70 replies to this topic

[Shivertongue]

This is it. After more than twenty years, we are nearing the end. I don't know if I can speak for anyone else on this, but for me, it feels almost bittersweet. I'm eager - so, so eager - to read A Memory of Light, but knowing it's going to be the end has me almost wishing I could push it back, just a little longer.

I started The Wheel of Time when I was nine years old, a year or so after The Lord of Chaos came out. I am now twenty-six, and the series is coming to it's conclusion. Many long-time fans speak of the books and the characters as if they were old friends, in a manner that sometimes confuses those who aren't a part of it. But that is how it is, for many of us. For many of us, The Wheel of Time has lasted longer than jobs, longer than friendships, longer than romantic relationships. I know the characters in this epic better than I know anyone from my graduating class. The Wheel of Time has been a constant in my life, one of those things that I could always fall back on when things began to get crazy. The series has it's detractors, as all things with large fandoms do, and this is the reason we so vehemently defend it.

It's not something that can truly be explained. I've tried - I'm trying right now - and I find myself wishing I could find the words. There are some things no words can explain.

All stories must come to an end. And I would be upset if the Wheel of Time did not. However, as all Wheel of Time fans know, this is not an ending. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it is an ending.

And to lead into this ending, I propose a beginning. The Great Reread, for any on 17th Shard who wish to participate. Whether you can quote the prophecies by heart, sing Jak o' the Shadows pitch-perfect, or have never before cracked open one of the books, all are welcome.

A Memory of Light is scheduled to come out January 8th. That gives us just under six months to read 13 very large books - 14 if some of you want to include New Spring. That's a little less than two weeks per book. If you've already begun a reread, that's totally cool. If you were planning to, now is your excuse to start. I'm in the middle of rereading The Way of Kings right now, but I'm setting it aside for The Eye of the World as soon as I finish this post.

The rules are simple. Read, or reread, the entire Wheel of Time series, finishing Towers of Midnight by the time A Memory of Light comes out. Post that you are participating, and post when you finish or start a book. If you want - and I highly encourage this - post any thoughts you have on the book, and how you think they might pertain to the upcoming finale. There is no set pace everyone must follow, only that you must finish by January 8th in order to "win".

All participants will receive a forum award of my making. All participants who finish within the time frame will receive an even more prestigious forum award, also of my making.

Think you can do it? Then sign up and start reading. Dovie'andi se tovya sagain.

Official Participants
Shivertongue
Rubix
Master_Moridin
Lyrebon
JamesW
KChan
almeldiel
Voldy
Windrunner
Brendan
Vandelyk
Lance Alvein
lyssie95
Aerosmith47
LevenThumps
ReaderAt2046
Tulir
Eerongal
Ryan
Aethling
Lantern13
Morderkaine
frozndevl
Telcontar
zas678
Iredomi
Jack the Halls
Lysid
igolbug
McCullough
Geoffray
Voidus
E.Hyde

[Master_Moridin]

I shall participate! Just have to get someone to bring my books from home.

[Rubix]

I'm in. I'm about halfway through Eye of the World, but I'm totally in.

[Lyrebon]

I'll start EotW tomorrow at the earliest possible moment. I do have two other books to finish though so it won't progress much for the first few days.

[JamesW]

Count me officially in.

[KChan]

I'll join! This'll be fun!

[almeldiel]

*raises hand*

Might as well start the series. "The Eye of the World" has been sitting on my To Read pile for a while now. It'll be fun reading it along with everyone here. I just hope I can keep up.

[Riddlesinthedark]

I'm in, its the kickstart I need to finally start this reread.

[Webster]

Started my reread a bit early, back in April, though I want to follow and see what others have to say. Just finished listening to The Gathering Storm on Audible a few days ago. Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are the perfect narrators for the series. Anyone else do the audio versions?

[Windrunner]

What the heck, I'm in! Might be a good motivation to finally give WoT a try. All you old WoT hands better be prepared for some seriously stupid questions on my part.

[Shivertongue]

What the heck, I'm in! Might be a good motivation to finally give WoT a try. All you old WoT hands better be prepared for some seriously stupid questions on my part.

Glad to have you, Windy! And everyone else, of course!

[Brendan]

I meant to start my reread at the start of this month, however I'm still going on Book 9 of Malazan, but I'll get my reread done in time!

[Vandelyk]

I started reading the first book a few days ago, so I'm in!

[Lance Alvein]

As I said in the chatroom yesterday - I'm in as well.

[lyssie95]

Coolcoolcool!

I'm in- I was actually just about to start the books for the first time anyway

This sounds like it'll be fun!

[Aerosmith47]

Sounds like a plan! I had planned to start my re-read before now, but before I could, I acquired a copy of what most WoT fans "affectionately" call the 'Big Book of Bad Art', better known as, 'The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time'. I must say, other than the maps, I would have to whole heartedly agree with them, but the information within the text is just downright jaw dropping, to say the least, and more than makes up for the.. ahem.. terrible artwork. Anyway, I digress.. I am just about done pouring over the previously mentioned text and all I can say is... I am down with the reread, so count me in, too.

On a side note, Shivertongue, you and I got into the series at about the exact same time and also nearly age. LOL.. I was 11, in the sixth grade, and the paperback for Lord of Chaos had been recently released. After annoying my older brother for one of his huge books, not to mention a huge fiasco a few years earlier at the private school I was attending at the time for reading The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King, deemed by them as unfit reading material, he decided to play it safe, especially with our mother, and try me out on Epic fantasy, knowing I had a fondness for fantasy in general. That's when he handed me the doorstop he had finished reading, and it was Lord of Chaos. It was the only one he had at the time, and so I went to my local library a few days later to reserve the other five books in the series. That was almost 17 years ago. He is also the guilty one that gave me a copy of Mistborn: the Final Empire that sent me running, instead of walking, down this road of obsession with the rest of you. Go figure, right? LOL..

[LevenThumps]

Count me in. This is a great idea

[Riddlesinthedark]

Sounds like a plan! I had planned to start my re-read before now, but before I could, I acquired a copy of what most WoT fans "affectionately" call the 'Big Book of Bad Art', better known as, 'The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time'. I must say, other than the maps, I would have to whole heartedly agree with them, but the information within the text is just downright jaw dropping, to say the least, and more than makes up for the.. ahem.. terrible artwork. Anyway, I digress.. I am just about done pouring over the previously mentioned text and all I can say is... I am down with the reread, so count me in, too.

On a side note, Shivertongue, you and I got into the series at about the exact same time and also nearly age. LOL.. I was 11, in the sixth grade, and the paperback for Lord of Chaos had been recently released. After annoying my older brother for one of his huge books, not to mention a huge fiasco a few years earlier at the private school I was attending at the time for reading The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King, deemed by them as unfit reading material, he decided to play it safe, especially with our mother, and try me out on Epic fantasy, knowing I had a fondness for fantasy in general. That's when he handed me the doorstop he had finished reading, and it was Lord of Chaos. It was the only one he had at the time, and so I went to my local library a few days later to reserve the other five books in the series. That was almost 17 years ago. He is also the guilty one that gave me a copy of Mistborn: the Final Empire that sent me running, instead of walking, down this road of obsession with the rest of you. Go figure, right? LOL..

I'm a couple years behind you two. I started the summer before PoD's came out, and it was an enternal wait for the next book, little did my 10-year old self know...

[ReaderAt2046]

I'm in!

[Tulir]

I am completely in, I was planning on doing this myself, but I will have to wait until after August 15th to start, because I will be backpacking the first 2 weeks of August. Let's do this!