CastleWall

WoT is not for everyone. It speaks to people in different ways. I was totally engrossed in eotw because it was fun and easy for me to imagine myself in the character's shoes. I think that Eye of the World and The Great Hunt are really amazing series interest indicators. If you can get through these two books and enjoy it, you will enjoy (really enjoy) the rest of the series. Malazan on the other hand? I have re-read Gardens of the Moon 2 times. I have yet to move on to Deadhouse gates...

Does the body wither away completely to turn into a shade or does the shade come from the body which can decompose naturally?

Elantris was recommended to me right before Knife of Dreams came out. Like others, I was both a Brandon fan and a Jordan fan. It was really really awesome seeing Brandon selected as the author to finish WoT.

The idea of harvesting gems from dead axehounds/chull seems like a realistic opportunity and maybe an option that was explored. However, like our world, there are high quality stones and garbage stones. Maybe it is possible that through the course of the domestication of those 'shells they have either eliminated or greatly reduced the worth of the gems found in those entities.