Things that surprised you

Toral Delvar

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What happened that was totally unexpected?

For me, Demandred and the Sharans, though that was mostly because of suggestions that we wouldn't be seeing them, which may have been misinterpreted
Also, Egwene dying, Birgitte's sudden death and Olver blowing the horn
 
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Actually, there was talk about Demondred being with the Sharans. I remember reading it in these very forums.

As for things that surprised me... The ending, I suppose. I really expected Rand to KILL the DO. Also Fain's redicoules end.
I can't say any deaths really surprised me. I actually expected there to be far more deaths then that.
 

Toral Delvar

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I remember the talk of Demandred and the Sharans, but I also thought it got shot down because of something RJ had said.
I didn't expect him to be Roedran, as he had talked of a very large army, so logically it must be the Sharans, but in my head, it had been ruled out
 

Avelina Ermen

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The Sharans and Demandred were the biggest surprises for me. Particularly how they made their entrance.

Min being named soe'fiea, or however it is spelled. I wasn't expecting that, and it made me laugh far to much. Then again, nearly everything that Tuon did I just found to be so ridiculous that she was inadvertently hilarious.

I really wasn't suprised about Olver blowing the horn. We were told he'd have a big role coming up, so once I realized he was traveling with that party, it made sense to me. I was particularly doubtful that Mat would blow it again, as he's had enough death scenes, or near death scenes, for the connection to have been severed.
 

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Hmm....

- Although I suppose it was very in character of her to ignore Egwene's command, it still made me sad that Romanda died so suddenly.

- The fact that Rand allowed the Seanchan to keep their damane. :indifferent:

- I am confused about how Mellar had a foxhead medallion. Did I just forget Elayne making a copy or something?
 

Kerna Shedrian

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Especially as Graendal had taken 2 Sharans for a subterfuge with Sammael. I can't imagine Demandred letting her "borrow" two of those he's conquered.

Olver and the Horn surprised me too coz I thought I'd read somewhere that it was still linked to Mat.

I was a bit surprised that Nynaeve didn't Heal him back to life. There was quite a bit of supposed foreshadowing for that
 

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I am not convinced that Rand and Moridin had switched bodies before exiting the mountain, Kerna. I'm convince Alivia and Nynaeve aided in that transformation and that's why he's alive.

Personal belief. :P
 
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Mellar stole one of the Foxhead copies from Elayne when he escaped from the dungeon in Camelyn after stabbing her. I don't remember which book this was in. TGS or TOM i believe.

I don't think anything really surprised me other than Demandred showing up with the Sharans (and did I read things right? The Ayyad had prophecies of a Bao the Wyld that Demandred played on to enlist them?). Oddly once it happened I wasn't really surprised that he was with them but them entering the battle when and where they did took me off guard. That was kind of the way of the whole book for me. Nothing really came as a shock but in some cases the timing or how something occurred would surprise me.
 
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I am not convinced that Rand and Moridin had switched bodies before exiting the mountain, Kerna. I'm convince Alivia and Nynaeve aided in that transformation and that's why he's alive.

Personal belief. :P

Nynaeve seems too confused about Aviendha's behaviour for that to be the case, I think. Elayne and Aviendha between them could probably rig it up, though.
 

Toral Delvar

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I'm not sure if Demandred played on the prophecies of Bao the Wyld, or if he fulfilled them as intended
 

Aduiavas Ida

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It is quite possible that RAND was supposed to be Bao the Wyld, but that he never got that far :look: Seeing as he is Dragon reborn, Car'a'carn and the Coramoor already :p
But it is also possible of course that Demandred was the Wyld, and was finally made a hero somewhere, like he wanted...
 
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I also remember the Shara theory being shot down by RJ, in some way. Perhaps it was misinterpreted. That was a theory I favoured, though, so I was just pleasantly surprised. It fit well.

Talaan showing up at Shayol Ghul with the Dragonsworn. I thought she'd disappeared with Merilille and that that was never to be resolved.

The revelations of a few gay men in the series. Pleasant surprise.

The death of Egwene, of course.

Cadsuane ending up as Amyrlin, which was terribly amusing.
 

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I was surprised there weren't more deaths among the main characters.

I didn't expect Egwene to die, though I thought it was a possibility after Gawyn was killed.

I was not expecting Rand to switch bodies and survive, or to not kill the DO. Though I do like the reasoning behind why he couldn't kill the DO.

I agree Cadsuane becoming the Amyrlin hilarious, from her reaction alone :laugh:

EDIT: Forgot to add, I did not expect Siuan and Gareth to die :(
 
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Bela.
 

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Rhuac, Egwene, Romanda and I suppose "Moridin's" death in Rand's body. That last one threw me for a loop. Egwene's death still makes me cry and I can tell i'm grieving over that one.

Cadsuane as the next Amyrlin really did have me cackling, which it is a good thing I read that part while Greg was at work or I'd have glares..

The Sharan's didn't really surprise me so much as made me angry. I'm surprised Tuon and Egwene didnt' kill each other at their confrontation, but I hope that bargin struck there keeps with the new Amyrlin. :cheeseeni:
 

Jeffan Caliarthan

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Bao the Wyld, and the fact that Azrael is never going to let us live it down that he was Demandred.

Egwene dying. I had to put the book down and weep for a couple minutes. I kept thinking that it would get better, but it really didn't. I just had to keep on reading. She died gloriously, which helps quite a bit.

Rand and Moridin switching bodies. I still don't understand how it was done, or how Rand lit the tabac, even though he's unable to channel.
 
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Egwene dying. I had to put the book down and weep for a couple minutes. I kept thinking that it would get better, but it really didn't. I just had to keep on reading. She died gloriously, which helps quite a bit.

That she died gloriously was soooo important. It made me sad, but it was acceptable, but she really went out with a blast (literally!). Compared to how it'd been if Elayne had died by getting her babes cut out her womb with no one knowing about it, which would've felt so unworthy ...
 
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Main surprises for me were the attacks on the Great Captains. No idea why but I didn't even consider that possibility.
The death of Gareth wasn't a surprise but I never like seeing my name written as someone who is dead. :p
I always thought that the manoeuvre Lan uses to kill Demandred was somehow going to be how Rand killed TDO/Other Forsaken.

And Jeffy, I think the lighting of the tabac is similar to Perrin's discovery of shifting between worlds. Perrin couldn't channel yet ended up being able to use his 'power' in the real world. Maybe the power of tel'aran'rhiod, in that strength of belief in something simply being, was always true in the real world too?
 
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