# Wheel of Time?



## CirdanLinweilin (Nov 19, 2021)

Is anyone going to check it out on Amazon? To get a feel for how they are going to do Middle-earth?



CL


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Nov 19, 2021)

I don't have Prime, so no.


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## Erestor Arcamen (Nov 19, 2021)

I haven't started it yet but plan to. I have to read the books too though.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Nov 19, 2021)

Here and Now had a short segment on Robert Jordan today, including comments by Brandon Sanderson. You can listen here:









14 books and an Amazon show later, how the 'Wheel of Time' series continues to turn today


The "Wheel of Time" series — a fantasy epic stretching across 14 books, the story of a commoner told they're the savior of humanity — is now an Amazon show.




www.google.com


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## Halasían (Nov 20, 2021)

I managed to read the first book of the WoT series, and didn't bother with the rest. Like Game of Thrones which I only managed to read half the first book, the closest I'll get to this whole story is by watching the TV series production. I have watched the first three episodes, and vowed to go into it with an open mind despite Elora's commentary (she read the whole series and calls it 'The Waste of Time'). Yes, it is quite 'tropy' and predictable, but the big $$ production makes it look good. The visual similarities to PJ's Lord of the Rings is not lost on me though. The Trollocs look much like Saruman's Uruk-Hai, andI think PJ wanted Arwen to be more like Moiraine (wonderfully played by Rosamund Pike) in his movie.




_The Teaser Clip_


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Nov 20, 2021)

I read most of the series, and (mostly) enjoyed it, especially the strong female characters, a bit unusual with male authors. Unfortunately, he introduced so many characters and subplots that the later books suffered from narrative inertia. Maybe I'll finish it one day.


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## Starbrow (Nov 20, 2021)

I haven't read the books. I've watched the first 2 episodes. It does have good production values.I enjoyed the second episode more than the first.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Nov 21, 2021)

Erestor Arcamen said:


> I have to read the books too though.


It appears you've been planning that part for a while. 😁








Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time Series???


I was reading my Border's monthly newsletter and was reading about Robert Jordan's 11th book in this series and was wondering if anyone had read any of his work? The summary of the book sounded real neat and like something I'd like to read but I was just wondering if anyone has read his stuff...




www.thetolkienforum.com


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Dec 4, 2021)

I still haven't seen the series, but just read a positive review of Episode 5. What did the rest of you think?


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## Halasían (Dec 5, 2021)

I'm finding it somewhat grinding. The visuals are remarkable, but I'm having a hard time identifying with any of the characters. I don't want to give out spoilers, but there was a seriously typical 'refrigerator-girl' moment early on who really served no purpose whatsoever for the affected character. I'll keep watching it, but it's a bit 'meh'ish to me. Don't dislike it as I dont have the books as reference, but it isn't like it is inspiring to want to watch either.


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## Ealdwyn (Dec 5, 2021)

I'm tempted to watch a couple of eps out of curiosity now


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## Annatar (Dec 6, 2021)

I haven't read the books, but I think this Amazon series is an absolute disaster. I gave up after episode 3. Apart from the beautiful landscape shots, everything is just completely wrong and bad.
Costumes look cheap, actors are bad, completely inappropriate excess of diversity, plot reminds more of a teen soap opera, fantasy elements are badly stolen from LotR and completely meaningless and arbitrarily strung together. No soul, no atmosphere. And I know from the Amazon reviews that especially the book connoisseurs are even more upset about it.
Rather reminiscent of 90s trash like Xena. But Xena was better.
You can also kind of compare it to the Shanarra series, but I thought that one was much better, too.

Of course, that doesn't bode well for Amazon's LotR adaptation....


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## Annatar (Dec 6, 2021)

For example, just take a look at these industrially manufactured sweaters that you could also buy here in the nearest store.
The hairstyles and shaves also look like the boys and girls have just been freshly styled for the next trendy bar or club in a random modern city, and that in every single scene, even when they are running through the dirt, fleeing from monsters...






These guys could actually be sitting here like that:


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Dec 6, 2021)

They do look like they could have stepped out of something from the CW.


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## Radaghast (Dec 8, 2021)

Erestor Arcamen said:


> I haven't started it yet but plan to. I have to read the books too though.


So, see you in a few years? 

A TV series based on a 14-book series. Uh...pass. I myself started the book series and gave up after book 7. I didn't get any sense of forward progression. Every book featured some kind of quest and ended with some big confrontation. I lost any sense of where the series was going and ceased to care. I might've stuck it out if the characters were ones I cared about but most of them annoying.

The trailer for the TV series, of course, did not look promising and since most adaptations fall short of their source material, that's a sign to stay away. I don't even have a morbid curiosity. Even if I knew nothing of the book series, the trailer looks like a mess of hoary cliches.


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## Radaghast (Dec 8, 2021)

Annatar said:


> I haven't read the books, but I think this Amazon series is an absolute disaster. I gave up after episode 3. Apart from the beautiful landscape shots, everything is just completely wrong and bad.
> Costumes look cheap, actors are bad, completely inappropriate excess of diversity, plot reminds more of a teen soap opera, fantasy elements are badly stolen from LotR and completely meaningless and arbitrarily strung together. No soul, no atmosphere. And I know from the Amazon reviews that especially the book connoisseurs are even more upset about it.
> Rather reminiscent of 90s trash like Xena. But Xena was better.
> You can also kind of compare it to the Shanarra series, but I thought that one was much better, too.
> ...


Yeah, I actually found the Shannara TV series engaging and an improvement over the source, i.e. _The Elfstones of Shannara_.


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