The Wheel Of Time

[nunocart]

HI, I'm a fan of the series "The Wheel of Time", by the late Robert Jordan, if you are too, post your ideas and/or thoughts in here.

[devonin]

Each book took longer to come out, had larger print with larger spaces between lines.

He took time off his very successful series to go write some Conan books, possibly making the difference between finishing and not finishing the series before he died.

He wrote himself into a corner by making something impossible that I very strongly thing was supposed to be the case, and then couldn't figure out how to fix it.

[MrRubix]

Honestly, I felt that as the series went on, it kept losing more and more shine. I really enjoyed the first few books, but stuff like Winter's Heart (if I recall correctly) just fell flat for me.

My main complaint is that the entire series is like a massive handjob with no finish -- a huge buildup without a real climax.

[devonin]

He did not finish the series before dying. By all reports he was going to end in book 12, which was half done, and his family knew all the pertinent plot information so "someone" is ostensibly finishing and publishing the book, but I don't expect it to actually tie everything up in any kind of useful way. He had WAY WAY WAY too many loose ends to try and tie up to do in any less, IMO, than 3000 pages.

[foilman8805]

Originally Posted by devonin

He did not finish the series before dying. By all reports he was going to end in book 12, which was half done, and his family knew all the pertinent plot information so "someone" is ostensibly finishing and publishing the book, but I don't expect it to actually tie everything up in any kind of useful way. He had WAY WAY WAY too many loose ends to try and tie up to do in any less, IMO, than 3000 pages.

The 12th 'book' is actually a trilogy called A Memory of Light. The first part of the trilogy comes out in hardcover this month.

WoT was taken over by Brandon Sanderson after RJ's death, and it will be completed with the trilogy totaling nearly 3000 pages as you presumed.

EDIT: First book of the trilogy is called The Gathering Storm.

[devonin]

I'm curious how he's going to try and fix Demandred. I will maintain to the bitter end that RJ simply screwed up and nobody caught it.

Edit: Oh sweet jesus. Plot synopses for books written by Sanderson already:

The main character in Mistborn is Vin, a 16-year-old thief on the streets of Luthadel, the capital city of the Final Empire.
The story follows her life as she comes into her own as one of the Mistborn, people who can use ingested metal particles to enhance their abilities, both mental and physical. She begins on a journey to find out who she really is as she fights against the Final Empire and overthrowing the Lord Ruler. With her help, along with the "crew", Kelsier, Vin's mentor, plans to lead a revolution and save the world at the same time.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians is a young adult novel which tells the story of Alcatraz Smedry, a young teen who is always breaking things. After receiving a bag of sand for his thirteenth birthday, he stumbles into a strange set of events which begins with a group of librarians stealing his bag of sand, which turns out to be rather unusual sand.

The book starts with Alcatraz setting fire to his foster parents's kitchen.It is revealed that he has been sent to countless of foster parents, all ending up with Alcatraz "destroying" things that were precious to the people taking care of him. Ms. Fletcher, Alcatraz's personal caseworker then arrives at his recent foster parent's home and scolds him about destroying his foster parent's kitchen and leaves.

The next day, however, an old man knocks on the door and claims to be his grandfather and tells Alcatraz that he has a special,but powerful talent for breaking things. He later finds out that there is a special force called the Librarians, whose purpose is to conquer the remaining Free Kingdomers and rule the world.

And -he- is finishing the Wheel of Time?

[foilman8805]

I always guessed the Mazrim Taim was Demandred in disguise, but I guess that's not the case. And as far as I know, he's the only Forsaken that hasn't been accurately identified in person, just by name and seemingly coincidental events. I don't know if that's what you're referring to really so please explain because it's been years since I've read the series.

[devonin]

I think it is 100% certain that Mazrim Taim was supposed to be Demandred. But then in the end of book 9, RJ made it -completely impossible- for that to be so.

Small wonder that -that- was when he decided to take some time off and write his conan novels.

[foilman8805]

Well I'm sure it can turn into some dramatic plot twist where we find out he really is Demandred, but he's gone back from the Shadow to the Light or something like that and while appearing every bit hostile, actually wants to help Rand. WHO KNOWS LOL

[devonin]

It wasn't any action on Demandred's part that made it impossible for him to be Taim, it was a statement, during events shown from Demandred's point of view, where we're hearing his own internal monologue where his ignorance of something makes it impossible for him to be Taim.

Demandred, while we knew exactly what he was thinking, didn't know something that Taim would have known for 100% certain.

[devonin]

The Shadow Rising

[MrGiggles]

nah homie

Word of God says Taim isn't Damendred and that's it. I don't think there's anything in the books that 100% guarantees he isn't. Though, if you could copypaste the passage you're thinking of it would be nice, I don't remember every bit of the 200000 page saga.

ps the pacing is so godawful in this series I like my handjobs to take less than thirty hours.

[devonin]

Sure.

[devonin]

From Demandred (Named as Demandred specifically)'s point of view:

"Suddenly he saw people off to the right ahead of him through the trees, and sheltered behind a rough grey trunk. A bald-headed old man with a fringe of white hair was limping along between two women, one of them beautiful in a wild way, the other stunning. What were they doing in these woods? Who were they? Friends of Al'Thor, or just people in the wrong place? He hesitated to kill them, whoever they were. Any use of the power would warn al'Thor. He would have to wait until they passed. The old man's head was turning as if he were searching for something among the trees, but Demandred doubted a fellow that decrepit could see very far.

Abruptly the man stopped and thrust out his hand straight toward Demandred, and Demandred found himself frantically fending off a net of saidin that struck his warding much harder than it should have, as hard as his owm spinnig would. That tottering old man was an Asha'man! At least one of the women must be what passed for an Aes Sedai in this time, and joined with the fellow in a ring."

Note: That's Sarene, Corele, and Flinn, who was one of the very first Asha'man. He was the very first to be tested, he was tested personally by Mazrim Taim. Keep that in mind: Flinn was the VERY FIRST person to show up at the black tower for training, and was PERSONALLY tested and trained by Mazrim Taim, and had been around at the tower, being trained by Taim, and then under Taim's direct supervision and orders recruiting other men to be Asha'man, and Demandred had NO IDEA WHO HE WAS.

[MrGiggles]

Oh wow I totally missed that. Good catch.

[Go_Oilers_Go]

Truly the best series I have ever read. Not gonna lie when they cleansed the Power and had that epic battle scene my brain exploded in awesomeness.

[NFD]

somebody's never read the twilight saga