Less “fridged” and more “pulling a Gandalf”, I’d say. She isn’t murdered to demonstrate the opposition’s evilness and to motivate the hero; she’s a mentor figure who gets killed neutralizing a threat that the hero can’t overcome at that stage of his development.
Man, I’d forgotten how ridiculous that series is. I’d started reading them as a child, and finished just after Winter’s Heart was published. A couple years later, I met Jordan at a book signing for Crossroads of Twilight. I was so disappointed by that horrible, horrible novel that I still haven’t finished the series yet.
They’re pretty ridiculous. I had a similar arc of experience with them, minus the book signing, but a year or so ago I picked up ePubs of the tail end of the series with an eye toward finally driving a stake into its heart. I hardly ever read fantasy these days, but I had a long plane flight ahead of me and figured I could do worse.
Roughly six hours of reading later, I was a quarter of the way into Knife of Dreams and already regretting that plan. I never did finish them.
Yes, they are. If I were to find myself re-reading them for some reason, I think I’d just have to read the parts with the Asha’man, and skip the two bazillion other subplots that go nowhere interesting.
And especially I’d skip everything that includes Faile. Better yet, women in general.
But unhampered by the observation that it’s not just this particular pair—this is an entire social institution where a male Warden becomes a sidekick to a female Aes Sedai.
The Aes Sedai society is a limited example, I had trouble remembering the names of any other bonded pairs where both characters were developed and the warden fit the willing, mentally healthy, sidekick role. The wardens were a case study in the reverse Bechdel test.
In that entire story, Lan was an exception that he embraced his sidekickness.
I had trouble remembering the names of any other bonded pairs where both characters were developed and the warden fit the willing, mentally healthy, sidekick role.
I don’t remember any, either. Doesn’t Taim end up bonding with an Aes Sedai? I know at least some of the Asha’man did.
I suppose the triple bond on Rand is an example....? Ick.
Moiraine Damodred and Al’Lan Mandragoran
Tiffany Aching and Rob Anybody
SPOILERS FOR AN ANCIENT FANTASY SERIES
Severely hampered by the fact that Moiraine is fridged for—what, six, seven books?
Less “fridged” and more “pulling a Gandalf”, I’d say. She isn’t murdered to demonstrate the opposition’s evilness and to motivate the hero; she’s a mentor figure who gets killed neutralizing a threat that the hero can’t overcome at that stage of his development.
Not that that’s much of a step up, plot-wise.
Good catch.
Man, I’d forgotten how ridiculous that series is. I’d started reading them as a child, and finished just after Winter’s Heart was published. A couple years later, I met Jordan at a book signing for Crossroads of Twilight. I was so disappointed by that horrible, horrible novel that I still haven’t finished the series yet.
They’re pretty ridiculous. I had a similar arc of experience with them, minus the book signing, but a year or so ago I picked up ePubs of the tail end of the series with an eye toward finally driving a stake into its heart. I hardly ever read fantasy these days, but I had a long plane flight ahead of me and figured I could do worse.
Roughly six hours of reading later, I was a quarter of the way into Knife of Dreams and already regretting that plan. I never did finish them.
Yes, they are. If I were to find myself re-reading them for some reason, I think I’d just have to read the parts with the Asha’man, and skip the two bazillion other subplots that go nowhere interesting.
And especially I’d skip everything that includes Faile. Better yet, women in general.
You’d miss all the incredible Nynaeve tugging her braid action X-)
But unhampered by the observation that it’s not just this particular pair—this is an entire social institution where a male Warden becomes a sidekick to a female Aes Sedai.
And hampered by the fact that the main character is the one exception.
The Aes Sedai society is a limited example, I had trouble remembering the names of any other bonded pairs where both characters were developed and the warden fit the willing, mentally healthy, sidekick role. The wardens were a case study in the reverse Bechdel test.
In that entire story, Lan was an exception that he embraced his sidekickness.
Now I feel like a bad person because I can’t remember Verin’s warder’s name :(
Ooh, or Adaleas and Vandene’s sweet old-man warder.
(Looked them up—Tomas and Jaem)
I don’t remember any, either. Doesn’t Taim end up bonding with an Aes Sedai? I know at least some of the Asha’man did.
I suppose the triple bond on Rand is an example....? Ick.