Re:Oooo ya (Score 1)

He has whole books devoted to fleshing out sub-plots that don't matter and aren't going anywhere.

I was always of the opinion that the myriad of mini-plots were kind of a blended statement about chaos theory and fate. All the petty little schemes and self-promoting plots of varying people who are too proud to bend to the will of the Dragon Reborn, or who never really seem to have anything to do with Rand at all, actually merge together at the end into one grand EVENT that couldn't possibly have happened without their tiny contribution. Or at least, that's what I tell myself to get through the slower volumes :)