Knife of Dreams (Book 11) -- Discussion thread WITH SPOILERS

[HoopyFrood]

...I will say it was nice to read a prologue that packs a wallop again

Firstly Galad challenging and killing that horrible rapist d*ckweasel. Yay, Galad!

Perrin finally getting some more information about Faile and making mysterious plans. And hah, Berelain, punching Galina full in the face! Oops, did I hit too hard? Haha.

Also, I was trying to work out who was supposed to be on the front of my book. I knew, from the white dress and golden belt, it must be someone gashain, and thought it was Faile talking to Rand?? But now I see it's the above section and Perrin seems to have turned ginger Also I've always pictured Galina much, much older for some reason. Like, white haired old.

And WOO Semirhage. I've been waiting so long for more of her! I knnneeew she'd been hanging around the Seanchan, but whoa, she's really gone for it. She's such a badass, being all fiery. I like that she doesn't make everyone grovel and writhe in front of her -- just shows she's so in control she doesn't need to. Yeah

And and poor Egwene, but I love how cool and patient she's been, and is now considering it as bringing the fight into the heart of the Tower. My Egwene's grown up so much I love people underestimating her because that just makes her breakthrough moments even better.

I did miss Ny a lot in the previous book so here's hoping she's back and doing great stuff in this one!

 

[HoopyFrood]

So 415 pages in -- in fact just about to start chapter 20.

And had to pause to say, whoa, Lews is a badass when he wants to be! Everyone has become rather basic with the Power since the breaking, haven't. People used to know how to do some mad stuff!

Speaking of which, despite all the masses of stuff going down in this book, the thing that I've disliked the most is Elaida having someone who can teach her to Travel. Noooooo.

But yeah, loads going down!

 

[Erin99]

I didn't mean to post here - honest - but I lurked and saw you'd replied, and that I still hadn't replied to the other posts, so here I am...

I didn't have the same cover as you this time, unfortunately, cos we have the plain "rings" ones for this book... so I didn't get the pleasure of guessing who and what was going on!

Anyways, YAAAAAAAAAAAY! You seem to be liking it, which I distinctly remember doing myself... although it wasn't quite up to the standard I'd have loved... Anyway, as Wiki says:

"It was published by Tor Books in the U.S. and Orbit in the UK and released on October 11, 2005. Upon its release, it immediately rose to the #1 position on the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list, making it the fourth consecutive Wheel of Time book to reach the #1 position on that list."

Awesome that a fantasy epic can do that. (I just had to Wiki it to see what happens in it, since I forget. LOADS goes down in this one, and you finally find endings to lots of the hanging threads, too.) I KNEW this was the book with the awesome fight in it, though! I loved that - and the POV before it started. I was cheering Rand on, and the Ogiers! And yeah, it was brilliant to see the Power in all its glory. I remember wishing it would return to that awesomeness!

I'm sure this is the book where I REALLY started loving Egween, too. She absolutely stole the show, for me. And she just gets better and better. To think how far she's come...!

Oh, and heh. Yeah, I remember shouting at Elaida when she learned to Travel. I wanted so badly to see her fail. And yet, sometimes I felt so sorry for her when I was in her POV, and I was rooting for her... I love Jordan for that.

Have you had a Semirage scene yet?

Edit: Actually, I should clarify: I meant have you had "THE" scene with Smirage in it yet? You'll know which one if you've got there...

 

[HoopyFrood]

Noooo, Lan and Ny split up. But aw, her being a badass and rallying support for him.

But yeah, the cover is its usual hilarious self. But tsk, TSK, there's another red haired dude on the cover who I assume is Gaul, having spears at his back and dressed in browns, and as he's there during the scene -- and he's wearing a SWORD.

I was looking at book 12 earlier and it seemed to have some dude staring dramatically into the sky

Also, no Semirhage scene that I can recall, so now I'm really looking forward to that!

 

[HoopyFrood]

So so so I got onto a chapter with Rand that was clearly him heading into a trap and I got all excited because I thought, as you'd mentioned Semirhage, this was the perfect chance for her.

And sure enough! I had such an excited spasm when Rand said her name.

Only WHAT THE HELL. I'm not buying it. I know the Forsaken are cocky and often think everyone of this Age are all primitive and don't know anything they know -- but I can't believe that Semirhage of all people would so completely underestimate the situation, or go into a situation seemingly so lightly prepared.

Which makes me think she's faking the whole lot! Particularly if she does know about Rand's "NOT THE WOMENZ" rule and knows she'll be captured rather than killed.


In other news, holy heck, his hand!

 

[Erin99]

I hadn't noticed your first reply!!!






But, oh, I HATED that Ny-Lan split!!! I was shouting at them to stay together, cos apart usually spells DOOM, but he has to be all hero-y and everything...

And LOL! Yeah, that bloke on the next book cover is Rand, with all his dragon tattoos and light hair and stuff. He looks so silly with his arm up in a pose NO ONE would ever make!

(Oh, LOL! I said "No one" - makes me think of a certain someone...)

Anyways, um... yeah, that was one part Seph was VERY MUCH not happy with - that Semirage underestimated Rand and co. and that the long awaited prophecy about him losing his hand, which had been built up and discussed over the years with fellow WoT fans, turned out to be a five-second job where Rand got knocked out so you didn't see much. Some fans think this book was all about Jordan ticking off boxes, of plots he'd needed to close. They wished he'd spent a little longer on such an important, prophesied scene (and a little less on Elayne's milk baths! ).

But Semirage does have more to play, at least, even though her capture was lamer than it should have been.


And urgh!!! If Sweet has depicted an Aeil with a sword, that's his worst mistake yet! Remember in book six he drew a dragkar in the sky when no such creature appeared in the book? Anyway, book eleven's cover always looks wrong. Perrin DOES NOT look like that - the man on the cover looks like a dwarf! - and why does the depicted Faile not have a "prominent nose"??? At least Bashere looks okay... in that giant tent, which of course every traveller carries with him since it's not the least bit encumbering...

 

[HoopyFrood]

Oh, that was a prophecy? I didn't catch that one! I just thought it was a sudden and crazy event, I was well shocked! Even more so for how quick it all was. Oh, look, his hand's not there anymore.

But yeah that it was Semirhage that did it. I don't know what's wrong with me, she could actually kill everyone in the book (except for Ny or course ) and take over the world and I'd be cheering her on.



I think that was the last chapter I read last night -- or maybe there was another Perrin one after that? It seems to be all Perrin for a while now -- but I'm marching towards the end now, so I may have ordered the next book...

 

[Erin99]

Yeah, prophecy, like the tattoos and, ahem, some stuff about Mat that you'll not have seen come to pass yet.

As for Smerige, I was so-so about her. In some bits she was cool, in others I desperately wanted her to be as awesome as some of the male Forsaken were (can't say who yet), but for me she never quite managed it. You seem to feel differently. We'll see what you think as you go along.

But yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! You've ordered 12!!! There's a scene in it that I've been waiting AAAGES for you to read!!! Wohooo.

I'll have to remember to make a thread this time.




Edit: Do I ever spell "Smirage" the same, or correctly??? ^_^

 

[HoopyFrood]

It does seem to be the case in your posts that each time you write her name, another letter drops out

Maybe I've been too swayed by her reputation. I hope she does have a couple of awesome moment at least, otherwise bleeeeh. Though I'm sure there's fanfiction out there...

And heh, yeah, I think some of Mat's have been mentioned now, to do with the foxes and jazz. Which he's off to tackle, oooooooooh.

 

[Erin99]

Ooh! Matt prophecies!!! Me liketh! (Matt was always one of my favs once he got over that dagger curse.)

Speaking of fanfiction - heh, yeah, our friend keeps trying to get us to read one she loves that involves... I think it's Ny and Egween. Or is it Moraine and Suian? Hmmm. M+S already happens in "New Spring", so I'm not sure that's right. But anyway, since said pal is happily partnered with another lass now, she's eager to get us to read all the lesbianic WoT fanfiction out there. (Not my cup of tea, I'm afraid, unless the author has written it himself and it's canon and well-written... although I never minded some Harry Potter fanfiction involving Draco/Harry, years ago. )




And I CAN say that Smeridge is involved in an awesome moment, but probably not the moment you expect.

 

[HoopyFrood]

I so bet there's one with Semirhage and Ny being badass together. If there isn't, I may have to rectify it...

EDIT: Ooh, just looked up Semirhage on Tumblr and that's a really nice picture of her blowing up Rand (as in, the hand bit )

 

[Erin99]

Ha! Strangely, I could see that pair working together. Smerige could teach her a lot.

An evil Ny... whoa.

Gonna go find that Ny-blowing-up-Rand pic now, after I log out. Heh.

Oh! WHAT?! Did I just write "Ny" blowing up Rand?!?!?!

 

[HoopyFrood]

I'm sure a part of her wants to blow him up. In fact probably everyone has wanted to at some point.

Here's a linky link if you don't find it: Hero of Time: Photo

 

[Erin99]

Ooooh yeah. Rand does get down about everything...


And that's the ebook cover! I much prefer those - they are STUNNING, other than the sexy-Rand-posing-on-ship-mast in book one! (And look at Ny on A Crown of Swords - . Beautiful): http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/6785/110wot.jpg

So yeah, I found lots of pic in my search for Smeridge. Including a cat. Of course. I also found one of *just* Smeridge's half of the ebook cover. Oh, and lots of that black woman from Firefly, who everyone seems to think will make a good Smerige, as you do.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Heh, yeah, I had a lookee through the Google search. Lots of awesome pictures, though I sideeye any that depict her as white as her description is fairly clear. And YEAH Gina Torres would be an awesome Semirhage.

And hah, yeah, I saw the cats, which made me think "it WOULD be a good name for a cat..."

Those covers are reet nice. Though, I'm guessing that's Moiraine on one of them and she looks rather young. I know the Aes Sedai are all ageless but I imagine it as a more of 30-something, handsome agelessness. But I think Jordan actually sees his world populated with 22 year olds