A Wheel Of Time Read Along discussion

Here’s where we will discuss the prologue and the first 14 chapters.

ETA - Take your time reading. I’m hoping that we make some new WoT fans here. Also, remember that we now step into spoiler territory here as we progress through the story. Please don’t spoil anything beyond Chapter 14 in this topic discussion. Thanks! May the light be with you and happy reading!

EotW has one of the greatest prologues! It really sucks you in. I really enjoyed the cruelty Ishamael (Elan Morin Tedronai) shows to poor Lews Therin.

This passage in chapter 13 where Moiraine talks with Egwene can also be seen as the author talking to the reader.

“Ask,” Moiraine was saying, “and if I can tell you now I will. Understand, there is much for which you are not yet ready, things you cannot learn until you have learned other things which require still others to be learned before them. But ask what you will.”

Very true! At the same time, we are fed a lot of the universe we’re entering in the things the characters say. I like that Emond Fielders don’t really believe in Trollocs or Fades. They’re just the stories of a gleeman. So we also learn through Rand’s eyes.

Lots of Tolkien vibes in the first 100 pages or so.

Despite the wider story structure similarities of young lad from an isolated country location is taken away on an adventure on the night of a big celebration, it's the details that struck me the most. The mention of people being excited about fireworks (like Gandalf brings at the beginning of Fellowship). Two friends who are often jokesters (Matrim and Perrin - even the names remind me of Merry and Pippin). I also get strong Nazgul influence in the Myrddraal. Etc.

I assume the series will get less Tolkien-esque as it progresses and Jordan gains more confidence in his story.

Oh yes! The Eye Of The World is very much a modern take on LotR. It does start to become its own thing, though, starting at book two. There’s a podcast I was listening to that said some interesting things about this. I think it was The Dragon Reread. They said that LotR resembles post WWI in attitude and symbolism as Tolkien was from that time period and also served in WWI. Robert Jordan, who fought in the Vietnam war, took those ideas and updated that setting into post Vietnam era.

I found that fascinating.

And, of course, they do make fun of Eye Of The World for it on that podcast, which was fun.

What is the correct pronunciation of Aes Sedai? I see the phonetics in the back of the book but I'm honestly bad at deciphering those things. Is Aes supposed to be like eyes or with the A sounding more like Abraham? And is Sedai like sed-eye or se-day?

Mark wrote: "Lots of Tolkien vibes in the first 100 pages or so.

Despite the wider story structure similarities of young lad from an isolated country location is taken away on an adventure on the night of a b..."

I was noticing that too! It definitely feels LOTR-inspired, but seems to have quite a bit of it's own going on too.

Amanda wrote: "What is the correct pronunciation of Aes Sedai? I see the phonetics in the back of the book but I'm honestly bad at deciphering those things. Is Aes supposed to be like eyes or with the A sounding ..."

I’m listening to the audio book and reading it. The narrator pronounces it as Eyes Se-deyes.

Jason wrote: "Amanda wrote: "What is the correct pronunciation of Aes Sedai? I see the phonetics in the back of the book but I'm honestly bad at deciphering those things. Is Aes supposed to be like eyes or with ..."

Thank you!

Amanda wrote: "Jason wrote: "Amanda wrote: "What is the correct pronunciation of Aes Sedai? I see the phonetics in the back of the book but I'm honestly bad at deciphering those things. Is Aes supposed to be like..."

The books usually have a glossary in the back, which lists the pronunciation of most of those tricky Fantasy words.

You’re welcome, Amanda!

Mark wrote: "Lots of Tolkien vibes in the first 100 pages or so.

Despite the wider story structure similarities of young lad from an isolated country location is taken away on an adventure on the night of a b..."

It was intentional on Jordan's part to start with something very familiar and then take it in new directions.

Concerning RJs inspiration for writing the Wheel of Time, check out this audio interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXGhk...
There are no spoilers in the interview but the images in the youtube video may contain some minor spoilers.

Thanks, Stubbles! I’m going to watch that when I get home from work.

Stubble wrote: "Mark wrote: "Lots of Tolkien vibes in the first 100 pages or so.

Despite the wider story structure similarities of young lad from an isolated country location is taken away on an adventure on the..."

That's interesting that it was a purposeful decision. I'll check out that interview now. Thanks for the recommendation, Stubbles :)

Just wanted to mention that I'm going into this series completely blind with no prior knowledge of anything about Wheel of Time. So all of this is really informative! And really wanted to say that Robert Jordan's storytelling is really straightforward, I expected a mad scramble for details of names and places, but surprisingly that hasn't been the case. :)

Jordan is very good at laying out this world. I’ve noticed how good with this reread.

He is not overly descriptive of places, clothes and events but it was easy for me to imagine how the people looked like and how the scenes played out.

I enjoyed the first 200 pages.

I found the prologue a bit baffling but it made more sense retrospectively as you learn more about the world.

I'm really glad he doesn't go into a "concerning hobbits" type of beginning. I love LoTR but I would be willing to bet that prologue has been responsible for an enormous number of aborted readings.

I like the conflict arising from mistrust and prejudice within the group, along with the few touches of mystery. I'm looking forward to seeing where the author takes it.

Second-hand information going into the book expected me to find prose of a distinct purple hue. Luckily, I haven't noticed it really except when it is deliberate (i.e. Moiraine's history lecture) which fitted well enough. I can be very picky when it comes to prose quality but I only remember being pulled out of the scene once by it (can't remember where now).

The main monsters feel like orc stand-ins at the moment. I felt the human antagonists in the story, though minor, were much more interesting.

All in all, I found I wanted to keep reading once I reached the end of chapter 14, not wait for a whole week before continuing onward. I am pacing myself though, I have a few other books to read this week but I'm looking forward to the weekend when I can dive back into the adventure.

I have a question. Does the series follow a main quest or is it more a series of connected stories with different characters and such?

I'm in the middle of Chapter 4 right now. I skipped all of your comments to prevent seeing any spoilers. I will join in on the discussion once I'm caught up. So far, I'm really enjoying the narrative and writing style! :)

I know what you mean, Luke. I just finished chapter 14 on my lunch break too, and found that the writing was so good, I didn't want to put it down yet either. Definitely not as bland as I remembered it to be when I first read it years ago. (I think maybe my reading taste has matured and I appreciate the prose more now? Who knows.)

I’m liking it much more this read through, too. In the past two read throughs I was a little more dismissive of it all, but I think that I’ve matured as a reader too. Probably. I’m not sure why I’m enjoying it more.

I am just starting Ch. 5 myself. I think that it has been a really great start. I have been missing this classic fantasy feel in my life lately. :) I hope I can get caught up in time for next week.

I found the prologue very interesting. I have finished the first book and I found it more intriguing by reading and listening to the audiobook simultaneously.

Mark wrote: "Lots of Tolkien vibes in the first 100 pages or so.

Despite the wider story structure similarities of young lad from an isolated country location is taken away on an adventure on the night of a b..."

At the time of publication, virtually every fantasy novel had a dust jacket blurb comparing the work to, or anointing it as the next, "Lord of the Rings." This was par for the course for the fantasy genre as a whole, and RJ deliberately crafted the first hundred pages or so as a sort of tribute to tLotR.

That said, as a fan of both works, I feel the similarities touted are sometimes overstated or strained. While the Shire and the Two Rivers are both parochial backwaters, and the Half-man is a deliberate callback to the 'Black Riders'; it can be helpful to remember that Frodo was by no means a callow 'young lad', and he is not suddenly whisked away on the eve of a big celebration, but deliberately plans his departure on the evening of his (and Bilbo's) rather small and select birthday celebration (with only two or three friends), months in advance. I think in some ways, Luke Skywalker's story has more similarities to Rand & co.'s departure than Frodo & co.

I think the movie version of tLotR, released some eleven years after tEotW was published, bears some of the responsibility/blame for all of the comparisons.

I'm interested in people's thoughts about some of the stories that are referenced when Thom Merrilin, the Gleeman, is introduced:
1) Mosk & Merk, Giants who fought with spears of fire
2) Ghoetam under the tree of life
3) Lenn who flew to the moon in the belly of an eagle made of fire
4) Materese the Healer
5) The Thousand Tales of Anla, the Wise Counselor
6) Elsbet, the queen of all

I just finished Chapter 14 - Wow!

What I'm enjoying the most so far:

- The intricate, multi-layered world building. No wonder this series is so long. There is so much history infused throughout the text. I can't wait to learn more about it!
- The pacing is great. The narrative is perfectly timed (not too slow or fast).
- I love all of the female characters. They are all bad ass in their own way!

I'm excited to learn more about the Aes Sedai and the political structure of the world.

Oh and Rand's origin story!

Erik wrote: "I'm interested in people's thoughts about some of the stories that are referenced when Thom Merrilin, the Gleeman, is introduced:
1) Mosk & Merk, Giants who fought with spears of fire
2) Ghoetam ..."

I like the third one. It speaks of a different time period, The Age Of Legends? It also sparks some interesting theories that all this takes place on our own planet, many thousands of years in the future. Even if it’s not on earth, it certainly gives hints at the progress of technology these people once had so long ago, which I find fascinating .

Navi wrote: "I just finished Chapter 14 - Wow!

What I'm enjoying the most so far:

- The intricate, multi-layered world building. No wonder this series is so long. There is so much history infused throughout t..."

A lot of people say that Jordan’s prose is purple. I totally disagree because of what you said here, Navi. I think that there’s a great balance in what he’s trying to do, which is bring us into a fully realized world. So there are more descriptions than normal, perhaps, but it serves the story rather than the author trying to impress with his command of flowery language.

Jason, what do you mean by purple prose? I haven't heard that term before.

It pretty much means an author consistently using unnecessary large and complex descriptive words.

Ah I see. I haven't once thought that at all. I usually enjoy descriptive prose though. The only things I've thought are unnecessarily complex are the names. I'm getting used to them now, but it does annoy me when an author seems like they're trying too hard to come up with unique sounding names.

I usually like descriptive prose too. I find that if it’s done right, people will say that it’s poetic or lyrical. But if it’s not, then they will say it’s purple.

Re: names. You do get used to the names after a time. But you’re right, it’s very frustrating at first.

Agree with all of the above! Robert Jordan is descriptive, but by no means is it close to purple prose.

A note on the female characters: I've heard horror stories that Jordan writes terrible female characters. And my first time reading this, I remember not liking Egwene very much.But on this read-through, I'm coming to understand more that she's a woman who doesn't want to conform to the status quo of her town - which is basically to just become a farmer's wife, settle down, and have some children. She has ambitions beyond Emond's Field and I can appreciate that.

I'm curious as to why Rand views Aes Sedai so negatively. I know they've been associated with Darkfriends and all that, but so far I haven't seen a single hint of any of that in Moiraine? Could it be part of the societal expectation in this world, where the extent of women's power should JUST remain in being someone's wife, etc?

Carla wrote: "Agree with all of the above! Robert Jordan is descriptive, but by no means is it close to purple prose.

A note on the female characters: I've heard horror stories that Jordan writes terrible femal..."

I was going to post something about Egwene too! I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but her character is annoying me a bit, which is sad because she's one of the few female characters so far. It is not her actions really, but maybe the way she is written? Like she seems a bit petulant rather than strong-willed. I'm not sure. Maybe it'll get better. I like Moiraine though.

It is nice that there is at least one prominent main female character. I've been reading lots of Feist lately, and while I love his writing and world, his treatment of female characters truly is atrocious. Jordan is already way better than Feist at this.

Carla wrote: "I'm curious as to why Rand views Aes Sedai so negatively. I know they've been associated with Darkfriends and all that, but so far I haven't seen a single hint of any of that in Moiraine? Could it be part of the societal expectation in this world, where the extent of women's power should JUST remain in being someone's wife, etc?..."

Good question! I think that pretty much most people in the series don’t like or trust Aes Sedai, as you will see. People fear the unknown, and people who can wield the one power are terrifying to those who don’t understand it.

A day or 2 late, but I finally just finished the chapters for week one. And they just kept getting better and better. I loving it for sure. I am looking forward on starting Week 2's chapters tomorrow.

Yay! I’m happy you’re enjoying the book, Mindy!

Jason wrote: "Erik wrote: "I'm interested in people's thoughts about some of the stories that are referenced when Thom Merrilin, the Gleeman, is introduced:
1) Mosk & Merk, Giants who fought with spears of fire..."

It does indeed speak to a different time period, but not the Age of Legends. This is related to one of the themes of the series, that time itself is a wheel that replays as it comes around again, at least in general ages if not specific details. Also how stories change and are corrupted over time into something different. All of the stories I quoted above are references to our own time and age, barely remembered as misty myths of long ago.

For example Mosk & Merc with their lances of fire are Moscow and America, with ICBMS that could reach anywhere in the world. It can be fun to see if we recognize the seeds of other deeds and people from our time in the stories Thom offers to tell.

Carla wrote: "I'm curious as to why Rand views Aes Sedai so negatively. I know they've been associated with Darkfriends and all that, but so far I haven't seen a single hint of any of that in Moiraine? Could it be part of the societal expectation in this world, where the extent of women's power should JUST remain in being someone's wife, etc? "

Women are actually much more empowered in this world than in say, the traditional way in our world. In this world, it is men that are responsible for "original sin" as it were with the breaking and the taint. You have evidence of that in the Woman's Circle and other organizations you will see. Rand's distrust of Aes Sedai has nothing to do with gender or Moiraine herself, and the general view of the Aes Sedai among the common people. Aes Seai were, after all, responsible (if only indirectly) for the breaking, a very traumatic period in history that is still ingrained on the collective consciousness, even after thousands of years. As we will come to see, the Aes Sedai are in part responsiblibe for this view as well.

Just finished chapter 8. My thoughts:
-Really nice to see Rand and Mat be so jokey and childish and friendly with each other before things start getting serious.
-A lot of echoes with Lord of the Rings which isn’t a bad thing. Moiraine – Gandalf, Lan – Aragorn, the Fades and the Nazgul. In Lord of the Rings I recall Frodo being stabbed where here it is Tam.
-Rand mentions the Aes Sedai caused the breaking and how the stories say they have a reputation for manipulation. No wonder he feels uneasy after he finds out Moiraine is one
-When Rand picks up the sword he is so unused to it; it feels really heavy on him.
-Padan Fain is acting oddly. He seems to love spreading bad news, he didn’t leave the inn when Thom was performing and has disappeared after the attack.
-I like how Robert Jordan has made things very mysterious and we don’t know who of the outsiders can be trusted.

Mark wrote: "Lots of Tolkien vibes in the first 100 pages or so.

Despite the wider story structure similarities of young lad from an isolated country location is taken away on an adventure on the night of a b..."

I also saw some of the Tolkien vibes. I did not mind at all, and I thought it was refreshing to have a story like this. Many new fantasy stories seem to be very grey - no good and evil. I enjoyed knowing that there is a 'Dark one' and that trollocs are just evil monsters. It seems to me, however, that the Aes Sedai are going to end up being kind of grey based the stories that Two Rivers characters have said.

Even with some Tolkien simmilarities, I find that Robert Jordan as added so much to it, such as the Trollocs visiting Rands farm and having a heavy action sequence right away. I can only assume that, given this is a gigantic 14 book series, it will quickly veer off the Tolkien path. Excited to see !

Erik wrote: "I'm interested in people's thoughts about some of the stories that are referenced when Thom Merrilin, the Gleeman, is introduced:
1) Mosk & Merk, Giants who fought with spears of fire
2) Ghoetam ..."

I also was very interested in these stories, almost more than the main plot! I hope they get expanded upon, and more lore gets added as the series goes on. The most interesting thing to me was the prologue and also the history Moraine gave about the Two Rivers people fighting against Trollocs.

After finishing CH.1 - 14, I can say I am really liking this series. I really want to learn more about Lews Theron from the Prologue. I can tell the world in this story is rich with lore. I looked online to see what the world is actually called. I found that it is called 'Randland'. Is that true?

Erik wrote: "Carla wrote: "I'm curious as to why Rand views Aes Sedai so negatively. I know they've been associated with Darkfriends and all that, but so far I haven't seen a single hint of any of that in Moira..."

I've now read much further than this point, so I can completely see what you're saying Erik. Having travelled in this world further now, I can see what everyone's saying about Aes Sedai and why they're not 100% trustworthy.

Crazy how reading this through new eyes feels kind of like experiencing the world through the eyes of Rand & the Emond's Fielders themselves. You don't know who to trust, what people's motives are, etc.

Joe wrote: "After finishing CH.1 - 14, I can say I am really liking this series. I really want to learn more about Lews Theron from the Prologue. I can tell the world in this story is rich with lore. I looked ..."

Hmm, according to the WoT Wiki, Randland is a name that fans adopted for the entire world that WoT takes place in. Hilarious name for such a seriously rich fantasy world, though 😂

I could be wrong and there may actually be a name for this world, but I was being really sparing in my reading of that wiki in case my eyes wander over to a spoiler, lol.

I feel like I’m so late in responding to any comments. Spring break kicked in for me and I’ve been traveling a lot and haven’t had much time to catch up with reading the book until these past two days. I’m getting really close to chapter 14, but for the most part I’m loving this story so far. Rand is one of those characters that you just want to know how important he is in this wheel of time. The trollocs actually terrified me when they started attacking Tam and Rand. And think once it got to that point in the story that’s where I got hooked. I want to say more of what I like, but I’m waiting to write again once I’ve reached the 14th chapter. I find myself reading faster and faster because I want to keep finding out what happens next. But so far, this is a very enjoyable fantasy story and I’m loving every minute of it! 😁

Pumped to join the group! I'm a tad behind as I'm just abotu 1/3 of the way through the EotW, but not worried about it because Ive read up to book 10 already so spoilers won't be an issue for awhile. Hopefully this group is exactly what I need to motivate myself to push through this time!

32/M/WV (haven't done that in awhile) NICE TO MEET YOU ALL!

Victoria wrote: "I feel like I’m so late in responding to any comments. Spring break kicked in for me and I’ve been traveling a lot and haven’t had much time to catch up with reading the book until these past two d..."

Nice, so you haven't read any of the series before?