Best WoT Book? THE SHADOW RISING -WoT Read Along

Continuing our #WheelOfTime Read along, we are discussing The Shadow Rising.
BREACH OF PEACE LINKS:
Amazon: amzn.to/3kHsyNJ (physical/ebook)
Audible: www.audible.com/pd/B08Z8L7D5Q...
B&N: tinyurl.com/3df3c2p4 (physical/ebook)
Book Depository: tinyurl.com/2hds7euy (physical)
Google: tinyurl.com/abkh6mn6 (ebook)
Apple: tinyurl.com/rc994r8k (ebook)
Kobo: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/brea... (ebook)
Merch: teespring.com/stores/fantasy-...
Patreon: / danielbgreene
Discord Server: / discord
Twitter: DanielBGreene?lan...
Twitch: / fantasynews
Instagram: / dgreene101
Subreddit: / danielgreene
Podcast: afictionalconversation.podbea...
Equipment:
Camera: amzn.to/3siqgHv
Lense: amzn.to/3ugGxhQ
Lighting: amzn.to/3aI3brK
Microphone: amzn.to/3pCGtWg
Tripod: amzn.to/3kd9yq1
New P.O. Box: PO Box 7874 Henrico, VA 23231

[@damp2269]

Egwene: Rand, I don't like you that way. Rand: same. Elayne: it's free real state.

[@milospollonia1121]

Min: sup

[@damp2269]

@@milospollonia1121 Berelain: Can I get on the action? all 3 jump on her.

[@Vales55]

I always saw Elayne as the most toxic of Rand's three girlfriends (not that he is anything remotely approaching mentally and emotionally healthy himself). Their relationship always seemed the most awkward and forced.

[@damp2269]

@@Vales55 Elayne is for sure the least relatable of the three but I think that is because she is royalty and very well written in that sense. That sense of owning everything is annoying to everyone else, even when her moral compass is pretty good.

[@Vales55]

@Anne Day I don't think Elayne is a toxic person in general. What I mean is that she and Rand are toxic *for each other.* Elayne, put bluntly, does not have the emotional maturity for a committed relationship until close to the end of AMoL. Meanwhile, Rand was a progressively more insane emo with a martyr complex. Elayne's conflicting letters, confused Rand in a way that probably didn't help his deteriorating trust towards women in general and Aes Sedi in particular, and her tendency to view him as a subject or even a lapdog in need of a minder was obnoxious but also not a healthy outlook. Rand also interfered with her career as a head of state, whether intentionally or not. And yes, I view that as a JOB rather than a birth-right or a personality trait. In short, Elayne leaves Rand frustrated, confused, and sometimes angry/embarrassed when he needed stability. Rand put Elayne in a bad spot politically both with his edicts and by getting her pregnant. On a side note, I have always seen Aviendha as the "Deep Fried Oreos" relationship for Rand. They can be bad for your health if you aren't careful, but they taste so good and it's hard to avoid the temptation.

[@comradefall]

my favorite mat moment in this book was when he and rand needed to give up their weapons and mat spends several minutes pulling all of his knives out of his coat, hesitates, and pulls a few more from his boots. everyone watching was like “THAT’S ENOUGH SLICES!”

[@jordanlovell7433]

my absolute favorite trope in media. it's always good.

[@belalaloca]

Min would approve

[@dedf15]

Mat has best timing in the series.

[@Nate-lw2gu]

@@jordanlovell7433 like that pirates of the caribbean scene with elizabeth, so funny

[@gokbay3057]

@@Nate-lw2gu I like the scene in the animated Sinbad movie with one of his crew. They enter a party and are stopped at the gate by guards and told to leave their weapons on a table. Which most of the crew does and gets in but there is this dude who has lots of weapons. He has just managed to remove his last weapon and is about the enter the party when the rest of the crew come back telling him that they are leaving.

[@cap-tavating5862]

This is the quote that made me realise how good an author Robert Jordan was and cemented this as one of my favourite series “Limping to the foot of the bed, he lowered himself into the chest there and laid Callandor across his knees, bloody hands resting on the glowing blade. With that in his hands, even one of the Forsaken would fear him. In a moment he would send for Moiraine to heal his wounds. In a moment he would speak to the Aiel outside and become the Dragon Reborn again. But for now, he only wanted to sit, and remember a shepherd named Rand al’Thor.”

[@simonbellamy67]

Amazing paragraph

[@UberOtaku001]

I think about this excerpt regularly. Its so heartbreaking.

[@carterdahl9654]

There's just sections in books where you go "Yep, that was perfect." And that's one of them

[@finchbird2419]

Ironic and tragic scene, considering what happens to him later in the series 😢

[@JzanderN]

Perrin stole this book, in my opinion. He had a frustrating beginning with his argument with Faile, but once he reached Two Rivers, he was on a march. Becoming lord and commander of the Two Rivers, marrying Faile, and standing up to Trollocs and the Whitecloaks, he stole the show at the end. Rand would have been my favourite, except I wasn't a fan of his climax. I enjoyed his showdown with Couladin, proving who was the true "He Who Comes With the Dawn," but didn't like how at the peak of its hype, he was ripped away for a different climax against Asmodean. It's a shame Mat didn't get much to do after Rhuidean, because he cemented himself as my favourite PoV in the books. I loved everything with him before then, especially with the doorways, and I loved the new power he got, but once he got it he didn't have anything to do except follow the group.

[@gematr14a42]

This. I hope there is a solo Mat plotline in book 5

[@badmotherfucker6328]

Exactly! İ wanted to skip most parts with Perrin and his gif until they came to two rivers but than Perrin became the most BADASS blacksmith-turned-lord ever

[@boxerjeep]

Perrin steals every book. By far my favorite character.

[@finchbird2419]

​@gematr14a42 oh you'll grow more and more fond of Mat's storyline, trust me 😊

[@scott4482]

All three of the Taveren are actually fighting against their own natures, Perrin fights the axe as a manifestation of his dislike of killing, preferring the creative life he always imagined for himself. Mat struggles against his duty, thinking to escape it through diversions like gambling. Rand is fighting against his internal pressures, the hidden inner natures , including his belief that he is destined to go mad and destroy. Each battle the Taverns has is specifically linked to their innermost personalities.

[@lokimer]

Now I see it, especially during the Rand fight while he is worried that those other versions of him might take over his body and become him instead. He just goes on later to fear LTT taking over his body as well.

[@Gunleaver]

That's the thematic significance of the bubble of evil in the beginning. They each have to fight what they hate. Perrin has to fight his axe, which tries to kill him and someone he loves. Mat is attacked by images of nobility, emerging from a deck of cards, which is the game of the nobles, whom he detests and whose company he only tolerates in an effort to build up a cash reserve to enable him to go off and enjoy himself. Rand is attacked by a multitude of images of himself, and fears them taking over his life if they defeat him. It's those same internal struggles made manifest in visible form. Other bubbles of evil are similar. The one Nynaeve and Elayne encounter in Salidar is mundane objects from their environment turning against them, fitting in with constant descriptions of the buildings and furniture in Saldiar in various stages of decay or damage, because the whole cause is bad and wrong-minded, which will culminate in Merise and then Egwene rebuking the rebel sisters in books 11 & 12. Another one strikes the camp of the Cairhienin rebels while Rand is visiting, covering the camp with fog that devours the armies. We learn during that incident that Darlin and Caraline are not rebelling out of hostility to Rand, necessarily, but because they don't understand him or believe he is hostile to them. They can't "see" him and they aren't working for the goals they think they are, as we see with the company they draw, such as Fain and Hanlon, hence the fog that conceals and devours them, and provides cover for Fain to strike at Rand, just as their rebellion allows other problems to sneak up on the Dragon Reborn.

[@saursoar]

Man oh man the aiel history revealing trough rand's ancestors memories. And the age of legens first "appearance" !!!! Haaa that's why I freaking love this book!!

[@bruce6749]

I literally cried for the first time this year when reading those chapters. So much real world culture and history intertwining, it was just beautiful

[@pemryjanes5789]

Relying on memory, I think this is the most we see of the Age of Legends in the books. Those memories are the only real glimpse we get of the world before. Everything else is relics and references by the Forsaken how everything used to be better. That's only one reason why this book is one of my favorites of the series as well, with Book 5 a close second.

[@chrisavery2586]

The Aiel in general. Seeing Aviendha here and then knowing where she goes. Delicioso.

[@bartsullivan4866]

I had to slowly read each one a few times to really not miss anything. I started the series reading book 12 and 13 so you see Avenada's future history which is crazy seeing them all die out then going back to read Rand's where the Aiel were the same as the Tinkers.

[@lucasbertsche3710]

Perrin and Faile’s romance is lowkey my favorite part of this book. It’s so frustrating at first but I loved watching the evolution of their relationship, and I thought it came to such a satisfying conclusion with them getting married and Faile coming back with reinforcements saving Perrin.

[@MichaelAlthauser]

And it all goes downhill from there.

[@lucasbertsche3710]

@@MichaelAlthauser almost finished with Lord of Chaos and Faile is already starting to get on my nerves 🤦‍♂️

[@stefandjukic294]

The best part of the Shadow Rising for me is how Rand comes into his own a bit. How he behaves towards Moraine and everyone around him. My favourite moment being when he puts Callandor into the ground. But whilst he evolves it's still Rand al'Thor.

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

But he does need to listen a bit better 😅

[@najeebhq]

@@DanielGreeneReviews he listens, if the speaker is talking to him, if the person is talking Down to him, or saying "You must do..." Rand puts fingers in his ears and goes "lalalalalalala"

[@MrSmokinDragon]

@@najeebhq As all good Two River folk does :)

[@benvanriemsdijk2706]

@@najeebhq That is just what Egwene believes I’d say. It is made clear from this point on that Rand is much more than what Egwene thinks he is.

[@Gunleaver]

@@DanielGreeneReviews He does listen, to good advice. He listens to Rhuarc, the Wise Ones, to Lan, to Thom, to Elayne. Hell, even Lanfear. He doesn't listen to a toxic leader, who was raised to believe that Machiavellian treachery and manipulation is the way to lead. He doesn't listen to a stubborn, inexperienced woman who is so certain of her supremacy that she refuses to adapt to new information, like the Aiel being important after all, as Moiraine discovered at the end of the prior book and utterly fails to take into her plans in this one. He especially doesn't listen to someone who, from the very first has claimed an implicit right to be the sole arbiter of his mission, has withheld information to control him and his friends and who tries to isolate him to make him dependent on her, and gaslight him into believing that he cannot succeed without her. At nearly every turn in the story, Moiraine is wrong and comes up with bad plans that the Pattern sabotages until Rand is strong enough to tell her where to head in. Moiraine does better when she has to react to developments rather than try to impose her own vision. That's what happened in book 1, 2 & 3. But in this one, she still has not learned the lesson, while crapping all over Rand's agency.

[@RiseeRee]

I love how you said Rand and Asmodean have a “bickering friendship” like Rand hasn’t implied or explicitly threatened that he will straight up murder Asmodean lmaoo 😂

[@hoi-polloi1863]

Sez Moiraine: "Yeah, what's up with *that* ?"

[@sheogorath1524]

I threaten my friends lives every day. I don't see what's wrong here

[@hoi-polloi1863]

@@sheogorath1524 Should we be calling you Shadar Logorath then...? ;D

[@judeconnor-macintyre9874]

He said bickering.

[@thesincalveniren]

A minor detail from the Nynaeve & Elayne arc is, as they search for the artefacts in the Panarch's Palace, that there's a Mercedes-Benz badge. I remember that detail so much, because a) I just found it hilarious & b) it suddenly reveals that this is our world, but in the future. That blew my mind

[@totesmagotes213]

Me too! I never got the reference in Eye of the World to John Glenn so this was the first time I realized this was our world in the future.

[@JohnDavidClark]

Me starting the series when you started this read through: I’ll pace myself. Me now: on book 13...

[@dedf15]

Congrats! I don't remember if this was my favorite book, but it's true this one was probably one of the best written of the series. Have you read a new spring yet? I had been so worn out by the time I finished the series that I shelved it (the prequel had come out literally a month before I finished a memory of light and I just kind of put it away for a while...

[@rgoodwyn]

We march for Tarmon Gai'don!!

[@richgable4913]

For me, one of the most powerful moments in this book is when the Tinkers show just how courageous they are in the face of danger. While they didnt fight, they were fully ready to run with every child on thier back just to keep them safe. Idk why but that gets me every time.

[@noahjohnson8975]

ikr!?! And the ladies coming to hold the line with freaking cleavers and butcher knives when the men were starting to get overwhelmed? Get it!

[@Gunleaver]

That never did it for me. What I kept thinking is that in the event of the village falling, the last place I'd want my kids to be is hiding in the woods, in the care of a person wearing bright colors who won't lift a hand to defend them. I get the Tinkers' point about violence harming your soul when you do it. It's real and valid. This is the 21st century, we know about PTSD. Rand and Mat and Perrin would certainly agree that violence harms their souls. The difference between them and the Tinkers, is that they are willing to suffer that damage to protect others, and the Tinkers are not. They are more concerned with never having to endure a moment of spiritual pain protecting other people.

[@zyonhenderson67]

Book 4 and 5 is when I realized WOT was gonna be a different beast. I remember reading it and having WAY too much fun with it

[@damp2269]

fun?

[@zyonhenderson67]

@@damp2269 Damn it yeah 🤣🤣🤣

[@davidgreene616]

Mat being hung is probably a reference to Odin getting hung on Yggdrasil for I think 9 days to gain knowledge. In case anyone missed that.

[@rgoodwyn]

Truth. The eastern influences of the series made the think of Buddha under the Bohdi tree but I forgot about the Allfather too :)

[@johnnyjet3.1412]

And got a spear that never misses

[@stviz87]

I was so confused, i read the wrong hung

[@BinarySecond]

I read this comment and was very confused because I didn't recall mats penis being talked about at any point.

[@sonny3351]

@@stviz87 lmaoooo

[@Relentify]

I was a little surprised that you didn't mention how Rand cut Asmodean off from his connection with the dark one. That scene really cemented how much rand is naturally pulling from his lews therin memories.

[@christopherspriggs4179]

You didn’t mention my favourite scene. Where we see a flashback of Lanfear opening the bore in her floating spherical science lab thinking it was a new energy that both men and women could share solving many of the second age problems.

[@jkdog3242]

When is this I am on my first reread of the series and finished Shadow Rising a few days ago, do not have any recollection of this whatsoever

[@jkdog3242]

Oh jk I kinda remember but like floating spherical lab what?

[@christopherspriggs4179]

Chapter 26: Charn is twenty-five and plans to accept the marriage proposal from Nalla that night. He will transfer his service from Mierin Sedai to Zorelle Sedai. A citizen accidentally knocks him to the ground. As they are exchanging apologies, the ground ripples, then the air ripples also. He is concerned because today is the day Mierin and Beidomon are to tap into the new power source that will allow men and women to use the same source for their channeling. As he watches, the Sharom disintegrates and falls to the ground. He begins to run toward the Sharom, knowing he is too late. The Sharom is the lab, Mierin is Lanfears real name.

[@jaxonlyman7445]

There weren’t really any second age problems. At least none that we know about, they just thought the new energy would take them to even greater heights. (Though Lanfear probably knew what she was doing)

[@jkdog3242]

@@jaxonlyman7445 oh yeah I didn't make the connection that Mierin was Lanfear's real name and that was who that passage was referring to. That's a dope little connection tho. Thanks for that fr

[@solindasedai2252]

This book was awesome! I really like how much Rand understands Mat, almost better than anyone else in the series- in Rhuidean where Rand insists that Mar does not come in after him and you just know that Mat will if Rand doesn’t come out soon and Rand knows it too. He waits for Mat to agree not to come in- he knows Mat will keep his word. And then later when he says how Mat is a great complainer at small discomforts and how his silence must mean he is in great pain . Just some great Rand and Mat moments in addition to everything else of course.

[@hubone4]

Loved this book. My wife and I actually incorporated some of Perrin and Failes wedding vows into ours

[@ManDuderGuy]

Godspeed you nerds.

[@jaxonlyman7445]

A couple things that I love about this book that you didn’t touch on: Trollocs did not kill Perrin’s family. Padan Fain tortured and killed all of them, and it was so brutal that everyone believe trollocs did it. We already hate Fain by this point, but now we have way more fuel on that despising fire. I love that Rand has his plan that he spends weeks (was it weeks?) in Tear researching. He doesn’t tell anyone, including us, any of it. Then when Lanfear reveals herself, he just says “oh good all according to plan” and we realize that this is what he expected from the start. Rand is such a genius, I love him as a character.

[@annegirl16]

One of my favorite tiny moments is when the Aiel come into the Winespring and speak to Marin and give her their guest gifts. I think sometimes it's not just the clash of cultures that's interesting, but also where the cultures intersect.

[@MrSmokinDragon]

this, exactly. Both the clashes and the intersect are fascinating, and really add to the world.

[@MichaelAlthauser]

Bits like this are why I really enjoy Jordan's worldbuilding.

[@lbentforleather9654]

The sequences with Rand's vision of Aiel history in Rhuidean was amazing - it revealed and explained so much about the current state of relations between Tuatha'an and Aiel, as well as giving us a glimpse of the amazing technologies in the Age of Legends. The whole world building of Aiel was an amazing aspect of the book, and one of the most interesting parts. Robert Jordan can also weave vaguely comedic and actually funny moments into moments of sincerity and the while theme of a grand, sweeping epic.

[@shardslayer4568]

One huge problem I had with The Wheel of Time up to this point is how lame the forsaken were. The forsaken are setup to be these super villains, but basically every single battle they loose to these children in their twenties. I just wasn't scared of them, which really messed up the series for me.

[@jvdw843]

Wait, you found Rand fighting his own reflection more comedic than Mat fighting playing cards, like something from Alice in Wonderland? Strange.

[@jgc3233]

The more Naeneve learns to control pulling her braids in anger, the more likeable she becomes for me. This was the book where she began turning the corner for me as a character,

[@HeavyTopspin]

Just for reference: >> The Shadow Rising was released on September 15, 1992. >> Army of Darkness (Evil Dead 3) was released on October 9, 1992 at the Sitges Film Festival. Jordan did the fighting my own reflections scene first! Although I do have to admit, it would have been improved by some three-stooges-style eye poking...

[@brianwright7640]

All 3 of bubble of evil fights gave me real Evil Dead vibes.

[@lenyabv610]

This is the book where I started to love Siuan. It's really interesting to see her pulled down from being one of the most powerful people in the land to a fugitive on the run, and even though she has been stilled she is still incredibly determined and immediately begins scheming, ever pulling logain into it.

[@rgoodwyn]

Yes! From this point on she was one of my faves. The hardship really brought out the best in her.

[@antonioppinheiro]

This book has the moment that has stuck the most with me throughout the series: Rand experiencing the Aiel past in Rhuidean. I think that's when I realized how amazing the series could be and the size of its greatness. Not to mention other key moments like Elaida's coup (for someone who lives in Brazil, I know how awful it's to be ruled by stupid, hunry for power and autoritharian people). After my first read of the series, TSR is my favorite book so far.

[@sirhubcap2171]

Rand's experience in Rhuidean definitely cemented this book as my favorite of what I read so far

[@mariaclaravieirafernandes6176]

OI BRASIL SIL SIL SIL

[@Matt-ju4cb]

I just finished a re-read of this one, I think you missed the Egeanin arc where she realizes everything she thought she knew about channelers is wrong (and she's got the hots for Domon who "a properly set up" man 😂) Definitely my favorite book so far in this re-read.

[@TheDevler23]

I always love Perrin. However, the last few re-reads for me have been after losing a child in my family to murder. So I see Perrin in this book with different eyes. You hit the nail on the head. His revenge streak is his grieving. And he does continue to deal with his grief in future books, if people are paying attention. His numbness, his rage, his eventual acceptance, it's all so very real. Hits different when you read this series as an adult, huh?

[@gaybowser4967]

I'll be honest, this book cemented Rand as both my favourite character, but someone that scares me. He reminds me of both me and my friends, with the hopelessness just piling into him, where he would sooner let himself have just a few minutes of peace and bleed to death, rather than keep fighting. Because if Rand had the chance, if he had the chance to pass the prophecy onto someone else, he would, and then he would go away and kill himself so he didn't hurt anyone. And it's this that makes me sympathise with Rand and realise he's a good person. He calls himself out many times in the series for treating people like shit and during one scene in the next book (I'm gonna try and keep it vague but just in case, spoilers), he starts forcing himself to cry because he just refuses to let himself think of the future and be like, well at least that one person is dead, no he forces himself to mourn. And then with his self harming everytime a maiden dies, tearing into his flesh and forcing himself, to (ok spoilers get a lot more heavy here just skip this if you haven't read the fifth book) get into the thick of battle at Cairhien because he blames himself for the Maiden's death. And with his capture by Elaida's Aes Sedai, the torture he goes through and so much more, Rand acts like a dick but he's forced to and I kinda hate a lot of the characters for not sympathising with him more. He has the fate of the world on his shoulders, people keep trying to manipulate him and he's so depressed that he has to resort to self harm and disconnecting from his emotions to get through the day and not kill himself, he's severely tortured and gets a friend tortured because of him, hundreds of thousands of people die for him and he has the constant fear of going insane before completing his mission, rendering everything worthless and being forced to die at his friends' hands and potentially kill some of them. Everyone else was amazing but Rand stuck out like a sore thumb and continues to. I will never not love him.

[@the_well-known_stranger2275]

Couldn’t agree more friend.

[@Ukalaaka]

Well said, Gay Bowser

[@gaybowser4967]

@Kami no Ōkami // Paper Wolf yeah. It's terrifying how his self-hatred as well is the thing that makes him a worse person. His reactions to Aes Sedai later on makes perfect sense and I agree with him on that, his destruction of an entire manor house just to try and kill Graendal if I remember correctly, it all makes sense but it's horrible stuff that happens that can't be excused in a way but you also can't blame him for. Everything he does, he does for the greater good but it still ruins people and himself, and it's his not letting go of the fact that he is the Dragon Reborn, he needs to do this stuff and make these sacrifices, that makes the sacrifices worse. Jordan made the characters their own worst enemies, Rand especially. I love Mat and Perrin and Nynaeve and Egweme but their internal struggles, everyone's really are trumped by Rand. He is the complete opposite of the Forsaken in every way and that's the thing that makes him both such a great person, but such a tortured, vile, killing machine.

[@ewalsh7682]

The phrase “bubble of evil” still cracks me up

[@jankril_sedai]

This is one of my favorite books in this series because of what our main characters do in this book. In the first 3 books, you see the EF5 just REACTING to every situation they are put in. This is the first book that we truly see all 5 of them ACTING. Making choices that end up leading them to the situations where they will begin growing into the people they need, and will, become before Tarmon Gai'don. It's beautiful and I love it!

[@apollonasreisis5867]

I absolutely love the books and this is the guy who really got me into it, it’s actually great

[@MartinUnderwood]

First time read-through for me (just finished this book last night), and I gotta say, I'm surprised how much I like Perrin. The bickering with Faile at the beginning was annoying and made me feel awkward, but beyond that, I just love his character and arc. I'm not one who tends to get overly sentimental in books, but dang it, the Emond's Field stuff wrecked me! I also loved how deep the world is. The stuff with the Aiel history was awesome.

[@biffii5568]

First time reader here(audio book). Never had this happen before but, i actually started welling up during the last battle in Emands Field. My god that was powerful.

[@djhokasha7410]

I hate Elaida with a burning hatred. Everytime I reread the series, I almost always have Elaida on my Top 10 Fictional People to Hate.

[@abj136]

I've learned to appreciate her. From her perspective she discovers Siuan who is supposed to lead the entire Aes Sedai has chosen to operate in total secrecy about the most important matter of the age: The Dragon, and carried out dangerous and secret schemes involving the one (Elayne) whom she is bound to protect, because of her connection to Morgase, but also because as a prophetess she knows Elayne's life is vital to the battle against the Dark One. Given all this, can you blame her for believing the Amyrlinn is dangerous and needs to be taken down?

[@djhokasha7410]

@@abj136 When you put it that way, no. I didn't really think of it like that. Now, I feel a bit less animosity towards her.

[@wrynnshy]

I also have never come to hate Elaida and she is also in my top 10 and this has never changed with any of my rereads. She has foreknowledge and never doubts that she may have misinterpreted it. She falls into the Aes Sedai fallacy that they are all knowing and everyone should be following them. Contrast her with Moiraine who started out that way but in this book realizes that she must change and adapt. Elaida for me has always been associated with the Shadow Rising (pun intended). She through her arrogance and limited understanding allows the Shadow a stronger hold in the world and undermines the White Tower almost to the point of completely destroying it.

[@MistaZULE]

What makes her so terrible to read as a POV is just her pettiness and arrogance. She is so condescending and demeaning to everybody, and especially with Egwnen when she retursn to the tower. I do love when you start to see the cracks appear in her facade. I feel so much schadenfreude when I get to that part. Spoiler Warning: When her Keeper (I forget her name) puts her in her place after she fucked up so badly is the only times in the entire series where I actually love a Black Ajah member. Not to mention the main Black Ajah who betrays Egwene and has her captured and collared by the Seanchan.

[@kene8490]

@abj I don't think I read Elaida the way you did. If her true concerns were about the tower, Elayne and Siuan being too dangerous; she would have called for a real trial and deposed Siuan properly. Instead, she gets the bare minimum sufficient to meet a quorum after stacking it with her supporters, deposes and stills Siuan in relative secrecy. Even after interrogating Siuan, whom she believes can tell no lie, she decides to pick and choose what to treat as relevant, disregarding anything she didn't want to believe. In my opinion, Elaida is not evil. She is merely a petty, incompetent, arrogant and condescending woman, who got what she deserved in the end.

[@moonleafteaofthemonth]

At first when Aviendah was like, "I hate Rand so much!" I was so confused, and then I was like...oh wait. Oh you got it bad, girl. I feel you.

[@Gunleaver]

I...don't think that was it. She saw their sexual relationship when she saw her possible futures in Rhuidean, and given the circumstances, believed he raped her and was conspiring with the Wise Ones to get his chance. Literally the night before she went to Rhuidean, she was telling her friends how she does not want to get married and is put off by the wetlander custom of men proposing to women. Given the implications that proposing to someone among the Aiel is more of a done-deal sort of thing, with refusing being a more serious and rare occurrence than in normal cultures, you can infer that Aviendha believes wetlander men impose a restrictive and unequal marriage situation on women, and her experience of her future led her to think Rand was going to do that to her. Her limited perspective on his and Elayne's relationship also suggests to her that he's not exactly stellar boyfriend material, differing customs aside. So up until he gives her the bracelet, I think she was seeing him as someone who was plotting to sexually assault and enslave her. The hatred was real.

[@BensBookCave]

I love this book it is my second favorite, I am currently reading crossroads of twilight, and it’s fun to think about the earlier days😂

[@matthewgoetter3127]

Having read the series dozens of times I have started to suspect that during Robert Jordan’s time in Vietnam he had some PTSD trauma related to women dying. Though I definitely don’t want to accuse or even suspect the man of having done anything personally, I feel like it’s way too much of a sub theme throughout the series. Rands desperate attempt to resurrect the young innocent girl just reads to me like a man wishing he could change his own past, or erase his responsibilities for deaths that even though he shouldn’t take them personally they cannot be forgotten. Don’t get me wrong, I love this series and Jordan is a brilliant writer who is able to capture a huge spectrum of emotions. However, the more I read this series the more I feel the nagging unresolved guilt of trauma inflicted on women in war and I feel like Rands haunted inner turmoil and recitals of dead women is some reflection of a combat veteran who is still suffering from having witnessed or participated in something deeply traumatic. May Jordan’s soul Rest In Peace and may the last embrace of the mother welcome him home.

[@SevPlays]

Yeah he was a helicopter gunner and quite highly decorated... which means yeah he saw stuff. If I recall correctly some interview or question somewhere lead to a story of him returning fire on an enemy soldier, killing them and then realizing the second after he fired that it was a woman. I read part of Rand/Lews as just straight up being Jordan's own trauma in the form of a character.

[@ChristmasLore]

Terrible and welcomed hypothesis and bit of information. Thank you. (Definitely feels very repetitive, and very personal)

[@Gunleaver]

I think it's a specific line Rand draws to try to separate himself from Lews Therin. Maybe he has to accept that he's the Dragon Reborn, that he has to lead the fight against the Dark One, that he's going to go mad and break the world, but he's NOT going to be the Kinslayer. He might have to kill, but he won't kill women. Kind of like making a buffer between himself and the woman(-en) he loves. If he doesn't kill ANY women, he can't kill one he loves, right? The female death thing is very specific to Rand. The other two ta'veren have issues with it too, but not to the extent he does. With Mat it has to do with killing women he knows, and his view of his relationship to women, that he makes them happy, and with Perrin it's tied up in his fears of losing himself to violence. No other character really has a problem with it, nor is there a sense in the narrative that killing women is somehow more wrong or worse than killing a man. I think if Jordan had that issue, it would be a more universal concept, rather than something specific to three characters to varying degrees.

[@reidblanchard6453]

This is the WoT book I own the most copies of other than EotW. This is when I realized that I wanted to read the other 10 books

[@ryannoaker3410]

I absolutely love this read along series! It’s nice to feel like I have someone to fanboy with over the series. I’ve been trying to get friends and family members to read WOT for years!

[@Kal_Al_Thor]

I started EOTW when u announced the read along. But I couldn't hold back and wait. I went ahead and read more and more. It's so addictive. Now I'm in book 11.

[@adammoshinsky6012]

You're a much faster reader than me. Well done!

[@blueyneuy]

Glad you got through the 'slog'

[@christianemden7637]

@@blueyneuy I‘m on my first read through just starting book 11, i didn’t feel much of a slog in those books. Or at least all the story arcs that could be considered sloggish are still unresolved.

[@burnettaj4156]

I literally read the series for the first time last summer over quarantine, I loved it so much I did all 14 in under two months… now less than two years later I’m already doing a re read😂 About a quarter of the way through book 5 right now

[@MetalGildarts]

All 14 in 2 months!? Sweet Moses…I commend you.

[@Sidnv]

The Rhuidean scenes in this book are some of the best fantasy writing ever. The flow of the narrative as you move backwards in time through Rand's antecedents is perfect and this is the most clear depiction of the age of legends in the series. The tension as you build up to the opening of the bore, and as you slowly realize what is actually happening in these scenes, is so great. This is definitely one of those chapters that improves a ton on second reads, since you know what Robert Jordan is trying to show. My favorite part of the Wheel of Time, by far.

[@themelk0r21]

One of my favorite parts about these books is how Jordan depicts two channelers fighting. I just love how abstract he describes it. Specifically how when super strong channelers like Rand and Asmodean fight they just do things instinctively.

[@matiracedo]

Yes, you gotta LOVE Nynaeve! That fight against Moghedien was one of my favorite scenes ever! I get it, she can be annoying, but she is definitely my favorite female character, with Mat being my favorite male one ♥️

[@heron22wading]

Nynaeve is incredibly unlikeable. She is constantly rude, selfish, jealous, and bitter. Not one good quality

[@sourabh3811]

This was my favourite book till now in wheel of time. The only criticism I can give is, the last battle at two rivers, it ended just after it started without any great moments and also, it ended because two other armies just arrived there to help them which had no relationship to perrin,. Also they told there were more than a thousand trollocs and two dozens mardrawls and all Of them just died by arrows with in an hour. I am more frustrated because Perrin's part was my favourite part of the book and the book hyped me to a difficult battle at the end, but everything that happened, it just dissatisfied and disappointed me.

[@charles3840]

These are probably my favorite set of reviews partially because how animated you get in these videos and how detailed and spoiler filled you get in discussing the books.

[@juanjosegutierrezmerchan2669]

This book is SO good, it manages to condense in a very good way the characteristic elements of Robert Jordan's narrative, it has really epic moments, it is when the saga takes a giant step. It shows us a vast world and shows us that until now the beginning of the story has happened and we do not know what is coming, very good book.

[@mumfordhobbes5455]

i was constantly enthralled with all the intense and emotional character moments throughout the book, especially the opening scene when rand tried to resurrect a child. This book cemented perrin as one of my favorite characters as well

[@carlossalazar3182]

I loved the bubbles of evil as an introduction or reintroduction to each character’s problems Rand struggles to unite all the aspects of himself (Dragon, Lewis Therin, sheepherder, Aiel) Mat struggles with the cards he’s been dealt with by life, always trying to run from them but being sucked back in Perrin struggles with having to harm or even kill people to do what needs to be done

[@ChristmasLore]

Very good point! (We don't know if it stands for everyone, but definitely fitting for those 3!)

[@allan1448]

The book is a piece of exelence. I was so invested into every single arc. My favorite part was with Perrin as he rises to the symbol of the Two Rivers. The way he convinced all the farms to go to the Two Rivers and stand tall and brave is just epic. This is also the book that Mat comes in to the picture of being a badass character. looking forward for the rest of the series...it is my first read🤓

[@paigevb758]

So glad you're doing this read along. I'm about to start Path of Daggers and it's so hard to keep what happens in so many of the previous books straight these videos are a nice little reminder.

[@GnarledStaff]

I actually enjoyed the traveling of the ways for the first time in any of my read throughs. I think knowing how it ends allowed me to focus on the quality of the writing and think about how the conflict developed the characters.

[@alexlanier9304]

I really appreciate these videos!! I'm reading (listening actually) the series for the first time and this helps me to keep track of the very extensive lore! I can't wait to see how the show is too.

[@petershort461]

Currently on my first read through of the series! Started Crossroads of Twilight last night. These read along really help jogging my memory of certain events, as having read the books back to back specific events can be muddled and hard to pin down which book they happened in.

[@HeronKij]

I know he didn't get much time in this book, but Thom Merrilin keeps up the astounding character work here. He only has 2 (?) POV chapters, but both put into perspective just how dangerous, and how vulnerable, he really is, especially with Elayne. Loved her and Thom's talks so much.

[@alexandershaw2341]

I just finished it after getting the book in April. I really slogged through the first half but buckled down and focused and honestly, it was awesome! I especially loved Perrin's arc

[@j4242]

Just finished this book and it's definitely my fav so far. Your breakdowns are so fun!

[@cswindowcompany]

Rereading this right now. That entire Rhuidean sequence is incredible. Easily one of my favorite moments in the entire series.

[@khaleesiamde6215]

I really really enjoyed this video and your approach to recapping this book. I think this one may have been my favorite also.

[@ArthusRen]

Definitely my second favorite book after Gathering Storm. This is the book that made this my favorite series of all time. Thanks for recommended to me.

[@kylevanbockel1957]

There was so much in this book that I loved. I just finished book 5 and its a tight squeeze between to two for fav book so far. My favourite part was definatly the glimpses of the ages past in the Aiel history flashbacks. But I also loved perrins story arc back in the home valley of two rivers. So much incredible writing that ducked me so deeply into the book.

[@thomasandre5013]

Hey Daniel, started reading the wheel of time cause of this read along, am just starting Path of Daggers and really loving the series! Keep up the good work :)

[@fantasyfanatic6038]

I loved Perrin from the beginning but this is truly the book where he cemanted himself as my favorite character. This truly is HIS book!

[@totesmagotes213]

@Anne Day I completely agree. Perrin was my favorite character as of this book and I was so disappointed with the rest of his arc during the story.

[@josephinepuck8370]

This was also my favorite book, has so many of my favorite moments and sets up so much.

[@reapergaming8810]

Man I have been waiting for this one to come out! Keep up the awesome work!

[@harugaming7124]

I just finished reading this book last week. Can't wait to start the next book!

[@forrestormane9128]

I’m currently on Book 8, but shadow rising + Fires of Heaven is probably my favorite back to back books I’ve ever read. Granted it’s for different reasons, but these 2 are masterpieces in my view. I absolutely love Rand after those 2 books.

[@Silrielmavi]

Thank you for doing this series, I deal with anxiety and depression and having a summary really helps me get through books, especially since so many characters in the WOT books deal with depression, etc. This is helping me feel like I can actually read more of the books(I'm currently stuck in the middle of the Fires of Heaven). I originally read the series in high school and got to the middle of book 9 and couldn't keep going, especially since at that time the books weren't finished. I watched your Wheel of Time Synopsis series when I started reading this time around and it's helped, but this series has more humor and it's helping me remember the fun I had reading it the first time since I read it with a group of friends and we would make inside jokes based on what we read.

[@hollowwax1176]

Haven’t caught up yet, still reading book three but next time I’m ready. Keep up the good work, I’m really loving these books and your reviews so far

[@marynelson2875]

I just finished this book for the first time and my favourite part was the hints towards the post-modern earth. The elephant skeletons and other stuff in Tanchio that Egwene sees and the hints at technology during Rand's vision quest

[@chrissleeping65]

Top 5 wheel of time battles 1. The Last Battle 2. Dumais Wells 3. Battle for the Two River's 4. Battle at Falme 5. Battle of Malden

[@oliverdemille7953]

I sometimes go back and re-read just the chapter Goldeneyes. One of the absolute highlights of the series for me.

[@sarahvholder]

Duuuuuude I've been checking for this video for weeks!

[@subtorren4928]

Man You make the funniest reviews Keep it up ,I am hyped to see you review more of the wheel of time

[@Stampede21]

I’m glad I watched this video. I’ve been listening to these as audiobooks and I totally did not catch that when Mat came out of the gate that he couldn’t be channeled at anymore

[@jaxonlyman7445]

It doesn’t come up in this book. He only realizes later how his second wish was granted.

[@ReubenXR]

The Aiel waste adventures was such amazing world building...it helped there was a heatwave while I was reading it...I had a more real immersion.Egewene is finally being taught to behave and grow! I have high expectations for her! Returning to the two rivers after so long felt so great, it felt like years since I last read about it, felt like I returned home! And the battle in the two rivers to end it all off was just wow. Then we Nynaeve vs forsaken?! That was so fucking hype. My criticism about the book would be: - I thought the White tower bits were a bit meh, I understand it was a surprise and many betrayed them, but it felt too easy for them to take control. - Falie and Elyane being annoying teenage girls fits them...but I am kinda getting tired of it. Nynaeves trope of "saying something sexist like men being careless, then herself next chapter being careless and getting punished for it" is getting a bit boring and obvious. - Mat was a mixed bag for me, I liked him for most of the book, but whenever he thought about abandoning Rand was off putting. I forgot to add, the best part of this book. Rand in Rhuideans trial. HOLY SHIT was this so well written. I read these chapters twice back to back. Not only do we learn about the history of the Aiel, but the history of the world since the age of legends, and that we are seeing through the eyes of Rands Aiel family, and also coming to the realisation that Aiel and the Tinkers being the same people, and the Aiel...the combat master were actually the most peaceful people ever? Holy shit was it just the best reading experience I have ever had. Also the fact that we saw the dark one being release, and it was by Lanfear?! Fucking love the wheel of time. Amazon better not fuck this adaptation up.

[@PouDaddy]

Sadly, they did :(

[@goodisgood153]

Love all the comedic reenactment. This is why you are my favorite reviewer in youtube 11:13 lmao

[@Sev997jr]

Wheel of Time is sooo good, love your content!

[@safinan8008]

Hi 👋 I’m so excited 😊 to watch wheel of time tv series!!! 👍👍👍

[@watchingthemicroworld2081]

I recently finished reading The Shadow Rising and it makes me uncomfortable reading Rand's chapters. Like, I get uncomfortable everytime Rand channels.

[@Riser413]

As you should

[@angelusdemorte3]

I love Nynaeve! This is my first readthrough... Rhuidean is my favorite chapters so far...

[@janthm.j.9591]

Very nice recap, thank you!

[@user-cz3qr4vc9k]

Perrin's storyline is so awesome

[@zv8343]

I love the visions of Rhuiden with Rand... And Mat's experiences in the two ter'angreal.

[@petershort461]

25:10 had me laugh out loud! Never a more accurate depiction of Mat

[@Sam-jx8tv]

I think the best part of this book is the pacing for me. Especially the second half of the book. Just how every time you go "oh shit what's going to happen next!" the pov changes and that really helps keep the book moving. It's something I think the later books especially getting into the slog struggles with until probably Knife of Dreams. Regardless I think Shadow Rising is probably one of the better paced books in the series, it's just so balanced.

[@kirbykrackle5281]

Good work Daniel, i had forgotten this book had so many great events.

[@dreammaster2.059]

"Whosyour daddy?" Robert Jordan is definitely Daniel's XD

[@DRAMATICA1100]

I think this is my favorite book overall in the series even though I have some “more favorite” moments in other books.

[@Toofast4005]

So much awesome happens in this book!

[@jareddavis554]

This is not only my favorite WoT book. But one of my favorite books of all time. Easily in my top 3.

[@michaelcopple1736]

Please don't blow your load, Daniel. Your excitement about WoT makes me want to start reading the series. I do have the first one on my Kindle. I have to respect your reviews of each writer for their intent and not the things you are wanting from the book. Awesome.

[@slomo9831]

One of my favourites. Literally read it to pieces, on my 3rd? copy atm =D

[@danielbroome5690]

I'm currently re-reading this as well and I cannot wait to get back to Asmodean. He left a pretty big impression with me the first time i read him, especially for how short his time in the books was.

[@theonlyslagathor]

Yay, love for berelain! I love her for the most part because of how smart she is and how she just leans into the fact that everyone views her as slutty and she's like "not my problem that I'm perfect and you're not". (Also idk why but I'm like weirdly glad that these videos are not like chapter summaries and are instead done by explaining the plot points one by one. This was phrased so badly I swear I know how to convey thoughts to others in a coherent way)

[@ChristmasLore]

She admits to Perrin later he would only be her third lover, and the other two were mainly for politics. She doesn't sleep around like those Cairhien people do (behind close doors)😉

[@brt1strrbb110]

I love Rand's through line of having and Aiel mother, and trying to gain their approval(obviously needed approval) and how the Aiel look and Perrin and Mat in such a casual "they are kinda weird but, yeah, their about it." Way.

[@ryansutter9434]

When the Amazon show gets to the events of this book....🤯 it’s going to be AMAZING television!

[@quieroversipuedo]

I laugh snorted so many times during this video. Love it.