Monday, May 4, 2015

Chapter 44 (The Dark Along the Ways)

Finally we're once again getting some action, or at least it feels as if the book is finally moving way more towards its purpose. Less world building in this chapter and more impressions.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Chapter 43 (Decisions and Apparitions)

Starting a new chapter commentary is rough, inevitably I find some quote or bit of information from the previous chapter that I forgot to add...but then I have to decide if I want to mention it or not. If I mentioned everything I wrote down, all my observations, the entries would be far too long, and the review is already taking far more time than it should. So instead of going with the quote I missed from the last chapter, we will instead continue moving forward.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Chapter 42 (Remembrance of Dreams)

The change in Perrin, which I previously spoke of in the last chapter is more evident in this chapter. Rand even used 'resigned' to describe the look on Perrin's face. This attitude which seems to come out of - not nowhere, but almost. However, I do like that Perrin was the one who broke the ice with Loial and we even learn a little more about Loial, because naturally, now that the Edmond's Field group is all back together again, everyone is reluctant to talk, but as all friends do, they eventually break the ice.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Chapter 41 (Old Friends and New Threats)


Straightaway a couple things struck me about this chapter. Perrin, who we last saw being tortured then rescued, but still pretty much himself is now morose, hanging his head at everything and and more non-talkative then normal (and as I write this I realize many of my impressions come from the coming chapter, but it starts here). Also - Mat seems to have gone downhill rather quickly, that or Rand just didn't notice, and we've already talked about reasons that Rand may not have noticed. Still - for me when Moraine opened that door and Mat's lying there - it somehow was still abrupt. 

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Chapter 40 (The Web Tightens)

Rand fell into the castle, knocking his head pretty hard, woke up and met a couple VERY IMPORTANT people, in fact, many very important people are introduced in this chapter. More than the slow, one or two characters who will pop up later that the reader has been introduced to so far. Definitely far more than I realized upon first read. However, I'm jumping ahead of myself.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Chapter 39 (Weaving of the Web)

Mat's slowly getting worse, but Rand doesn't realize yet the extent of Mat's illness.  It seemed obvious to me, the reader, so by extension, Rand should have realized the same conclusion I had come to. That stupid dagger was causing all the paranoia, the weakness, etc., the conclusion I came to was drawn from things Rand  himself had observed. But hey - I'm just the reader. And Rand was just an inexperienced kid in a big city for the first time. Of course he's going to go off and explore.

Chapter 38 (Rescue)

Is it me, or is it only the bad guys that happily take items; jewelry, clothes, weapons, etc. and then wear them around in front of the person and then later it comes back to bite them? Kind of like what Byar did to Perrin and Perrin's ax?

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Chapter 37 (The Long Chase)

This chapter, I feel it was finally all coming back together. Two of our three groups were reuniting and I still have the strong impression that they'll find each other in Caemlyn. 

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Chapter 36 (Web of the Pattern)

Oh, Loial! What a refreshing introduction! So simple and yet so deep. You humans are very excitable....I had heard all the stories, and read the books, of course, but I didn't realize." It's fun to have a character introduced that can point out different character traits or actions and bring those to the forefront of the story. 

Friday, March 20, 2015

Chapter 35 (Caemlyn)

For all that I was trying to get a post done, I still missed things I'd wanted to point out from Chapter 34. I did mention I loved Bunt's chatter, but in particular I loved the bits about the tree chopped down and the black veiled Aiel coming over the dragonwall. Oh, and a question - only semi rhetorical - in this chapter his skin is prickling (rather like it does when channeling is happening), I assumed it was because of the Fade, but has this happened before and does it happen again?
Lastly I also loved the quote from Thom while Rand is dreaming The Queen is wed to the land...but the Dragon, the Dragon is one with the land, and the land is one with the Dragon. Okay, with that out of the way we can enter Caemlyn. 

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Chapter 34 (The Last Village)

More traveling and passing of time "Only three nights since Howal Gode and Four Kings, two since Paitr had surprised them in Market Sheran. Just a bare day since the nameless Darkfriend woman tried to kill them in the stable of The Queen's Man, but even that seemed a year ago, or a lifetime." But how many nights since they left two rivers? How many days since Shador Logoth? Is it is any surprise that the passage of time is so hard to follow in the Wheel of Time, especially in later books when they stop mentioning even this? 

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Chapter 33 (The Dark Awaits)

The adventure continues....due to unforeseen family events I had to take a slight break from posting. Though I even brought my journal, the book and my laptop with me, I never cracked any of them. And then I went and got a cold as soon as I got home (probably picked up from the Northwest). Life however, goes on, and as I started with - the adventure continues...

Monday, March 2, 2015

Chapter 32 (Four Kings in Shadow)

The chapter title leads the reader to believe there's something not quite right either about the town, about to happen or maybe both. The reader gets some more descriptions about the world as Rand and Mat move through Four Kings, with no one meeting the boys' eyes and is left with a sense of, well, something bad's about to happen.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Chapter 31 (Play for Your Supper)

How time flowed in this and the following few chapters didn't seem to bother me on first read or upon this latest re-read. When asked to articulate the timing, I cannot, but it seemed to be intuitively understandable. At least before I thought about it too much. If you're wondering of what I speak, simply re-read the beginning of this chapter through mid chapter 33 paying close attention to scarves and you'll see what I mean.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Chapter 30 (Children of Shadow)

Given what I just mentioned about the previous chapter being dark and all that, this chapter is still stock full of some pretty nasty characters. Made all the more loathsome as they utterly believe they are doing the right thing. In history, I believe, those are the groups that commit the most heinous of acts. No man is so lost he cannot be brought into the Light.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Chapter 29 (Eyes Without Pity)

I'm not sure that anywhere else in the series do you find someone who handles Egwene as aptly as Elyas. Here's another quote from him that I love, "You expecting to make that mare crawl?" As Egwene hops down to try to join Elyas and Perrin scouting ahead.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Chapter 28 (Footprints in Air)

Was it the age difference, experience difference or just personalities? Probably a little of the first two and a lot of the second. But Nynaeve and Moraine are such opposites and I don't know about you, but I definitely prefer Moraine, at least here. 

Friday, February 20, 2015

Chapter 27 (Shelter From the Storm)

Back to Perrin and Egwene traveling leisurely with Elyas and accompanying the Tinkers. Here, I love the quote from Elyas when querried on why they're not moving faster "Don't be in such a bloody hurry to put yourself in Aes Sedai hands."

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Chapter 26 (Whitebridge)

"Teach him how you will, a pig will never play the flute." Thom, on his attempt to teach Mat the flute.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Chapter 25 (The Traveling People)

Again with the traveling taking forever. Before I stopped posting three years ago I'd actually had notes on chapters 24 and 25, and what I had on this chapter was "they traveled three days." So much more happens, but the traveling...man, actually, that was also used as a way to introduce the world, well done, sir.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Chapter 24 (Flight Down the Arinelle)

"He pressed, seeking freedom, knowing it was an illusion. Everything was an illusion..." Another chapter opening with a dream from Ba'alzamon..."How long do you think you can evade me, boy? How long do you think you can evade your fate? You are mine!"