We killed off Egwene?? Seriously?? All three of Rand’s harem gets to live but the baddest bitch in the series has to sacrifice herself? COME ON. If I could change one thing about the series it would be this. It just felt so bleh.

Pretty straightforward query. You're taking a few months with an angreal seed, as an investment for a personal angreal. It's going to be your most prized possession, and may be a reflection of you.

What it look like?

Remember by Christina Rossetti, for her mentorship of Rand (even if too little, too late), and her sacrifice against Lanfear, and for how Rand remembers her and heaps the guilt on himself for her loss, and wishes he had her mentorship, later.

The girls guilt him into delivering a letter. He not only delivers it but sails all the way to Tear after finding out they're in trouble, scours the inns for days looking for them.

Hatches and follows a plan to save them. Breaks them free, and what thanks does he get?

Scolding, scowling, and launching him up to hang in the air.

"The Aes Sedai who came to the tent each night were so mixed that they did not help at all in clearing her thoughts. Alviarin was as cool and businesslike as a merchant come to buy wool and tabac, surprised that Nynaeve was part of the lesson but accepting, sharp in her criticisms but always ready to try again. Alanna Mosvani laughed and spent as much time talking about the world, and men, as she did teaching. Alanna showed too much interest in Rand and Perrin and Mat for Egwene’s comfort, though. Especially Rand. Worst of all was Liandrin, the only one who wore her shawl; the others had all packed them away before leaving Fal Dara. Liandrin sat fingering her red fringe and taught little, and reluctantly at that. She questioned Egwene and Nynaeve as if they had been accused of a crime, and her questions were all about the three boys. She kept it up until Nynaeve threw her out—Egwene was not sure why Nynaeve did so—and then she left with a warning."

1. First of all: Nynaeve, I love you. 😂
2. Oh wow, Alanna's obsession started back in TGH, before she knew Rand was the DR, before she even knew he could channel. She possibly knew he and the other two were ta'veren (due to Siuan taking an interest in the boys), but not certainly so.

"Wrapped in emptiness, Rand kept moving. Almost forgotten in entering the camp, saidin pulsed at him.
“He cannot see us,” Loial whispered low. “Once we reach the horses—”
A Trolloc leaped out of the dark at them, cruel eagle’s beak in a man’s face where mouth and nose should have been, scythe-like sword already whistling through the air.
Rand moved without thought. He was one with the blade. Cat Dances on the Wall. The Trolloc screamed as it fell, screamed again as it died.
“Run, Loial!” Rand commanded. Saidin called to him. “Run!”
He was dimly aware of Loial lumbering to an awkward gallop, but another Trolloc loomed from the night, boar-snouted and tusked, spiked axe raised. Smoothly Rand glided between Trolloc and Ogier; Loial must get the Horn away. Head and shoulders taller than Rand, half again as wide, the Trolloc came at him with a silent snarl. The Courtier Taps His Fan. No scream, this time. He walked backwards after Loial, watching the night. Saidin sang to him, such a sweet song. The Power could burn them all, burn Fain and all the rest to cinders. No!
Two more Trollocs, wolf and ram, gleaming teeth and curling horns. Lizard in the Thornbush. He rose smoothly from one knee as the second toppled, horns almost brushing his shoulder. The song of saidin caressed him with seduction, pulled him with a thousand silken strings. Burn them all with the Power. No. No! Better dead than that. If I were dead, it would be done with.
A knot of Trollocs came into sight, hunting uncertainly. Three of them, four. Suddenly one pointed to Rand and raised a howl the rest answered as they charged.
“Let it be done with!” Rand shouted, and leaped to meet them.
For an instant surprise slowed them, then they came on with guttural cries gleeful, bloodthirsty, swords and axes raised. He danced among them to the song of saidin. Hummingbird Kisses the Honeyrose. So cunning that song, filling him. Cat on Hot Sand. The sword seemed alive in his hands as it had never been before, and he fought as if a heron-mark blade could keep saidin from him. The Heron Spreads Its Wings.
Rand stared at the motionless shapes on the ground around him. “Better to be dead,” he murmured. He raised his eyes, back up the hill toward where the camp lay. Fain was there, and Darkfriends, and more Trollocs. Too many to fight. Too many to face and live. He took a step that way. Another.
“Rand, come on!” Loial’s urgent, whispered call drifted through the emptiness to him. “For life and the Light, Rand, come on!”
Carefully, Rand bent to wipe his blade on a Trolloc’s coat. Then, as formally as if Lan were watching him train, he sheathed it.
“Rand!”
As though he knew of no urgency, Rand joined Loial by the horses. The Ogier was tying the golden chest atop his saddle with straps from his saddlebags. His cloak was stuffed underneath to help balance the chest on the rounded saddle seat.
Saidin sang no more. It was there, that stomach-turning glow, but it held back as if he truly had fought it off. Wonderingly, he let the void vanish. “I think I am going mad,” he said. Suddenly realizing where they were, he peered back the way they had come. Shouts and howls came from half a dozen different directions; signs of search, but none of pursuit. Yet. He swung up onto Red’s back.
“Sometimes I do not understand half of what you say,” Loial said. “If you must go mad, could it at least wait until we are back with the Lady Selene and Hurin?”"

This is so beautifully written.

This part of Chapter 19 in TGH is strongly paralleled in Chapter 19 of KoD (“Vows”). In TGH, we get our very first taste of saidin’s madness and LTT’s ghost pressing against the edges of Rand’s mind (or at least this is the first I noticed it). He isn't just fighting for his life, he’s fighting the sheer seductiveness of the Power and the dark temptation of thinking 'Better to be dead.'

Books later in KoD, that moment is directly mirrored during the Trolloc army attack on the manor in Tear. LTT takes over, refuses to release control, pulls in massive amounts of the Power, and contemplates suicide. Rand is forced to fight on several fronts all at once, while everyone around him has no idea what’s actually happening, only that something is deeply wrong.

I love this kind of multi-layered tension with external fight/internal struggle/isolation. These 19s are two of my favorite chapters in the series!

Hi guys, just wanted to ask a couple of questions before starting my journey again (sorry for any possible mistakes, English is not my first language).

I read the whole series a few years ago, but I read it so fast that, for better or worse, I barely remember anything. Literally just Rand’s name and some vague things that ring a bell. Because of this, I want to do a reread, and this time I’m going to try it in English.

Since I practically have no clue, I was wondering:

1. If you had no memories of the series at all, how would you choose to read it? Would you go for ebook or physical? Read it fast or take it slow? Any specific habits you wish you had done the first time?

2. If you could only buy one physical book from the series, which one would make you the happiest to own?

I'll probably read most of it on ebook, but I really want to buy just one physical copy for my shelf. Specifically from the edition in the picture, because I love that old-school cover style and I don't have anything like that in my collection yet. Which one do you think is the best to have, either for the cover art or what the book means to you? I usually buy physical books when I think the cover is amazing, when I want the most iconic book from a series I know for a fact I'm gonna enjoy, or when I know I'm gonna reread it.

1. Do you guys read New Spring before or after? I think I never got to read it the first time.

Thanks in advance! :)

(No spoilers please!)

Just finished the chapter where nynaeve goes to Aldragoran to send message. Honestly gives me chills. After a slow book 10 it’s amazing

The golden crane flies for Tarmon Gai’don

Wrapping up Crossroads of Twilight this week

I was thinking yesterday about "What A Journey"

So grateful that I decided to pickup Eye of The World earlier this year after about 20 years when I read it in high school and would wait for each book to be written and released - I made it to The Fires of Heaven before life got too busy

I am a first time reader of the series, and my personal tip for anyone looking to embark of this journey would be to meet the characters where they are at in their lives, instead of where we think they should be - they are humans with trauma, emotions, struggles, internal barriers, and faults - just like the rest of us

Thought I would share my personalized Wheel of Time mug that just arrived this morning

May you always find water and shade

I'm on my first read through and I just finished Towers of Midnight. I've been reading for about a year and a half. Noel died in the tower of Ghenjei, which was extremely predictable. But what I didn't predict was the reveal that he's Jain Farstrider!!! Which probably would have been really exciting.... if I had any idea who the hell Jain Farstrider is.

At this point there are so many characters, I've been reading for so long, I just can't remember half of what's happened or been mentioned. I know I should recognize the name, but I simply do not 😭 I feel like I'm missing out on what makes the series good. It's a slow burn with lots of connections that come full circle. My friend talks about the great foreshadowing and twists in the series, I have yet to experience any of them lmao. I assume they're happening all around me and I just don't recognize them. I can barely remember details from 3 books ago let alone 10 books ago.

I'm an avid reader, I swear I'm an intelligent person, I love fantasy. But I just cannot keep track of all the characters, locations, and lore in this series. I know what y'all are gonna say "just wait for the re-read!" Honestly I cannot fathom re-reading them at this point. It's already taken a year and a half of my life to read 13 of them and I know 14 is a giant one. The thought of ever re-reading all these books again to catch all the small details sounds horrific. I can't imagine doing it.

I'm just ranting. This series really brings out the ranting in me. I've listened to the whole series on Audible, I'm not sure I'd recommend that for other first time readers. I think being able to read the names of things/people would be helpful. Please tell me other people have struggled and I'm not alone. Am I the village idiot 🧍‍♂️

Got these done a while ago when ordering, realized this community might appreciate em.

Sad thing is I keep them stacked and so I only see one at a time...