The Wheel of Time

[BusSport]

Amazon Studios is doing an upcoming TV series adaptation of The Wheel of Time, the epic fantasy series by Robert Jordan (and finished by Brandon Sanderson after Robert Jordan's death).

 

[BusSport]

Our first major bit of news on the series: Rosamund Pike (titular character of Gone Girl, Bond girl Miranda Frost in Die Another Day, and Princess Andromeda in Wrath of the Titans)...:

 

[BusSport]

...has been cast as Lady Moiraine Damodred, better known as Moiraine Sedai (if you're not familiar with the book series, she is an Aes Sedai, the Wheel of Time equivalent of a sorceress):

 

[flyerhawk]

I read these books soooooo long ago I barely remember them. I do remember enjoying the earlier books but not so much the never ending sequels.

 

[Sparhawk]

Is that Rand al-Thor???

 

[BusSport]

Rest of main cast besides Moiraine has been announced:

In the above image, from left to right:

- Egwene al'Vere (Madeleine Madden)
- Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski)
- Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford)
- Nynaeve al'Meara (Zoe Robins)
- Mat Cauthon (Barney Harris)

 

[Ottermatic]

Very much looking forward to this. Big fan of the books

 

[Cobrabit]

I tried to listen to the first book a couple years ago, but didn't get passed the first few hours. Don't know what it was. Whether it was other things going through my mind when trying to listen, but it didn't grab my interest right away. I love Sanderson and similar writers, and know this series is one of the better fantasies that spurred many of them to write their own, so I'll give it another try soon. Just bought book 4 of the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown after finishing the original trilogy over a year ago, so not sure which to start first.

 

[Ottermatic]

If anyone is planning on giving the books a go (or another go), I recommend www.encyclopaedia-wot.com as a reference.

Do be aware of spoilers with that website of course, but with a world and a cast of characters as large as WOT's, being able to refer quickly back to what happened earlier in a certain chapter or with a certain character can be very useful.

I'm also more than happy to help anyone out if they have questions about the plot or characters

 

[BusSport]

Daniel Henney has been cast as al'Lan "Lan" Mandragoran.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Loved the series for the most part, but I also got bored with books 5-9 or 10, when it just dragged on and on with no real impact on the overall story.

Looking at the cast, I think they nailed Perrin, dood looks exactly like what I pictured him in my mind. I always saw Moiraine as a brunette, though, and I don't like the choice for Nynaeve at all.

 

[Ottermatic]

Loved the series for the most part, but I also got bored with books 5-9 or 10, when it just dragged on and on with no real impact on the overall story.

Looking at the cast, I think they nailed Perrin, dood looks exactly like what I pictured him in my mind. I always saw Moiraine as a brunette, though, and I don't like the choice for Nynaeve at all.

5 and 6 are two of my favorite books in the whole series, actually. As is 4. All of those are much better than 3, which is probably my second least favorite in the series (after CoT - I think that one is 10). I think 4-6 is really where RJ was hitting his stride as a fantasy writer.

I'd say that the plot drag happens from books 7-10

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

5 and 6 are two of my favorite books in the whole series, actually. As is 4. All of those are much better than 3, which is probably my second least favorite in the series (after CoT - I think that one is 10). I think 4-6 is really where RJ was hitting his stride as a fantasy writer.

I'd say that the plot drag happens from books 7-10

I loved the first four books. 1-3 are almost able to stand alone. But I got so bogged down starting in #5, and some books like Path of Daggers and Winters Heart were just awful. But at that point I had to finish the series.

 

[Ottermatic]

I loved the first four books. 1-3 are almost able to stand alone. But I got so bogged down starting in #5, and some books like Path of Daggers and Winters Heart were just awful. But at that point I had to finish the series.

TPoD, WH, CoT, and KoD are all much better if you just bypass any segments with a PoV character of Perrin, Faile, Galina, or anyone in that storyline. Read the summaries of those chapters available online if you want, but no need to read or listen to the whole thing.

If the tv show (assuming it lasts that long) seriously compacts that storyline, and combines those 4 books into 2-3 seasons, it'll be just fine

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Yeah I did a lot of rushed reading through several of those books, just to get through them. CoT is when it seemed to pick up steam again, but then KoD was like another set back. Don't remember exactly when Jain Farstrider appeared, but his and Mat's time together was at least fun.

Almost all of the Perrin/Faile storylines were cringey

 

[Ottermatic]

Yeah I did a lot of rushed reading through several of those books, just to get through them. CoT is when it seemed to pick up steam again, but then KoD was like another set back. Don't remember exactly when Jain Farstrider appeared, but his and Mat's time together was at least fun.

Almost all of the Perrin/Faile storylines were cringey

See, I hated CoT. My least favorite book in the series.

It seemed to me like nothing at all relevant to the overall story happened in CoT, apart from some Mat/Tuon relationship development.

 

[BusSport]

Cast photo from Instagram:

 

[BusSport]

Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton on Game of Thrones) has been cast as Tam al'Thor!

"The choice isn't always about what you do, son, but why you do it." Please welcome Michael McElhatton (Tam Al'Thor) to the #WoTonPrime family.

 

[Ottermatic]

i'm waiting anxiously to hear who's going to play the gleeman, Thom Merrilin. That's a MUCH more important role than Tam al'Thor in the story. Tam is important as an off-screen character most of the time, in terms of what he means to Rand. Merrilin has very important functions to fill in the first two books (and presumably seasons of the show)

 

[wings-pens2166]

See, I hated CoT. My least favorite book in the series.

It seemed to me like nothing at all relevant to the overall story happened in CoT, apart from some Mat/Tuon relationship development.

to me it's easily WH. fuck, that book bored the hell outta me. Perrin and Faile were the two most useless, boring main characters of the series.