Intro: A while back I would never have considered starting a thread for WoT, but after miscellaneous comments here and there I have come to realize that there are a good many people on this forum – quite a few I enjoy talking to in particular -- that have read or are reading the series. Given the final book is due to release this year, I figure this is an appropriate enough time to start a discussion thread where we can help refresh each others' memory, discuss, theorize, speculate, and blabber about the expansive series thereof. In any case, I would much rather discuss this series with people I already know (to a degree), rather than joining another forum full of nerds. I couldn't find a thread related to this anywhere else, so hopefully this catches on and gets some good discussion.
My Experience: I started reading the books in my Senior year of High School (2003-2004). I picked up the first book and started reading at a slow pace, but once I reached the 12th chapter or so I couldn't put it down. I finished all of the books that were out (up to book 10) within three months, and found myself…torn. Well, I have now purchased all of the books in hardback and been reading them all over again -- a little bit slower -- with the original hope that I could make them last until book 12 was released. Yeah, well, that didn't work. I am currently on page ~500 of book 10 and will probably finish it this week. I have never read book 11, so I look forward to something new. Likely I will not even come back into this thread until I finish book 11, which will be in about...two weeks? At most. I love the series. I have the typical complaints about certain things in the story and certain portrayals of men and women, habits, etc, etc, but overall I love the series and am extremely impressed with Mr. Jordan's imagination, writing style, and skill. I look forward to Brandon's input as well, as I have followed his blogs this year and agree with most of his statements.
Purpose of Thread: Plain and simple, discuss the books in as much detail as desired. Pro's, Con's, characters, plot, plot holes, hates, loves, interests, theories, etc. I am going to assume anyone posting in here has either read all 11 books or doesn't mind getting spoiled, so do not worry about spoilers. If you want, use tags, if not –- consider everyone warned already.
History: For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Google it. No, but seriously, it is basically an ep– struggling epic fantasy written by the late author James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under the pen name Robert Jordan [[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wheel_of_Time"]1]. The series is a little obese, having 12 books currently released, and the final in the making; each book averages a good 800 pages:
[hide]0. New Spring
1. The Eye of the World
2. The Great Hunt
3. The Dragon Reborn
4. The Shadow Rising
5. The Fires of Heaven
6. Lord of Chaos
7. A Crown of Swords
8. The Path of Daggers
9. Winter's Heart
10. Crossroads of Twilight
11. Knife of Dreams
12. A Memory of Light (In Progress; Unreleased)[/hide]