Amph [Wheel of Time] A Memory of Light (HTR spoilers allowed)

Definitely worth coming back

I cannot wait for the Asmodean thing. And I hope he's still alive/alive again. I got a kick out of him.

 

I know that would be great indeed. I still think it is possible.

 

I really think they'll all be back before the end, since they keep coming back. I think they'll all be at the Last Battle.

 

Except those who were balefired.

 

But its the Dark Lord who's bringing them back, and I'm not at all sure he WANTS to bring him back. Maybe. We'll see.

 

Yeah balefired Forsaken will not be at Tarmon Gaidon. I believe that we currently have all of them in the story that can possibly be there though except Aginor/Dashiva (dont think he was rekilled with bale in WH at the cleansing... just a big blast of one power that took out a good chunk of the ground aswell when it hit? and possibly Sammael? Am I missing anyone?

 

Sammael was balefired - he's gone. Osan'gar wasn't balefired, but he was already on his second chance. Will he get a third? I don't know. It's possible, though.

 

Sammael was "touched" by Mashadar I believe, although Rand didnt actually see the event occur, he was there one minute, gone the next.

 

Very true about Asmodean.

But then, Graendal was balefired, and apparently she's back.

 

But that happened off-screen. Rand might not have hit her.

 

Just picked it up at walmart for 20.88$!!

 

Me too. $20! What a steal for that much entertainment.

 

True.

Ahh, I want it!!

 

Oh man that was a great prolog!!!!

 

I've finished the book.

Pretty sweet.

I think that the thing that surprised me most was the degree of set-piece moments in the mid-point of the book. That, and the end. The end seemed to have every piece ready and poised for what's coming, right up until pages 841-42, and then I was slightly floored.


The final scene with Rand in it has a person saying the following (I've combined a few short paragraphs):
Please. Please. He has me. You know me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. He has me. He flays my soul anew each eve. Oh, please! Let it stop! I wish I were dead. I wish it. Please! He grinds my bones and snaps them like twigs, then leaves me to die before Healing me just enough to keep me alive. He... No! He comes! The Shadow in every man's mind, the murderer of truth! No!

Any guesses as to whom?

 

You finished already and just got the book today??? Im only pg 86 or so thanks to my two screeching banshee kids so I cant read that HL lol.

I would like to say though that Sanderson did a job with TGS, but so far what I ve read he is much, MUCH more comfortable this go round. Im looking foward to seeing Mat in a bit.

 

Other highlights:
-Rand at Maradon. That scene was made of epic win. It makes the Battle of Dumai's Wells look like a polite disagreement. As one person there said, "That light... that terrible light."
-Aviendha's vision. WOW. Holy cow. Just wow. Hopefully, it's just one possible future.
-Aside from that encounter Rand has at the end, the absolute best line in the book in my opinion is this: Are you ever going to give up that affect, Cadsaune Sedai? Calling me boy? I no longer mind, though it does feel odd. I was four hundred years old on the day I died during the Age of Legends. I suspect that would make you my junior by several decades at the least. I show you respect. Perhaps it would be appropriate for you to return it. If you wish, you may call me Rand Sedai. I am, so far as I know, the only male Aes Sedai still alive who was properly raised but who never turned to the Shadow.
-Rand's conversation with Min afterwards about his age was also good.


More than ever, I wonder if Egwene is under a lingering Compulsion with regards to Rand.

 

Was there too much Perrin or was it okay? How was the Tower of Ghenjei?

Pat on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist gave it an 8/10 and said the last 300 pages or so are incredible, but once again, you have to wade through boring stuff and unimportant plotlines for the first 2/3 of the book.

His point was that, if they had made Memory of Light a two-parter like it was originally going to be, it would have rivaled the first 5 books in the series.

 

On page 180 or so now and I will say that so far it has featured Perrin a whole lot so far which Im not all that thrilled about.

 

You read it all yesterday, Raven? That's impressive.

 

Do we know who killed Asmodean yet then?

 

Well, if you made the halfway point where they split the book to be the battle of Maradon[/link], that would certainly have been an epic stopping place. We've seen people and armies cut loose before, but nothing like that. The Dragon basically put on the ass-kicking boots and singlehandedly destroyed an entire army in the space of an hour, an army[/link] that looked so formidable that two of the best generals in the world took one look at and said "well, lets retreat in a quick and organized way."

"No," al'Thor said softly. "The Shadow will not have this city. Not after what these men did to hold it. I will not allow it."

Of all the epic battles in the series, I think that those 1 1/2 pages of pure pwnage pretty much make everything else look insignificant. For the first half of ToM, we see JesusRand, who is a welcome sight after books of DarkRand and CrazyRand before him. And then, after five hundred some odd pages of seeing the bright hope and sunshine that Rand brings, we're given a shockingly brutal reminder that those who fear the Darkness have never seen the what the Light can do. Rand doesn't just bring sunshine and happiness.

However, as awesome as that moment is, I think that the end of TGS, with Rand being tested on the mountain, is the best ending we've had so far in the series and makes a better ending than any other point we've seen so far in MoL. Rand's rejection of the darkness within himself is so critical to the story, and I think that Rand's trip to the Dragonmount in TGS marks the true start to the Last Battle. Everything that's happening now is basically part of that battle, on one level or another. The downside of course is that the end of ToM is somewhat weaker than it might have been otherwise. There's some excellent moments with Matt and Thom and Jain (and a cute part after with Olver) at the end, but in an 850 page book the majority of the action takes place between pages 500 and 750.

 

I kinda forget sometimes that Lews Therin was unbelievably powerful.

 

Oh, and for those of you sitting on the edge of your seat with anticipation...yes, Talmanes is back.

 

Dammit I broke 500pgs in 2 days!!! now its Strep throat central over here and Im barley past 500.... I woulda been DONE!!!!!!!!