The Shadow Rising Chapters 8-21
Chapter 8-14 Book 4
Elyne and Rand kiss. I wish Egwenne and Elayne had personalities, so I'd feel anything. This way this is all just stuff.
Rand has a quarrel with the Lords about taxes. It is well-reasoned from both sides, so it is NOT boring. It is basicaly the conservative vs liberal debate, the conservatives ever failing to keep up with the time, adjust to the changing situation. To define the problem, if taxes are delt as Rand wants, the country will have too much grain (or in general: food), and they always only sold that to country X. Rand says: it is open market, find new markets, through that new diplomatic relations, new allies. And when things settle down, stuff can be re-arranged. But conservatives say: nah, rise the taxes, kill the poor, make everybody die, we laready live in luxury, to hell with anything else!
Rand's plan is to ship grain to Illian, via ships of Maine (Mayene), its queen is already here, can't be a problem to arrange.
All this aside taching economics, politics and fucking common sense (RJ definitely did not think this through, very anti-christian), shows that Rand is CLEVER. So it'll hurt HARD when he'll be dumb.
Oh, and Rand might be this Messiah-figure - he is still a DICTATOR.
Matt confesses Egwenne he is confused and stuck. Egwenne tells him about the answer-machine.
-----------------
Now the summer(?) is hot. Like the rygm says:
"Winter it too cold
Summer is too hot
Weather is never good
It's always rainy you goof."
Everything waits for Rand do do the next step, 'cause his aura is so strong. But we can't have that, as Rand is a passive protagonist, so Rand wait for Miraine's action start, aka. the two blacks shipped to Tar Valon.
We are again promised some dragons.
Lanfear does a visit at Rand.
Forsakens:
1 Semirhage
2 Lanfear
3 Ishamael, the betrayer of hope (Elan Morin Tedornain) <--- (dead*, book 3)
4 Aginor <--- (dead, book 1)
5 Balthamel <--- (dead, book 1)
6 Demandred
7 Luc
8 Isam
9 Sammael <--- (Illian)
10 Asmodean
11 Be'lal <--- (dead, book 3)
12 Ravhin
13 (dead, book 2)
14 Moghedien
<--- (Caemlyn)
*one of them is dead for sure, might be another
Woah, we have 14 out of 13 Forsaken! Well, you COULD argue we saw no body in Book 2, but then you had to explain what happened.
Anyway, Lanfear offers to arrange on of the male Forsakens teach Rand.
-----------------
The Fortress is being attacked by darklings teleporting in. Rand rushes out, Lanfear rushes after him, remembering Rand he left Magic Sword 9000 unguarded. Goes back for it, and casts a spell that cleanses the Fortress.
The darklings did causalities though, Rand is struck by a dead kid, tries to resurrect it, no luck this time Mr. Jesus.
Lanfear is Lilith? This "Daughter of the Night, who steals your children" thing fits. Also the third party aspect between God and Evil (this was a pun).
-----------------
Egwenne tries to go Dreamland without her magic ring.
"Dreamland is dangerous!" comes the mantra. Show don't tell, Mr. Jordan, show, don't tell. This statement is entirely without merrit.
RJ on a single page retcons what the 13 black stole. First he mentions they stole tangreals, then he says 13 of the stuff were to mess with Dreamland, at the bottom of the page it is no ONLY these 13 relics stolen. I don't like where this goes.
Ok, here the nudity starts to become standard appearance... Just pointing it out.
There is a funny scene with an aiel magling in the Dreamworld, who invites Egwenne to them to learn Dreamland-travel.
-----------------
So, Egwenne will go to aiel-land. Aviendha is also sent there. Nnive and Elayne to Tanchico.
Also:
Blacks:
1 - Liandrin
2 - Chesmal
3 - Rianna
4 - Joiya Byir <--- (dead)
5 - Amico Nagoyin <--- (dead)
6 - Temaile
7 -
8 -
9 -
10 -
11 -
12 -
13 -
-----------------
Matt while trying to drink him six feet under for Rand's aura not letting him free hears rumour about the Children in Emondsville.
Perrin has the ruumor too, already decided to go there.
-----------------
Perrin plans on travelling through a Gate. Loial and Fail goes with him.
Man, these'll never start out?
Rand has a quarrel with the Lords about taxes. It is well-reasoned from both sides, so it is NOT boring. It is basicaly the conservative vs liberal debate, the conservatives ever failing to keep up with the time, adjust to the changing situation. To define the problem, if taxes are delt as Rand wants, the country will have too much grain (or in general: food), and they always only sold that to country X. Rand says: it is open market, find new markets, through that new diplomatic relations, new allies. And when things settle down, stuff can be re-arranged. But conservatives say: nah, rise the taxes, kill the poor, make everybody die, we laready live in luxury, to hell with anything else!
Rand's plan is to ship grain to Illian, via ships of Maine (Mayene), its queen is already here, can't be a problem to arrange.
All this aside taching economics, politics and fucking common sense (RJ definitely did not think this through, very anti-christian), shows that Rand is CLEVER. So it'll hurt HARD when he'll be dumb.
Oh, and Rand might be this Messiah-figure - he is still a DICTATOR.
Matt confesses Egwenne he is confused and stuck. Egwenne tells him about the answer-machine.
-----------------
Now the summer(?) is hot. Like the rygm says:
"Winter it too cold
Summer is too hot
Weather is never good
It's always rainy you goof."
Everything waits for Rand do do the next step, 'cause his aura is so strong. But we can't have that, as Rand is a passive protagonist, so Rand wait for Miraine's action start, aka. the two blacks shipped to Tar Valon.
We are again promised some dragons.
Lanfear does a visit at Rand.
Forsakens:
1 Semirhage
2 Lanfear
3 Ishamael, the betrayer of hope (Elan Morin Tedornain) <--- (dead*, book 3)
4 Aginor <--- (dead, book 1)
5 Balthamel <--- (dead, book 1)
6 Demandred
7 Luc
8 Isam
9 Sammael <--- (Illian)
10 Asmodean
11 Be'lal <--- (dead, book 3)
12 Ravhin
13 (dead, book 2)
14 Moghedien
<--- (Caemlyn)
*one of them is dead for sure, might be another
Woah, we have 14 out of 13 Forsaken! Well, you COULD argue we saw no body in Book 2, but then you had to explain what happened.
Anyway, Lanfear offers to arrange on of the male Forsakens teach Rand.
-----------------
The Fortress is being attacked by darklings teleporting in. Rand rushes out, Lanfear rushes after him, remembering Rand he left Magic Sword 9000 unguarded. Goes back for it, and casts a spell that cleanses the Fortress.
The darklings did causalities though, Rand is struck by a dead kid, tries to resurrect it, no luck this time Mr. Jesus.
Lanfear is Lilith? This "Daughter of the Night, who steals your children" thing fits. Also the third party aspect between God and Evil (this was a pun).
-----------------
Egwenne tries to go Dreamland without her magic ring.
"Dreamland is dangerous!" comes the mantra. Show don't tell, Mr. Jordan, show, don't tell. This statement is entirely without merrit.
RJ on a single page retcons what the 13 black stole. First he mentions they stole tangreals, then he says 13 of the stuff were to mess with Dreamland, at the bottom of the page it is no ONLY these 13 relics stolen. I don't like where this goes.
Ok, here the nudity starts to become standard appearance... Just pointing it out.
There is a funny scene with an aiel magling in the Dreamworld, who invites Egwenne to them to learn Dreamland-travel.
-----------------
So, Egwenne will go to aiel-land. Aviendha is also sent there. Nnive and Elayne to Tanchico.
Also:
Blacks:
1 - Liandrin
2 - Chesmal
3 - Rianna
4 - Joiya Byir <--- (dead)
5 - Amico Nagoyin <--- (dead)
6 - Temaile
7 -
8 -
9 -
10 -
11 -
12 -
13 -
-----------------
Matt while trying to drink him six feet under for Rand's aura not letting him free hears rumour about the Children in Emondsville.
Perrin has the ruumor too, already decided to go there.
-----------------
Perrin plans on travelling through a Gate. Loial and Fail goes with him.
Man, these'll never start out?
---------------
Chapter 15-17 Book 4
Matt goes into the Answer Machine. It leads to some pocket-dimension, inside are some lizard-people.
I have to repeat: why these things don't come with a manual? Moiraine never mentioned the ban of musical instruments for one.
The adventure goes the usual folk-tale way, meaning the foolish hero fucks things up by not keeping things straight, going all emotional and stuff.
Two things come out of this: One: Matt will join Egwenne. Two: Matt will marry the nazi empress, the gender-bent Adolf Hitler!
I have to repeat: why these things don't come with a manual? Moiraine never mentioned the ban of musical instruments for one.
The adventure goes the usual folk-tale way, meaning the foolish hero fucks things up by not keeping things straight, going all emotional and stuff.
Two things come out of this: One: Matt will join Egwenne. Two: Matt will marry the nazi empress, the gender-bent Adolf Hitler!
Fuck off, Robert.
Seems Rand also had his questions.
Moiraine too.
---------------
The ogre is threatened by an incoming marriage, so agrees to join Perrin.
There is some quarrel between Parrin and Fail - their dynamic duo work fine because of it. Atleast something seems to happen, even if this is the status quo.
Three aiel tag along.
---------------
Oho, Thom's dealings are actual House Play-machinations (aka. politics) to help Rand. Fine, let him stay in the Fortress while Rand is away.
Oho, Moiraine reveals to us, that Morgase's ex-husband died because of Thom's machinations (he had a good cause behind it, the husband wanned to assassinate her). So, it is obvious from this the queen lernt this by time, and that's why banished her lover.
To counter this, Thm reveals Moiraine is actualy royal blood of Cairhien, from the house that cut down the Tree of Life. Btw, where is the Tree of Knowledge? Just kidding. Or not.
Oh, for fuck sake, Thom is sent with Ninive and Elayne (Team C). This ruins Thom's arc. I say it is John Swnoitis. A character reached its natural end, but is a fan-favourite, so despite no future use for it, is brought back, and takes precious space from the story development.
Moiraine offers Thom the names of the reds who silenced Thom's relative way back when.
Min, Gawayne, Galahad, even Logain and Masema still exists. Galád seems to get into Bad Coompany.
The False Dragon mentioned to be freed by the blacks is freed now. Man, these notes do come useful.
Min's alibi is compromised. Obviously by some black sedai.
Seems Rand also had his questions.
Moiraine too.
---------------
The ogre is threatened by an incoming marriage, so agrees to join Perrin.
There is some quarrel between Parrin and Fail - their dynamic duo work fine because of it. Atleast something seems to happen, even if this is the status quo.
Three aiel tag along.
---------------
Oho, Thom's dealings are actual House Play-machinations (aka. politics) to help Rand. Fine, let him stay in the Fortress while Rand is away.
Oho, Moiraine reveals to us, that Morgase's ex-husband died because of Thom's machinations (he had a good cause behind it, the husband wanned to assassinate her). So, it is obvious from this the queen lernt this by time, and that's why banished her lover.
To counter this, Thm reveals Moiraine is actualy royal blood of Cairhien, from the house that cut down the Tree of Life. Btw, where is the Tree of Knowledge? Just kidding. Or not.
Oh, for fuck sake, Thom is sent with Ninive and Elayne (Team C). This ruins Thom's arc. I say it is John Swnoitis. A character reached its natural end, but is a fan-favourite, so despite no future use for it, is brought back, and takes precious space from the story development.
Moiraine offers Thom the names of the reds who silenced Thom's relative way back when.
Min, Gawayne, Galahad, even Logain and Masema still exists. Galád seems to get into Bad Coompany.
The False Dragon mentioned to be freed by the blacks is freed now. Man, these notes do come useful.
Min's alibi is compromised. Obviously by some black sedai.
---------------------
Chapter 18-21 Book 4
Rand calls for a big speech, Perrini (Team B) uses this to get away. This causes a literal earthquake.
----------------
Team C is on a ship, this time, because RJ thinks cliffnotes are worldbuilding, a Sea People ship.
Fantasy-rule #1: pure humans are the least desirable ~race (low life expectanca, no special ability etc.)
Fantasy rule #2: all ~races are inferior to humans in the global hierachy.
The Sea Peopl ships have shipwheel. This pretty precisly narrows down if anyone care which century this world fits to (18th century). But remember: EVERYTHING betweem the ancient times and the modern era is MIDDLE AGES.
Aside this, when looking for a definition of "epic fantasy" you find "the setting takes place on a secondary world", meaning not in our Earth, not on our timeline. As there are hints this IS our Earth's far-future, we can declare, according to such definition, WoT is NOT epic fantasy.
The Sea people has sme semantics for payment - don't make me yawn.
Confirmed, that Rand is also the Chosen One for the Sea People.
The Sea People seem marginal, but I keep no grudge against them. Unlike against the nazis, the werewolf, the gypsies, and whatever I'll come up with if you start bickering that "you just don't get it, it's not for you, it's not for missle aged white men" - what are you, Brie Larson? #IAmStarfire
PS: just in case it ever comes up, the Throne's Pass is taken back from Matt some chapters ago, and now these here have two 3,000$ checks. This feels oddly adventuregamey.
----------------
Thom, and the local hunter (some Juilin Sandar) hops on the leaving ship. I call a typical RJ-bluff here. I strongly suspect, as Thom just got redundant, that there was absolutley no editorial work done, at least not professional level. As my bet goes, RJ knew he needed a helper for the wamen, so he brought them Thom, then changed his mind and gave them the hunter - TOO. Because he can't do as a sane person would, just cut the content not needed anymore, thus we ended up with BOTH Thom and the hunter. Shall I say crappy writing, or you get the point. Ok, crappy writer, this book, despite all the problems with it, is still "fine". But it is not going the right direction.
Elayne seem to start to get some distant memories of Thom. What?
Getting ut of the city, all wamen on the ship get half-naked. Fan-service? But the Sea People barely were mentioned, they can have no fans. Then hentai.
We again get remembered to not bother with the "prophecies", as not even the writer knows yet what they mean, if anything.
Ah, a clue! Thom called Elayne "mah daughter"! Does this mean anything, or just a phrase?
Thom's past with Elayne is definitely important somehow.
See, Thom mentioned a legend about "Mosk" and "Merk", who fought with "firey lances". given how bad RJ is with names, this is obvious reference to Mocow and Amrica (USA) shooting rockets (or intending to shoot rockets) at each other. And pages like fantasybookfanatic.com or http://fantasy-faction.com define part of the high fantasy/epic fantasy definition that "It does not take place in a recognisable version of the world we all (I hope) wake up to every day.", or better phrased: "Primary World In the definition of low fantasy, I alluded to the “primary world.” For those that do not know, the primary world is the real world. The secondary world is totally separate from the real world." By these definitions, and the above mentioned detail, The Wheel of Time is NOT epic fantasy!
Then here is this question: "Thom, why did you come with us? Only 'cause Moiraine asked you to?" And he gives no straight answer. (I could solve this puzzle now, but I'm waiting where Elayne gets drunk.)
Turns out the thing Sea People do not carry aes sedai for them to realise they too have magling, and they dun wanna aes sedai steal their resources.
Elayne exchanges spell with their mageling.
----------------
Rand does his big speech.
One: Rand ensures the taxes, the ships and the grain-transport will be done.
Two: he sends in the army - to Cairhien, to stabilize the place. For this he sends away the most sneaky Lords. For a humanitarian mission. Moiraine of course thinks like a conservative idiot, and disagrees. She'd prefer short-term victories instead of a chance to unite for one cause. She prefers oppression against cooperation.
Ran also sends there Alteima, a problematic noble woman, who sucked her husbands and lovers dry. To prevent machinations, Rand puts her current husband under the care of the husband's lover or something. Point is, she won't even make trouble during this.
Three: he goes with the fremens to aiel-land. But to ensure everyone he'll be bakk puts the magic sword back to the stone. And does safety precautions, meaning all kinds of magic traps. Aside every bullshit to cover the narrative reason, this is of course to de-power Rand at least somewhat.
Team A heads Rhuidean, the aiel city.
----------------
Team C is on a ship, this time, because RJ thinks cliffnotes are worldbuilding, a Sea People ship.
Fantasy-rule #1: pure humans are the least desirable ~race (low life expectanca, no special ability etc.)
Fantasy rule #2: all ~races are inferior to humans in the global hierachy.
The Sea Peopl ships have shipwheel. This pretty precisly narrows down if anyone care which century this world fits to (18th century). But remember: EVERYTHING betweem the ancient times and the modern era is MIDDLE AGES.
Aside this, when looking for a definition of "epic fantasy" you find "the setting takes place on a secondary world", meaning not in our Earth, not on our timeline. As there are hints this IS our Earth's far-future, we can declare, according to such definition, WoT is NOT epic fantasy.
The Sea people has sme semantics for payment - don't make me yawn.
Confirmed, that Rand is also the Chosen One for the Sea People.
The Sea People seem marginal, but I keep no grudge against them. Unlike against the nazis, the werewolf, the gypsies, and whatever I'll come up with if you start bickering that "you just don't get it, it's not for you, it's not for missle aged white men" - what are you, Brie Larson? #IAmStarfire
PS: just in case it ever comes up, the Throne's Pass is taken back from Matt some chapters ago, and now these here have two 3,000$ checks. This feels oddly adventuregamey.
----------------
Thom, and the local hunter (some Juilin Sandar) hops on the leaving ship. I call a typical RJ-bluff here. I strongly suspect, as Thom just got redundant, that there was absolutley no editorial work done, at least not professional level. As my bet goes, RJ knew he needed a helper for the wamen, so he brought them Thom, then changed his mind and gave them the hunter - TOO. Because he can't do as a sane person would, just cut the content not needed anymore, thus we ended up with BOTH Thom and the hunter. Shall I say crappy writing, or you get the point. Ok, crappy writer, this book, despite all the problems with it, is still "fine". But it is not going the right direction.
Elayne seem to start to get some distant memories of Thom. What?
Getting ut of the city, all wamen on the ship get half-naked. Fan-service? But the Sea People barely were mentioned, they can have no fans. Then hentai.
We again get remembered to not bother with the "prophecies", as not even the writer knows yet what they mean, if anything.
Ah, a clue! Thom called Elayne "mah daughter"! Does this mean anything, or just a phrase?
Thom's past with Elayne is definitely important somehow.
See, Thom mentioned a legend about "Mosk" and "Merk", who fought with "firey lances". given how bad RJ is with names, this is obvious reference to Mocow and Amrica (USA) shooting rockets (or intending to shoot rockets) at each other. And pages like fantasybookfanatic.com or http://fantasy-faction.com define part of the high fantasy/epic fantasy definition that "It does not take place in a recognisable version of the world we all (I hope) wake up to every day.", or better phrased: "Primary World In the definition of low fantasy, I alluded to the “primary world.” For those that do not know, the primary world is the real world. The secondary world is totally separate from the real world." By these definitions, and the above mentioned detail, The Wheel of Time is NOT epic fantasy!
Then here is this question: "Thom, why did you come with us? Only 'cause Moiraine asked you to?" And he gives no straight answer. (I could solve this puzzle now, but I'm waiting where Elayne gets drunk.)
Turns out the thing Sea People do not carry aes sedai for them to realise they too have magling, and they dun wanna aes sedai steal their resources.
Elayne exchanges spell with their mageling.
----------------
Rand does his big speech.
One: Rand ensures the taxes, the ships and the grain-transport will be done.
Two: he sends in the army - to Cairhien, to stabilize the place. For this he sends away the most sneaky Lords. For a humanitarian mission. Moiraine of course thinks like a conservative idiot, and disagrees. She'd prefer short-term victories instead of a chance to unite for one cause. She prefers oppression against cooperation.
Ran also sends there Alteima, a problematic noble woman, who sucked her husbands and lovers dry. To prevent machinations, Rand puts her current husband under the care of the husband's lover or something. Point is, she won't even make trouble during this.
Three: he goes with the fremens to aiel-land. But to ensure everyone he'll be bakk puts the magic sword back to the stone. And does safety precautions, meaning all kinds of magic traps. Aside every bullshit to cover the narrative reason, this is of course to de-power Rand at least somewhat.
Team A heads Rhuidean, the aiel city.
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