Sunday, March 24, 2013

The Great Hunt Read-Along Week 5


Welcome to week 4 of The Great Hunt Read Along, hosted by Anya of On Starships and Dragonwings and Nrlymrtl of Dab of Darkness.
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1) Ingtar is really gung ho about the Horn. Is anyone else worried about his obsession? Have you ever experienced such an obsession? 

 Be afraid, be very afraid! Yes it was quite telling when he sat down, buried his face in his hands and said, "I'm lost." Sort of gave me chills. I can get emotional, especially about my emotions and my characters, but I've never obsessed so hard over something that without it I was literally lost. Kind of scary.

2) In Chapter 28, we hear about the Jenn Aiel, Rhuidean, and their prophecy of a man of their blood from beyond the Spine of the World. It appears that Rand isn't tied to just one people/culture and their prophecies, but multiple peoples. Are you enjoying guessing (or watching, if you have read before) how Rand will be ensnared by all these demands upon him? 
Totally! The first time you read it through, most of the names and societies don't mean much until we actual run into them and get to know them. Having read it before, it's fun to see them mention the Aiel this early on and know exactly who they are. It's kind of fun!

3) Through White Cloak Bornhald and Captain Domon, we get our first rumors and glimpses of the Seanchan, descendants of Artur Hawkwing's armies, from across the sea. What do make of them? How do you think the military forces we have met so far will fair? If you have read before, feel free to critique their hierarchy and style of armor.
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I think Jordan does a good job portraying them as the thing that doesn't fit. We're so used to Rand's world by now, and they seem so foreign in it. Their hierarchy is definitely weird. They're culture has a distinct, eastern feel. I can't imagine how stiff and formal their Court of the Nine Moons must be. I think the insect-head helmets are interesting. They must be intimidating, rather than ridiculous, or they wouldn't use them. I also think their animals are kind of creepy.

4) Just for fun, what do you think Padan Fain had on Lord Barthanes?

 Off the top of my head, maybe Fain caught Barthanes hopping around in a bunny outfit. With an common woman. In the kitchens. Oh the scandal! J/K. ;D With this guy, could have been anything. Being a high lord, in direct competition with the king, he's got to be corrupt; have at least a few skeletons in his closet. Plus, he's a darkfriend. I wouldn't put it past Barthanes to lie outright about it, so he sounds more important than he is. Maybe Fain just scared the crap out of him, as he seems to do to all darkfriends, but Barthanes didn't want to say that to Rand. More Daes Dae'mar.

5) Machin Shin, the Black Wind, was waiting for them in the waygate in the grove at Barthanes. Coincidence, or set there on purpose? 
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Hard to say. I don't think it's a coincidence, but whether Fain put it there I don't know. Mat makes a good point about Fain's darkfriendhood. Even he doesn't know that Fain scares other darkfriends and trollocs alike just by being himself, so maybe he can scare even Machin Shin into submission. Or, maybe it responds to Rand or saidin, which is why it was there. Hard to say.

6) Ah! Poor Thom! How do you think the latest turn of loosing Dena will affect him? If you've read before, feel free to comment on how Robert Jordan's ability to write in characters and then kill them off pull on your emotions. 

 Jordan does this VERY well. He doesn't even make us particularly invested in her (Dena) but we're invested in Thom and knew how he felt about her, so we feel pain on his behalf. It's masterfully done. Of course we want sweet, brave Thom to find some happiness in his old age, and Dena seemed to genuinely love him. I don't mind this as much the second time through, because I know what Jordan has in store for time (even if it takes something like ten books to happen!) but it's not any less sad for that.

 Extras:

 Did anyone else notice the name Tuon? I know I say this all the time, but my jaw dropped when I saw it. She's a character that doesn't really come into the story until like book seven. I couldn't believe she mentioned so early on. I had no idea! Jordan never ceases to amaze me with his masterful planning skills!

 What did everyone else think of this section?
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3 comments :

  1. UnknownMarch 24, 2013 at 8:02 AM

    Tuon sure takes her time. She doesn't show up until book NINE actually.

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  2. Anya @ On Starships and DragonwingsMarch 24, 2013 at 11:02 AM

    The biologist side of me is wondering where the heck they found three eyed animals, haha. In our world at least, two eyes is one of the most conserved traits in animals! This must be a really isolated island to have such strange fauna if the grolm are actually from there ;-)

    Excellent point that the wind could be drawn to males with power, I hadn't thought that it might just do that naturally without Fain's intervention!

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  3. nrlymrtlMarch 24, 2013 at 11:51 AM

    The Seanchan definitely feel foreign, kind of jarring with the plot line a bit. On the other hand, if I am a little jarred as the reader, the characters were/will be caught flat-footed with open mouths, doing a WTF moment.

    It's good to know that Thom has something special in waiting for him, and that he will be around for so many books.

    I like the idea of Barthanes in a bunny suit, in the kitchen. I bet there is a little fuzzy cotton tail.

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