A Gathering Storm **New Wheel of Time Book! Please Use Spoiler Tags!**

[Honey693]

Is anyone else reading this? I can't talk about it with my husband b/c he still hasn't read the last book.

[JessicaS]

Is it out??

Oh woops. Well, I will go and get it.

[elanorh]

It's on hold at our local bookstore. I have to pick it up tomorrow.

Unfortunate timing, I still have apples to can and need to get going on sewing projects. I hope I am sucked in as thoroughly as I was in the other books .... which will definitely interfere with all my other 'to-do's.'

[Honey693]

It's amazing! I picked it up yesterday, made DD play by herself all day, stayed up too late and did no housework just so I could finish it. It makes up for the last two being eh. You can tell Jordan didn't write (there's some things that just seem a bit off, not wrong, but off), but Sanderson did an amazing job considering what he had to work with and where he had to pick up. I'm really really pleased with how well his style meshed with what Jordan had left him. I really want to talk about the book, but I don't want to spoil it.

[elanorh]

I'm not through the Prelude yet, but do have it. Homeschool is kicking my butt this week, add Hallowe'en and the apples I need to can and I'll be lucky to finish it by Sunday. It's so hard to wait!!

[JessicaS]

October is SO busy!!

I just got it and haven't even cracked the spine yet but we have a long car ride tomorrow for me to really get through a good chunk.

[elanorh]

OK.

I'm nearly done. I'm to a section with Verin in it. That's not spoilerish enough to wreck anything for anyone but dang, Crystal, you must be about bursting by now!!!

I don't know if I'll be able to finish it tonight, I have supper and apple mincemeat to make this evening on top of regular kids-to-bed stuff. But I'm hoping to finish it tonight ....

I'm not ashamed to say, I've an encyclopedia of names/locations/viewings etc. that people have had thus far in the books. As well as theories to go along with those things .... I stalled out on recording things after book 9 I think (kids) - but having read this far, several of my suspicions are being borne out.

[JessicaS]

Don't highlight the spoilers if you don't want to read.

If you do [spoiler]text here[/spoiler] then it will place spoiler tags around the text.





I am done!!

Finished it on my long car ride back home.

Several of my suspicions were also born out. Maybe we had the same suspicions.

I was a bit shocked about

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

Faile killing the prophet!! Oh my!! I was not expecting that.

---

He did a great job. I enjoyed it. I can't believe it! This is the first time I have ever enjoyed a book that was written by a second author after the original author's death!

I am wildly curious about

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

The letter Verin gave Mat. I am guessing it contains the location of the Horn?

---

We still didn't find out who

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

Mesaana

---

is.

[elanorh]

I am done.

Glad that it worked as well as it did, glad that the Pattern is tightening up (it seemed like there were always new threads to follow 'til now) - although I miss that, too, it's a silent reminder that Robert Jordan is no longer the full author. I thought it was pretty well adapted between the two authors, and the characters rang true between them. I was afraid it would read a bit too much like a fanfic.

I was not surprised by:

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

Verin. I'd begun to suspect she was Black Ajah quite some time ago... I didn't want her to be, but she had said and hinted enough that I was pretty certain she was, and left simply wondering why she was behaving as she was (supporting Rand, and Compulsion on others to support him), if she were truly Black. I'm glad that she was written the way she was in the book.

---

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

I'm not sure the Seanchan/Tar Valon episode is over. There wasn't direct interaction between Egwene and a Seanchan woman, and that seemed such a clear part of her Dreaming that I had expected it in some form. Still to come?

---

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

I would like to know how the 20 Rebel Black Ajah figured out what was going on. I suspect that it would have been easy for them to get word to Tar Valon though.

---

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

I too am disappointed that we don't have Mesaana found yet. It would be too delicious, if the Seanchan had accidentally scooped her up. But I somehow doubt that's the case.

---

What do people think about

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

the increased bad occurrences in the Pattern around Rand especially? Is it, as he assumes, connected to the nearing of the Last Battle - or is it connected to his use of the Dark One's Power, or balefire, or both?

I am so glad he laughed, at the end.

---

In all, I feel like we're wrapping things up now, which is nice - more suddenly than I'd expected for some things

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

(The Prophet, the White Tower/Seanchan/Rebel Tower memes) ....

---

but that's probably because I'm used to the books spinning on and on.

I think I've read that they're hoping to be able to release one each year (so another in the fall of 2010, and in fall 2011 to wrap it up entirely)? It's probably too much to hope that it's really going to wrap up so quickly. I'd like to reread them all again between now and the end, but I don't know how I'd fit it in. I read the first few before kiddos arrived and can't spend a weekend just absorbed in reading books anymore!

[JessicaS]

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

I really enjoyed the bits with Verin as well. I was worried she might be Black but I am glad there was more to it than just that.

---

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

It might be from the increased used of balefire. I can understand why he is doing that but surely that would have some icky effects?? Also I think the pattern would be pulling harder on them because things are drawing to a head? It discussed Verin being "tugged" towards Mat, I am wondering if we will be seeing this more.

---

[elanorh]

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

You know, though, the Verin/Mat conversation was the most contrived feeling to me - Mat notes that she seemed to be 'acting' Brown even -- I think she was lying through her teeth and was just trying to get to him so she could give him the note. And I suspect you're right, that it has information about the Horn in it. I suspect she wasn't being tugged at all - but had simply settled on that as an excuse for meeting him there to give him the note. She couldn't very well tell him that she had information about the Horn (he'd probably try to avoid it), nor could she tell him she had infiltrated the Black Ajah and was getting ready to reveal everything before killing herself. If she'd told him anything about needing him to go do this or that, he'd have immediately reacted like he does to most Aes Sedai - suspicion and avoiding it as much as possible.

It seems a little too convenient that she found him just in the nick of time to deliver the letter, and then get to Tar Valon before the Seanchan attacked, but in time for Egwene to get the books. I suppose there must be some Darkfriends with Mat that he doesn't know about?

---

[JessicaS]

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

I don't think she would lie about that when she can be lying about other things.

I don't think she gave him any information about Darkfriends in his band in the letter. When she was talking to him she said "I hope to be able to return to you and relieve you of the contents of the letter..."

I don't think she would have been able to give him such information if she wasn't sure about her next actions. It wasn't until she drank the poisoned tea that she could give Egwene the information she did.

---

[elanorh]

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

Actually, I didn't mean that she was revealing Darkfriends to Mat - I meant that she probably had a Darkfriend with Mat so that she could locate him again (since he wears the Medallion, she wouldn't be able to trace him directly)? I just don't buy her story about his ta'veren status 'pulling' her to him. Especially since she was waiting for him, and had handed out handbills with both his and Perrin's faces on them.

---

[JessicaS]

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

Well...Verin has always been pretty difficult to read I wouldn't be surprised if you are accurate. I wasn't surprised she was BA, but I did like how they did it.

I was kind of disappointed in how Semirhage was written. I expected her to be a bit scarier, and then she was blasted pretty abruptly. All that build up about the male leash and then...KKKAABBLOOOEEEYY!!! And it is gone? Just like that? The Great Hunt basically consisted of them running amok stealing the Horn from one another, he just took care of a major plot device in a few pages. I feel a little out of sorts over it. I think RJ would have stretched that out more.... but I don't know if that is a good thing or not. I guess I don't REALLY want to read all that but it is taking some adjustment for me to get used to the more efficient writing.

Also Graendal was just blasted out of the book. I guess too many loose ties are lying around so they are being nuked? Man...I am not sure if she was even in the house? There are a lot of BA on the loose so no telling. Either way, he blasted another loose tie within a few pages.

---

[elanorh]

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

Yes, I was thinking the same thing as I was reading -- "It looks like they really will be able to get the series finished in three books, if he's wrapping things up this quickly!"

I think Rand made several decisions after his Semirhage situation which he'll need to clean up - whether Graendal was still in the house (if she was smart, she Traveled away immediately after putting Compulsion on Rand's 'emissary'). And I think that *someone* is going to have to do something about the fact that crops aren't growing and food is spoiling. No one is making it to the Last Battle if they run out of food ahead of time!

---

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by elanorh

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

Yes, I was thinking the same thing as I was reading -- "It looks like they really will be able to get the series finished in three books, if he's wrapping things up this quickly!"

---

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

I think Rand made several decisions after his Semirhage situation which he'll need to clean up - whether Graendal was still in the house (if she was smart, she Traveled away immediately after putting Compulsion on Rand's 'emissary').

---

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

Indeed. I haven't decided if I would rather she be dead or not. Sge is somewhat interesting...but not really one of my favorite forsaken.

---

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

And I think that *someone* is going to have to do something about the fact that crops aren't growing and food is spoiling. No one is making it to the Last Battle if they run out of food ahead of time!

---

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

---

Yeah I was thinking that too! Did you notice at the beginning of the particularly nasty chapters the chapter image is of lace unraveling? Yikes!

---

[JessicaS]

*admires her spoiler tags and quoting combos * I was worried about that turning out right.

[elanorh]

You sound like Elayne figuring out a ter'angreal.

I'm surprised we seem to be the only ones who read this .... maybe everyone else is still reading?

[JessicaS]

I think some others might be caught up in NaNoWriMo.

[JessicaS]

Has anyone else read this yet?