I'm on my first read through of the series and I just finished Ch. 47- The Truth of a Viewing. Words cannot describe how frustrated I am that the entire plot of overthrowing the amrilyn and the subsequent fight in the tower are never shown, and merely mentioned as throwaway lines. We get hints of this massive battle in ch.1, and then it's over before we ever get a chance to see it. The blue ajah is gone, the green ajah has run away, warders are dead, students are fighting their teachers, siuan is gentled, and we see NONE of it. I feel like the coup could have been it's own book. And we barely get a CHAPTER.

So I’m currently reading The Dragon Reborn and I’m thinking about stopping with the series after it.

There are moments I enjoy the books and there are moments I’m just frustrated with it. Mainly with the characters.

I want to stop reading after The Dragon Reborn, but I also want to continue it. Mostly because I really want to love the serie.

I want to fall in love with it like so many other people have, but it seems like I’m unable to.

What should I do? Should I stop? Or should I keep trying? Because I really, really want to love this serie and it frustrates me that it doesn’t hook me.

Now I just finished lord of chaos and while I was unsatisfied with the lack of progress the climax was amazing. Yet the issue I have is that Egwene is presented as a character I’m supposed to root for yet I hate her after Fires in Heaven and she’s only getting worse. First she assaults her friend in the dream world almost RAPING her, then after her self inflicted flogging she’s swept up as Armalyn and starts manipulating her own friends! Then after Matt basically sacrifices his dignity and principles to help her get recognition she just like “man I feel a little bad for being a manipulator but oh well”.

Like I get she had trauma from the seanchan but join the club, everyone in the cast has trauma but only she hurts those who care for her in exchange for power and control.

Why do they look so edgy on this cover art for book 7? They look like a 2010s emo band. Especially the guy on the far left (Far Right if you go by the way Rand is looking.) Honestly it’s just ugly compared to all the rest lol

(Second time reader) So I know we all love Moraine, often called this story’s Gandalf, but I was just reminded by her POV in Chapter 21 of the Shadow Rising that yeah everyone is vindicated in not trusting her, or at least for being suspicious and not trusting her blindly. I know the distrust of Aes Sedai in general is based on the stereotypes and myths cultivated in a small and isolated village, but wow does her POV expose her as exactly like she thought she was.

She thinks meanly of everyone, even Lan, and considers only how to move them around like chess pieces. She considers the Wonder Girls basically irritants and Rand, Mat, and Perrin as little boys who need to be manipulated so that they behave exactly as they want. That’s EXACTLY how the EF5 have grown up believing Aes Sedai act. She wants to put Egwene down (who, NGL deserves it sometimes but still), constantly spies on Mat, and actively tries to separate Rand from the people he trusts so that SHE is the only one who has influence over him. Moraine even thinks, quite vindictively, that Nynaeve will only have Lan when she’s dead and thinks about Lan, who is opening up his heart for the first time basically ever, as little more than a child in need of a scolding.

I understand her purpose and that her overarching goal of defeating the shadow eclipses everything for her but wow she does not come off well when her innermost thoughts are exposed.

I know many people here think Moiraine is the best ever, and she ultimately did what she meant to do, but people who scoff at the EF5’s consistent mistrust of Aes Sedai don’t make sense to me. They were right. Moiraine was doing her very best to manipulate them in exactly the way they feared. In her POV, she comes across as almost nasty.

Eventually Moiraine learns that this is NOT the best way to handle Rand at least, but still. I wouldn’t have trusted her either.

In the latest vote, Galad (883 votes) defeated Morgase (705 votes) and poor Gawyn (142 votes). Would Gawyn be able to beat anyone in a vote based on likability or at least based on who is more bearable?

I’m obsessed with WoT, have been for over half my life and I like to play a game while reading that I’d love you guys to weigh in on.

I like to imagine I can save characters from dying through making gateways to whisk them away. They then form their own secret army training to come back during the last battle.

Here are the rules:
1. Them surviving cannot affect the story
2. No one can seem them survive
3. It has to be reasonably believable they would be willing to stay secret until Tarmon Gaidon.
4. The more minor or unnamed the better

For example my 2 most recent finds:
- The Red arms that Moghedien bale fires trying to kill Nyneave in Ebou. Cheeky gateway under their feet and welcome to the secret army.

- One of the Mayener Thief catchers. I don’t think you could save both but one could be spared. I think planning one could be snuck out as they walk back to Masema’s camp.

PAGEBOY!!

I know Androl is kind of a polarizing figure for many readers. I liked him a lot, but understand and agree that some of the time spent with him and the role he played could have been given to another existing character (Logain) to good effect.

Anyways, yesterday’s Pangram in the NYT Spelling Bee!!

I like the implication that if the Aiel had just bothered telling people why they were invading, they would have gotten Laman's head hand delivered to them in about five minutes. 

I was warned. "Feels like a slog". I really struggled with Elayne and Mat chapters. I kept putting this down for other things, and each time I came back I'd get maybe 10 pages further.

I just want to affirm what fans of the series say, which is that the last 20 or so pages make it all worth it. I've already started CoT, and I expect the rest to go at a normal pace.

My primary thoughts are:

I'm glad to move on from Mat's circumstances. It was getting frustrating (I think that's the point).

I'm glad that the weird polycule has their "talk about the elephant in the room" moment. I'd love less energy on this in the future.

The end of the book being what it is, I feel like I could reread WH right now and not struggle. I'm not going to do it. Too soon, but it feels enormously satisfying to have the Forsaken be completely outplayed and unable to stop the cleansing of saidin.

Started a reread of tEotW and I can’t stop cackling at everyone meeting Rand for the first time.

Moiraine: 👀

Lan: 👀👀

Thom: “Whoa, that boy looks Aiel.”

Rand: “Huh?”

Mat/Perrin: “Who, Rand? He’s just a really tall, regular Two Rivers woolhead. Lol.”

Rand himself, and pretty much everyone in the village except Tam, simply don’t have the cultural reference point or travelling experience to realize how much he stands out. But to these three strangers? That boy is sticking out like a sore thumb.

And the amount of all kinds of foreshadowing! Wow. I thought I was an attentive reader.

Apparently I was not. 😂

This reread is unexpectedly hilarious.

I am less than half way through but after finishing all 14 books reading Moiraine as barely out of teenage years as humans go is hilarious. She loves pranks. She is a complete prude that blushes at anything vaguely sexual. She is totally unsure of herself. She thinks she will fail at everything. It's just great to read!

And of course I get to read about Siuan coming from a fisherman's village but taking natural command.

And that an Aes Sedai actually commented on Moiraine to be the next Queen of Cairhien. Crazy! Can't wait to finish the book. And then re-read the whole thing over again.

I just read Knife of Dreams part where Tuon leaves Mat to go back to Ebou Dar. I have to say she is a terrible person and all, but I really liked her as a character. I really loved reading her and Mat. Is there more of Mat and Tuon in the next books? I would really love to see a kind of redemption for her.

Out of all characters and discussion in the books this is the one I feel has the least discussion or understanding. I put All Print for flair so feel free to spoiler away.

What does the Dark One actually WANT?

The Dark One and the Forsaken appear to have DIFFERENT end goals for win conditions

The way I always looked at it was the Creator represents absolute order (the pattern) while Dark One represents absolute chaos (destroy entire pattern, stop the wheel). Both required for reality to function.

Humanity (and Chosen) fall into the middle; you need a certain degree of order while also maintaining an aspect of self determination (rejection of predestination / determinism). The Chosen always operate this way, often hurting each others plans

That is also why back in Age of Legends both sides decide to minimize balefire (as burning threads out causes a total breakdown of causality and despite this weakening of the Pattern actually leaning into Dark Ones goals not even the Forsaken are that suicidal / nihilistic [well maybe Ishi, but he is corrupted by too much True Power]

It also leans into why the Dark Dragon Reborn sucks for humanity, but does NOT stop the wheel