The Shadow Rising Review (WOT 4) 

That was funny

Yup, although, since when does Mat have so many knives?

@@e443productions9 since he hung around with tom and his jugling ;)

Also Mats reaction when he sees Rhuarc having two wives was amazing

Jason van meir he’s either the luckiest man in the world or the craziest

This

This is spot on.

But it's kind of a spoiler tho? The coming books hints at this more and more strongly. I don't believe it is meant to be fully understood yet.

They don't explain that until book 11 I'm pretty sure

I got it quite a bit sooner than that but yea, it probably is properly confirmed then.

And on top of that, Mat gets a spear with two ravens carved into it at the same time he gets hanged, which is a clear nod to Odin's spear and his two knowledge-seeking raven companions, Hugin and Munin.

and if you've finished the series you'lll know there are more Odin Matt comparisons to come

@@kev4366 I mean technically in past and future ages of the Wheel, Matt literally is the origin of the Odin myth.

Androl Genhald how’s Pevara doing? Also I like to think of it as the memories being unlocked. They were definitely there before. After he’s healed from the dagger he has visions of commanding troops

@@caydenpomeroy8657 she's doing great! Thanks for asking! I think you are seriously underrated BTW! . . That's a cool way of looking at it. I could get behind that

Androl Genhald thanks! I honestly think you’re underrated too, besides Rodel Androl has to be one of my favorite side characters

Lord of Chaos still my favorite

*Box intensifies*

I'm currently two thirds through Lord of Chaos, and this is accurate..

@@Rendref Oh a huge amount happened if you don't remember. (the ending obviously the biggest thing) I can think of many events in that book and it is widely regarded as one of the best most entertaining books in the series. Spoilers follow: Few of the things just off the top of my head. Rand's bonding, the Black Tower, Nynavae and Logain's thing. Egwene is raised. So MUCH

@@Rendref Let's see. Spoiler warning for anyone who has not read the book! Founding of the Black Tower and Mazrim Taim is put in charge of it. Davram Bashere moves more and more into Rand's influence. Alanna force bonds Rand, which causes him to trust Aes Sedai even less than he already does. At the same time, Verin begins to earn her trust with Rand. Egwene and Gawyn's romance begins, as does the rivalry between Gawyn and Rand (mostly due to misinformation provided to him by black ajah Aes Sedai). Rand sends Matt, Aviendha, and the Band of the Red Hand to help Elayne return to Caemlyn and begin her ascent to the throne, thus announcing his plans for both Andor and Cairhien. It also enhances the bond between Aviendha and Elayne, which also frees up Aviendha's romantic interests with Rand. Min and Rand's romance and personal alliance begins. Rand is captured, Lews Therin comes insanely close to taking him over... while Rand nearly goes mad just from the experience. Rand also learns how to overcome being shielded by 13 Aes Sedai. He also killed 2 warders with his swordsmanship. One of which had a heron-marked blade, thus Rand gets his first true victory over a blade master that didn't involve Matt's luck. Perin begins to show how the ta'veren links to Rand draw the others in by instinctive, almost immediate rush toward Rand with a massive military force made up of both his own and Rand's followers... without actually knowing he was in danger. Salidar Aes Sedai politics are abound, and it gives us some insight on how these things are done within the White Tower. We see a lot of truly intriguing rituals, not to mention all of the background maneuvering through the eyes of Siuan, Leane, and Gareth Brynn. Meanwhile, Nynaeve learns how to heal using the most advanced of Aes Sedai manners... without being trained. She also learns how to heal stilling/gentling. Logain flees and joins the Black Tower as an immediate counter to Taim. Egwene is raised to the Amyrlin Seat of the Salidar Aes Sedai. Elayne figures out how to create cuendillar. She also begins creating other ter'angreal, and starts work on duplicating Matt's fox head medallion. All the major events based in Ebou Dar begin. Then of course, one of the greatest fantasy battles of all time... Dumai's Wells happens. "Asha'men Kill!" leads to "Kneel or you will be knelt." Rand professes distrust of the Aes Sedai. Much of the Shaido Aiel are destroyed, forcing the remnants of Couladin and Savanna's followers to flee and thus begin the Malden story arch. There's enough here to create 3 books from, but you know... doesn't "require 1000 pages."

Nate Cooper - great thought. Thanks.

Matt my favorite. But all 3 are awesome

I wouldve been happy if Perrin didnt show up until book 12. He is absolutely useless for 6 books

Perrin is my love and he is my favourite character ❤

First 4 books - Perrin was my fav arc (i have just started book 6)

Which book in the series did you like reading the most?

@@musasametonlu9961 That's such a hard question! I think probably 4, 6, 11, and 12 are all up there for me. How about you?

@@beyonddaylight5556 I have read the first 3 books. And each time I started reading a new one, it became my favourite. I love all 4 of them but my fav is book 2. I knew from the beginning reading this series would be interesting. The good thing about the series is that Jordan keeps putting new stuff in each book. He expands his own story and i like being introduced to new aspects of this world every book.

@@musasametonlu9961 Ah I'm very jealous that you have so much of the series left to read! I've finished the series and I'm trying to find something to fill the void 😅

@@beyonddaylight5556 ohhhh I feel you. That is what happened to me when I got through all HP books as a kid. And I know I will have that same feeling about WoT as well. I guess I won't be able to name a fav book after I am done with the series because I don't read WoT for the events, I read it to get a glimpse of that universe and aspects of characters and their motivations. I may not be an ideal fantasy book reader because I read the series like how I read Tolstoy etc.

Johan Järvinen the third request was not a way to get back to rhuidean it was a way to leave the realm n he was hang because that was the payment for the three request

Totally agree.

Adding on to this, it's badass that Robert Jordan hints at the sc-fi lore of the Age Of Legends with hoverflys in Rand's flashbacks

On my first read through, this whole sequence felt bloated and unnecesary until you find out why it was important at the end

that bit blew my fucking mind. absolutely the best moment so far

Just finished book four and it‘s probably my fabourite moment of the series so far along with the flicker, flicker scene.

Eduardo Oliveira Crown of Swords is so underrated. That’s where my love for Mat started too

I’ve always found Egwene to be super relatable and I enjoy her perspective the most. I just finished book 4 so I’m excited to see how her character progresses!

Don't think it's his ancestors. Just a lot of people who were warriors in the past.

@@KibiHofmann I think it is mooted at some point that at least some are ancestors as he has memories of the fall of Maneteren (the old blood sings).

Mat's memories are not ancestors, he remembers at the very least fighting both for and against Hawkwing. Its just generals who asked for advice

Patrim that is not correct. The answer is technically a spoiler so I don’t want to post it here even with a tag. But there is a good reason why you are not correct and it is deductible from what happens in this book

And no. Ancestors is not correct either

Yes! I talked about it in that review. I just liked the scene where she layed it out in this book too

Carlos Matos Fanpage why would you watch a spoiler review in the first place

@@rujoolpatil1227 exactly lol.

@@carlosmatosfanpage2856 ok kido

Jon Kar haha I love the belittling ‘kido’ that you slipped in there. Really fucking hurt my feelings

Gabriel Fillion - not a fan of her...till I was raising my first daughter...then I started to understand this 15 year old.

I enjoy her and Perrin’s relationship. I feel like they’re one of the best relationships so far. I’m on the Path of Daggers.

Faile was unbearable to me in this book. I was cheering every time it seemed Perrin drove her away but she came back every single time lol

@@KingBowserVlog hahaha. In fairness, Jordan's representations of women tend to be pretty one dimensional. I can't stand most of them most of the time. :P

jc5674 Really late but I’m wondering if they get better cause I’m soooo into this series, but sometimes they can be plain out annoying

foodforfat remember Siuan’s uncle Huan!!

> "read" > "Paren" , "Matt" you mean listened to the audiobook, right?

*paren*

@@boxbo7926 He shouldn't ever be forgotten, he died a hero

Linayus - Same. Wow,what a way to drop that on the poor fella.

Thag shit wrenche at my heart

Apple blossom flowers😭😭

Post viewing: I feel that due to the huge character roster there is a character for everyone. Like many, I’m not really compelled by Perrin. But I’m very fond of Rand. What I have always found frustrating is that sometimes I think we spend too much time with a character that when we switch POVs it can be hard to keep going because you were so invested in the previous POV. It becomes more prevalent in a crown of swords for me (at least where I am so far..). It’s great because you get invested in all the plot threads but sometimes I find myself reading through a chapter just to get to the next POV.

Totally agree with Jade. I am so excited for your thoughts on this series. Just enjoy it...the first time. Don’t stress over anything. It will all be revealed by the end and multiple readings.

I agree with you alot. I hadnt realized Verin had managed to lie, I always thought of her on the side of the light, now im questioning it. I really like how Rand was secretive and set the trap for the forsaken. Hes playing Lanfear and seems to be doing well so far.

My fave! 😍

Nyneave reminds me a lot of my wife. I keep thinking we will find a backstory where we find out she was bullied or at risk when she was a kid. It feels like she has lots of prejudices about men, other cultures and authority

Disagree. Nynaeve is a constant bitch, Lan is far away from being the main source of drama

Wrong. Nynaeve was bitchy from he get go

And not to speak of sidecharacters. If i could get more of Loial, Logain and especially Thom, i would. But Thom being so mysterious makes for him to be an even better character (i guess he shares the role of Gandalf in this book with Moirane?)

Nice analysis. Nynaeve is one of my favorite characters so far, i just finished book 4

Yeah, I got really excited when Rand went through the pillars. Talk of flying machines and other signs of much more advanced technology and then the buildings being possible skyscrapers just made me realize what the previous age must have been like. That then makes me really disappointed that we won't get more WoT for all the other ages - would have been nice to go all the way around the wheel!

Rich Freeman go check out Wheel of Time: Before the Breaking , on CivilisationEx channel. It runs some fascinating ideas that will really change your view of The Age of Legends

@@jarrodjeffrey759 already in my watch list but it seemed likely to contain soilers so I don't plan to watch it until I'm finished the series.

Rich Freeman not exactly spoilers but you are right. Probably best to wait til you finish all the novels. I started reading the books in the 90’s & was into book 4 before I realised how large the planned story was & how long before it would be complete. When I heard last year that it was being adapted I decided to finally tackle the story again. However watching RU-vid videos I encountered so many spoilers you do have to be careful.

@@jarrodjeffrey759 I've found the Reddit group to be really good for this. They must get a lot of first-time readers so they have a way of tagging posts by book and then those posts must be spoiler-free after that book. This lets new readers get into discussions/speculation/etc or just ask questions partway through the series without having anything ruined. It is a bit like LOTR in the sense that it seems like there are 100 more stories that could be written in this world. I guess something I always liked about LOTR was that the world didn't seem like a Potemkin Village. For every detail that was revealed it seemed like there were hints that there were 12 more that were just beyond sight. JRRT didn't feel obligated to have an explanation for everything or fit everything into his plot (perhaps almost to the point of absurdity). In many ways I feel like WoT gets this even better, because it all works fairly consistently but you get the same depth, without quite as many crazy tangents. Without getting into any spoilers by this point in the story we have things like the thief-takers who have some kind of power that isn't really explained, but which could be a whole set of lore on its own. There is the wolf power. Of course there is the One Power but that does get a lot more exploration (though I'd say the number of weaves that actually have been employed is remarkably limited). There are the Bubbles of Evil, and so much about the Pattern itself. Maybe some of this will get explained in the last two books (I'm almost done 12), but I suspect that there will remain a ton of lore that could be built on. And all of this is with the third age, when the wheel clearly seems to go round and round. What happened in the last third age? What will happen in the next? What happened at the start of the second age? We only have bits of the end of the second age. It is a shame that those books will probably never be written.

Yeah, I've taken short breaks between those books and it helps. I'm on 12 now and I doubt I'll be able to pause even a day...

I do this for most series...I’ll read some other book before getting back into the next book of any series I’m reading. I look forward to the next book so much more if I’ve given myself a break from the series for a short bit.

@@RichFreeman I finally made it to A Memory of Light. It is great so far.

@@josephmiller9919 "finally" is a good word for it. The series is great, but the amount of detail is incredible. I am constantly trying to remember who the various characters are. When they adapt this to TV I can only imagine how much they'll simplify that considering they had to do that for GoT and that isn't nearly as bad.

perrin's the one that took the longest to get interesting... mat was dead weight for a couple of books near the start sure but then he got interesting... perrin was arguably maybe interesting with the white cloaks but it was all downhill for him from there until he became neo and redeemed himself

Nynaeve is one of my favorite character. I absolutely adore her. That said, she is insufferable in The Shadow Rising and most of Fires of Heaven. She gets much better afterwards, though. Merphy won't have to wait too long to see the Nynaeve that we all love.