I've just finished reading tGS and overall I thought it was great. I'll need to re-read it a time or two before I can write any kind of comprehensive review, but two things that I do want to write about now are the portrayal of Egwene and Semirhage.
When Semirhage was captured at the end of KoD, I was convinced that Rand would be an idiot and she would end up escaping due to his softheartedness and the Aes Sedai's incompetance. I was pleased to see this didn't happen. She was guarded well - though not stilled, which she should have been - and only escaped thanks to Shaidar Haran. But I found myself disappointed in her - this legendary figure, the Mistress of Pain, did nothing with her captivity except spout ridiculous threats. Where was the divide-and-conquer? Where was her subtle, clever plan to escape? I know that whole spanking scene with Cadsuane had been about showing her to be 'only human'. But I was still disappointed. I would have expected more from the newest-raised Aes Sedai.
That was her plan to escape; the same one she used in the Age of Legends. Her plan was to scare her captors silly, and it was working. Divide and conquer? Why bother when they were already doing that by themselves. Subtlety? She knew of no allies among Rand's followers and had no way of communicating with them. In fact, she couldn't do anything much besides talking at her interrogators.
The spanking scene seems a little easy, but was it? Semirhage was not used to dealing with humiliation. Her initial reactions to being treated like a child destroyed any credibility she had with the Aes Sedai and even the servants, any chance of intimidating them further, any chance of escaping under her own power, and destroyed her reputation among the Chosen once they found out. Semirhage was not destroyed by being spanked; she was destroyed by acting like a child.
And at the other end of the spectrum was Egwene. A lot of the book was devoted to her undermining of Elaida, and it was a tense, gripping plot from beginning to end. Throughout it all, Egwene bore near-intolerable pain, indignity and fear. She plotted and planned and played politics with a masterful skill far beyond her years. When the Seanchan attacked, Egwene fought them off with nothing more than a circle of novices and a sa'angreal. Oh, and in a spare moment, she destroyed the Black Ajah that had infested the Tower for over a thousand years.
In every page that was written about her, she was faultlessly noble and completely self-sacrificing. Her sections of the book were a thumping good read. But tGS has finished the job begun in CoT of making Egwene into a character who is simply too good to be true. She is wise, clever, never makes mistakes, and seems to utterly lack flaws. Beside Egwene, other characters start to become insignificant and washed-out. Elaida went from being a stubborn, blind megalomanic that you could still, somewhat, relate to and sympathise with, to simply violently insane. Two books of careful, nerve-shredding detective work by the BA hunters was made irrelevant in an instant.
In short, for all that I liked her sections of the book, she has become a Sue of the highest order, and I really hope Sanderson tones her down a bit in the next two books.
Yes, well the task she set herself was always going to do that. She simply did not have the chance to show her flaws (with a few exceptions). The other characters looked less important because they were told from Egwene's PoV, and I'm sure Cannoli will post a thesis on this issue in the next installment of Egwene's Evil. Elaida's breakdown was expected, considering she was just talked under the table by a Novice; other than that, she wasn't acting any differently. The BA hunters were being careful, but they were being too careful. They really missed a chance at taking down the Supreme Council. With Tarmon Gaidin immenant, that chance was totally worth the risk with careful planning.
I don't like labling characters as Sues. Any PoV character who gets things done, and has a high opinion of themselves, will come out looking exactly like Egwene. Also, considering you liked her sections, I don't know what you're complaining about.
Semirhage and Egwene
- 04/12/2009 02:31:45 PM
1576 Views
I agree with all of that.
- 04/12/2009 02:58:48 PM
817 Views
Re: I agree with all of that. *NM*
- 04/12/2009 03:22:49 PM
392 Views
Re: I agree with all of that.
- 04/12/2009 03:29:46 PM
752 Views
The entire cast is full of Perfect Sues and Stuarts (I may have just made latter up)
- 04/12/2009 03:14:27 PM
824 Views
If you plan to write that review before the last two books are out, you better get re-reading now. *NM*
- 04/12/2009 03:20:31 PM
346 Views
about Semirhage
- 04/12/2009 03:21:32 PM
1136 Views
but
- 04/12/2009 03:26:29 PM
730 Views
She was never THAT person.
- 06/12/2009 01:22:39 AM
698 Views
Alas, Semirhage was actually an idiot
- 04/12/2009 05:03:48 PM
845 Views
Re: Alas, Semirhage was actually an idiot
- 04/12/2009 06:42:41 PM
723 Views
If one compares the characters...
- 05/12/2009 11:24:16 AM
649 Views
Did I miss Rand's marriage ceremonies? I always thought the three girls only bonded him *NM*
- 05/12/2009 11:27:36 AM
344 Views
Egwene had the best mix of teachers and a desire to learn. Most believable, IMO. *NM*
- 04/12/2009 10:17:56 PM
369 Views
That's really nonsense
- 05/12/2009 11:13:20 AM
643 Views
And yet Egwene is still a fool regarding Gawyn.
- 04/12/2009 05:44:49 PM
799 Views
I disagree with most of that
- 05/12/2009 10:58:12 AM
710 Views
Egwene has a long way to go ...
- 05/12/2009 06:16:31 PM
699 Views
Hardly a blunder
- 06/12/2009 01:43:54 AM
659 Views
Re: Hardly a blunder? Send Egwene back to Silviana.
- 07/12/2009 04:03:08 PM
676 Views
Or she her rescue forced her hand. She lost her advantage
- 07/12/2009 04:47:56 PM
586 Views
She lost her advantage?!? Siuan probably saved her life
- 09/12/2009 11:57:26 AM
680 Views
- 09/12/2009 03:24:34 PM
711 Views
- 09/12/2009 03:24:34 PM
711 Views
She should have attacked when they first arrived
- 07/12/2009 09:35:33 PM
604 Views
Don't damn me, damn Graendal
- 09/12/2009 12:51:18 PM
646 Views
Yes, the Aes Sedai need to rediscover the meaning of "servants of all" *NM*
- 06/12/2009 05:03:19 AM
638 Views
I'm re-reading the series now for the first time in years. Egwene has always been a weak character.
- 07/12/2009 01:12:15 AM
678 Views
I think you'll find few people who agree with you on both of those counts... 
- 07/12/2009 01:53:58 PM
636 Views
- 07/12/2009 01:53:58 PM
636 Views
Irritating teen spirits ...
- 07/12/2009 04:32:51 PM
680 Views
You must not have been reading the same series I have.
- 07/12/2009 10:33:23 PM
723 Views
- 07/12/2009 10:33:23 PM
723 Views