A Memory of Light general discussion [SPOILERS FROM POST 171 ONWARDS!]

Got mine in easons there as it was the closest
they had nothing about it in the fantasy section, went to customer service section and saw 6 sad copies on the desk

did they all sell out or did easons just not care
anyway sure I have it now!

AnCapaillMor

Chapter 22

Finally we find what demandred was up to.

matrim

A cup of tea, then chapter 37.

The Last Battle

Rhavin

Just finished it and I'm left with mixed feelings, i.e. relief, sadness and a small bit of dissatisfaction.

OwaynOTT

Any notice on the reverse of the cover where it states ebook also available? Ah no it's not!

Trojan

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Any notice on the reverse of the cover where it states ebook also available? Ah no it's not!

Actually, the ebook is most definitely available. It's just not available to purchase. Idiotic decision.

More on that, including a note that many are rating the book 1/5 to force the publisher to take note.

One commenter here said:

Harriet has seen fit to make sure that Kindle edition isn't available right now so she can be sure (in her mind) to get the NY Times Best Seller ribbon on Robert's last book when everyone in the world besides her knows she would have had it anyway without pissing off 1/2 of her husbands fanbase.

Actually, that info is from Sanderson himself:

Question: Why a delayed ebook release for A Memory of Light?

Answer: This is not my decision or Tor's decision, but Harriet's. She is uncomfortable with ebooks. Specifically, she worries about ebooks cutting into the hardcover sales. It isn't about money for her, as the monetary difference between the two is negligible here. It is about a worry that her husband's legacy will be undermined if sales are split between ebooks and hardcovers, preventing the last book of the Wheel of Time from hitting number one on either list. (Many of the bestseller lists are still handling ebooks in somewhat awkward ways.)

As the last books have all hit number one, she doesn't want to risk one of these not hitting number one, and therefore ending the series on a down note. (Even though each Wheel of Time book has sold more than its predecessor, including the ones I have worked on.) I personally feel her worries are unfounded, and have explained that to her, but it is not my choice and I respect her reasoning for the decision. She is just trying to safeguard Robert Jordan's legacy, and feels this is a very important way she needs to do so. After talking about the issue, we were able to move the ebook up from the originally planned one-year delay to instead come out this spring.

OwaynOTT

Yes yes I knew all that, there might be a ebook but it is most definitely not available yet.

5starpool

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Yes yes I knew all that, there might be a ebook but it is most definitely not available yet.

Not legally. I have the hardcover on the way (bought online) but just checked and it's available in the usual illegal places.

I'm still on book 2 in the summary re-read so no need to resort to it anyhow.

Trojan

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Yes yes I knew all that, there might be a ebook but it is most definitely not available yet.

It most definitely is available, it's just not available to purchase legally. Someone (or several people) have scanned the entire book with OCR and made it available online.

I suspect this will be one of the most pirated ebooks of the year, if not of all time. Ebook sales will probably be a fraction of what they could have been when it's released eventually because of the delay, the pirated versions, and - on the positive side for Harriet Jordan - some people buying the hardback instead.

I'd say Tor and Sanderson aren't thrilled with Harriet for this decision.

keane2097

Deserves to lose a rake of money for trying to massage the paper version sales imo.

OwaynOTT

I think I read something recently where ebook sakes only accounted for like 12%!of book sales.
I don't think they will lose out on too much if at all as legions of fans will not wait for the ebook or use other routes to get it.

Anyone else finished? Bit of an anti climax really.

matrim

Finished this evening. Still working out how I feel about it.

I did partly expect the Rand walking away unnoticed with everyone thinking he was dead, but surely everyone would be lookiing for Moridin. The main forsaken is not going to be allowed to walk away without raising alot of questions.

Also Bela

AnCapaillMor

matrim wrote: »

Finished this evening. Still working out how I feel about it.

I did partly expect the Rand walking away unnoticed with everyone thinking he was dead, but surely everyone would be lookiing for Moridin. The main forsaken is not going to be allowed to walk away without raising alot of questions.

Also Bela

heh I was thinking the exact same thing with Bela.

The end felt like a gemmill book to me, rushed, I was thinking there's no way he'll finish it with the pages left. What did hawkwing say to tuon, fain appeared and dissapeared just as quickly and what the hell was he, perrin bits were underwhelming, very underused.

I'd the same feeling about Rand.

Rest of it though was pretty epic, matt was excellent, demandred and the sharans the last thing you expected. Egwene that was very unexpected. Really like the pevara and androl scenes. That scene in the village in the blight with slayer.

He really built up the end I actually felt they were going to lose just where Brigitte gets beheaded, Olver with horn and elayne about to be gutted.

I'd just like to add gawyn annoyed me over all the books and he didn't dissapoint.

Zapp Brannigan

I have this sitting on my bookshelf. (pretty funny considering I was dead set on not buying it in dead tree format)

I don't know if I can resist!

martin g

matrim wrote: »

Finished this evening. Still working out how I feel about it.

I did partly expect the Rand walking away unnoticed with everyone thinking he was dead, but surely everyone would be lookiing for Moridin. The main forsaken is not going to be allowed to walk away without raising alot of questions.

Also Bela

You knew he was alive when the 3 women didnt react the way they should of. Plus Moridin was on the ground outside, surely they would wonder where he got up and went to !

martin g

Was pretty happy with Lans part in the final book, taught he was a bit underused in some of it. Great to see him best Deamondred. And survive Brought a tear to the eye

What will Hawking say to Tuon? Will that keep the peace in the future?

AnCapaillMor

martin g wrote: »

Was pretty happy with Lans part in the final book, taught he was a bit underused in some of it. Great to see him best Deamondred. And survive Brought a tear to the eye

What will Hawking say to Tuon? Will that keep the peace in the future?

Yeah exactly with tuon, someone was saying that there was sequels centred with matt and the seanchan, I imagine going back there. Jordans death put an end to it.

As for Rand I'd a feeling something like that would happen going by aviendha's vision from the previous book, something about the kids seeing the father every now and then.

I liked it but for a 14 book epic series, I really thought the end felt rushed and it does feel the end was written with some sort of sequels in mind.

nibtrix

I agree that it felt a bit rushed in places, but considering the 13 books worth of plot that needed to be resolved, I was reasonably happy with how it went.
I had a few big issues though -
1) Mat was a major character for the whole book, had a great run being general for the whole combined army etc. then his big scene fighting Fain who had been a major 'baddie' for many of the books / using his link to the Shadar Logoth dagger etc etc was finished in 1 line!!
2) Perrin, 1st half of the book great, then disappeared for too long. Final battle with Slayer was great but I think Faile should have died as not enough major characters died.
3) While I was happy Rand got to walk away at the end, I can't believe 'Moridin' would be allowed to just leave without being chased, so he couldn't have gotten much peace out of it. Also the three 'wives' did a really crap job of pretending Rand had died!!

My favourite bits -
1) Egwene kicked ass all through and her death scene was awesome.
2) Androl and Pevara's scenes were great and considering they really only appeared one book earlier I really cared what happened to them.
3) Go Olver!! I never liked him as a character but I thought the scene with the trollocs hunting him and him sounding the horn was excellent.

blackwave

finished it a few days ago and still cant beleve its over but happy for the most part with ending.

Was delighted to see Tam and lan get a lot of time always wanted to see more tam to get more of a insight into him and how he got his sword. sharaentering the battle was really unexpected and egwenes end was great and unexpected too.

martin g

nibtrix wrote: »

I agree that it felt a bit rushed in places, but considering the 13 books worth of plot that needed to be resolved, I was reasonably happy with how it went.
I had a few big issues though -
1) Mat was a major character for the whole book, had a great run being general for the whole combined army etc. then his big scene fighting Fain who had been a major 'baddie' for many of the books / using his link to the Shadar Logoth dagger etc etc was finished in 1 line!!

I was happy enough with the ending. At least it wasnt a Lost type of ending and ruined the whole show/book. I taught Sanderson done a good job and there was fewer parts of over explaining some situations. Or that might just be the book was coming to a end...
I agree with the Fain part. To short a finish to such a big part of the whole series. Bit of a let down !

Did anyone else find it weird finding out they are brothers ???

Has anyone heard if there is a film or tv series going to made ? I know the rights were bought but nothing has happened so far...

matrim

martin g wrote: »

Did anyone else find it weird finding out they are brothers ???

Rand and Galad? It was revealed a few books ago that Tigrane (Galads mother ) was Rands mother

nibtrix

matrim wrote: »

Rand and Galad? It was revealed a few books ago that Tigrane (Galads mother ) was Rands mother

Yeah it was way back in Book 6.

Actually, another thing I'm a bit annoyed about, only Perrin got to meet Slayer, would have be interesting for him to meet with Rand (as his Luc side was Rand's uncle), or with Lan (as his Isam side was Lan's cousin). Family reunions all round!

AnCapaillMor

nibtrix wrote: »

Actually, another thing I'm a bit annoyed about, only Perrin got to meet Slayer, would have be interesting for him to meet with Rand (as his Luc side was Rand's uncle), or with Lan (as his Isam side was Lan's cousin). Family reunions all round!

I was thinking the same until a reread and the prologue of book 10, slayer as luc is assasinating someone and he goes on about how he can't wait to kill his nephew, then again maybe seeing tigraines likeness might've changed his mind. On luc\slayer i thought there would be more to it too, Gitara Moroso sent tigraine to the waste and look what happened, i was expecting something significant to sending luc to the blight and nothing happened. I thought isam might repent or meet up with Lan by the way he was going on during the prologue.

One thing i remembered last night that bugged me, Arganda(i think) was questioing matt about the people defending the ford, they got slaughtered but hours later he saw the same people again and they beat the trollocs, matt said he'd explain later then the book ended, gah!!!

matrim

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

I was thinking the same until a reread and the prologue of book 10, slayer as luc is assasinating someone and he goes on about how he can't wait to kill his nephew, then again maybe seeing tigraines likeness might've changed his mind. On luc\slayer i thought there would be more to it too, Gitara Moroso sent tigraine to the waste and look what happened, i was expecting something significant to sending luc to the blight and nothing happened. I thought isam might repent or meet up with Lan by the way he was going on during the prologue.

One thing i remembered last night that bugged me, Arganda(i think) was questioing matt about the people defending the ford, they got slaughtered but hours later he saw the same people again and they beat the trollocs, matt said he'd explain later then the book ended, gah!!!

I think I read somewhere that they were the people from the village where everyone was brought back to life the next morning. Mat met them in the last book.

matrim

matrim wrote: »

I think I read somewhere that they were the people from the village where everyone was brought back to life the next morning. Mat met them in the last book.

OHH that would make sense, I was wondering wtf was going on

AnCapaillMor

Oh yeah forgot about that, i like it.

nibtrix

Yeah, they were

the villagers from Hinderstap along with the members of the Band that died there

. I thought it was a great use of a small element from earlier in the series, great conservation of characters!

AnCapaillMor

Forgot to mention this one, reread the last few pages again because it was late when i originally finished and my ind was in a muddle from all the goings on, anyways :

Rand lighting the pipe at the end, he touched all 3 sources nothing happened and then he imagined it lit and it was. Ok what was that?

matrim

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

Forgot to mention this one, reread the last few pages again because it was late when i originally finished and my ind was in a muddle from all the goings on, anyways :

Rand lighting the pipe at the end, he touched all 3 sources nothing happened and then he imagined it lit and it was. Ok what was that?

It's not explained but I would think that it's something to do with how during his fight with the dark one he was directly manipulating the pattern. At one stage it was described as if he was almost channelling the pattern.

He might remember some of this and now be able to do it.

AnCapaillMor

That'd be handy, yeah i was kinda something like that

An uber ta'veren. It'd explain him taking off at the end too with that much power what would he attempt to do if he was too involved in the running of the world and what would people make him do.