Discussion
Coming soon to Amazon. Supposedly Bezos' answer to Game of Thrones and with a suitably stupendous budget.
https://www.cbr.com/wheel-of-time-built-village-bu...
Anyone know of the books and looking forward to it?
https://www.cbr.com/wheel-of-time-built-village-bu...
Anyone know of the books and looking forward to it?
The books are well worth a read for any fantasy fans who haven't yet tried them.
In the first book he is still finding his style and it can seem a bit Tolkien derivative at times, but stick with it and he finds his own voice in books 2 onward.
Books 2 to 6 are extremely good but after that the books suffer from the bloating so often found in long running fantasy book series.
In the first book he is still finding his style and it can seem a bit Tolkien derivative at times, but stick with it and he finds his own voice in books 2 onward.
Books 2 to 6 are extremely good but after that the books suffer from the bloating so often found in long running fantasy book series.
wrong_turn said:
I really tried to like the books but there are entire books where literally nothing happens - maybe someone looks up and sees something metallic in the mountain, then they carry on and do nothing. I gave up on about book 7 I think.
Definitely giving this a miss.
Book 7 is when the series really starts to slow down. Though of course not much happens in the first part of book 6 before a very action packed finale.Definitely giving this a miss.
If you have the patience to read a 14 book series, with the knowledge that books 7-11 are basically treading water until the author dies and the series is finished at a very rapid pace by another writer in 3 books, then give WOT a try. In my view is one of the most re-readable book series in the fantasy genre and, at its peaks, one of the most entertaining.
CheesecakeRunner said:
Halfway through the first episode.
It’s very clean. And a bit ‘flat’. And diverse.
I can’t work out who it’s aimed at ( and I have read all the books). It’s rated 16 so will likely contain some more adult content, but it feels like it should be in CBBC.
(Edit later)
Got to the end of the episode and the rating becomes apparent. Still feels like kids tv though.
Well so long as it's diverse, that's the main thing!It’s very clean. And a bit ‘flat’. And diverse.
I can’t work out who it’s aimed at ( and I have read all the books). It’s rated 16 so will likely contain some more adult content, but it feels like it should be in CBBC.
(Edit later)
Got to the end of the episode and the rating becomes apparent. Still feels like kids tv though.
Edited by CheesecakeRunner on Friday 19th November 19:34
Unfortunately the flatness comes along with the diversity as increasingly these shows are written and produced by the ultra-woke.
Getting the right 'messaging' across on your 'platform' comes before a good story and engaging characters. I suspect a lot of the new generation of writers just aren't very good at writing and got where they were by virtue of their political opinions.
Just to be clear - there's nothing wrong with having lots of diverse characters. It's just when you are OBVIOUSLY trying to shoehorn as many 'oppressed minorities' in as possible that it is to the detriment of the story, that is the issue.
Lucas Ayde said:
Well so long as it's diverse, that's the main thing!
Unfortunately the flatness comes along with the diversity as increasingly these shows are written and produced by the ultra-woke.
Getting the right 'messaging' across on your 'platform' comes before a good story and engaging characters. I suspect a lot of the new generation of writers just aren't very good at writing and got where they were by virtue of their political opinions.
In relation to this the Two Rivers folk are basically Welsh. Hence why they are dark haired and use long bows (the long bow originating in Wales before spreading to the English).Unfortunately the flatness comes along with the diversity as increasingly these shows are written and produced by the ultra-woke.
Getting the right 'messaging' across on your 'platform' comes before a good story and engaging characters. I suspect a lot of the new generation of writers just aren't very good at writing and got where they were by virtue of their political opinions.
Just as Andor was based on England and Cairhien is France.
There are ways of getting greater diversity into your fantasy series that are respectful and appear "true" to the source material and then there is ticking boxes because you don't care about the work you are adapting.
This is Nynaeve as written IMO
https://www.deviantart.com/manweri/art/Nynaeve-al-...
Resurrecting this one as I've finally had a chance to sit down and start watching it.
To clarify, I've been reading this book series for 25 years. I started when I was in secondary school and every time a new book was released I went back and re-read all the previous ones. I've read the full series at least 6-7 times and the first half dozen multiple times more. I recently re-read the entire series again about a year.
So to say that this is a book series close to my heart and linked to a lot of formative years is an understatement. When the first advert came on I was very excited to see how they would adapt what is a very interweaved story.
Fair to say I haven't managed to make it through the fourth episode yet as I got bored.
As far as the actors and characterisation goes, Rand and Matt are decent enough. Perrin I've definitely not warmed up to yet. Quiet and brooding does not equal pouty and confused. I don't remember Nynaeve being black and Egwene sure as hell wasn't Indian. Trying to put across that a small isolated village in the Mountains of Mist is suddenly a melting pot of diversity really killed the atmosphere of the initial episodes. Lan and Morraine are fine and I think well cast.
I was very dissapointed at the representation of the weaving and I think they could have done a lot more to show the different aspects and colours of the power. It would also have gone a long way to being a clearly visual representation of the colours of the Ajahs and how they are linked to those different Power aspects. Trying to do it through some clumsy dialogue and a massive honking crystal on a ring was just poor effort. The ring was supposed to be a snake swallowing its tail, subtle and meaningful to those who knew what it was, not some costume jewellery bauble. Where's Moraines kesiera?, I'm assuming that makes an appearance later on in the show based on some screenshots I've seen.
There's a lot of extra little details that I just found disappointing and showed a lack of care and attention to the source material. The Aes Sedai not wearing stoles over their shoulders was a minor point.
Whilst I understand that for a lot of people this will be their first exposure to the story, it's hardly respectful of the IP and the original author. Whilst I'm absolutely not against diversity per se, when the author has written very specific and overly detailed descriptions of the characters I really don't like it when they change it purely due to needing more diversity hires.
/Rant over.
I'll maybe dip back in to the series and see if it gets any better.
To clarify, I've been reading this book series for 25 years. I started when I was in secondary school and every time a new book was released I went back and re-read all the previous ones. I've read the full series at least 6-7 times and the first half dozen multiple times more. I recently re-read the entire series again about a year.
So to say that this is a book series close to my heart and linked to a lot of formative years is an understatement. When the first advert came on I was very excited to see how they would adapt what is a very interweaved story.
Fair to say I haven't managed to make it through the fourth episode yet as I got bored.
As far as the actors and characterisation goes, Rand and Matt are decent enough. Perrin I've definitely not warmed up to yet. Quiet and brooding does not equal pouty and confused. I don't remember Nynaeve being black and Egwene sure as hell wasn't Indian. Trying to put across that a small isolated village in the Mountains of Mist is suddenly a melting pot of diversity really killed the atmosphere of the initial episodes. Lan and Morraine are fine and I think well cast.
I was very dissapointed at the representation of the weaving and I think they could have done a lot more to show the different aspects and colours of the power. It would also have gone a long way to being a clearly visual representation of the colours of the Ajahs and how they are linked to those different Power aspects. Trying to do it through some clumsy dialogue and a massive honking crystal on a ring was just poor effort. The ring was supposed to be a snake swallowing its tail, subtle and meaningful to those who knew what it was, not some costume jewellery bauble. Where's Moraines kesiera?, I'm assuming that makes an appearance later on in the show based on some screenshots I've seen.
There's a lot of extra little details that I just found disappointing and showed a lack of care and attention to the source material. The Aes Sedai not wearing stoles over their shoulders was a minor point.
Whilst I understand that for a lot of people this will be their first exposure to the story, it's hardly respectful of the IP and the original author. Whilst I'm absolutely not against diversity per se, when the author has written very specific and overly detailed descriptions of the characters I really don't like it when they change it purely due to needing more diversity hires.
/Rant over.
I'll maybe dip back in to the series and see if it gets any better.
Edited by RichTT on Monday 20th December 06:31
RichTT said:
Resurrecting this one as I've finally had a chance to sit down and start watching it.
To clarify, I've been reading this book series for 25 years. I started when I was in secondary school and every time a new book was released I went back and re-read all the previous ones. I've read the full series at least 6-7 times and the first half dozen multiple times more. I recently re-read the entire series again about a year.
So to say that this is a book series close to my heart and linked to a lot of formative years is an understatement. When the first advert came on I was very excited to see how they would adapt what is a very interweaved story.
Another big fan To clarify, I've been reading this book series for 25 years. I started when I was in secondary school and every time a new book was released I went back and re-read all the previous ones. I've read the full series at least 6-7 times and the first half dozen multiple times more. I recently re-read the entire series again about a year.
So to say that this is a book series close to my heart and linked to a lot of formative years is an understatement. When the first advert came on I was very excited to see how they would adapt what is a very interweaved story.
I think when someone is adapting a book you love you are actually putting a lot of faith in them if you watch it as what they choose will likely become your mental image of the characters and the world. They can make mistakes but they need to be respectful to the world and the author's vision. I was out basically when the casting of the Two rivers kids was announced. I briefly was argumentative, and had a few arguments over on Dragonmount, then I just became resigned to the whole thing and gave up on it.
I dipped back in and regret it entirely.
The supposed to be awe inspiring arrival at Tar Valon was hugely dissapointing. These are supposed to be kids from a tiny village! You'd think they'd have been a bit more excited at seeing the most famous city in the world. Which in itself felt really disappointing in it's representation. The scenes in the White Tower could have been set in an upmarket merchants house for all the drama and grandeur it has.
Dragonmount was almost completely glossed over in its importance.
Loial was an abomination of misinterpretation. Nynaeve's discovery of using the power
They keep saying peoples names wrong.
They've almost completely ignored Ta'veren and talk about the pattern.
Grr, the more I talk about it the more I realised they've really screwed this up. They could have even split the first book in to 3 series and had enough material without making it feel rushed.
The supposed to be awe inspiring arrival at Tar Valon was hugely dissapointing. These are supposed to be kids from a tiny village! You'd think they'd have been a bit more excited at seeing the most famous city in the world. Which in itself felt really disappointing in it's representation. The scenes in the White Tower could have been set in an upmarket merchants house for all the drama and grandeur it has.
Dragonmount was almost completely glossed over in its importance.
Loial was an abomination of misinterpretation. Nynaeve's discovery of using the power
They keep saying peoples names wrong.
They've almost completely ignored Ta'veren and talk about the pattern.
Grr, the more I talk about it the more I realised they've really screwed this up. They could have even split the first book in to 3 series and had enough material without making it feel rushed.
JagLover said:
I think when someone is adapting a book you love you are actually putting a lot of faith in them if you watch it as what they choose will likely become your mental image of the characters and the world. They can make mistakes but they need to be respectful to the world and the author's vision.
I think rule of thumb now is, if it's being adapted by Netflix/Amazon, expect pain, lots of it. Victims with targets on their back; Japanese animation classics, Western fantasy/sci-fi works, old franchises, all need to be 'corrected.'I've not read the books in 20 years, which may be a good thing or a bad thing. So far 2 episodes in and quite enjoying it - not it's not Lord of the Rings, but it is entertaining. Not having read the books in so long also means I've got no issues with the diversity of the cast - yes the names would have had me guessing at a Celtic origin for some characters but they weren't so 'meh' (were it Bond or Norse legends I'd be more inclined to raise an eyebrow).
Reading some of the comments I can, however, appreciate why people don't want their favourite books adapted - I'd be more than slightly miffed if they adapted Waylander or Legend (for example) and changed the titular character or shoehorned in a diversity hire.... Hmmmm Star Trek springs to mind TBH, so there is an easy and obvious parallel I can empathise with
Reading some of the comments I can, however, appreciate why people don't want their favourite books adapted - I'd be more than slightly miffed if they adapted Waylander or Legend (for example) and changed the titular character or shoehorned in a diversity hire.... Hmmmm Star Trek springs to mind TBH, so there is an easy and obvious parallel I can empathise with
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