Egwene stares east, watching the smoke rise from the fires in Cairhien. There is a civil war in full force, and no one is strong enough to take control of the nation. Andor has been providing humanitarian aid, but that will stop soon on orders from Rahvin, who is now in control of Andor, and Queen Morgase's mind. Their ship races down the river at the direction of a captain who is keen on impressing the three 'Aes Sedai'. Of course, in short order the river draft slams into a sunken ship, a trap...
Aug 04, 2018•35 min
One of the Many bits of Lore in the WoT Universe we all find ourselves woven into is the One Power. Not to be confused with the True Power which is the power of the Dark One, the One power is the force that turns the Wheel of Time itself, the wheel that weaves the very Pattern of the Ages. While we learn a great many things about the one power over time, one thing is still shrouded in mystery and speculation: objects of the power. Specifically, Angreal and Sa’Angreal. We know what they do, we kn...
Aug 04, 2018•8 min
Perrin is on a river ship bound for Illian, feeling grateful that for once there are no wolves in his mind. There is no real escape for him, though. When he falls asleep, Hopper is there with him in the World of Dreams. Perrin sees Rand in Tel'aran'rhiod being tortured by nightmares sent by...someone. Rand doesn't believe that this is the real Perrin, and tries to kill him. Perrin wakes in time to save his own life. When he seeks Moiraine's help, she is able to tell him little more than that he ...
Aug 01, 2018•58 min
In the aftermath of the fight, Gaul has left Remen to continue his journey, now heading toward Tear on Perrin's advice. Lan finds a ship that will take the party toward Illian on short notice, and from Illian, they can head oversea to Tear where they should be able to intercept Rand. Faile and Perrin have a conversation where she explains to him how she knows that Perrin and company are important, and why she intends to follow them despite Perrin's attempts to discourage her. WoTSpoilers is a we...
Jul 30, 2018•50 min
Moiraine hears some news from an innkeeper that implies there's a new false Dragon in Ghealdan. Perrin feels restless, and with out having a plan, he wanders back out to the town square, where a nameless Aiel is hanging in a suspended cage. On impulse he decides to let the man free, and they have a conversation. Perrin tells Gaul where He Who Comes With the Dawn is. Faile is watching, although we don't find out until later. A dozen Whitecloaks come running to save everyone from this terrible thr...
Jul 25, 2018•38 min
Perrin is tracking Rand with Moiraine and their party. He smells sulfur, and sees the tracks of the darkhounds that have been following Rand. Although, he doesn't yet know enough to understand what he's looking at. How does Rand continue to outpace Moiraine and her group, even without a horse? Perrin and Moiraine have an interesting conversation about the nature of good, evil, and the Pattern of Ages. The party enters a town called Remen, where Gaul has been captured and hung in a cage. When the...
Jul 22, 2018•1 hr
A dock master tries to stop Mat and Thom from boarding a ship leaving Tar Valon, but as it happens, Mat has the 'permission' from the Amyrlin Seat herself. It's an action packed scene, for sure. The ship's captain believes Mat is a young lord in disguise, and prattles on trying to get information out him. Mat of course, doesn't have any to give. Although, the captain does give the two men some information about a new High Lord of Tear. We know this new lord is Be'lal, and he's been compelling th...
Jul 18, 2018•43 min
Mat wanders into the common room of an inn, and it just so happens that there is a gleeman name Thom Merrilin playing there. Thom is still mourning the death of his lover Dena, and he's hammered drunk. We'll spend some time talking about Rand's complex family tree, members of the nobility that Thom has assassinated, how some of those events have created civil war and general chaos in Cairhien, and spend a bit of time reading Thom's lines with our best drunk old man impersonations. Mat eats three...
Jul 16, 2018•47 min
Anaiya pays Mat a visit in his sick room. She knows he's been stockpiling food, that he now has a weapon, and plans to escape. What she doesn't know, is that he'll actually get away with it. Mat needs to make some quick cash to pay his fair on a boat leaving Tar Valon. He ends up playing dice all night, and never loses once. We talk about Mat's luck, his Ta'veren abilities, and how his Talents are enhanced in various ways through out the series. With his pockets stuffed with gold, and drunk on w...
Jul 14, 2018•35 min
Siuan pays a visit to the young women while they're working in the kitchen. She creates a diversion in order to speak with Nynaeve; consult with her hounds. Sheriam has 'found' a dead grayman laying in her bed. We speculate on how and why it got there, probably an implied threat. Suian tells Nynaeve that she never sent Else with the message about the Black Ajah's belongings. Nynaeve and Siuan know their group is being manipulated, and will try to use that knowledge to their advantage. Siuan has ...
Jul 13, 2018•28 min
The Hunters three visit Mat in his sick bed. Mat's discomfort with anyone being able to channel is something he never gets over. We talk about power dynamics between the genders in the Wheel of Time, and how channeling affects male/female dynamics. After a good deal of dissembling, the women had Mat one of their special writs from the Amyrlin, and send him off to deliver a letter from Elayne to Queen Morgase. This is his ticket out of Tar Valon. WoTSpoilers is a weekly book discussion podcast. Y...
Jul 11, 2018•27 min
For this episode we have on friend of the Pod Travis, long time listener and commentator on the WoTSpoilers Discord to discuss TDR Ch27. Verin walks into the kitchen while the young women are scrubbing pots to ask if they've found anything. Very suspicous. A few other Aes Sedai arrive after Verin to do and ask similar things. We discuss their motivations, and who might be pulling their strings. The young women head back to their rooms, and prepare to enter the world of dreams. They have no idea ...
Jul 09, 2018•1 hr 29 min
We know about rats and ravens, what about other small carrion eaters like mice? Egwene sees mouse tracks in a dusty room in the Tower, are the wards fading already? We talk about Lanfear constantly uses compulsion on the people around her. We think the the silver belt she's always wearing is an item of power. Nynaeve makes a crowbar out of Air to break a lock open, it says a lot about her character. Nynaeve is also a blunt instrument. The women are learning quickly from their surroundings, not t...
Jul 07, 2018•50 min
Egwene has had a whole menagerie of prophetic dreams. Don't panic! We'll discuss and interpret them all one by one. Else Grinwell arrives at Nynaeve's rooms where the three young women are going over their plans. Mat saw her on the way there in the last chapter. It isn't Else of course, it's Lanfear, there to feed the girls information under the guise of a message from the Amyrlin. “Else” tells the girls where the items left behind by the fleeing members of the black Ajah are being stored. When ...
Jul 02, 2018•40 min
Mat wanders around the Tower grounds, trying to assess whether or not he can escape the grip of the Aes Sedai. He runs into Lanfear again, this time she's masquerading as Else Grinwell, but she's not interested in talking. Eventually, he comes upon the warder training grounds, and challenges Gawyn and Galad to a bet on a sparring match. Mat, of course, thumps both of them, at the same time. Everyone likes seeing those two humbled, especially by a farmer with a quarter staff. WoTSpoilers is a wee...
Jun 29, 2018•39 min
Our friend Aradia joins us once again to discuss the aftermath of Egwene's test. Egwene has passed, and emerges from the third ring as everyone does, screaming, crying, and cursing. All is not right outside the rings, though. Suian is shouting orders at her Aes Sedai, who are all in as much of a panic as we ever see them. The dream Ter'angreal Verin gave her affected the function of the testing Ter'angreal, causing a 'resonance' that almost destroyed Egwene and the Ter'angreal both. Alanna descr...
Jun 28, 2018•46 min
Friend of the pod, Aradia joins us for this chapter to discuss Egwene's testing. As Egwene leaves Verin's rooms, she's quickly intercepted by Sheriam. It's her time to take the Accpeted test, because Elayne just finished hers. Keep in mind the last handful of chapters all happen back to back. The girls have suffered an assassination attempt from Graymen, beatings from Sheriam, worked a long shift scrubbing pots and shoveling coal, still have not slept, and then are required to pass a test that v...
Jun 27, 2018•1 hr 40 min
'Talent' is a collective name for special innate abilities of both people who can, and some who can not channel. For instance, listening to the wind, compulsion, and healing are all Talents that only a channeler can use. On the other hand, there are also Sniffers, Wolfbrothers, and Dreamwalkers – none of whom need the One Power to use their Talents. This episode of WoTSpoilers was previously available only for donors. If you'd like to hear more in-depth discussions on the unique characters and c...
Jun 18, 2018•1 hr 28 min
Egwene has been summoned to Verin's rooms in the Tower. The Aes Sedai gives Egwene information on the 13 Black sisters who have fled the Tower, and a dream Ter'angreal. Verin withholds critical information from Egwene, and we know that all the information Egwene receives has been pre-approved by the Black Ajah but, the Ter'angreal gift was not. No one knows it exists, except Verin, and now Egwene. We talk about Verin's dual nature, and how she helps the hunters when and where she can while stayi...
Jun 15, 2018•40 min
This is where TDR hits it's stride, and we're excited! Lanfear walks into Mat's room. He's stark naked, taken totally off guard, and under her spell. She's come of course to give her glory pitch to a nervous and naked farm-boy. We also know that Lanfear has been active in the tower recently. Her intent is difficult to guess, but we assume she's using the Black Ajah, or interfering with the plans of Mesaana or Be'lal. Lanfear seems to think that Mat will be the easiest of the three for her to man...
Jun 13, 2018•54 min
Mat wakes up in the Tower, not knowing exactly how he got there. He's been healed, and although there are holes left in his memory, we see him recollect a full page of memories from the Trolloc Wars – Aemon's Last stand, the battle that marked the death of ancient Manetheren, but saved a tiny remnant of it's people, Mat's own ancestors. We talk about the Old Blood connection, how some of Mat's memories are his own from his current life, his own from past lives, and the memories he gains from oth...
Jun 11, 2018•25 min
WHAT, exactly, does the sniff sound sound like, and what does it mean? Tell us what you think! Sheriam leads Egwene and Nynaeve deep underneath the White Tower, where even Aes Sedai rarely go. Ten women have gathered to separate Mat from the Ruby Hilted Dagger, remove the infectious touch of Shadar Logoth from his body, and the threat it poses to the world, not to mention save the young man's life. This is the first time we see Vora's Sa'angreal, and such a powerful circle of female channelers. ...
Jun 08, 2018•34 min
Elaida walks into the room without announcement, to interrogate the young women about recent events. She's met Rand, and wants to know more. This is the beginning of her suspicions of Siuan. Elaida embraces the source, to menace the girls. We talk about her intent, and the way the young women perceived that act. Luckily, Sheriam walks in shortly afterward to bring the young women to Mat's healing. Sheriam – who just 'found' a Grayman in her bed. Don't worry, Seth, Patrick, and the Chosen in Disc...
Jun 06, 2018•30 min
Nynaeve doesn't appreciate the meddling curiosity Gawyn and Galad, and they're swiftly ejected from her room in the Tower. We discuss Egwene's switch in love interests in this chapter – a hot topic in our Discord Server. Siuan's plan is to make Nynaeve and Egwene her hounds to hunt the Black Ajah, and she knows that by default, they will let Elayne in on their plans. This is where it happens. Nynaeve suspects the Amyrlin is considering not healing Mat. We talk about Siuan's motivations, and the ...
Jun 01, 2018•40 min
Nynaeve and Egwene are on their way back to the Accepted's quarters when several soulless attack them. By luck alone a crossbow bolt misses Egwene's face. Nynaeve turns the air to gelatin around one of them, but when the women approach him, he's already dead with a dagger in his chest. Sheriam conveniently comes around the corner at that very moment. We believe she's there to ensure that the women are dead, and the Graymen were successful. Sheriam's plan has failed. Later, a dead Graywoman is le...
May 30, 2018•45 min
Siuan has kept Nynaeve and Egwene behind; she has a plan, of which she will tell them some – never all. Siuan tells them that the Black Ajah is real, and they've been killing in the Tower itself. She tells them that she intends to make the young women her hounds to hunt these pariahs. She knows of course, that Egwene and Nynaeve will tell Elayne what's happening, and that Elayne will insist in helping them despite what Morgase wants. Siuan also knows that the young women will be an effective too...
May 28, 2018•38 min
Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elayne are summoned from their rooms to the the Amyrlin Seat. They have no hint as to what to expect. There are some really great harshly worded monologues from Siuan in this chapter. Morgase has been to the Tower and left Elaida there on returning to Caemlyn, enraged by Elayne's kidnapping. Morgase demands Elayne's immediate return to Andor. Although, Siuan intends to keep Elayne in the Tower despite Morgase's wishes. We debate about how much influence Rahvin may have over ...
May 25, 2018•35 min
Verin and her group reach the small town of Darein, at the foot of one of the bridges that leads to Tar Valon. The streets are filled with soldiers, we assume this has to do with recent Whitecloak activity in the area. We spend some time discussing how Aes Sedai constantly skirt around the three oaths, and what constitutes creating a 'weapon'. Verin gives the Horn of Valere to Siuan, tells her that Rand has proclaimed himself the Dragon, and we find that at the moment Rand struck down Ishamael, ...
May 23, 2018•50 min
Egwene and Nynaeve have been traveling all winter. Verin has brought the young women, Hurin, and a now comatose Matrim Cauthon all the way to Tar Valon from Falme. Lots of speculation on Verin's dual nature as a co-conspirator with Suian, and Moiraine, and also an unwilling member of the Black Ajah. The women have a confrontation with a group of Whitecloaks that does not go to Verin's liking. The confrontation reveals not only Egwene's new attitudes, but also, the knowledge of battle weaves she'...
May 22, 2018•41 min
Moiraine and Perrin have a conversation about the Wolfbrother Talent. She has almost no information for him, other than this Talent being strongly related to the World of Dreams. Rand hunts Darkhounds in the night. This is the first time we see him or anyone, use Balefire in the series. The Dark One's taint on Saidin is a powerful check on Rand. The wound in his side seems to break open whenever he's exposed to the taint, but he continues on, being driven eastward by the Darkhounds, toward Tear,...
May 18, 2018•37 min
