All Comments

You have some good predictions. At least two of those happen.

Your reading of the prologue is a bit off though.

I'm not sure if I should tell you what the majorly wrong part is.

Minorly, the Whitecloaks' center of power is Amadicia, where they rule in all but name. Tarabon, on the west coast, is just where Bors' current assignment from the Children happens to be, which fits in nicely with the Dark One's orders.

Two of them? I can't count any being entirely true, while two are partly true (as written here).

That aside, I didn't particularly like this prologue. Moreso the first time I read it.

Let's see, new characters... Umm... I can think of around five by name, but I know I'm forgetting a few of the Aes Sedai.

That's this book though, not just the next few chapters.

Yeah, I didn't like the beginning of this book either, on top of not liking the prologue. It gets better when people start leaving the city.

I thought the beginning was kinda long too, but the whole time I could just feel death waiting around the corner...probably because I noticed Fain was affecting the guards...it wasn't so much an "ugh, filler" reaction as "look I know something bad's going to happen don't keep me in suspense".

• The Green Ajah is the "battle ajah", and consider themselves the front line against the Dark One's forces. They are also the only ones to take multiple warders.
• The Blue are a worldly sort, and have an interest in being a part of important events.
• The Red are, as you know, anti-saidin... and often men in general. They don't take warders, and make it their business to "gentle" as many male channelers as they can.
• The Yellow are healers. Not much more to it than that, really.
• The Brown are historians, and consider looking into the past to be the best way to know what to do in the present and future.
• The White are politicians. Like Blues in that they're reasonably active in the world, but specifically regarding politics. When a leader has an Aes Sedai advisor like Elaida was for Morgase, it will typically be a White. *
  ...I may be misremembering this one. I don't have the books on-hand, and my mind keeps telling me that this is wrong, and that they're more like the Browns than the Blues. No matter.
• The Grey are peacekeepers and arbiters. Conflict resolution is their primary goal whenever possible.

And as has hopefully been mentioned already, the Aemerlyn Seat (...I can never spell that word right the first time. Even what I just wrote then, copied from your liveblog, looks wrong. >_<) is of "all Ajahs and none". This means that while she may have been raised from a specific Ajah, once she holds her new title she is no longer of that Ajah, and is expected to represent each of the seven equally. (This of course only really works in theory, as she will still mostly have the mindset she had before gaining the title.

I'd also explain about Novices and Accepted, but I know for certain that that's covered significantly during this book and the next anyway, so there's little point. The Ajah stuff is a bit more spread out however, hence why I wrote it.

The White's hat is actually logic and reasoning, hence why they're often use as advisors.

Ah, I knew I'd gotten it wrong. Thanks for the correction.

Ah! I just realized a great way to mark spoilers in liveblogs: Put it in a hottip which is noted as containing spoilers. Problem averted!

Chapters like this, where the viewpoints are so departed from eachother, are going to be rather common from here on in. Moreso during the middle books, but even at the point the series is now (book 13 I mean, not book 2), there are still around 15 viewpoint characters.

Interesting though about what they've mentioned about the Ajahs so far, no? Particularly regarding how much or how little has been mentioned for each of them.

Hmm. I don't recall whether it happens in book 3 (although I don't think so), but I'm almost certain it doesn't happen right near the start of any other book. Indeed, I think this is the last Trolloc attack which causes the good characters involved to leave wherever they are for reasons other than what they had originally intended. (Although, of course, the start of the last book may be different; the specifics of that are unknown.)

Verin's fun. Her motives are a bit more obscure than Moiraine's; I wasn't sure if I should trust her.

The Watchers are a group in the area near Tarabon (hmm) who await the return of Hawkwing's armies someday. I don't think they themselves are descended from him or that expedition though.

I was kind of amused by picturing Lan trying to instruct Rand how to look and act like a lord rather than a farmer in a few short minutes.

I'm sure I didn't notice any of the lengthy clothing descriptions until the internet pointed it out. It's unfortunate that's already happened to you. :(

I didn't really notice many lengthy clothing descriptions either, the first time, but I did notice a few. Most notably about fancy clothes worn by people who don't think they should be wearing them, and a few of the times women tug on their clothes... or their hair.

But yeah. Verin. While she has little focus in the middle books, her presence in the early & late books more than makes up for it.

Verin is pretty much the most awesome character in the books. I'm serious.

Bar Mat. Mat still beats out Verin.

Loial's still around, no worries.

See many things I want to say, but so many ways it could be considered spoilery to do so.

Ah, Hurin. I was waiting for him. He's not terribly interesting (apart from that ability of his), but somehow I still found him memorable.

And now you know why Doman thought the Trollocs in the first book were actually after him.

I still can't decide if Galldrien really wrote that note or not. Probably a forgery, but he's pretty ruthless and there's no evidence one way or the other if he's a Darkfriend.

Unfortunately, that whole Aiel thing will be going on for a while longer yet. It won't be until spoiler

Book 4

that we get the true final nail in the coffin.

But yeah. That thing with the dead Myrdraal (which, don't worry, I can't spell it either. It's the name my mind gives them however, as it's the name used throughout most of the books)? Just gets better and better.

I thought Ingtar's speech gave some interesting insight into his character, especially when I looked back at the map after reading it and noticed for the first time how many countries' borders don't connect.

Mat has a point, although we won't see less-than-fully-sane channelers for a long time.

The stone? Next chapter.

There will be, IIRC, six Forsaken in the next book. Although I don't think all of them are revealed as such yet.

Yeah, your predictions have certainly been interesting to we who know how it actually happens.

But yeah. Mat's awesomeness doesn't really kick in until he's freed from the dagger. Until then: Scrappy! (Well, except for one scene around when the dagger is retrieved, for an unrelated reason. But that's average levels of awesome, not Mat levels of awesome. It also has more to do with characters other than Mat, even though Mat is the trigger.)

Six, montagohalcyon? Hrm. I can't seem to think of who they all are. :/

Well, I might be wrong. For one thing I'm not sure if Lanfear shows up or not.

But if I am remembering properly: Ishamael, Be'lal, Sammael, Rahvin...huh. Gosh dang it, I have no idea who I meant to be the last one. So four, maybe five.

Rahvin shows up? Huh. Didn't remember that.

Lanfear on the other hand does show up, I think. Near the end.

I don't remember anything in this chapter, so no comment on the dream for now.

Wilders often have some sort of mental block they have to overcome before they can channel properly. Nynaeve struggles with hers for quite a while; it's not Lan.

Also they tend to be looked down on by a lot of the snootier Aes Sedai. So it was gloriously satisfying for me when Nynaeve REDACTED FOR SPOILERS later.

I love the bit when REDACTED happens.

(...Dunno which REDACTED you're talking about, but I'm going to assume it's one of the awesome moments.*

Don't worry about saying which bit, though

:P)

Fans tend to call the continent detailed in the maps "Randland"; the world as a whole doesn't appear to have a name. At least not one I know, people in the first blog mentioned a guide I haven't read.

The parallel universe thing really only comes into play in this book, oddly (although you could say tel'aran'rhiod is similar). There is a scene much later in the book that uses it to great effect though, it's one of my favorite parts.

Here, it's not so important other than a bit of foreshadowing, splitting up the party, and introducing a character. Who I'm wondering what you'll make of.

:/

To me, it's just "the world of the Wheel of Time series".

At least The Ways and Tel'aran'rhiod get names though. :/

There's a bit more to that alternate world than has been revealed so far. Part of it will be explained before they leave, while the other you'll only really understand later.

I might as well confirm that since I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be obvious to the reader and you guessed it. Just so you aren't expecting it to be The Reveal and get annoyed that it's dragged out.

Anyway, due to Rand being the reincarnation of the Dragon and Lanfear's previous relationship to Lews Therin, she's along to help him survive and push him toward his destiny (ruling beside her, of course). Note how she hinted that he should channel to kill the second, suspiciously-quickly-appearing grolm pack.

So Rand has a Forsaken as a sort-of ally. Speaking of which, most of the Forsaken scheme against each other as much as the heroes. After all, they come from a technologically and magically advanced age, no one's a match for them here except each other, right?

It is a Reveal of sorts, but I don't think it was meant to be particularly unobvious. At the very least Rand remains unaware until he's told otherwise, if I remember correctly.

Oh whoops, I thought this stuff happened in the last chapter. Need to catch up in my own reading. But it looks like you didn't read comments anyway.

Just be glad that right now there are only three major viewpoint characters (Rand, Nyneave & Perrin), two of whom are in similar places; later there will be more.

Oh, and yes, Tar Valon is indeed situated upon the island formed when Lews Therin created Dragonmount.

After all the work they do I always found it vaguely amusing that the Horn never got to Illian...

And I always wonder why the Horn was meant to go to Illian in the first place.

...Although while typing out that comment a possible answer just came to me. Maybe the heroes called by the Horn are needed for diplomacy, not war...

You'll find out what's up with that in oh... Three books I think? It's actually a pretty major plot element for a couple of books.

There's a fight involving it near the end of book four.

I'm pretty sure everyone met in this chapter is unimportant outside this book, don't worry about their names.

...You mention Doman relatively frequently, but I keep having no memory of who he is. Coincidentally however, I remembered just now who he is... and that I recognize him better for his first name, which is more unique.

I always figured Nynaeve and Lan's romance slowly developed during the long chunks of time we don't see them in the first book. It was a little unbelievable it would have gotten as far as it did when Rand overheard them in the Blight, but after that I just accepted it.

Once I did I actually thought it added some motivation to Nynaeve; she doesn't just distrust Moiraine for taking Rand/Perrin/Mat away, she sees her as The Rival because Lan is her Warder.

Heh, given what we learned later on the events of this chapter makes much more sense. It's one of those nice little things Jordan seems to have actually planned.

Arilou, I don't understand; can you put in a hottip what you're referring to?

To avoid spoilering Eegah, of course.

Hottip?

[[hottip:*:One of these things]]=*

One of these things

[[hottip: I'malking about how one of the sisters is Black Ajah]]

No no. All three parts of the hottip are important. The first must say hottip, the second is the bit which is displayed, and the third is the bit which is hidden. I'll see if I can PM you this info in case you miss me writing this here.

Else is pretty much there for...no reason at all other than not wanting to add more insignificant named characters.

Everyone reacts to Galad that way.

I find it absolutely hilarious how much attention Rand manages to get by not actually being a noble or interested in local politics. Obviously this means he is being extremely devious.

Yeah, Cairhien is pretty important.

The oily sensation isn't something Selene is doing: It's just the Dark One's taint on the male half of the One Power.

Unlike the grolm I don't think this conveniently happened because of Selene. More likely she showed up to protect Rand if he couldn't get out on his own.

One of the named Illuminators meets up briefly with Mat in the next book, and again several installments down the road.

Your predictions are what makes this blog interesting (as well as your "tropespotting"), so... What do you predict from the setups so far, for this book and whole series?

Rand is going to Rhuidean, but not until near the end of the series. It'll be in opposition to the other prophecy about him, as that will be revealed to be the work of the Red Ajah, who want to completely wipe out male channelers.

Interesting theories. Btw, these predictions interest me because its pedagogigally effective way of reading (I'm a teacher).

Gah. There's something I would have told you about Rhuidean had you not just given that prediction.

If Morena was real, which I will not confirm or deny because speculation is fun, why do you think she's a Seanchan?

Your last sentence: Yes.

Who is Morena?

She's the woman who had taken over Emond's Field during Nynaeve's maybe-real trip there during her test to become Accepted.

Her actions just sync up so well with what we see of the Seanchan here; walking into a town and declaring she's running things now, and more or less letting people keep on living like they have been, but constantly in fear of her.

Honestly, the only Seanchan scenes I particularly liked were ones where the damane were up against Aes Sedai for whatever reason, and the ones involving a certain character who has yet to arrive.

Oh, and anything involving Mat, but that's a given.

Just posting to make sure you know that I at least am still reading. Maybe it was paranoid of me, but when I didn't get any replies to my liveblog (back when I was still doing it), I'd sometimes think that people (namely neobowman, who was the only person other than myself to read all of it) had stopped reading it. This went for three weeks before he'd remembered.

I too am still reading (and get the same paranoia.)

Honestly, I never liked Cairhien.

I think the fact that Dena had so much potential was why she was gotten rid of. More impactful that way.

By the next book somebody has assassinated the king and plunged Cairhien into open civil war. Wonder who.

Sadly and in a completely unrelated note, whatever Thom does in his Roaring Rampage Of Revenge remains offscreen, as he is not seen again between now and meeting up with Mat. Biggest Missed Moment Of Awesome in the whole series right there.

^ Wow, that long without seeing Thom? Didn't even realize.

Heh, wait until you meet the Seanchan Ogier. (although that's a few books until then)

Thanks for the spoiler.

Nope. They're just there to make you wonder. I thought perhaps one of the Aiel was a future character, but I checked those two chapters and don't see any named.

The next chapter with the Portal Stone is one of my favorite in the whole book.

Huh. And here I was thinking that more had happened in the White Tower by this point since the girls last had the spotlight. :/

You'll understand the importance of this chapter later in this book.

Nice call on Liandrin. I didn't get that right away, although really I should have, possibly even from the early chapters when she intimidates Amalisa.

And the road trip is going to be real short, btw.

From my view, Rand's side of the plot doesn't get interesting until around book 5, while the girls start being interesting much earlier. Other sides have their own points too, with the latest (of the characters you know) being - I emphasize that this is my opinion only - Perrin, in the most recent book.

The next book is the one in which Rand basically disappears and we see a lot more from other characters' perspective.

Everything related to Perrin is definitely my favorite part of Towers of Midnight (aside from Ituralde...and Egwene but that kind of ties in with Perrin), which really surprised me since I was looking forward to Mat rescuing SPOILERS.

Rand was pretty awesome in the most recent book too. Not much pagetime though.

And then everybody collides dramatically and dies. The other 11 books are actually blank. Feel free to read the prologue though.

I think that previous chapter is kind of dull intentionally so this one has more of an impact.

I got the impression that was actually one of the villages burned by the Questioners. Which is a thing. IDK what to say about it. Demonstrating that chaos is everywhere and no one knows what's going on I guess.

To me, a sign of quality writing is that by any given point in a series after the first installment (whether an episode, book, etc.), you can't tell how much was planned from the start and how was the author making shit up as he went along.

He narrows his possibilities to make story with prophecies, views and dreams though, so main storyline should have been already planned. I'm wondering how many of those wont be used.

Ah, but not all of the prophecies were listed in the first book (including Min's viewings), nor even in the first five books. Indeed, due to Min's viewings, the prophecies get introduced regularly for quite a while.

That reminds me, the inn Domon stopped at in Ilian shows up in the next book but nothing that happens there is related.

Yeah, Whitecloaks are odd like that. Indeed, I could count the number who aren't on one hand.

...and four will come back. (or something like that) It's from the dark prophecy left in Fain's cell, I believe.

This is the part where you should be wondering who it will be but I completely missed out on the suspense because I forgot about the second bit.

This isn't Rand's climax yet, no sir.

So, I think you missed the important bit with the collars—it's not that they work on anyone, it's that sul'dam like Seta can actually channel, or at least learn to, and apparently nobody figured that out before.

Which means some of the most powerful members of Seanchan society outside the nobility are the same kind of people the Seanchan believe should be slaves.

This could have pretty big repercussions if word got out.

And thus you now know exactly what being a Blademaster means... although Rand's technique will still improve further.

So, was this Ingtar shift because Portal Stone alternate lives scene or not? Can't remember.

It wasn't Fain he let in, it was the assassin who shot at Rand. From the description he's a Gray Man, who you'll see officially introduced in the next book.

(btw, I love how Jordan sneaks them into descriptive passages so you don't notice at first, just how they are in-universe)

He talks about how he saw all kinds of alternate lives, but he didn't end up blowing the Horn in any of them, making him realize that his desire to redeem himself by doing that would also be considered "seeking glory" like the person who does it isn't supposed to.

It only happens one more time, don't worry.

Yeah, I was surprised the Hawkwing-Seanchan relationship didn't come up here.

I theorized in the comments of the last blog that, given future events in the south, maybe this is why the Horn needs to go to Ilian at some point...

You'll get your fill of on-screen battles later on. Trust me on that. (although Jordan still has an annoying tendency to skip awesome parts...)

And we haven't even met one of the women who's going to be a love interest!

It's implied in the next chapter that the main reason Rand is still alive is Lanfear Healing him.

Min's actions are really weird from any outside POV but makes perfect sense given who she is.

Don't worry, this series doesn't form a Love Dodecahedron.

You say? Well, maybe you are right. They are just separate Love Pyramids.

Good prediction. It'll be very much Because Destiny Says So and Prophecy Twist from now on.

It's not really a cliffhanger given the epilogue outright confirms it, I don't know why the chapter ends that way. Dramatic weight?

And now, the book in which a) Rand disappears for long stretches b) ta'veren effects begin to go beyond Contrived Coincidences c) Forsaken and new types of Shadowspawn everywhere d) Mat starts to become a pretty cool guy e) Aiel actually do stuff.

The Seanchan aren't just a throwaway villain for this book though, remember how they're the Forerunners, preparing for the Return?

Well... T He Return isn't here yet.