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.

What are your thoughts on this section of Crossroads of Twilight?

I'll update with my favorite part once I've read this section!

Happy reading!

I think that was the worst book in the series for me so far. Or rather the first half of this book was the worst part for me; I quite enjoyed the second part

Elayne was never one of my favourite characters...but the whole plot around her trying to get the throne seems so...boring and dragged out. I'm sure she'll get it in the end, and it's just not interesting. I don't really know why I can't bring myself to be invested in that storyline, but it's the truth.
It doesn't help that she's pregnant...I have to admit I never liked pregnancies and babies in fantasy and either Elayne or one of her companies mention the pregnancy at least every two pages.

What I did love about the book, was having Egwene back! I love her storyline. In a way it is similar to Elayne's story, but so much better done. There is also a play for power between her and the hall, there is also a traitor in her middle (Halima), similar to Mellar...but it's just so much more interesting. Though I got a bit angry with Egwene at the very end...how could she be so stupid and get herself captured. I have to admit, though, it makes for a nice cliffhanger at the end of the book. ;)

I also enjoyed Mat's chapters quite a bit. I was not sure about him and Tuon, but they start growing on me. At least they don't fall in love instantly and out of no where, like most other couples in the series.
Not much to say about Perrin...similarly to Elaine I didn't feel his story progressed a lot in this book, though I still preferred his and Faile's chapters over Elayne.

Oddly I didn't really miss Rand, I only realised at the end that we hardly saw him this book. (And there was not a single chapter with Nynaeve, If i remember that correctly...).
I'm still very much invested in the series, but I hope the whole mess in Caemlyn is resolved soon.

I think I prefer this book to Path of Daggers, but so little happens in it. I read somewhere that Robert Jordan wanted the book to focus on everyone's reaction to the cleansing of Saidin, but it's frustrating that so much of the plot hasn't progressed.

I agree that Mat and Egwene's chapters were the best, but I didn't really like the ending. I think partly that's because I was expecting a climax (all of the previous books have had one) and so I was left a bit deflated by it. I'm glad I don't have to wait a couple of years until the next book comes out!

Since writing all of the above, I've read this blog (http://greatlordofthedark.blogspot.co...) on it, and I think I have more appreciation for the book. But I still wish something more had happened!

I finished this one. I liked it more than when I read it in 2015. I agree that some of the threads were interesting but lack of resolution is frustrating. Other threads were very boring. Also the massive amount of characters makes it harder to understand. At least there are resources available to help with this aspect.

In Chapter 24, I'm intrigued by Rand's relationship to the one power. I know we don't have answers yet, but I wanted to speculate here :)

Why does channeling still make Rand ill despite saidin being clean? Is it perhaps related to his never healing wounds?

And what would happen if he stopped pushing Lews Therin down? Would he be displaced, or WHOLE? He seems to be the most mad, most tormented of any of the male channelers, which doesn't add up.

I read this for the first time all the way back in 2003. Back then we used to call the capture and rescue of Faile "The Plotline of Doom"... because it kind of destroyed one of our favorite POV characters in Perrin. It's like his whole development ground to a halt.

Back then I really hated this book. Even as I listen to it as an audiobook... I completely struggled to get into it and often felt my mind wandering.

I will say this... in 2003 I hated Cadsuane, but now I kind of lover her character. Reminds me of that wise old no nonsense grandma most of us had growing up in the 80's and 90's. Much more powerful character now that I'm older.