tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post8364406300219606060..comments2024-01-14T15:52:43.644-05:00Comments on The Thirteenth Depository - A Wheel of Time Blog: The Gathering Storm Read-Through #53: Chapter 50 - Veins of GoldDominichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17610557134981958201noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-82986117918032673362012-11-05T01:10:35.984-05:002012-11-05T01:10:35.984-05:00The past lives were glossed over to the extent tha...The past lives were glossed over to the extent that some readers missed that it involved all his past lives. I guess they were too many or too fleeting to do an If world type montage.<br /><br />Regarding the word "stupid", all the Two Rivers folk except Mat actually used that fairly often in the early books.Lindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14767984732078916662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-53458449541404308962012-10-29T17:35:01.253-04:002012-10-29T17:35:01.253-04:00Although I like this scene, and the results, I tho...Although I like this scene, and the results, I thought the exectution could've been a little better. <br /><br />The whole viewing of past lives should've been expanded on. There could've been something similar to portal stone in TGH or Rhuidean in TSR. Plus there was no real explanation of what prompted the flood of memories. I guess I picture something along the lines of that much power forcing him to read the pattern infinitely backward, and it being a "flicker, flicker, flicker" kind of thing. Just seemed a little hollow the way it was written.<br /><br />One other small critique is the use of the word "stupid" during Rand's rant. I don't recall that word being used in the series, and it just didn't fit.<br /><br />Other than that, I thought almost destroying creation was an appropriate climax to Rand's struggle with sanity, and it was a very powerful moment that got a lot of emotional response out of me.Russnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-3673151393392740162012-06-25T03:49:18.298-04:002012-06-25T03:49:18.298-04:00As I was reading Winter's Heart today, I found...As I was reading Winter's Heart today, I found a reference to what Veins of Gold means. After Aviendha, Min, and Elayne bond Rand as a warder, they use the term to describe the good parts of Rand that they recognize in/through the bond.<br /><br />Winter's Heart Chapter 12 - A Lily in Winter<br /><br />...but even as she laughed, tears streamed down her sun-dark cheeks. "The veins of gold. Oh, the veins of gold. You do love me, Rand." -Aviendha<br /><br />His emotions were too rigid, though, like a knot of hardened pine sap, almost stone. Yet laced through them, golden veins pulsed and glowed whenever he looked at Min, or Aviendha. Or her. He did love her. -Elayne POV<br /><br /><br />I think that the Veins of Gold chaper in Gather Storm refers to the good parts of Rand winning out over the "hardened pine sap" parts.Jeff Wnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-47201415506639974072012-04-11T15:46:54.086-04:002012-04-11T15:46:54.086-04:00I found it interesting in this chapter, the irony ...I found it interesting in this chapter, the irony that Lews Therin's voice provided the one moment of clarity/hope, which was profound enough to make Rand realize. Since LTT's voice started its been: kill him, kill her, destroy them all, we're murderers, we're doomed, we're insane, I want to die, etc. At the moment Rand finally agrees with his inner LT voice, Lews Theren pops up and says, "but wait...what about..."<br /><br />Gave me goosebumps. Well this whole chapter did.Manetherenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16136085597386765947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-11391014159034876452011-11-07T05:32:34.073-05:002011-11-07T05:32:34.073-05:00Thanks everyone. These are all very good comments....Thanks everyone. These are all very good comments.Lindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14767984732078916662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-59829441157871764862011-10-29T20:30:03.479-04:002011-10-29T20:30:03.479-04:00@Donnie -- I see Moiraine as having gone through t...@Donnie -- I see Moiraine as having gone through the same growth as Rand after being with the finns. She was single-minded about finding and then guiding Rand, not allowing herself to feel emotion easily. <br /><br />Now, though, like Rand, she is more open and loving/willing to be loved, and I am very much looking forward to seeing her and Rand meet again. She obviously has a big role to play (Min's vision of Rand failing without a woman dead and gone or something) and I expect it to be a crucial scene.t ballnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-25942272050599839032011-10-29T13:59:23.979-04:002011-10-29T13:59:23.979-04:00@Master Ablar:
Yes, now I remember this passage. T...@Master Ablar:<br />Yes, now I remember this passage. The thing that was troubling me was that Rand later said he was Rand and Lews Therin, as he is Rand and remembers the life of Lews Therin like a dream, but did not mention the other lives.Donnienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-41762259142180485792011-10-29T12:16:20.084-04:002011-10-29T12:16:20.084-04:00To Donnie: It said in the passage that Rand rememb...To Donnie: It said in the passage that Rand remembered hundreds of lives, thousands of lives, stretching to infinity.<br />However I think Brandon said that after that moment, he only remembered his life as LTT.<br /><br />About what Cadsuane has to teach Rand and all the Ashaman, I never thought it was laughter and tears either. After all, not only is it hardly something they would not like learning, but some like Grady, Neald and Naeff can probably be said to already have learned it.<br /><br />The only thing I can think that the Ashaman as a whole dislike, would be the Aes Sedai. And by that I mean the whole Aes Sedai and what they represent. Some individual Ashaman probably get along with some individual Aes Sedai, but as a whole, they don't like the Aes Sedai.<br /><br />So whatever it is she's going to teach them, I think it probably has to do with the Aes Sedai. To trust them, or work with them, or anything they won't like.Master Ablarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4833204375789249557.post-11835588609344792532011-10-29T10:47:05.163-04:002011-10-29T10:47:05.163-04:00Great post on a great chapter. So I have a few que...Great post on a great chapter. So I have a few questions/remarks:<br /><br />Re Moraine: You wrote about her death as a traumatical event for Rand, and I agree. But I also think she had a very ambiguous role for Rand (while she was alive). She guided him the way which she thought was right for the world, but she saw him (more and more) only as the dragon reborn who had to fulfill his role - like a puppet or a tool, what Rand claimed so often - and not so much as a human being. This became very clear in TSR were she told Elayne, that there is no place for love in Rand's life (as the dragon reborn). <br />But as you pointed out, he needs to be human to save humanity (maybe that's also the reason why the creator cannot take part and needs his champion, in a way).<br />Moiraine dedicated her full life to find and guide the dragon reborn and maybe because of this (and the fact that he had to, because there was noone else) she thought he had do the same willingly and put everything else apart. She was also troubled when Lan began guiding Rand into standing up for himself in TGH, because she thought Lan was working against her - but he wasn't - he just wanted to help Rand into not breaking under his fate but to stand up and find a way to shoulder it.<br />In a way it was Moiraine who tapped on Rand's shoulder an told him he had to save the world.<br /><br />About Rand remembering all his past lives: Was there an exact reference to it? I wasn't sure about that. So if he remembers all his lifes, shouldn't he now know a proper way to seal the DO's prison as it was before the bore was drilled (and without tainting Saidin or Saidar)? In an earlier age this must have happend and it seems likely that it was the dragon's soul in another incarnation who did it.Donnienoreply@blogger.com