Tag: Wheel of Time

I finished this book probably a month ago, but forgot to take notes about it.
It’s a strange book, with some interesting ideas: mainly that the minions of the local version of Sauron have plans of their own. And the “epic” scope: Children of the Light, for all their importance, show up in just two chapters, and Seanchan are forgotten completely.
Strange, because the trope “Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne get captured” is repeated twice within the same book. This is after “Egwene gets enslaved” was one of the main themes of the previous book as well.
And the trope “Rand thinks he finally killed the Dark One” is repeated for the third time over three books. It’s like Rand never learns.
We’re constantly told how powerful Forsaken are. But then Moiraine just burns one down in an instant with Balefire.
Other than that, it’s very fatalistic. As, all characters are pulled together to the same places over and over again by fate. Even feelings Egwene, Min and Elayne have for Rand are mostly described as a pull of fate. If I’m not mistaken, by the third book Elayne met the guy once, and Min twice, but they all talk about how much they love him.

It is indeed “The Great Hunt,” as instead of just a single MacGuffin, Jordan introduces two. It is common in fantasy to chase some artifact that should help in fighting evil. But here we have The Horn and The Dagger.
It’s like Jordan was paid for every word. I don’t have another reason why Egwene refers to Rand as “that wool-brained idiot” every. Single. Time.
Then there’s “Ingtar and his 20 knights.” At the beginning of the book, they set off, and then they do. Absolutely. Nothing. Steading? They need to stay outside. Town? They need to tend the horses? City? There are not enough disguises for everyone, so they have to stay behind. I understand it didn’t make much sense to send a knight alone, but this is still ridiculous.
What’s more ridiculous is how every woman in this book looks amazing. Not just the usual suspects, Egwene and Nynaeve, but also Aviendha, Min… It made sense for Lanfear, the seductress whose name I forgot; that’s her role. But there are no unattractive young women in this world, it seems.
Speaking of the world, it is interesting how Jordan seems two-minded: on one hand, the world is fatalistic; no matter what you do, the Wheel will bring you where you need to be. There are The Chosen and NPC, and all that. But then there’s also a Multiverse and different worlds that characters have to visit, both Rand and Nynaeve.

Finished Eye of the World.
A rather weak Lord of the Rings fanfic.
Pathways is basically Moria, with Black wind acting as the Balrog. Moraine even says “I hope he couldn’t pass”
And Lan is basically Aragorn, with him being a great fighter and king in exile.
The entire episode with Green Man and finally is rather nonsensical. Forsaken are introduced, we’re told they are immensely powerful, then both are killed, one of them almost by an accident. And the all powerful Dark One is killed with his entire army in a matter of few passages.

I’m too old for fantasy, I guess. All those names of people and places I cannot possibly spell, like “Nine-eve” or “Emmon’s Field“.
It feels like Jordan was paid by word. Can’t count the number of times he repeats the word “gleeman”. And all those passages about a song called Drunken Peddler was called Tinker in the Kitchen in this village. Why should I care?
It’s interesting that the author split Gandalf in two: there’s Moraine, who has the magic, and then there’s Tom the Gleeman, that had the talk.
The best part of the book is actually the fables. Legend about Emmon’s Field or about the wolves, or about this “King Arthur” that hated witches is far more engaging than anything else.
Matt quickly turns into a Gollum. Just with an encrusted dagger instead of a ring.
For fantasy, there’s a certain lack of imagination. They all drink tea, and smoke tobacco. Literally tobacco. And traveling people are just gypsies. And Children of the Light are just Inquisition.