Anyone else dislike the way the Power is being described?
Sidious Send a noteboard - 22/09/2009 03:48:58 PM
It's funny, you don't notice how RJ wrote about the One Power until someone else writes about it. We've only seen two chapters so maybe it's unfair to judge, but there's something missing in what I've read.
The One Power is almost absent from chapter 1, so I'll leave that alone. Rand does mention that his men are weaving things outside.
In the Prologue, Graendal experiences the Power in a way I'm not accustomed to. RJ gives the impression that the Power is always part of a channeler's experience of reality - they comment on its presence and absence. For instance, Graendal remarks on the fact that a gateway is being opened next to her. She doesn't remark on the fact that she can sense nothing, or that she is surprised that a gateway is suddenly there. Maybe she's used to being summoned by Moridin by now, but all the Forsaken get irritated when they don't sense the opposite power and this really would be a first.
Graendal doesn't grab on to saidar when the gateway opens, like all the hysterically paranoid Forsaken do. It could have been Rand for all she knew. Then again, we don't know when she grabbed saidar for the whole chapter - because she suddenly weaves Air and Water to change the temperature in Moridin's fortress. She doesn't comment on the glow around Mesaana, or the lack of glow, or if she released saidar at any stage. She doesn't comment on Demandred and not knowing what he's up to with saidin, or Moridin and the saa, or the True Power.
Now, I don't feel like an angry reaction to this post - because you can show examples from every Forsaken chapter where they aren't thinking about these things all the time. However, I just got the feeling that Graendal never thought about any of this once, or we as readers weren't informed of what she was doing with her ability. It's a really small thing, but it was consistently part of RJ's writing, especially around the Forsaken. I just hope Brandon doesn't make the mistake of putting in the Power because he 'must', as in every scene with a channeler must have obligatory mention of something. The Power is meant to be part of a channeler's life as surely as their hands are, and their reality seems different to a non-channeler's.
Wheel of Time board admin
Fan of Lanfear
Fan of Lanfear
TGS Prologue - your thoughts (part 3) *spoilers*
20/09/2009 09:38:16 PM
- 2886 Views
Demandred's Proxies
20/09/2009 10:25:36 PM
- 848 Views
Does anyone else feel the LOC Forsaken plan was scrapped in an unsatisfactory way?
20/09/2009 10:47:37 PM
- 783 Views
Using the Bowl of Winds and cleansing the taint have altered the plan I guess. bad guys adapted *NM*
20/09/2009 11:02:25 PM
- 278 Views
Which Forsaken do you think will die in TGS?
20/09/2009 11:58:30 PM
- 708 Views
Theoretically they only get killed off in odd numbered books, right?
21/09/2009 04:11:37 AM
- 770 Views
Re: Which Forsaken do you think will die in TGS?
21/09/2009 06:33:07 AM
- 725 Views
Re: Which Forsaken do you think will die in TGS?
22/09/2009 02:16:58 AM
- 638 Views
That would be a great twist--- Elza could end up saving Rand from his own ability to kill a woman
22/09/2009 02:46:03 AM
- 596 Views
A few more thoughts after a re-read of the prologue
21/09/2009 05:20:17 PM
- 827 Views
Agree with most of this, not sure about Justice and I think Fain...
21/09/2009 05:41:29 PM
- 633 Views
Anyone else dislike the way the Power is being described?
22/09/2009 03:48:58 PM
- 746 Views
Who made this Gateway anyway?
22/09/2009 05:03:48 PM
- 634 Views
Re: Who made this Gateway anyway?
22/09/2009 11:04:06 PM
- 680 Views
Hmmm...
23/09/2009 02:50:44 PM
- 587 Views
Can't spy
23/09/2009 06:10:40 PM
- 534 Views
I meant Moridin's messenger as a possible spy
23/09/2009 06:35:04 PM
- 550 Views
I found it interesting that creatures in the blight don't obey the Chosen
23/09/2009 10:08:44 PM
- 594 Views
Re: I found it interesting that creatures in the blight don't obey the Chosen
24/09/2009 02:53:17 AM
- 568 Views
Theory on the beautiful messenger
25/09/2009 06:48:58 AM
- 577 Views
Re: Theory on the beautiful messenger
27/09/2009 02:46:44 PM
- 689 Views
It's strange...
27/09/2009 03:35:45 PM
- 531 Views
Time line
27/09/2009 09:12:31 PM
- 510 Views
Re: Time line
27/09/2009 09:40:41 PM
- 512 Views
Why is it impossible?
27/09/2009 11:58:02 PM
- 582 Views
Re: Why is it impossible?
28/09/2009 01:02:53 AM
- 465 Views