Page 6 of 9 FirstFirst ...
4
5
6
7
8
... LastLast
  1. #101
    The only problem I had with the last battle was how Fain was handled, just fell flat for me.

    Oh and on a different topic Egwene on my first read through was one of my least favorite character. On subsequent read through's she became my favorite. IMO she has the most character development of any of the characters in the story.
    Last edited by Dasffion; 2014-09-03 at 03:31 AM.

  2. #102
    Titan
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    America's Hat
    Posts
    14,137
    Quote Originally Posted by Protar View Post
    Maybe it changes later on, but up until halfway through most of the Aes Sedai (and by extension most of the female characters) are unlikeable. Moiraine isn't that likeable even imo and Siuan certainly isn't.
    Some of the women are brutal. Elaida is such a colossal bitch for almost her entire existence in the books, although I had nothing but disdain for how arrogant Galina, Alviarin and Liandrin were. Verin was probably one of the most well written female characters because she was likeable. Egwene was fine when she was all innocent but she really got arrogant towards the end, overall her story arc was solid until the end.

    I'd say I loved much of the series and while I know a lot of the die hard fans did not like The Gathering Storm, considering how generally shitty the prior two books were, it picked up the pace big time.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Dasffion View Post
    The only problem I had with the last battle was how Fain was handled, just fell flat for me.

    Oh and on a different topic Egwene on my first read through was one of my least favorite character. On subsequent read through's she became my favorite. IMO she has the most character development of any of the characters in the story.
    There were a lot of problems with how the series ended, not just that story arc, but it was certainly the dumbest of them all. I absolutely did not like how Rand's ending was written and felt like overall, the book was jumbled and timelines were really wonky.

  3. #103
    To people comparing WoT and ASOIAF; I'm pretty afraid that GRRM is pretty much about to do the same thing Jordan did, that is, add more and more characters until the series bloats to the point where almost nothing happens in a book, and the end result is another author needs to pick it up at the end and finish wrapping things up. So the Crossroads of Twilight is still coming up for SOIAF - if it ever does, GRRM is writing so slowly :/

    Jordan prepared for leaving the series unfinished by making tons of notes for Sanderson to use and I have a feeling GRRM isn't interested in that. Which is why it's great we have the HBO series since that will surely go all the way to the end even if the books don't. Surely?!

  4. #104
    Bloodsail Admiral Omertocracy's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Yes.
    Posts
    1,032
    I have exactly three problems with Wheel of Time.

    1) Certain chapters are hilariously long. One book STARTS on page 115 thanks to prologue, the last book has a 190ish page long chapter.
    2) All of Book 8. It is slow as hell and I can't remember one damn thing that happened in it.
    3) The very last chapter of the very last book. After the rest, it just feels severely anticlimactic.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Summer View Post
    Jordan prepared for leaving the series unfinished by making tons of notes for Sanderson to use and I have a feeling GRRM isn't interested in that. Which is why it's great we have the HBO series since that will surely go all the way to the end even if the books don't. Surely?!
    GRRM told the producers of the show the rest of the major plot points, most of the minor plot points, and which characters are gonna live to the end (hint: none!), just in case he eats himself to death before finishing.

  5. #105
    Quote Originally Posted by Rennadrel View Post
    There were a lot of problems with how the series ended, not just that story arc, but it was certainly the dumbest of them all. I absolutely did not like how Rand's ending was written and felt like overall, the book was jumbled and timelines were really wonky.
    At the bold part - working as intended, time moves slower the closer you are to the Dark One's prison.

  6. #106
    Quote Originally Posted by Dasffion View Post
    The only problem I had with the last battle was how Fain was handled, just fell flat for me.

    Oh and on a different topic Egwene on my first read through was one of my least favorite character. On subsequent read through's she became my favorite. IMO she has the most character development of any of the characters in the story.
    Agreed on all points. With all the bits and pieces we had throughout all the books about Fain I definitely expected more :/ Also yes Egwene grew the most throughout the series. She made a few choices near the end (many involving Gawyn) which I didn't agree with, but the reasons she made those choices were generally pretty obvious and made sense.

  7. #107
    Quote Originally Posted by Dhrizzle View Post
    I thought the final battle was really awesome, on the other hand the happily-ever-after for Rand was cheesy as hell
    Cheesy, yes. But I still like it. Hell i had been rooting for that young man to come out ahead for something like 15 years. lol, it was almost like closure.

    Some random thoughts...

    It's not really fair to compare WoT to ASOIF. Sure they are both fantasy, But that's like saying Stranger in a Strange Land is the same kind of story as the Reality Dysfunction. It's almost like there are sub-genres or something.

    The women in Wheel of Time suck. I mean like almost every one of them. Min I could handle. Birgitte i like a lot. The rest could fuck off.

    Egwene was a cunt. Plain and simple.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Arlee View Post
    Agreed on all points. With all the bits and pieces we had throughout all the books about Fain I definitely expected more :/ Also yes Egwene grew the most throughout the series. She made a few choices near the end (many involving Gawyn) which I didn't agree with, but the reasons she made those choices were generally pretty obvious and made sense.
    She grew sure, but for almost the entire series she was almost overbearingly self important. Like worse than any other female...in a series somewhat known for it's self important, know it all, female characters.

    I really wanted something bad to happen to her. I really didn't want to see her leading the white tower into a new age.
    Get a grip man! It's CHEESE!

  8. #108
    Scarab Lord xylophone's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    San Diego
    Posts
    4,625
    A few of the books in the middle were a bit of a chore, but overall I found the series to be very enjoyable.
    Quote Originally Posted by Wells View Post
    Lets say you have a two 3 inch lines. One is all red and the other is 48% red and 52% blue. Does that mean there's a 50-50 chance they're both red or is the second line matching the all red line by 48%?
    ^^^ Wells using an analogy

  9. #109
    Well I didn't expect this to get as many replies as it has so far. I don't want to read them for fear of spoilers.

    I did start reading again ( haven't had much time to do so) and I am enjoying the book. I won't say I find it quite as interesting as ASoI&F, but still seems well done.

  10. #110
    I've read all the books about 3 or 4 times, my favorite book series by far. But yeah, the books can be kinda long dragged, with everything described in such detail. So I remember the second time I read it I would automatically skip a lot the describing, by just skimming through a couple of lines every now and then. And I don't remember now, but in the middle of the series there is a couple of books that gets rather boring. But still are important enough to not skip out of, of course.
    And Brandon Sanderson did a great job finishing the series! Which made me jump into his universe, so if you need new books after these 14, try out Brandons serie - Mistborn. It is really great. (As long with all his books in my opinion).
    Quote Originally Posted by atenime45 View Post
    The 10% reward. It's was unspoken rule that you DONT attack other faction so everyone could enjoy the 10% reward. But now no one cares about that anymore

  11. #111
    I rate it higher then Games of Thrones. Matrim Cauthon is my fave character, I love the chapters focused on his adventures, easiest character to relate to as well, at least for me.

    His relationships, thoughts and theories are class.

    A bit of comedy in them to. ;P
    Mat: Women are like mules. Wait. No. Goats. Women are like goats. Except every flaming one of them thinks she's a horse instead, and a prize mare to boot. Do you understand me, Talmanes?

    Talmanes: Pure poetry Mat

    Mat: Reasoning with a woman is impossible, it's like . . . Well, reasoning with a woman is like sitting down to a friendly game of dice. Only the woman refuses to acknowledge the basic bloody rules of the game. A man, he'll cheat you - but he'll do it honestly. He'll use loaded dice, so that you think you're losing by chance. And if you aren't clever enough to spot what he's doing, then maybe he deserves to take your coin. And that's that.

    A woman, though, she'll sit down to that same game and she'll smile, and act like she's going to play. Only when it's her turn to throw, she'll toss a pair of her own dice that are blank on all six sides. Not a single pip showing. She'll inspect the throw, then she'll look up at you and say, 'clearly I just won.' Now, you'll scratch your head and look at the dice. Then you'll look up at her, then down at the dice again 'But there aren't any pips on these dice' you'll say.
    'Yes there are,' she'll say. 'And both dice rolled a one.'
    'That's exactly the number you need to win,' you'll say.
    'What a coincidence,' she'll reply, then begin to scoop up your coins. And you'll sit there, trying to wrap your head 'bout what just happened. And you'll realise something. A pair of ones isn't the winning throw! Not when you threw a six on your turn. That means she needed a pair of twos instead! Excitedly you'll explain what you've discovered. Only then do you know what she'll do?

    Talmanes: No idea, Mat.

    Mat: Then she'll reach over, and rub the blank faces of her dice. And then, with a perfectly straight face, she'll say, 'I'm sorry. There was a spot of dirt on the dice. Clearly you'll see they actually came up as twos!' And she'll believe it. She'll bloody believe it!

    Talmanes: Incredible.

    Mat: Only that's not the end of it!"

    Talmanes: I had presumed it wouldn't be Mat.

    Mat:
    She scoops up all of your coins." Mat said, gesturing with one hand, the other steadying his ashandarei across his saddle. "And then every other woman in the room will come over and congratulate her on throwing that pair of twos! The more you complain, the more those bloody women will join in the argument. You'll be outnumbered in a moment, and each of those women will explain to you how those dice clearly read twos, and how you really need to stop behaving like a child. Every single flaming one of them will see the twos! even the prudish woman who has hated your woman from birth - since your woman's granny stole the other woman's granny's honeycake recipe when they were both maids - that woman will side against you."

    Talmanes:
    They're nefarious creatures indeed.

    Mat: By the time they're done, you'll be left with no coin, several lists worth of errands to run and what clothing to wear and a splitting headache. You'll sit there and stare at the table and begin to wonder, just maybe, if those dice didn't read twos after all. If only to preserve what's left of your sanity. That's what it's like to reason with a woman, I tell you."
    Last edited by Jackmoves; 2014-09-30 at 05:30 PM.
    The nerve is called the "nerve of awareness". You cant dissect it. Its a current that runs up the center of your spine. I dont know if any of you have sat down, crossed your legs, smoked DMT, and watch what happens... but what happens to me is this big thing goes RRRRRRRRRAAAAAWWW! up my spine and flashes in my brain... well apparently thats whats going to happen if I do this stuff...

  12. #112
    And now I have to read The Wheel of Time again after I finish The Black Tower by Stephen King!

    And indeed, Mat is THE best character I've read about. Everything about him is awesome, he is just so annoying at times that you want to knock his teeth in, but then again he is the most awesome and most fun character that you just fell in love with, like a best friend I suppose! Just that he is fictional.

    I believe that is what makes the series so great, you really get to know the people in the books, because everything is so lively described, you really get to feel them, you become them, and cry and laugh with them. How can someone not love that in a book? Except when the book is done, and you're sitting there empty.. And you find a new series that is awesome as well! And you're all back into being that little kid who is in love for the first time - oh how I love ye books! (So much better than movies and TV series really)
    Quote Originally Posted by atenime45 View Post
    The 10% reward. It's was unspoken rule that you DONT attack other faction so everyone could enjoy the 10% reward. But now no one cares about that anymore

  13. #113
    Well I'm a ways into book 3, and I'm hooked.

    Maybe I'm the minority, but I like Nynaeve. I'm not particularly fond of the rest of them (the female characters). Egwene is a waste of space.

  14. #114
    Amazingly, Nynaeve is my favorite female character you meet originally. She comes off as a terrible man-hater, which is annoying, but overall she is my favorite main female character. Min and Aviendha are also my favorite main female characters. Some of the secondary Aes Sedai I like as well. And your opinion of Egwene (to me) is accurate. She doesn't get better, but actually kinda worse. Yes, she gets more development as a character later on, but (again, to me) it isn't for the better. When the White Tower splits, she gets a massive ego and comes off as "I am better than everyone else", but at least she isn't fawning all over Rand anymore. That's relegated to Elayne, Min (her worst quality, to me) and Aviendha (her worst, as well).

  15. #115
    Quote Originally Posted by Adam Jensen View Post
    The Aes Sedai are a society of bitches. Honestly.
    Ok. I'm just starting book 8. I pretty much hate every female character who isn't a maiden of the spear.

    I was really wanting Mat to kick Nynaeve and Elayne in the ginch.

  16. #116
    It doesn't get much better, unfortunately. There is one Aes Sedai that I actually really like. I think her name is Vera. She's a Brown and the only one I can stand. I think I got the name right. It has been so long since I read it I can't be sure.

  17. #117
    Titan Gallahadd's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Beyond the 1% barrier.
    Posts
    14,177
    Quote Originally Posted by dwightyo39 View Post
    Ok. I'm just starting book 8. I pretty much hate every female character who isn't a maiden of the spear.

    I was really wanting Mat to kick Nynaeve and Elayne in the ginch.
    Yeah that sounds about right. Some of them do redeem themselves, but some of them don't...

    How cool is Mat though , and Lan!
    Check out the blog I write for LEGENDARY Indie Label Flicknife Records:

    Blog Thirty is live! In which we discuss our latest releases, and our great new line of T-shirts.
    https://www.flickniferecords.co.uk/blog/item/30-blog-30

  18. #118
    I thought the series started out very strong, and had several interesting characters, but by book 5 or so, started to pick up too many plot threads and side characters that just weren't very interesting. By book 9 or so, I felt that the story was a mess and was very hard to follow. I stopped reading in book 12, the one where Sanderson took over, because I just didn't enjoy his writing style as compared to Jordan's. I have those last 3 books waiting on the shelf for when I feel like picking them up again.

  19. #119
    Quote Originally Posted by trink202 View Post
    I thought the series started out very strong, and had several interesting characters, but by book 5 or so, started to pick up too many plot threads and side characters that just weren't very interesting. By book 9 or so, I felt that the story was a mess and was very hard to follow. I stopped reading in book 12, the one where Sanderson took over, because I just didn't enjoy his writing style as compared to Jordan's. I have those last 3 books waiting on the shelf for when I feel like picking them up again.
    Funny I found the opposite. Sanderson moved more story along with a lot fewer extraneous words. Given that Jordan himself couldn't finish the series, I can't say I didn't enjoy the last books equally well and to the extent that they actually completed the story probably a bit more than average.

    At OP: I first picked up WoT when only 5 or 6 books were out and every time a new addition came out I would read the entire series up through the new book and always found something new to notice and found them enjoyable.

    There are maybe 2 or 3 other fantasy series I've ever read that I have read more than once. So in answer to your question, very much yes.

  20. #120
    Quote Originally Posted by Rennadrel View Post
    There were a lot of problems with how the series ended, not just that story arc, but it was certainly the dumbest of them all. I absolutely did not like how Rand's ending was written and felt like overall, the book was jumbled and timelines were really wonky.
    Spoiler for the very end of the series

    I think Rand's ending was a total cop-out. I think really he should have died but Sanderson couldn't bear to do that to him/his fans. The timelines being wonky is, I think, intentional. The closer you are to the Shayol-Ghul the slower time passes, so the people further out may experience months whilst those close experience weeks and at the centre only days or hours.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Summer View Post
    To people comparing WoT and ASOIAF; I'm pretty afraid that GRRM is pretty much about to do the same thing Jordan did, that is, add more and more characters until the series bloats to the point where almost nothing happens in a book, and the end result is another author needs to pick it up at the end and finish wrapping things up. So the Crossroads of Twilight is still coming up for SOIAF - if it ever does, GRRM is writing so slowly :/

    Jordan prepared for leaving the series unfinished by making tons of notes for Sanderson to use and I have a feeling GRRM isn't interested in that. Which is why it's great we have the HBO series since that will surely go all the way to the end even if the books don't. Surely?!
    GRRM has left lots of notes with HBO so they know how to finish the series, I don't think that's too disimilar to what RJ did and an author should be able to use them to finish the series if George doesn't manage to himself.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •