Wheel of Time November Launch. The next GOT or the next Shannara Chronicles?

[Zardnaar]

They were good up until book 6. Then it appears that he wasn't sure what to do for like 2-3 books(lots of pages for inches of plot advancement), then he regains his focus and they get good again.

I read the wiki ages ago to find out the conclusion.

Reading some pieces now to jog the memory. It's been 20 years.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I read the first Magic Kingdom book, but it really didn't do it for me: it was better than Sword of Shannara?

To be fair, nearly every one of the couple dozen Shannara books that come after are also better than Sword of Shannara, but yes.

Mine is that books 7-8 or 9 had a lot of pages and almost no plot advancement. You could cut out the vast majority of those books without really changing anything. And the Shaido.

Eh, I don't really care for the "plot advancement" argument. The characters go through a lot in that section of the story, and do some of their best growth. A lot of Matt's development benefits greatly from the books not buying into the notion that "anything that doesn't drive forward the plot should be cut".

I agree about the Shaido, though.

With less braid tugging.

Please don't. No forum on Earth needs to be steeped in the anti-Nynaeve discourse.

 

[MGibster]

Eh, I don't really care for the "plot advancement" argument. The characters go through a lot in that section of the story, and do some of their best growth. A lot of Matt's development benefits greatly from the books not buying into the notion that "anything that doesn't drive forward the plot should be cut".

I would normally agree. But when you're on the 8th or 9th book with no end in sight it's time for an editor to come along and say, "Pick up the pace." But it's tough for that to happen when the editor is your wife. The only thing I remember about Crossroads at Twilight is that Elayne took a bath.

 

[Zardnaar]

Last things I remember is something about dark Aes Sedai. Path of Daggers iirc was the last one I read giving up on winters heart.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I would normally agree. But when you're on the 8th or 9th book with no end in sight it's time for an editor to come along and say, "Pick up the pace." But it's tough for that to happen when the editor is your wife. The only thing I remember about Crossroads at Twilight is that Elayne took a bath.

I completely disagree. Where a moment or arc exists within a story (toward the beginning, middle, or end) doesn't determine whether it belongs in the story.

 

[Gammadoodler]

No knowing how to pronounce "Shea". I get it. It's SHE-a, or is it shay?

I think that was my first adult fantasy book. It took decades for me to realize that "shay" was an option.

 

[Gammadoodler]

I’m personally offended by this!

Seriously though, ever read the Magic Kingdom books, or Running With The Demon?

Definitely think the Magic Kingdom books had stronger worldbuilding and characters.

I read a couple of the Knight of the word books, but they didn't really stick for me. IIRC, there was just a lot of grumpy 90s edginess to the whole affair.

 

[Maxperson]

Please don't. No forum on Earth needs to be steeped in the anti-Nynaeve discourse.

Nothing anti-Nynaeve about it. I loved the character, but she did tug her braids an awful lot. It was a joke and nothing more.

 

[Maxperson]

I would normally agree. But when you're on the 8th or 9th book with no end in sight it's time for an editor to come along and say, "Pick up the pace." But it's tough for that to happen when the editor is your wife. The only thing I remember about Crossroads at Twilight is that Elayne took a bath.

It's not as if it's hard to both develop character and advance the plot. Those books read like Jordan lost his way and wasn't sure where to go, so he went nowhere while spending lots of time on the characters. When I re-read the series I don't skip those books, but they are the worst of the lot.

 

[Maxperson]

I think that was my first adult fantasy book. It took decades for me to realize that "shay" was an option.

I saw it mostly as Shay-uh. I went back and forth between that and Shay, but usually fell back to the other.