WoT Book 11: Knife of Dreams

[Orius]

So I'm rereading the various cool chapters. Last night I reread Mat's duel against Galad+Gawyn in the white tower. Makes me want to build a quarterstaff master

Same here. I just started up my KoD prep reread. I'm going to blow past a lot of the filler in the first 5 or 6 books, since I know those pretty well. For the first 150 pages I just stuck with the prologue, the intros for Moiraine, Lan, and Thom, Moiraine's tale of Manetheren and some of the other key highlights, and skipped through the more boring Two Rivers intro info. I know what the place is like already.

For the next books, I'll probably skip over the boring parts with the girls and the Aes Sedai plots, except for the more pivotal stuff that needs refreshing. Mat's plotlines will be read in their entirety, because they're a hoot to read.

 

[Orius]

But there are some things Jordan Fans/haters agree upon: The last couple of books shiftes focus from the core characters with a lot of secondary characters/plots going around. That this is a good or bad thing is a personal opinion.

Oh, I totally agree. There's all that stuff with the Aes Sedai/Windfinders/Kin going on that's boring and takes up a lot of space (not to mention the fact that the myriad of characters introduced in these plots makes things more confusing. Just who is this woman again?). There's one or two of these plots I like though, like the group in the White Tower that's hunting down the Black Ajah. Elayne's succession is another drag. This should have been finished up by now, especially since I loathe the character and don't like seeing so much space wasted on her. I can understand that some of the main characters are going to be out of action for a while (like Mat in Book 8), but it's the main characters that people want to read about, not the side characters that are just there for flavor.

 

[Taelorn76]

I know it might be to soon, but has anyone picked it up yet and read some if not the whole thing? Looking for a spoiler free review. You know has the editing/pace improved things like that. Most importantly does it seem like things are wrapping up.

Thanks

 

[KenM]

I saw it for sale at my local Barnes and Noble. I did not pick it up becuse I don't like the books. I am interested in hearing if this is better then the last couple of books and if Jordan wraps up some of the plotlines.

 

[ToddSchumacher]

I just finishedreading it.

A lot of plot goes forward.

Some plot gets finished.

Nyneave is too cool.

certainly best since Lord of Chaos. And though It might be because its fresh...but I think it might be the best book in the serise so far.

 

[frandelgearslip]

Having read it I can say he is wrapping things up, but its very abrupt. I think the delaying action he performed with books 7-10 has irrevocably damaged the series. If he had actually tried to move things forward in those books the series could have been wrapped up perfectly by now. Instead the books will end, but a lot of things won't be resolved or will be resolved in a craptastic way.

The only other thing I would like to say is that I started the series HATING Mat, but now he is one of the few characters left that I can still stand.

 

[Dragonblade]

I picked it up. As much as the story does drag in places, I consider Jordan the best modern fantasy writer outside of Tolkien. Yes, yes, the George R.R. Martin fans consider that sacrilege. But I just couldn't get into Martin. For some reason, the whole Wheel of Time series just resonates with me at some fundamental level.

Perhaps its the whole Joseph Campbell monomyth thing going on, but I love it. More than anything I would like someone with the right vision to make a film series of the books. If I had the money of Bill Gates, I would pay for it all myself.

 

[shaylon]

Uh, I am not trying to be a Jordan hater, I hope that wasn't directed at me and I in no way meant to come off as such.

I do, however, feel like CoT and pretty much everything after Lord of Chaos, is slow reading. It is still semi-enjoyable but in no way does it compare to the first 5-6 books.

I am still a fan, Jordan has made quite a bit of money off of me, and I am proud of that. I stand by the series.

-Shay

 

[JamesL85]

*hijack thread*
Thanks for all the help with the Footfall book. One of my classmates is now living in the Pheonix area and told me about it. Don't know if it actually mentions Dighton, KS, but I'm sure there's a strong hero type by the name of James that is able to save the world.....

OK.....Maybe not.....
*/hijack thread*

I was all set to post a "it's been two days and no one has posted what they thought of it yet?" thread, but Taelorn beat me to the punch.....

Oh well.....At least we have three posters that have read it.....

I'm assuming Todd's was a positive vote....

Frandelgearslip gave it a "50/50," I'm assuming, as did Dragonblade.....

That's better than 500 people saying that it sucked!!!!

Now I just have to bide my time until Saturday when I can pick my copy up.....

James

 

[drothgery]

I'm sufficiently sucked into the series that I still buy hardcovers. But not enough that I'll buy them from somewhere other than Amazon, or get anything other than the free shipping with a $25 order. So my copy should be here tomorrow or Saturday (the postal service's online tracking is awful).

 

[Taelorn76]

*hijack thread*
Thanks for all the help with the Footfall book. One of my classmates is now living in the Pheonix area and told me about it. Don't know if it actually mentions Dighton, KS, but I'm sure there's a strong hero type by the name of James that is able to save the world.....

OK.....Maybe not.....
*/hijack thread*

I was all set to post a "it's been two days and no one has posted what they thought of it yet?" thread, but Taelorn beat me to the punch.....

Oh well.....At least we have three posters that have read it.....

I'm assuming Todd's was a positive vote....

Frandelgearslip gave it a "50/50," I'm assuming, as did Dragonblade.....

That's better than 500 people saying that it sucked!!!!

Now I just have to bide my time until Saturday when I can pick my copy up.....

James

Glad I could sneek that in by you. I too am waiting for saturday to pick up my copy

 

[Starman]

I just finished reading the book myself. In terms of pacing, the book is much better than the past few books. A lot of stuff happens. In fact, as someone else mentioned, some of it felt a bit abrupt. I also with there had been more of Rand. However, I did quite enjoy the book. It was very nice to see plots getting wrapped up and definite progress toward Tarmon Gai'don being made.

I'm going to start a spoiler thread to talk about it more in depth.

 

[shaylon]

I'm sufficiently sucked into the series that I still buy hardcovers. But not enough that I'll buy them from somewhere other than Amazon, or get anything other than the free shipping with a $25 order. So my copy should be here tomorrow or Saturday (the postal service's online tracking is awful).

I too ordered from Amazon and was surprised to see it arrive on the release date last Tuesday. I think they must have pulled a JK Rowling and were sitting on it at the post office. I did preorder it a month ago, however, so maybe that is why I got mine so quickly.

Oh and even though the tracking sucks I love Free Super Saver Shipping! My closest Amazon warehouse is somewhere around Covington KY I believe. They say 5-8 days shipping but it is only about 125 miles south of here, I usually get it in 2-3.

Good Luck
-Shay

 

[Particle_Man]

I think the delaying action he performed with books 7-10 has irrevocably damaged the series. If he had actually tried to move things forward in those books the series could have been wrapped up perfectly by now. Instead the books will end, but a lot of things won't be resolved or will be resolved in a craptastic way.

Sounds to me like I could read books 1-6, get a coles notes summary for books 7-10 (or just hear a friend who read them summarize the plot so far) and then jump right into book 11.

 

[Bran Blackbyrd]

But Perrin is the only one who has seen the tower's location from the outside and he's really close to it right now in the book.

Actually Rand, Mat, Bayle Domon and possibly Thom saw the tower in EoTW; they were just really far away from it.

For the two people in the world who don't want WoT spoiled but for some inconceivable reason haven't read The Eye of The World, this is a spoiler...
[sblock]Another time, when the eastward shore had become flat grassland again, broken only occasionally by thickets, the sun glinted off something in the distance. "What can that be?" Rand wondered aloud. "It looks like metal."
Captain Domon was walking by, and he paused, squinting toward the glint. "It do be metal," he said. His words still ran together, but Rand had come to understand without having to puzzle it out. "A tower of metal. I have seen it close up, and I know. River traders use it as a marker. We be ten days from Whitebridge at the rate we go."
"A metal tower?" Rand said, and Mat, sitting cross-legged with his back against a barrel, roused from his brooding to listen.
The captain nodded. "Aye. Shining steel, by the look and feel of it, but no a spot of rust. Two hundred feet high, it be, as big around as a house, with no a mark on it and never an opening to be found."
"I'll bet there's treasure inside," Mat said. He stood up and stared toward the far tower as the river carried the Spray beyond it. "A thing like that must have been made to protect something valuable."[/sblock]

Anyone reading it? Anyone finished yet?

I got it around 5:00pm or so Tuesday and finished up around 6:00am Thursday (sleep and stuff got in the way). I liked it. Unlike CoT some things actually happened; important things to boot! I was also pleasantly surprised to find that Walden's was offering it at 40% off. With a 5 dollar coupon it came to a little under 13 bucks. Not too shabby at all.

 

[Xath]

I could only get it yesterday. So far, so good though.

 

[Orius]

I'm going to start a spoiler thread to talk about it more in depth.

Yes good. I'm into my reread atm, and the very last thing I want is a huge story ruining spoiler, you know along the lines of a spoiler that would totally ruin the end of Books 2, 3, 6, or 9 for those who had never read those books. The howls of outrage coming my computer would travel halfway around the world. Kind of like Westley's howl of despair in The Princess Bride magnified 1,000 times and filled with rage.

 

[shaylon]

I just finished CoT. I stand by my complaints in this thread, but I can't wait to finish KoD. I am starting tonight!

Thanks all, this has been a good thread. Nice chatting with fans of the series, and I always enjoy reading people's interpretations and ideas.

-Shay

 

[JamesL85]

I'm about 175 pages in so far, and enjoying it so far.....I can't wait to get through it so that I can read the spoiler thread......LOL

James

 

[shaylon]

I'm about 175 pages in so far, and enjoying it so far.....I can't wait to get through it so that I can read the spoiler thread......LOL

James

Me too! Page 150 for me but I really want to talk about this one!

Happy reading!
-Shay