The Wheel of Time

I just remembered where I heard the phrase "Towers of Midnight" before. It's not the Tower of Ghenjei, but in The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, the Towers of Midnight are mentioned as being a landmark of a city in Seanchan whose name I do not recall. I seem to remember it being mentioned as the site where the a'dam where first created, although I can't really be sure, as it's been too long since I read it.

I started this series around 6 months ago I think. I'm about halfway through the 4th book (I take my time reading). So far, it's an excellent series, and the writing style is so intricate, and details everything. I'd enjoy it more if my friend hadn't spoiled 2 or 3 things in it already...

Don't give it up when it starts to drag. It's worth it, believe me.

Although you can reasonably skip all of book 10 except for the last two chapters.

I am not exaggerating. This is not hyperbole. I saw reviews complaining that 'nothing happens' in book 10, but I took them with a grain of salt, assuming the book just moved very slowly and this was regular fandom whining.

Nope. Apart from the specific parts I mentioned, exactly nothing happens. For 800 pages.

I'm not one to quit something I spent so much time on, so I'll end up sticking through it.

And 800 pages of nothing sounds... exciting.

I am of the personal opinion that a few parts of Crossroads of Twilight were somewhat underrated. Vampire Buddha is correct about the only significant events happening in the last two chapters, but I do think that there was some very nice character development in there, especially with Mat. Of course YMMV as to whether that actually makes the book worth reading.

My Crossroads Of Twilight advice: pretend the first half or so is part of the last chapter of Winter's Heart.

Also, I only read it once. I felt a similar disappointment when reading ''A Feast For Crows'', because I was expecting something that wasn't there. However, when I read AFFC a second time, I loved it, and felt it was on par with the rest of the series. So maybe Co T is the same. I can't imagine RJ didn't hide some important stuff in it, we just don't realize it yet.

edited 13th Nov '09 10:48:11 PM by Treblain

Well, I just finished The Gathering Storm, and I must agree that it was awesome. In fact I think we can call this Egwene's Crowning Book of Awesome. My personal favorite moment: Egwene taking command during the Seanchan attack on the White Tower, while dosed with forkroot, teaching the novices how to make circles, grabbing the nearest powerful sa'angreal, and kicking Seanchan ass.

I am making my way through The Gathering Storm, it is really good so far.

WHO SAID THERE ARE ONLY THIRTEEN FORSAKEN!?

That's a Yammy reference right? And I'm glad somebody thought of a good counter to the Big Bad's routine for his minions.

^Yes, it is.

I really liked the part in Hinderstap with Mat. It felt like a scene from the first four books.

I'm just hoping this isn't resolved with balefire spam. That would be such a let down.

I think the chances of that are pretty low, especially since Rand just destroyed the remaining Choedan Kal, and everyone else is a lot more cautious about balefire than he is. Plus, it's just not Jordan's or Sanderson's style.

I just had a weird thought... what if you balefired a baby? Would its previous incarnation be affected and destroyed?

Nope. Even if it's a newborn, it just vanishes during birth.

Now here's an interesting paradox: What would happen if a sul'dam had a damane she was controlling balefire her?

As a new reader to the series, any advice for getting through those Doorstoppers?

edited 13th Dec '09 4:00:31 PM by Patchwork Space

Forget about sleep?

Honestly, it depends on how fast of a reader you are to begin with, and how fast you want to get through them.

I think it would just kill the da'mane. I'm pretty sure the effects of balefire are permanent, even if you balefire the one who used balefire. Anyway, I was actually referring to the dark one. If Rand kills him using massive amounts of balefire, I'm gonna be so pissed. Although it would make sense as a new seal. I think it's been described as pushing things from the pattern.

I do not think that will happen De Boss. Now, if any Shounen manga-ka were writing the Wheel Of Time it might.

When I think about the Dark One being killed by balefire, I think of this Eight Bit Theatre line:

"I would hate it if everything was destroyed exactly the way I want to destroy everything."

Balefire destroys the Pattern. Guess what the Dark One wants to do?

It would just further his plans. Moridin is the only one who understands. He's the only one who actually considered what the Dark One will do when he wins, and he doesn't care.

Because he's a f*cking nihilist. He believes in nothing.

Preview of the cover for the Towers of Midnight: [1]

Yet another pathetic Daryll K. Sweet cover, as we've come to expect.

Eh, it comes with the territory. It wouldn't be the Wheel of Time without those silly covers.

The new ebook covers, on the other hand, are pretty awesome.

^ Actually, those look incredibly generic to my eyes. I prefer the corny originals.

Having walked down several aisles of SF in my time, the originals look a lot more generic to me. (That artist gets around...)