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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 3064 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 1690 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 1625 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 1591 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 1629 Views
Yes, she still lets herself be ruled by her desire to control everything - 29/11/2010 02:39:34 AM 1595 Views
I vote it has come to pass - 29/11/2010 02:48:26 AM 1448 Views
*facepalm* - good point, not sure how I missed that. *NM* - 29/11/2010 03:12:00 AM 845 Views
Re: I vote it has come to pass - 29/11/2010 09:42:51 AM 1449 Views
Prophecy never said she would be angry at the time, - 29/11/2010 11:36:53 AM 1512 Views
lol true, gg *NM* - 29/11/2010 11:52:54 AM 831 Views
Aviendha's vision doesn't automatically mean the Light will win - 28/11/2010 05:32:56 PM 1862 Views
She doesn't even see that. The arches just show a possibility. - 29/11/2010 07:12:05 PM 1405 Views
Indeed - 28/11/2010 06:16:41 PM 1490 Views
am i the only one who acknowledges that it's a jerk deal for jerks - 28/11/2010 08:00:23 PM 1728 Views
i think most people feel that way - 29/11/2010 09:06:44 AM 1539 Views
I agree with you - 05/12/2010 05:13:38 PM 1323 Views
Re: am i the only one who acknowledges that it's a jerk deal for jerks - 29/11/2010 06:40:18 PM 1458 Views
Agreed. The series is formulaic and predictable, and even I expected a few more twists. - 28/11/2010 07:47:10 PM 1612 Views
Good reading for adrenaline junkies, maybe. *NM* - 29/11/2010 12:32:53 AM 905 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 1438 Views
Byar was compulsed - 29/11/2010 12:46:01 AM 1786 Views
I agree that he was part of Graendal's plan, but - 29/11/2010 02:16:45 AM 1430 Views
Re: I agree that he was part of Graendal's plan, but - 29/11/2010 09:44:05 AM 1377 Views
Re: Byar was compulsed - 29/11/2010 12:54:38 PM 1757 Views
Re: Byar was compulsed - 29/11/2010 12:59:31 PM 1452 Views
Re: Byar was compulsed - 29/11/2010 01:10:18 PM 1543 Views
He disbelieves in the Heroes - 29/11/2010 03:33:27 PM 1407 Views
I think that's his mind deceiving itself - 29/11/2010 07:19:05 PM 1487 Views
I didn't say he was necessarily Compulsed - 30/11/2010 07:40:51 AM 1387 Views
Do we have his reaction to the Heroes themselves? - 30/11/2010 11:55:42 AM 1478 Views
Re: Do we have his reaction to the Heroes themselves? - 30/11/2010 12:05:44 PM 1347 Views
he makes no mention of the Heroes. - 30/11/2010 10:42:13 PM 1457 Views
They did get another thing right - 29/11/2010 12:40:52 AM 1449 Views
Not Mat's fault, really - Verin didn't rehash her opinion of him. - 29/11/2010 02:18:17 AM 1419 Views
It's the WOT Red Shirt syndrome - 29/11/2010 04:29:12 AM 1555 Views
I don't want everyone to win and end up happily ever after though. - 29/11/2010 04:33:06 AM 1431 Views
The disney ending is not realistic - or at least not as believable - 29/11/2010 04:41:04 AM 1572 Views
You, good sir, are - 30/11/2010 06:53:49 PM 1373 Views
I also think Lan will be saved right before the end. - 29/11/2010 06:50:34 PM 1362 Views
Re: I also think Lan will be saved right before the end. - 30/11/2010 01:47:27 AM 1498 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 1535 Views
+1 *NM* - 29/11/2010 07:18:13 PM 763 Views
it is. I love it anyways, though - 29/11/2010 07:23:24 PM 1339 Views
War and Peace was very thematic - 30/11/2010 05:00:30 AM 1792 Views
Doublethink for the win! *NM* - 30/11/2010 07:35:20 AM 798 Views
Re: War and Peace was very thematic - 30/11/2010 09:35:50 AM 1435 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 1415 Views
Please tell me what drugs you're on - 01/12/2010 04:04:39 AM 1523 Views
It's called 'reality' - I agree with LadyLorraine & Moratcorlm - 01/12/2010 07:57:35 PM 1419 Views
You are absolutely wrong. - 02/12/2010 04:53:52 AM 1400 Views
You are incorrect - you should read the definition you reference before posting it. - 02/12/2010 04:19:16 PM 1529 Views
No, I read the ENTIRE article, unlike you. You have to scroll down a bit. - 02/12/2010 05:47:13 PM 1321 Views
No, you need to read and comprehend. That was a THEORY. - 02/12/2010 07:11:01 PM 1245 Views
It's really very simple. - 04/12/2010 12:31:16 AM 1571 Views
mk, I think I understand more what you meant now after reading this exchange - 05/12/2010 05:42:47 AM 1432 Views
I still don't agree; sorry. I don't think this theory applies to everyone. - 06/12/2010 05:30:41 PM 1545 Views
No, those are disbeliefs that you must suspend. - 01/12/2010 08:18:25 PM 1325 Views
You have to feel the characters are somehow believable to empathize with them. - 02/12/2010 01:05:29 AM 1393 Views
I don't see how WoT's writing (Before, or now) prevents that - 02/12/2010 04:12:54 AM 1221 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 1415 Views
That's a load of crap... - 02/12/2010 06:03:13 AM 1575 Views
Sure - 01/12/2010 01:30:03 AM 1364 Views
Black Tower - 30/11/2010 01:50:29 AM 1342 Views
Re: Black Tower - 30/11/2010 01:57:48 AM 1493 Views
I agree with everything. - 30/11/2010 01:37:11 PM 1670 Views
Hopper's death... oh god... - 01/12/2010 01:00:12 AM 1617 Views
while i miss hopper - 02/12/2010 04:19:28 AM 1372 Views
Re: while i miss hopper - 02/12/2010 05:30:52 PM 1501 Views
Hopper wasn't that important, either, though. - 03/12/2010 02:32:10 PM 1278 Views
Re: Hopper wasn't that important, either, though. - 03/12/2010 03:10:54 PM 1331 Views
It would be awesome if it were, though. - 03/12/2010 04:41:42 PM 1456 Views
Re: It would be awesome if it were, though. - 04/12/2010 09:54:09 PM 1422 Views
- 05/12/2010 07:07:44 AM 1299 Views

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