Hey Wheelies & Darkfriends! Thank you guys for the compliments on the intro. I started using my 7 year old as a "test audience" for them and he said this one gave him goosebumps and he had no idea what it's about. The reception makes me want to re-do all the intros for the earlier books.

I wish Jordan had given us more Logain and less Elayne. 70% of the Elayne story should have been exchanged for the Black Tower, Logain, and Taim.

Agreed that book 8 was lower in my ranking than book 10. But... hot take, I liked book 9 better than book 7. Book 7 had an incredible ending but I struggled through that one more than 9. I'm READY for book 11 now. I'm ready to start loving reading this series again

Throwing away the Axe was a huge moment for Perrin. Great scene.

Before Jordan died he spent his last months focusing on setting things up so someone else would have the tools to finish it. I believe at one point he spent about 4 hours dictating how the remainder of the story should go to his wife and others close to the project. He really put his blood sweat and tears into this epic. And Harriet really did a great job selecting his successor.

My mother and I cried the day Jordan died. We thought we wouldn't know what happened at the end. And we were sad for him not being able to finish his life's work. I wish he could see the series now.

Your quote intros are the best.

17:20 Haran is there to punish Mesaana for not showing up to battle Rand while the cleansing was taking place

Anyone that cares about Perrin knows how important that scene is where he leaves the axe in the woods. It's a pivotal moment in his character development. Perrin is really great for the rest of the series. I agree about the White Tower chapters as well, it only gets better! Great review once again, I really enjoy the discussion.

Haven’t even got to the review yet, but your intro was more epic than CoT

Okay I DIED at the Forsaken slipping on a banana peel 😂

I loved the So Habor descriptions, not so much the ghosts but the dirt and the smell and the people. Very vibey.

Shaidar Haran is basically the dark one's hand in the real world.

Sanderson worked off of Jordan's notes and outlines and Jordan had already written chunks of the last three books before he passed. So even though Sanderson finished them they still very much feel like Wot books for the most part. I think you'll enjoy them.

Fair review. I think the moment Perrin tosses his ax is one of the more epic moments in the series. Perrin has crossed a line he never would have believed he was capable of doing. The fact that it gains him nothing makes it even more chilling. CoT gets a bad rap and it at least partially deserves it. Remember we were waiting multiple years between books at this point as well. To get this stinker, by WoT standards, then have to wait another two for Knife of Dreams and it's easy to see why it's so hated. Add in a healthy dose of "yes, cleansing Saidin was huge, but can we move on" and you get the most hated book in the series. Enjoy the rest. Hope you love it. You waited to long for New Spring imho. Getting an inside view of why Moraine is the way she is works best right after her death. Still, better than waiting til you finished the main series.

My whole thing about Elayne and vying for the throne: Rand is a literal emperor at this point, and by right of conquest, much less marriage, he can grant the throne of Andor to whoever TF he wants, and too bad to all you other nobles. You raise a ruckus, ok now you're a commoner. Someone should have pointed out to Elayne, that wasting time on her pride is hurting the overall situation and it was time to suck it up and accept that she was the rightful queen ANYWAY, and all she had to do was leverage her position as the recognized ruler by the emperor who happened to also technically be her husband. That's what a competent ruler/leader would have done.

Knife of Dreams is an A-list book. Don’t stop. Even the prologue is UNBELIEVABLE. Keep going!!!!

The Knife of Dreams is definitely Robert Jordan's swan song. It was also intended to be the penultimate book in Wheel of Time - Sanderson ended up having to split Memory of Light into three books just based on Jordan's notes, and there doesn't appear to be any real padding in each of the 700ish pages of the Sanderson trilogy. I also like Crossroads of Twilight better than Path of Daggers - and I think a large part of that comes from the Mat and Tuon subplot. Not only is it a lot better than any of the other romances (except for maybe Rand and Min), but we don't even get Mat in Path of Daggers.

“I’m over the Nine Moons” just got you a subscribe, my friend!

I enjoy these epic intros, haha! I am so glad you decided to read A New Spring before Knife of Dreams. So glad. Egwene...The next book is my favorite point of her story. It's where everything that came before finally starts to make sense/matter. (also yes, the headaches are important) I think that moment was huge for Perrin. It's the moment he decides what kind of man he is going to be. I think he is the most impacted by leaving TTR. Mat always had an adventurer's soul, Rand's soul is TDR and pulling him towards the last battle, but Perrin just wanted to be a Blacksmith. He thought he knew what kind of man he was, and then his family was ripped away from him. I think half of his emo shit is due to him not knowing how to deal with everything that's happened. I think the entire story only spans 2.5 years? It's so much in so little a time, especially for someone as methodical and thoughtful as Perrin. He's the human equivalent of an Ogier, lol. But in that moment, he chose. Whatever comes next, he chose who he is. He only gets better from here!

I watched this review pretty much right after finishing the book and when you went over what happened in the prologue I didn’t remember like half of that stuff 😭

Been going back through the series listening to the audio books this time around while I’m at work. This series is so nice the 2nd time thru and the audio book definitely gives it a bit more life. Stumbled upon your reviews and I must say I really enjoy them!

Just finished my first complete reread from start to finish since the publication and my initial read of AMOL. I MADE myself slowdown and enjoy the story this time through. There is so much nuance that Jordan tucked away in the books. Many of the things that make the initial read so maddening make revisiting this world so rewarding. Buckle up and enjoy the downhill slalom to the finish! Excited to get your reaction to the change in tone when Sanderson takes over. It can be a bit jarring especially with Mat. That being said I love Sanderson's version of Mat so much. His POV's were the only ones that had me laughing out loud. :-D

Currently doing a Egwene/white tower only read thru. It really is great once you're clear on who everyone is and understand the factions. Egwene truely does an awesome job navigating the rebels, black ajah, helma's "headaches". I truely think a lot of people missed the greatness in this section of the story because they can't keep track of everyone.

Really enjoy your book reviews. I feel very much the same way, with the caveat that you appreciate more of the slog in hindsight once you see how it pays off. I am very excited to hear your take on the final four, they are so much fun! Especially towers at midnight!!

I was at my local barns and Nobel picking up knife of dreams when I learned that Jorden died. I was in high school at the time. I’m just glad nobody else has to go into KofD thinking it was the last piece of the story you get.

I just subscribed to your channel after seeing your videos for months and never clicking on them. I have been made a believer!! Keep up the good work my friend

Missed the premier by a half hour lol! Another good one. Looking forward to seeing your reactions for some of the epic stuff that happens toward the end books.

Your intro to this video is so good I hope they get you involved in the TV series! Perrin is also one of my favourite characters - always has been. I am happy to say that I could really not choose a favourite among the big three by the end of the series. A New Spring will give you a bit more on Lan's background and the Malkieri, which sets you up nicely for the rest of the series...

I have nothing constructive to say about WoT, but did want to take a moment to compliment you on the quality of your review. Great intro (almost made me want to read the book). In this video and your recent critique of Name of the Wind you seem to be developing a distinctive tone and outlook that is unique to your channel. I like contrarian Mike. Glad you found things to like in this novel.

Yes, the epic long conclusion to the Wheel of Tine...slog. On to greener pastures for the Emonds Field five. Can't wait to hear what you have to say, good and bad. Really enjoying the journey again through someone else's eyes. Read this solo. Even with the bad books the wheel weaves as the wheel wills on our quest so I embrace the bad. It makes the good shine that brighter.

Yeah, leaving the axe behind was an awesome moment for me, and is my SECOND favorite Perrin moment. The first is coming. Book 13 or something, I think.

I think the prologue was a novella. If I remember right Tor was releasing those as free ebooks to tease people between books at this point of the series. That's why they feel tacked on to the books.

Totally agree. That Perrin chapter was my favourite part of the book as well

Great reviews my friend. Robert Jordan was quoted as saying when he found out he was passing away that he was concentrating on the ending of his story. Some things were non-negotiable and he ended up writing about 20 % to 30% of the last books himself. He wrote the main points and Sanderson filled in the gaps. Keep up the great reviews.

Am unashamed Superfan! Have read the ENTIRE series 10 times? in last 5 yrs. (speed reader) And Yes, since I retired. Found you a few months ago and your honest take on the books delights me greatly. Reading & enjoying fantasy is supposed to be FUN, after all. Your reviews are insightful, food for thought, and GREAT FUN! You have become my favorite WOT content commentator. Thanks!!!

Really good episode. I look forward to the next with fervent anticipation. KOD is a great book.

Crossroads of Twilight was the only book in this series that was slow to me, I did not mind the Path of Daggers or any of the other " slog books". I can't wait to hear your thought on Knife of Dreams.

I didn't realize how long it was till you mentioned it and literally while you were saying "buckle up" I full-screened. Great moment lol

As much as I'm disappointed that you're not heading straight into Knife of Dreams (I feel like Egwene really grows into being a leader and if you'll allow me two non-spoiler spoilers, "lion on the high plains" and the golden crane are two of my favorite moments), I think New Spring is also great as well, though it's not as much for how it stands as a standalone work, but for the color it adds to Moiraine and Lan's stories, especially when you (maybe? eventually?) go back and reread the first few books

Just finished the book two minutes ago so of course my first stop is here. Thanks again for these videos

"Crossroads of Twilight"? You surely mean "Standing in the Snow, Looking at Armies"?

Getting ready to read knife of dreams, I’ve been reading one wheel of Time book every four months. So I’m going back and watching all the reviews and read the wikis of book 10 to remind myself where the story is. As always Mike, love the video.

I heard one of the guys on the black tower podcast say that rather than a slog it should be called the build. I think that has merit but I also agree with you that 3 books could’ve been edited down to 1. I’m almost done with Towers of Midnight on my first read through and I just got A Memory of Light from the Library. I almost don’t want it to end...

That is definitely one of my favorite Perrin moments. It's all uphill from here.

The slog is tough the first read. Sets up soooo much, though, this series gets better and better every reread. My first read I think I got through book 7 and stopped... for years, then went back and started over and blew threw all books and realized how much I'd missed. Afterwards I listened to the great Micheal Kramer and Kate Reading audiobooks...a must. Now to start another reread.

I think I might have just been subscriber #5k. Cool! Love the reviews man, keep em coming 👍

I agree with you, 100% about the cleansing. I think that's the biggest problem with CoT, that the reader knows what everyone's wondering about. I found 8 the worst, then 10. I really enjoyed 7 and 9. Thanks for your reviews, it's delightful to see someone else experience this for the first time. Reminds me of when I experienced it the first time!

I actually did like this one. Maybe it was the amazing audiobook. Can't wait to get to the final books. Thanks for the video, Mike. I always check them out when I finish one book. Greetings from Spain!

my god I love your intro's the quotes of course are incredible but that actual cold open.... LOVE IT HAHAHAHAHA

damer flinn healed rand, sumitsu (bad spelling) was only able to stabilize him to get him back to the palace. damer flinn also heals stilling.

Just finished this book yesterday & I too expecting a lot worse... I found myself enjoying myself. I was surprised that for once I ended a book not thinking negatively about Cadsuane. Because last books slam made me go crazy. Just wanted to thank you for your great content & taking me on this journey with you. FYI With work sch. I've been listening to last 3 books. And Loving them. After First Law audio book I really found a love for Audible

Outstanding intro work Mike. 🤣😳👍

By this point my perspective had changed and I was looking at all 14 books as one big story, so I was alright with a book of what felt like important set-up rather than an exciting ride on its own (although obviously i wouldnt have minded more of the latter!). I think its fine when youre reading the books one after another. I can totally see why that wouldn't be the case if you'd been waiting for this to come out and had another long wait before the next book though, or maybe if you are reading the series with gaps.

22:57 That’s ok. For some reason I got it stuck in my head that it’s pronounced “South Harbor”, which it... it’s not... 🤣

There is some pretty dark shit that happens in the next book (I think, could be the one after), Rand was one of the scariest characters for me I love his entire development through the series. Super hard to pick a favorite between the three lads from Emond's Field by the end of the series, they are all so different. One minute Perrin is my fave then it's definitely Mat then it's Rand haha. Can't wait to see your reaction to the final book it's pretty amazing. So glad I found your channel I'm really enjoying your work👌

Good call on tackling new spring now.

Making my way through the Wheel of Time (funny thing, I've read the first 6 books 10 years ago, then life happened and reading was on the back burner for a decade), but I came back to Fantasy in November of last year, running into Crown of Swords and close to the slog. Just finished Crossroads of Twilight and completely agree with your take that it wasn't as bad as advertised. Also agree that Path of Daggers was the toughest read of the story so far. The 4 books (7-10) were like a homecoming to the story and I guess I didn't mind less action that much, but I'm so hyped for the last 4 books. I'm so saddened that today I'll be starting the last Robert Jordan solo entry (Knife of Dreams) so I'm definitely feeling what you echoed in the last part of the video, but it is what it is, and since my passion for fantasy and sci fi is reborn now, Sanderson will be what I'm turning to after I'd finished WoT, so I don't mind seeing what him and Jordan were able to put together for the end of these series. Anyway, big shoutout to you man, I've really enjoyed each of your videos (WoT or otherwise) and I can't wait to get into some of the books you've recommended (wink wink, Joe Abercrombie). For the wheelies fans out there, so I've not yet started Knife of Dreams (About to, today) and I've a theory on something Mike mentioned in the video regarding Halima. I remember back in Winter's heart I think it was, somebody killed one of Egwene's maids and I think I remember some stuff about "being a man before", so I'm guessing it's Halima who got the maid and she's also the one who ended the 2 Aes Sedai at end of book 10, who were murdered using Saidin. Can't wait to find out whether or not I was right. Let's see if the hype for the last 4 books is warranted, then!

Btw I don't recall if you mentioned it in your review of Path of Daggers (gonna go back and watch it) but one of my favorite moments from that was when Rand used Callandor against the Seanchan and obliterated them with lightning saying "I AM the storm!" And he also was out of control with the power accidentally killing his own troops, and Bashere had to knock him down to stop him. Another part of the series that gave me chills I remember rereading it a few times

Thanks for the review Mike!

I believe Shaidar Haran means "Right Hand of the Dark", or Shadow Hand literally. I have always thought of it as a Trinity-type correlation, or like a physical manifestation of a part of the Dark One, with a new identity, a-la Jesus the Son vs. God the Father.

I'm way back in book 6 right now (of my first reread in over a decade) so I don't always remember what happened in which book, so I am hesitant to say things until you mention it that way I know you have read the moment in question. But yeah Perrin's moment with his axe was probably the best moment and gets him moving which is nice. I seem to remember still feeling burned out on his whole story arc though even after this so it will be interesting to see what your take is on it. As far as SLOG expectations go, I thought you might come out of it thinking it was better than you'd heard. Most of us waited a long time to get our hands on that book so when we read it there was a huge let down knowing the next one wouldn't be out for another few years and that is probably why a lot of folks gave up at that point. Also, this reminds me of when someone tells me a movie sucks and lowers my expectations down to zero, then I watch it and find it entertaining. Anyway, happy reading!

I would really like to go through the comments for your videos, as a first time reader. But, there are some people who either don’t care about giving spoilers for books as yet unread, or they are unaware when they are doing it. I’m enjoying the videos anyway. Well done!

The first fifteen seconds summarizes the book really well

That was the best intro you've done. You're through the worst now and I never thought this book was as bad as others seem to think.

another good review - 1st time I've seen someone else wearing Direwolf Lager t-shirt! 😁🙃😎👍

I usually recommend reading New Spring either right after Fires of Heaven or just before Towers of Midnight. The emotional impact is different in either spot but the emotional lift is equally incredible.

Awesome review. Really good. Made me LOL a few times, and really highlighted the good points! I really enjoyed the whole series, I just think that path of daggers - crossroads could have been one book. I’m not mad though 🤣

I feel like the forsaken could be a true menace if they could work together, but even during the cleansing of saidin they worry more about gaining advantage on each other than actually fighting rand

I just finished this one earlier today and agree with your take completely. I really was dreading it but I finished it in just a few days, which isn’t a normal speed for me. Path of Daggers is still the weakest for me. Thanks for doing these. I watch your reviews as soon as I finish each book for a decompression. Cheers!

I just finished this book, now starting the prequel. For me this one was the hardest one to get through at times. 7,8 and 9 i had expexted worse and ended up enjoying them all with some critisisms ofcourse. Conclusion up until now Aes Sedai think they know everything but really know jack shit.

Mike’s WOT reviews > than all other WOT reviews.

Great idea re shadar logoth rearrangement would be great if that’s what they do in the tv series

I liked this book. I found there were several character defining moments that get addressed later. Could have been condensed to action. But was still enjoyable.

Good call on Perrin choosing the hammer

Its so funny because I got the end, and though 'That was it?'

I think that Elayne's political maneuverings will actually work really well for television--especially with GoT still kind of being the gold standard for fantasy TV (even though the unpopularity of the last season has tarnished its reputation a bit). They'll have to fix the pacing, but pacing is the whole problem with books 7-10, anyway. One thing about Elayne's chapters in this period is that they serve to catch us up on a lot of little subplots. The actual action for entire chapters could be summarized as, "Elayne walked down a hallway and nodded to some people she knew." But, at this point, Caemlyn is host to people from all kinds of subplots. The Kin are there, the Sea Folk are there, there are a number of Aes Sedai factions represented, there are Seanchan prisoners... Elayne's internal monologue lets us know what's happening with all of those minor characters, even as she herself doesn't do anything much at all. This may not be the *most* satisfying way to deal with the story, but it also isn't the worst way to do it. For example, devoting whole chapters to all of those little subplots would have been excruciating.

Personally I'm glad this internet community didn't exist when I was reading these books. I liked every book in the series, albeit some more than others, but I never ended any book with a dislike for it. I still re-read every book in preparation for the publication of the next. I would hate to try getting into a series with everyone unable to stop telling me what to hate or love about it.

This was the first book I waited for, and that probably explains my feelings about it. So many storylines feel like they started and ended at the same place, or the same place plus a cliffhanger. And by now we knew about Jordan's health, so the ending was in question. I'll add that while 11 was a breath of fresh air after 10, I wouldn't count it as top 5 in the series. Though to be fair I've read Sanderson's 3, and I probably *would* count all three of those as top 5. Definitely at least 2 of them. Also, while you're already "late" on reading New Spring (most people stick it after 5), I'd almost push it to after 11 at this point, just to "feel" that gap we had between Jordan's death and Sanderson finishing 12.

Delighted your doing new spring think most people going through the slog did them back to back

Shaidar Haran is "the Hand of the Dark One" and while it's never explored too deeply, as far as the Forsaken are concerned he IS the Great Lord, he's the physical avatar of the Dark One and acts and speaks with his full authority. To disobey Shaidar Haran is to disobey the Great Lord. I think the best comparison is with the biblical Metatron, who is not God but is the Word of God. Shaidar and the Myrdraal in general are super interesting, and I'm sad that Shaidars connection to the Dark One is never more deeply explored.

I have been waiting for this review for some time. You liked it better than I thought you would . I did like this book but definitely my least favorite, but like you said there were gems in it. I still disagree with you about Tylin and Mat. I don’t think he had that syndrome. After finishing this book I did scratch my head trying to remember what I read and the gems you mention are good reminders. Very interesting on your idea of flipping winters heart with this one.

I don't know when the true nature of Shaidar Haran is revealed so I'll try not to spoil it but it gets clearer later, for now, think of him as a super Myrddraal. His name is also in the old Tongue and explains his function further.

Thougt the book was OK. Great review AS always. I dont dare talk about anything because Im not sure what happend in this book or the next. Cant wait for your next review. The prequil is good but the rest of the series is great

The reason for the super long prologues is because they were released before the books. Towards the end it was taking longer for them to release a new book. The massive prologues were released for free on the Tor website months before the books to hold people over until the books were published.

Just discovered your videos last night and have now caught up on your Wheel of Time reviews. Double plus good. Thank you for the balanced approach to "the slog". Perrin's plot line is the worst during these books. I always get hung up on that plot during re-reads. If you're interested I have many thoughts on Why Faile Is Not As Bad As She Seems, but will refrain unless people care. I like the idea that this should have come before Winter's Heart. I've often thought about cutting up the chapters and rearranging them in an order that makes more sense. It often felt like Jordan was trying to avoid the Person Doesn't Appear In This Book again and instead just messed up the timeline a bit. If it helps going into the Sanderson books they are listed as co-authors for a good reason and not just to honor his memory. Jordan knew he was dying and dedicated a lot of the time he had left to getting as much done on the series as possible. There is still a lot of stuff in the last three books that Jordan wrote including the final chapter of A Memory of Light. Some books had more Jordan material than others, but they all have some. Sanderson had an ongoing series on his blog about his process, starting with his pre-writing re-read and through to the end. It's really interesting, covers a lot of what he thought about at the time, what he felt he didn't get right and what he thought he did. I haven't looked at them in a bit, but they should all still have the appropriate spoiler warnings. He also liked to point out the bits that Jordan wrote that people particularly liked.

I mostly agree with you. Im not a fan of grimdark so that perrin scene with the ax really disturbed me, and i hated how anticlimactic the last bit with mat was ( which is the point where i wanted to throw the book, for technical reasons). Which is why this one is my least favorite. But yeah i would still give it 3 of 5 on your scale too and i would never tell a wheellie to wiki the plot instead of reading it. Thats a little extreme. I am excited to see your reaction to New Spring. I enjoyed the dynamic between Lan and Moirane in that one

My first question is, who is Perrin? Are you talking about Faile's husband?

I've skimmed the past 80 pages and closed the book on page 421 as I'mcurrently listeningto this video. I started the series after having both my hips replaced at age 35... I'm only sticking with it from the hope of a solid ending. This book definitely feels like a cliff notes type book. Love the primary characters, but there's so much secondary BS that distracts from the narrative. From this and a search I'm going to skim up til the chapters A Mark and What Must Be Done (21 & 27). My fiance and I read a lot of fantasy series together. This is the one where I told her to read the first book and watch the show when it comes out. I feel like there's enough retrospective in 2020 that a team of solid adapters write a solid 8 seasons of 12 episode television from the broad strokes that Jordan (and Sanderson developed).

Thank you. I quite enjoy Crossroads of Twilight as a long time fan of the series. The hate on this book is seriously overblown.

Don’t worry, Perrin resurges as an absolute badass. Towers of Midnight and Memory of Light have GREAT Perrin chapters.

I think you were pretty much spot on with this. It's nowhere near as bad as many make it out to be, but it's still not nearly close to peak WoT.

I'm soooooo glad (thank you God) that I stopped reading this series at book 3.5, but now get to efficiently finish by my entertaining boy Mike posting these reviews

Great review Mike, upon reread I really think this book has a worse reputation than it deserves. There are a few great character moments and events and some quite interesting chapters. While being a bit slow at times, some books are worse

I think you might be missing part of the point of how the forsaken are written. To me Jordan was trying to make it that the legends and stories surrounding the forsaken made them seem larger than life.. But In actuality they weren't that much stronger. Think to when nynaeve faces moghedian and realizes shes stronger. (I hope this already happened and I'm not spoiling anything. I don't remember which book it happened in) I guess what I'm saying is that Jordan writing them this way is to prove that they are still more human than the big baddies that the stories tell about them. Even if they are fairly crafty in their own ways.

Just between you and me _[don't tell anyone who hasn't gotten to this point yet]_ : I think the overblowing of _Crossroads of Twilight_ 's awfulness is entirely intentional. While some, like yourself, might find _The Path of Daggers_ to be worse than this book -- I think that highly depends on how high you rate the sequence of Egwene taking control of the Hall; to me, it's one of the absolute highlights in the entire series, and so with the using of the Bowl of the Winds and Rand's campaign against the Seanchan I will never put TPoD below CoT -- there are very good reasons to rank CoT as the low-point of WoT. Therefore, greatly exaggerating how bad it is to a first-time reader well in advance will dampen the shock to a noticeable and perhaps even significant degree, probably causing them to rate it higher (or at least, less low) than they otherwise would have. To us fans, this would be a very desirable outcome. A classic case of Reverse Psychology, basically. I believe I tweeted this to you when you finished the _WInter's Heart_ Prologue, but from that book (WH) forward, TOR actually released the Prologues as separate novellas. Your assessment that they are novella-length is, therefore, quite apt. As another comment noted, it also explains why they tend to be pretty self-contained. No, Mike.... No.. No..... There's only one _Wheel of Time_ Character that is allowed to do a "Jesus Christ act", and that is our Main Boy Rand al'Thor himself. Son of a Maiden (Spearmaiden in this case), stabbed in the side, his blood will be the salvation of mankind... That sort of thing, you know? :D It's true. Tylin had it coming. Few Characters are as outright hateable as she, particularly ones that aren't outright evil. I think the only one that is on the same level is Elaida, and maybe (maybe) some of the Whitecloaks too. Still a particularly gruesome death, though. So, me, I am more disturbed by *how* she died than *that* she died. Does that make sense? Did you notice what Egwene and Leane were doing in the harbour to get them closed off? Because it's kind of significant. Elaida laying the smackdown on Alviarin is indeed pure awesomeness. I forgot that was in this book. Point in favour of CoT I guess. "What Must Be Done" is the main reason I would never, in a million years, advice anyone to read Chapter Summaries for any of the books, even the one I like the least which is _Crossroads of Twilight_ . Since even the worst of the books has astonishingly good sequences like this, you should never skip anything when reading _The Wheel of Time_ . It does sound like something someone might have said to Robert Jordan, or rather James Oliver Rigney, jr., in his Vietnam days. However, seeing as James Rigney was known as "the Iceman" in 'Nam due to the cold way in which he killed Vietcong soldiers, a persona he felt he had to leave behind in order to be able to function in normal society again, I don't think this quote is something anyone would have said to him in particular. Maybe it was something he said to someone else?

Half a year trying to read the book. Every few weeks I tried to go back to it only to start checking out again. Those Elayne chapters, man.

I felt like about 4 of those books (it's been a while since I read so I forget which) could have been summarized with Book 1- Matt continues to.... Book 2 Perrin Continues to... Book 3 Rand continues to... and so on. With a big battle at the end of one of them that you should read. The rest was slog city for about 2000 pages there. At least it does get better at some point.

It's funny because I completely agree with almost everything that you say in these reviews. I completely hated the menagerie from FoH. I though it was the first thing I genuinely disliked about this book series, and I didn't like seeing that it was back. I also completely agree that the slog was not as bad as everyone says (especially this book).

28:51 I think with the way the rest of the series is written, condensing them _that_ much would likely feel off, but I’ll be quite surprised if the TV show sticks with the rumored “two books per season” format here. Once you‘re at a place where there need to be pacing changes anyway, you’re right - there’s a lot stuff in books 9 & 10 that could get reduced to a couple off-hand remarks or cut altogether.