The Wheel of Time sidenotes: This is not the beginning.

[Werthead]

Check this out. Robert Jordan's original outline for how the series would turn out (MAJOR SPOILERS) as envisaged from the late 1980s.

Things changed. A lot.

[SpaceChampion]

Maybe spoilers can go in its own thread instead of one dedicated to one guy's first time read-through.

[Galactus]

It's stated (not sure if the BWB or later on) that the world has actually *kept on* regressing since the Breaking: The world prior to the Trolloc wars was significantly more advanced than in Hawkwing's day, and that was more advanced than the current post-100 years war era. The way I understood it, society broke down almost completely during the Breaking, then recovered a bit, then the Trolloc Wars happened, then things recovered a bit, but each time something was lost, sites of learning destroyed or burned, areas depopulated, etc. (and this, incidentally, is not by accident)

[Wicked Woodpecker of West]

Yeah Teresa Patterson did a great job on the World Of Wheel of Time. Reads like a history book and I found it very enjoying. Definitely should not be read before the last few novels.

OK, so where put it in my schedule? Before Sanderson Trilogy? Earlier?

May have mentioned this before, but if you intend to avoid spoilers, reading the books in chronological order rather than publication order was a bad idea. There aren't *too* many plot spoilers in New Spring, but there are a ton of character spoilers.

Well, we'll see. After reading New Spring I cannot say I feel really spoiled, so let's hope this won't be too important. And anyway that's just three characters in fact.

Check this out. Robert Jordan's original outline for how the series would turn out (MAJOR SPOILERS) as envisaged from the late 1980s.

Things changed. A lot.

For better or for worse? ;)

Anyway I check it... well in a year or two...

It's stated (not sure if the BWB or later on) that the world has actually *kept on* regressing since the Breaking: The world prior to the Trolloc wars was significantly more advanced than in Hawkwing's day, and that was more advanced than the current post-100 years war era. The way I understood it, society broke down almost completely during the Breaking, then recovered a bit, then the Trolloc Wars happened, then things recovered a bit, but each time something was lost, sites of learning destroyed

That's kinda weird.

[jagilki]

See, I've been thinking about that every since I first suggested reading New Spring first would spoil things. In the end, I've finally came to the feeling that all it really spoils is the gradual submergence into the world being done the same way.

Now, I never knew of the kids versions of TEoTW so I never read those two prologues but (and I hope this isn't too much of a spoiler or even one) when you first meet Moirane (I suck at spelling wot names) you have a completely different view of them at the beginning of the series than you do in New Spring. To me, I guess that's the big "spoiler" that comes from Reading New Spring first. Plus some of the inner workings of the Aes Sedai. I mean when it starts out you really don't know much about them besides what the "common people" think about them.

[Black Wolf Smith]

Check this out. Robert Jordan's original outline for how the series would turn out (MAJOR SPOILERS) as envisaged from the late 1980s.

Things changed. A lot.

IIRC while it changed a bit, isn't that what happened? sort of?

just the lifetime that it all fell apart was different

[SilentRoamer]

OK, so where put it in my schedule? Before Sanderson Trilogy? Earlier?

I think the book is best read after books 6-7. It will give you some nice background info without spoiling the experience.

Arrghh I was going to warn you from reading New Spring - reveals a lot about Morraine that is better in chronological order but oh well.

Good luck with the rest of the series and if you have any questions just chime up!

[Galactus]

That's kinda weird.

Well, it's not quite weird: There's a particular someone who is deliberately trying to regress society, and will wreck it any time it starts getting it's act together. (although said person isn't neccessarily able to act all the time)

[Wicked Woodpecker of West]

OK. No more details.

[fionwe1987]

Check this out. Robert Jordan's original outline for how the series would turn out (MAJOR SPOILERS) as envisaged from the late 1980s.

Things changed. A lot.

Thanks Wert. That is fascinating. Don't think things changed quite as much as you felt. Some loud echoes of it survive in the final trilogy.

[Wicked Woodpecker of West]

So the tournament is over, and I can peacefully return to The Wheelworld.

The next step (or maybe the first step): THE EYE OF THE WORLD.

So before actual reading - time for cover-party.


Classic Cover

Ebook Cover

So I suppose this time distance between camp classic covers and epic ebook covers are little non-existent, because e-book cover is not so epic. Well unless this pillar of light is a nuke explosion, because then yes it's epic.

Anyway, so the classic cover evidently shows us Lan and Moiraine, because who else could they be. And basically Moiraine looks just like on classic New Spring cover, which is totally not like book Moiraine but rather some kind of halfling something. Shouldn't she be brunette without any weird hair-things? Well, duh. Lan looks like some camp samurai, which is probably less weird, because he is basically camp samurai. Also sam people riding behind them, but nothing to say bout them apparently. And big bat (wtf?)

New cover is kinda boring. We have young guy (bets are he is The Dragon) on a ship's mast (hey weren't he highlander living far away from the sea?, well unless it's not him) and this weird pillar of light that can be anything from falling angel to nuke. Or maybe it's The Eye of the World. Like Sauron's Eye and red light that was pointing from it.

Well. RAFO.

[Wicked Woodpecker of West]

So, all the wheeleyfolk, it's time for proper The Wheel of Time novel. One behind us, fourteen to go.
No more prequels to avoid unavoidable.

It's time to look just into the abyss, into THE EYE OF THE WORLD.

So the world have only one eye. No 3D then?

Prologue: Dragonmount

- Three mounts you will ride, one to bed, and one... jeez, these fantasy writers are just writing one big, fat novel together just using different words to fool us, aren't they.

- OK, so we're beginning again near bloody Mount Doom.

The palace still shook occasionally as the earth rumbled in memory, groaned as if it would deny what had happened.

- I would say that's really accurate descriptions of healthy reader's reaction after reading one of Goodkind's novels. I haven't known that their mutual hate roots to the sole beginnings (well, no beginnings, let's say starting middle points) of The Wheel of Time.

The dead lay everywhere, men and women and children, struck down in attempted flight by the lightnings that had flashed down every corridor, or seized by the fires that had stalked them, or sunken into stone of the palace, the stones that had flowed and sought, almost alive, before stillness came again.

- Apparently Richard have already been here.

In odd counterpoint, colorful tapestries and paintings, masterworks all, hung undisturbed except where bulging walls had pushed them awry. Finely carved furnishings, inlaid with ivory and gold, stood untouched except where rippling floors had toppled them.

- Ah, so it's one of this really careful slaughters.

The mind-twisting had struck at the core, ignoring peripheral things.

- Enough. Bob, I get it, you hate Tairy. But really end this ramblings and get us to the actual novel.

- Oh, here's the Dragon. So I guess we're like 3000 years before any actual action. One of that prologues.

- And he cannot see his wife corpse. So he's mad right?

For a moment he fingered the symbol on his cloak, a circle half white and half black, the colors separated by a sinuous line. It meant something, that symbol.

- DEATHLY HALLOWS!

- It's always hard to read about mentally handicaped.

Behind him the air rippled, shimmered, solidified into a man who looked around, his mouth twisting briefly with distaste. Not so tall as Lews Therin, he was clothed all in black, save for the snow-white lace at his throat and the silverwork on the turned-down tops of his thigh-high boots. He stepped carefully, handling his cloak fastidiously to avoid brushing the dead.

- Obvious evil is obvious.

“Lord of the Morning,” he said, “I have come for you.”

- Lord of the Morning? Really they're going to far with this Jesus / Lucifer metaphor.

The laughter cut off as if it had never been, and Lews Therin turned, seeming unsurprised. “Ah, a guest. Have you the Voice, stranger? It will soon be time for the Singing, and here all are welcome to take part. Ilyena, my love, we have a guest. Ilyena, where are you?”

- Voice? Singing? Capitalism?

The black-clad man’s eyes widened, darted to the body of the golden-haired woman, then back to Lews Therin. “Shai’tan take you, does the taint already have you so far in its grip?”

- In case you missed it, random evil dude, there are corpses everywhere around. I suppose that's answer enough.

“That name. Shai—” Lews Therin shuddered and raised a hand as though to ward off something. “You mustn’t say that name. It is dangerous.”

- Yeah, it's bringing bad luck. We wouldn't want that, would we?

“So you remember that much, at least. Dangerous for you, fool, not for me. What else do you remember? Remember, you Light-blinded idiot! I will not let it end with you swaddled in unawareness! Remember!”

- Oh, so it's personal. Obviously now before you kill him, you will have to explain him all your evil whatsyourgoingtodoit, just to let him kill you in last possible moment. Someone missed Evil Overlord's Guide, apparently. Although you are just a flunkie, and reall Evil Overlord is locked by Dragons, so I suppose I don't care.

The black-clad man drew himself up arrogantly. “Once I was called Elan Morin Tedronai, but now—”

- And that's reason enough to worship Chaos and Destruction, apparently. Evil Moron Tedronai...

Yes, Betrayer of Hope. So have men named me, just as they named you Dragon, but unlike you I embrace the name.

- Dude, I don't know. Seen all those corpses? Melted floor? Fireballs? I suppose that's equal embracing Dragon's name quite accuratly.

They gave me the name to revile me, but I will yet make them kneel and worship it.

- Really? Betrayer of Hope? That's suppose to be cool nickname, or so? Dude, you should think about it. On your place I would try with Lord of Despair or maybe Mister Doomsday, but really Betrayer of Hope is just fashionless. Your original Evil Moron name was better.

- But then, there was an evil warlord called Piccolo, so what I'm asking for.

What will you do with your name? After this day, men will call you Kinslayer. What will you do with that?”

- Prepare more bolts?

- Also: really? Who would call him that? All those people around. Dead? No witnesses? Apocalypse? Hundred Companions are ravaging geography right now, and more, and why humanity should care and remember that Lews Therin in a middle of Doom killed his all family? Who cares? Like no one? What are chances that someone survived seeing this and then managed to find some other survivors...

- People of Duloc, here me out! Lews Therin murdered his entire household!... "Ah, that's terrible Ernie, I mean I thought that his friends drowning South America for good was terrible enough, but nope that's beat it."

- Although in this world someone cared to rescue printing machins out of fire. So...

- The Dragon is still on his occultistic trip, and Betrayer are rambling about how Dragon kicked his ass over, and over and over again. Dude is either masochist, or he just loves sound of his voice.

- Dude, you were ultimately beaten. Lucifer and all his fiend flunkies are locked up in Shayol Ghul. OK so you make all male wizards mad, but still it's your defeat. They will be stopped and your master remain locked. Well at least 3000 years.

- Also: Tamyrlin Ring. Tamyrlin sounds really like Amyrlin. Coincidence? I think no.

[Derfel Cadarn]

Actually the Dragon is the basis for the Lucifer myth. Lucifer is regarded as separate from Satan. In some languages the same word is used for devil and dragon (Dracul for example). Lews Therin=Lu-cifer. Lord of the Morning=Morning star. It's not brought up in the text specifically. Shaitan=Satan.

[Disputatious]

Amyrlin/Tamyrlin: there is definitely a connection. I don't recall if there is a Thus Spake RJ collection on the. Dragonmount site. Perhaps someone else knows how to access such a collection and can provide info about the Ring of T. and the Rods of Dominion. (The Oath rod is not one of those, as you will see later).

[Disputatious]

Elan's initials are EMT: somehow that does not seem right (short for "Emergency Medical Technician") :)

[Disputatious]

Anyway, welcome back WWW

[Wicked Woodpecker of West]

Actually the Dragon is the basis for the Lucifer myth. Lucifer is regarded as separate from Satan. In some languages the same word is used for devil and dragon (Dracul for example). Lews Therin=Lu-cifer. Lord of the Morning=Morning star. It's not brought up in the text specifically. Shaitan=Satan.

You mean - Lucifer myth is basis for the Dragons.
Also I'm not sure if Lews Therins sounds like Lucifer. Therin seems to be similar to Therion - The Beast, but that's all. Lord of the Morning - yeah obviously it's luciferic meme. But also he is Messiah that would come again to save the world for good, and also Rand al'Thor is raised on a sheepfarm, which are rather Jesus tropes, than Luciferic ones.

Elan's initials are EMT: somehow that does not seem right (short for "Emergency Medical Technician")

YMMD!

Anyway, welcome back WWW

Good to be back!

[Ouroboros]

You mean - Lucifer myth is basis for the Dragons.

Also I'm not sure if Lews Therins sounds like Lucifer. Therin seems to be similar to Therion - The Beast, but that's all. Lord of the Morning - yeah obviously it's luciferic meme. But also he is Messiah that would come again to save the world for good, and also Rand al'Thor is raised on a sheepfarm, which are rather Jesus tropes, than Luciferic ones.

You mean King David tropes.

Jesus was an urban dwelling carpenter.

[Wicked Woodpecker of West]

Technically yes. But he is often called Good Sheperd according to one of his parables. But king David also fits.
(Even more because David was ginger head just like Rand.)

[Derfel Cadarn]

Sort of - I meant that the Dragon inspired the Lucifer myth in Randland. In the real world, obviously its the other way round.

There are other parallels between Lews Therin and Lucifer, but I dont want to potentially spoiler stuff about the Age of Legends.

There are Jesus parallels too, but it just suggests the Dragon inspired both.