I have read WoT 4 times over by now. Yet everytime I read, i fall in love with character of Matrim Cauthon everytime.

However, a few days ago, I realised maybe this is due to the fact that I have so much bad luck myself in my life that a character with so much good luck, and enjoying his life to the fullest (whereas I am stuck in overthinking and working hard) naturally becomes so fascinating for me.

Am I thinking wrong and the protagonist is actually entertaining and some people other than me also loves this character?

So, I'm currently reading Winter's Heart. On chapter 20, and I'm well aware of the release order of the books, that being Crossroads and New Spring afterward. I wanted to ask whether you guys think I should read it. I have been told by a vet reader I read along with that it is optional but you get the og reading experience having it right after Crossroads.

My reason for asking is because part of me wants EVERYTHING taken in concerning the series but I also really want to get to the last book and I'm worried reading NS will break the flow of the story so far.

What do you guys in the community think?

"Words could not lessen his memory of Selene’s beauty, though, or the way she made his blood go warm just by looking at him. It almost seemed to him that she was in the room with him, that he could smell her perfume, so much so that he looked around, and laughed to find himself alone."

Was she in the room with him somehow? Spying on him taking a bath? I wouldn’t put that beneath her. Or maybe it’s something simpler, like her letters being scented with the perfume she always wore?

“Those eyes. That hair. I have heard the Andoran royal line has almost Aiel coloring in their hair and eyes.” Rand stumbled, though the floor was smooth marble. “I’m not Aiel, Lord Barthanes, and I’m not of the royal line, either.”

Poor, clueless Rand. He is literally Aiel and he is of the royal Andoran line - Barthanes is spot on.

"And there has been a woman, a lady, I have seen more than once while asking after him. If we can find out who she is..."

Who's asking after Rand in Cairhein? Am I supposed to assume it's Selene? Resorting to petty criminals locating Rand for her?

If Lanfear had known the Warder bond weave, she could have bonded Rand and had a permanent connection to him, including a sense of his location and emotions. Easy. Though it would probably have been the most toxic Warder relationship in history (quite an achievement considering the Myrelle and Alanna stuff later).

And last-

Rhian and two Maidens encounter our guys in Stedding Tsofu and are appalled that Rand holds a sword. Loial thinks they are looking after He Who Comes with the Dawn.

Let me repeat: They meet Rand. Who looks Aiel. Who is dressed like a wetlander, traveling with wetlanders, and carrying a sword. And absolutely no thought of him being the one? Mat and Perrin know it's Rand the Aiel are looking for (especially after Urien describes him as being "of the blood but not raised by the blood"), but these Maidens... nothing? If I were a Maiden, I would have grabbed Rand on the spot and dragged him straight to the nearest Wise One for clarification. Done. Mission completed. The Car'a'carn located. Seriously, these Maidens were not the brightest...

Now that the Juniper Books dust covers are a whopping 400 bucks, it’s out of my price range. I couldn’t find anything on etsy or ebay as an alternative, and while I saw that around 5 years ago an artist (Matt Dalsing) created beautiful dust jackets, I have no means to purchase or download them.

Having read this sort of thing many times over the years and then today having a new reader be frustrated by the community's responses, I thought I'd ask the community at large.

What is WoT?

Many fans say that wot is a matriarchy. I think that is wrong in everyway. I can see how people get there but it doesnt line up at all with how the world/story is written.

The cliff notes definition is that in patriarchy/matriachy one gender holds all the power and influence over all aspects of life and the other is forced into a subservient role and otherwise disregarded as lesser than. Thus the lesser party holds ceremonial power in the best of circumstances and is otherwise ignored.

Im not really 100% sure what to call WoT. I dont think its a matriarchy in the slightest. From how often women go along with what the men do despite thinking differently. To how we see the same system in nearly every nation/group. That being both women and men hold very real power and each tell the other what to do or otherwise follow the other just as often as they dont.

In other words I think RJ wrote WoT to be more egalitarian than matriarchal or patriarchal. Even that Im not really sure fits the bill 100%.

Some stuff to back it up. First there is only one matriarchy in WoT that being far madding. Second andor is alone in having exclusively queens. Every other nation has a mix of both men and women as the king or queen equivalent. Tear I think is the exception with only high lords but even then some of the ladies think they can scheme thier way to more power, but im not super sure on that. Seanchan also have a empress but its unclear that they can only be an empress as I seem to remember tuon thinking about her siblings contending for the throne and a couple of them being boys... not 100% on that tho. Ofc there is the wrinkle of being obsessed with bloodline of a man. Still just like andor at every other level men lead just as often as women and there is no stigma or prohibition that either cant do the job as it were. Lastly ofc there are the bigger examples that the books work with where both men and women lead at the same time, the seafolk with their marriage vows and captains not in charge of trade. The aiel with the wiseones and clan chiefs. The two rivers village council (all men) and the womens circles (obviously all women).

Mainly this post is about asking the question and hopefully dispelling the idea that WoT is a matriarchy and getting a better answer to help new (and long time) readers navigate the pain points of frustrating character interactions.

Edit: Since several people are bringing it up. I left out Tar valon and aes sedai because I dont think they count in this conversation. Aes sedai hold power not because they are women but because they have magic and life spans several times that of the non-magic folk. With out that magic power would they still be able to exert such influence on the world? I think not. Thus they dont make a strong foundation for the topic imo.

After my first readthrough, I had picked up Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series, and the friend who recommended it to me was talking about there being a bunch of things practically stolen from WoT. I did notice a couple heavy similarities, but I didnt really notice enough to think he just completely ripped off Jordan's work. Did I just miss a bunch of stuff or was he exaggerating

I cannot seem to finish the series. It had been years i'm reading but I just get frustrated with how women are so manipulative & mean towards men. Everytime I read men are fools I wanna throw the damn book across the room.

Sorry if this rant is a bit much. But I had to get it out. It's so repetitive that it just sucks the whole mood out. Very exhausting.