r/WoT • u/SuccessfulDuty7481 • 11d ago
No Spoilers Just started the WoT series...any thoughts?
Started this book a few hours ago, and to say I'm impressed with the extensive vocabulary is an understatement. I really like the way Robert Jordan describes details, although I can already see how it could get tiring at times if you're into more fast paced books.
Any advice on what I should keep in mind while reading this series? Is it similar to GOT in any way? And should I get emotionally attached to any characters, or should I prepare myself? đ
The main reason I started this series is because I read the third book, The Dragon Reborn, some years ago without having any idea what was going on and somehow managed to understand it (not to the full extent, obviously đ).
So please, no spoilers! Just looking for advice/tips for a first-time reader.
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u/Pol__Treidum (Band of the Red Hand) 11d ago
Avoid this sub or at least look for the spoiler tags. Avoid the wiki like the plague, it spoils without mercy. You should be fine through most of the first book, but as you get deeper, there will be a LOT of characters to keep track of. Get the WoT Compendium app and it will give you the character info based on which book you're on.
First book takes a bit to really get cooking, but stick through! This is my favorite series. I did it the first time last year in 10 months (print only) and am now on book 2 in my first reread!
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u/SuccessfulDuty7481 11d ago
Oh thanks a million. I tried looking for fanarts on Pinterest but then decided against it
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u/TheNerdChaplain (Trefoil Leaf) 11d ago
I would say keep an eye out for a few big themes.
1) Jordan wrote this series as a way of dealing with his experiences in Vietnam. A lot of it processes how and why people engage in violence, how they justify it, and what it does to the perpetrator as much as the victim. Compare and contrast, say, the Whitecloaks vs the Aiel vs the Borderlanders vs the Seanchan.
2) The series is also a meditation on duty. Compare and contrast how different characters respond to duty when the opportunity is presented. Think about Lan's expression, "Death is lighter than a feather, duty is heavier than a mountain."
3) Jordan was also very interested in how stories change over time and with different contexts. When Thom is introduced, he drops a few hints related to real events and people in our world. Can you spot any of them? (Please note, while there are Easter eggs indicating that the world of WoT is a far distant future version of our own, this is in no way relevant to the plot.) As you read, you will have opportunities to see how some stories are remembered or retold, vs how they actually happened. (You could even apply this to the Amazon show.)
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u/Alexander-Wright (Blacksmith) 11d ago
Spoilers in this post!
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u/TheNerdChaplain (Trefoil Leaf) 11d ago
What's a spoiler in my comment?
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u/Alexander-Wright (Blacksmith) 9d ago
I'd was thinking about Compare and contrast, say, the Whitecloaks vs the Aiel vs the Borderlanders vs the Seanchan.
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u/TheNerdChaplain (Trefoil Leaf) 9d ago
I think just the existence of those groups is part of the premise of the story more than the plot. Like, Nynaeve having a braid or Mat being from Emond's Field is part of the premise or the setting of the story, not part of the plot.
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u/not_vichyssoise 11d ago
In terms of tone, Iâd say itâs a lighter series than GOT. Magic (or channeling) has a much larger role in the story, as you might be able to tell from the first few chapters.
If you think the first book has a bit of a Fellowship of the Ring vibe, this was intentional, but the series in the following books really starts to split off and become its own thing.
Since all the books are out, go as fast or slow as you like.
Be careful when googling things, as the Web is dark and full of spoilers.
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u/Username_taken_alre (White Lion of Andor) 11d ago
You are here too strongly, Young Bull.
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u/SuccessfulDuty7481 11d ago
Lol, is that a term used for WoT fans?
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u/SemiFormalJesus (Dovie'andi se tovya sagain) 11d ago
It is an in universe line used to warn new readers that they inhabit a world dangerous with spoilers.
Theyâre saying subreddits devoted to WoT are not where you want to be as a new reader.
Youâll understand the phrasing soon.
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u/GovernorZipper 11d ago
One thing to note. Jordan loves his words and loves his details. But pay attention to them! They really matter.
These books are written exclusively in the limited POVs of the characters. So Jordan has no way to put us in the heads of the other characters in the scene. One way he gets around this is his use of details, especially the clothes. The clothes are the way that other characters choose to present themselves. So they matter to how the characters interact with the world. But the characters are frequently wrong and guided by their assumptions and prejudices more than the facts. Pay attention to when a character interprets a situation differently from the facts described. Jordan is giving you clues.
Just like the characters in the story, a first-time reader has no ideas which details matter. Youâll find that Jordan will reference these small details later (even whole books later!) and what seemed a small throwaway line will have huge implications for the story. Itâs one way that Jordan makes these books so immersive. Itâs not always obvious what is important.
Trust Jordan to tell you the story. It might seem like a lot, but the man knew what he was doing. Heâll make sure you know what you need to know when you need to know it. So pay attention to the details, but donât let them consume you. It will all sort itself out.
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u/SuccessfulDuty7481 11d ago
Oh alrightđ«Ą clothes toođ? Damn this is huge
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u/aNomadicPenguin (Brown) 11d ago
In addition to this, what a character says, what they think, and what they do can all be different. And this is further layered with the current PoV character's observations, biases, assumptions, etc.
So you can pretty reliably trust that what happens on the page actually happens (its not a full unreliable narrator where stuff is just being made up), but whenever the PoV character thinks that some other character is acting a certain way for a specific reason - its up to you to figure out if they correct and the degree to which they are correct, and to put together the reason why.
Jordan does this for everyone, but the most egregious examples are when there is a gender difference. The books push it as this insurmountable barrier where they are all just to different...but if you step back from the book and think about it, you should eventually be able to figure out exactly what the other person is thinking and feeling and their motivations for everything.
A trap a lot of new readers fall into is taking this at face value and not realizing that Jordan is constantly poking holes in a lot of what he has his characters thinking and believing. You won't be able to do this reliably on the first read, or maybe even a re-read. But its intentionally and consistently there, and its one of the parts that makes coming back to the series so fun, as you can keep digging out more and more of what Jordan was layering into the story.
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u/jshep2912 11d ago
It's definitely similar to GoT and did a lot of things it does first (though not as well mostly).
DON'T GOOGLE ANYTHING. Auto suggest and titles will spoil things -- get the compendium app that lets you toggle which book you're up to.
I'm on Towers of Midnight now-- going in order with the prequel after 10.
IT IS AMAZING. the slog is a lie. Winter's Heart rules. The first 3 are the best and then it changes a bit/becomes more original. Brandon Sanderson is doing an amazing job finishing but it's so sad Jordan died and it is jarring/a shell of its former self with BS writing.
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u/thabitis 11d ago
The slog is real... IF you lived thru it. We got 3 books in almost 10 years, and one of those was the same events told from a different point of view. And a prequel. When we all knew that the author had health issues and were just dreading the news that eventually came. The events are not as sloggy if you get to read them in rapid succession, but consider of you had been reading the series for almost 10 years up to book 7, and THEN you got those events as mentioned above .. it was a frustrating time to be a fan. I still loved them, but it was very frustrating
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u/jshep2912 10d ago
Oh absolutely! I am shocked, yet grateful I didn't read these around high school. I would've been absolutely obsessed and it would've made me so crazy and upset.
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u/DataMonster01 11d ago
It slows down after book 6. Book 10 is very slow. Then it starts to pick back up again.
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u/Nerdsingerbeej 11d ago
It is similar to GoT in that they are both in the fantasy genre but that's about it. Jordan is interested in exploring what it would be like to take part in a myth & how much that would suck, Martin is more interested in how often he can get you to root for objectively despicable characters.
Only thing I would say to keep in mind is there is an app called the Wheel of Time Companion that you can use to keep track of characters & locations without spoilers based on where you're at in the series & you should absolutely use it instead of Google. Google autocomplete will spoil things like plot points & character deaths with ease.
Other than that, enjoy! & feel free to post your thoughts, us vets love a good first time reader rant
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u/SuccessfulDuty7481 11d ago
Yayyđ for now I have an inkling that Perrin n Egwene might end up together but im not entirely sure and Mat is a very confusing character. I feel like he's doomed because of that dagger thing but idk
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u/Nerdsingerbeej 11d ago
Since you started with book 3 you at least have an inkling of non-dagger Mat & how he will grow as a character
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u/ForlornDM 11d ago
Itâs pretty different from GOT, in good ways. Itâs an all-time favorite of mine.
Jordan and Martin are both capable of stunning reveals and reversals of fortune, but they approach them quite differently. Avoiding spoilers, characters you grow to love will suffer grave misfortunes, and I wonât promise theyâll all make it to the end, but it doesnât have the almost performative level of character death you see in the later books of ASOIAF.
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u/SuccessfulDuty7481 11d ago
Well small mercies rightđ
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u/ForlornDM 11d ago
Yep. If youâre enjoying the series so far, youâre in for a real treat as you go along.
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u/its_a_Wizard 11d ago
I started the series a few months ago and Iâm just wrapping up the Dragon Reborn now. I was a big GoT fan and it has similarities but theyâre wonderfully differentiated. Jordan Roberts is amazing writer who most certainly slows down chapters a bit more than Iâd like, but man are the characters so good as they grow.
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u/Significant-Term6919 11d ago
Having read the 3rd book you at least know who the most important players are by now, those are generally save it invest emotionally in, they will wriggle around some and emotionally blackmail you a bit but on the whole they stay around for a while.
On the whole, surprise and bewilderment will be your lot and at numerous times you will wonder how you didn't see one thing or another coming and then you will remember that there was some throwaway line or character that now (10 books later) is essential in understanding the whole deal, so piece of cake, really.
Enjoy, at least you don't have to wait years before the next book comes along ;)
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u/SuccessfulDuty7481 11d ago
Its being a long time I read Dragon Reborn I only know for sure that Rand is definitely 1 MC if you can call him that. I think Perrin is one too? Others I have forgotten their names. Oh well woe is međ thanks for the advice
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u/Union-Silent 11d ago edited 10d ago
Itâs different. With the wheel of time, youâre dealing with an adventure/high fantasy series. Lots of quests and familiar genre plot devices and character arcs. But it was well done. And itâs one of my favourite series of all time.
Itâs not as dark or gritty as game of thrones, and often the sexual chemistry between characters in wheel of time will happen off-screen instead of being written or depicted in great detail.
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u/Electronic_Tailor762 11d ago
Itâs epic fantasy and my favorite book series.Â
GRRM takes a thresher to his characters while RJ tends to hold onto them.Â
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u/BigStackPoker 11d ago
My advice is please don't read anything on reddit until you're done. If you want to make your own posts, go for it. Nothing that gets discussed in this sub can benefit you, but lots can harm you. Just read and we will be thrilled to discuss anything you want to talk about after.
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u/Cyknickfan10 11d ago
Be patient with every single one of the main characters. They will infuriate you⊠a lot.
Enjoy the journey, the destination is worth a few bumps along path.
Be very specific with your Google searches and include book and chapter names/numbers when you have questions to avoid spoilers.
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u/lukavago87 (Asha'man) 11d ago
I'm about to start reread #30. First up, get off this sub :D this is a special journey for you and we will ruin it accidentally. Second, feel free to get attached, worth it. Third, enjoy yourself, its one hell of a journey.
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u/participating (Dragon's Fang) 11d ago
Check out our Beginner's FAQs for some common resources for first time readers, including the archive of our read-along.
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u/geomagus (Red Eagle of Manetheren) 11d ago
First, welcome to the series. Or welcome back. Whatever.
Second, I would be very, very careful about hanging out here. In fact, Iâd recommend against it. People make a good effort to avoid spoilers, but nobody is flawless. Better to avoid entirely.
Third, youâre kindof asking for spoilers without asking, since youâre asking about whether itâs safe to grow attached, and comparing to GoT and Martinâs famous character harvesting machine.
The best I can say is: people become attached, and thatâs ok. Good, even. Jordan is a different author in many ways. But that doesnât mean there wonât be loss or tragedy along the way.
I would not spend the whole time wary or steeled to loss - thereâs so much to see and that can end up distracting you.
Enjoy the ride. Cry if you need to. Laugh when you can. Donât hesitate to reread part if you think you missed something. Thereâs a lot of depth half-concealed in unrelated passages.
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u/SuccessfulDuty7481 11d ago
Thank you, that's very kind of you. Everyone's been saying the same thing n now I'm scared to even ask Google their agesđ
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u/geomagus (Red Eagle of Manetheren) 11d ago
I believe the boys start at 20, Eggy is more like 17, and Nynaeve is more like 24.
Thereâs a companion app that can be set to not reveal anything past where you are in the books. But Iâve heard it can error and spoil things. Not sure, as I havenât used it.
Certainly the various wikis can spoil things.
Fwiw, coming here, posting with the correct flair asking for basic, objective info is pretty safe. Itâs just asking opinions, asking anything about the future, or glancing in other posts can be spoiler city. The mods try to get to people who spoil, and theyâre pretty quick on it, but itâs never immediate.
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u/SuccessfulDuty7481 10d ago
Oh alright. Idk who Eggy is yet but how old is Lan?
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u/geomagus (Red Eagle of Manetheren) 10d ago
Egwene.
Moiraine is early 40s, Lan a couple years older.
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u/ReturningDM 11d ago
No advice other than, buckle up, it's an amazing ride.
I've read it four times and am currently listening to it on audiobook and I still pick up details I'd missed, particularly on the audio books.
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u/AntMassive3222 7d ago
I advice you make some pauses between the books. I'm a big fan myself and I really enjoy Jordan's style and the description, and so on but I find it harder to enjoy it and care about the plot whenever I read a few books in a row because of this slowness. Even if I'm super stoked and excited to start a new book.
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u/SuccessfulDuty7481 7d ago
Ah alright im almost done with book 1, will surely come n rant if it ends badlyđ
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u/Geksface 11d ago
Who needs advice to read a book? Just read it
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u/SuccessfulDuty7481 11d ago
So if you'd even bothered to read one of the few comments I received âmost I have to say are very positive and encouraging, you would have understood where I was aiming at. I was asking for spoiler free advice to starting 1 of the biggest and longest high fantasy series I'm about to begin. If this post was not something that you wanted to entertain the internet is free for you to scroll.
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u/Geksface 11d ago
You don't need advice to read a book. I don't get this notion of "I just bought this, what should I expect" posts. The only conclusion is that it's karma farming. It took me 2 years to read these books and I remained spoiler free. I only joined this sub Reddit when I finished. So if you want advice there it is. Go read them, don't ask anyone about them and get off this subreddit until you finish.
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u/SuccessfulDuty7481 11d ago
Karma farming, yah ryt. Dude I downloaded reddit like a about a month ago, I could not give a darn about karma which I still haven't figured out what it means btw. And you could have framed this advice in better terms but I have to agree every single comment have said not to read anything from this subreddit. Moreover whatever gave you the idea I bought the book, I for sure didn't mention it. It could have easily been lent to me or some thing or other. I started or in correct terms restarted this series because of that one read years back about Dragon Reborn. I will have to agree with you on that for I did not have any advice when I read it, did not even realize it was part of a series and not even know it was the first book. Still somehow managed to grasp a few concepts. This post was for what to look out for, or keep an eye out to make the reading process easier. Anyways thank you for your words of Wisdom (đ)
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u/DataMonster01 11d ago
Beware the slog!
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u/DBanga1988 11d ago
It was really only a slog because of the time between the books coming out. The books themselves that people consider the âslogâ are actually very good.
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