-SPOILER ALERT!- Titles (happy, Vic?)

[Tony]

How do the titles of the books relate to what the books are about? I know The Eye of the World related to the pool of pure saidin with the Horn of Valere underneath it. Of course the Dragon Reborn fits with the book. But how do the others?

[Robert]

Great Hunt- Hunt for the Horn of Valere after the Darfriends stole it.

Shadow Rising- The shadow are rising, duh

Fires of Heaven- Relates to a prophecy in the beginning.

Lord of Chaos- Been a while since I've read it, don't remember. Shadow is doing well, perhaps?

Crown of Swords- The crown of Illian is shaped like that. Rand conquers Illian in this book.

Path of Daggers- Prophecy and sayings in the beginning, it also connects to the Seanchan saying, for in this book, the Seanchan return in great numbers.

Winter's Heart- is in the middle of Winter.

Crossroads of Twilight- It is about the twilight, where the Light seems to be forsaking the people involved. Perrin with his hunt for Faile gone wrong, Mat with his traveling circus stuck, Egwene gets captured, Elayne is under seige in Caemlyn... etc.

[Robert]

BTW, you have bad smilies. How does : and P mixed stand for ? In every other site I've gone to, : P stands for someone sticking their toungue out.

[Silvion]

Lord of Chaos- Been a while since I've read it, don't remember. Shadow is doing well, perhaps?

Obviously, the lord of Chaos is Rand.

[Tony]

Bob, don't know. It just is.

[Victor]

I always thought that "The Path of Daggers" was meant to represent the long and dangerous path that Rand walks (metaphorically speaking) and RJ just threw in the poem reference so it would make sense to dense people.

[Silvion]

I share your opinion Vic!

[Robert]

Vic, were you... implying something? And I thought the reference you made was rather obvious, and that the poem-Seanchan deal was for those who thought into the titles.

[Victor]

*thorough spoilers for CoT, which means spoilers for every book before it with the possible exception of New Spring*

No, I wasn't implying anything, Bob. And a new thought just occured to me concerning Crossroads of Twilight.

Key words:

Crossroads: A place where paths meet and diverge
Twilight: Between light and darkness
of: *is smacked*

I'm taking the word "Crossroads" to be the bulk of the title, because the characters are faced with choices. *is smacked* Er, important choices. With most of the characters, the choice determines whether his/her actions further the ambitions of the Light or the Shadow, hence the name Twilight. On the Crossroads, you choose to further the ambitions of Light or Shadow. Thus, the Crossroads lie in the Twilight.

Examples include:

1) Rand's choice to negotiate with the Seanchan, as opposed to fighting them and the Shadow simultaneously. We have yet to see whether this will further the purpose of Light or Shadow (in other words, will good things or bad things happen to him).

2) Egwene's choice to sneak into the White Tower on her own. With the Seanchan probably attacking the city which symbolizes Aes Sedai authority in the next book, we have no idea how this could turn out. As in Rand's case, she has the opportunity to make new allies (Elaida's Aes Sedai and the Seanchan). Initially I thought Egwene's decision meant disaster for her, but I can now see how good could come of the situation. The Wheel Weaves as the Wheel wills...

3) Perrin's decision to ally with the Seanchan in an attempt to reclaim Faile from the Shaido. This situation would most likely turn into an advantage for the Shadow, but for one small thing. Perrin needed to save Rand twice. Dumai's Wells was once. Rand will be leashed by the Seanchan. Perrin is allying with Seanchan. That could easily put him in position to save Rand a second time.

Those are pretty much the main "crossroads" present in the novel. Mat's courtship of Tuon could also be considered a "crossroads", I suppose, but that would involve four of the five main plot threads. I couldn't think of a "crossroads" for Elayne, and I didn't want her to feel left out, so I left Mat to keep her company.

No, not like that. Perverts.

[Robert]

Elayne is at a crossroads, too, just there's the fact that no one around here seems to read her section "because it is about politics". I mean, what is up with people not liking politics? Just because it is filled with dirty rotten crooks, theivery, deception, murder, pillage, torture, etc....

Anyway, she has been at a pivotal point for the last few books (I wish RJ would advance the plot here, her part is very interesting, IMHO), where she is in essence about to either gain the Lion Throne or be defeated.

There, now all five can keep each other company (NO, NOT LIKE THAT!)

[Victor]

Ah, I see. Elayne's overall situation is a "crossroads" where I was just looking at individual choices.

*giggles insanely and tiredly and goes to bed*