So there are parts of it that I really like. The focus on dreams and the horror in them was super cool. I like hearing about the world and the different cultures and how different everyone speaks and dresses. I have liked the character development too, especially Perrin's. I actually felt like I related to his wolf stuff as a trans person.
But hooooooollllyyy shit how about a cis het sit down honey you need to fucking relax. Men and women aren't seperate fucking species you nonce. Also why can no one ever say what they mean?? In general but especially men and womens interactions are like halfway between a conversation and a discussion of platonic forms. I can't fucking handle it. It's bad enough that he can't seem to describe women without first establishing their relationship to men, and that he sees liking men as a moral thing, and everything I've mentioned so far.
But when Mr. Jordan decided to include dom/sub dynamics into THE FUCKING MAGIC SYSTEM I sincerely ragequit. FOR FUCKS SAKE. Not only that but a woman having to ask a man is treated like its a degrading, dishonorable thing, and the women who just sorta ask and want things like affection and sex are seen as strange and other! A woman flirted with a man you haven't even confessed to and you are contemplating kidnapping?? Murder??
AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
anyway the books really are neat but I am 50 shades of gay and I don't think it's going to get any better. Maybe when sanderson takes over it does but those are just the last two books soooooooooooo. I guess I could read summaries and then go to the last two books but I could also just read another series, considering red rising or malazaan book of the fallen. or kingkiller chronicles.
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH
if anyone does want to vouch for it feel free, I'm already feeling pretty stockholmy
You have to suspend this part for sure, but in the books they kind of.....are?
The book takes place in a fictional world with two types of magic that are accessible depending on someone being a man or woman.
This is a lazy fictional system and filled with contradictions (as are many). You have to just lazily accept that in this world men and women are biologically different.
This particular "shortcut" can be particularly offensive because the dichotomy it forces (men and women are very different) is aligned with the same split that people try to make in our nonfictional world to oppress folks.
But if you approach the books as if they're lazy writing they are fun in my opinion and I was able to get past it. If it's too distracting for you then as others say it does only get worse. The magic system is a main driver of the narrative and there are definitely two sides to it. No more and no less.
I liked the books but the man/woman stuff is by far my least favorite part of them so I completely understand where you're coming from.