The Great Hunt (Book 2) - Discussion Thread WITH SPOILERS

[Erin99]

I thought I'd start this thread early in the build-up to Hoopy getting book two of the WoT, The Great Hunt.

So, in book two we see Rand and friends searching for an artefact with... interesting... properties, while Nynaeve and Egwene join up with another couple of familiar faces when they reach the White Tower to join the ranks of Aes Sedai, the females who wield the One Power. Meanwhile, Mat is not acting himself and needs urgent help from those in the White Tower under the Amerlyn Seat's rule...

There's a few surprising moments that open out Jordan's world, and in the prologue we see a POV from a... darker character. Lots happen in this book, and it all builds into a pacy finale that literally comes to a Head with an epic conclusion (pun indented for WoT old-timers ).

Can people posting in this thread keep major spoilers hidden in case non-readers are following this thread in the hopes that they will find the book interesting enough to read? Thank you.

 

[nrburnette]

My favorite moment in that whole book, which is a great book full of great moments, is the knife at the end that causes massive and instant black flesh death syndrome.

 

[Erin99]

Hello, nrburnette! It's nice to have a new member here.

I agree that there's so many good parts in the book. I'm with you on the ending, too. I remember feeling such a thrill as you saw the characters were all coming to a head, and you just knew the ending was going to be brilliant... Now I think I love the ending to book three more, though.

I'm not sure I would call it a knife though, or "instant black flesh death syndrome". Death sounds so final.


Are you a fan of the series? Have you read all the books?

 

[HoopyFrood]

I knew it wouldn't take as long to arrive as those crazy delivery estimates were saying!

 

[Erin99]

WIPPEE FOR AMERICAN MAIL!!!


That's mad, that is.


I haven't ordered from America in such a long time, since I got stung for import tax once.


Happy reading, Hoopy! I hope you love it. We'll all be waiting with bated breath.

 

[HoopyFrood]

I better enjoy it, else I'll be forced to sue you, I'm afraid! (Them's the rules).

 

[Erin99]

Uh, er, um... How about you let me off, cos, er... Aha! I was the only other known female there with you at the Chrons' first meetup? (I wish we'd had more of a chance to chat. I always regretted that. One day!!!)



I am genuinely interested to see how you feel about the book, anyway. And I still say there were lots of goings-on in it - enjoyable ones - even though the synopsis didn't sound my cup of tea. Lots of... interesting stuff that you wouldn't expect, which leads on to bigger and better things in the series. Jordan really does like to introduce something so he can bring it in later and make it even more awesome.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Rand's got Harry Potter syndrome going on at the moment (it's what made me start hating the books from five onwards and is probably a personal thing 'cos I've never been a fan of chosen ones and prophesy). But ugh, when people start being a deliberate arse and chasing people away and not listening to all the other older, wiser and generally more in the know characters. Loial totally should've dropped Rand on his head when he was mouthing off.

Liked this prologue a lot more than the one that started the first book, though.

 

[Erin99]

Ah yes, I know where you are. IIRC, Rand doesn't really act out after that, though he does have a brief moment in book three before he disappears for the rest of the book while we see POVs from others (I suppose it takes a lot to get used to, thinking you're the man who's doomed to go mad and face the Uber Bad One). Jordan doesn't really like showing characters moping or being annoying, so he usually whips past it or changes POVs. That's why one of my fav characters doesn't really start his POV until book three; until then, he's being a bit... horrid and off. Then he's awesome and fun and wild.



I was interested in the prologue, I have to say. And all the prologues link in very well to the books rather than being set centuries earlier like in book one.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Stop using the word "sniffed" every time a woman talks arrrrggggggh.

But in other news, everything has certainly widened out. Things going down all over the place.

 

[ratsy]

Stop using the word "sniffed" every time a woman talks arrrrggggggh.

It's not the writers fault! If only those Edmonds field girls stopped sniffing all the time...maybe they have allergies?

 

[HoopyFrood]

It's not even just them any more, even Moiraine sniffed earlier.

 

[Erin99]

Well, I'm glad to hear you think it's opened out! I hope you're enjoying it. The "sniffing" is a bad habit in Jordan's writing, the same as his smoothing skirts. Then again, I'm told my characters "gaze" and "smile" too much. I suppose every writer has them.


So, what part are you up to now? You can spoiler tag it if you don't want to give anything away...

 

[HoopyFrood]

Definitely opened up! Loads new POVs and so many new storylines starting up that I can't even count. Still, I will say that although a lot happened in the first bit, it was quite circular. 120 pages of Rand trying to hide, only to turn up exactly where he was trying to avoid

Ny and Lan are so squishy

Anyway, the bit I'm on. New POV that I didn't recognise (forgot his name) until he starting talking. Fortune prick me, indeed

 

[Erin99]

Domon? I'm skimming through Seph's copy of GH, and that's the POV that jumped out at me. It sounds like something Domon would say.

I skimmed the other night, too, so I could recap what you'd be reading. Lots to come! And some parts I thought wouldn't be my cup of white tea ended up hooking me!

I love Ny and Lan, too!!! What an odd pair! I love Ny as a character. She's so feisty!

Right, better get off the PC for the night. I hope you continue to find it interesting, Hoops. Seph and I are desperately hoping you'll join in the WoT adventure! And at the rate you read, you'd pass me on book eight...

 

[HoopyFrood]

Yep, Domon the captain dude. Well, was on that, now back to Rand and the hunt.

I usually don't like switching to a completely new POV, especially when regular POVs are in the middle of something good, but so far each new one has been interesting enough for me.

These seals are interesting, the Aes Sedai symbol, I assumed that they were, like, set up around a certain point to make a seal circle or something, but they seem to be able to just be carried around? Or maybe they are supposed to be somewhere in particular.

And if they're unbreakable, what broke the first one they found? Dun dun dunnnn...

Also something that seemed...quicker than I expected? The story behind why the sword is so unusual, and the story of Rand's birth, both massive secrets in the first book that I thought would go on much longer just casually get revealed pretty early on! Well, apart from the main points of who was involved. I prefer when information isn't held onto for a silly amount of time, but it does make me think that Lan could have at least told the sword story sooner...

 

[Erin99]

Oooh, excitement!!!

Still, I will say that although a lot happened in the first bit, it was quite circular. 120 pages of Rand trying to hide, only to turn up exactly where he was trying to avoid

I forgot to say that, IIRC, some of those POVs weren't his (prologue, Aes Sedai, etc), which also takes up page count...? Aaaand... remember, the Wheel Weaves as the Wheel Wills. Perhaps it was inevitable that Rand ended up where he was despite his efforts otherwise. Jordan's good at that - showing something, making you scratch your head or think his plot resolutions seem very... convenient, then later on you find out that there really was an explanation for it but he was throwing the reader off. The biggest one of these in the early books is the end of book three, I think. It alters everything you've known up until then.

Anyway, I demand chapter numbers! Then I can stalk you properly.

I'm glad to hear you like all the POV changes, anyway. I'd read on some other thread that you don't like POV switches, which made me... nervous. But I've always found Jordan's POV switches well timed and interesting. He's taught me more than anyone about writing effective POV changes.


I like all your questions, too. Heh. I remember having those. You DO get answers - some very soon, some later on - but Jordan's good at satisfying the reader rather than drawing things out. As for the "quicker" thing... Jordan writes what he needs to in each book. If it's mentioned, it will be important. And you've only just started to learn about Rand's birth, just the first tiny steps on a looong journey, so Jordan hasn't given anything away, merely started something off that's very interesting and very relevant.



If you do find yourself liking the book, especially near the end, can I ask that you white out spoilers? (Sorry, I don't want to sound demanding)? It's just that one thing that works so well in these books is Jordan's surprises, the way you expect but never fully expect the awesomeness of what's about to happen (like the seals being portable and one being broken.. although, I'm not sure they count as those awesome moments I mentioned - you'll know an awesome moment when you read it . Oh, and that's assuming anyone reading this thread WILL ever read the book - yet I'm hopeful!). Goodness knows if some of the major shocking/surprising moments were spoiled for people before they'd read them, because they're a huuuuuge part of the books' appeal!. And there's so many to come in the series.


(I hope I don't sound horrid saying that. Sorry, I'm uber sensitive about coming off badly online right now. I'm learning that faceless conversations can be taken the wrong way, and even using smileys doesn't help if the words sound horrid or demanding.)


Of course, it all depends on how you feel about the book at the end as to whether you'll go on...

 

[HoopyFrood]

Oh yeah, once I get to anything that makes me go ehhh?? I'll be spoilering them up. Mostly I'm trying to avoid too much detail, like not mentioning what the sword and Rand birth story might entail, for those who might want to read

Now I am oooonn...Chapter 13.

 

[Erin99]

*rushes back to hug Hoopy*


Thank you!!!

You could write out your theories, though, in white - I'd love to read them. One thing Seph's loving is that as I'm reading I'm telling him my theories - some have been spot-on, some have been laughable. Now I see the appeal in seeing other people's ideas. And I would not give any spoilers either. Any response I'd make would be based on events in the book you were on, no matter how the characters and/or plot turn later on.


*rushes to peep at Ch 13*

Oooh!!! That was one of the interesting threads in the book, the Rand ones from 13 onwards. If you like guessing things, you should like what's coming up. Aaaand... you can even guess the correct answer if you're astute, cos the hints are in place. (I didn't get it right immediately, though.)

 

[HoopyFrood]

No theories at the moment! But yes, strange chapter. But now about to start 14 and I see it's Perrin. Yay! I like him and his wolfiness.