WoTaLong (Wheel of Time Readalong) discussion

Remember these are spoilery discussions - so stay away unless you've finished this section! Also, please keep spoilers to the things we know in this section of the book.

I split The Great Hunt into four sections to roughly correspond with weeks of February. I'm posting these a couple weeks early for those who are ahead of the one book per month schedule :)

What are your thoughts on this section of The Great Hunt?

Need a reminder? Here are the chapter summaries.

My favorite chapter: Probably Chapter 6 because of all the action!

Happy reading!

The Amyrlin is a great character! I can't get over how often she uses fishing analogies, though - it becomes a game to see how long she can have dialogue before one slips in (like a slippery eel through a net).

The whole Egwene visiting Padan Fain thing was so ridiculous to me. It's SUCH a bad idea. Why in the world would she do that? Definitely one of the things that's hardest about this series is watching so many of the main characters make such bad decisions. It's like most of them lack the most basic common sense. Perhaps it's because the wheel weaves them as it wills, but I think it's more likely that they're just a little foolish.

Yeah probably not the best decision but I don’t think anybody had realized how dangerous Fain is. It probably fits her character try to learn & help along with disregarding restraints. Of the 5 from the two rivers she is the only one that went by choice.

I have a bad feeling about Liandrin. In the prologue there was some Aes Sedai at the darkfriend meeting, and I'm predicting she was one of them.

I agree that it was foolish for Ewgene to visit Padan Fain, but I kind of wonder if Ewgene has a hard time believing someone can be that bad. Maybe she was hoping she could save him? She seems to have a kind heart.

I love Moiraine! I don't think anything she is plotting is bad. I think she is trying to do good for the world.

For some reason I find Lan to be so sweet! I love how he treats Nynaeve, and I think how Nynaeve reacts to him shows how young she really is, because I feel like she doesn't really understand his reasons for not being with her (I think it's a maturity thing, and it's totally understandable, because Lan is so much older).

I don't really understand Nynaeve's hatred towards Moiriane. I feel like it's due to jealousy of how close she is with Lan, but I think Moiraine's relationship with Lan is strictly business/friendship. I also understand that she is mad at Moiriane for taking Rand, Perrin, Mat and Ewgene from the Two Rivers, but I think it's niave of her to think that they would have been safer there.

I agree that Nynaeve's hatred of Moiraine is strange. I don't necessarily think she's jealous of how close she is with Lan, but rather angry that Moiraine is part of the reason why Lan can't be with Nynaeve. I think you're right that a big part of her anger is about Moiraine taking the boys out of the Two Rivers. I think the anger at Moiraine is a little misplaced too - it's like Nynaeve is choosing Moiraine as a scapegoat for her anger over the people she feels responsible for being put in danger, as if the danger wouldn't have come to the Two Rivers if Moiraine had never shown up.

Here is my take. As Wisdom Nynaeve was basically in charge of the town. She is kind of like wise woman and discipline sheriff. She is younger than than most Wisdom’s and probably insecure so probably the anger at Moriane has to do with the Boys that she is responsible for being snatched away as it threatens her position.

I agree that Egwene's decision to visit Fain was a bad one, but I also agree that it fits her character. From her perspective, she's known Fain since she was a child and he's never seemed like a dark friend until recent events. I don't think anyone other than Moiraine realized how far gone he was and she thought she could save him and turn him to the light.

I also think Nynaeve is using Moiraine as a bit of a scapegoat, but basically her life as she knew it completely changed when Moiraine came into their lives and she blames Moiraine for that. And then Moiraine's relationship with Lan is just the cherry on top. Nynaeve sees Moiraine as an obstacle between her and Lan, even if there is no romance between the Aes Sedai and Warder.

Just finished chapter 9 and cannot put book down. I have my first real hated character in series Liandrin. Looks like she will be real trouble going forward. Love it!

Liandrin is one of my least liked characters too Kevin!