The Gathering Storm - First Impressions *SPOILERS*

[Ari54]

The True Source incident... I literally jumped out of my seat.  So FREAKING AWESOME how that worked.  But now I want to understand why he was able to use it (not to mention, I want to find out if my guess about Rand using the True Source to seal the Dark One this time around is accurate...).

Rand crossed balefires with Moridin, and their dreams are coming together now, too. I imagine they have a certain amount of access to each other's powers as a result, hence why Rand can touch the True Source when only Moridin is supposed to be able to.

[happyman]

I had a thought.

Is it possible that Rand's sickness when he touches the One Power is because he is coming in stronger and stronger contact with the True Power (via Moridin)?  The two powers are opposites, I'm certain.

Incidentally, I am absolutely certain that forcing Rand to touch the True Power was an integral part of the DO's plans.  It seems too pat, too much like how I would do it if I were the Dark One trying to destroy the world.

[Patriotic Kaz]

The second one was a duh statement. The first however was very observant and i hand't considered it. Thanks happyman!

[happyman]

The second one was a duh statement.

I thought so too.  But I've seen people contest it at the theory sites, so I guarantee it's not a slam dunk, logic-wise.

[Eerongal]

SO, i haven't read through the whole thread, but i just recently got and finished this book, and the only thing that I have a question about is this:

Rand's "aura of evil" : What is it? Is it because he was touching the true power? Or is it something else entirely? If it's the TP, we've never heard of this happening before now when moridin seizes it, but we haven't had too terribly much exposure to that. At first i thought everyone was just perceiving evil intent in him, but then it started doing things (like souring that tea), so it's clearly not just a "wow, he feels mean" funky vibe.

As far as the book itself, I loved it. Couldn't put it down, dedicated every free moment to finishing it.

[douglas]

Someone asked about that at one of the signings and reported the answer here.  Pay particular attention to the second paragraph:

I was at the signing in Roseville, MN last night and asked Brandon a question regarding Graendal possibly not being dead.  I started by saying that Graendal was ordered to keep Arad Doman in chaos.  After she was killed Rand was forced out of Arad Doman because all of the food he brought spoiled all at the same time, not in random intervals like had happened before due to the dark ones touch.  My question to Brandon is was this food spoilage caused by the Dark One or could it have been a strong channeler with inverted weaves, perhaps someone who was ordered to make sure that Rand's plans in Arad Doman failed?

Brandon told me explicitly that this was not caused by someone channeling but instead it was caused by Rand.  Roberet Jordan evidently left strong notes regarding the fact that the quote we heard early on in the story from Thom about "The dragon is one with the land and the land is one with the Dragon" will be emphasized towards the end of the stroy.  When people complained that only bad Ta'veren things happened in Bandar Eban when Rand was there with no offsetting good things this was an examples that as Rand has hardened and become darker the land has also grown more dark.  The spoiling of all the food at once was also caused by the darkness in Rand.

[Argent]

Pretty cool! I was pretty certain the spoiling has to do with Rand, but I was attributing it to him being extremely strong channeler and using the True Power. But the "one with the land" thing is way cooler - I had forgotten it.

[Eerongal]

hrm...interesting. Extrapolating, so does this mean that the reason food and plants are unable to grow in the current year are because of rand, then, instead of the DO...?

[Squeakle]

It would seem to me that if Rand's ta'veren thread was starting to fester (for lack of a better word), this would spread to nearby threads, causing all the bad stuff.

As for plants and the whatnot growing, that would seem to be to be a RAFO moment, though the dragonmount scene at the end might give credence to that sort of idea.

[Eerongal]

well, most stuff we ask about is likely to be RAFO stuff, obviously, if not the series would be finished. But speculation is fun!

[John UK]

Maybe all 3 ta'verens together as one holds the key to the end?
instead of influencing threads around them, maybe they will control the whole pattern. combine this with the unity of male and female power and the true power could be turned against itself wielded by good against evil.

the end.

[achren99]

Loved it loved it loved it!!!

Although, I do agree about the Mat parts.  It seemed like Mat=Lightsong.  I still loved it, though.  I think he stayed completely true to all of the other characters, and mostly trueish to Mat.

I loved all the action (even though at one point I was like "Avalanche!" - but then it slowed down.)  Everything that happened was amazing.  Egwene vs. Seanchan was the best part of the book - - that and Verin.

I was also SO happy that my Gawyn is back. *sigh*  I don't know why everyone hates him.  I think he's perfect.  haha  I think Egwene should have kissed him or SOMETHING at the end, but whatever.  Now this thread has me all worried that they're going to break up. :/ (no, i'm not 12...i'm 24...) *sheepish grin*

Even though I felt that it was true the characters, I noticed I felt more sorry for Rand and liked Min MUCH more than usual (since book 7, I've basically hated them both).  We saw more of the internal workings and the girls (avi & min) expressed their feelings about sharing Rand, etc.  I wonder if I like them more because of Sanderson's input...?

My heart wanted Min to survive when Rand was killing her, but my brain kind of wanted her to die.  She really bugs me.  But...that would have been very tragic...I guess...

It shows how realistic these books are because of how different people like different characters and relate to different people so well.  I hate Rand and Min -- someone else hates Gawyn, Nynaeve and Faile -- and I ADORE those characters...

These books are amazing, and so was TGS.  Thanks RJ & Brandon!

[Wolfstar]

"The dragon is one with the land and the land is one with the Dragon"

That's an old old old olllllllld! theme in Western lit and legend.  You can see it in Arthurian legend many times, that the king and the land are bound together.  I think that's one thing I love about WoT... RJ took many of the classic elements of fantasy and wove them together in a way that I don't feel is cliche, and when it is, I love it despite the cliche.  Which is more than I can say about Star Wars and fantasy cliche, haha...

[Patriotic Kaz]

There was a theory on WoTmania.com that i think is very likely. It went like this: taveren change the threading of the pattern the pattern makes up the DO's prison, the reason all 3 taveren must make it to the Last Battle is because once the seals are removed the pattern could heal itself around their area of influence and all they have to do is survive.

[Fodder]

Speaking of the land....  I was thinking back over the series as I was waiting for TGS to come out and remembered "with this sign he will conquer"  Rand stood on an ancient symbol of the aes sedi when he killed the darkhounds in ruidean. 

Anyway.  The east and north are supposed to be united as well as the west and south.  it kind of makes a big yin yang symbol out of Rand land.  Curious anyway.