WoTaLong (Wheel of Time Readalong) discussion

Remember these are spoilery discussions - so stay away unless you've finished this section! Also, please keep spoilers to the things we know in this section of the book.

I split The Great Hunt into four sections to roughly correspond with weeks of February. I'm posting these a couple weeks early for those who are ahead of the one book per month schedule :)

What are your thoughts on this section of The Great Hunt?

Need a reminder? Here are the chapter summaries.

My favorite chapter: I should stop trying to pick favorite chapters because it's not working LOL. Chapter 26 is great because we discover that one of my favorite characters is ALIVE. I danced with joy the first time I read that chapter. I also love being introduced to Daes Dae'mar in this section - the WoT equivalent of the Game of Thrones.

Happy reading!

Cairhien was such an amusing city to see Rand and Hurin in. I loved how Hurin became more and more servile while Rand only made himself seem like a grander lord through his unwillingness to play daes dae'mar. The scene at Barthanes' manor was hilarious in that respect (and Mat's grumbles over being made a servant were great as well).

Domon is another great character. I love his grumpiness and desire to just lead the simple smuggler's life without getting all caught up in the bigger, grander events of the world. I really loved that he was first caught up with the trollocs when Rand and all boarded his boat in the previous book, and now he's caught up with the Seanchan.

I felt bad for Thom being reintroduced in the story. It seems like those who are pulled by the ta'veren are unable to just lead their own lives and will be punished for it.

Cairhien is such an interesting city, especially because daes dae'mar is so engrained there. Rand inadvertently becoming an mysteriously important lord was hilarious to watch - ta'veren at work!

I loved Domon getting pulled back into the plot - he's one of those characters you think you won't see again but then he just keeps turning up. And I was so THRILLED to see Thom again because I love his character, although I agree its through some sad circumstances.

I was also ecstatic to see Thom again. He is such an awesome character, and I can certainly see his reluctance to get back into anything with Rand. It was so sad that he was starting to settle down, and then he was forced back into it all. I love how he is sort of that wise father figure over Rand. You can tell that he cares for him and wants to help him despite his reluctance to get back into it all. I can’t wait to see what happens with him next.

I was expecting Rand and company to get to Tomon Head and have a show down with Fain, but then all of a sudden we get that chapter with Fain giving the horn away! The White Cloaks are also on their way to Tomon Head, which just adds even more questions. The seanchen remind me a little of the Dothraki from GoT in that they have a leader who has historical claim to the land.

I was reading that a lot of people don’t like Rand - especially in this book. I don’t get it. I find it a joy to watch him grow and start to become a leader. He’s a little rash and makes some terrible decisions sometimes, but he means well and learns from those mistakes. The name Rand Al’Thor is also pretty BA.

Thom is probably my second favorite character out of everyone! I agree that Rand probably gets a little more hate than I feel is necessary. He does change a lot as the series progresses though, so you might still change your mind :P (I hope not though!).

I think Rand is okay, but he's a bit melodramatic at times for me. I know he's going through a lot, but he could be a bit braver about it all and nicer to the people around him. He also makes some pretty bad decisions that frustrate me, like all the characters. Egwene is more in my black books than Rand, though - she makes worse decisions and gets everyone else caught up in them!

Actually, I feel like this book could be subtitled - The Great Hunt: Or How Egwene's Bad Decisions Get Everyone In Tons of Trouble.

Haha yeah I can understand your thoughts on Rand. Sometimes he would just snap at someone who really didn’t deserve it - particularly Loial. He has had a lot put on his plate all of a sudden though, so I can see the stress making him snippy at times. I hope he starts to embrace what he is. We’ll see.

But yeah, there have been points with all characters where I do a face palm while reading and wonder what on earth they were thinking. Egwene is definitely higher on the list than some others. I have a feeling that Elayne will end up being similar in that regard.

Yes Shannon, melodramatic is a great word for Rand haha. I've never actually thought about how Egwene gets a lot of people into trouble but you're totally right about that haha.

Loial NEVER deserves to be snapped at, he's like a sweet but large puppy... Ok not puppy since Loial is actually really old, but you know what i mean, he's sweet and helpful and loyal (pun intended :P ).

I didn’t like the way Egwene reacted at the end of the book when she saw Rand with Min. Now that she knows he is the dragon reborn is it all over between them? Should be interesting going forward!