Conquer Club

Have any of you read "Towers of Midnight" yet? Just finished, and I have to say, I am REALLY looking forward to the last book.

Didn't even know it was out yet but enjoyed "The Gathering Storm" way more than had expected too so yes, very much looking forward to this fabulous epic's finally coming to a conclusion!

Lord+Master wrote:Didn't even know it was out yet but enjoyed "The Gathering Storm" way more than had expected too so yes, very much looking forward to this fabulous epic's finally coming to a conclusion!

I didn't either until I saw a stack of them at Hastings. Apparently they came out back on the 2nd. This one is about as good as the last one, and once you read it, you'll see why.

Rand is so goddamn badass.

Couldn't finish the 5th book. It reminded me too much of those long, drawn-out Dragon Ball Z episodes where they charge up for 15 minutes and the narrator has to remind you about 3 times that they're charging up for something big.

BigBallinStalin wrote:Couldn't finish the 5th book. It reminded me too much of those long, drawn-out Dragon Ball Z episodes where they charge up for 15 minutes and the narrator has to remind you about 3 times that they're charging up for something big.

That's a shame. The scope of the series is fucking ridiculous. The plot slows down a lot after the 6th book because of the ridiculous number of plotlines, but they're not pointless, as a lot of people who dropped the series in those books will tell you. If you have the patience and attention to the intricacies of the plot, it's actually very rewarding. It's become quite exciting starting with Knife of Dreams because the story is finally becoming focused on Tarmon Gai'don, meaning that things have begun to tie together.

Like I said, the scope of the series is just huge. What's ridiculous is really that none of the plotlines are pointless or just pure world-building - they're all relevant to the story.

My only issue with the series is that the characters are usually pretty flat. Despite my temptation to compare it to War and Peace, Robert Jordan was no Tolstoy (in terms of the depth of characters).

I decided not to read any of the last three books until the last one comes out...and then do 'em in one go

Gypsys Kiss wrote:I decided not to read any of the last three books until the last one comes out...and then do 'em in one go

Whatever works, though for the last book, it looks like it won't be coming out until 2012 sometime.

muy_thaiguy wrote:

Gypsys Kiss wrote:I decided not to read any of the last three books until the last one comes out...and then do 'em in one go

Whatever works, though for the last book, it looks like it won't be coming out until 2012 sometime.

Sanderson said to expect Spring 2012 just because he wants to reread the series first. It's only a few extra months.

InkL0sed wrote:

muy_thaiguy wrote:

Gypsys Kiss wrote:I decided not to read any of the last three books until the last one comes out...and then do 'em in one go

Whatever works, though for the last book, it looks like it won't be coming out until 2012 sometime.

Sanderson said to expect Spring 2012 just because he wants to reread the series first. It's only a few extra months.

Still, I am curious to see how it all ends.

Read the rest of Brandon Sanderson's work while you wait for the final book. You will not be disappointed.

Two best moments of Towers of Midnight:

1. When Perrin flat out stops balefire in mid-air and tells Egwene, "It's just a weave," like it's no big deal.

2. When Perrin forges his new hammer. EPIC visuals in that scene. If there is any moment in the series that should be put to film it is that scene specifically.

Honorable mention: The battle with Rodel Ituralde.

Optimus Prime wrote:Read the rest of Brandon Sanderson's work while you wait for the final book. You will not be disappointed.

Two best moments of Towers of Midnight:

1. When Perrin flat out stops balefire in mid-air and tells Egwene, "It's just a weave," like it's no big deal.

2. When Perrin forges his new hammer. EPIC visuals in that scene. If there is any moment in the series that should be put to film it is that scene specifically.

Honorable mention: The battle with Rodel Ituralde.

Those were awesome. Especially when you read that Egwene is dumbfounded by Perrin doing that, and she is supposed to be an expert in that world.
What I want to know is what happens with the Seanchan discovering Traveling and Trollocs invading Caemlyn. And Moraine's role in the end.

Talmanes discovering the trollocs in Caemlyn was epic, and I'm sure the fallout from that will happen first thing in the next book. I like how that moment proved that Mat never should have started being responsible. Ha!

There's an interview with Sanderson posted on Dragonmount. One of the questions (I think it's the last one), is interesting: it asks if all the timelines have caught up, and he says that the only one that hasn't is the Black Tower.

Now, I don't know if you guys agree, but it seems pretty obvious to me that the reason why the second dreamspike is at the Black Tower is to prevent all of those channelers from helping the defense of Caemlyn. When I first finished the novel, I assumed Caemlyn was screwed, but given that that timeline hasn't caught up yet, I'm predicting that the dreamspike is gone by the time the Trollocs invade.

InkL0sed wrote:There's an interview with Sanderson posted on Dragonmount. One of the questions (I think it's the last one), is interesting: it asks if all the timelines have caught up, and he says that the only one that hasn't is the Black Tower.

Now, I don't know if you guys agree, but it seems pretty obvious to me that the reason why the second dreamspike is at the Black Tower is to prevent all of those channelers from helping the defense of Caemlyn. When I first finished the novel, I assumed Caemlyn was screwed, but given that that timeline hasn't caught up yet, I'm predicting that the dreamspike is gone by the time the Trollocs invade.

I thought the Dreamspike was meant to trap them there, but so that the people there couldn't escape (those loyal to Rand and Logain that is) because they are severely outnumbered.

As for Caemlyn, with the Band there, and possibly (I think still) thousands of those mercenary bands that it isn't lost yet. Plus, seeing as how Rand has a knack for these coming arcoss and fixing these things (Matt and Perrin too, for that matter), I'd say Caemlyn still has a chance.

What really perplexes me though, was Aviendha's vision in Rhuidean for the future. I'm not sure if it should be viewed as the future that will be, or the future that might be.

muy_thaiguy wrote:

InkL0sed wrote:There's an interview with Sanderson posted on Dragonmount. One of the questions (I think it's the last one), is interesting: it asks if all the timelines have caught up, and he says that the only one that hasn't is the Black Tower.

Now, I don't know if you guys agree, but it seems pretty obvious to me that the reason why the second dreamspike is at the Black Tower is to prevent all of those channelers from helping the defense of Caemlyn. When I first finished the novel, I assumed Caemlyn was screwed, but given that that timeline hasn't caught up yet, I'm predicting that the dreamspike is gone by the time the Trollocs invade.

I thought the Dreamspike was meant to trap them there, but so that the people there couldn't escape (those loyal to Rand and Logain that is) because they are severely outnumbered.

As for Caemlyn, with the Band there, and possibly (I think still) thousands of those mercenary bands that it isn't lost yet. Plus, seeing as how Rand has a knack for these coming arcoss and fixing these things (Matt and Perrin too, for that matter), I'd say Caemlyn still has a chance.

What really perplexes me though, was Aviendha's vision in Rhuidean for the future. I'm not sure if it should be viewed as the future that will be, or the future that might be.

I think we basically agree regarding Caemlyn. I think the only way to see Aviendha's vision of the future is that it's a possible future. We've seen a lot of possible futures, actually, or foretellings of possible futures. Off the top of my head, there's the Wise Ones who've seen that telling Moiraine to go to Rhuidean is bad; Moiraine's vision of things she shouldn't do at Rhuidean (like sleep with Rand); dark prophecies (and probably the Seanchan version of the Karaethon Cycle) are basically all possible futures; the foretelling that the Borderland royalty kept secret regarding Rand's answer to that random question about a clerk; etc.

I mean, come on, this is the Wheel of Time. No way do things actually end that way. I mean, did you really believe for a second that Graendal would kill Perrin? The possibility is just there just so we can worry about it enough for some suspense.

By the way, this is completely random, but here's an amusing thread speculating about Moiraine and Siuan's sexuality

I think we basically agree regarding Caemlyn. I think the only way to see Aviendha's vision of the future is that it's a possible future. We've seen a lot of possible futures, actually, or foretellings of possible futures. Off the top of my head, there's the Wise Ones who've seen that telling Moiraine to go to Rhuidean is bad; Moiraine's vision of things she shouldn't do at Rhuidean (like sleep with Rand); dark prophecies (and probably the Seanchan version of the Karaethon Cycle) are basically all possible futures; the foretelling that the Borderland royalty kept secret regarding Rand's answer to that random question about a clerk; etc.

Just saying that I don't think Caemlyn is fucked, as that will probably be a vital part sometime later (Elayne, her family, etc).
The thing about Aviendha's vision is, is that it came to her in a ter'angreal that showed only the past, as in it showed something that actually happened, unlike all of the other ones that operate by someone stepping into them. That is what sets it apart from the rest.

I mean, come on, this is the Wheel of Time. No way do things actually end that way. I mean, did you really believe for a second that Graendal would kill Perrin? The possibility is just there just so we can worry about it enough for some suspense.

No, not really, as that was a "Dark Prophecy" and whatever his name is (the Dark One) is nick-named as the Father of Lies. But I also didn't think that Jain Farstrider would be thrown into the mix (admittedly, before he popped up and called himself a relative), and I also didn't think that Tuon would be driven over the edge to the point of launching a sneak attack on the White Tower. I'm waiting for some sort of counter-attack to that.

By the way, this is completely random, but here's an amusing thread speculating about Moiraine and Siuan's sexuality.

Thought about this a little myself, but I think it was just one of those things that happen (considering their age and the whatnot), and that they only see eachother as friends that may have spent a lonely night or 2 together, as there is no real indication of them being romantically involved. The only things I got out of it, was that they were just really good friends.

f*ck you all, Mind adding MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT!
That being said looks like I gota hit up amazon

Rushed out and bought it and spent 3 days reading it (to the exclusion of pretty much everything, much to my wife's irritation ) and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Perrin was the main character really, finally found a resolution to his worries regarding letting the wolf loose and stepped up to accept leadership, agree the bit where he ends up forging a new power-wrought weapon was excellent.

Mat was as amusing as always, though think the way he dealt with the gholam was a tiny bit twee... Moiraine and Thom?! Silly!

al'Lan Mandragoran is easily my favourite character and there'd better be some major scenes of the Malkieri carnage in the final book!

Not too taken with Rand's sudden Messianic tendencies, ok yes he is the one on whom all the hopes of mankind rests but sunshine breaking through the clouds everywhere he goes? Bit ott imo.

Aviendha's always been a cool as feck hard as nails babe and I'm liking the wtf aspect to her visions in Rhuidean, personally I think it's showing of a possible future, similar to the portal stones/other dimensions/Rand's alternate lives ideas from earlier in the series.

Anyway, dead good, Sanderson has done a masterful job of keeping it boiling nicely and am impatient for the end... Though of course "There are neither beginnings nor ends to the Wheel of Time"

Please let the Cartographers one day develop a WoT map.

I want to relive the fantasy adventure.

agreed, it'd be the only map i'd ever play again.

This series looks cool, after reading all these spoilers.
Just from this thread, it reminds me of a few other series: The Lonely Winds [url]thelonelywinds.com[/url], Quantum Leap, Time Tunnel, Wheel in the Sky (a song actually).
I might look this up and see what it's about.

shieldgenerator7 wrote:This series looks cool, after reading all these spoilers.
Just from this thread, it reminds me of a few other series: The Lonely Winds [url]thelonelywinds.com[/url], Quantum Leap, Time Tunnel, Wheel in the Sky (a song actually).
I might look this up and see what it's about.

The 14th and final book is coming out next year. The books are an average of 6 or 7 hundred pages. Are you sure you can handle it?

Having read all these books, including the extended prequel "New Spring" (extended as it was originally a short story but then was padded-out as a novel) I would be ecstatic if WoT could be given the HBO mini-series treatment! Admittedly you'd need something like 15 series of 12 full 1 hour episodes but... *stops to wipe drool off chin*... Oooohhhh THAT would be supoib

Lord+Master wrote:if WoT could be given the HBO mini-series treatment!

Why?

It would inevitably be a disappointment.