I think he got a handle on Matt in the second two of the books he wrote, it's just so jarring because he does such a horrible job in the first (Gathering Storm?).
I agree. He seems to have been the only Forsaken close to being redeemed had he not hated the Dragon so much. I still haven't read that stand alone chapter from his POV where he finds Sarkonnen. Anyone who's read it care to comment about it?
It's interesting - a great insight into Dem's worldview, which I would have loved more of from the Forsaken in general. I wouldn't grab the anthology just to read it, but there are copies floating around online.
Still think it would have been better if RJ had stuck to Taimandred instead of changing his mind when he realized how quickly people caught on, but that's just me.
I was looking for a epic fantasy series to start and decided to try WOT. I'm about 1/3 of the way through the first book and it feels stale. I think I would like it if I haven't already read Malazan and asoiaf. It's black and white like LoTR, not as epic as Malazan, and the dialogue and characters are no where near as good as asoiaf.
I'll probably finish the first book at least and see if anything clicks. I probably would have loved it if I read it after LoTR when I was a teenager.
Yeah a huge part of the draw for WOT for me is the nostalgia factor. It has a ton of faults, but it's also inextricably tied up with memories of certain parts of my life, so it's hard to judge the series objectively. I imagine if I hadn't started reading it when I was 11/12 and picked it up for the first time now, I'd probably struggle with it. But just to be safe, I'd say at least finish the first book and start the second - if you aren't liking it by the time the main plotline of the second kicks off, then it's probably not worth continuing.
Oh and to any WOT fans who haven't done so, definitely download a copy of the WOT FPS game they made around 2000ish. It's pretty dated, but they nail the atmosphere of the setting and the way they turn the magic system from the books into weapons is a load of fun.