1
Tamyrlin: 2004-02-12
I think that there will be three more books. Two books wouldn't do the story justice, then again, I thought the last book was going to be the beginning of the end, not just another extension of the middle.
2
vodomar: 2004-02-13
I think three more books as well, though I wouldn't mind more. Based on the was things are going at the moment, it doesn't seem as though all of these things will be resolved in the next book. If it does it might be as good as tEotW (imo) in terms of things actually happening (rather than lengthy discussions with the head maid etc, which seems to have been happening a lot lately) Answering your last question I doubt it, he needs at least two books to wrap up the main plot lines (I think he said somewhere that the minor one would be left unfinished but I'm not sure) and the last one for gathering forces and the of course the big one - Tarmon Gai'don.
3
Grady: 2004-02-13
I hope there will be three, even though RJ can do a lot in two books. I agree with jaspinto about where the story will be at the end of book 11, but how is RJ going to have the Last Battle and the period where Rand will be a beggar(like the Fisher King) in just one other book?
4
IkilledAsmodean: 2004-02-13
I think it will be at elast three more books. What you touched on was only the tip of the iceberg, story-wise. There is still so much to do.
-Moraine needs saving
-Rand needs to learn to smile and laugh again
-several big baddies need killing even before the Last Battle (I'd say Fain, Slayer, and Alviarin are among them)
-The saga of Elayne and Andor
-Galad and Egwene
-The Two Towers (wait, wrong book series, heehee)
-The Aiel need destroying, Shaido and other, and The Song needs finding
-The barely dealt with but obviously important stories regarding the Sea Folk, Itulrade, the Borderlanders, the often mentioned but not yet shown people beyond the Aiel
The way Jordan writes, just these stories are at least a book and a half, and I know I left some out. So we're looking at at least three (can't say I'm all that displeased yb that, though)
5
molec: 2004-02-13
You are both very optimistic. I bet that we will be saying '2 or 3 more books' every darn time a new book comes out.
6
Rand alThor15: 2004-02-13
I say at least three more books, after all, RJ loves the number 13, right? and ending the serie in 2 books is too quick, it will be like in the old days when they would end a story with a Deus ex Machina (i have no clue how to spell that...lol)
7
crispyroach: 2004-02-13
The LB is comming sooner than the people in Randland think. And alot sooner than we do too. 2 books. This is what RJ said.
8
SugarBullet: 2004-02-13
Yes, it's like the friend who is always 15-20 minutes late. And when they actually call to say their running late, you can still tag on another 15-20 minutes to their new ETA.
I think 3 books is very likely. AND I think 4 books is more likely than 2.
It seems to make sense to me that when the ending of this sucker hits, it will hit withou too much forwarning and then be fast and furious. It seems to fit J's style to push for all the unresolved things that are still hanging in the air when DO finally brings the noise. The dominoes are pretty much all lined up, someone just needs to start knowcking them over. I just hope that the "extended middle" as the Tamyrlin so aptly put it doesn't prove to overshadow the climactic finish.
9
Great Lord of the Dark: 2004-02-13
I don't want it in two books, but I think it's possible. The idea being that when it's time for the Last Battle, every main character must drop what they're doing and go. I think Perrin will hip-deep in the attempt to save Faile when he's told by the Asha'man that Rand needs him now. Similarly, Egwene may have the Tower near her grasp but get word that Rand needs her. Elayne will be poised to take the Throne when the call comes. So no matter what each character is up to, they will face an awful choice, that may leave major plot points unresolved. That's what I figure Book 11 is about. Book 12 is just the Light preparations for the Last Battle, told from a half-dozen points of view, leading up to Rand's big moment.
10
Davian93: 2004-02-13
I'm definitely thinking at least 3 more books unless the next two are at least as long as FoH and LoC. Otherwise there's no way RJ can finish the story. The LB is gonna take at least one book in itself so getting them all there is gonna take two books which leaves us with 13. Funny coincidence, eh?
11
Callandor: 2004-02-13
I'm hoping for three more books; two long ones and the third a lengthy Last Battle.
I think that book 11 is Tuon and Mat marrying, Moiraine's return, Faile returning to Perrin, and Elayne being crowned Queen of Andor.
Book 12 I think is going to be teh channeling book. The White Tower being re-alligned, Rand and the Seanchan coming to an agreement or whatever happens, and the Black Tower conflict. This could all be viewed as gathering the Light.
As said before, book 13 All-Last-Battle.
12
mat1489: 2004-02-13
Also i would enjoy seeing if the battle in the black tower really pans out how we think it will. Taim VS Logain
13
Mairashda: 2004-02-14
I don't think Fain and Slayer will be dealt with before the last battle... especially Fain will have to be there- just think of Rands wound.
14
Anubis: 2004-02-14
slayer might be dealt with, its possible, but i think he has a role to play. fain on the other hand will deffinatly be at the last battle. he needs to be. although i think it would be INCREDIBLY halarious if some random farmer killed fain for the bounty that rand had placed on him.
also i would like the last book to be short intro, LAST BATTLE, then wrap up.
15
Illuminati: 2004-02-15
And I still want atleast one book after the LB as well. Call it Epiloge or something so it can be excluded from the 13, but I want it.
I hate endings like "And so they lived happily ever after. . ." or "He died. The End." Reading about peoples reaction of the events afterwards is just as enjoyable as reading about the event at the time.
Plus, there's the prediction "the world not done with battle" to take care of also. :)
16
Rhodric: 2004-02-15
i think the next book is going to be all action. Perrin confronts Shaido - action. Rand meets Suroth with some double crossing - action. Egwene is freed and/or tower is attacked - action. Mat and Tuon... lovers - action, lol.
even if the characters don't meet up immediately after/during these major plotlines are resolved, there is much less work for RJ to do after that. once these major plotlines are covered then Rand and co can just Travel around to find his friends (ta'veren colours should help) to be set up for the last battle. which should be two books.
3 books left, IMO.
17
Jes: 2004-02-17
Boy, are you people optimistic! I don't think nearly everything will be wrapped up as completely as you expect.
I expect the Last Battle to take up no more than twice the length of the battle with the Shaido in Fires of Heaven. It will be suddenly resolved by something Rand or Logain or possibly someone else does. (Just like in “Lord of the Rings”, where once the ring is destroyed, the Dark Lord vanishes, the magical creatures disappear, and the evil men turn tail and run.)
The point about “the world not done with battle” is just a foreshadowing of the world continuing on long after the books are finished.
And while it may disappoint Grady and others, I firmly believe that the beggar/Fisher King segment will consist of the 3 women on the boat thinking Rand is dead, while we, the readers, watch him pick up his staff and hike off into the wilderness (echoes of “Dune”). I expect that to be the ending to the last book.
I expect 3 more books, for the magical 13 total. And while I love the series as much as anyone, if RJ drags it out longer than that, I truly believe he has no respect for his loyal readers and is just a greedy sob.
Just my opinion.
18
HawkeWolfe: 2004-02-17
I read in one of the interviews that RJ said that there will difinitely be loose ends that will NOT be tied up, and that there will be things that are left unfinished. He said, that is more like real life that way.
I could not find that interview, but did come across an interesting post at: http://linuxmafia.com/waygate/no-haunt/jordan.letter
here is the quote supposedly from RJ at that time:
" At present I am indeed hoping to complete the cycle in either
seven or eight books. I am 90% confident that I can do it in seven, 95% confident that I can by eight. The thing is, as a famous manager of an American baseball team once said: "It ain't over till it's over." I know the last scene of the last book and the resolutions of all the major story lines. I have known these things since the very beginning. It is just a matter of getting there. And I am afraid the rest of the books very likely will be as large as SHADOW and FIRES. Sorry. I've been thinking about asking the publisher to include a shoulder strap. At least I haven't topped a thousand pages in Hardcover yet."
This quote was put out right before LoC was published.
So when RJ says that he hopes to be done in two books...do not hold your breathe. *grin*
I agree that there will not be peace in the land after the Last Battle. Here are some quotes from the books:
• LoC,Ch14 - "The lion sword, the dedicated spear, she who sees beyond. Three on the boat, and he who is dead yet lives. The great battle done, but the world not done with battle. The land divided by the return, and the guardians balance the servants. The future teeters on the edge of a blade."
ACoS,Ch34
• "The north shall he tie to the east, and the west shall be bound to the south."
Now notice the part of the "land divided by the Return". We know that is the Seanchan and they hold roughly the west and the south of Randland. While Rand and the "freestates" hold the north and the east. This matches the prophecy ACoS ch. 34 (above)
I beleive that the land will stay the way it is divided as it is now, but the Seanchan will try to expand and that is where the battles will come from. Rand will bind the Seanchan, but only while he is in charge. Once he dies or fakes his death, the agreement will become void and the Seanchan will go on the attack again.
Anyway...I think that there will be more than two books to finish the series up...unless RJ leaves a WHOLE lot of loose ends...
19
Korell: 2004-02-18
Nice choice of topic. i did not read all the threads but what about this 3 more books the first to tie up a few major loose ends i like the idea of perrin being in the middle of saving faile and him having to choose but not between the axe and the hammer this time but between his life and all the lives of others as for my theory on 3 books
Book 11 tie up loose ends with a few of the major plot lines
Book 12 The last battle arrives Rand persuades the seanchan into a truce and unites the armies for a last stand against the DO the light wins and Rand seals the bore drawing to much on the OP and fries himself on the spot but succesfully seals the bore
Book 13 with the bore sealed the threat of the DO is over but the Seanchan threat is back and they are everywhere chaos insues and we end the series with the world at war
or you could have the end of book twelve have a cliffhanger for the end of TG with it begining in book 12 and ending in book 13 but i tend to agree with the 13 books in the end
20
New Forsaken: 2004-02-20
I was at a book signing for COT and the Creator stated he hoped that he could do it in two but he said he only gets in the book 2/3 of the material he wants. So I would bet at least 3 books or more.
21
Calebman: 2004-02-20
the gaurdians are the Asa'man and the servants are the Aes Sedai. So this means in the end the Aes Sedai are equal to the Asha'man.
22
timetorollthedice: 2004-02-25
On the negative side, RJ once gave an interview where he said that he was 90% sure he could do it in 7 books and 95% sure he could do it in 8. Two books later, we think it will take only 2 more. I'm a little skeptical.
On the positive side, I think he wants to end it as much as we do. I'm sure he has more money than he knows what to do with it. Fifteen years in the process of writing these things is quite a long time to stay at one job (imo).
23
Cossack: 2004-02-26
The fact that he is stretching out the story so much, has brought many people to the conclusion that all he is trying to do is get money, but i must agree, he probably has enough of it already
