Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time

[Alwyn]

I really don't think the person who started it should even read it anymore, since WOT is virtually guaranteed to not be very good with this info.

Arg! You're right! I read about five or six posts after yours and decided I must stop in order to enjoy the books, or at least enjoy them until they get bad as so many have said.

It's a good thing that my memory for speciifc element like names sucks.

[Crazydog7]

Excellent! Was it Wotmania? I created a post ages ago basically asking what the weakest book in the series was and most people replied with their opinions. A few went a bit Goodkind fanboy crazy, but those were just ignored. Certainly wasn't banned or anything.

If you want to earn another 50 bucks, go over to one of the Goodkind forums and ask "IS GOODKIND GAY?" or "GOODKIND SUCKS! WHY DO YOU LIKE HIM?" and you'll get banned in a microsecond. Mind you, your brother may not fall for that one again.

Yeah, Wotmania had a vote in 2001 where they agreed to keep the current format. After five years I think it's time for another one. Also Wotmania's server is shot. It's much slower than any other forum-server I've come across and oddly seems to get smoother the more people who are on-line.

hhehe

it was Wotmania now that I think about it. I'm not even going to tangle with those Goodkind freaks they scare my more then Scientologists.

[Galerian]

The thing that frustrates me the most about WoT is that Jordan said at some point that "not all problems will be solved", because he want his characters to have a live beyond WoT....and I was like "Oh no you didn't!" I am not going to bother to buy the last books, if there is not going to be a freaking end to it!

Owh and ofcourse I am also frustrated by bad characters, crappy conversations, the black and white world...and yet I've managed to get to book 10

[Wouter]

The Power battles I actually liked and I think he's always been quite good exploiting the logical uses of the Power to the maximum (for example, the bit with the Death Gates and the air-mines was pretty impressive) without violating his own rules (although the Shadowspawn-can't-use-gateways thing seems like a suspicious retcon).

I don't think that was a retcon at all, though. In book 7 (I think) Rand wonders why the Forsaken don't just attack the palace he was in with a shitload of Trollocs - and we know the answer why, now. Likewise, why did they use the saidin ways so often earlier if they could just move them around with (much safer and easier) gateways? And most of all, recall how RJ went to pains to point out that the Trollocs had come to the Stone in barges (one group) or in a trade caravan (the other group) - not by a magical hole in the air. I suspected early in the books that there were huge limitations on moving around Shadowspawn, even for Forsaken, and I was not alone. Old discussions on Wotmania or rec.arts.sf.written-rj can probably testify to that.

[Asa]

Wow the WoT forums scare me. Those people think Eragon and Dragonlance are good works of literature.

Hanging around here I've forgotten how stupid people can be...

ASoIF draws the people with good taste together

[Werthead]

ASoIF draws the people with good taste together

And based on this weekend in London, then gets them drunk. I approve

[Asa]

Asa - Dragonlance (the first 6 novels, the originals) are still a good guilty pleasure. The licensed novels and the recent novels just suck.

The first 6 were decent, yes. But these people think the new ones are good.

7th Pup - RJ has said that all his female characters are somewhat based on his wife

And he hasn't divorced yet...?

[Gerold Hightower]

Yes, one of the earlier books directly addressed this - tEotW or tGH. Loial tells Rand that Shadowspawn tend not to use the Ways because they attract the Black Wind. It takes Myrddral totally controlling the Trollocs with great difficulty to make them use the Ways - and even then, since they attract the Black Wind, it's usually for naught.

In earlier books, right up until Rand declares himself the Dragon (end of book 3?), not all the Forsaken had gotten loose, and that's why Gateways weren't used to move Trolloc armies. The Forsaken who were loose (Lanfear, Ishamael) were too hoity-toity and had better things to do than schmuck around with a bunch of Trollocs.

Asa - Dragonlance (the first 6 novels, the originals) are still a good guilty pleasure. The licensed novels and the recent novels just suck.

7th Pup - RJ has said that all his female characters are somewhat based on his wife

In Shadow Rising, Sammael sends a party of Trollocs into the Stone of Tear to kill Rand and his friends. Semirhage sends another party to stop them. Neither party is brought in by gateway. IIRC, one comes with a wagon train, the other with grain barges. Rand's whole scheme of sealing the Waygates in the later books wouldn't make sense at all if the Forsaken could simply take the Trollocs through gateways.

[Cyzarine]

im reading KoD right now and it's actually really good. it's entertaining and all of the characters that we love( or love to hate are back). i'm actually really sad to say that overall it is a vast improvement to Feast.

[barde]

I just hope he finishes the damn thing, by the way he looks on the dust jacket, he is one big-mac away from going kicking the buckett. He doesn't look like a healthy guy

[Asa]

im reading KoD right now and it's actually really good. it's entertaining and all of the characters that we love( or love to hate are back). i'm actually really sad to say that overall it is a vast improvement to Feast.

You think KoD is better than Feast? How?

[Maia]

The Forsaken who were loose (Lanfear, Ishamael) were too hoity-toity and had better things to do than schmuck around with a bunch of Trollocs.

Of course, one has to ask oneself why anybody would even want to bother with Trollocs (or armies for that matter) when Dragon et al. are on the loose. In the later books, when Rand and crew come into their power they aren't even cannon fodder, just a very slight inconvenience... How on earth they were used to any effect in the AoL is a mystery.

[Wouter]

Of course, one has to ask oneself why anybody would even want to bother with Trollocs (or armies for that matter) when Dragon et al. are on the loose. In the later books, when Rand and crew come into their power they aren't even cannon fodder, just a very slight inconvenience... How on earth they were used to any effect in the AoL is a mystery.

Same goes for regular (non-channeling) human armies. Allthough they were probably armed with powerful power-created weapons (shocklances and such) to level the field a little bit.

[Smashing Young Man]

I recently reread the first three books, and it saddens me that he couldn't keep up that quality of writing. Sure, the characters were hackneyed even then, and the plot pretty standard fantasy fare, but it made for some really enjoyable reading, nonetheless.

[Jak O Shadows]

Of course, one has to ask oneself why anybody would even want to bother with Trollocs (or armies for that matter) when Dragon et al. are on the loose. In the later books, when Rand and crew come into their power they aren't even cannon fodder, just a very slight inconvenience... How on earth they were used to any effect in the AoL is a mystery.

They are used to eat non magical human armies and poke them in their soft bits with sharp metal pointy things. The good magicky people will be busy dealing with the evil magick people so the poor human soldiers will have to face the hundred billion (give or take a million) trollocs that will come pouring out of the blight come the big party at the end of time. Or is that another book.

[Cyzarine]

i just finished KoD but i didnt understand the end. what did taim mean when he said "let the lord of chaos rule"?? isn't that the dark lord. is he admitting his darkfriend-nes(is that even a word??)?? are the aes sedai now completely at the black tower's mercy since they are there and no one else knows about it??

[Guest rhaenys]

i just finished KoD but i didnt understand the end. what did taim mean when he said "let the lord of chaos rule"?? isn't that the dark lord. is he admitting his darkfriend-nes(is that even a word??)?? are the aes sedai now completely at the black tower's mercy since they are there and no one else knows about it??

Yes, Taim is black. All of Taim's little expendable minions are black. He may even be a Forsaken is disguise...Taim is not Taimandred, since he met with Demandred. Taim may be Taimidin, given his colors, but he might also just be a Morridin pawn.

It would be weird if Taim were just Taim, though, given that whole issue with Bashere not recognizing him and all...

See any Wheel of Time page for more. This FAQ is absolutlely fantastic, but has not been updated for KoD. People recommended other pages earlier on this thread as well.

[Browntooth]

Bah, Demandred was Taim, until RJ got pissed at the online community.

[Crazydog7]

Bah, Demandred was Taim, until RJ got pissed at the online community.

Some time tomarrow after work i'm going to tell you guys my crazy Robert Jordan story as related to me by my buddy Jimmy...oh what the heck

I live in Charleston SC Jordan lives in this town has a very grand house on one of the well to do streets in the city. I've actually walked by his home and could give you guys the address but Ran would probably delete this post if I did.

Occasionally he will attend conventions and book signings locally.

Jimmy (god have mercy on him) was untill recently a manager at a local books a million which I often hang out in. Looking at all the scifi books and wishing I had time to read them all.

He was also a huge Wheel of Time fan(I've never understood this particular subgroup, i'm a song of ice and fire man)

He went up to Jordan and asked him a question(I was to far away to hear what it was) in responce Jordan hit him on the head with a staff he was holding(it contained a cyristal of some kind). This was obviously to represent some cast of the Wheel of Time serise. Jimmy was more surprised then hurt.

This was a good object lesson for me I had heard all the horror stories about how Joran acts like an ass during book signings but refused to beliveve them. Surely someone who relies on geeky fanboys and girls for a living wouldn't risk isolating them right? I was wrong.

[Gerold Hightower]

"Let the Lord of Chaos rule" was the title of an order the Dark One gave the Forsaken earlier in the series. It was never explained (to the reader), but apparently it forbade direct attacks on Rand. Taim's quoting the phrase confirms his being a Darkfriend.