New Spring is a very in-depth novel by Robert Jordan. It's the Prequel (or what I like to call Book 0) to the Wheel of Time series.
The plot of New Springis about Moiraine Damodred when she's still studying to become Aes Sedai in the White Tower. (For those who have not read the series, you wouldn't understand. And you really need to.)
Personally, I loved New Spring. Possibly more than the rest of the series! I'm only on the fourth, though (Shadow Rising) so it might get better along the way.
In New Spring you get a whole new light on Moiraine if your read it after the series books. In Wheel of Time, she comes across as a very hard, set, mature woman. But in the prequel it shows her immature side.
I also found the whole Moiraine-Lan relationshop very interesting. You'd think they were dedicated to each other from the start by starting at Eye of the World, where it was much more complicated than that. Neither liked one another very much from the start, but their common goal joined them.
With Moiraine and Siuan Sanche grow from girls to young women Aes Sedai in the book, it really helps understanding how they got to where they are (in the series), and Lan–from a soldier to inevitably becoming the Warder.
Ages?
There is very little graphic violence in this book and near to no sensuality. It's very mild, but complex.
Violence:
There are quite a few fights, but none very graphic. Mostly Aes Sedai using the One Power.
Language:
None. In the Wheel of Time world they have their own curses such as "blood and ashes" and "burn you".
Sensuality:
There's only one part in which Lan is in a room with a woman and she brings him to her bed, obviously implying they ___.
Philosophy, Morals and Themes; Thinking Outside the Box
Oh my where to begin?
The storyline is based off of a prophecy of a boy who is "born on the slopes of Dragonmount" who is "destined to destroy the Dark One". This is based around the theory of Fate.
In the Wheel of Time series, the people believe in a few key things. First, they do believe, at some level, in Fate. They believe time is woven into a pattern and whatever happens forcefully, is meant to be, as is quoted–"the Wheel turns as the Wheel wills." The prophecy also says that this boy who is to destroy/entrap the Dark One is Ta'veren. For those who don't know/understand it, Ta'veren is a person which is like a key thread in the cloth of time. Other threads are drawn to it and their destinies are effected greatly by it.
Religion:
This was one point I found kind of interesting. So there is the Dark One, and then the Creator, which is the equivalent to God and the Devil in our world. But not really...
the Dark One isn't exactly like the Devil, because he is provenly real. The power involved in the Wheel of Time series made him real and not just an evil figure. The Creator, however, isn't mentioned about how provenly real she is.
Ethnicity:
This section ("ethnicity") might sound kinda weird. Because the Wheel of Time world is totally it's own, right? But of course, that is very subjective.
My ma has expressed her views on this point. She said that the kinds of people in the series are based of different kinds of people in our world. I agree with her on some of them. For example:
The Atha'an Miere (also known as the Sea Folk) are explained as dark skinned with piercings. Both imagination, description, and fan art have concluded that they are somewhat similar to African indians, right?
Then we have the Aiel. They fight with spears, are veiled (when they fight), and live in a desert where there is scarce shade and water. At least I think of them being Egyptian or some sort of middle-eastern people. Right?
Then the Seanchan. This one I don't know if it's just me or not, but I see them as Indian, mainly because they describe their cloths as such. Their pants were baggy and collected at the bottom, etc.
Then my mom told me that she thinks of Aes Sedai as Asian. I don't really understand this because Aes Sedai aren't really a RACE, they're just women from all over with this power, but my ma always imagines them to be Asian because of how their dresses are always described, silk with a high collar and such. She also says the name Moiraine is an Asian name (though I'm not sure if that's true), and the same with Siuan.
Questions:
1. Did you ever imagine the WOT races to be perceived as races in the modern day world?
2. Do you think Robert Jordan meant to write the WOT races to be somewhat similar to ethnicity in our world?
