsty posters

"fail without a woman who was dead and gone" Birgitte? Moiraine? can moiraine come back in a dream or something,,,

Rand manic-depressive arc

Well, I guess a relative of Moiraine Sedai is close enough this thing about Min's vision of her failing is odd, I don't remember how that went down so idk if there's anything to it lol

"a man cannot abandon even a possible wife to the mercies of the Aiel"

The canonical Main Character Syndrome/plot armour is quite funny

36

Rand is just collecting evil unhealing wounds either Nynaeve can heal them or he's gonna die/do his die-and-then-not-die-thing from them. Very ominous

Flynn is charming haha, Eugene Roe from Band of Brothers vibes

37

we didn't get to see Nyn & Lan wedding??

Elayne learning new curses off Mat Elayne, never change

38

Very cool fighting from Mat!

41

Very sad about Laiya [sp?] quite the fate to be lost in Aridhol for ages & then balefired

Okay I feel like this mysterious man who saves Rand is Moridin? the way he disappears into nothing

Not entirely certain Sammael is dead.....

Okayy Rand, your skimming platform is the symbol of the Power/the dark one's seals [AND you've forgotten how to cry] I heard some people calling this "Darth Rand" and he's really living up to it
*AND saying that "king of the world" has a good sound to it omg rand theyre gonna eat you in the revolution

Alright title drop, the crown of swords itself!

Highlights of the book (those retained by my vampire survivors-addled mind):

Spoiler

Elayne & Avi <3
The cat lady aes sedai
Elaida's stimming
Nyn breaking her block!
Lan is back backagain
I feel like I'm becoming a Moggy person,, i didn't choose the Moghedien fan life it chose me