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.
(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*
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*
Easy life of Lightside heroes and pathetic incompetence of the Shadow - so what's new in Wot...
28/11/2010 03:38:14 PM
- 2694 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
- 1362 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
- 1274 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
- 1259 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
- 1281 Views
Yes, she still lets herself be ruled by her desire to control everything
29/11/2010 02:39:34 AM
- 1236 Views
I vote it has come to pass
29/11/2010 02:48:26 AM
- 1101 Views
Re: I vote it has come to pass
29/11/2010 09:42:51 AM
- 1100 Views
Re: Easy life of Lightside heroes and pathetic incompetence of the Shadow - so what's new in Wot...
28/11/2010 04:43:46 PM
- 1279 Views
Re: Easy life of Lightside heroes and pathetic incompetence of the Shadow - so what's new in Wot...
28/11/2010 04:49:23 PM
- 1223 Views
Indeed
28/11/2010 06:16:41 PM
- 1176 Views
am i the only one who acknowledges that it's a jerk deal for jerks
28/11/2010 08:00:23 PM
- 1377 Views
Re: am i the only one who acknowledges that it's a jerk deal for jerks
29/11/2010 06:40:18 PM
- 1139 Views
And in the interest of fairness, SH should've been all up in Osangar's intimate business
29/11/2010 11:34:21 PM
- 1185 Views
Agreed. The series is formulaic and predictable, and even I expected a few more twists.
28/11/2010 07:47:10 PM
- 1249 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
- 1136 Views
Byar was compulsed
29/11/2010 12:46:01 AM
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Re: Byar was compulsed
29/11/2010 12:54:38 PM
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Re: Byar was compulsed
29/11/2010 12:59:31 PM
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Re: Byar was compulsed
29/11/2010 01:10:18 PM
- 1131 Views
He disbelieves in the Heroes
29/11/2010 03:33:27 PM
- 1090 Views
I think that's his mind deceiving itself
29/11/2010 07:19:05 PM
- 1143 Views
I didn't say he was necessarily Compulsed
30/11/2010 07:40:51 AM
- 1045 Views
Do we have his reaction to the Heroes themselves?
30/11/2010 11:55:42 AM
- 1167 Views
They did get another thing right
29/11/2010 12:40:52 AM
- 1141 Views
Not Mat's fault, really - Verin didn't rehash her opinion of him.
29/11/2010 02:18:17 AM
- 1096 Views
It's the WOT Red Shirt syndrome
29/11/2010 04:29:12 AM
- 1222 Views
I don't want everyone to win and end up happily ever after though.
29/11/2010 04:33:06 AM
- 1120 Views
The disney ending is not realistic - or at least not as believable
29/11/2010 04:41:04 AM
- 1247 Views
Re: The disney ending is not realistic - or at least not as believable
29/11/2010 09:50:26 AM
- 1226 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
- 1235 Views
War and Peace was very thematic
30/11/2010 05:00:30 AM
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Re: War and Peace was very thematic
30/11/2010 09:35:50 AM
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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
- 1074 Views
I've always thought of this series (and fantasy in general) are a bit like Aesop's Fables
30/11/2010 10:44:09 PM
- 1014 Views
Please tell me what drugs you're on
01/12/2010 04:04:39 AM
- 1182 Views
It's called 'reality' - I agree with LadyLorraine & Moratcorlm
01/12/2010 07:57:35 PM
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You are absolutely wrong.
02/12/2010 04:53:52 AM
- 1064 Views
You are incorrect - you should read the definition you reference before posting it.
02/12/2010 04:19:16 PM
- 1185 Views
No, I read the ENTIRE article, unlike you. You have to scroll down a bit.
02/12/2010 05:47:13 PM
- 984 Views
No, you need to read and comprehend. That was a THEORY.
02/12/2010 07:11:01 PM
- 895 Views
It's really very simple.
04/12/2010 12:31:16 AM
- 1170 Views
mk, I think I understand more what you meant now after reading this exchange
05/12/2010 05:42:47 AM
- 1104 Views
I still don't agree; sorry. I don't think this theory applies to everyone.
06/12/2010 05:30:41 PM
- 1203 Views
No, those are disbeliefs that you must suspend.
01/12/2010 08:18:25 PM
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You have to feel the characters are somehow believable to empathize with them.
02/12/2010 01:05:29 AM
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I don't see how WoT's writing (Before, or now) prevents that
02/12/2010 04:12:54 AM
- 912 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
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Black Tower
30/11/2010 01:50:29 AM
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Re: Black Tower
30/11/2010 01:57:48 AM
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No, the worst case scenario is that the entire tower becomes 13+13'd and fights for the Shadow
30/11/2010 04:03:07 AM
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Hopper's death... oh god...
01/12/2010 01:00:12 AM
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while i miss hopper
02/12/2010 04:19:28 AM
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Re: while i miss hopper
02/12/2010 05:30:52 PM
- 1155 Views
Hopper wasn't that important, either, though.
03/12/2010 02:32:10 PM
- 963 Views