The Wheel of Time

The entire "Villians infighting, heroes infighting" is interesting at first, but as the books drag on, the premise is infuriating.

You have a prophecy. That's proven to be real. About the end of the world.

And you still care about the uncomfortable chair and piece of gold to put on top of your head?

That's how people are. People do usually care more about their own lives than huge sweeping events that may have an effect on them eventually.

They're not Genre Savvy because they're in their own version of IRL. It's still being used as padding though.

^^ But that's the thing, the Last Battle is imminent. There is no eventually.

for example, if the whole "world's ending, ultimate showdown of circular logic destiny" was applied to our world:

Mass panic, mass civil unrest

then

The reallocation of all available resources to deal with the problem

an unforeseen degree of global unity towards combating the threat

Everyone puts aside their routine lives in order to contribute to the global effort.

The appointment of some kind of leadership by those capable.

Think the above is too good to be true and not "human nature" enough?

See the american war effort during world war two, or any civilization threatened by an exterior force.

Randland's version:

Everybody sits around. Worries vaguely about the end of the world. Opposes Jesus and/or tries to kidnap him.

edited 5th Oct '10 12:01:42 AM by Carbonpillow

Uh, no. There's going to be mass panic. A large portion of people refuse to believe what's happening. Others try to take advantage of the problem.

The people living in the world do not have readers omniscience where we know what the good guys say is the truth.

^^ The point is that that stuff doesn't happen. WoT isn't as in-your-face about how Humans Are Bastards as the trend of "modern, realistic, gritty" fantasy that followed it, but it conveys the point just as strongly. The Chosen One would have cracked under the pressure and gone crazy even if he wasn't going insane already, no one communicates, everyone has a different idea of how the world should be saved, and no one, good or bad, wants to work together. And even if they do, it's a Pyrrhic Victory at best.

And if you think our world would fare better, there's a little thing called global warming looming in our faces. So yeah...

Here is Chapter 1.

And it is awesome. It sure is nice to see Rand being non-insane now.

edited 9th Oct '10 4:28:01 PM by Balesirion

Dammit, that is nearly out and I still haven't read book 12, this is incredibly annoying.

I'm still on 9 :/

Do I really need to read 10?

edited 10th Oct '10 8:18:51 PM by Carbonpillow

Not really. Read a summary online, unless you really enjoy Jordan's writing style. Or you could skip around the book to the few chapters were stuff actually happens. There is some good character stuff in there as well, but only 6-8 chapters of the entire book actually advance the plot.

Ugh! 10 was a serious low point for me. It was basically just everyone's reaction to what Rand was doing in the final scene of Winter's Heart.

Surprisingly 12 really picked up the pace and had a ton of amazing scenes. Definitely looking forward to 13.

Chapter Two is available in audio form.

I got my copy earlier today.

Yeah, I remember Towers of Midnight is out today.

I doubt I'll read the whole thing (probably flip through it in a library or bookstore), but I want to know what others think. If it gets really good reviews, I might even read the whole thing.

Every review I have read has been highly positive. My copy won't arrive in the mail until Monday, though, so I will have to wait and see.

I'm about 100 pages into To M. It's pretty good so far. I highly recommend it.

Nicely ties a lot of threads up. It's lovely to see all of it coming together. I wish RJ were here to see it.

Might I just say that Mat writes brilliant letters?

"Ugh! 10 was a serious low point for me. It was basically just everyone's reaction to what Rand was doing in the final scene of Winter's Heart."

10 was where I stopped and, despite liking the series, I somehow haven't managed to get round to buying 11, let alone reading it.

Alertarisation of double post. I'm still (relatively) new here.

edited 5th Nov '10 3:32:35 PM by CtraK

Well 11 picked up, and the ending was awesome. It gave me chills. And like I said The Gathering Storm is absolutely amazing, and now I'm 500 pages through Towers of Midnight, and it's shaping up to be as good as The Gathering Storm.

I actually found a copy of book ten in my room. I don't remember buying it but since I've only been reading the series since August, it might be the first WOT book I bought.

So...I'm the only one who (sorta) likes 10? Though only and mostly the Mat parts.

^ I didn't mind 10 when I was reading through Wo T 1-11 in a row, but I guess I'd be pissed off if I waited 2 years for 10 and then had to wait another 2 for 11 to come out. I sorta look at 10 as a 700 page prologue to 11.

Oh, there were definitely parts of 10 I enjoyed. Though like you said, the Mat parts were the best. The approximately two chapters with Rand were all right too.

edited 6th Nov '10 7:11:56 PM by Balesirion

Regarding the new book:

1. It seems unlikely that Shaidar Harin killed Graendal for failing to kill Perrin. She'll most likely be "demoted" and placed in one of those mind trap thingies like Lanfear/Cyndane was.

2. I guess Mazrim Taim's got a Dreamspike at the Black Tower. He's also apparently been replacing people there with evil dopplegangers. At least one of his Asha'man minions probably helped ferry in Trollocs via the portal stone during the battle with Perrin and the Whitecloaks (Grady said someone was channeling Saiden who was not very strong in it). Also they may have been involved in the knocking down of the town wall in Borderlands that Ituralde was defending who's name escapes me right now

3. Still no word on who kill Asmodian

edited 10th Nov '10 9:04:49 AM by Nonapod