Chapter 21 (Listen to the Wind)

Life often gets in the way of what one would really like to be doing.

Chapter 20 (Dust on the Wind)

This chapter starts out with action and never quite settles down - so much changes in one chapter that it's almost like right here is where the real story is supposed to start.  The rest was just background, just getting the reader going and now Jordan is ready to take off.

Chapter Nineteen (Shadow's Waiting)

Never once have I stopped reading, but when the keyboard on the old laptop got too hot to touch and there was a new laptop on the way, it was a difficult decision, I decided to wait to renew inputting my notes into OneNote.  So here we are, in Shadar Logath.

Chapter Eighteen (The Caemlyn Road)

Is it action that I need?  Well, no, because I liked many of the previous chapters.  Maybe I just don't like waiting?  This chapter was fun to read.  Maybe because I know what is to come, but only perhaps.  They're on the run again - more magic from Moraine, even flashy (well, "walking" over the wall was also flashy, but fire, fire's fun).  More of Lan's character is revealed as Jordan peels away a layer, now calling him "Last Lord of the Seven Towers."  Mat does something new and kind of cool and leaves me wondering how Jordan will tie it in.  Nynaeve's "concern battling dislike," even the Wisdom is showing herself to be human.

Chapter Seventeen (Watchers & Hunters)

My favorite part of this entire chapter is towards the end, but it'll have to wait.  Not a lot of meat happened in the chapter, but fun stuff happened.  The boys danced with Nynaeve and Moraine - certainly intimidating experiences for them now.  Later on, no time for dancing, but I wonder how the men they've grown into would handle it.  No more stumbling around for Rand?

Chapter Sixteen (The Wisdom)

It's an overall feel to this chapter, rather than scenes, that I like.  This chapter is "nice" but it actually kind of fades away.  I finished reading it probably a week ago, but never felt the need to sit down and write about it.  Now that I've finished reading and taking notes on a few more chapters, well, I really should get this one done.

Chapter Fifteen (Strangers & Friends)

This is a chapter I wanted to have done at the beginning, or at least the middle of the week, but work got so badly in the way that it wasn't possible.  Or rather, it was, but I choose instead to let my mind go after work instead of focus my thoughts.  Today, I actually only had about two paragraphs of notes to take on the summary of what happened and then digest it all myself, generally the hardest part of all, which is why I delayed it so long.  But now that I'm back into it, it's great - a chapter where I can love Mat for a few seconds and shake my head at Perrin and be frustrated with Rand. 

Chapter Fourteen (The Stag and Lion)

Football season is here, my Russian 101 class is starting soon and I'm already wanting to read Towers of Midnight, but here I am on chapter 14 instead.  My husband said that Towers could be one of my "other" books, and I declined, I'd probably start taking notes while I was reading!  Now, where were we?  Well, I'll touch on at least two things this chapter.  What I believe is the first subtle ta'veren scene, and of course Rand's dream. 

Chapter Thirteen (Choices)

My first thought is I really need to slow down - I just finished reading chapter 16 by accident, without taking any notes.  My excuse?  I just wanted to follow one thread - really. 

Chapter Twelve (Across the Taren)

My hat off to Jordan in this chapter.  It's a basic chapter, but there was plenty of intuitively obvious things packed into these paragraphs.  Before we get there - yes, my memory and intuitive served me correct in that Master Hightower was a bit shady.  The timing of his rousing his thugs and meeting Rand and company at the ferry is a bit off, I would think Rand would have to wait at least a bit, but I'll forgive it.

Chapter Eleven (The Road to Taren Ferry)

The group is finally off, the store is unrolling in front of us.  Of course, what's a story without a good car chase, I mean, chase, in there somewhere?  Egwene is important to Rand, and considering that Moraine and Lan were interested in the boys, but only took on Egwene because she showed up, he realized she might be considered collateral damage for Moraine and Lan.  Naturally, Rand worries about her.  It was pretty clear already that Rand was the focal point of the story - the main of many main characters, but what would you call this thread right here?  "His skin prickled and his bones felt as if they were freezing, ready to split open.  The Light help her run. And Bela ran."  I would just call it rather telling.  Especially later when Moraine casually says that Bela is the least weary of all the horses.

Chapter Ten (Leavetaking)

This chapter seemed to fly by, I think it's because the story is starting to move quickly.  Not much world-building and no info dump here.  Definite foreshadowing though - Mat to Rand upon noticing Rand's sword "You becoming a Warder?"  Perrin with his axe that he's even been practicing with and Mat with his bow. 

Chapter Nine (Tellings of the Wheel)

It's awesome doing this re-reading, and starting conversations with my husband.  Reading the Wheel of Time was one of the things we had in common when we met, but there's quite a disparity between how much we've read the series.  My husband has been reading Jordan since practically the beginning and has read the series countless times.  I can give him a hardback book with a bookmarker in it and say "okay, where am I in the book" and he'll tell me what's going on in the story.  My husband knows the stories backwards and forwards, knows all the theories, wrong and right and knows what Jordan has said is canon and what is only possible and what is RAFO.  On the other hand, this is only my third, maybe fourth time through, and while I love the story I've never tried to pick it apart before.  So I have a "fresher" look on the series still, and I love bouncing things off of him. 

Chapter Eight (A Place of Safety)

I'm still trying to transition to Wheel of Time from a road trip through the Grand Canyon and the deserts/desolate areas of Utah, Nevada, Arizona and Oregon.  As well as transition from reading a sci fi series about Area 51 (an area I even drove though).  So, please forgive me if this chapter isn't up to par, I'm still trying to get my game face on. 

Brief Adjournment

I am more than halfway done with the next chapter - but will be on a road trip from, now (I should be finishing packing), until September first.  It is highly unlikely I will be able to post anything during that time, but I hope to keep reading and taking notes during this time.  I'll be looking forward to sharing my Thoughts when I am settled down again.

Chapter Seven (Out of the Woods)

Like Winternight, not a TON happens here, but enough.  A lot of pieces are certainly falling together.  Rand's small world is growing - he has questions for his father, who he can no longer see as indestructible.  His Wisdom who could fix everything, is no longer infallible.  Even the Mayor had to be given outside help from Thom to point Rand in the right direction.

Chapter Six (The Westwood)

Much foreshadowing in this chapter, but if the reader is like me at all, especially at the first read, they're just wondering "okay, what in the world is going on?"  Back during my first read I'm sure I sped quickly through this chapter hoping only for Rand to get Tam to the village and for me (the reader) to find out whether Tam lives or dies. 

Chapter Five (Winternight)

At last- still not a lot happens, but we're moving the story forward. Another reader may have found Strangers, The Peddler or The Gleeman more entertaining, I simply found those chapters filled with many details I could easily overlook. After some foreshadowing and some, yes, important albeit, let's get on with the story, world building, the story begins to unfold. Now, I should also admit, my impatience might be tempered more were I able to read more than one chapter at a time. I devoured Towers of Midnight; read it in two days. I'm really loving taking my time with this book, but knowing what lies beyond - I kind of want to get there already. Impatient much?

Chapter Four (The Gleeman)

Wow, there is a lot, and yet so little packed into this chapter.  Stories and mentions of things that the reader won't see again for sometimes chapters, or even books.  The Green man, black veiled Aiel, Tinkers.  Reading it this time all I can think is wow, Jordan built his world so thoroughly that it popped into existence, it didn't have x, y or z introduced randomly in the 5th book, it already was waiting to happen. 

Chapter Three (The Peddler)

I actually tried to just read this chapter and not take notes - I read, I read a lot, and I needed something to just read - but I couldn't do it.  My hand kept reaching for my pen.  Details, especially in this chapter, kept jumping out at me.  I mean, c'mon, Padan Fain, how could I miss a chance to get in my character details from the first time Rand sees him this Spring?  Yeah, I didn't even past the first page of the chapter; I won't try to do that again.  Heck, yesterday afternoon I was getting my hair done and I was sitting with my notebook in my lap, scribbling my half legible notes into it.  Couldn't waste sitting around for 35 minutes reading a magazine instead. 

Side Note to an Empty Road

Huh...I forgot about this when I was writing my thoughts, but when I was reading the chapter, it was very prevalent in my mind.  This chapter is where we hear this quote for the first time, and Rand tells Mat, rather like a matra:

Chapter Two (Strangers)

I've read voraciously my entire life, but never one just genre, and the fantasy that I've read hasn't been what I'd call "trope."  So when some people get bored because Rand's introduced as a central character, but he's a farm boy, or because he's off to the village Festival, that doesn't actually ring any bells for me.  While I admit that I know Robert Jordan said that the first half of tEotW is shaped after the Lord of the Rings, I'll also admit that I never finished tLotR.  Not that Tolkien's story wasn't amazing or that I'll never try to go back.  Just that I haven't.  Not yet.  So that's my disclaimer on tLotR comparisons.  I've told myself that I'll try not to compare to other authors either, but this chapter is already testing that wish - more on that later.     

Chapter One (An Empty Road)

Truly the reader meets a lot of people in this chapter and the imagery is quite colorful. 

What I like is that Rand and Tam are walking to the village - Rand is alone in his head - it isn't Jordan telling the reader that the Spring hasn't come yet, it's Rand thinking that winter has lasted too long.  It isn't Jordan telling the reader about the boys' adventures to the Mountains of Mist, it is Rand reflecting on them. 

Prologue

I first read this book not nearly as long ago as most people, but about five and a half, maybe six years ago now.  Two people that knew I read rather voraciously in almost every genre told me that this series was a must read for me.  Since I rather respected these two people, I agreed to try tEotW.  I didn't stop until I was through Knife of Dreams, in fact, my friend that bought KoD let me read it first since she knew I would devour it much faster than she.

Introduction Post

For awhile now I've wanted to do a very OCD re-read of the Wheel of Time.  Taking notes, taking notes of notes and then organizing them into different areas and even cross referencing.  Sure, this has been done before, but sometime a girl just wants to explore on her own, compare her thoughts with everyone else's.  I'll spare everyone the boredom of the whole story all over again, hopefully, but I'll be posting my thoughts on each chapter, and please, share yours.  I hope to be done in time for A Memory of Light.  Wish me luck!