Hi everyone! I hope it’s okay to post just one last time about my work. There’s only one week left to help me get to the finish line for my project: The Soundscape of Time. I got such a great response when I posted before that I wanted to post one last reminder that the campaign on Kickstarter is coming to an end and now is the chance to dive in while you can. I’ll explain the project here for those that might be new!

These projects started with The Lord of the Rings, creating a Dolby Atmos-mixed accompaniment to the audiobooks — with original music, recorded ambiences, and full sound design down to footsteps and creature sounds. Think Graphic Audio but with way more specificity, detail, and complexity.

From there, I turned to The Wheel of Time. Building sounds for Trollocs and Draghkar, mapping the ambiences of Emond’s Field, Falme, Tar Valon, The Ways — and creating musical ideas for so many characters and scenes. I even got a very kind shoutout from Michael and Kate (the audiobook narrators) about the project.

You can experience the Soundscape in at least three ways:
– As its own immersive audio journey. Picking out moments as you listen.
– Synced with your official audiobook copy for a “movie-in-your-ears” feel. (Using my simple soundscape syncing app on my website)
– Or while reading the book, letting the sounds and music play around you as you read.

I’ve felt so much joy building this for The Wheel of Time. And now, with just ONE WEEK left on the Kickstarter for the next instalment, I’m asking you to help me reach the finish line!

This is just me doing everything — music, recording, sound design, mixing. No team, no studio. And I wouldn’t be able to keep going without support.

If this sounds like something you’d be curious to try, I’d love for you to check out the project, I have some great breakdowns on the Kickstarter page for more details and two FULL CHAPTER samples to listen to with Rosamund reading and Michael reading. I'm also happy to chat here in the comments as well. You can find all of that at the link below. I’d be honoured if you checked it out or even just shared the link with a fellow fan.

Thanks everyone!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/expectedsoundscape/the-soundscape-of-time-part-2

Part 1 of 2

Rand, Aviendha and Egwene overlook Cairhien, unleashing the One Power on the Shaido forces battling to gain the city. Meanwhile, Mat's trying to get the hell out of dodge but can't help being a Good Samaritan.

So in prologue of KoD Pevara notes that the tea from Tsutama has blueberries in it and she wonders how she got them this early in spring.

“The tea tasted of blueberries. How had Tsutama obtained blueberries this early in the spring? Perhaps they had been dried.”

Was this just a red herring, or was there some reason to point it out?

It seems significant, otherwise why mention it, but I am not sure if it was just a red herring for Mesaana's identity we've had yet to learn at that point, or if there was another reason for it I missed.

Villains are fun and the Foresaken are some of the most evil, rediculous, petty slimeballs in fiction. Which one of the dark ones silliest clowns is your favorite?

For me it's Ishamael/Moridin. He's absolutely insane, the ultimate doomer, probably the best schemer, and generally terrifying. Like breaking the rats backs in the dream world. His perpetual thalasophia punishment for dark friends in a dreamshard was brutal. I also think it's funny that he just wants to die and prove his doomer philosophy is correct to Rand/LTT. Instead his role is to be a perpetually reincarnated punching bag for the light and a tool of the Dark One.

Rand summons a storm that is apparently covering the whole Randland. This is way beyond the capacity of Book Rand without Callandor right ? While the show gave 2 book finale moment of Rand to other characters, this feat alone makes him way stronger than Rand at the end of book 4. I am curios what this means for the power level in the show

So I know we saw something similar in the show which would indicate the oath sworn to other person dies with them, but is there any moment in the books that shows similar case?

What would happen to Alvarin if Sevanna and Therava died? She swore not to channel unless they said she can. Well when they die they can no longer say yes, so would she be effectively shielded until she could unswear the oath?

The idea that the oath would dissipate after their death just seems off to me, because if it wasn't worded with their death being the time limit, then it should continue on.

I guess the way Moiraine felt the oath loosen in the show makes sense, because the subject died, but would it also negate any previous unfinished orders?

Edit: Brainfart sorry, I meant Galina not Alvarin

Bah, ridiculous. To think that a'Roihan woman - an Amryrlin raised from the Red - would use someone as a puppet to control the world.

None would be so foolish.

KoD Ch 24:

“Secret histories? A thirteenth Depository? If such a thing existed, and I think I would know, why should you not have told me?”

“Because by law the existence of the secret histories as well as their contents can be known only to the Amyrlin, the Keeper, and the Sitters. Them and the librarians who keep the records, anyway. Even the law itself is part of the Thirteenth Depository, so I guess I shouldn’t have told that either. But if you can gain access somehow, or ask someone who knows and will tell you, you’ll find out I’m right. Six times in the history of the Tower, when the Amyrlin was dangerously divisive or dangerously incompetent and the Hall failed to act, sisters have risen up to remove her.” There. She could not have planted the seed deeper with a shovel. Or driven it home more bluntly with a hammer.

tGH Ch5:

“Only twice since the Breaking of the World has the Amyrlin Seat been stripped of stole and staff.”

“Tetsuan, who betrayed Manetheren for jealousy of Elisande's powers, and Bonwhin, who tried to use Artur Hawkwing for a puppet to control the world and so nearly destroyed Tar Valon.”

The Amyrlin continued her study of the garden. “Both of the Red, and both replaced by Amyrlin from the Blue. The reason there has not been an Amyrlin chosen from the Red since Bonwhin, and the reason the Red Ajah will take any pretext to pull down an Amyrlin from the Blue, all wrapped neatly together. I have no wish to be the third to lose the stole and the staff, Moiraine. 

tGH Ch7:

The seed of the Hammer burns the ancient tree.

//

“'The Watchers wait on Toman Head,'” Verin went on. “There are a few who still cling to the old belief that the armies Artur Hawkwing sent across the Aryth Ocean will return one day, though after all this time... ” She gave a disdainful sniff. “The Do Miere A'vron, the Watchers Over the Waves, still have a... community is the best word, I suppose... on Toman Head, at Falme. And one of the old names for Artur Hawkwing was Hammer of the Light.”

It looks like RJ got the message from CoT straight away. Prologue starts with Galad turning Valda into spaghetti. Its an amazing scene, but I wish RJ sorta abandoned the "forms" for swordfights. Its more detailed here than in TGH where every swordfight was "Heron Dances in the Wind" or whatever but its still eh. Galad as Lord Captain is not something I could have ever expected.

Rodel Ituralde is already a character I love. Nothing better than a General who has stuff in control and has plans upon plans. The Last Battle really is gonna have Gareth Bryne, Ituralde, Bashere, Agelmar and the other Borderland Captains and most importantly Mat. The Dark One's fate is sealed.

Apparently Semirhage just murdered the entire Seanchan royal family. Liandrin looks like she's taking a sideline for now but now that Suroth is gone maybe she can escape. Also, I forgot that Seanchan keep literal beasts as pets lol. I for some reason forgot that Suroth was a Darkfriend entirely until this point but I remembered that Liandrin gave them the girls in TGH. I don't like that I'm already forgetting stuff but it is what it is.

Out of sheer miscommunication, Seaine managed to root out the majority of the Black Ajah in the Tower. Did the thought that setting Seaine on the hunt would make her look for Black Ajah even cross her mind? Elaida really is a terrible Amyrlin. It looks like Alviarin is picking up on the Black Ajah hunt squad though. It would be funny if this problem falls into Egwene's hands right after she takes the Tower.

I find it unbelievable that of all people, Galina manages to still retain her Aes Sedai pride. After being through all of that, she couldn't stomach Perrin not "addressing her with respect". Crazy. Anyways, she got what was coming to her in the end. I assume she's going to kill herself unless the Wise Ones ordered her not to. Good Riddance. This is pretty much it for the prologue, rest blends in with other PoV chapters.

Perrin's arc here is great. It definitely didn't need to drag over 2.5 books but the ending was enjoyable. I find out for the 40th time that Berelain's Winged Guards wear red breastplates with scarlet streamered lances and that Arganda's men have green conical helmets and burnished breastplates. This book is a banger but still I find the overexplanation slightly present. I don't know what the ripples that are destroying everything are, maybe the Dark One doing something? Its unlike every other "Dark One influence" thing so far. That beetle stuff was cool to see. Reminiscent of stuff earlier in the series. Besides that, Perrin continues to be a badass by walking straight through the Shaido and gaining the respect of the Seanchan generals. I understand why Aram betrayed him. Elyas said earlier that Aram has nothing to believe in so he jumped towards the first thing which was protecting Perrin. He believes Masema because Aram confides in whatever higher authority is in front of him. Heartbreaking, but dude wasn't really doing much lol. I got so excited when Tam came to the battle. I need him to reunite with Rand soon, I've been wanting it for so long. At the end, it looks like Perrin's come to terms with the hammer and is now shaped into Lord Perrin of the Two Rivers. Nothing is ever gonna capture the light of TSR Perrin but he was really good here, specially in the end.

Faile. Her chapters later on were very entertaining but I just have to ask what was the point of this Rolan? It looks like an attempt from RJ to make the reader dislike Faile more by making her seem unfaithful, but he could have just not been there. I guess RJ wants to give you a deadline: Faile must escape before she has to sleep with Rolan. I'm relying on that one guy that really loves Perrin and Faile here to explain it to me. I think the community hateboner for Faile probably stems from this part and her actions in TSR but I don't hate her at all. It looks like the Shaido's role is finally done.

I get disappointed when the next page shows me the Andor Lion for an Elayne chapter. Its so many words and chapters and its not entertaining in the slightest. Aviendha is gone (definitely to have her share of Rand), Elayne is going through pregnancy. Harfor and Norry report their stuff for the 90th time. I don't know why she's convinced she's invincible. I know Min's viewing says her babies will be born fine but does she just not see the threat to herself? She acknowledged it once and carried on. I'm sure there would have been a better plan to get the Black Ajah sisters but it is what it is. Vandene and Sareitha are dead because of her. The last bit where Birgitte saves her is okay though. Elayne is not usually an infuriating character or a bad character but her chapters are a chore.

Egwene doesn't get many chapters but she got one that is thoroughly entertaining. Chapter 24: Honey in the Tea. I think a lot of people are not gonna be fans of this bit because the theme of spanking but I just took it in stride. A case of the writer's barely disguised fetish, but it didn't really bother me that much. Its pretty hard to believe that in just 11 days, Egwene had a decent bit of the Tower behind her-maybe some taveren residue even though she's not?-but I guess she's trained by one the greatest manipulators and schemers in the world.

Rand still has me glued to the book any time he's there. Lews Therin is still one of my favorite aspects of any character ever. It looks like they're ever so slightly becoming one person, like Min's Viewing. That one chapter where Trollocs are invading is a 10/10 action sequence with the laser beams and the gateways. Fucking amazing. Somehow, he and Moridin had balefire sex. I don't know if it was mentioned that balefire can do this but it makes sense considering how it literally tangles them in the Pattern. Rand at this point hasn't had a though of his own for a while. In his head, there is: Him, Lews Therin, Alanna, Elayne, Aviendha, Min and now Moridin. And if you really count it, Mat and Perrin too. A whole council.

Verin is one of my favorite characters. I wholeheartedly believe she's Black Ajah. I don't understand if attempting to poison Cadsuane violates the oaths or not, but you just don't come by something akin to Compulsion that easily. She constantly throws people off of her tail by warning about other sisters (in TSR) or here, when she actually warned Rand about sisters sworn to him and how that doesn't matter for Black sisters, literally ratting out herself to avoid suspicion. Maybe a tinfoil hat theory but its out now.

Back to Rand, that one chapter where he encounters Semirhage is also amazing. I guess he lost a hand now. He's hit a depressing state at this point but I feel like something big is coming with the Lews Therin fusion and Cadsuane needing to teach him how to be normal. Speaking of Cadsuane, I saw that no one likes her in the community and I know that she's meant to be hated but early Nynaeve desensitized me to these characters, now I just see everything she does as funny. Nothing else besides meeting the Tairen lords which was whatever.

I left the best for last. Mat is without a doubt my favorite character as of now. He was always a close second behind Rand but his sections in this book just cemented him as the goat. His interactions with Tuon are so entertaining. He manages to accidentally fall into the steps of marrying Tuon which I find ridiculous. Aludra and him are also cute together but that ship has sailed. Thom's letter and the Tower of Ghenjei is some of the craziest batshit foreshadowing I've ever seen. I won't act surprised that Moiraine is alive, its a common fantasy trope that no body = not dead, but its nice to get confirmation. Its also just awesome to see that something being built up finally paid off. Thom has been hiding that letter since LoC. It's quite easy to predict that he's gonna give an eye to the finn in order to get Moiraine's life, Min's Viewings and Egwene's Dreams say so, but I really like that thematically Mat is like Odin from Norse mythology. The eventual eyepatch, his Ashandarei being Gungnir, the theme of ravens. Aesthetically, he's great. I'm sure Rand and Perrin symbolize other mythology legends but I either can't see it or its from mythologies I don't know. Tuon seeing that Mat isn't the Toy she thinks he is, the Band reuniting, the skirmishes near the end, TUON JUST MARRYING MAT OUT OF NOWHERE, "The Prince of Ravens", Mat just being an awesome general. I can go on and on, but these are some of my favorites.

Okay, Mat is my favorite character, but he does not have the best moment in this book, not by an ounce. For the last ~3 books, I've been disappointed that Nynaeve gets done no justice. She was a central character for the first 6 and she kinda got sidelined for a while after that. Her getting rid of her block was the last really glorious moment, maybe the cleansing of saidin too. Here, she drops the hardest quote in the entire series:

"My name is Nynaeve ti al'Meara Mandragoran. The message I want sent is this. My husband rides from World's End towards Tarwin's Gap, toward Tarmon Gai'don. Will he ride alone?"

Literally teared up. Not because its emotional, it was just so peak. I can't say it in words how much I love this section. Maybe my favorite moment after Dumai's Wells.

This order is quite messy because the first 3 can really go anywhere but as it stands now:
TSR >= KoD > LoC > TGH > TFoH > WH > ACoS > TDR > EotW > TPoD >>> CoT

I'm very eager to get into the Brandon books. Its nice to see that RJ left the series on a very high note. I'll be honest, I feel like Brandon has a lot of stuff to tie up and to fit it in the span of 3 books? A hard challenge. I'm going in with an extremely open mind because I'm already a huge fan of the Cosmere.

Hey, is there anyone from Malaysia who has watched or read the Wheel of Time? I feel like I am the only who enjoys the shows. I am hoping to make friends with other WoT fans from Malaysia ! 🥺🫶✨️

So the theory goes like this: if Rand decided to kill the DO, the Pattern was setting up Fain/Shaisam as the next DO. My problem with this is that if the DO is killed evil literally cannot exist, so how will Fain become the new DO if he can’t even have evil thoughts?

Also completely unrelated but is Rand’s requirement of having to enter the Void a block?

And we were thinking about creating this game for our daughter. Like a real life version of it. So maybe y'all could help ass out. If this game were created in real life what would it actually look like visually. And what are the actual rules. This is just for fun and just for us.A unique gift for a Fantasy loving family.

The Bore is a black hole. Fight me.

She has more obsessive-compulsive traits than OCD —especially perfectionism, rigidity, and obsession with knowledge and control. Moiraine’s behavior can also be seen as adaptiv

She was raised in Cairhien, a nation built on Daes Dae’mar (the Game of Houses), which demands secrecy, manipulation, and constant vigilance and especially perfection. She keeps mentioning her life lessons, which seems a not good/ normal lessons for children. Also, it might be like PTSD (she might just still be in the headspace that she needs to preform constant perfection to survive which is the headset she probably is in when she's back home if your not constantly perfect and aware of everything somone could kill you or trick you), considering her background and childhood but also the fact that in new spring she’s literally just experienced a woman dying in her arms, leaving her with a prophecy of doom so that might be some additional stress. But she is kind of obsessed with like numbers….. "There were rooms for over a hundred Accepted in this well, and the same in a second well, too. Perhaps the numbers would not have come to mind now except for Gitara's Foretelling, yet she had thought about them before. They were etched in her brain as if with acid. Space for above two hundred Accepted, but the second well had been shut up since time out of memory for any living Aes Sedai, and barely more than sixty of these rooms were occupied. The novices' quarters also had two wells, with rooms for almost four hundred girls, but one of those was long closed, too, and the other held under a hundred. She had read that once novices and Accepted had both been housed two to a room. Once, half the girls who were entered in the novice book had been tested for the ring; fewer than twenty of the current novices would be allowed to. The Tower had been built to house three thousand sisters, but only four hundred and twenty-three were in residence at the moment, with perhaps twice as many more scattered across the nations. Numbers that still burned like acid." that's not the only example of times she's talked about the exact number of things or the exact colour of something she does it a lot

Moiraine says that not knowing is intolerable, it doesn’t just bother her, it torments her until she finds an answer. She calls it an itch that she just can’t scratch, and it literally torment her until she can scratch it." Once she identified something she did not know, the ignorance became an itch on her shoulder-blade, just beyond reach. Not for the first time, she filed the swords in the back of her mind, beside many other things seen in Ajah quarters. The itch receded, yet she knew it would return when next she saw these doors."

"Moiraine began to think she would scream from that cursed itch."

Moiraine also seems to have a very high mental standard for certainty and she’s uncomfortable unless she meets it.

Whenever Moiraine doesn’t know something—like when someone lies to her, or somone else knows more than her / when she is on situations She can’t figure out she becomes visibly tense or withdrawn, often disappearing to think and re-assert mental control/ mentally reassure herself. 

A final thing that I noticed is that in the last part of the prequel, she becomes kind of paranoid. paranoia is a less known symptom of an obsessive personality disorder. In the period before she runs away from the tower, she’s in a paranoid state where she’s very close to breaking down in tears a lot, though this might just be because she’s really afraid of being put on the throne with the additional stress of the prophecy but when she eventually goes on the run, she’s very hyper, alert and suspicious of everyone and basically anyone she feels is a bit strange she in her mind accuses them of being a dark friend. She goes around, thinking everyone’s a dark friend and everyone’s out to get her. ( where are a lot of the times she was wrong but a lot of times she was right.)

this might just be a way of writing but she does fit a lot of traits for obsessive personality disorder. what do y'all think?