My readthrough of WoT (**Spoilers**)

[Renoard]

Not sure where you have gotten to so far geographically or chronologically, but the story will pick up.  The disorientation you are dealing with is supposed to make you sympathize with the kids.

Were you looking for spoilers to answer those questions?

[Vatdoro]

So it IS possible for a male to successfully tap into the One Power right?  Just the Aes Sedai don't like it because they are afraid they will become the Dragon and join the Dark One?

I can tell you that there is good reason why there are no male Aes Sedai. There is a "complication" with males using the one power, and no one is immune to it.

Is the Flame and the Void a teaching of sword-users such as Warders and Master Swordsmen?

Ya, just a little hint that Tam had some serious training somewhere in his past and he passed some of the concepts onto Rand.

Things are moving too slowly for my taste.  I want something more to happen.  I'm sure it's just to build up the world and explain things in a timely manner, but I would like either A) more information on things such as Aes Sedai, Warders, Master Swordsman, etc. or B) More action.

Looks like you just barely got to Baerlon. The stretch from Taren Ferry to Baerlon is a little boring, but I think it was meant that way. If you want more info about Aes Sedai, Warders, etc ... see if there is a glossary in the back of your book. The first time I read TEotW I was just as confused as you trying to understand these new terms. When I finished the book there were still some pages left, and they turned out to be a glossary with short descriptions of some new terms. I wished I had found that halfway through the book. But, I still enjoyed the book only half figuring out what all the new terms meant. 

[Eerongal]

IMO, the entire first book is kinda slow. Once you get to the second one, its where it really picks up.

[Bookstore Guy]

without sounding too negative, the entire series is considered slow by many readers. Book 2 is my personal favorite due to the overall darker tone (and an awesome character that they never see again). but it is a rather slow series. it isn't too bad for the first 6 books. after that it seems to lag with spikes of action here and there. but that's just an opinion. it is not my intent to start a war or words. just saying, if you think book 1 is slow, you should prepare yourself for more of the same throughout the series.

[Reaves]

IMO, the entire first book is kinda slow. Once you get to the second one, its where it really picks up.

without sounding too negative, the entire series is considered slow by many readers. Book 2 is my personal favorite due to the overall darker tone (and an awesome character that they never see again). but it is a rather slow series. it isn't too bad for the first 6 books. after that it seems to lag with spikes of action here and there. but that's just an opinion. it is not my intent to start a war or words. just saying, if you think book 1 is slow, you should prepare yourself for more of the same throughout the series.

I'm forced to agree with both of the above posts.

[douglas]

So it IS possible for a male to successfully tap into the One Power right?  Just the Aes Sedai don't like it because they are afraid they will become the Dragon and join the Dark One?

The possibility of the Dragon has nothing to do with it.  It's all about the inevitable insanity.

The talk of the One Power not being wielded by men is way more than a 'it can't be done without going insane, drop it' type situation.

No, it isn't.  Not when you consider that "going insane" in this case very often means "man with the power to raise and flatten entire mountains at whim (in extreme cases, at least) goes on a murderous rampage and doesn't stop until he dies".  This exact same insanity was the sole cause of the Breaking of the World, and the name of that event is not much of an exaggeration.  The insanity does take time to manifest and does so gradually, but it always comes eventually unless the man in question dies or is forcibly prevented from using the One Power, usually by permanently destroying his ability to do so - and doing that has its own problems.

Is the Flame and the Void a teaching of sword-users such as Warders and Master Swordsmen?

Not necessarily just sword users specifically, but yes.

I'll have to go home and check my copy of the book to comment about any Fourth Age references in the prologue.

[Miyabi]

@Ren - Not spoilers per se.  If you look how everyone else answers where I get enough information to be satisfied, but not enough to spoil anything really.  That is what I am looking for.

@Douglas - It's at the end, after the story part of it there are two passages that are dated the Fourth Age.

@Everyone - Thanks guys.  I appreciate all of the feedback I am getting. "]

[Renoard]

In my opinion the pacing is just right.  But it is scaled as if the story were one novel in multiple volumes.  There isn't much of the traditional upslope, climax fall-off in each volume.  The series as a whole does follow that pattern.  

The action speeds up and slows in points for different characters.  In my opinion however there is a huge upsurge in action some time after they head north.

I think every book has one or more real upsurges in action.  But which characters are central to the action shifts.

Ah I would have taken a stab at the questions, except that I was seriously concerned about spoiling...

From a purely technical perspective it is possible that men can channel.  But think about the things that moiraine is teaching the girls about wilders versus those with the spark, then apply that to men who have no Aes Sedai support system.  Also what he said, violent mania like Lews Therin in the prologue... not an attractive future.

[Shaggy]

Quote from: miyabi on Today at 03:35:48 PM

So it IS possible for a male to successfully tap into the One Power right?  Just the Aes Sedai don't like it because they are afraid they will become the Dragon and join the Dark One?


I can tell you that there is good reason why there are no male Aes Sedai. There is a "complication" with males using the one power, and no one is immune to it.

Not strictly true. I guess you could say no one is 'immune,' but there is a way to prevent the consequences. But you'll learn about that much later, miyabi (I think  ).

[Renoard]

Renoard speaks the word of power "Mua dhib!" and the spoiler is blasted into a million fragments.

Seriously, if you think about the description of the madness -- violence, killing, paranoia -- you really have to admit that no male channeler is free from the madness.  One kind of violent sociopathic madness is much the same as the other, to the victims.

[douglas]

Ok, with the text of the Fourth Age stuff in front of me I can explain the context.

First, they are both excerpts from histories.  Notice that everything in both of them is in past tense.

Second, the first one is about the Breaking of the World and mentions "him they named Dragon".  Note that 'Dragon' is an original name they gave him, not a previously existing identifier.  It may have had a previous meaning, but it was not associated with one particular man before.

Third, the second one goes on in flowery language about the return of the Dragon - "Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time."  The event it talks about is therefore after the Breaking of the World - and I'm sure you've figured out by now that the true Dragon has not returned at any point between the Breaking and the start of the series.  Thus, it must be a history written after the events in the series, and I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that we're working towards an Age transition.

The prologue occurs at the very end of the Second Age, also known as the Age of Legends.  The series proper occurs near the end of the Third Age.  The two excerpts at the end of the prologue are from histories written early in the Fourth Age after the end of the series.

[Miyabi]

OOOHHH! 

That makes SO much more sense now.  Thanks. "]

[douglas]

Happy to help. 

Most of the books have some sort of short passage or two in the front and back of the book describing something relevant to that book.  Most of them are prophecies of some sort, but a few are excerpts from Fourth Age histories so this sort of thing comes up again.

[Renoard]

Ok, [snip]

First, they are both excerpts from histories.  Notice that everything in both of them is in past tense.

[snip]

The prologue occurs at the very end of the Second Age, also known as the Age of Legends.  The series proper occurs near the end of the Third Age.  The two excerpts at the end of the prologue are from histories written early in the Fourth Age after the end of the series.

I thought I said that... Of course not so clearly outlined. 

And yeah I don't think it's a spoiler to point that out either.  But the madness question is getting into that.  I had a thought in all this I think I'll pm Douglas with.

[Vatdoro]

Myabi - Have you read much lately? Have you gotten past Baerlon? It picks up a little bit after Baerlon, but then slows down a little bit again (I think). Just wondering how you're enjoying EotW.