It certainly felt like an accomplishment!
I honestly couldn't imagine the effort of keeping track of all the characters and everything going as the books slowly came out. It was much easier to just dive in an immerse myself in the whole thing.
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Oddly, all said and done, I think my favorite character was Nynaeve. I don’t think Robert Jordan handled her so well all the time, but at her best, she showed determination and a strong moral compass. She brooked no, ahem, sass, and was never afraid to speak her mind. She cared about helping people, fiercely, more than some grand destiny.
Perrin was pretty darn cool; I dug his character journey quite a bit. But as with so much in the series, I’m not sure Robert Jordan had the best grasp on the thought processes of women, and how men and women actually interact like human beings. Like, no healthy relationship can actually survive the pathological jealousy and mindgames that Faile played. There are plenty of things I liked about Faile, but I don’t think their relationship always felt true-to-life.
Cauthom was a fun character to read, always. But I agree, some of that comedic element didn’t always sit right with the other, capable parts of him.
As for Rand, well, he’s more a force of nature (or I suppose, The Pattern) then a character. But I liked how the series showed his character shifting and changing under the strain of his power and destiny. Though, I think I’m done with any fantasy novel that starts with a farmboy with a hidden destiny!
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Real life needs some sort of Achievement system that pings when you finish WoT.
Okay, you're done. I can talk about when I did this a few years back.