A Memory of Light general discussion [SPOILERS FROM POST 171 ONWARDS!]

matrim

Tor have announced the release date for A Memory of light will be January 8, 2013

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/02/the-release-date-for-a-memory-of-light-has-been-set

I was hoping it would be this year

Now to try and braid my beard so I have one to pull out of frustration

AnCapaillMor

Oh ffs pushed back again.

ixoy

Good info on Sanderson's blog here. Explains the date a bit more, such as him being on the 2nd draft currently and that it's 20% too long and needs to be edited.

To be honest although Sanderson has made the series more interesting, I've enjoyed other series a lot more since the Wheel of Time started spinning so I can wait a bit longer easily enough.

OwaynOTT

It's only a little delay. Brings it up closer to my birthday and I'll be on Christmas holidays as well. So the delay has worked out nicely for me, as November would of been tricky trying to fit in the 3 days of reading required.

The downside is that the next Stormlight Archive will be delayed as a result of this. Now that is something that will irk me.

jamezy

matrim wrote: »

Tor have announced the release date for A Memory of light will be January 8, 2013

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/02/the-release-date-for-a-memory-of-light-has-been-set

I was hoping it would be this year

Now to try and braid my beard so I have one to pull out of frustration

Fingers crossed the world does not end on 21/Dec/2012... If i die before i get to read that book i am going to haunt the **** out of whomever survives

ixoy

So Sanderson had, up until last week, said that a Fall/Winter date was likely given he's just about finished draft two. It's Jordan's widow who is ultimately deciding the date and nothing to do with Sanderson (who would have it to us earlier probably).

Anyway, his next book after that will be the second part of the Stormlight Archive so he should begin writing it soon as "A Memory of Light" goes to editing stage (and possibly some re-writes).

OwaynOTT

ixoy wrote: »

So Sanderson had, up until last week, said that a Fall/Winter date was likely given he's just about finished draft two. It's Jordan's widow who is ultimately deciding the date and nothing to do with Sanderson (who would have it to us earlier probably).

Anyway, his next book after that will be the second part of the Stormlight Archive so he should begin writing it soon as "A Memory of Light" goes to editing stage (and possibly some re-writes).

His assistant said that Stormlight could be out in the summer of 2013 but probably the autumn of 2013.

fguinan

A memory of light is finished. Pre-order is available from Amazon.
http://www.brandonsanderson.com/blog/1101/Today-I-got-up-and-I-did-not-have-a-Wheel-of-Time-book-to-work-on.

OwaynOTT wrote: »

ixoy wrote: »

So Sanderson had, up until last week, said that a Fall/Winter date was likely given he's just about finished draft two. It's Jordan's widow who is ultimately deciding the date and nothing to do with Sanderson (who would have it to us earlier probably).

Anyway, his next book after that will be the second part of the Stormlight Archive so he should begin writing it soon as "A Memory of Light" goes to editing stage (and possibly some re-writes).

His assistant said that Stormlight could be out in the summer of 2013 but probably the autumn of 2013.

AnCapaillMor

Good news all i need is Rothfuss to get the finger out with doors of stone and then go into cryosleep for 10 years and pick up the finished stormlight archive and mistborn.

OwaynOTT

10? Better make that 20 I'd reckon.

Antar Bolaeisk

Eurgh, they're going ahead with that three month delay on digital. I was hoping that they'd see sense and release them simultaneously.

ixoy

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Eurgh, they're going ahead with that three month delay on digital. I was hoping that they'd see sense and release them simultaneously.

Noticed that last night. Very backwards thinking. I've pre-ordered, for example, Peter F. Hamilton's and Joe Abercrombie's new books in e-book format and they're released on the same day as the traditional medium. I probably won't wait but it'll be a resentful buy.

Zapp Brannigan

I've posted my feelings on it before. All I'll say is that I'll be reading it on my Kindle one way or another before it's official release.

Rhavin

Excerpt from the prologue found here:
http://www.tor.com/stories/2012/04/a-memory-of-light-prologue-excerpt

Was a stupid decision to read it though Just made me want to go back and read a few of them again

OwaynOTT

Another taster of the book here:
http://www.tor.com/stories/2012/09/a-memory-of-light-chapter-11-excerpt

Sanderson really cannot write Matt, woeful stuff there. Chapter 11 and Matt is still farting around!

OwaynOTT

Prologue is available from Dragonmount.com, just need to enter in an America address. $2.99 though, so you'll be paying for it twice but it's good reading.

Antar Bolaeisk

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Prologue is available from Dragonmount.com, just need to enter in an America address. $2.99 though, so you'll be paying for it twice but it's good reading.

Is this like pre-release DLC for books? Did they do this for the previous releases or just this one, I seem to recall prologues being released in the past without having to pay for them.

OwaynOTT

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Is this like pre-release DLC for books? Did they do this for the previous releases or just this one, I seem to recall prologues being released in the past without having to pay for them.

The last few have been paid for but before Gathering Storm I'm not sure as I only got the books in store and wasn't really aware of any of the online stuff.
I think they were free though.

matrim

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Is this like pre-release DLC for books? Did they do this for the previous releases or just this one, I seem to recall prologues being released in the past without having to pay for them.

The last few have been paid for but before Gathering Storm I'm not sure as I only got the books in store and wasn't really aware of any of the online stuff.
I think they were free though.

I'm pretty sure the prologues were free, wasn't half this one already released? I'm rereading now to be ready for the last book so will wait for that

OwaynOTT

matrim wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the prologues were free, wasn't half this one already released? I'm rereading now to be ready for the last book so will wait for that

One characters point of view was released, I think maybe 5-10 pages. The prologue is nearly 80

Trojan

Can anyone who's bought it confirm length?

OwaynOTT

Trojan wrote: »

Can anyone who's bought it confirm length?

79 pages.

OwaynOTT

Chapter 1, now available, for free, on Tor's website.

AnCapaillMor

Must resist temptation.

OwaynOTT

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

Must resist temptation.

It's good and Rand muses about a certain forsaken.

ixoy

OwaynOTT wrote: »

It's good and Rand muses about a certain forsaken.

Does Nynaeve get a chance to tug her braid?

OwaynOTT

ixoy wrote: »

Does Nynaeve get a chance to tug her braid?

Unfortunately no, she was too busy extrapolating the benefits of stout two rivers wool dresses over these fancy new silk dresses, that she can stop wearing at any time. Did have time to mention how useless men are and argue with Egwene and Elayne.

AnCapaillMor

Should be good as long as Rand muses that matt is better with woman, matt that perrin is better and perrin that Rand is better.

Temptamperu

I just read the prologue and chapter one and am now humming with excitement. I cant wait for January.

AnCapaillMor

So any indication yet on

who demandred is?

OwaynOTT

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

So any indication yet on

who demandred is?

Looking likely he is

Roedran

.

5starpool

Best place to order this online? I'm guessing book depository as it is cheaper than Amazon with postage taken into account, and I've been waiting so long I don't mind the extra few days rather than pay double in the shops.

lemon_sherbert

I'm so very excited... and it's still ages away. WoT was the first fantasy series I ever got into, has a very special place in my heart. I got the first one for my thirteenth birthday, and ten years later it's going to be over *sniff* (I, for one, would be very disappointed if Nynaeve didn't pull on her braid)

Now to avoid spoilers until then.

fitz

Only ten years?
God, I've been reading this bloody thing for twenty...gonna be great to finish the story.

AnCapaillMor

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Unfortunately no, she was too busy extrapolating the benefits of stout two rivers wool dresses over these fancy new silk dresses, that she can stop wearing at any time. Did have time to mention how useless men are and argue with Egwene and Elayne.

Halfways through the 2nd book on audio and i think the last books needs at least 2 chapters on how each song is known under a different name in different regions.

Sin_J

Re: braid tugging

Nyneave's braid got burned off in her Aes Sedai testing in the previous book. Her hair is too short to braid now so she's not tugging on anything anymore.

ixoy

Sin_J wrote: »

Nyneave's braid got burned off in her Aes Sedai testing in the previous book. Her hair is too short to braid now so she's not tugging on anything anymore.

I was waiting for someone to reply with that

Sin_J

ixoy wrote: »

I was waiting for someone to reply with that

I'd completely forgotten it happened until i was rereading it a few days ago.


I'm not sure how i'm going to feel once this is all over and done with... i've been reading this for about 12 years now.

Though i do at least have a new Dresden book out in November to take the sting out of the wait till January.

Morgase

If you're having withdrawal effects after A Memory of Light, there will be a WoT short story in this book coming out next year:

http://www.dragonmount.com/index.php/News/book-news/unfettered-announced

Grim Oak Press announced today that it will be publishing Unfettered, an anthology of short fiction from an amazing collection of fantasy writers. One of the included short stories is River of Souls, a short story based in the Wheel of Time world. It's listed as being written by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson.

OwaynOTT

Morgase wrote: »

If you're having withdrawal effects after A Memory of Light, there will be a WoT short story in this book coming out next year:

http://www.dragonmount.com/index.php/News/book-news/unfettered-announced

I think it's just a chapter or a section of A Memory of Light which got cut. Pity there wasn't more cut from Towers of Midnight and Gathering Storm.

Rereading the latter at the moment and Aveindha and Gawyn's chapters are totally unnecessary and skipping doesn't affect the novel at all.

keane2097

OwaynOTT wrote: »

I think it's just a chapter or a section of A Memory of Light which got cut. Pity there wasn't more cut from Towers of Midnight and Gathering Storm.

Or the entire series, so much utter chaff. About 70% of these novels are garbage.

OwaynOTT

keane2097 wrote: »

Or the entire series, so much utter chaff. About 70% of these novels are garbage.

Books 7 and 8 should of been one, I think Jordan wanted them to be but pressure from publishers to release made it into 2.
Perrins story line should be wrapped up in that book as well.
9 and 10 should if been one, dealing with the climax of 9 and its reaction in one.
A lot of Aes Sedai sections can be completely cut.
Other than that, apart from what I said previously about the new titles, there isn't too much fluff.
Elaine's bath was essential.
To say 70% is garbage is pure hyperbole. Stories of this length run into logistic problems just look at the last two George R R Martin books.

AnCapaillMor

There may be a lot of BS, but there's also some of the greatest and epic scenes/chapters in fantasy. The dumai well scene has to be one of the greatest fantasy scenes ever. 70% BS is a bit ott, 20-30 maybe.

Kinda agree and disagree with the aes sedai there was some really bad stuff there but some really good scenes, more bad then good though. That seems to be the general theme with the women, although I liked aviendha and min.

OwaynOTT

Egwene's part in Gathering Storm was excellent and I've always liked Nynaeve, when she breaks her block is one of my favourite moments.
When I said Aes Sedai, I was focusing on the pov of random Aes Sedai whose plots go nowhere and aren't necessary. The 'political' aspect of the them.

Trojan

I particularly like the Verin scene.

AnCapaillMor

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Egwene's part in Gathering Storm was excellent.

The one and only time I shouted you go girl.

Nynaveve is a great and infuriatingly annoying character at the same time.

keane2097

Nynaeve is one of the most poorly imagined and executed characters I've ever come across in a popular novel.

A lot, if not most, of the characters in WoT are extremely one dimensional with a shtick in place of a personality (braid tugging, husband baiting, I got mad honour commitments yo, to name but a few). The guy also clearly resents women deeply.

I wouldn't say resents women. I'd say he nearly falls under Eddings' thing of taking arrogant stereotypes because that's how he sees us - but not through a resentful light, more an amused "oh I'll never understand women and I'm not going to try!" way

ixoy

bluewolf wrote: »

more an amused "oh I'll never understand women and I'm not going to try!" way

Blood'n'ashes! He just doesn't understand women the way Rand or Mat do.

keane2097

There's a few decent examples in this horribly formatted page for anyone who cares to read:

http://abbygoldsmith.com/articles/wot-Sexism.shtml

I remember being appalled particularly at the Faile/Perrin "relationship" but the polygamy stuff is pretty stomach turning as well.

I always thought of the Faile thing as not wanting to be patronised, and getting angry when Perrin treats her like glass.
If my OH was angry about something but kept saying "no dear it's fine dear don't worry about it", I'd be getting annoyed as well.
That person has interesting comments about dominance in relationships, but I've only seen a few examples of it in the books, and in all cases it was when one of them just had a higher rank in public and it was designed for balance? Bit extreme but I wouldn't be reading too much into it?
Polygamy is common enough in reality that I don't care about that one, but I do wish we'd seen some of the reverse, too.
I think it's unfair to say he's one of the few authors with strong female roles: even in fantasy, there are a few that leap to mind instantly.

I definitely 100% agree that it's too stereotypical most of the time and all "oh men are stupid" "oh women are weird"!