Mark > Recent Status Updates

This has been a thoroughly enjoyable look at Roman culture for their first 1,000 years.

Did I need to hear the narrator, Phyllida Nash, say “I fucked the landlady”? Probably not, but here we are 🤣

Rand is going to be a limbless, sightless lump by the time we get to the final battle, isn’t he? Wheeled out by Aes Sidai as a weapon.

Who biffed the illusion around Semirhage? They’re going to be in trouble. Unless it was Cadauane, in which case nicely done 👍🤣

We seem to be heading towards Dumai’s Wells redux, with everyone converging on Malden with different plans. Chaos will no doubt ensue 🤣

The weakening of saidar in Tar Valon seeming to affect some things (food) and not others (the harbour towers) suggests it could be targeted.


Interesting to see if the effect stops at the Little Tower now that Delana and Halima are gone.

Very entertaining and informative so far. Avoids the traps of talking about one “great man” after another and instead focuses mostly on culture and politics.

Pausing this for now.

Interesting, yes. But also very of the moment and the moment sucks, so let’s not dwell on it in our leisure time 😂

I have never noticed before, but the word “reader” is replaced with “listener” on audiobooks - or in this one least!

The only place that saidar failing has been mentioned, I think, is Egwene’s camp. And maybe the White Tower?

This makes it seem localised. So could be weakening the weaves using saidin? Chief suspect would be Halima.

“Let’s assume no progress is made…”

Safe assumption.

The Rand / Lews Therin dynamic reminds me a lot of Thomas and Ashen Shugar where they influenced each other forwards and backwards in time.

And the wheel is all about circles, after all.

Stupid sexy Dave!

Still going strong. A great mix of science and humour.

The audiobook narrator is also very good.

Logain shows up and is almost immediately followed by Shadowspawn. Suspicious.

Interesting that he and Rand still nominally consider the Black Tower to be under his command; previously it seemed like Taim had taken over completely.

The palace of Caemlyn has changed layout? Interesting. Weird, but definitely interesting…

Great fun so far 🚀

Oh bloody hell, another cursed knife 🙄

Can Selucia channel? 🤔

Mat’s chapters continue to be great.

Moiraine’s letter is quite something.

I cannot recall any allusions to the Eelfinn and Aelfinn being snakes and foxes previously but it’s all over the last few chapters and ties into the prophecies, his medallion, the games with Olver etc.

Mat chapters are the best chapters.

I like the visual of Joline throwing things at Mat non-stop because she can’t just slap him around with the power 🤣

Anan is a stilled Aes Sidai, interesting.

Noal is Farstrider then? Seems like Mat knows it too.

So Faile just swore an oath to rescue her to adherents… while holding the oath rod. No one power around, but still seems like it could be significant.

I wonder if Arangar / Halima’s plotting will get them killed and Egwene will never know the truth 🤔

OMG, Moridin is Ishamael? I’m shocked! Or would be if ChatGPT had not spoiled it for me in its “spoiler free” summary of the previous books 🤣

The dead are walking.

Does Beonin mean to assassinate Elaida, or something else? 🧐

End of the first chapter 🤣

An Aes Sidai a gai’shain in the Shaido camp? Pretty damn weird.

I’m here on Tower business.

Oh well, off you go then, sorry for interrupting.

Come on, Perrin 🤦‍♂️

Interesting detail I had missed up to now: the stilled women healed by Flinn are restored fully, while those healed by Naeneve only partially.