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Agreed. The series is formulaic and predictable, and even I expected a few more twists. Tom Send a noteboard - 28/11/2010 07:47:10 PM
This is obviously not Sanderson's fault. Sanderson may not develop deep and moving characters, but he's always good at throwing in fun and often unexpected twists.

(Mistborn spoilers start here)

Most people didn't expect that, when Vin killed the Lord Ruler at the end of Book One, that she was actually setting in motion lots of bad consequences for the world. The reader was led to believe that this was a world where "evil won" and that the Lord Ruler was that evil. Instead, it turns out he tried to stop an even worse outcome and sort of botched things. Then, in Book Two, everyone thought Vin needed to release the energy in the Well, but at the end it turns out that was the evil plot to outwit good. By Book Three, good is fighting a desperate (and losing) battle to just keep someone - anyone - alive.

(End spoilers)

By contrast, Wheel of Time has played out pretty much the way everyone expected it to. I was hoping, despite having not seen anything to indicate it, that Jordan had devised some clever and unexpected twists for the last book or two that would change everything and make evil seem less incompetent and good less assured a victory. Towers of Midnight just proved that Jordan is as formulaic as I feared he would be. I've read these books before. It's Lord of the Rings, but without as much competence on evil's side. I've seen movies like this before - it was called Star Wars, and even then the Emperor would have won at the end if Vader didn't turn to good. This series hasn't delivered the big "Oh my God" twists that make for good reading. I got hooked by the earlier books, which were good, and now I'm watching a car wreck and just can't turn away because I need to know what happens.

I agree with every single point about how terrible Towers of Midnight (and the plotline in general) is.
Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.

ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius

Ummaka qinnassa nīk!

*MySmiley*
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Easy life of Lightside heroes and pathetic incompetence of the Shadow - so what's new in Wot... - 28/11/2010 03:38:14 PM 3002 Views
Re: Easy life of Lightside heroes and pathetic incompetence of the Shadow - so what's new in Wot... - 28/11/2010 04:05:48 PM 1629 Views
Re: Easy life of Lightside heroes and pathetic incompetence of the Shadow - so what's new in Wot... - 29/11/2010 12:27:27 AM 1545 Views
Re: Easy life of Lightside heroes and pathetic incompetence of the Shadow - so what's new in Wot... - 29/11/2010 12:36:49 AM 1525 Views
Re: Easy life of Lightside heroes and pathetic incompetence of the Shadow - so what's new in Wot... - 29/11/2010 01:59:18 AM 1561 Views
Yes, she still lets herself be ruled by her desire to control everything - 29/11/2010 02:39:34 AM 1538 Views
I vote it has come to pass - 29/11/2010 02:48:26 AM 1385 Views
*facepalm* - good point, not sure how I missed that. *NM* - 29/11/2010 03:12:00 AM 812 Views
Re: I vote it has come to pass - 29/11/2010 09:42:51 AM 1394 Views
Prophecy never said she would be angry at the time, - 29/11/2010 11:36:53 AM 1446 Views
lol true, gg *NM* - 29/11/2010 11:52:54 AM 798 Views
Aviendha's vision doesn't automatically mean the Light will win - 28/11/2010 05:32:56 PM 1801 Views
She doesn't even see that. The arches just show a possibility. - 29/11/2010 07:12:05 PM 1355 Views
Indeed - 28/11/2010 06:16:41 PM 1431 Views
am i the only one who acknowledges that it's a jerk deal for jerks - 28/11/2010 08:00:23 PM 1670 Views
i think most people feel that way - 29/11/2010 09:06:44 AM 1478 Views
I agree with you - 05/12/2010 05:13:38 PM 1262 Views
Re: am i the only one who acknowledges that it's a jerk deal for jerks - 29/11/2010 06:40:18 PM 1401 Views
Agreed. The series is formulaic and predictable, and even I expected a few more twists. - 28/11/2010 07:47:10 PM 1551 Views
Good reading for adrenaline junkies, maybe. *NM* - 29/11/2010 12:32:53 AM 871 Views
I'm sure that all the men Ituralde lost would agree with you about it being a breeze -_- - 29/11/2010 12:32:56 AM 1385 Views
Byar was compulsed - 29/11/2010 12:46:01 AM 1726 Views
I agree that he was part of Graendal's plan, but - 29/11/2010 02:16:45 AM 1370 Views
Re: I agree that he was part of Graendal's plan, but - 29/11/2010 09:44:05 AM 1322 Views
Re: Byar was compulsed - 29/11/2010 12:54:38 PM 1687 Views
Re: Byar was compulsed - 29/11/2010 12:59:31 PM 1389 Views
Re: Byar was compulsed - 29/11/2010 01:10:18 PM 1486 Views
He disbelieves in the Heroes - 29/11/2010 03:33:27 PM 1350 Views
I think that's his mind deceiving itself - 29/11/2010 07:19:05 PM 1425 Views
I didn't say he was necessarily Compulsed - 30/11/2010 07:40:51 AM 1323 Views
Do we have his reaction to the Heroes themselves? - 30/11/2010 11:55:42 AM 1417 Views
Re: Do we have his reaction to the Heroes themselves? - 30/11/2010 12:05:44 PM 1289 Views
he makes no mention of the Heroes. - 30/11/2010 10:42:13 PM 1395 Views
They did get another thing right - 29/11/2010 12:40:52 AM 1396 Views
Not Mat's fault, really - Verin didn't rehash her opinion of him. - 29/11/2010 02:18:17 AM 1353 Views
It's the WOT Red Shirt syndrome - 29/11/2010 04:29:12 AM 1494 Views
I don't want everyone to win and end up happily ever after though. - 29/11/2010 04:33:06 AM 1376 Views
The disney ending is not realistic - or at least not as believable - 29/11/2010 04:41:04 AM 1509 Views
You, good sir, are - 30/11/2010 06:53:49 PM 1313 Views
I also think Lan will be saved right before the end. - 29/11/2010 06:50:34 PM 1297 Views
Re: I also think Lan will be saved right before the end. - 30/11/2010 01:47:27 AM 1435 Views
It's a well told story with fun characters overall, but it's definitely not "War & Peace" - 29/11/2010 06:33:12 PM 1483 Views
+1 *NM* - 29/11/2010 07:18:13 PM 731 Views
it is. I love it anyways, though - 29/11/2010 07:23:24 PM 1279 Views
War and Peace was very thematic - 30/11/2010 05:00:30 AM 1734 Views
Doublethink for the win! *NM* - 30/11/2010 07:35:20 AM 770 Views
Re: War and Peace was very thematic - 30/11/2010 09:35:50 AM 1370 Views
I'm not really sure if or why any reader would need to suspend disbelief to enjoy WoT - 30/11/2010 10:31:49 PM 1350 Views
Please tell me what drugs you're on - 01/12/2010 04:04:39 AM 1465 Views
It's called 'reality' - I agree with LadyLorraine & Moratcorlm - 01/12/2010 07:57:35 PM 1361 Views
You are absolutely wrong. - 02/12/2010 04:53:52 AM 1339 Views
You are incorrect - you should read the definition you reference before posting it. - 02/12/2010 04:19:16 PM 1480 Views
No, I read the ENTIRE article, unlike you. You have to scroll down a bit. - 02/12/2010 05:47:13 PM 1255 Views
No, you need to read and comprehend. That was a THEORY. - 02/12/2010 07:11:01 PM 1183 Views
It's really very simple. - 04/12/2010 12:31:16 AM 1516 Views
mk, I think I understand more what you meant now after reading this exchange - 05/12/2010 05:42:47 AM 1372 Views
I still don't agree; sorry. I don't think this theory applies to everyone. - 06/12/2010 05:30:41 PM 1486 Views
No, those are disbeliefs that you must suspend. - 01/12/2010 08:18:25 PM 1263 Views
You have to feel the characters are somehow believable to empathize with them. - 02/12/2010 01:05:29 AM 1333 Views
I don't see how WoT's writing (Before, or now) prevents that - 02/12/2010 04:12:54 AM 1160 Views
I'm not arguing that it necessarily does for everyone, just that YOU HAVE TO SUSPEND DISBELIEF - 02/12/2010 04:48:51 AM 1356 Views
That's a load of crap... - 02/12/2010 06:03:13 AM 1511 Views
Sure - 01/12/2010 01:30:03 AM 1307 Views
Black Tower - 30/11/2010 01:50:29 AM 1275 Views
Re: Black Tower - 30/11/2010 01:57:48 AM 1433 Views
I agree with everything. - 30/11/2010 01:37:11 PM 1609 Views
Hopper's death... oh god... - 01/12/2010 01:00:12 AM 1554 Views
while i miss hopper - 02/12/2010 04:19:28 AM 1308 Views
Re: while i miss hopper - 02/12/2010 05:30:52 PM 1440 Views
Hopper wasn't that important, either, though. - 03/12/2010 02:32:10 PM 1220 Views
Re: Hopper wasn't that important, either, though. - 03/12/2010 03:10:54 PM 1274 Views
It would be awesome if it were, though. - 03/12/2010 04:41:42 PM 1403 Views
Re: It would be awesome if it were, though. - 04/12/2010 09:54:09 PM 1368 Views
- 05/12/2010 07:07:44 AM 1238 Views

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