The Great Hunt

[Fifth of Daybreak he/him]

I just finished up the great hunt. Again, Jordan ruined one of my predictions that I caught early on-Lanfear. I knew there was something up with her as soon as they found her in the portal stone world. It wasn't until after the fireworks scene that I figured out she was Lanfear though, between Egwene's dreams, and the prophecy. 

 

I was really disappointed that he didn't reveal Mordeth more subtlety. Right from the start having him refer to himself as Mordeth actually insulted me a little as a reader. By the time I had gotten to the Fade's death, I was wishing that it was more of a mystery, especially with all the hints that they played. I figured out that he was a Fain/Mordeth amalgamation when they revealed why the group couldn't decide on direction. 

 

I also suspected that Matt would be the one to sound the Horn, but I didn't expect it this book. Everyone else was focused on the Horn, but Matt only cared about the dagger, or his salvation.

 

I did suspect Ingtar, but only immediately before it was confirmed. He wanted the Horn way too badly. I think it was right before they went into Falme that I fingered him. 

 

I think I'm starting to understand what you mean by Ta'veren not being able to be controlled and whatnot. I saw Thom's lover's death as the Wheel pushing him back into things because of his interactions with Rand. Also...way disappointed with how that went. During the fireworks scene, I kept expecting Thom to be the one to save the day. I'm hoping my faith in him will be justified in future books.

 

Rand continues to frustrate me. I much prefer Perrin, but he's just as frustrating, as he didn't really do anything this book. I don't know what it is about Rand, but I just don't find myself as attached to him. 

 

Liandrin was pretty obvious, even before he stunt at Fal Dara,  but I don't think the Reds are all corrupt, in fact, I would have to estimate that the Black Ajah are very few in numbers, and maybe even Liandrin being the only Red who is black, but I'm not as sure on that.  Liandrin will be Nynaeve's to deal with eventually, the way I see it playing out.

 

The damane....oh god the damane...I was just short of being physically pained by reading that, it disturbed me so much. Although the experience certainly heightened my opinion of Egwene. She's a trooper. 

 

Best line in the book: "Stay and get married, or travel the Ways." Loial grimaced ruefully. "Life is very unsettling with ta'veren for friends."

 

I still am in the camp that Matt won't be separated from the dagger, especially with the revelations of 'MorFain.' He's the only one who can stop it from spreading the rot, and they definitely can't let it fall into MorFain's hands, lest it become some sort of superweapon (more than it already is.)

 

Captain Doman be a great character, I no wish harm to him.

 

Min is not what I expected from the little she was in last book, but I still like her a lot, I just pegged her wrong as far as temperament. 

 

I think the Amyrlin seat will fall, and then become a martyr, despite scrubbing floors, while Moiraine escapes regretfully. 

Moiraine will die. I had that thought before he conversation with Lan. 

 

 

All in all, I actually enjoyed the majority of The Eye of the World better than the majority of the Great Hunt, but the ending was killer. I thought halfway through the book that the ending would be unfulfilling with a very Fellowship of the Ring cliffhanger, and I was very pleased to be proven wrong. So the better ending goes to the Great Hunt.

 

If I think of anything I missed, I'll post some more. 

Edited June 4, 2014 by EMTrevor

[Topomouse he/him]

I don't think Jordan was trying to be subtle in that book. We already knew from the previous book that Fain had something from Shadar Logoth inside him. I think he was more trying to horrify the reader then anything else. The same can be said about "Selene": she was obviously fishy from the start, at least form the reader point of view. Rand is veeeery weak with women, and so was Lews Therin, as you will see over the following books. I think we were just meant to see Rand making some obvious bad choices with her. And I didn't actually connect her with Lanfear till the end. I was actually a bit confused about the general picture of the world and setting at least untill the end of the third book so I didn't manage to catch any early foreshadowing until the second reading. And really there is a lot of it.

 

Ingtar reavealing and subsequent death, and imho redemption, was one of the best moments of the book. You really start to see how insidious the Shadow is.

 

Rand IS frustrating. Again, we readers know he is the Dragon Reborn and can't just hide from the pattern, but he doesn't. In this book he is still running from destiny, in the third he will decide to face it, and from the fourth he is actually trying to do his job.

And as much as I like him as a character, Perrin actually takes longer to really man up and face reality. I mean, thei journey are different, but almost until the end Perrin doesn't try to take control of his life, Rand reaches that step much earlier.

 

I more or less the same opinion about the Reds: "it's a dirty job, but someone has to do it". Problem is, most of those who end up doing it are This post has been reported for attempting to skirt the rulesh****. Not necessary evil, but This post has been reported for attempting to skirt the rulesh****. No comment about the Black in general.

 

I think the Seanchen area actually one of the most interesting aspects of the books. When you get the whole picture about how the culture evolved on the two continents you can get some very enlightning reflections.

 

 

As for the first book you got some thing very right and some very wrong, but there is something I'm curious about: What did you think of Verin? I don't think it's spoiler to say that she is a relevant character( no more the many others anyway...) but che is very abiguos at the start.

[+Quitecontrary she/her]

There are so many spoilers in both these posts that you should use a spoiler tag. Or put a spoiler alert in the title at least, especially for those who are just starting with the series.

[Fifth of Daybreak he/him]

At first I was indifferent to Verin, but once I found out from Moiraine that she went on her own, I'm very suspicious. She got into their group way too easily, and then immediately went to Rand and started meddling. I don't know what her motives are, but I don't trust her at this point. 

 

 

There are so many spoilers in both these posts that you should use a spoiler tag. Or put a spoiler alert in the title at least, especially for those who are just starting with the series.

 

...I'm just getting started with the series. This is a forum dedicated to discussing the entire Wheel of Time. I understood that when I came in to do these posts, so I don't look at any threads except for these two. Actually, I did check another one that was someone who had just gotten started, and saw a few spoilers there, but I understood that's what can happen when you go into a forum dedicated to discussing those things. I understand where you're coming from, but it's a book that was published before I was born, if someone sees the title who hasn't read the book and comes into the post anyways, they should not be surprised to see spoilers, and they definitely have no justification to be upset, just like I can't be if someone comments in my posts with a spoiler. If I, or anyone else doesn't want to see spoilers on a book that has been out for 24 years, I/they really shouldn't be on this forum searching around. I don't even look at the titles of other threads, because I know they can be spoilers, but by coming in here, I assume responsibility for them, not the other way around.  

[Topomouse he/him]

I agree with EMTrevor, the book is a bit too old to worry about spoilers in a forum dedicated to the series. There aren't spoilers in the title of the topic, so if someone comes here and gets spoilered it's his responsability.

 

Also, you posted in EMTrevor other topic, you saw he is writing these to share is reactions to the books he has already read and theories about the following ones, and to read comments about those.

And that's what I did, i commented his post trying to stick to what he knows at the end of the second book, if he feel that I said to much he just needs to say so.

[Fifth of Daybreak he/him]

New thought, Thom killed the king. Really hoping this one is true.