Crown of Swords & Path of Daggers
I'll just put these two together since I read them both while I had no Internet and couldn't post straight after. That is, books 7 & 8 of the Wheel of Time series; A Crown of Swords and The Path of Daggers.
A Crown of Swords:
The Good:
Any scene with Taim is awesome by default. Therefore, the aftermath of Dumai's Wells is almost as much made of win as the battle itself.
Lan! <3 Also Myrelle. But Lan & Nynaeve have made themselves my favourite couple on this re-read, and Lan makes Nynaeve a tolerable character. Whether she giggles or not. :D
Mat & Tylin. :D Also, Beslan. Poor Mat's world view is getting quite a shake here. :D
Birgitte & Mat drinking. Casually carrying on a conversation in the Old Tongue ftw!
Sammael. I don't know why I like him, but he's become my favourite Forsaken since Asmodean. Well, let's say he shares the second place with Demandred.
Sebban Balwer; secretary with an agenda! I didn't even remember his existence from my previous read through, but I quite like him now that he didn't stay with the Whitecloaks after Niall was murdered. Or was it that Valda threw him out? Well, either way, Balwer is not impressed any more than I was, so he moves on to kick butt elsewhere.
The Kin. I'm not 100% sure if I like or dislike them, but I do like how it turns out, I think. Sort of. Their ages are getting a bit over the top, though.
Cadsuane. Again, as with Alanna and Myrelle, I've no idea why I like her, but I just do. She annoys me at times, but mostly she's rather cool. Plus how many times she's retired (growing roses in Ghealdan!), only to come back out of retirement to hunt False Dragons. :D
Darlin Sinesra & Caraline Damodred. And a laugh that could make a woman look past any amount of nose. :D Just a massive "awww" couple in the supporting cast. Thank you for these small joys, RJ!
Damer Flinn. <3 Alright, even if it's Dashiva-the-mandatory-Forsaken-in-disguise that led him along to the path of learning Healing, this grandpa kicks ass! And Corele's reaction when he Heals Rand. <3 Another massive "aww" moment. And even Corele is a better character in her own right than I remembered from.. well, previously.
Moridin. I both liked and disliked Ishamael; he was delightfully insane yet maintained a sense of style... except when he appeared in his Ba'alzamon guise, spewing flames, which makes for a rather uncool mental image, at least in my head. But Ishamael-brought-back-as-Moridin seems to have maintained the insanity without the uncool, so he's... well, cool.
The Bad:
Pedron Niall. He was almost likeable for a Whitecloak. Surprise, surprise. He dies. And other than Niall, the Whitecloaks continue to be my least favourite story element altogether, excepting maybe the retardation with Faile and Berelain.
FAILE AND BERELAIN. Need I say more. Ugh. *shudders*
Morgase & co. and the spiral of unfortunate events that just gets them into deeper shit while the world believes her dead (and at least half the world believes her murdered by Rand, sigh).
Elayne & Nynaeve & Mat. Same as before; they're all good characters on their own right, but together they're just fucking impossible to enjoy reading about.
Halima. Disgusting, saidin-channeling bitch. (Although I must admit that I like the idea of their channeling staying the same despite being brought back to life in a body of different sex than the one they were born with. Not too fond of the general concept of bringing once-killed super-baddies back from the dead. Aren't there enough enemies left to keep the story interesting, without?)
The Path of Daggers:
The Good:
Borderland rulers rock. Even if they're going against Rand. I'm sure someone will make them see sense at some point. Also, Agelmar Jagand is <3.
Verin, also, rocks.
Elyas Machera! <3 So happy to see him again! Actually the whole Perrin arc is rather divisive in my mind; the parts with Faile and Berelain doing their thing make me want to throw the book out of the nearest window, but then parts with Elyas, the Two Rivers folk, or Grady & Neald, make it some of the best stuff in the whole series.
Egwene pwning the Hall-in-Exile. About time, woman! Also, Gareth Bryne. <3
The Black Ajah hunt in the White Tower. Possibly the best thing Elaida ever did. Maybe the only good thing she did during the series.
Logain! <3 And asdfgh bonding Toveine! :D "You're hardly a wife..." Also, random shit is random: I had a sentence (an Asha'man telling Logain, referring to him and Taim, "since you two are so close") from that passage underlined in my book, and I'm certain I'm the only one who's read that book, ever, and I've no recollection of making any markings in it. I must have been high on some serious Taim/Logain when I did that. XD
As before, any scene with Taim is automatically made of awesome, even though he makes only one on-screen appearance in this book (again), and sends one letter. But the on-screen appearance is almost worth it. And Fedwin Morr, omg. So sad but definitely more good than bad. (Also, he apparently went to Two Rivers himself. Makes this fanfic that I used to be reasonably proud of back in 2003 even more factually incorrect than I thought...)
The Bad:
I didn't really enjoy the Nynaeve & Elayne & Aviendha passages all too much, except when Lan was involved. This is not to say that their arc was all bad, certainly not. But... just more annoying than enjoyable, on average. And I wish they'd tell Lan the truth about Birgitte. Also, Adeleas' fate just sucked ass. :( Couldn't someone more annoying have died instead? Poor Vandene. :(
Faile and Berelain. I'm not even going to elaborate.
Masema "the Prophet". He started out as a good character. Now... Ugh.
Cyndane. Who the feck is she? Last I read this, the most common theory was that she was Lanfear in some form, regardless of the fact that she's weaker in the Power than Lanfear was. I haven't checked anywhere whether she actually is (see, I don't spoil everything to myself before reading!) but still I don't like her.
Well this took longer to type out than I expected. Sleepytime!
A Crown of Swords:
The Good:
Any scene with Taim is awesome by default. Therefore, the aftermath of Dumai's Wells is almost as much made of win as the battle itself.
Lan! <3 Also Myrelle. But Lan & Nynaeve have made themselves my favourite couple on this re-read, and Lan makes Nynaeve a tolerable character. Whether she giggles or not. :D
Mat & Tylin. :D Also, Beslan. Poor Mat's world view is getting quite a shake here. :D
Birgitte & Mat drinking. Casually carrying on a conversation in the Old Tongue ftw!
Sammael. I don't know why I like him, but he's become my favourite Forsaken since Asmodean. Well, let's say he shares the second place with Demandred.
Sebban Balwer; secretary with an agenda! I didn't even remember his existence from my previous read through, but I quite like him now that he didn't stay with the Whitecloaks after Niall was murdered. Or was it that Valda threw him out? Well, either way, Balwer is not impressed any more than I was, so he moves on to kick butt elsewhere.
The Kin. I'm not 100% sure if I like or dislike them, but I do like how it turns out, I think. Sort of. Their ages are getting a bit over the top, though.
Cadsuane. Again, as with Alanna and Myrelle, I've no idea why I like her, but I just do. She annoys me at times, but mostly she's rather cool. Plus how many times she's retired (growing roses in Ghealdan!), only to come back out of retirement to hunt False Dragons. :D
Darlin Sinesra & Caraline Damodred. And a laugh that could make a woman look past any amount of nose. :D Just a massive "awww" couple in the supporting cast. Thank you for these small joys, RJ!
Damer Flinn. <3 Alright, even if it's Dashiva-the-mandatory-Forsaken-in-disguise that led him along to the path of learning Healing, this grandpa kicks ass! And Corele's reaction when he Heals Rand. <3 Another massive "aww" moment. And even Corele is a better character in her own right than I remembered from.. well, previously.
Moridin. I both liked and disliked Ishamael; he was delightfully insane yet maintained a sense of style... except when he appeared in his Ba'alzamon guise, spewing flames, which makes for a rather uncool mental image, at least in my head. But Ishamael-brought-back-as-Moridin seems to have maintained the insanity without the uncool, so he's... well, cool.
The Bad:
Pedron Niall. He was almost likeable for a Whitecloak. Surprise, surprise. He dies. And other than Niall, the Whitecloaks continue to be my least favourite story element altogether, excepting maybe the retardation with Faile and Berelain.
FAILE AND BERELAIN. Need I say more. Ugh. *shudders*
Morgase & co. and the spiral of unfortunate events that just gets them into deeper shit while the world believes her dead (and at least half the world believes her murdered by Rand, sigh).
Elayne & Nynaeve & Mat. Same as before; they're all good characters on their own right, but together they're just fucking impossible to enjoy reading about.
Halima. Disgusting, saidin-channeling bitch. (Although I must admit that I like the idea of their channeling staying the same despite being brought back to life in a body of different sex than the one they were born with. Not too fond of the general concept of bringing once-killed super-baddies back from the dead. Aren't there enough enemies left to keep the story interesting, without?)
The Path of Daggers:
The Good:
Borderland rulers rock. Even if they're going against Rand. I'm sure someone will make them see sense at some point. Also, Agelmar Jagand is <3.
Verin, also, rocks.
Elyas Machera! <3 So happy to see him again! Actually the whole Perrin arc is rather divisive in my mind; the parts with Faile and Berelain doing their thing make me want to throw the book out of the nearest window, but then parts with Elyas, the Two Rivers folk, or Grady & Neald, make it some of the best stuff in the whole series.
Egwene pwning the Hall-in-Exile. About time, woman! Also, Gareth Bryne. <3
The Black Ajah hunt in the White Tower. Possibly the best thing Elaida ever did. Maybe the only good thing she did during the series.
Logain! <3 And asdfgh bonding Toveine! :D "You're hardly a wife..." Also, random shit is random: I had a sentence (an Asha'man telling Logain, referring to him and Taim, "since you two are so close") from that passage underlined in my book, and I'm certain I'm the only one who's read that book, ever, and I've no recollection of making any markings in it. I must have been high on some serious Taim/Logain when I did that. XD
As before, any scene with Taim is automatically made of awesome, even though he makes only one on-screen appearance in this book (again), and sends one letter. But the on-screen appearance is almost worth it. And Fedwin Morr, omg. So sad but definitely more good than bad. (Also, he apparently went to Two Rivers himself. Makes this fanfic that I used to be reasonably proud of back in 2003 even more factually incorrect than I thought...)
The Bad:
I didn't really enjoy the Nynaeve & Elayne & Aviendha passages all too much, except when Lan was involved. This is not to say that their arc was all bad, certainly not. But... just more annoying than enjoyable, on average. And I wish they'd tell Lan the truth about Birgitte. Also, Adeleas' fate just sucked ass. :( Couldn't someone more annoying have died instead? Poor Vandene. :(
Faile and Berelain. I'm not even going to elaborate.
Masema "the Prophet". He started out as a good character. Now... Ugh.
Cyndane. Who the feck is she? Last I read this, the most common theory was that she was Lanfear in some form, regardless of the fact that she's weaker in the Power than Lanfear was. I haven't checked anywhere whether she actually is (see, I don't spoil everything to myself before reading!) but still I don't like her.
Well this took longer to type out than I expected. Sleepytime!