The Great Reread - The Eye of the World

[Telcontar]

Two forsaken dead. Humanity's champion comes to light. Horn of Valere discovered. Not the biggest blow Rand and group will do, but pretty substantial.

So you'd say it's more like a "the balance of power has shifted toward the Light" thing? That's too simple an explanation for my taste...

All that talk of Moiraine about how close the end was, how small their chance of survival. The Dark One's touch on the world must have lessened in some way, for spring to come. Or the light side must have had some very substantial help

like a full circle of Saidar-women using angreals to manipulate the Bowl of Winds

.

So, why did the touch lessen, or what did they do to counteract the touch? And what was the dark string?

[JamesW he/him]

I would say that the presence of the two forsaken who were walking the world let the Dark One strengthen his assault on the land, namely advancing the blight. With the deaths of the two agents in the world, his need to consolidate power became greater then his need to corrupt the land.

I'd say that his ability to influence the world was lessened with two of his agents killed. Perhaps it takes some form of power to corrupt land, and once that power is redirected the corruption can't be sustained, nor can spring be held in abeyance by his power.

Also I think the cutting of the connection to the Dark One might have been the same thing he did later, but with Ishi it didn't become relevant because he was slain shortly after that, and thus returned to the power of his master.

[Aethling he/him]

Well, they released an entire pool of pure saidin and the greenman fell. I always felt the blight issue was more the power of the greenman returning to nature, but the immensity of the power released may have had a side effect of weakening the taint of corruption.

Later on Egwene gets humbled by Rand's raw power. Everyone kept telling the wondergirls how powerful they were. Each being one of the most powerful in thousands of years, but Rand handles Egwene and Elayne like they are babes still in diapers, and that is without a pool of pure saidin to use. Factor in that Rand channels largely instinctively, and he is way more powerful. He easily handles several forsaken.

Edited July 29, 2012 by Aethling

[Tulir he/him]

I have to announce that I am beginning EotW right now, and will get as far as I can before Wensday, which I won't be able to read then until the 17th. Wooo!

[Telcontar]

I'd say that his ability to influence the world was lessened with two of his agents killed. Perhaps it takes some form of power to corrupt land, and once that power is redirected the corruption can't be sustained, nor can spring be held in abeyance by his power.

Also I think the cutting of the connection to the Dark One might have been the same thing he did later, but with Ishi it didn't become relevant because he was slain shortly after that, and thus returned to the power of his master.

The DO can't touch the world directly, Moiraine talks about it at some time. So he is indeed touching the world through his agents. However I don't think it was Aginor and Balthamel who were important in that way. They were only just freed and didn't really have time to do anything but find the Eye and prevent Rand from using it.

I think the main issue of the battle at the Eye is Rand cutting that black string that (the way I understand it) connects Ishi to the DO.

Ishi has always been the DO's main agent during the third age (Black Ajah, Trolloc Wars etc.). With the seals crumbling the DO's touch grows more important, ie the connection to Ishi (the string) grows bigger. With that one being interrupted it probably has to grow back...

He easily handles several forsaken.

No he does not. Attention, this is spoilerific

He never really confronts two Forsaken at the same time. In TDR Be'lal is balefired by Moiraine before Rand is off to battle Ishi. In TSR he battles Asmodean, in FoH it's first Lanfear then Rahvin, in ACoS it's Sammael. And almost everytime Rand has a hard time beating them.

I suppose Rand could handle the weaker female Forsaken, but those are the ones he never meets.

[Shivertongue he/him]

I just reached one of my favorite scenes from this book, where Rand meets Elayne and has an impromptu... audience... with Queen Morgase. I remember, the very first time I read EotW, that this is the scene where it really picked up for me, and I began to love the book. I had been enjoying it before, but this was the first time I had realized what scope the book had, and the first time I realized that this was a living world, and they outside of the viewpoint characters, people were living their lives and doing things we would never see. It was mind-boggling for me, at the time; that was the very first instance I had ever felt that with a book.

Additionally, it's the scene where we first meet Elayne. Contrary to what seems to be popular opinion, I love Elayne. She has to be one of my favorite characters throughout the series. I also remember how the first time I read this, and even during my rereads, at this point in the story I don't hate certain characters, like Elaida or Child Byar. Even though both felt like antagonists, at the time it honestly felt as though they were good people, only in opposition to our protagonists because of their duties - Elaida to Morgase, and Byar to his Lord Captain. Of course, I know now that the former never held any loyalty to the queen, and was only there to serve her own interests.

I expect to finish this book sometime tomorrow, if the pace I'm going at is any indication. At the very latest, I should be beginning The Great Hunt by Monday.

[Aeshdan he/him]

So you'd say it's more like a "the balance of power has shifted toward the Light" thing? That's too simple an explanation for my taste...

All that talk of Moiraine about how close the end was, how small their chance of survival.

Remember, if Rand hadn't used the Eye, the Forsaken would have, and that might have been enough power to blow apart all of the seals on the Dark One's prison. Also, It's possible that when Rand hit the cable connecting Aginor to the Dark One, there might have been some sort of backlash that weakened the Dark One's powers, reversing the Blight.

[Shivertongue he/him]

Finished Eye of the World about five minutes ago. Man, I love the ending to that book.

[frozndevl]

I just reached one of my favorite scenes from this book, where Rand meets Elayne and has an impromptu... audience... with Queen Morgase. I remember, the very first time I read EotW, that this is the scene where it really picked up for me, and I began to love the book. I had been enjoying it before, but this was the first time I had realized what scope the book had, and the first time I realized that this was a living world, and they outside of the viewpoint characters, people were living their lives and doing things we would never see. It was mind-boggling for me, at the time; that was the very first instance I had ever felt that with a book.

Additionally, it's the scene where we first meet Elayne. Contrary to what seems to be popular opinion, I love Elayne. She has to be one of my favorite characters throughout the series. I also remember how the first time I read this, and even during my rereads, at this point in the story I don't hate certain characters, like Elaida or Child Byar. Even though both felt like antagonists, at the time it honestly felt as though they were good people, only in opposition to our protagonists because of their duties - Elaida to Morgase, and Byar to his Lord Captain. Of course, I know now that the former never held any loyalty to the queen, and was only there to serve her own interests.

I expect to finish this book sometime tomorrow, if the pace I'm going at is any indication. At the very latest, I should be beginning The Great Hunt by Monday.

That was a great scene, and since this is my first reread of the series, I had completely forgotten about Elaida's Foretelling about Rand happening in that scene. I especially got a kick out of Gawyn saying something to the effect of "I wish I could get to know you, I like you" or something like that. A big departure from later on in the series. Also, knowing Fain is following them is creepy at best.

Edit: Well, just finished the book for the 2nd time ever (first time in at least 15 years) and the last little snippet gave me the shivers. I really had forgotten what it felt like to read these books for the first time.

One thing that keeps coming to mind is that it seems Mat didn't get much chance to develop in this book and he still manages to become one of the most enjoyable characters once the dice start rolling in his head.

Edited July 30, 2012 by frozndevl

[Lady_Yasha she/her]

Gawyn became perhaps one of the worst characters in the series. Second to Cadsuane who I want to punch the most.

It's been awhile but I've been wanting to mention how much I love Moraine's regaling of Manetheren's history. I welled up when instead of leaving to escape they - the villagers, women also - took up arms and reinforced the army, knowing death awaited them.

And on the topic of realising things you missed on a first read, Egwene was bullheaded and annoying even in the first book. I remember I liked her more than Nynaeve, unfortunately, on my initial read.

[frozndevl]

Yeah, I was really annoyed by Nyn on my first read as well, but now that I know where she ends up, I like her a great deal more.

[Lady_Yasha she/her]

Shut up Egwene.

[Aethling he/him]

We have to remember that all of the two rivers folk are either late teens or mid-20s. Nyn is by far the oldest, and she is still only mid 20s. Egwene and Elayne's maturity levels are about right for most of the teenagers I have known.

[frozndevl]

We have to remember that all of the two rivers folk are either late teens or mid-20s. Nyn is by far the oldest, and she is still only mid 20s. Egwene and Elayne's maturity levels are about right for most of the teenagers I have known.

This makes sense to me. When I first read the book, I was early teens, therefore I liked the younger characters more. now that I am older than all of the characters in the book, I appreciate the older ones more. Wow, you change as you get older, go figure.

[Lady_Yasha she/her]

We have to remember that all of the two rivers folk are either late teens or mid-20s. Nyn is by far the oldest, and she is still only mid 20s. Egwene and Elayne's maturity levels are about right for most of the teenagers I have known.

Yeah, but knowing what I know now about Egwene you can see the early stages of her god complex developing. She's avaricious for power to the point where she becomes arrogant towards her three friends long before she's even Aes Sedai.

Of the girls I knew at her age I don't recall a one of them being as dismissive and pompous towards her friends as Egwene is. I'll give her due, she's tolerable in the first few books but it doesn't last long. She's, what, 17 in EotW? And Rand is 20. She tries to act mature because of the age difference but she completely overdoes it and is ironically even more immature than she denies she's being.

Another problem is the gender dispute. I know later some male characters take it up but it's not as common as the females', if only because Egwene supplies a great deal of it. She throws around sexist quips at the slightest provocation. Rand worries about her? Men are fools. Perrin wants to exercise caution? Men are stupid. Mat... well Mat's Mat. Can you blame him?

Edited August 2, 2012 by Lyrebon

[Aethling he/him]

I am not sure it is power she was after for the first few books. Knowledge would be better, perhaps. That she grows more powerful as she gets more knowledge is just normal. Even when she is being aloof to the boys, I believe it is largely her trying to assume the air of Aes Sedai. Still, one of the best scenes in the entire series is where Rand puts her in her place when he visits the hall.

I have never seen a fixed age for them, but then I haven't really delved all that deeply. Rand was born roughly 20 years before Eye. It is mentioned several times that Egwene and Elayne are roughly two years younger. If I remember correctly, Nyn is supposed to be about six years older than the boys. That makes Nyn roughly 26, Rand & Mat & Perrin roughly 20, and Egwene and Elayne roughly 18. At least with the girls, some later comments tend to make them shade younger, but that is mostly cultural comments that they admit do not take place at the same age for all of the girls.

Moraine is roughly 42, so that would put land probably late 40s.

[Aeshdan he/him]

I am not sure it is power she was after for the first few books. Knowledge would be better, perhaps. That she grows more powerful as she gets more knowledge is just normal. Even when she is being aloof to the boys, I believe it is largely her trying to assume the air of Aes Sedai. Still, one of the best scenes in the entire series is where Rand puts her in her place when he visits the hall.

I have never seen a fixed age for them, but then I haven't really delved all that deeply. Rand was born roughly 20 years before Eye. It is mentioned several times that Egwene and Elayne are roughly two years younger. If I remember correctly, Nyn is supposed to be about six years older than the boys. That makes Nyn roughly 26, Rand & Mat & Perrin roughly 20, and Egwene and Elayne roughly 18. At least with the girls, some later comments tend to make them shade younger, but that is mostly cultural comments that they admit do not take place at the same age for all of the girls.

Moraine is roughly 42, so that would put land probably late 40s.

Nyn is definitely 26. She is very vocal and sensitive about her age, since she slowed earlier than usual.

[Aerosmith47 he/him]

Well, I finished EotW a couple days ago, and I agree with many others' posts that the feelings you had on the first read, and the feelings you have now on whatever # reread you may be on, has changed not only your affection and annimosity towards certain characters, but also the plot and scenes in general.

I remember feeling for the boys, dealing with, as I saw it as a young boy, an overbearing and sometimes quite mean Aes Sedai and her cold warder who had uprooted them. A childhood friend, that I liked (Egwene), even tho she treated them as imbeciles who couldn't do anything right. Even when they fixed HER mistakes. Not to mention a very petty bully of a Wisdom with no patience and a bad attitude. All the while, fleeing for their lives.

Now, many years and experiences later, I commiserate for Moiraine. She who put upon herself a daunting task of making sure the worlds' champion was found and survived the plots she knew the Shadow were hatching, fighting a battle to keep one of the best agents of the Light from getting himself killed in a wasteful death for vengeance with nothing to show for it, and maintaining a calm composure with the fate of the world on her shoulders and dealing with a bunch of unruly, uppity, backwards teenage farmers. LOL.. Egwene, I now see as the petty, beligerant, holier-than-thou, spoiled little girl who expects to be heard, followed, and told how good she is, even if she is wrong. Nynaeve, I have a deep and remourseful pang for. Thrown into a position of authority over her friends, neighbors and elders, often ridiculed and put under a microscope, because of what others in her village were saying. "Was she given this position too young? Will she be able to handle the pressure? Will she show favoritism?" Etcetera.. But the biggest, most important, we are our own worst critics, and with no one to go to with her problems due to her position, I can totally see why she acted and behaved as she did toward the others. Almost like Rand, when he treats the others as less than himself, only in order to further himself from them so he doesn't hurt them.

As for the discussions, just my $0.02 worth.

1) The mind twisting line, I chalk up to being the taint on Saidin is what ignores peripheral things. Such as when LTT is stepping over the body of his beloved, who he is at the time calling out for.

2) I feel the weaving Mo put on the coins eventually feeds off onto the individuals in question (ta'veren) the longer they are in contact with it, forming a bond of sorts. For example, kind of like how Nyn was able to find the party in the inn, because of her affinity to Egwene, after healing her when they were younger.

3) The blow to the dark that heals the world and the black cord "thingy". Well, as we learn later in the series, the cord is the connection to the DO that allows him to affect the world at large and allows the male Forsaken to channel Saidin safely, without being affected by the taint. Also, in the prologue, LTT channels and Travels. Simply put. When Ishy follows, he basically "ripped" a hole in the pattern, because he was not channeling Saidin, but something else, because he does not use Saidin, but the other power exclusively. Which in retrospect, by cutting off his connection to the DO, did not do much really, other than send him running for the hills because his connection to the DO had manifested, along with his insanity, to bring him very close to a 'Hitler "I am God"' type nutso. That, with the death of the other 2 Forsaken at the Eye and the Dragon being revealed as to who and what he was in culmination with one another, diminished the effect the DO therefore had on the world, bringing back spring. Ranting now over, and I'm getting my butt in gear on finishing TGH.

[Lady_Yasha she/her]

I'm finally almost finished with EotW; I forgot how much happens in this book. Perrin and Mat's Talents, Loial, Rand meeting the queen of Andor and Elayne. Also, I find myself liking Gawyn in this book much to the scorn I feel for the blundering idiot he becomes in later books.

Also, Master Gill is a champion, standing up to the Whitecloaks like that.

[frozndevl]

Yeah, Gawyn just seems like a nice guy right there. Doing his best to keep peace with his sister and Galad. Oh how little we suspect the chull he becomes later on.

[Tulir he/him]

I finished a while ago, and I meant to post but forgot. I again feel like it could be a single book by itself, such a great ending.

[Shivertongue he/him]

I finished a while ago, and I meant to post but forgot. I again feel like it could be a single book by itself, such a great ending.

That, I think, should be the rule for the first book in a series. It should be able to work as a standalone, and Eye of the World definitely does. There are plot threads that are left hanging, but it still works.

[Brendan]

Here is a 'review' I've done for another reading based website, please let me know what you think.

“The Eye of the World”

Just opening this book instantly brings back memories of fifteen years ago when I first picked it up, I have to be careful while reading it as the cover is about to fall off and with it will go the first twenty or so pages. This series has been such a large part of my life for so long that I am hesitant in starting it as it will be the last I read it without the knowledge of how the story ends.

Within a few pages Jordan throws me into his story of adventure and wonder that follows the three farm boys as they leave their village to escape what follows them and to explore the world. Jordan’s creativity and the depth of world building is amazing and his set ups are flawless. I get giddy when the boys reach Baerlon and I marvel at the foreshadowing that Jordan placed into this book that was published over twenty-two years ago, already I have lost my sadness about this being the last time I will read this book without knowing the fate of the characters and I am already looking forward to the next time I get to read it and be able to see all the little hints Jordan left in his books for us to be able to piece together what will happen. His skill as an author shine in this book, the pacing and foreshadowing are incredible, the details allow the imagination to run rampant and I would like to mention to the fans of the series, that we are introduced to bath time with the boys!

I feel that the best example of Jordan’s skill as a writer in this book is not his world creation or foreshadowing but rather his skill in being able to give this book an epic feel without confusing the reader too much, even tho this book is definitely epic fantasy, unlike “A Game of Thrones”, which has eight different point of view characters or “The Way of Kings” which has six, Robert Jordan is able to convey the scope of the world with only three point of view main characters in the book. Still the scope of the world is there and the immersion is immense, is skills as a writer truly shine here.

It is obvious when reading through this book that Jordan has pulled ideas from the likes of Tolkien, where he shows the reader ‘hey you know that thing you like, well here it is... but not how you expected it!’ What is more evident however is how many more writers today have pulled ideas from Jordan’s work to utilise in their own stories, there is little doubt that Jordan is the father of the modern day epic fantasy books that we are able to read today, due to Jordan leading the field. His writing has also been a driving force behind many of today’s new young authors in the field, most notable Brandon Sanderson who has been a fan of The Wheel of Time since the early ‘90’s and is the author responsible for completing the series after Jordan’s death.

This book is a wonderful story that anyone who reads should enjoy, but if you read fantasy and haven’t read this, what are you waiting for?! ‘The Wheel of Time’ is a must read in the fantasy genre, it is genre defining and just plain old jaw-droppingly good, if you haven’t read it you should certainly do so now!

(I also had a bit in there about how much I think the Rand section with the scarves and time being fuddled was brilliant and largely underappreciated by the audience but I cut it as I thought it would confuse anyone who hasn't read the book far too much)

[EHyde she/her]

I'm really enjoying my reread so far. I like reading about the characters when they're still so young and clueless and frightened--that's something I think Jordan did really well, his main characters aren't all-powerful simply because they're main characters (as seems to happen in some fantasy novels), they start out pretty normal.

[Joe ST he/him]

Started my reread yesterday, didnt get TOOO far... the telling of Manetheren's fall makes me cry every time I read it... AWESOME!!!!