I'm talking about Loial at the Great Stump.

The more I think about this, the crazier it seems that we never actually get to hear his speech.

The Ogier are seriously considering opening the Book of Translation and leaving the world before the Last Battle. They've got an escape route that humanity doesn't have. And honestly, from their perspective, why should they stay? Humans have spent centuries fighting each other, destroying things the Ogier built, and generally making a mess of everything.

Then along comes Loial.

The same Loial who's spent half the series being told he's too young, too hasty, and not nearly sensible enough. The guy who can't even travel with his friends without worrying that his mother is going to drag him home and get him married.

And he stands up in front of the most respected elders of his entire people and essentially argues that they should risk their existence for a world they could walk away from.

And he WINS.

Think about how significant that is. Rand has to threaten rulers, negotiate treaties, demonstrate his power, and occasionally have the Pattern practically force people into cooperating.

Loial doesn't have an army or the One Power. He isn't ta'veren. He just has an argument he believes in, and apparently delivers it well enough to change the course of his people's history.

What really gets me is that Loial spends the entire series wanting to write a book about the people who change the world.

And one of the biggest things he does to change it happens during a speech we never get to read.

I would've happily traded quite a few chapters of political maneuvering for the full Great Stump debate.

Seriously, what did he SAY? How do you convince a room full of Ogier elders, some of whom have centuries of experience on you, to bet their entire civilization on humanity?

I wish we'd gotten that scene.

Okay I’ve finally finished book one it took me like 9 days but wow. I’m so locked in. What a great first book. Slight similarities to LoTR, sure but it didn’t bother me at all, you can see already how Robert Jordan is making it his own.

I won’t lie, it took me a while to be fully locked in, I had just finished the Empire of the Vampire series and the first three Red Rising books, which are obviously fast paced so I had to get used to the initial pacing. But it definitely steps up by the time they get to Baerlon. There are seriously levels of fantasy and as far as book ones go, this is elite tier.

So far I’m enjoying all the characters, yeah they’re a little immature at the moment but that’s to be expected. But I liked what I saw in the development through the first book. I’m hoping to learn more about Lan and Moraine which I’m sure I will.

The world building already is top. I feel like we’ve been to so many places already but we never rush to get there and then of course there’s a load of places we’ve not seen yet.

All in all this feels like a great foundation for what’s to come. Things feel mapped out already. We’re given a taste characters that I’m sure we’ll get to meet again, especially those in Caemlyn. I’m hyped for the next couple of books, especially as I’ve heard that’s when the series really comes into its own.

I’ll be starting The Great Hunt today. Big shout out to the community for being welcoming to a new fan of the series. I’m already dreading the feeling that follows when I finish this series.

You see, I was gonna come here and rant about how the modern-day Aes Sedai are undoubtedly the most useless set of people, glorified frauds, and how they’re so far in over their heads that they don’t even see it. I label them useless not because they do nothing or don’t eventually help out, but because when weighed against what they claim to be or what they say about themselves, it’s just laughable.
That’s one thing they unironically have in common with the Whitecloaks. And obviously, you can blame the Black Ajah for some of it, but the truth is that most of them are drunk on that “we are the shit” Kool-Aid. They’re far gone.

But then I realized there’s really one person who stands out, and I think she’s arguably (should be objectively, IMO) the best and most competent of them all: Verin. Especially when you weigh her against what the Aes Sedai set out to do.

I know many would disagree and say it’s Moiraine, but honestly, Verin is what the Aes Sedai claim to be but so constantly fail to live up to. This woman craved knowledge to the point that she found herself among the Blacks (that’s as Brown as you can get). Not only did she survive that, but she used her duplicity so well that you really couldn’t have seen her coming on a first read-through.
But that’s not even the best part about her.
She easily (the only one, BTW, not even the Keeper at this point) saw through the charade of Moiraine and Siuan and made them include her in the most subtle of ways. It’s almost as if she out-Aes Sedai’d them and put them off balance.

When she joined Ingtar’s party, she didn’t impose herself or take charge like Moiraine, Cadsuane, and every other Aes Sedai seems to itch to do. Yet they did everything she wanted.
When she got to Rand, she again didn’t impose herself but was subtly guiding and edging him along.
I particularly love how she gently let Rand know she knew he was the one who used the Portal Stone (although that part about his more recent use was an outright lie, but hey, he didn’t need to know).
When they arrived at Falme, she again did something no Aes Sedai would’ve done. She followed the prophecy’s blueprint of “five” and didn’t include herself. She figured Egwene was a Dreamer, gave her an item to aid her, and gave her a writing that would expose Ishamael. And she did it so smartly that Egwene wouldn’t have figured out in a thousand years how she’d been led by the nose.

She was part of the Dumai’s Wells party, and you wouldn’t even know it. Even though she’s as strong in the Power as the leaders, she investigated those who kidnapped Rand, weighed and almost poisoned Cadsuane if she hadn’t deemed her worthy, left Rand with great advice, and left Perrin with great advice too in the Two Rivers alongside Alanna. And, well, she single-handedly defeated the Black Ajah.
The subtlety of the reveal with Egwene was one of the most beautiful chapters. Verin dictated the tempo of that discussion, gave Egwene all she needed, and gave us all we needed to know about her too.
And I don’t think it was mentioned, but I think she was the one who left the letter for Rand, knowing he’d come to the Tower.

Now, she orchestrated all of this without being in the limelight. Isn’t that how Aes Sedai claim to guide events? The only thing she got wrong was her assessment of Mat, but that was just one thing.

Now, after Verin comes Cadsuane.
Hear me out. I don’t like her either, but, to summarize, the Rand she met was a lot worse and a lot more unstable than the one Moiraine met. Yet I think she beats Moiraine in how she managed to stand up to Rand at a point when everyone else was at his feet.
More importantly, she never meddled in his plans. All she did was guide him and make sure he knew what he was doing (it took Moiraine knowing she was going to die to realize this was her role).
Her defense at the Cleansing against the Forsaken was nothing short of amazing. The way she recovered Rand from Far Madding, how she kept reins on him when he was rude to his followers, and how formidable and capable she was at the Last Battle all put her ahead of Moiraine in my opinion, albeit by an inch.

BTW, the argument that she pushed him over the edge is valid, but I’d argue that anybody in her place would’ve gotten the same results. Even Moiraine. Darth Rand and Dragonmount were all but inevitable from the kidnapping, and the male a’dam and Rand strangling Min sealed the deal. Also, he needed to become Zen Rand.
Bonus points for having a manor in every city. That woman was resourceful. Look at how she handled the sea folks too. Although I must say that she acts like it’s her reputation that helps her gain advantage over all other aes Sedai, but constantly ignores the fact that she was stronger in power than everyone else but the wonder girls and the tower had a strength deference thing

Now, Moiraine is a close third. She did a lot right, and I love her,she’s my favorite, and she was very competent and iconic. Although I think she was buffed up to be more resourceful than she had any right to be, and given certain powers that she didn’t have again and no other aes Sedai did. I mean her staff just disappeared (but I guess Jordan was still deciding on some things) but she messed up a lot by not communicating with Rand. Her isolation tactics were the beginning of his paranoia and his lack of trust in anyone who wanted to help him.
She also almost lost him, if not for swearing the oaths and taking a few steps back. And that was because she finally understood that he needed to be his own man and that she wouldn’t always be there.
But most importantly, most of Moiraine’s importance was in her absence.

I mean, thank the Light Rand didn’t follow her first Illian plan with the Horn, or her second plan involving a war with Tear. Sammael would’ve killed him.
Rand was already very capable and had grown significantly in strength, had a general and Mat to help make his plans, and still barely survived his encounter with Sammael. Moiraine just wanted to throw him to the wolves with a flawed weapon and hope the Pattern protected him. For someone whose whole life has been dedicated to a person, she almost blew it, a lot of times.

Now I didn’t count the wonder girls as they’d not spend much time at the tower. But if I were to finish the top 5, I’d say pevara…. Then maybe Siuan. Although there a gap between them and the top three

I'm ALMOST ALMOST at the end of book 4 (took me a long while, but it's been incredible)

I know mat is a fan favourite but, what has he actually done so far.

Book 1-2 obviously mat was still not in his element

Book 3 I started liking what he was doing, he seemed fun loving and witty and I understood why everyone seems to like him so much

But to my surprise he has to somehow be my least favourite of the main characters except for egwene

Like when we got to rhuidean, I expected he would have a big part of the events going on in the waste , but he basically has just gone into the doorways and complained about everything through this book

Pwrrin,rand,egwene,nyneave and elayne have atleast being doing something or developing like characters.

Even Elayne seems to be going through some stuff, though I feel like I'm the tanchico storyline nyneave is actually the "main character".

Rand and perrin have massive arcs

Mat is just sorta there, doing nothing complaining about everything

Tldr; he seems like a very passive character this book

And 10 more to go after this

Faile was just abducted by the Shaido. NoOoOoOoOoOoOoO!

I'm doing another reread and I'm in the middle of Lord of Chaos and I finally realized what it is that I don't like about Egwene. I just got to the scene where Mat shows up in Salidar and he confronts Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elaine. Egwene tells Mat that he is "Dragonsworn" and Mat disagrees. That's where it clicked for me. Egwene is different from the others from Edmonds Field. Mat isn't loyal to the Dragon, he's loyal to his friend, Rand. Egwene is simply not a good friend. Mat, Perrin, Rand, and Nyn will not let their friends down. Egwene has no problem turning her back on her friends. She puts being Aes Sedai above being a good friend.

Before Rand, these people literally sold off any Cairhienin they could get their hands on as slaves to god knows where and even after Rand, they were more than willing looking to overlook the atrocities committed by Shaido when they first entered the wetlands, after all who cares what happens to a bunch of treekillers?

I still don't fully grasp ji'e'toh but regardless, how can the actions of a single man affect the way they view his entire race?

• Disclaimer - I just posted this but it didn't show up in the feed and maybe I clicked something wrong, so if you see it twice i'm sorry.

Old DOS games from the late 80s early 90s. Part 4 in particular was awesome.

I remember when I started reading WoT in maybe 96? I know Crown of Swords was out.

I was a huge fan of the QfG games at the time. Part 4 was about a land where there was a otherworldly being known as "the dark one" who was sort of trapped inside a mountain after a battle with a notably powerful wizard. But the dark one wasn't totally bound in his mountain and the dark magic bled out into the land and warped and mutated the local environment.

Had me hooked as soon as I started.

PS: Also not saying anyone's ripping anyone off and I know neither idea is original just pointing out a bit of enjoyment i'd had.

Hey.

By way of introduction, I should admit that my perception of antagonists in various works has shifted over time. Naturally, in my childhood, I mostly encountered "evil" characters—villains whose downfall you’d eagerly await. There were exceptions, of course, but for the most part, these stories were morally black and white.

As I grew older, however, I became increasingly intrigued by antagonists. I developed a fondness for the concept of moral ambiguity—the idea that being an antagonist doesn’t automatically make someone an "evil person," or at the very least, that being "evil" doesn’t have to be their defining trait.

While I still come across plenty of classic examples—antagonists who are simply terrible people devoid of any redeeming qualities—I personally appreciate it when authors do something more with them. That’s why the portrayal of antagonists is such an important factor for me when choosing what to read.

In volumes 1–3, I didn’t care about any of the Forsaken. Honestly, Lanfear was the only one who held my interest; I can’t even recall the names of the others. They were essentially just there to tempt Rand, yet they remained cartoonishly shallow.

Lanfear was different. A beautiful woman, she used her charm to tempt Rand—doing so with far more subtlety than the other Forsaken. Her unrequited love for Lews Therin, combined with the fact that she was playing her own game—one where her personal desires didn’t always align with those of the Dark One—gave her the kind of depth I look for in an antagonist.

Of course, the fact that she’s exceptionally beautiful didn’t hurt, either. If a character is exceptionally attractive and happens to be an antagonist, I often find myself having a soft spot for them. Of course, this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule (more on Graendal later), but it’s a very common occurrence—especially when it comes to female antagonists, because, well, I’m a straight man. I can be a bit superficial at times.

Overall, I’m glad she returned to the narrative as Cyndane, but she was gone for too long, and because of Moridin’s leash, she doesn’t really do anything interesting. Her only notable moment is her duel with Alivia.

To keep things somewhat organized, I’ll now focus on the remaining Forsaken.

Moridin is clearly the most important of the Forsaken right now, and Jordan established a connection between him and Rand. This suggests that this dynamic might be further developed in volumes 12–14—and, honestly, I’d love to see that. Aside from Lanfear and Asmodean, the author didn’t really build a complex dynamic between Rand and any other Forsaken. There was an attempt with Sammael, perhaps, but that ended quickly. In any case, Moridin has the potential to be an interesting character, provided Sanderson doesn’t flatten him out. I haven’t been a fan of most of Sanderson’s recent work, which is where my concerns stem from—though perhaps the "earlier" Sanderson was up to the task.

As for Asmodean, I see his character primarily as a missed opportunity. It feels like the author was building something there—a potential for moral ambiguity and a chance at redemption—but then, Asmodean simply died. Over time, I came to see the point of it—it demonstrates that the Forsaken actually possess some level of competence, given that one of them managed to eliminate him. Besides, I don’t see what practical use Asmodean could have served in book six or beyond; still, I had simply hoped the author would do more with his character. Well, at least—if I recall correctly—he got to sleep with the beautiful Isendre a few times before his (and her) death; that’s a silver lining for him, I suppose.

Sammael was a wasted opportunity. The author seemed to be building something between him and Rand in books six and seven—Sammael forced an alliance with Graendal and was responsible for the chaos caused by the Shaido—but then... he just died, standing in one spot. Anticlimactic.

To me, Rahvin is just a lesser version of Sammael. He seized power in Andor by becoming Morgase’s lover and using coercion against her, but beyond a weakness for beautiful women, there was nothing interesting about his personality. He did put up some resistance against Rand, at least, but that’s about it.

Moghedien... I expected her to be more compelling as an antagonist. She had three duels with Nynaeve and lost two of them. I understand that Nynaeve is an exceptional talent in terms of her potential with the Power, but Moghedien was just incredibly weak as a boss. I will give her this: after their first clash in book five, Nynaeve was genuinely terrified of her and suffered a breakdown. Beyond that, Moghedien terrorized the Black Ajah and humiliated Liandrin—but, honestly, I couldn’t care less about that particular group of Darkfriends. All in all, after the fifth volume, Moghedien ended up a captive in Salidar, and later became a slave to Moridin... Yeah, pretty disappointing.

Demandred seemed interesting when he started appearing more around the sixth volume, but then he didn’t really do anything. In the ninth volume, he was in Shadar Logoth, but he had to flee from—what was it, three?—Aes Sedai... Sure, he’ll probably play an important role during the Last Battle, but this character has taken way too long to get going.

Semirhage tortured an Aes Sedai, murdered the Empress and her family in the Seanchan Empire (for which I’m actually grateful), tried to install Suroth on the Seanchan throne—which would have ensured their participation in the Last Battle on the side of the Dark One—and she also cost Rand his hand... Well, okay, that’s not too bad. A pretty decent résumé. And yet, for all she accomplished, there’s very little of her actually present. I feel like I barely know Semirhage, and that’s what bothers me about her. She has an aura of being a dangerous person, but she lacks a distinct personality.

Mesaana is another character the author didn’t do much with in terms of personality. She was a scholar, but she isn’t particularly cunning. It feels like she does almost nothing, with Alviarin doing the lion’s share of the work.

Osan'gar—the reveal that he was Dashiva was an interesting twist, but then he got killed by the Black Ajah, which was just a bit embarrassing.

Aran'gar—she did something among the rebel Aes Sedai, I suppose, but mostly she just gave Egwene headaches and killed two Aes Sedai. Not much to show for it. A man in a woman’s body is an interesting concept, but is it enough to justify the character’s long presence in the plot? Honestly, if Sanderson kills off any more of the Forsaken before the Last Battle, my money would be on Aran'gar. Perhaps Meesana—after all, what use is a scholar in the Last Battle?

The fact that I almost forgot to mention Graendal says something. On paper, she has plenty to interest me: she’s a female antagonist, highly attractive, and reasonably intelligent. Yet, everything about her feels so... inauthentic. Empty. Artificial. It’s as if I’m looking at a beautiful painting that lacks any spark of life.

Right, having covered the Forsaken, it’s time for the Darkfriends.

Liandrin was an antagonist in the early stages of the series, and her subsequent fate shows just how much the scale of the story expanded. She ended up subservient to Moghedien, and later became a slave to Suroth. It feels as though Jordan simply ran out of ideas for what to do with her. I suspect her degradation while enslaved by Suroth was intended to provide some sense of satisfaction... Well, that didn’t really work.

The same goes for Galina. The pain and humiliation she suffered at the hands of Therava brought me no satisfaction whatsoever. Perhaps it’s because she didn’t harm any characters I’m particularly fond of... I mean, she did hurt Rand, but the Ajah responsible for that feels more like a collective entity—I don’t direct my anger toward any specific individual within it.

As for the rest of the Black Ajah... honestly, I just didn’t care about them.

Suroth harmed Amathera (whom I didn’t necessarily like, but for whom I felt a great deal of pity), and she was also a representative of an empire built on slavery—so, naturally, I didn’t like her. However, I also didn’t like the fact that she was enslaved as a result of Tuon’s decision.

In general, the enslavement of female antagonists irritates me, but I’ll save that topic for a separate post once I’ve finished the series—just in case Sanderson adds anything further on the matter.

Isendre... Well, she didn’t have an easy time thanks to the Maidens, and the fact that she was beautiful only made me sympathize with her more. I knew she would die early on, but I imagined something different—not being strangled on-screen by one of her own allies. I believe this is the only instance of strangulation—at least on-screen—in the entire series. So, I’ll remember her, even if she was a failure.

Oh, and I almost forgot about Alviarin. For a member of the Black Ajah, she’s actually quite interesting. She fostered growing divisions within the Tower and terrorized Elaida. Granted, she recently lost control over Elaida and ended up getting a sound thrashing, but as far as Black Ajah members go, she’s a rather compelling antagonist.

And then there’s Padan Fain, the Darkfriend. Honestly, I don’t like him. He just feels like a character who is completely detached from the main plot. Every other significant antagonist has a fairly clear goal, but what is Padan Fain’s purpose in the story? He wounded Rand, but it’s obvious he’s never going to be a major "boss" for him. He killed Perrin’s family, but that plot thread has been so thoroughly forgotten that I doubt Sanderson will ever return to it. And that’s a shame, because it could have made for a good revenge story... The thing is, aside from the fact that he’s exceptionally vile—even for a Darkfriend—his continued presence in the plot just doesn’t make sense.

I’ll single out Mili Skane—a.k.a. Lady Shiaine—simply because there’s something about her presence that suggests she’d be "my type" visually. She’s a beautiful and competent assassin for a Darkfriend—even if she did fail to kill two teenagers in a barn back in the first volume.

Now it’s time for the antagonists who aren’t Darkfriends.

Pedron Niall is my favorite antagonist from the era following Lanfear’s disappearance. He’s reasonably intelligent and sufficiently human; his interactions—primarily with Morgase—present him in a balanced light, avoiding any cartoonish villainy. Furthermore, while he does make a few foolish decisions, this can be explained by his advancing age—his mind simply isn’t as sharp as it once was.

Elaida doesn’t have that excuse. I mean, she’s aging too, but for an Aes Sedai, that has less of an impact on one’s mental faculties—and, in any case, she’s likely younger than Pedron Niall. She’s simply detached from reality and serves effectively as a focal point for animosity. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I hate her, but given that she deposed Siuan—and frequently insulted her in her own thoughts—I really dislike her. I’m rooting for her downfall, ideally right in front of Siuan. I just hope Sanderson doesn’t miss the chance for Siuan and Elaida to cross paths again... and if they do, I hope he really delivers on that scene.

As for Couladin... he was incredibly irritating throughout the fourth volume, and in the fifth, he barely functioned as a character at all. I don’t think he even had a single line of dialogue, did he? The only potential I saw in him was as part of a villainous duo with Sevanna—I’m a sucker for dynamics where characters are bound by romance or sex and scheme together. Though, in this case, it would likely be Sevanna doing the scheming, with Couladin’s only job being not to ruin it. Either way, he was more of a plot device than an actual character. I have to grant him one thing: we likely share similar tastes when it comes to women.

Sevanna is one of those characters who had an easier time winning me over—based on her description, she’s visually just my type. Golden haired, wild-natured, and busty. I simply have a soft spot for a certain kind of female character—the type that could be summed up as: "She knows she’s sexy, she’s proud of it, and she’ll use it against men every chance she gets." Granted, she’s a very foolish and unrealistic character, but rather than feeling embarrassed by her, I decided to find the humor in her. After all, why should I take her seriously when her defining trait is "loves showing off her massive breasts to men"? Besides, it doesn’t seem like Jordan took her seriously either. I mean, is there any better way to humiliate a female antagonist than to have her defeated, stripped naked, bound, and slung over a horse like a trophy? She can’t even speak, thanks to a gag. And then there’s the helmet placed on her backside, followed by a spanking... Yeah, Jordan really went all out in humiliating her. She’s bound at the wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles—completely helpless as everyone, including her former slaves, gets to see her in that state.

I must admit, though, that the way Sevanna leveraged her culture to her own advantage—showing no fear of the Wise Ones and even manipulating them into killing one of their own (Desaine?)—was actually quite clever. After all, you don’t have to be "wise" to be cunning. My only regret is that, over time, Jordan dropped Sevanna’s POV. Being inside her detached, surreal mind was interesting; observing her from the outside—through the eyes of Faile or Galina—was much less so. All in all, I actually like her—something probably not many other readers could say.

Therava... Yeah, I can’t stand her. Among individual antagonists, she might be the one I dislike the most. Her primary role was torturing Galina, and later, she became Galina’s "owner" for the rest of their lives—all while managing to escape her own enslavement by the Seanchan. If she doesn’t reappear (and I’m not sure if Sanderson will even bother revisiting the Shaido storyline), my personal headcanon is that she met a violent end, or perhaps, by some twist of fate, she was judged herself and ended up in the same position as Galina.

Masema... Just annoying. I have a strong aversion to fanatical characters, and there wasn’t a single redeeming quality in him. His attitude toward everyone around him, and his sheer duplicity, really got on my nerves.

Eamon Valda... Screw that rapist. I was glad when Galad killed him. That’s all—he doesn’t deserve any more words.

As for Amusawa—I hope his time comes soon. I trust Sanderson hasn’t forgotten about him.

Now, for a character I’m not quite sure how to categorize.

Mazrim Taim. Is he one of the Forsaken? A Darkfriend? I’m not sure yet. He felt a bit too obviously set up to be a future traitor, but I have to admit—he’s a character with a real presence, as the epilogue of Knife of Dreams clearly demonstrated. He simply has that certain something that makes scenes featuring him, as well as his interactions with other characters, always interesting.

As for the collective antagonists—the Seanchan—I absolutely loathe them. It’s a pity that, instead of being destroyed, they have to survive because of the destiny linking Mat to Tuon. What a shame; my boy deserves a better woman. Everything about the Seanchan just feels too sordid, too realistic—interacting with them makes one feel deeply uncomfortable. I kept hoping for their downfall, but all the signs in the plot point to the fact that they won’t fall. It’s frustrating that the Seanchan have to exist, especially since it’s unlikely even Mat will be able to fix them.

My top 5 favorite antagonists at the moment:

1. Lanfear

2. Pedron Niall

3. Sevanna

4. Mazrim Taim

5. Moridin

My top 5 least favorite antagonists at the moment:

1. The Seanchan (as a collective group)

2. Eamon Valda

3. Padan Fain

4. Therava

5. Elaida

Well, that’s it—I hope you enjoy my thoughts! I’d love to see some comments, as it took me a long time to write this.

P.S. I started writing this post before beginning Volume 12, and it turned out much longer than I had anticipated. I’m now after chapter 5. It’s going well so far, though you can definitely feel a difference.

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.

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!)

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 🧍‍♂️

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

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...

I’ve been thinking about this a lot on reread, because early Rand still has a pretty normal reaction to people helping him. He might be suspicious sometimes, but he can still accept kindness as kindness.
Later on that starts to disappear.
By the time he’s surrounded by nobles, Aes Sedai, rulers, Wise Ones, people trying to use him, people trying to protect him by controlling him, and people who genuinely care about him but still have their own idea of what he should be doing, he seems to assume almost every interaction has a second layer.
Someone offers advice and he wonders what they’re trying to steer him toward. Someone gives him something and he starts looking for the obligation attached to it. Someone agrees with him and half the time he seems more suspicious than relieved.
What gets me is the moments when somebody does something for him with no real angle and Rand almost doesn’t know what to do with it.
He’ll spend pages dealing with people who want access to the Dragon Reborn, want his armies, want political favors, want him to fulfill prophecy in exactly the way they think he should, and then somebody treats him like Rand al’Thor for five minutes and it hits completely differently.
It makes the whole “hardening himself” thing feel sadder to me than just watching him become colder.
He isn’t only learning to endure pain. He’s learning to expect a price attached to everything.
And the really brutal part is that this is not paranoia he invented out of nowhere. People ARE constantly manipulating him. Even some of the people who love him keep information from him or try to push him in directions “for his own good.” So becoming suspicious is, to some extent, a rational survival mechanism.
It just costs him the ability to recognize genuine kindness without examining it first.
There are obviously much bigger and more dramatic things that happen to Rand, but this tiny change in how he reacts to people might be one of the things that gets me most.
Early Rand worries about whether he can trust someone.
Later Rand sometimes seems genuinely confused by the idea that there might be nothing to distrust.

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

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.

Decided to share these pictures of Robert Jordan attending Strannik 2000, a Russian science fiction and fantasy convention held in St. Petersburg, since I figured most people probably haven't seen them before!

"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!

Silverbow, AlMeara and Trakand

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?

Now that I’ve finished let’s go favorites:
Favorite character: Mat
Favorite fight: Lan vs Demandred
Favorite quote: tie between my husband rises to tarmon gaidon will he ride alone and T’shar Malkier! Lan mandragoran you bloody wonderful man you did it! T’shar malkier!
Best death: Either Verin or Egwene
Best General besides mat still living: Intuladre
Favorite Couple: Lan and Nynaeve
Favorite Rand love interest: Andievha
Favorite antagonist: Demandred because I love him vs lan
Least favorite character: I don’t hate her but I never saw the point of Faile but also I hate Gawyn
Please tell me what you think or would say instead

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.