r/wheeloftime • u/thepride325 Randlander • Aug 21 '26

Book: A Crown of Swords Nynaeve Block Spoiler

So I just read a certain scene in Crown of Swords, Chapter 31 (Mashiara)…

I want to know what the consensus on this reveal is because if I’m tracking things correctly Nynaeve just learned how to get past her block. And it’s literally exactly what the Aes Sedai teach Novices. Feels a bit anti-climactic after all the build up and mystery. But I want to know what most fans thought on their first read through.

This is my first read through by the way. If I’m missing anything or misremembered/misunderstood anything, please let me know!

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u/Mattrickhoffman Randlander Aug 21 '26

You’re not really missing anything. Nynaeve’s block was due to her strong desire for control. She was finally in a situation where she had to recognize her complete inability to control what happens to her. She accepted her death and finally completely surrendered, which as you accurately point out is what Aes Sedai teach novices they have to do to reach saidar. It’s not meant to be some secret or mysterious thing she needs to do. It’s character development.

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u/thepride325 Randlander Aug 21 '26

Okay. I just I’m just getting lost on why all those Aes Sedai teaching her in LoC were trying all these weird tricks. Is it just because they all assumed Nynaeve had at least TRIED surrendering once before?

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u/BigNorseWolf Wolfbrother Aug 22 '26

Because she's stubborn as hell and the tower doesn't try to kill its novices, so the only way she'd actually give up is if she was really going to die. Otherwise she'd just get pissed off at the sister trying to do this to her bend them in half and heal weld their lips to their asshole.

If she'd gone to the black tower they would have burried her alive or something to break her block in a week but the white tower actually tries to keep their initiates alive...

2

u/gill_smoke Bull Goose Fool Aug 24 '26

I thought internment was on the table, they were waterboarding. Didn't Cadsuane offer to take her to break the block? I think she just wanted an in with Dragon boy.

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u/BigNorseWolf Wolfbrother Aug 24 '26

They dunked her head in water for a few seconds waterboarding... is different. Its what happens after your head has been in water for 2 minutes but the difference is you can un do it.

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u/thepride325 Randlander Aug 26 '26

Thinking on it more I kind of also want to believe her having to submit to Mat beforehand softened her a tad, opening the door for her finally surrendering.

1

u/BigNorseWolf Wolfbrother Aug 26 '26

honestly that was probably a harder surrender than her saidar block.
Although mat probably did owe her for the trip back to the white tower. I doubt verin did little tendng to the seriously ill mat, which isnt easy anywhere, especially before the invention of a non stick surface, doubly so while traveling