@@swordfish1929 you see analytics immediately and it’s VERY rare for TH-cam to allow a video to recover from crashing this hard. If it flops on release, TH-cam drops it.
This sucks so bad, this is one of the few of your videos I’ve clicked on the second the notification popped up on my phone and now you’re not encouraged to make this type of content 🥲
I literally screamed out loud when the wolves reply. Partly coz of how awesome it is. And partly coz of the comedic timing. "We need you" "Sorry young bull. Wolves do not meddle in human affairs" "Shadowkiller has been caged" "We come" Tell me thats not from some Monty python sketch
Daniel please make more read-alongs for the rest of the series, I am begging 😭 I get so excited when I finish the next book of the series because it means I get to come watch your read-along video!!! I'm so sad now that I just finished A Crown of Swords and I don't get to hear your wildly enjoyable, enlightening recount. PLEASE!!!! ❤
This was the first book that actually made me think “yeah Rand is kinda of insane”. We see all these chapters from Rands perspective and his thoughts make sense, he doesn’t feel like a madman. But then there is one from Mat’s where he recounts how he was sleeping and Rand suddenly Travels inside his room in the middle of the night and starts rambling, just a non-stop spew of words and topics jumping from one to another, going from how they gotta move on Ilian but slowly to “how do you know if you love a woman?” With no Segway or connection between. I just imagine that meme of the person explaining while the other is under some blankets looking confused, with Mat hiding under the blankets while Rand rants on and on like a literal crazy person
This is a great point. As you heavily implied, the stark contrast between Rand's POV and anyone else's is crucial here. After all, most madmen don't think they're mad (except Padan Fain, and for Rand, even KNOWing he'll go mad at some point, that doesn't mean he can pinpoint when it's happening and obviously he'll still rationalize everything along the way). As you say this is where Rand starts his descent, and this is why he as a character is so revered. RJ wrote this so well and it gets me emotional just thinking about it now!!
But is he insane because of the taint? Or is he insane because of the tremendous pressure on him? One could argue that no taint is necessary for that plot line.
@@raulsdrsd Sure, I'm just saying that with all that pressure the taint is really not even needed to sell the whole "he's going crazy" idea. Would be necessary for all the other men who channel who go insane though.
I love how Perrin goes to rescue Rand, and when he finally gets to him, Rand turns the blender on and turns people into mulch, so Perrin just bends and vomits in shock and disgust. You see him pretty clearly go from "My friend Rand needs to be rescued for the good of the wolrd" to "What in the fuck is my friend Rand becoming...?". And right after that, he watches Rand force Aes Sedai into servitude. You can see the doubt in Perrin through this whole sequence, and the begining of the next book. Is delightfull!
I really enjoy this format. Kinda sad it performs so poorly, cuz I really would want to see it with other series as well Edit: since Daniel didn't mention it, I'd like to share my personal favourite moment of this book: the talk between egwene and siuan after she's been made amyrlin. Where egwene acknowledges siuans wisdom and shows her first sparks of a great leader and siuan is just like "holy cow them fish gutting hall done made a mistake". love it
That was pretty poignant to me, too. I do like how Egwene steps into that role and navigates the intrigue rather well. I'm going through the books (audiobooks) for the first time ever. So, the future from this book is still a mystery to me.
"The bloody ruins of human beings began to make a wall" The fact that, up to this point, the One Power was mostly depicted as being wholeley elemental: fireballs and lightning bolts, and then, the Asha'man literally start blowing people up with it made it seem far more freightening. I know most people will comment about Dumai's Wells, so, here's another one. A brilliant, horiffic ending. Rand isn't the same man he once was, and it shows.
If only she cared to meet Toh with Nyneave and Elayne after lying/misleading them in the dream world time and time again and threatening to have Nyneave sexually assaulted.
@@kilgoretrout4350 I understand that, but she never apologized. She only cared to honor the wise ones and not the woman who helped raise her and saved her life from break bone fever and the Seanchan.
Every time I hear the ending of Lord of Chaos recounted, it gives me chills. Rand suffers this unbelievable trauma for being the Dragon Reborn and the level of wrath that he feels and releases by making the Aes Sedai kneel is unforgettable. If they were afraid of him before, they should be now because he will never allow such an event to happen again.
Lord of Chaos has a few of the most iconic scenes in WoT. That alone makes it a top tier for me. Everybody knows 'the box' or 'Ashaman kill'. 'We come' is a sentence that still gives me shivers every-time I read it and that battle is one of the best ever written. Love this book! Hope TH-cam realizes the mistake they've made since everybody wants you to continue the read-along, Daniel!
(Me, first time reader, currently at book 8) I honestly have to say, that this book was not my favourite at all up until Rand was captured. I felt like so much was going on at the same time while somehow no real progress was made through the plot. But on the other hand this book had possibly the greatest moments up to this point in the series. Nyneave healing Siuan, Leane and Logain was incredibly powerful. The wolves saying "We come". And most of all the Battle at Dumai's Wells. "Ashaman, Kill" was powerful, but the thing Rand said just before got me good. “I told you to make weapons, Taim. Show me just how deadly they are. Disperse the Shaido. Break them.” I really felt like Rand was broken during the time he was kidnapped. He already had to suffer from the taint, the immense responsibilty and the fact that he could not trust any of the wetland lords. And then these Aes Sedai betrayed him hard. This left such an immense psychological wound in him, which he did not recover from yet (end of book 8). And I really hope he will get back on track with the help of his friends and some other helpful characters.
"The slog" is basically the series taking a break from the typical fantasy tropes of MacGuffin fetch quests, etc. to focus on political intrigue, some philosophical questions on humanity, and, of course, character development. jordan took his time with all of these, and this is what made the ending pay off so good in my opinion.
There is just way too much time spent on uninteresting stuff. The Andor succession is bargain bin Game of Thrones. Perrin & the Shaido takes far too long to resolve, turning him from one of the best characters to one of the worst. Aes Sedai politicking gets turned up to 11 with a truckload of new, forgettable characters. Let’s not forget basically the entirety of Crossroads of Twilight. 275k words where very little happens with a terrible non-ending to boot. The slog also exacerbates Jordan’s worst qualities as a writer. So many longwinded descriptions where no dialogue or character interaction occurs. I recall specificaly a moment in CoT where we get multiple paragraphs describing how the Shaido wash their clothes. There’s worldbuilding and then there’s this. None of this is to say there aren’t important developments in plot and characters during the slog, but you can tell Jordan grew bored of what he had been writing up to that point and it really shows with books 8-10. You can easily condense those three into one single, rock solid book and I don’t think the story would suffer much from it.
I'm on book 7 and all the stuff I remember as a slog is actually really interesting and engaging. It is a little slower but definitely not a "slog". Looking forward to seeing if this is true for book 9.
Don't forgeting bathing and pregnancy memes. Oh, and bowl of the winds hunting for far too long. Oh god and the Shaido. I swear the Shaido should have been trounced and diffused out of the story at the Battle of Cairhien in Book 5. Sevanna is so damned boring and all of her crap amounts to nothing but the plotline of doom.
Something that I really enjoyed in the book - beside everything u already mentioned- is that we see Rand actually communicating with Lews Therin to keep his sanity and learning some Age of legends Saidin tricks, the fact that he has that huge treasure of knowledge yet he can’t access it because it’s locked in a mad man’s memories is both frustrating and exciting.
I literally cried when Nynaeve Healed Logain, Siuan and Leane. Favorite Nyn moment! I am currently reading KoD right now, and I am so excited on what the book offers!
it's funny how many characters openly did not like mazrim, and how mazrim was so openly somewhat hostile to rand, and yet rand was like "nah he's fiiiineee" lmaoo
dude im on book 10, honestly i dont see why its getting so much hate its quite interesting. It is like the eye of the storm, the final touch up before the final part of the series.
@@Bt-cq6te I personally didn’t enjoy book 10 as much as the others because I’m annoyed with Perrin and Faile (I literally go “ugh, not again” when it’s their chapter), the Shaido suck, and Elayne’s storyline is not giving that much either. That being said, there are also some great moments here that I won’t name bc spoilers. I don’t hate the book though, and the slog didn’t feel as sloggish if you know what I mean
A read-through in 2022 means you _know_ that the series is complete and there are good scenes to come. I was really demoralized while reading "the Slog" because it was clear that Jordan was running on fumes and we had no idea if the series would ever be completed at all. Books 8-11 were like a crypto bear market, those that lived through it thought the series was slowly dying. I certainly did. I stopped reading the series for a long time because of the Slog. Nowadays I know better and crypto winters don't scare me anymore. Death is part of life.
@@johnshite4656 You're right, I would have probably been a lot more annoyed with these books if I was waiting for them like I'm waiting on A Song of Ice and Fire series. It sometimes feels like Jordan was paid by the word so he just decided to write anything that comes to mind or repeat established things just to have more of it.
This book was rough. The ending is so incredible, but this book could fully be 200 pages shorter. There were so many times that I was like “JUST GET TO THE THING!”. I think this is maybe middle of the pack for me in the books.
To Everyone in the comments section. Thank you! Reading everyone's thoughts about this series makes me truly happy! I share all these sentiments and it is so cool to hear them from you other readers! Daniel, your content is always excellent!
So far this has been the most impactful book in the series that I've read. I'm still disgusted with the Aes Sedai and their arrogance. Because they've no knowledge of a thing, it can't be done or doesn't exist. They scorn Nynaeve 's knowledge and usage of herbs and potions because they've not used them. And when she restores Logain's use of the power, they nitpick her weaves and demand she repeat it before accepting her accomplishment. Even then, they down play and find ways to disparage her 'wildling' ways. Somehow I feel in the future the White Tower will continue to deny her greatness and power.
Is anybody else keeping their fingers crossed that now that season 2 is officially making legitimate progress that Daniel will restart the crank on the ole' Wheel of Time whang-dang reading alonger? If only we have the luck of the Ta'veren! If there is any goodness left on this world, oh let the Light spin the Read-a-Long back into the pattern once again, in this, what is known by a bare handful as the 6th!? Age. May the Light Bless and keep and and all of us and may the totality of the pattern swing a little further back into the view of the Light.
I remember just a few months ago I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up with this read along... and then it hooked me so hard that I'm now on Towers of Midnight 😂
I loved the inclusion of the Lord Dragon hearing Lew's Therin's voice in his head - it shows how insane Rand has gradually become, but also provides intrigue into the further lore of the Age of Legends.
I tweeted you after finishing the eye of the world about 18 months ago, with a fairly negative opinion of it, basically asking whether it was worth me continuing the series. You were super positive and genuine about it, and convinced me to keep going (plus I have a similar taste usually) so I started the great hunt a few months later and got absolutely hooked. I just finished a Memory of Light and its definitely one of my 3 favourite series now! Thanks for the work you do on this channel, its really important what youve done for modern fans of fantasy and modern authors.
Loial fighting hurts me so much because of how wrong it feels for him. That being said, loial is a badass fighter. I don't know my exact ranking for books because they all merge into a huge mess, but Lord of Chaos was great. Mat was hilarious.
I finished this one during the show! Definitely my most favorite so far. So much happens, and absolutely I agree that the characters are starting to meet their destinies Real quick, highlights: - I love Elayne/Nyn becoming mysteriously brilliant and learning long lost arts all of a sudden... - egwene's promotion! What a shocker! - Perrin and mat are such good friends to Rand. Rand really needs Min to level him out and I love it - Yooo Rand is definitely giving me a menacing quality Ive known was coming for a while. He really is a dragon - Aiel continue to be so fun to hang out with. They have much Ji - The ascendence of the BT and Asha'man... I had no idea we were going here when I started this journey. I am positively THRILLED to see how this plays out with the WT and Egwene. - Dumai's F***** Wells
I really hope you continue the reading along. I value your opinion and you always make the summaries exciting. It would be nice to go through the series with you. 🤞
Daniel please keep doing these!!! I know it’s been a long break but please! I’m reading along for the first time and I look forward to these videos after I finish a book so much!
Thank youuu, I've been waiting for this because Lord of Chaos is my FAVOURITE Wheel of Time book so far. My current top 3 are 1. Lord of Chaos 2. Fires of Heaven 3. The Gathering Storm I'm about to finish Towers of Midnight today and I might have to update/edit this list later. I can't believe I am so close to finish this series... what am I going to do with my life?? I've commented this several times under your other videos but reading The Wheel of Time helped me through tough times and I just want to thank you so much for introducing me to this wonderful series. Edit: I loved Towers of Midnight! Definitely a 5* read. I'll put it on the third place together with The Gathering Storm. I know that's cheating but I don't care xD
I am addicted to these books now, thanks a lot 😡. I love this series and all of your wot works, i had never heard of RJ or WOT before being introduced to the show. I finished the show quickly and was so confused, but i could see the potential for this works. Since then ive devoured 8 of the books, and your read alongs help refresh everything before moving onto the next book. Despite the poor performance on behalf of the algorithm i eagerly await your next videos in the series!
Loved your read alongs so far my man, this is my first read of Wheel of Time and it is kinda blowing me away, have read Martin, Feist, Sanderson, Rothfuss, and others, but this series has just grabbed me by the throat and hasn't let go since I first started reading the series in Dec. Right now I would rank Lord of Chaos and Shadow Rising as tied for favorite, with every other book being either good or great otherwise. Really cannot believe that I just turned 30 and have only just decided to read this series, it makes too much sense why it is has always been described to me as being the figurehead on the Mount Rushmore of Fantasy Series. Can't wait to jump into the 7th book!
That last scene was amazing. I love how everything is earned in this book. Rand becomes the Dragon Reborn and things don’t magically happen. You see how the characters transform through their experiences and self-challenges to become the people they need to be
Reading through the Wheel of Time for the first time, I just finished Knife of Dreams! For me The Shadow Rising just can’t be beat but it’s followed closely by Lord of Chaos and Knife of Dreams after that
i just recently have come across this channel, being a huge huge fan of the wheel of time, i feel disappointed in myself for not finding this channel earlier. but at the same time, listening to your channel and talks about the books and reviews, just makes me fall in love with the series again and again. Daniel Greene, you are an inspiration, keep doing what you're doing, love your work, with all your fantasy related content
i came across this channel shortly after watching the wheel of time series, and i'm pretty sure i'm through like 90% of your wheel of time content on your channel, lol
I have completed Books up to 12. Book 6 was engrossing. Yes, that is the word. It had feel similar to Book 8 in the series. I don't remember much details of the plot but the feel of the Book on the Whole. And, Yes man.... When Siuan Sanche hugs Nynaeve and says Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.... Just heart warming. Loved that scene so much. I always loved Siuan Sanche. For some people she grew on them. I just was amazed at how quickly she came back after stilling and had a sense of direction even after the ability to channel Saidar was snatched from her so brutally. She is an amazing character in the Story!! I was hers from that moment onwards when she escapes and she is ready with a purpose in her mind. Deserves our Love 💓🤗 I just love Character work in this series. Just such warmth flowing between characters.
Not sure how many times I just meant to reread a couple of chapters in Lord of Chaos and just kept going on a full reread after, I love this book. Our girl, Nynaeve, healing gentling/stilling and still being treated like crap by the "real" Aes Sedia will never not piss me off.
Dumai's Wells really solidified my love for this series, although tbh I was sold long before book 6. This is my first re-read and I love it even more the second time around and if you had asked me before I wouldn't have thought that possible. I could spend 15 more books in this world and never be tired of it. Its a bummer this video didn't perform better, it does seem like you still enjoy making these videos at least . I found your content because of WoT when you had less subscribers than views on this video. I guess it makes sense that as your audience has grown, they have become less WoT-centric. This is the content I subbed for all those years ago and this read along is my favorite series you've made in a while. Hopefully these videos have more longevity than your usual videos as more people read the series and catch up. If they continue to do poorly, maybe you can at least put them on the second channel for people like us. Commenting to help the algorithm because I somehow missed this notification even though I have my notifications on. Hope you're doing well and staying healthy Daniel.
I'm on my first read (currently book 10), and to be honest, for me, book 6 until the last 100 pages was already the beginning of "the slump". 😕 Don't get me wrong: There is no question and no doubt in my mind that the ending, especially Dumai's Wells, was *spectacular* and easily the absolutr best battle and the best ending of any of the books so far! This was amazing and took my breath away. But Rand's plotline before this was rather meh... He was either thinking about Elayne, feeling guilty about lusting for Aviendha, wondering if he will ever understand the Aiel or travelling back and forth between Caemlyn and Cairrhien... and for me it was sadly quite repetitive. Combine this with my mild annoyance at Gawyn, and already a chunk of this book was not as enjoyable for me as the 5 books before it have been. 🤷♀️
I completely agree with this. So many people talk about this being one of the best books, but I almost didn't finish it because it felt so boring to me until the end, and I had really enjoyed all the previous books. I should mention that I'm also on my first read (book 11 now).
Didnt start reading these books until 2 months ago, and I just finished book 6. I thought the pacing of this book was terrible until right around halfway through. Sorry these videos dont do well. I love them! Cant wait till you move on to book 7!
I love these read along video. The way you summarise and describe the emotions of the book is so entertaining. It opens up new thoughts for me on the books. Love your work keep it up!!
Hi Daniel! This is the first time I comment, I think, but I've been following you on TH-cam for some years now. I really enjoy your attitude and your views on books!... I'd just like to give a shout-out about your Wheel of Time- -readalong series. Myself, I din NOT read along, but I very much enjoyed your views on the books, as you come back to them again. I just listened to this video again, and was searching for the next one for quite some time. If you can find time to continuue this series, I'd be very happy! ... Hope you're having a nice day! / M aria fr Sweden
Daniel, these WoT read alongs have been great. Helped me get so much more out of my first time through WoT, and kind of helped me continue to get through them. On Book 8 now, will try to keep ahead of you.
After going through the series again, I noticed that the first meeting Sammael has with Graendal in her palace in LoC, shows that she knows where Demandred has set up shop due to her choice of servants during the meeting. Since they had history with each other, it seems like she was trying to let Sammael know without saying it out loud.
I must say, I'm sad that these read along series never really continue. These are the thing I like the most with your channel, and yet they just end, such as this and Vinland Saga. At least with this series, you acknowledged why. One could only wish these could be a side project you do once every other week or something so it does not impact your views that much.
I received two copies of AMOL when it was first released as gifts. I did not read it because I didn't want the story to end. But now, over a decade after its publication and after seeing the tv series be a totally different turning of the wheel I did a re-read (audio this time) and did it. Finished it. I was listening nonstop for weeks to get to the last book, listened nonstop until there were two hours left then listened to smaller and smaller portions each day. Now it is done officially. I'm not ready to leave that world. I appreciate your videos as part of my seeking more of the world.
Oh god, I've been watching these as I've been reading the books, please don't let this be the last one you do! I look forward to watching these when I finish each book.
Ashaman Kill, and then kneeling scene always give me goosebumps, even hearing you talk about it does. The end of Lord of Chaos is one of the highlights I always look forward to on a reread.
5:48 Liandrin? That's some healing Nynaeve did to swap characters! Haha. TBF, they are very easy to mix up as there's a very little difference between the two names.
Hey dude, you have another one coming out soon? Hanging for it! I understand that these videos don't perform as well, it's because these vids are more for your more dedicated fans. But we really appreciate it. Love your work. Literally signed into youtube to comment for the first time in years for this haha.
Bit late but I finished loc and… I feel like it’s my second-to-least favourite of the books so far. The natural plot progression dwindled for like 600 pages and picked up with what could have been a whole book’s worth of plot in the last 100 pages. The first ¼ was awesome; I loved that this was one of consequences dealing with Moirane’s death, but then it just went on and on with nothing much happening (Nynaeve curing Logain was cool though). I did enjoy the Battle of Dumai’s Wells
As a first time reader (currently at book 9) I think Lord of Chaos probably falls in my top 3 so far: 1.Shadow Rising 2. Path of Daggers 3. Lord of Chaos. Each of these contributed something special for me beyond the other books in the series. Shadow Rising is the strongest book. I think it´s the one that stands best on it´s own. It also breaks away from both teh formulaic nature and the Tolkien-esque tropes of teh previous three books and gives Wheel of Time it´s own identity. Path of Daggers had the biggest emotional impact on me. The way Rand struggles to keep both his sanity and his physical helath intact resonated strongly with me. And his final scene with Min adn the kid towards the end brought me to tears. Few books do that. It also solidified Egwene as a top 3 character for me. I like her development as much as Mat. The way she put the hall in it´s place was really satisfying. Lord of Chaos isn´t quite as good as the previous two. I think it´s on par with Dragon Reborn (though the plot is more interesting adn intruiging in LoC because of what I emtnioned about book 4), which is my 4th favorite so it´s obviously still good, but it also has either the best or 2nd best written climax in the series so far. Dumais Wells completly elevated the entire book for me.
Definitely my second-favorite book, behind TSR because the trip through way-back ter'angreal remains the single most impactful scene (scenes?) I've ever read in fantasy. I will admit, however, that this book is also where my relationship with the series changed; discovering the online community in Usenet and IRC to have people to discuss the series with made my experience with WoT different from any I'd had before.
I know this is really late but i hope even if you go slow you keep posting these eventually. Your energy in these videos are so much higher than the ones you made about the books when you first started.
the way you describe all the major events in the books just instantly connects with how I felt/reacted the first time I read them and that is so freaking cool. there is so much depth to all the character by this point and I love that. like how even right after being tortured endlessly and being full of rage over it, Rand still did not want such butchering to continue
LoC for me was where this series touched down for me. Up until then WoT was just one of the best things I’d ever read. After LoC this series is the greatest thing I’ve ever read. I’m a Rand boi. So this book is my book, getting to live with Rand so much. It’s the book where Rand became The Dragon for me. Dumai’s Wells shoook me. I’m a huge history nerd. I love studying military history and the events that lead up to and follow military conflicts. Dumai’s Wells is 9/11 for the universe of WoT. It’s a complete paradigm shift in such a monumental way that it’s hard to describe with English. Asha’man Kill and We Come both give me chill every time Kramer reads them. I feel that horrified captivation that I get when I read first hand accounts about any of the true calamities that humans have endured. LoC elevated the world of WoT from fantasy world in my head to something hazily close to real. Not reality, but still kind of classified that way in my brain. Anyways, Thank you for making it this far in the reread videos Daniel. I’m sorry it’s not performing. The internet sucks. This is obviously what ppl should be spending their time consuming TH-cam is broken.
I love Michael Kramer's performance throughout the series but his reading of Dumai's Wells is just spectacular on a whole new level, maybe the best audiobook performance I've heard in English so far.
Just finished LoC for my first time. I only read the series for Rand, so this book was my fave so far and the only one I think of highly. Soooo much Rand.
Here I am two months after the fact, but just finished Lord of Chaos last night. This is my first read through, and your read along videos have been so helpful to me. I hope you continue, Daniel!
This was the first Wheel of Time book where the stakes really started to feel grounded and actively dangerous to me. Quite excited for the next one (I’m on my first read)
yey another WOT readalong. i started my journey when your readalong to the dragon reborn was uploaded and now i have read all 15 books :) im so happy that i started it :)
As a first-time reader, and old enough to be the main characters' mother, I see the actions of each of these characters as age appropriate as they mature. I think Egwene is quite clever. Rand IS under extreme pressure. In enjoy every Mat scene. He does not bore me and love his recklessness and fun-nature. I thought this book was well-done.
I like how RJ balances Mat. Mat is a total degenerate in one sense, but a kind hearted and caring person in another. Him kind of becoming a father figure to Oliver is awesome. Mat is someone who tries hard not to take life to seriously. I love it.
5:50 I would argue that if we’re looking at the long term impact with the things that that they discovered, that the ‘most important female channeler from this age’ title would go to Elayne, purely because of her rediscovering how to make ter’angreal. While Nynaeve certainly made great advancements in healing, that was far more useful in the time of the last battle, as opposed by knowing how to make ter’angreal (and assumedly angreal/sa’angreal eventually), which has far reaching consequences for the world as a whole over a much longer period of time. Nynaeve definitely takes a close second though.
Egwene is the most important. Full series spoiler: . . . . . . . She discovered Traveling by herself, demystified T.A.A for the Aes Sedai, figured out the counter to balefire and broke Mesaanas mind by sheer willpower. She also protected, unified and cleansed the White Tower. The books does not spell it out but she was probably a Ta'veren as well.
I have to agree with Daniel. What Nynaeve does with the Asha'man in towers of midnight is a feat unheard of even in the age of legends. Like Daniel says her perspective of the one power on how to use it is very different from everyone else and can lead to a lot of new weaves and applications.
First time reading through, and so far, Lord of Chaos jumped to #1 for me. Dumai's Wells definitely helped that, but even before I had gotten to that chapter, it was pretty solidly at the top.
I finally finished book 6!!! As someone who can’t stay on one series of books in a row for to long I can definitely say that after a year and only now getting book 6 done I can’t wait for the next year coming.
I'm up to Path of Daggers, and yes, I do think Lord of Chaos is my favourite so far. Not just because of Dumai's Wells, it was the most consistently interesting to me throughout every plot line. I love this read-along by the way, shame it didn't do as well but I can't wait for the next one!
Commenting just to say I appreciate this series and will keep watching these videos. Read Wheel of Time years ago, saw the show and currently reading the series again. Keep up the amazing work
Everyone hounds me to continue this read along… and then it’s my worst performing video in over 2 years. Wow. That sucks.
I'm sorry Daniel. I was in class but I'll watch right now I promise. Please don't stop.
Didn't this video literally just drop?
@@swordfish1929 you see analytics immediately and it’s VERY rare for TH-cam to allow a video to recover from crashing this hard. If it flops on release, TH-cam drops it.
I’m glad you released it, I’m sorry it’s performing badly. I really like this series!!
This sucks so bad, this is one of the few of your videos I’ve clicked on the second the notification popped up on my phone and now you’re not encouraged to make this type of content 🥲
To me "Ashaman kill" was pretty impactful. But the wolves saying "We come" was just so cool. I had goosebumps and tears in my eyes.
IKRRR
Lord of Chaos has some of the best lines in the series.
Chills every time
Both are fantastic lines, but my favorite has to be "Kneel or you will be knelt." Chills every time.
I literally screamed out loud when the wolves reply.
Partly coz of how awesome it is. And partly coz of the comedic timing.
"We need you"
"Sorry young bull. Wolves do not meddle in human affairs"
"Shadowkiller has been caged"
"We come"
Tell me thats not from some Monty python sketch
"Kneel and swear to the lord dragon," he said softly, "or you will be knelt."
My favorite line so far!
This was the one, I heard this and I was laughing out loud with the satisfaction of payoff.
This. This is what I came to say as well. It's my favorite single line in the entire series, in context.
Chills, every time.
Nah cause this is like so hard...just so fucking hard
Daniel please make more read-alongs for the rest of the series, I am begging 😭 I get so excited when I finish the next book of the series because it means I get to come watch your read-along video!!! I'm so sad now that I just finished A Crown of Swords and I don't get to hear your wildly enjoyable, enlightening recount. PLEASE!!!! ❤
This was the first book that actually made me think “yeah Rand is kinda of insane”. We see all these chapters from Rands perspective and his thoughts make sense, he doesn’t feel like a madman. But then there is one from Mat’s where he recounts how he was sleeping and Rand suddenly Travels inside his room in the middle of the night and starts rambling, just a non-stop spew of words and topics jumping from one to another, going from how they gotta move on Ilian but slowly to “how do you know if you love a woman?” With no Segway or connection between. I just imagine that meme of the person explaining while the other is under some blankets looking confused, with Mat hiding under the blankets while Rand rants on and on like a literal crazy person
This is a great point. As you heavily implied, the stark contrast between Rand's POV and anyone else's is crucial here. After all, most madmen don't think they're mad (except Padan Fain, and for Rand, even KNOWing he'll go mad at some point, that doesn't mean he can pinpoint when it's happening and obviously he'll still rationalize everything along the way).
As you say this is where Rand starts his descent, and this is why he as a character is so revered. RJ wrote this so well and it gets me emotional just thinking about it now!!
But is he insane because of the taint? Or is he insane because of the tremendous pressure on him? One could argue that no taint is necessary for that plot line.
@@johnshite4656 it's the fear of going insane because of the taint, the pressure, LTT voices in his head and the fact that he will die
@@raulsdrsd Sure, I'm just saying that with all that pressure the taint is really not even needed to sell the whole "he's going crazy" idea. Would be necessary for all the other men who channel who go insane though.
@@johnshite4656 you're right and it's just double pressure :P
I love how Perrin goes to rescue Rand, and when he finally gets to him, Rand turns the blender on and turns people into mulch, so Perrin just bends and vomits in shock and disgust. You see him pretty clearly go from "My friend Rand needs to be rescued for the good of the wolrd" to "What in the fuck is my friend Rand becoming...?". And right after that, he watches Rand force Aes Sedai into servitude. You can see the doubt in Perrin through this whole sequence, and the begining of the next book. Is delightfull!
The opening Perrin chapters of the next book is one of my favorite sequences of the whole series, and so underrated.
I really enjoy this format. Kinda sad it performs so poorly, cuz I really would want to see it with other series as well
Edit: since Daniel didn't mention it, I'd like to share my personal favourite moment of this book: the talk between egwene and siuan after she's been made amyrlin. Where egwene acknowledges siuans wisdom and shows her first sparks of a great leader and siuan is just like "holy cow them fish gutting hall done made a mistake". love it
That was pretty poignant to me, too. I do like how Egwene steps into that role and navigates the intrigue rather well.
I'm going through the books (audiobooks) for the first time ever. So, the future from this book is still a mystery to me.
@@Machtyn have fun listening to the rest
"The bloody ruins of human beings began to make a wall"
The fact that, up to this point, the One Power was mostly depicted as being wholeley elemental: fireballs and lightning bolts, and then, the Asha'man literally start blowing people up with it made it seem far more freightening. I know most people will comment about Dumai's Wells, so, here's another one. A brilliant, horiffic ending. Rand isn't the same man he once was, and it shows.
I loved how Egwene also embraces the Aiel ways when she's like "yeah, I have to go to Salidar, but I have some toh to meet first."
If only she cared to meet Toh with Nyneave and Elayne after lying/misleading them in the dream world time and time again and threatening to have Nyneave sexually assaulted.
@@LeahB31 Egwene does some crappy things, but sometimes ya gotta do some crappy things
@@LeahB31 I really disliked Egwene for a long while because of this.
@@kilgoretrout4350 I understand that, but she never apologized. She only cared to honor the wise ones and not the woman who helped raise her and saved her life from break bone fever and the Seanchan.
I truly can’t stand Egwene, but I could definitely respect her meeting her toh like a boss. Still hate her though.
Every time I hear the ending of Lord of Chaos recounted, it gives me chills. Rand suffers this unbelievable trauma for being the Dragon Reborn and the level of wrath that he feels and releases by making the Aes Sedai kneel is unforgettable. If they were afraid of him before, they should be now because he will never allow such an event to happen again.
It really feels like the final realization that Rand truly cannot trust anyone. And it's just so sad.
Lord of Chaos has a few of the most iconic scenes in WoT. That alone makes it a top tier for me. Everybody knows 'the box' or 'Ashaman kill'. 'We come' is a sentence that still gives me shivers every-time I read it and that battle is one of the best ever written. Love this book! Hope TH-cam realizes the mistake they've made since everybody wants you to continue the read-along, Daniel!
Yeah I think just so many of us are ahead now hahaha. But I still want to hear his views
it's true, I always come to the read along after I finish a book to see his review of the book
(Me, first time reader, currently at book 8)
I honestly have to say, that this book was not my favourite at all up until Rand was captured. I felt like so much was going on at the same time while somehow no real progress was made through the plot. But on the other hand this book had possibly the greatest moments up to this point in the series. Nyneave healing Siuan, Leane and Logain was incredibly powerful. The wolves saying "We come". And most of all the Battle at Dumai's Wells. "Ashaman, Kill" was powerful, but the thing Rand said just before got me good. “I told you to make weapons, Taim. Show me just how deadly they are. Disperse the Shaido. Break them.”
I really felt like Rand was broken during the time he was kidnapped. He already had to suffer from the taint, the immense responsibilty and the fact that he could not trust any of the wetland lords. And then these Aes Sedai betrayed him hard. This left such an immense psychological wound in him, which he did not recover from yet (end of book 8). And I really hope he will get back on track with the help of his friends and some other helpful characters.
"The slog" is basically the series taking a break from the typical fantasy tropes of MacGuffin fetch quests, etc. to focus on political intrigue, some philosophical questions on humanity, and, of course, character development. jordan took his time with all of these, and this is what made the ending pay off so good in my opinion.
Fetch quest ends with book 3
@@vaibhawkr3904 the bowl of winds plotline ended in book 3? 😱
There is just way too much time spent on uninteresting stuff. The Andor succession is bargain bin Game of Thrones. Perrin & the Shaido takes far too long to resolve, turning him from one of the best characters to one of the worst. Aes Sedai politicking gets turned up to 11 with a truckload of new, forgettable characters. Let’s not forget basically the entirety of Crossroads of Twilight. 275k words where very little happens with a terrible non-ending to boot.
The slog also exacerbates Jordan’s worst qualities as a writer. So many longwinded descriptions where no dialogue or character interaction occurs. I recall specificaly a moment in CoT where we get multiple paragraphs describing how the Shaido wash their clothes. There’s worldbuilding and then there’s this.
None of this is to say there aren’t important developments in plot and characters during the slog, but you can tell Jordan grew bored of what he had been writing up to that point and it really shows with books 8-10. You can easily condense those three into one single, rock solid book and I don’t think the story would suffer much from it.
I'm on book 7 and all the stuff I remember as a slog is actually really interesting and engaging. It is a little slower but definitely not a "slog".
Looking forward to seeing if this is true for book 9.
Don't forgeting bathing and pregnancy memes. Oh, and bowl of the winds hunting for far too long. Oh god and the Shaido. I swear the Shaido should have been trounced and diffused out of the story at the Battle of Cairhien in Book 5. Sevanna is so damned boring and all of her crap amounts to nothing but the plotline of doom.
Something that I really enjoyed in the book - beside everything u already mentioned- is that we see Rand actually communicating with Lews Therin to keep his sanity and learning some Age of legends Saidin tricks, the fact that he has that huge treasure of knowledge yet he can’t access it because it’s locked in a mad man’s memories is both frustrating and exciting.
Please start these again Dan! I’ve been coming here immediately after finishing each entry so far (first time read through).
Best line in the series "Kneel and swear to the Lord Dragon," he said softly, "or you will be knelt."
Just finished it today and that gave me chills
I literally cried when Nynaeve Healed Logain, Siuan and Leane. Favorite Nyn moment! I am currently reading KoD right now, and I am so excited on what the book offers!
I honestly wonder with how the series has gone so far of they won’t heal Logan in Season 2….? Wouldn’t surprise me anyway
knife of dreams is my #1. Egwene on the tower is amazing.
@@encyclical I know, right? It's so bad that I want to scream like Elayne in FoH in Valan Luca's menagerie.
it's funny how many characters openly did not like mazrim, and how mazrim was so openly somewhat hostile to rand, and yet rand was like "nah he's fiiiineee" lmaoo
I also like to think Rand practices with the sword to help him feel closer to his father, Tam, whom was a sword master with the heron marked blade.
Personally i always loved/was shocked by Rand stilling 2 Aes Sedai and killing a bunch of warders when he busts out the box.
I believe it was 3 Aes Sedai he stilled.. they had it coming
Finally! Started reading WoT with this read along, now I’m on book 11, missed these so much 😭
dude im on book 10, honestly i dont see why its getting so much hate its quite interesting. It is like the eye of the storm, the final touch up before the final part of the series.
@@Bt-cq6te I personally didn’t enjoy book 10 as much as the others because I’m annoyed with Perrin and Faile (I literally go “ugh, not again” when it’s their chapter), the Shaido suck, and Elayne’s storyline is not giving that much either. That being said, there are also some great moments here that I won’t name bc spoilers. I don’t hate the book though, and the slog didn’t feel as sloggish if you know what I mean
Same! I am almost done with 11!
A read-through in 2022 means you _know_ that the series is complete and there are good scenes to come. I was really demoralized while reading "the Slog" because it was clear that Jordan was running on fumes and we had no idea if the series would ever be completed at all. Books 8-11 were like a crypto bear market, those that lived through it thought the series was slowly dying. I certainly did. I stopped reading the series for a long time because of the Slog.
Nowadays I know better and crypto winters don't scare me anymore. Death is part of life.
@@johnshite4656 You're right, I would have probably been a lot more annoyed with these books if I was waiting for them like I'm waiting on A Song of Ice and Fire series. It sometimes feels like Jordan was paid by the word so he just decided to write anything that comes to mind or repeat established things just to have more of it.
This book was rough. The ending is so incredible, but this book could fully be 200 pages shorter. There were so many times that I was like “JUST GET TO THE THING!”. I think this is maybe middle of the pack for me in the books.
I had the same opinion but because of just how much iconic stuff happens and the consequences I think it’s above average for the series
To Everyone in the comments section. Thank you! Reading everyone's thoughts about this series makes me truly happy! I share all these sentiments and it is so cool to hear them from you other readers!
Daniel, your content is always excellent!
So far this has been the most impactful book in the series that I've read. I'm still disgusted with the Aes Sedai and their arrogance. Because they've no knowledge of a thing, it can't be done or doesn't exist. They scorn Nynaeve 's knowledge and usage of herbs and potions because they've not used them. And when she restores Logain's use of the power, they nitpick her weaves and demand she repeat it before accepting her accomplishment. Even then, they down play and find ways to disparage her 'wildling' ways. Somehow I feel in the future the White Tower will continue to deny her greatness and power.
Is anybody else keeping their fingers crossed that now that season 2 is officially making legitimate progress that Daniel will restart the crank on the ole' Wheel of Time whang-dang reading alonger? If only we have the luck of the Ta'veren! If there is any goodness left on this world, oh let the Light spin the Read-a-Long back into the pattern once again, in this, what is known by a bare handful as the 6th!? Age. May the Light Bless and keep and and all of us and may the totality of the pattern swing a little further back into the view of the Light.
I remember just a few months ago I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up with this read along... and then it hooked me so hard that I'm now on Towers of Midnight 😂
I loved the inclusion of the Lord Dragon hearing Lew's Therin's voice in his head - it shows how insane Rand has gradually become, but also provides intrigue into the further lore of the Age of Legends.
I tweeted you after finishing the eye of the world about 18 months ago, with a fairly negative opinion of it, basically asking whether it was worth me continuing the series. You were super positive and genuine about it, and convinced me to keep going (plus I have a similar taste usually) so I started the great hunt a few months later and got absolutely hooked. I just finished a Memory of Light and its definitely one of my 3 favourite series now! Thanks for the work you do on this channel, its really important what youve done for modern fans of fantasy and modern authors.
Loial fighting hurts me so much because of how wrong it feels for him. That being said, loial is a badass fighter.
I don't know my exact ranking for books because they all merge into a huge mess, but Lord of Chaos was great. Mat was hilarious.
Please continue doing these videos, they heighten the experience of what are already great books.
I miss these. It felt like being in a massive book club.
Man, I need this read along to continue please. These are top tier.
Me too!! I’m two books further than this one and would love to see read alongs for all the books, not just half the series 😭😭😭
I finished this one during the show! Definitely my most favorite so far.
So much happens, and absolutely I agree that the characters are starting to meet their destinies
Real quick, highlights:
- I love Elayne/Nyn becoming mysteriously brilliant and learning long lost arts all of a sudden...
- egwene's promotion! What a shocker!
- Perrin and mat are such good friends to Rand. Rand really needs Min to level him out and I love it
- Yooo Rand is definitely giving me a menacing quality Ive known was coming for a while. He really is a dragon
- Aiel continue to be so fun to hang out with. They have much Ji
- The ascendence of the BT and Asha'man... I had no idea we were going here when I started this journey. I am positively THRILLED to see how this plays out with the WT and Egwene.
- Dumai's F***** Wells
I really hope you continue the reading along. I value your opinion and you always make the summaries exciting. It would be nice to go through the series with you. 🤞
Cant believe you did not mention the 1000 wolves that Perrin brought to the battle, that was really cool
Daniel please keep doing these!!! I know it’s been a long break but please! I’m reading along for the first time and I look forward to these videos after I finish a book so much!
Loved this book, the laughter in Demandred's head at the end was epic
Thank youuu, I've been waiting for this because Lord of Chaos is my FAVOURITE Wheel of Time book so far.
My current top 3 are
1. Lord of Chaos
2. Fires of Heaven
3. The Gathering Storm
I'm about to finish Towers of Midnight today and I might have to update/edit this list later. I can't believe I am so close to finish this series... what am I going to do with my life?? I've commented this several times under your other videos but reading The Wheel of Time helped me through tough times and I just want to thank you so much for introducing me to this wonderful series.
Edit: I loved Towers of Midnight! Definitely a 5* read. I'll put it on the third place together with The Gathering Storm. I know that's cheating but I don't care xD
I am addicted to these books now, thanks a lot 😡.
I love this series and all of your wot works, i had never heard of RJ or WOT before being introduced to the show. I finished the show quickly and was so confused, but i could see the potential for this works. Since then ive devoured 8 of the books, and your read alongs help refresh everything before moving onto the next book. Despite the poor performance on behalf of the algorithm i eagerly await your next videos in the series!
Finished book 9, i think ill go back through 3 and onward since i feel i missed out on some the lore and tidbits
Loved your read alongs so far my man, this is my first read of Wheel of Time and it is kinda blowing me away, have read Martin, Feist, Sanderson, Rothfuss, and others, but this series has just grabbed me by the throat and hasn't let go since I first started reading the series in Dec. Right now I would rank Lord of Chaos and Shadow Rising as tied for favorite, with every other book being either good or great otherwise. Really cannot believe that I just turned 30 and have only just decided to read this series, it makes too much sense why it is has always been described to me as being the figurehead on the Mount Rushmore of Fantasy Series. Can't wait to jump into the 7th book!
That last scene was amazing. I love how everything is earned in this book. Rand becomes the Dragon Reborn and things don’t magically happen. You see how the characters transform through their experiences and self-challenges to become the people they need to be
Yo! I need the rest of this read-along… when’s book 7 coming???
“They have caged Shadowkiller”
“We come”
Reading through the Wheel of Time for the first time, I just finished Knife of Dreams! For me The Shadow Rising just can’t be beat but it’s followed closely by Lord of Chaos and Knife of Dreams after that
i just recently have come across this channel, being a huge huge fan of the wheel of time, i feel disappointed in myself for not finding this channel earlier. but at the same time, listening to your channel and talks about the books and reviews, just makes me fall in love with the series again and again. Daniel Greene, you are an inspiration, keep doing what you're doing, love your work, with all your fantasy related content
i came across this channel shortly after watching the wheel of time series, and i'm pretty sure i'm through like 90% of your wheel of time content on your channel, lol
Just finished Lord of Chaos and about to start Crown of Swords, I'm so sad this is the last of these videos I get to look forward to.
I have completed Books up to 12. Book 6 was engrossing. Yes, that is the word. It had feel similar to Book 8 in the series. I don't remember much details of the plot but the feel of the Book on the Whole.
And, Yes man.... When Siuan Sanche hugs Nynaeve and says Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.... Just heart warming. Loved that scene so much. I always loved Siuan Sanche. For some people she grew on them. I just was amazed at how quickly she came back after stilling and had a sense of direction even after the ability to channel Saidar was snatched from her so brutally. She is an amazing character in the Story!! I was hers from that moment onwards when she escapes and she is ready with a purpose in her mind.
Deserves our Love 💓🤗
I just love Character work in this series. Just such warmth flowing between characters.
Next coming? Just re read all the books, third time since ‘95. About to read last book for first time while in vacation.
Good job btw, I’m enjoying your vids!
Not sure how many times I just meant to reread a couple of chapters in Lord of Chaos and just kept going on a full reread after, I love this book. Our girl, Nynaeve, healing gentling/stilling and still being treated like crap by the "real" Aes Sedia will never not piss me off.
Dumai's Wells really solidified my love for this series, although tbh I was sold long before book 6. This is my first re-read and I love it even more the second time around and if you had asked me before I wouldn't have thought that possible. I could spend 15 more books in this world and never be tired of it. Its a bummer this video didn't perform better, it does seem like you still enjoy making these videos at least . I found your content because of WoT when you had less subscribers than views on this video. I guess it makes sense that as your audience has grown, they have become less WoT-centric. This is the content I subbed for all those years ago and this read along is my favorite series you've made in a while. Hopefully these videos have more longevity than your usual videos as more people read the series and catch up. If they continue to do poorly, maybe you can at least put them on the second channel for people like us. Commenting to help the algorithm because I somehow missed this notification even though I have my notifications on. Hope you're doing well and staying healthy Daniel.
I'm loving these read along videos and would definitely appreciate if it was continued, shame it doesn't seem to do so well with the general audience!
As I was reading this book I definitely saw Rand getting more and more isolated and just… what happens to him here sets up his journey.
I'm on my first read (currently book 10), and to be honest, for me, book 6 until the last 100 pages was already the beginning of "the slump". 😕
Don't get me wrong: There is no question and no doubt in my mind that the ending, especially Dumai's Wells, was *spectacular* and easily the absolutr best battle and the best ending of any of the books so far! This was amazing and took my breath away.
But Rand's plotline before this was rather meh... He was either thinking about Elayne, feeling guilty about lusting for Aviendha, wondering if he will ever understand the Aiel or travelling back and forth between Caemlyn and Cairrhien... and for me it was sadly quite repetitive.
Combine this with my mild annoyance at Gawyn, and already a chunk of this book was not as enjoyable for me as the 5 books before it have been. 🤷♀️
I completely agree with this. So many people talk about this being one of the best books, but I almost didn't finish it because it felt so boring to me until the end, and I had really enjoyed all the previous books. I should mention that I'm also on my first read (book 11 now).
What always sticks out to me in Lord of Chaos is some of Lews Therin's most memorable dialogue (okay rantings), with Rand.
Didnt start reading these books until 2 months ago, and I just finished book 6. I thought the pacing of this book was terrible until right around halfway through. Sorry these videos dont do well. I love them! Cant wait till you move on to book 7!
Yay! So glad the reread is continuing. I love the way you break things down and the slap bit at 7:05 killed me😂
I love these read along video. The way you summarise and describe the emotions of the book is so entertaining. It opens up new thoughts for me on the books. Love your work keep it up!!
Hi Daniel! This is the first time I comment, I think, but I've been following you on TH-cam for some years now. I really enjoy your attitude and your views on books!... I'd just like to give a shout-out about your Wheel of Time- -readalong series. Myself, I din NOT read along, but I very much enjoyed your views on the books, as you come back to them again. I just listened to this video again, and was searching for the next one for quite some time. If you can find time to continuue this series, I'd be very happy! ... Hope you're having a nice day! / M aria fr Sweden
I really love watching these because it reminds me of some of my favorite moments and your takes always make me laugh out loud
This book made me decide to finish the rest of the series. I wasn't too in to it up until this point, but this ending is just a chef's kiss.
Daniel, these WoT read alongs have been great. Helped me get so much more out of my first time through WoT, and kind of helped me continue to get through them. On Book 8 now, will try to keep ahead of you.
After going through the series again, I noticed that the first meeting Sammael has with Graendal in her palace in LoC, shows that she knows where Demandred has set up shop due to her choice of servants during the meeting. Since they had history with each other, it seems like she was trying to let Sammael know without saying it out loud.
And it's really funny because the whole time he's just thinking "Ugh. She is so stupid, what is she talking about?"
I must say, I'm sad that these read along series never really continue. These are the thing I like the most with your channel, and yet they just end, such as this and Vinland Saga. At least with this series, you acknowledged why. One could only wish these could be a side project you do once every other week or something so it does not impact your views that much.
I feel like I get a lot more from these books after reading them by watching your videos also
Ashaman Kill is just so chilling to hear. Amazing book
I received two copies of AMOL when it was first released as gifts. I did not read it because I didn't want the story to end. But now, over a decade after its publication and after seeing the tv series be a totally different turning of the wheel I did a re-read (audio this time) and did it. Finished it. I was listening nonstop for weeks to get to the last book, listened nonstop until there were two hours left then listened to smaller and smaller portions each day. Now it is done officially. I'm not ready to leave that world. I appreciate your videos as part of my seeking more of the world.
The show has been a miserable turning of the wheel, sadly.
The show has been a miserable turning of the wheel, sadly.
Oh god, I've been watching these as I've been reading the books, please don't let this be the last one you do! I look forward to watching these when I finish each book.
Ashaman Kill, and then kneeling scene always give me goosebumps, even hearing you talk about it does. The end of Lord of Chaos is one of the highlights I always look forward to on a reread.
WHY DOES THIS HAVE SO LITTLE VIEWS I ADORED THIS SERIES
Hope this series continues. It’s really helpful when you’ve taken a break on a read through and need a little refresher!
5:48 Liandrin? That's some healing Nynaeve did to swap characters! Haha. TBF, they are very easy to mix up as there's a very little difference between the two names.
LOL I caught that too and had to rewind, and be like "ohhhhh LEANE" okay goblin :)
he first calls her Siuan's second. LOL.
Hey dude, you have another one coming out soon? Hanging for it!
I understand that these videos don't perform as well, it's because these vids are more for your more dedicated fans. But we really appreciate it. Love your work. Literally signed into youtube to comment for the first time in years for this haha.
Bit late but I finished loc and… I feel like it’s my second-to-least favourite of the books so far. The natural plot progression dwindled for like 600 pages and picked up with what could have been a whole book’s worth of plot in the last 100 pages. The first ¼ was awesome; I loved that this was one of consequences dealing with Moirane’s death, but then it just went on and on with nothing much happening (Nynaeve curing Logain was cool though). I did enjoy the Battle of Dumai’s Wells
As a first time reader (currently at book 9) I think Lord of Chaos probably falls in my top 3 so far:
1.Shadow Rising 2. Path of Daggers 3. Lord of Chaos.
Each of these contributed something special for me beyond the other books in the series. Shadow Rising is the strongest book. I think it´s the one that stands best on it´s own. It also breaks away from both teh formulaic nature and the Tolkien-esque tropes of teh previous three books and gives Wheel of Time it´s own identity.
Path of Daggers had the biggest emotional impact on me. The way Rand struggles to keep both his sanity and his physical helath intact resonated strongly with me. And his final scene with Min adn the kid towards the end brought me to tears. Few books do that. It also solidified Egwene as a top 3 character for me. I like her development as much as Mat. The way she put the hall in it´s place was really satisfying.
Lord of Chaos isn´t quite as good as the previous two. I think it´s on par with Dragon Reborn (though the plot is more interesting adn intruiging in LoC because of what I emtnioned about book 4), which is my 4th favorite so it´s obviously still good, but it also has either the best or 2nd best written climax in the series so far. Dumais Wells completly elevated the entire book for me.
Definitely my second-favorite book, behind TSR because the trip through way-back ter'angreal remains the single most impactful scene (scenes?) I've ever read in fantasy. I will admit, however, that this book is also where my relationship with the series changed; discovering the online community in Usenet and IRC to have people to discuss the series with made my experience with WoT different from any I'd had before.
Are you referencing the *flicker* one lol? If so I totally agree
@@justrandomthings8158 No, the one in Rhuidian.
@@HeavyTopspin ehshhshehhhehhehhshshwhehhehhhhhhhh kinda sorta
I was not vibing with this one then when nynaeve healed Logain I was hooked
I know this is really late but i hope even if you go slow you keep posting these eventually. Your energy in these videos are so much higher than the ones you made about the books when you first started.
the way you describe all the major events in the books just instantly connects with how I felt/reacted the first time I read them and that is so freaking cool. there is so much depth to all the character by this point and I love that. like how even right after being tortured endlessly and being full of rage over it, Rand still did not want such butchering to continue
LoC for me was where this series touched down for me. Up until then WoT was just one of the best things I’d ever read. After LoC this series is the greatest thing I’ve ever read.
I’m a Rand boi. So this book is my book, getting to live with Rand so much. It’s the book where Rand became The Dragon for me. Dumai’s Wells shoook me. I’m a huge history nerd. I love studying military history and the events that lead up to and follow military conflicts. Dumai’s Wells is 9/11 for the universe of WoT. It’s a complete paradigm shift in such a monumental way that it’s hard to describe with English. Asha’man Kill and We Come both give me chill every time Kramer reads them. I feel that horrified captivation that I get when I read first hand accounts about any of the true calamities that humans have endured. LoC elevated the world of WoT from fantasy world in my head to something hazily close to real. Not reality, but still kind of classified that way in my brain.
Anyways, Thank you for making it this far in the reread videos Daniel. I’m sorry it’s not performing. The internet sucks. This is obviously what ppl should be spending their time consuming TH-cam is broken.
I love Michael Kramer's performance throughout the series but his reading of Dumai's Wells is just spectacular on a whole new level, maybe the best audiobook performance I've heard in English so far.
Just finished LoC for my first time. I only read the series for Rand, so this book was my fave so far and the only one I think of highly. Soooo much Rand.
Here I am two months after the fact, but just finished Lord of Chaos last night. This is my first read through, and your read along videos have been so helpful to me. I hope you continue, Daniel!
Wow! I always forget that they have Moghedien captured so early.
This was the first Wheel of Time book where the stakes really started to feel grounded and actively dangerous to me. Quite excited for the next one (I’m on my first read)
I finished this a few weeks ago, Dumai's Wells was my favorite chapter so far.
WE COME!
yey another WOT readalong. i started my journey when your readalong to the dragon reborn was uploaded and now i have read all 15 books :) im so happy that i started it :)
I absolutely LOVE your comedic approach to these summaries. Those facial expressions!! 🤣
Fantastic timing! I just finished Lord of Chaos on Sunday and was looking for this video, I’ve been watching all the previous read alongs 🥰
As a first-time reader, and old enough to be the main characters' mother, I see the actions of each of these characters as age appropriate as they mature. I think Egwene is quite clever. Rand IS under extreme pressure. In enjoy every Mat scene. He does not bore me and love his recklessness and fun-nature. I thought this book was well-done.
I like how RJ balances Mat. Mat is a total degenerate in one sense, but a kind hearted and caring person in another. Him kind of becoming a father figure to Oliver is awesome. Mat is someone who tries hard not to take life to seriously. I love it.
5:50 I would argue that if we’re looking at the long term impact with the things that that they discovered, that the ‘most important female channeler from this age’ title would go to Elayne, purely because of her rediscovering how to make ter’angreal. While Nynaeve certainly made great advancements in healing, that was far more useful in the time of the last battle, as opposed by knowing how to make ter’angreal (and assumedly angreal/sa’angreal eventually), which has far reaching consequences for the world as a whole over a much longer period of time.
Nynaeve definitely takes a close second though.
Egwene is the most important.
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She discovered Traveling by herself, demystified T.A.A for the Aes Sedai, figured out the counter to balefire and broke Mesaanas mind by sheer willpower. She also protected, unified and cleansed the White Tower.
The books does not spell it out but she was probably a Ta'veren as well.
I have to agree with Daniel. What Nynaeve does with the Asha'man in towers of midnight is a feat unheard of even in the age of legends. Like Daniel says her perspective of the one power on how to use it is very different from everyone else and can lead to a lot of new weaves and applications.
First time reading through, and so far, Lord of Chaos jumped to #1 for me. Dumai's Wells definitely helped that, but even before I had gotten to that chapter, it was pretty solidly at the top.
Adding this to my watch later folder along with the others you've done, currently on book 2 so have a way to go before I can watch this one 😂
The small sketches are such gems!
Havent read the books, havent seen the show, but I still watched this whole video. Your passion really sells it
I finally finished book 6!!! As someone who can’t stay on one series of books in a row for to long I can definitely say that after a year and only now getting book 6 done I can’t wait for the next year coming.
i love these videos! I listen to the audio books and my memory is crap sometimes so having these videos are perfect for me! thanks for making these
I'm up to Path of Daggers, and yes, I do think Lord of Chaos is my favourite so far. Not just because of Dumai's Wells, it was the most consistently interesting to me throughout every plot line. I love this read-along by the way, shame it didn't do as well but I can't wait for the next one!
Just found this series and am loving it! Finished Lord of Chaos last night for my second full reread. Thanks for putting this video together Daniel!
Finished reading it for the first time today, totally my favourite so far.
I love the Rolling Ring of Earth & Fire. It slices, it dices, it makes Aiel puree.
Commenting just to say I appreciate this series and will keep watching these videos. Read Wheel of Time years ago, saw the show and currently reading the series again. Keep up the amazing work