Fantasy Wheel of Time Re-Read

[Singin Hobo]

So I'm about to finish a book that I'm on and since it's been an unprecedented 3 months since I've read a WoT book I was thinking of starting Eye of the World up again and finishing the series again within the next year (a little bird told me to expect A Memory of Light at around March-ish next year, so 13 books in that time seems an achievable goal).

This is basically just an invitation to fans of the series or fans of the genre who haven't read it or people who have heard of the series and didn't want to start it until it's finished.

I'll be going through on my Kindle and probably checking out Leigh Butler's re-read notes on Tor.com and making comments from my own highlights, "popular highlights" and whatever else I can find.

[Bandicoot]

I've just got my hands on Eye of the World Audiobook. Though I've got fifteen books I really want to read before AMOL drops. Not including the last 640 pages of Way of Kings and if I can squeeze it in some time soon, The Book Thief - though it looks unlikely, especially if I want to add WoT audio to the year.

[Singin Hobo]

Originally Posted by Bandicoot

I've just got my hands on Eye of the World Audiobook.

I LOVE the audiobooks. Are you using audible? Easily the cheapest way to get the whole series. Just sign up for the 2-credit/month deal and you get them for about $12 each.
If you don't have an account let me know, I've got a link to a free TWO credits for first time users.

Originally Posted by Bandicoot

Not including the last 640 pages of Way of Kings.

Nice... only two regular sized books to go.

[Bandicoot]

A friend of mine sorted me out EotW (After telling him to read it). I don't ask where/how he got it, He doesn't tell. lol. I know that he's nearly finished and about to get TGH. He was a bit weirded out when the narration switches to a female character - I had to explain that the series is done as VP's. I'm only one chapter one though (lol), so I will update as and when.

[Singin Hobo]

The two narrators is a bit strange in the first book as there is only one female viewpoint and it's pretty far into the book, so it does stand pretty out of place. I remember thinking the same thing, but since the rest of the series is split pretty evenly it actually works out really well.

[The Eye in the Sky!]

I actually just started reading the Wheel of Time series over Christmas and am currently on The Dragon Reborn. I think the thing that finally pushed me over the edge was Blind Guardian's song "Wheel of Time."

I'd never quite looked into the subject of the books until then. I've never found books as addicting. It took a while for me to finish Eye of the World mostly because it seemed like it dragged at times in Emond's Field and between Whitebridge and Caemlyn.

I found the Great Hunt to be a perfect pacing, though. I think I finished that one in two weeks. I couldn't put it down once they started for Toman Head.

[Bandicoot]

I'm 25 chapters in, and there's some really good forshadowing I've picked up on, and subtle things. Mins viewings were quite intresting to hear again.

 Like mat getting a really good look at the tower of genji, for example 

[Singin Hobo]

Okay, I'm three books in and I've got several interesting highlights to share... I'll get to that in a few days. I just wanted to share this beer commercial:



The "Book of Smooth" indeed

[Bandicoot]

I've had to switch back to paper, for reasons I wont bore you with, therefore I'm a bit behind, third of the way through dragon reborn. Very interesting stuff to do with the Black Ajah storyline. This is a spoiler to The Gathering Storm. If you haven't read The Gathering Storm, don't check the spoiler.

 Sheriam is obviously up to no good. I never realised it before, but she killed the Gray Man that shot at Egwayne and Nynaeve in the White Tower, and she's a bit funny about it. She tells the girls after they speak to Elayne that excactly seven people now know of the incident, but that doesn't account for whoever killed the would-be assassin. And Verin.... does she become Black during that narative, or does that happen before TEotW, because she just gave the girls a dossier of Laindrin and the other Black sisters that fled the tower, which could be seen as betraying the Black Ajah which obviously cannot happen until the last hour of a sisters life. Hmm. 

[Northern Lights]

I might pick this up. I need something to read and GW seems to love WoT.

[Singin Hobo]

I highly recommend it (obviously). It would be easy to promise you more than it can deliver, and I know people on the Internet who dislike it for one reason or another, but every real life friend I've given it to (5 or 6) have loved it.

Also if you do enjoy it, it solves the "I need something to read" problem for the next 3 months-2 years (depending on your reading speed)

Originally Posted by Bandicoot

I've had to switch back to paper, for reasons I wont bore you with, therefore I'm a bit behind, third of the way through dragon reborn. Very interesting stuff to do with the Black Ajah storyline. This is a spoiler to The Gathering Storm. If you haven't read The Gathering Storm, don't check the spoiler.

 
The Gathering Storm Spoilers
Sheriam is obviously up to no good. I never realised it before, but she killed the Gray Man that shot at Egwayne and Nynaeve in the White Tower, and she's a bit funny about it. She tells the girls after they speak to Elayne that excactly seven people now know of the incident, but that doesn't account for whoever killed the would-be assassin. And Verin.... does she become Black during that narative, or does that happen before TEotW, because she just gave the girls a dossier of Laindrin and the other Black sisters that fled the tower, which could be seen as betraying the Black Ajah which obviously cannot happen until the last hour of a sisters life. Hmm. [/quote]
 In the jumble of names throughout the series I didn't really realize that Sheriam was a black for a looooong time. My mind somehow missed her meeting with... somebody (I don't know if it was Masaana or Shaidar Haran or who, but there's a point where she's confronted by a boss.)
Verin was a shock, I was impressed when talking to Brandon Sanderson that, after reading the ending the first thing he did was jump to Verin's file. I guess I just never got that... Robert Jordan was always so good at spreading out suspicious behavior that could all be mis-interpreted by the view-point character so you never knew who to really suspect, but now that you know that Verin is a double-double agent her character is full of such spectacular depth that she's one of my favorite characters during this re-read.
As for whether or not she betrayed the black ajah I think it's fair to say that by refusing to cooperate she would have betrayed herself. The black was already revealed and they already knew their identities... the information was there for the taking and it would have been too easy to trace and mis-direction. I'm thinking that however the oaths have been interpreted they allow for a lot of leeway. Verin says in TGS that they can betray one-another, and the fact is there's just not a lot left to the 13 who left that Verin could betray about the Black Ajah. 
That's my take anyway... now, on to a few things I picked up in Eye of the World most of it isn't as ominous as in other books, just some of it interested me when I read it...

“Fain was always one to carry bad news quickly, and the worse, the faster. There’s more raven in him than man.” -Thom

And the other one—a red eagle, an eye on a balance scale, a dagger with a ruby, a horn, and a laughing face. -Min

You certainly are not a Trolloc, for me to feel the evil of the Dark One. So what did I sense, Nynaeve al’Meara, Wisdom of Emond’s Field and unknowing wielder of the One Power?” -Moiraine

I just love the taunting, satisfied tone. A rare glimpse of actual personality from Moiraine in this early book.

“A metal tower?” Rand said, and Mat, sitting cross-legged with his back against a barrel, roused from his brooding to listen.
The captain nodded. “Aye. Shining steel, by the look and feel of it, but no a spot of rust. Two hundred feet high, it be, as big around as a house, with no a mark on it and never an opening to be found.”
“I’ll bet there’s treasure inside,” Mat said. He stood up and stared toward the far tower as the river carried the Spray beyond it. “A thing like that must have been made to protect something valuable.”

Luc dead in the Blight before he was ever anointed First Prince of the Sword, and Tigraine vanished—run off or dead—when it came time for her to take the throne. Still troubling us, that.

Luc & Isam have been particularly fascinating to me during this read. I love that such a near insignificant backstory exists in this series that has so much history and depth. Makes me with RJ were still alive to write a short story with all of the details.

“This I Foretell,” Elaida replied, “and swear under the Light that I can say no clearer. From this day Andor marches toward pain and division. The Shadow has yet to darken to its blackest, and I cannot see if the Light will come after. Where the world has wept one tear, it will weep thousands. This I Foretell.” A pall of silence clung to the room, broken only by Morgase expelling her breath as if it were her last. Elaida continued to stare into Rand’s eyes. She spoke again, barely moving her lips, so softly that he could barely hear her less than an arm’s length away. “This, too, I Foretell. Pain and division come to the whole world, and this man stands at the heart of it. I obey the Queen,” she whispered, “and speak it clearly.”

Elaida, you used to be so cool... what happened to us baby?

“Min? She saw something about Thom?”
“She saw a great deal,” Moiraine said wryly.

And my last highlight from EoTW...

“Oh, I won’t ever touch it again. Not if I have to cut my hand off, first.” -Rand

Oh you.

I don't know if there is something wrong with the 'popular highlights' Kindle feature for this book or there weren't any popular highlights (seems unlikely) but there's nothing to share on that front in EotW. Any other favored quotes?

[Bandicoot]

I listened to book one in march so I don't remember much in the way of quotes. I think I mentioned the Tower of Genji in an earlier post in this thread (ha - Gamewinners is made of many threads [/geek]). Elaida was never cool. I like sophistication in my antagonists, not bullying. The Luc and Isam story is something I totally missed. Twice. It is a pretty buried story though. I get it now, as I'm constantly refering to the WOT wiki on this read for added clarity. I knew about Luc, and his significance in Perrin's arc, but after Towers, I wanted to learn more. Never realised he and Galad share a significant relative. and Isam - well....

What's the laughing face in Min's quote? I get the rest (and love that the "half the light of the world" was foreshaddowed from book 1) And I love Moiraine's Wryness that you quoted.

There, phew. I'll comment on things as I spot them - I've just had a massively significant Egwayne chapter. A Steadfast chapter, if you will.
(anything that any mods thinks should be spoiler tagged, feel free to edit as required - Been careful but you never know...)

[Singin Hobo]

Originally Posted by Bandicoot

Never realised he and Galad share a significant relative.

Luc & Galad?!? Come on... you know who Tigraine is, right? If not you will certainly pick it up during this re-read.

[Bandicoot]

Originally Posted by Singin Hobo

Luc & Galad?!? Come on... you know who Tigraine is, right? If not you will certainly pick it up during this re-read.

 I'm more getting at their shared relative: Namely that they are both family to Rand 

[Singin Hobo]

Oooohhhh. I thought based on my quote that you were referring to Tigraine... the relation, not the character, being the 'significant' part. I thought you had missed the most important part.