The Wheel of Time

I can't stand Egwene, always jumping to conclusions, "the big explosion must be the some super weapon of the dark one!".. no you dimwit, it was Rand. How come noone actually told Egwene about that anyway? I mean, Nynaeve was there, and they see each other in the dream world all the time.

Certain aspects, like lack of communication, annoys me. They have teleport and the dream world to keep each other updated, yet they hardly ever do. Information is vital in a war! Then again, this is not unique to WOT - it all started with Lord of the Rings, and Mr. Gan D. Alf using a fragment of his power instead of simply completing the book in about 30 seconds by flying Frodo into Mt. Doom on one of those big birds straight from the Shire. The hardcore fans would definetly try to come up with some reason like "maybe the birds wouldn't take the risk" or "maybe Gandalf felt this was something Frodo had to do on his own" and so on, but the fact is, when the entire world is at stake you are willing to give a try at least.

I should probably stop reading for some time, I get too easily annoyd by such facts.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
7,583
Location
Bergen
I had read from his blog that he planned only 6 books. Either way I don't know what he was thinking when RJ admitted that. Write now he's so sick he hardly even writes his own blog.

New Spring is so far the only prequel based on on one of his short stories. The other two shorts stories was LTT encounter with Ishmael and and that Raven thingy one. Recently Torr books split the first one into two novels.

The misinformation that goes on with Daes Damar is one of the things I really like. They always seem to be second guessing each other and getting it wrong. Plans within Plans to quote Dune. If they were more direct and didn't jostle with each for position so much things wouldn't get so complicated or even dangerous.

Eg has turned into one of the few bright spots in the story. And where she, Nynaeve and Morgain seem cookie cutter in the first book as a character she's become toned down.

Really RJ has only two types of female characters Faile and Min on one side and then all the rest. Pretty annoying. Rand, Mat, Perrin, Thom, Rahvin, Taim, Padan Fain, etc. are not characters that could be mistaken for each other
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
Messages
5,212
Location
The Uncanny Valley
Actually, I believe it is widely known that in the very start of the series, Bobby had planned 3 books only, which grew to six, then 12, then 12 + 3 prequels, to the current situation of 12 main, 1 prequel, 2 more planned but on hiatus now and at least one after-quel Out of several possibly. Which is ridiculous by any means, unless he outsources writing to those to someone (and hopefully not Hariet). Not the mention the entirely new series he is planning, that he has planned at this stage at 6 books. If things turn out the WoT way, they will probably end up being at least 24, that is if Bobby ever finishes writing WoT books. It is clear that either he sold his soul out to the devil for an eternity in his personal hell of writing WoT books, or Hariet did :)

Maylander, I also can't stand Egwene. However, as noted, she is an acceptable female character, compared to others, and way better than most most male characters. The biggest irritating thing about her is her ridiculous affair with I forgot his name, but he was Elayne's brother. Also, while she is a major character in her own storyline, the other cast of it is what makes it still interesting. And it is rather not a straighforward plot, but a combination of half a dozen, including "The Who is Messaana in the Tower exactly" (my bet it she is Sylviana, Elaida's Mistress of Novices). Not to mention that Alviarin is one of the better Darkfriends in the series that has actually done meaningful stuff. And all of the subplots tie together smoothly, unlike in the other storylines (KoD minor spoiler for example, Elayne rooting out the last of Liandrin's 13 and unmasking the killer of Adeleas and Ispan, end of spoiler). In a way, I can justify that we have not a resolution of the whole thing, unlike the Mat and Tuon, Perring and Faile, and Elayne's Andoran Succession which seem to go on like forever when at most these 3 combined should have occupied no more than half a book instead of 5 tomes.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
394
I couldnt make it past book 4. I loved the writing and the characters but I got so frustrated with the lack of forward progress I dropped the series. How do you guys get through these books? Don't they drive you totally insane?
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
3,593
Location
Boston MA
Mat is about the only character I still like. I enjoy the books a good bit, even with the lack of activity, but the character flaws of most of the cast have been emphasized to the point where they don't garner much sympathy anymore.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
13,535
Location
Illinois, USA
My favourite character is Lan, hands down. He softened up a bit when falling in love with Nynaeve, but not enough to make any real difference. I would really like to read more about his current travels in the Borderlands..
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
7,583
Location
Bergen
book 5 is worth reading. Stop then. Most people I know that stopped reading did at book 7. Probably the worst until he wrote 10. Books 2 and 3 are really focus but but Book 1 is the a terrible and long introduction.

Book6 turns out to be the most complicated of all the books. It has the most levels. But it reminds me of God Emperor of Dune. Its super deep but its not fun to read. In the end he rushed it to a nonsensical finish that doesn't look like one he was planning at all. Deadlines stopped him and forced it to the publisher and it looks like he decided to keep a character rather than kill her off. That was my impression.

Gawan. This forced love affair between him and Egwene is completely contrived and not very believable. It reads like a bad comic book.

However, the two things I like about him is how he's behind the revolt of the Younglings against the warders and the fact that he's the only one of the "good guys" that despises Rand and puts the blame squarely on him. His brother Galad is very interesting. The man nearly had his own half-brother(Rand) killed.

What gets me through it at this point is waiting for it to end. And as far as fantasy writing that is.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
Messages
5,212
Location
The Uncanny Valley
Gawyn, who acts the idiot more than his beloved Egwene? Rising up agains Suan, but then helping her escape? Or following "Rumours are always true" rule? I'd like to see him dead and suffering by the end of the series.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
394
Yep, I respect Galad, but Gawyn is a complete twat who thinks he's "all that". I'd love to see him take on Lan..
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
7,583
Location
Bergen
... Rising up agains Suan, but then helping her escape?...

Right exactly. That made absolutely no sense. The only thing I can think of his motivation was he was smitten by Min or maybe felt guilty or thinks Elaida is not all that. Elaida did try to have him killed but that was much later. Or was that Alviaran. Bloody books are so long you can't keep track.

As for Galad it makes no sense that suddenly he would be for the Tower as well as the rest of his WC's. Personally, I think just being Rand's brother a bit of ta'veran has rubbed off on him. Jim Rigney (aka RJ) has mentioned there are other ta'varen but the Guide only says other than Artur Hawkwing is Mabriam en Shereed, the Aes Sedai who founded the White Tower.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
Messages
5,212
Location
The Uncanny Valley
Back
Top Bottom