Just finished Towers of Midnight for the first time. I am excited but also sad to be nearing the end! I have been reading these books across several years and they have kept me company through a lot of big life changes. Spoilers ahead for my impressions of ToM, and please no spoilers for AMoL!

Highlights:
- Nyneave healing madness, becoming an official Aes Sedai and taking Lan’s bond
- Lan finally accepting his destiny. I cried.
- Defeating Mesana in the World of Dreams.
- Aviendha’s view of the Aiel’s future. I’m hoping she will use this to stop Rand from freeing the Dark One until the Seanchan are defeated?
- Lanfear appearing at the very end. This totally caught me by surprise for some reason.
- Hopper’s death. I knew it was coming. I cried.
- Perrin accepting his role as a Lord.
- Rand actually doing something aside from moping around. He was becoming unbearable.

Underwhelmed by:
- Sanderson’s writing. He made the characters seem more real and fleshed out, but he also made them cheesier.
- The Tower of Genji. I thought this would be a larger portion of the book and that whatever they did here would somehow have a bigger impact on the Last Battle (aside from getting Moraine back). I guess they have the relic she brought back with her. I also hate how Mat has no other characteristic than his luck anymore. It was nice for him to finish his arc with the Aelfinn/Eelfinn.
- The romances. Aside from Lan and Nyneave, and MAYBE Rand and Min, none of them feel very deep/real/ fleshed out. Faile and Perrin got a lot better during this book now that Berlain is no longer an issue.
- Many of the relationships in general. I am always underwhelmed when Perrin, Mat, or Rand reunite. I was also underwhelmed when each of Morgase’s children discovered her alive. I am always wishing for more impact from those types of scenes.
- Egwene finding a way to bring the Aes Sedai, Wise Ones, Seafinders and the Kin together.

Looking forward to:
- The Last Battle of course. I can usually predict who will die in a series like this but I honestly have no idea.
- Hopefully the Seanchan being defeated handily. I am so sick of these guys.
- Lanfear redemption arc??? I could see her betraying the Dark One for Rand.
- How all of Min’s viewings turn out.
- My guess for Rand is that he somehow burns himself out sealing the Dark One away and will have no powers (OR madness) afterwards. Maybe he goes back to being a sheepherder? How is he going to raise Elayne’s twins and Aviendha’s quadruplets and whatever children Min has….
- Hoping the Oiger will make an appearance in the Last Battle.

I spent the better part of 3 years listening to the series (with a couple breaks after books 3 and 9) and finally finished maybe 15 minutes ago. What a great journey it has been, I’m very sorry to be saying farewell to these characters I have come to think of as friends. What am I supposed to listen to on my drives now?

None of my friends or family are familiar with the series so I figured I’d hop on and share that I can join the club of people who have made it through The Wheel of Time. I’m sad about how some things went down, but on the whole, I loved experiencing this so much, it will be a series I think of fondly for the rest of my life.

RIP Robert Jordan, thanks for creating this wonderful world, and thank you Brandon Sanderson for landing the plane the way you did.

I'm about a third through Knife of Dreams, and I feel a little frustrated. I'd been told that it was significantly better than Crossroads of Twiligt (which, let's be honest, was a slog to get through).

So far it seems mostly the same.

We opened with Egwene being captured. She's slowly tossing the effect of the forkroot of her, and she's not shielded. Yes! She's one of the most powerful magic-wielders, as these arrogant Aes Sedai are about to learn. Finally a cool magic fight - and then Egwene hiding in Tar Valon. Maybe linking up with other, disgruntled Aes Sedai. It's about to be good.
Nope, she's shielded. Nevermind.

But wait - she contacts her followers outside. A rescue operation into the very heart of the White Tower. Fuck yeah, now we're cooking! Aes Sedai against Aes Sedai, duking it out while trying to locate the fallen Amyrlin.
Nope. They decide not to risk it.

Aha! But then an assassin. An Aes Sedai is actually going to take out Elaida! Wow. it's probably gonna fail, but maybe... it could happen...
Nope. She's a spy that's been working for Elaida.

Nothing of interest. Nothing.

But it's my own fault. I forgot one key elemental of Wheel of Time. Egwene is a powerful woman - of course she needs to be humbled and physically humiliated. Spankings and switchings are what's needed.

So many missed opportunities.

And don't get me startet on Tuon. If that arrogant slaver doesn't get a realisation that she's personally ruined people's lives with her slavetraining I'm going to scream.
Selucia actually puts a a'dam on two Aei Sedai - and when Teslyn gets free? No vengeance? No fury? Just tears and kissing Matt's hand? Those arrogant invaders should be tied so hard by wind that they can barely breathe.
But no. Because if there's one thing we know about former slaves - they don't want revenge. They just want to let their former masters be.

Oh, and don't get me started on Perrin. Tell me again, Perrin - what matters most to you? Hmm? I've forgotten, since you've only mentioned it twice THIS chapter.
Making deals with fucking slavers and invading enemies - instead of asking for help from your childhood friend the DRAGON REBORN who commands ARMIES and who's already an enemy of the Aeil who has your abusive wife. What is the matter with you?

ARGH!

The TV series is controversial to whatever degree, but if you're a fan, this may be something in which you'd have some interest.

So I read the first 7 books and decided to have a bit of a break - I hadn’t stopped buying books and my ‘to read’ pile got out of hand. It’s now been 6 months and there were so many storylines that I don’t want to feel like I’m going in blind again to book 8 so does anyone know any good recap vids that won’t spoil much, even if I just go book by book

Thanks :)

"Let this pass beneath the Wheel"

I know it's not likely a direct reference, but after reading the first couple WoT books (recently, many rereads since it came out) with this between, it made me think. Maybe everything is just an Age or portal stone away.

The book is Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts, first book in the Wars of Light and Shadow series.

Greetings

I have about half way through the first book and while I like the story so far, I also feel the "gender roles" theme could get a bit tiresome in the long run.

So can anyone, without spoilers please, tell me if it get less, the same or more throughout the series?

I have no knowledge of this series. any pre-reading required? Any advice for the first book? what would you say the recommended age for reading this is? your (spoiler free) synopsis. I know this last one is on google, but I would like to know the personal opinions and critical views of reddit rather than the sanitised blurb. thanks

So just curious what's series did yall read after the wheel? I read a few standalone novels that I had collected before deciding to commit the next series for me was the first law by Joe Abercrombie and honestly loved every bit of it it was nice to get a little grim and dark?

I’ve read the first two books and half of the third before I took an extended break a few years ago and now I plan on starting from the beginning again. I’m just curious if I should start with new spring or read it when it was released or read it at the very end to not interrupt the narrative?

I finished the series a few weeks ago after about a year and 4 months, and it feels like I have a big void in my life. I started reading it after the show cancellation and during a really hard time in my life, so the series feels kind of like a really good friend at this point.

One of my friends who has been a fan for a long time suggested I wait about a year before rereading.

I wanted to ask: How long did you wait before doing a reread? Shall I try a different series in the meantime? Thank you in advance

I just finished my first readthrough, with A Memory Of Light. When I stopped crying, I just sat during an hour, thinking of what an incredible series it has been. I started it in June, and I'm glad, happy and sad to have it finished now.

And I wonder now what is the purpose of my life and what will I be reading now

I kinda wish Brandon Sanderson would write a companion series about Mat and Tuon leading the return to bring the empire back together after the last battle and fix the damage Semirhage caused killing the line across the sea

A lot is probably going over his head but he's on book 10 and it's only been a couple of months. Did I make a mistake? Is he too young?

Rand: “I have cleansed the male half of the one power!

Robert Jordan: “Wonderful! Anyway, Elayne needs 4 more votes.”

Rereading A Crown of Swords, the part where Queen Tylin is harassing Mat. She sends a note asking him “who is this Daughter of the Nine Moons I remind you of?” A short time later, the Seanchan invade and Tylin meets her. Why doesn’t Tylin ask Mat how he knew about her? Wouldn’t that make her suspicious that Mat knew the invasion was coming? Interested to know whether this was ever explained.

I would have truly loved it if Mat, Rand and Perrin were the ones who ended up travelling to the tower of Ghenji instead of Thom and Noal. In a sense they had all completed their journeys which Moraine began and they were finally complete. It would have been great to watch the three togather one final time before the last battle began. I could have done without Thom and Moraine's love angle coming out of nowhere. But man it would have been epic if they all gathered one last time for one last adventure togather to complete a circle. I did enjoy their reunion in the final book but yeah I would have preferred this instead.

My Daughter complains about knotty hair. I explained to her how in these books the women often brush their hair 100 strokes. Now every day I can hear her counting. It works, it shimmers, and it is adorable.

Edit: for the hair and brush type advice, I'll look into it. Her hair is whip straight for those offering advice.

Spoilers!!!!

When in Ebou Dar, and getting the BOW, how did they get away with it and the other items?? Sorry for misspellings, I’m listening to the audiobooks so can’t spell check.

But the gang was attacked so badly, how did they get the bowl etc?? What did I miss?? Thanks for clarifying!