Towers of Midnight - Chapters 51-53

In this section, Mat learns the rules while other heroes unite nations.

Brandon Sanderson doesn’t mind using a modern term if it succinctly conveys the imagery he wants. Quite possibly the only in-world characters who would use the word ‘research’ are Brown Ajah, since the very concept of research for its own sake hardly exists. A quick check reveals only Siuan and Graendal ever used the word before Brandon took the reins, and Verin and Forsaken account for most of the uses of the word in these two most recent books. So when Min talks about ‘her research’, it stands out a bit, but it still conveys intelligence, certitude, and competence. Simply talking about her research, especially after continual reminders through half the series that she has taken up this task, implies that when Min tells readers what she has found, it will be factual and trustworthy.

Rand has tried to travel to the Black Tower, but the second dreamspike has prevented him from doing it. Perrin or Egwene are the best suited to help him assault it and depose Mazrim Taim, since one of them would have to use Tel’aran’rhiod to destroy it. What kind of defenses could Moridin have placed in Tel’aran’rhiod to stop them? Before Elaida’s Foretelling about the Black Tower’s fall can take place and it is rent in fire and blood, there has to be some way for the remaining Aes Sedai to Travel there. It would be ironic if Elaida, or Suffa as she is now called, led the Seanchan portion of an assault on the Black Tower, assuming they can see eye to eye with the other nations.

The Borderlanders relied on a Foretelling of their own, one that predicted that Rand would have all of Lews Therin’s memories, and if he did not, then he was to be killed. Rand names this reckless and foolhardy, but it implies that in all the delicate weaving of the Pattern, the only path to victory for the Light is once Rand has integrated Lews Therin’s life into his own. If he had not yet done so, perhaps his death would cause the needed integration, though the matter of his resurrection would then likely be more difficult, since it too is a delicate affair relying on certain other events. The Borderlander prophecy is a failsafe, allowing the Pattern an extra more farfetched chance to set up events as needed.

Rand unites the Borderlanders behind him, thanks to Lews Therin’s memories, while Elayne gains the throne of Cairhien thanks to her ancestry and deft political maneuvers.

Two fantastic comparisons make use of other characters to not only make the comparison but provide humour and describe other parts of the world.

People knew about his scar, but there was no need to show it off like one of Luca’s bloody wagons.

Her dress was after the Ebou Dar style, with the side pinned up to reveal petticoats colorful enough to scare away a Tinker.

In the Black Tower, Pevara learns that Tarna has been turned to Taim’s side. Pevara is not yet sure, but readers feel confident this is as a result of being forcefully turned to the shadow by a circle of channelers and Myrddraal. The result is that Tarna speaks and moves normally, but her smile is all wrong, the only visible sign of being coerced to serve the Dark One. I recall that Javindhra is Black Ajah, which would be obvious in any case since both she and Tarna now share the same opinions.

Perrin reveals he will side with Rand, which unnerves Faile. But his men, now humbly apologetic about the rumours they started, will follow him anywhere, unquestioning.

Mat’s discussion of boots with Setalle Anan fits much better on a reread than when I first read it. It is the author’s humour about metaphor which throws it off, because it feels like Anan’s comments on the topic are for the reader, not Mat. Mat still makes his point, it’s not about anything but boots. Mat is simple and straightforward, and saves his best for himself, setting his own rules. The rules and expectations around nobles, Aes Sedai, and lords make it too hard to know how to behave properly and certainly prevent one from acting the way they want to. The intent of the discussion is to show Mat’s attitude towards rules just before he enters a realm where the rules make no sense, and are as anarchic to him as he is to the people around him.

Another fantastic description sets the mood before entering the Tower: A trickling, musical stream gurgled behind them.  ‘Trickling’ sounds like tricking, the musical quality speaks to the rules inside the Tower, and of course the stream is not before them or beside them, but behind them, the best place to do trickery without being seen.  

The always necessary foreshadowing has Mat remembering what he will need to remember, just not quite in the right way yet: The Eelfinn had given him the weapon. Well if they dared stand between him and Moiraine, then they would see what he could do with their gift. By providing a particular context, it is less likely the reader will think of a second context until the author reveals it dramatically later. Any hint of an incomplete thought here might leave such an opening. A second later example: “Mat had asked for a way out. They had given it to him, but he could not remember what it was. Everything had gone black, and he had awakened hanging from the ashandarei.”

Mat discovers that even in this chaotic realm, there are rules. Openings can be made to enter the tower, but there’s a trick regarding their size. The openings work in both directions, but they close once you exit the Tower. For each surprise, Mat and his companions logically think their way through, seeming capable of overcoming the obstacles placed in their path. The reader is lulled into a sense of confidence and short-lived complacency.

Despite the surroundings looking different than in past visits, Mat proceeds down two passages before doubling back to check that the map is accurate. It is not, so Mat relies on his luck to set their path. Doubling back established that reversing direction doesn’t take you where you came from, so Mat’s continued doubling back has a proven basis for working before the author shows its success.

An Eelfinn appears and tries to charm them, but is put to sleep by Thom’s song and Mat’s singing. So far, Mat thinks he has the rules all figured out.

Writing Lessons:

Foreshadow your dramatic revelation by discussing the relevant clues in a complete context so that the reader’s mind doesn’t wander down the paths you want to keep it away from.

Towers of Midnight - Chapters 23-25

In this section, the Heroes make a stand.

Elayne takes on the Black Ajah in the cells. Disguised as a Forsaken, her trickery fails and only her combined preparation and some good luck save her from disaster. She finally learns that her overconfidence in Min’s Viewings does not mean that bad things won’t happen to her. She learns of a plot to invade Caemlyn, but so far as readers know, all the known ways for Shadowspawn to enter the city are guarded. The Black seemed convinced the invasion would succeed, and revealed that a particular date for it has been set. Knowing of no other special day coming up, readers may guess that the invasion will be timed to distract Rand.

Any other nation could have been invaded, but Andor has been the center of the civilized world since the beginning of the series. It doesn’t have a queen, it has The Queen. It is the oldest nation, and the one held in highest regard. Its white walls and national colours match Rand’s long-standing red and gold motif. And ever since Elayne vied for the crown, it has symbolized the Light itself, and now she also represents the Light in some instances. The same is true of Egwene as Amyrlin Seat, and several other characters who have achieved some rank.

Egwene reminds Gawyn yet again that he needs to trust her judgment. Gawyn says no one can meet her standards. The situation forces both of them to weigh the importance of their love versus their station in life. Searching for answers to the dilemma, Gawyn returns to Andor.

Lan gets some supplies and even more followers.

A typical description in The Wheel of Time tells the reader as much about the situation as the setting. In this paragraph, the stream, trees, and needles add nothing to the plot or actions, but they add a lot to the context and the feelings imparted upon the reader.

The aged Nazar looked up from his saddlebags, leather hadori holding down his powdery white hair. A small stream gurgled near their camp in the middle of a forest of highland pines. Those pines shouldn’t have borne half so many brown needles.

The hadori representing duty holds down the hair which represents Nazar’s old age and possible infirmities. The sentence as a whole tells readers that duty not only motivates the old baker Nazar to overcome personal obstacles, but is strong enough to hold down any misgivings or frailty.  The gurgling stream sounds enthusiastic, even though it is miniscule compared to the forest of impressive trees, which represent Lan’s other followers. The brown needles they bear tell readers these men not as ready for war as they should be for Malkieri. While these are identifiably trees (or soldiers), they lack proper health, and are not as fit as they should be.

Elayne is the latest character reminding readers that the Last Battle is coming soon. Even blunt hints add to the mounting interest in this event.

Mat talks to Elayne about the Gholam, and then the scene cuts away to another character. This brief introduction of a topic is designed to wrench the reader’s interest where the author dictates. The author then teases the reader by immediately dropping the subject. This is the shortest such instance, but Mat’s earlier introspection about the gholam acted in the same fashion, forcing the reader to wonder how Mat will prevail. The author is playing this like a mystery, waiting until the last possible moment to reveal Mat’s strategy.

Facing a siege, Ituralde decides to stay in Maradon and buy time for Rand to arrive with reinforcements. The mystery in this case is whether Rand will arrive in time. The author is coy with this as well, showing Rand dallying elsewhere while men die in the Borderlands.

Perrin learns his character, not some unwritten rules of Tel’aran’rhiod, is the cause of Hopper’s worry about him being there too strongly. Perrin’s single-mindedness is a danger to himself in a realm where force of will and imagination can shape reality. Beyond the obvious hazard of leaping before he looks, there are hints that battle in Tel’aran’rhiod is about thinking at a higher level than your opponent. Slayer effectively does this to Perrin, changing the rules to move from physical combat to making Perrin combat his environment.

Perrin’s training is the first detailed use of strategy in Tel’aran’rhiod, despite the fact that many important battle shave taken place there. I am once again left with the strong perception that the author wanted to show readers the importance of Tel’aran’rhiod to the story and its themes early on, then distracted attention from it by simply not showing it over several books. Now that the Last Battle is imminent, it is time to not only bring it back, but to explain the ground rules authoritatively so that readers can follow the battles in A Memory of Light.

Rand returns to Bandar Eban, and reveals that through a ta’veren twist, the only bad food in all the stores was in the bags that had been opened when he was in a foul mood. Now that he has found balance, he confidently predicts the rest of the food is edible. As in Tel’aran’rhiod, thought and mood affect the reality of the situation.

Writing Lessons:

Use your descriptions to also tell readers about something else in the story.

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 43-45

In this section, Rand’s reunion with Hurin is menacing, while Egwene’s reunification of the Tower proceeds much better.

Rand’s attempts to sever all emotional ties hardly finds an obstacle when he meets with Hurin, a follower from long ago. Back then Rand offered Hurin leadership, courage, and hope. Today he threatens Hurin, questions his very identity, and dismisses all of his petty concerns. What could have been a gesture of friendship is interpreted as an attempt to influence Rand, with disastrous consequences. Nynaeve is hardly able to sway Rand’s mood when he begins weaving lightning to send crashing into the Borderlanders’ camp.

When he does relent, it is partly out of a sense that he owes Nynaeve a debt for caring when he can no longer afford to. Similarly to Far Madding, when he reached out for Cadsuane’s help before getting in trouble, Rand reaches out to his conscience, Nynaeve, and gives her a scrap of information, telling her where Perrin is. The other part of his motivation is that he hopes to save time by having Nynaeve reel Perrin back to his side.

Nynaeve brings Perrin’s location to Cadsuane, but it isn’t Perrin she is after, but someone whose relationship with Rand goes back even further than Hurin or Perrin.

It is pointed out that Min’s Viewings are clues as to what the Pattern intends for later, but if the Dark One wins, those plans will be for naught, since the Pattern itself would have been destroyed.  

Egwene goes through some introspection, which is always a danger for authors. Too much self-awareness, or too little, and readers can be knocked out of the story. Egwene’s lasts for almost three pages, and is extremely self-aware, teetering on slipping into the author’s voice instead of her own.

Egwene is bitter over her failure to persuade Siuan not to come to her rescue. She blames her secrecy for allowing Siuan to reach conclusions she would not have, had she known more details of Egwene’s plan. Egwene resolves to share her thoughts more freely in the future, while knowing that there will be some secrets her position demands be kept close. To illustrate her new mindset, the chapter concludes with her revelation to the Sitters of the Black Ajah amongst them. This purging of their ranks could not happen if Egwene didn’t have some reason and means to openly share the contents of Verin’s research with her highest-ranking and most-trusted followers.

Further illustrating the previous lack of communication between Egwene and her closest followers, Egwene must explain to Gawyn that his discomfort was the price she demanded of him. The idea that loved ones must be free and empowered to take their own risks in life has surfaced repeatedly throughout The Wheel of Time, and the truest example of this is the relationship between Warder and Aes Sedai.

Siuan and Bryne’s storyline comes to an end. Siuan has fulfilled her Viewing, as has Bryne, and they are at last united in love and the Warder bond. With Egwene installed on the Amyrlin Seat neither Siuan nor Bryne has anything further to accomplish in relation to the story. It would be nice if they could retire after the Last Battle, but it’s just as plausible that they will get singled out as casualties in the fighting.

The Ajah heads in the White Tower are revealed to have been behind the Young Sitters in both Halls. The Young Sitters didn’t obey as well as expected, and some of the more experienced Sitters turn out to have been serving the Black Ajah, explaining their odd voting record. It’s an anticlimactic resolution to a plotline that had been thrust to the forefront at least twice. The Ajah heads settle on Egwene as their preference for the next Amyrlin, putting the need of the Tower and the world ahead of their own at last, since their earlier efforts conveniently aligned their own interests with the perceived needs of the Tower and the world.  

Egwene’s exposition of Sheriam is handled with quick, curt dialogue. The rapid exchange lures the reader in, allowing them to plow through the text before having time to think, which is exactly the effect that the exchange has on Sheriam. There is hardly even any descriptive text, just curt questions and answers:

“Egwene?” Sheriam asked uncomfortably “I was just –“

Egwene stepped forward. “Are you Black Ajah, Sheriam?”

“What? Of course not!”

“Do you consort with the Forsaken?”

“No!” Sheriam said, glancing to the sides.

“Do you serve the Dark One?”

“No!”

“Have you been released from your oaths?”

“No!”

“Do you have red hair?”

“Of course not, I never –“ She froze.

In this scene, Sheriam is a stand-in for all the Black Ajah, her familiar, kindly, and oft seen face representing the closeness which many of the Aes Sedai will have had with their evil sisters. Were they able to tell all as they marched to the headsman, as Verin was able to? Once they believed their death was imminent, were they able to reveal the Dark One’s secrets? Did they even try to?  Sheriam at least revealed she had been stealing dream ter’angreal, another strong indication that the Dark One doesn’t want the heroes poking around in this realm, although it could still simply be Forsaken jealousy. Did Mesaana arrange for many other ter’angreal to be stolen from the Tower?  Why were she and other Forsaken so worried about getting caught stealing ter’angreal when Egwene was able to waltz in to the storerooms twice? It seems likely there was simply nothing worth stealing, or worth having the Aes Sedai notice was missing, which implies cowardice on the Forsaken’s part, a strong motivator. The sa’angreal Egwene used must nonetheless have been tempting.

Egwene’s purge of the Black Ajah amongst the rebels is not representative of Rand’s handling of the darkness within him. She does however acknowledge the existence of the Black Ajah privately, which is an important step for Rand to take. Only then is she able to excise it, yet Aes Sedai will still behave as Aes Sedai do, even if they do not serve the Shadow. The capacity for evil always remains, and if Egwene has only lightly touched on this truth, Rand will have to deal with it more directly before he can win the Last Battle.

Egwene accepts the Tower’s surrender, and their appeal to her to take the Amyrlin Seat. It’s nowhere near as gripping or powerful as the scene where the Black Ajah amongst the rebels are purged, and feels like a necessary epilogue to Egwene’s plotline, and there’s yet more Egwene to come.

Writing Lessons:

Control the pace of dialogue to keep the reader focused on something, or to keep them from focusing on something.

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 37-39

In this section, Rand mercilessly destroys his enemies and Egwene gets some help.

Without a shred of regret or doubt, Rand sacrifices a Domani nobleman to test whether Graendal is really hiding in a fortress called Natrin’s Barrow. His plan to kill Graendal amounts to fooling her into thinking she is sitting down to play a game with him, then to kill her before she realizes there is no game.

Callandor failed Rand before, but we get a glimpse of why Callandor is the object called out in the Prophecies, not the Choedan Kal. Rand calls Callandor a box, designed to trap him, but readers retain the intuition that a circle of two women and one man using Callandor can overcome its flaws. Callandor forces men and women to work together, to be in a circle where they can share sensations, and feed off each other’s will. The Warder bond sometimes causes a feedback loop where Aes Sedai and Warder’s emotions feed off each other. The a’dam allows sensation of the damane’s physical feelings. Rand’s bond with Elayne caused uncomfortable feedback and amplification of sensations. In a circle, using Callandor, it seems plausible that a feedback loop can be created that magnifies willpower, allowing Rand to feed off of the combined resistance of the women linked with him. Given the possible weakness in the True Power exposed in the previous chapters, the ability to use collaborative willpower would be of great value in the Last Battle.  

Balefire’s unique properties are once again showcased in a clever and callous strategy to verify whether Graendal is dead. Of course, dedicated balefire enthusiasts such as myself found several ways in which Graendal could have survived the blast. Min contrasts the results of the faded Compulsion with the bruises on her own neck which have not faded yet. The difference is that Rand acted as an intermediary, so his actions were not undone by balefiring Semirhage, he still believed he had a collar around his neck and was being forced to strangle Min. Given Demandred’s meeting with the Dark One and the repeated use of balefire, it is inevitable that balefire will play an important role in A Memory of Light. I expect Demandred’s forces to channel it almost exclusively in an attempt to unmake the world itself, an attack which would require the True Power, or the properties of Tel’aran’rhiod to repair.

Nynaeve is despondent over her inability to sway Rand by even a hair, so she reluctantly turns to Cadsuane, who tests her, questioning her ability to obey. Nynaeve resists, as she always does, not unlike Rand himself, while Min assigns herself the duty of keeping Rand alive and sane, with his soul in one piece.

Egwene uses need in Tel’aran’rhiod and comes across Tinker wagons. Mat once discovered Tinker Wagons burned with the message ‘tell the Dragon Reborn’ scratched with one man’s dying efforts. What do they mean together? The most common answer relates to their lost song, but given Rand’s recent moods, what he needs to be told is to adopt the Way of the Leaf. Acceptance of events and refusal to use force are two elements of this philosophy that are used frequently in other places in the story. If Rand’s soul is to be salvaged, the Way of the Leaf may offer a means to do it.

Stepping out of Tel’aran’rhiod, the transition from healthy Egwene to injured Egwene drives home the treatment she casually described to Siuan, hoping not to alarm her to the point where she would ignore Egwene’s order to pursue no rescue. With Siuan she uses words like ‘solitude, beating, spice, survive, narrow, touch, can’t stand, bend, stoop, pain, beatings, old, itches, cracks.’ Upon awakening, the author uses stronger words such as ‘blackness, exploded, pain, pounded raw, strap, cramped, forced, curled, small, smelled, unwashed, stench, groan, shield, stiff, cracked, scraping, parched, never, stooped’.

Dramatic events surrounding Elaida’s potential downfall and Silviana’s potential execution allow Egwene a few moments alone back in her cell, just in time for a visit from Verin.

Verin’s affiliation with the Black Ajah was a much bigger secret than Sheriam’s because she helped the heroes so overtly, but of course there were still those who latched on to the idea that she was Black Ajah early. Verin’s appearance brings an avalanche of revelations. Fortunately she doesn’t just walk in and hand her secrets to Egwene. There is a cost, which is her life. Self-sacrifice isn’t something the Dark One seems able to conceive of or worry about, so Verin’s self-sacrifice is a clue to the Dark One’s blind spot, one which Rand should easily take advantage of as he embodies the role of saviour.

As the series nears its end, it’s foreseeable that readers get reminders of all the major plot elements which will explain the later victory, so these tidbits about the Dark One, balefire, Callandor, the True Power and Tel’aran’rhiod are significant. In almost every case, those tidbits have been placed in gripping scenes so that readers absorb them, but don’t dwell on them, allowing a more powerful revelation later.

With most of the Black Ajah plots already foiled, it is timely to reveal their identities now. No longer are readers filled with paranoia about who may be on their side, from now on they will know exactly who is a villain and who is not. A new tension arises from Egwene’s need to keep this secret until she can make the most use of it, even when it will mean interacting with Black Ajah.  She gives orders to take Alviarin immediately if at all possible.

The book has been picking up its pace for a while now, overcoming most concerns or interest in the difference between Jordan and Sanderson. The reason is that events in each locale are directly affecting each other, creating a storyline that links the parts into a whole which the reader has interest in following. Mat’s agreement with Verin led to her arrival in the Tower. Rand’s failure with the Seanchan leads to Tuon launching a raid on Tar Valon. Tuon’s raid prevents Egwene from acting on Verin’s information immediately. Disparate storylines are being interwoven with cause and effect rather than simply thematic links.

Writing Lessons:

Readers feel story progression when the solution to one problem creates a new problem.

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 24-27

In this section, the heroes learn that power must not only be wielded, but wielded properly.

Like Rand, Gawyn has the power to do anything he wants, which he displays by casually dispatching a handful of guards in the Rebels’ camp. Bryne criticizes him for it, acknowledging that the power is in his hands, but questioning what he will do with it. What guides Gawyn’s hand? He says love for Egwene does, but he has no actual idea what she wants, he is simply making his best guess. Unlike Rand, a mentor’s intervention doesn’t drive Gawyn away, but gives him pause. Gawyn bristles at his mentor’s scathing words about his mother. Bryne’s point is that the truth may be uncomfortable and may shatter heartfelt illusions, but it must be heard nonetheless. Gawyn would like to believe his mother was special, but she wasn’t in this circumstance, she gets no special dispensation. By extension the same is true for Gawyn and Rand, who both wield great power but will be judged harshly if they do not wield it properly.

With Rand abandoning the Light, and Gawyn poised on the precipice before being hauled back, it’s timely to look in on the Black Ajah Sheriam. There were still many holdouts over Sheriam’s allegiance to the Shadow in the Theoryland forums, some positing that Sheriam must have been turned against her will, since she just could not possibly be evil. Jordan had established her kindly character well, as discussed in posts on The Dragon Reborn, and the fact that she was not confirmed as evil allowed readers to stick to their emotion-based judgment of her. Sanderson uses some of the same techniques here, even as she is finally convincingly revealed as a villainess. Ambiguous phrasing, such as ‘the one who had sometimes lurked inside’ tells readers nothing about whether that person was an interloper or a Great Mistress commanding her, and in proving nothing one way or the other create fertile ground for deeper emotional commitment to deep-held beliefs about Sheriam.

We learn that the Forsaken helped raise Egwene as rebel Amyrlin, in the hope that it would further split the Aes Sedai, and that plan paid off very well until now, when Egwene’s status is rising to that of her title and threatening to heal the rift.

Egwene learns she has escaped the headsman for now, but Elaida’s outburst of rage has only unsteadied her, not toppled her, and she may yet recover. Egwene’s options are very limited, but she maintains she will never kneel to Elaida, and she will continue to resist until her trial, and possible death sentence. She still feels her resistance may provide, even in death, the means to heal the Tower and oust Elaida in time for a better candidate to lead the White Tower in the Last Battle.

Aviendha becomes a Wise One after finally standing up for herself. In a plot similar to Shemerin’s, Aviendha learns that only she can raise or debase herself, the power to establish her own  worth is entirely in her own hands.

Romanda listens to Shemerin’s tale and is disgusted that Elaida could cause such a change in an Aes Sedai. A sudden swarm of beetles ruptures the floor of the tent, a bubble of evil which represents the fate of the rebels, the first beetle a precursor to the others as Shemerin’s treatment presages the treatment the rebels will receive. Romanda burns her tent, unable to contemplate touching things that had been touched by such filth, in effect destroying her identity as thoroughly as Elaida could. She wonders if she could submit to Elaida to save the Tower. Like Gawyn, Aviendha, and the other examples, she now wields the power to decide, but may not have the means to reach a decision.

Mat brings some followers to Hinderstap to gather supplies and have some fun. The question of saving Moiraine comes up again, and Mat realizes that Lanfear may well be trapped too. He wonders if he would save her from a fate amongst the Aelfinn and Eelfinn, even knowing how evil she is. Based on the thought “You’re a fool, Matrim Cauthon. Not a Hero. Just a Fool”, readers should recognize the familiar mindset of the character who will go out of his way to do the right thing. It’s the first time anyone has considered saving one of the Forsaken; most of Rand’s interactions merely confirmed they weren’t interested in being saved. As I’ve posited before, Lanfear has close parallels in the myths of Eve and Pandora, myths which also include their redemption and salvation.

Why not attach that earlier Mat section to this one? Probably to get a bit of humour in before Rand’s grim scene sucked all the smiles out. It’s a surprise when the next chapter is also Mat’s; two in a row from one character for the first time in the book. Splitting the viewpoints changes the flow of the story, and since some of the split scenes involving the same character fit reasonably well together and could have fit the typical Robert Jordan format, it’s further confirmation that this was a stylistic choice of Brandon’s or the editor’s.  

Mat remembers the dagger from Shadar Logoth, a dagger that filled Mat and Padan Fain with all-consuming hatred for the Shadow. Once freed of the dagger, Mat’s carefree attitude is almost opposite to the single-mindedness of purpose that the Shadar Logoth taint filled him with. Mat expressly will do the least possible to rid the world of the Shadow, adopting a live and let live lifestyle, and even contemplating saving dire enemies.

Let’s quickly look at Gawyn’s short battle scene:

The four soldiers are portrayed as competent, taking their duty seriously. Gawyn’s emotions are irritation and anger, fuelled by the soldier’s dismissal of his claims. A cluster of dialogue ends with the sergeant laying a hand on his sword. Words end, action begins.

Gawyn leaps from his horse, an explanation for the strategy behind it is given.

Gawyn begins a sword form, an explanation for the strategy behind it is given.

Gawyn slams into the sergeant, an explanation for the success of the attack is given (wearing helmet the wrong way)

Gawyn repels a few blows, and strikes the halberdiers, an explanation for the necessity of wounding them is given.

Gawyn finishes the battle leaving all four wounded and winded soldiers on the ground.

The author succeeds in demonstrating that Gawyn is intensely analytical during battles with immediate and frequent explanations of his actions.

Writing Lessons:

Where you place explanations for actions in the story affects how readers perceive those actions.

Knife of Dreams - Chapters 31-34

In this section, Elayne turns a sour experience into crushing victory!

A professional purse snatcher does what no one else has been able to so far, following Mellar to the Lady Shiaine’s home. Giddy at the prospect of capturing a circle of Darkfriends, two Black Ajah, and giving the boot to Mellar, Elayne hastily assembles the Aes Sedai and Warders to raid the manor before they disperse. Mellar’s treachery is strongly downplayed; his arrest is but a footnote.

Elayne cleverly gets the two Aes Sedai she is unsure of in linked pairs, so they cannot channel to disrupt her plan. The raid goes perfectly, until the unforeseen arrival of four other Black Ajah, seemingly still bent on capturing Elayne as Moghedien ordered so long ago. Shiaine is grateful for the rescue, but is quickly put in her place; these women have their own agenda which has nothing to do with Moridin’s or Shiaine’s. This is not the first time that one evil plot has been undone by another concurrent evil plot, where the villains do not share information or objectives.

Careane is unveiled as Black Ajah, and is stabbed by Vandene. Careane’s treachery is strongly downplayed; her death is also but a footnote, since the immediate menace is the six Black Ajah who will have no trouble killing the remaining Warders and carrying Elayne off. Fortunately, none of them know Traveling. Maintaining control over who can Travel is important for several plotlines, and devising ways to keep it secret from the general population of channelers and Mat’s group, while simultaneously allowing other heroes to make liberal use of it must have required intricate planning on the author’s part. Be careful of the tools you give your heroes, because they may make life too easy for them.

Birgitte responds correctly to Elayne’s capture and the death of the Warders. She goes for the only help capable of stopping channelers: other channelers. Birgitte appeals to the Sea Folk’s sense of self-interest, and the Black Ajah are captured and Elayne freed. In minutes, they had destroyed several hundred soldiers, providing yet another example of the escalation of the battles and their outcomes. Obviously, the Last Battle will involve large numbers of channelers, and the value of soldiers will be much less than in traditional warfare.

Birgitte had been forced to give away a number of soldiers to Dyelin to defend the city gates, which made a big difference in the city’s defense, but little difference in Elayne’s rescue which depended on the One Power. With the city under attack from one of Elayne’s rivals for the throne, she Travels into position and catches them between the city walls and her army. It is enough to win, yet the thin margin of victory could have gone the other way several times.

Elsewhere, Karede divines Mat’s plan, and moves to intercept him, setting up another tense conflict where small chance-driven events may make the difference between victory and defeat.

Robert Jordan has a particular way with his sentence structure, often crafting lengthy sentences filled with descriptions, information, the character’s personal views, symbolism, and inference. Since I’m nearing the end of the books he wrote himself, it’s long past time to study these more closely.

Just  two of the mirrored stand-lamps were lit, six flames filling the sitting room with a dim light and the scent of lilies – so much of the lamp oil had gone bad that it was always perfumed, now – but a crackling fire on the hearth was beginning to take away some of the early hour’s coolness.

In this sentence, the room’s temperature, odour, and lighting are described, establishing a mood. There are links to other ideas and plotlines: the Dark One’s touch, Elayne working at early hours of the morning, insufficient supplies to meet needs. Elayne’s situation is symbolized, she can hardly shed light on the solution to her problems, but another source will give her what she needs. So many things conveyed with just one sentence.

Gliding to one of the carved sideboards, she wrinkled her nose at the silver pitcher holding goat’s milk and poured herself a cup of dark wine before taking a chair across from Elayne.

In this sentence, the first part might have been dropped but leave the entire meaning intact. Instead of breaking the sentence into smaller parts, Jordan links them together as a complete sequence of related events. He does it again with the next sentence:

Deni made a move as if to try dragging her out, but Elayne shook her head.

In this case, an action is begun, another is contemplated, and then both are negated. Three actions in one short sentence.

The gag, a dirty piece of rag with a vile, oily taste, tied so tightly that it dug into the corners of her mouth, had been meant to keep her from shouting for help at the gates.

This is not simply a description of her gag, but has added links to explain her captor’s attitude (tightness of gag), and the reason why she has a gag in her mouth, which will lead to an explanation of Elayne’s own strategy.

At last, however, even the most diehard began shedding weapons and armor, and if not every voice cried for quarter, the roar was still thunderous.

Here, large scale events are summarized with a quick series of events. The words ‘at last’ convey Elayne’s hopes as well as the finality of the situation. Using words like ‘roar’, ‘thunderous’, and ‘every’ conveys the large scale of their surrender. Describing the actions of many through the actions of few, either by making them representative, or extraordinary, allows the entire scene to be condensed.

Writing Lessons:

Give longer descriptive passages more weight and interest by linking the ideas and actions within them.

Knife of Dreams - Chapters 24-25

In this section, Egwene digs at the foundations of Elaida’s White Tower.

Egwene has resolved to undermine Elaida from within the White Tower, even though she has been demoted to a Novice, and is given Forkroot regularly to prevent her channeling too powerfully. Elaida knows Egwene is purportedly a Dreamer, but either cannot or doesn’t care to do anything to prevent her from using that ability.

Egwene’s lengthy section is one of my favorites in the series. It is told slightly out of chronological order, focusing on her success at forging and maintaining her identity instead of her success at undermining Elaida. The character achieving victory through personality conflicts instead of plot-driven progress has been demonstrated several times throughout the series. Egwene ends her first beating by the Mistress of Novices surprisingly calm despite having howled while it was being administered. She got the beating for claiming to Amyrlin, and she earns two more visits for the same before leaving the room. While Egwene earns punishments, she also is able to avoid bending her neck, and never does curtsy or call an Aes Sedai by their honorific title.

Every time Egwene is punished, she has another chance to prove to herself, and the world that her will is stronger than those who would seek to craft her identity. Every beating reinforces her self-confidence, and makes her wholeheartedly embrace her identity as Amyrlin. Egwene was already willful, and now she is being tempered into a being of self-knowledge and force of will that will eclipse all others in Tel’aran’rhiod. While Elaida believes she is breaking down Egwene’s resistance, she is in fact making her more resilient, and more powerful. Throughout the series we’ve seen several occasions when force of will and identity are the keys to victory, and Egwene is ahead of the other characters in developing an unassailable identity; several of the others still have some uncertainty or hesitation in embracing who they must become.

By repeatedly demonstrating that she will not become a Novice in fact as well as name, Egwene earns respect in ever-increasing amounts. Novices begin by bullying her, while the Red Ajah crows over her situation. She earns a spanking in every class, and the Mistress of Novices Silviana must adjust Egwene’s lessons and provide extra Healing to avoid drawing blood from the repeated beatings. Other Aes Sedai ignore Egwene in the Halls or the cells where Leane is imprisoned. Egwene drops hints to the Aes Sedai giving her lessons, all aimed at undermining Elaida, usually earning a penance. Small illustrative parallels are squeezed into Egwene’s lessons, such as former Amyrlin Shein Chunla, a woman whose identity as Amyrlin was subsumed by the Hall, which resulted in many egregious errors being made by the White Tower.

Despite lack of progress, Egwene begins to see each visit to the Mistress of Novices as a badge of honor, proof that she had refused to yield. The Novices try to emulate her, and quickly stop when they earn their own punishments, yet Egwene carries on. She gives advice to Accepted, consoles fearful young women when ghosts appear or corridors change location. She endures hard labor, yet the taskmistress in the kitchens is surprisingly kind with her. Eventually, Alviarin, the fallen Aes Sedai seeks her out, as does the kidnapped King of Illian. The first Aes Sedai she brings to her cause is Beonin, the betrayer. Beonin believed herself free of her Oath of fealty to Egwene, but a combination of logic and dislike for Elaida brings her to follow Egwene’s instructions. Doesine, a Sitter and Black Ajah Hunter, decides not to send Egwene to be punished for failing to curtsy or address her properly. Silviana finally begins to treat Egwene as more than a Novice to be spanked. Symbolizing her success, the Novices slip honey in Egwene’s tea, and offer her a cushion to ease her soreness. Embracing her identity, Egwene puts the cushion aside before sitting her tender parts on the hard bench, and the Novices are fully hers. She hasn’t reached anywhere near the influence she needs yet, but she is winning her war.

That chapter is in contrast to Tarna’s visit to Elaida’s apartments. Elaida is leading one of the rebel infiltrators by the nose, waiting for a chance to snap the jaws of her trap shut, seeming to relish the future opportunity to crush the woman’s spirit and betray their apparent complicity. Part of her sadistic joy comes from worry that the infiltrators are in collusion with the Ajah Heads, who are continuing to meet with the rebels in pointless negotiations. Where Novices and Accepted come to Egwene for advice, Elaida’s most trusted associate won’t discuss certain topics for fear of unleashing Elaida’s fury on herself. Elaida hopes to gloat over Egwene’s situation in person by having her serve Elaida’s private meal with one of the infiltrators.

Oddly, the chapter ends with Mat’s point of view, and the next chapter continues immediately from where it leaves off with Tuon’s. The division of chapters for the next while is peculiar, but discussion of it is best suited for the next post.

Tuon asks Mat to kiss her, but with Mat having such an unreliable point of view, it’s hard to tell who is more flustered by their first kiss. Their unique relationship is devoid of any traditional romance.

A Seanchan army and a landslide obstruct Mat’s escape from Altara. His band of soldiers is not far off though. Will he overcome this obstacle with his personality or his army? If the past is any indication, some element of character and personality will be the focus.

Writing Lessons:

The end result of a plotline is more powerful when developed slowly and incrementally, and relates more to character than plot elements.

Knife of Dreams - Chapters 17-19

In this section, Rand and Elayne lose control of something.

Birgitte confirms that Elayne didn’t get lost; it was the Palace that changed. Since she can’t do anything about the danger or problems that come with locales changing suddenly, instead, she stoically goes on with the things she can do something about. The mutable geography is not necessarily the same as bubbles of evil, which have a more sinister and violent effect, but they are just as random.

Young Perival correctly deduces that a third of the High Seats of Andor are keeping their distance because of the nearby Borderlander army. Elayne’s earlier meeting with the Borderlanders in Winter’s Heart is still bearing fruit, yet it also gives the impression that not much has changed since then. That will come to an abrupt end with Arymilla’s apparent bribery of the mercenary companies guarding Caemlyn. Arymilla expects to have the city within a week. As with the Perrin storyline, establishing a firm countdown to disaster ramps up the tension and dispels any sense of drudgery or lack of progress. One way or the other, with Arymilla’s scheme unfolding, the plotline will be resolved.

A discussion of House Mantear, the House that Rand is descended from, added to Elayne’s unswerving confidence her babies will be born safely, linked a few ideas in my mind. Elaida’s Foretelling was that the Royal Line of Andor is the key to winning the Last Battle. She thinks it means Elayne, but readers know it probably means Rand, and there is a slight possibility it means Morgase, or Luc, or some other secondary character. However, I’m surely not the first to see that Rand and Elayne’s children are descended from the two most recent Royal Families of Andor. Could all of Moridin’s schemes be aimed at Rand’s children, to prod him in ways he couldn’t be prodded before? Could Rand’s children or his attitude towards them be the key to winning the Last Battle? To fit the themes in the story so far, the Last Battle will have to be about Rand affirming his identity for once and for all. In what ways could his children factor into that? Will they represent the humanity he is trying to save, or will they represent a sacrifice on his part?

Reanne’s death and the discovery of a doll that should have been taken by a fleeing Kinswoman rule out Merilille as the Black Ajah. Sadly, it means Elayne can add a number of probable murders to the bill, since it implies that most of the vanished Kinswomen were killed, and did not run away.

Loial interviews Rand for his book, and is told almost nothing really useful, something Theorylanders are familiar with from RAFO-filled author interviews. The boys from Manetheren have rubbed off on Loial, for he is ready to address the Stump with his views that the Ogier should stand against the Dark One rather than flee to another Dimension using their Book of Translation. Loial acquiesces to his Mother’s demand for a wedding, which takes place minutes after her arrival, the only hasty thing Ogier ever do. For all of his fear that his life would be dominated by a wife, she asks him what he would do, and then supports him in that decision.

I once asked Robert Jordan why Rand had never thought again about the mysterious stranger who saved his life in Shadar Logoth. At last, Rand does so now, recognizing his face as the one that has been appearing in his head shortly after he thinks of Mat and Perrin. It’s likely this was the point of the story in which this information was bound to appear, and not the direct result of a fan’s question. Rand also concludes that the stranger used the Forsaken’s so-called True Power. He stops short of realizing that the stranger may be a reincarnated Forsaken, failing to recognize that the Lord of the Grave is more than a name, it describes one of his abilities. The ability to parse out information slowly is often difficult, as authors are eager to show off the wonderful world they have created. The trick is in supplying just enough new information to keep the reader happy without going beyond the minimum that the reader needs. The Wheel of Time’s length, multiple plotlines, numerous characters and publication schedule have demonstrated that it is possible to dole out clues very slowly, over two decades, and still maintain an air of mystery and wonder with each revelation.

Rand’s madness isn’t getting worse, but he is at the point where he and Lews Therin seem evenly balanced, as represented by Lews Therin’s several comments that he doesn’t understand why he has voice in his head. Establishing how even they are, mirror images of each other,  is key to the surprise when Lews Therin grasps the One Power from Rand during a monumental Trolloc attack. Lews Therin wails that he can’t move his hands, as though it is his body and Rand has grasped physical control of the body from him. A Trolloc attack, even in numbers of hundreds of thousands, is no longer enough to threaten the heroes. Unless a monkey wrench is thrown into the works. As has often been the case, this obstacle is not a physical one but one of identity. Who is Rand? Is he really Lews Therin? Rand’s immediate need is to strike some agreement with the madman in his head or he will die. When the metaphysical argument has physical consequences that can put Rand and his allies in harm’s way, the stakes are raised far more effectively than if the attack had simply been overwhelming numbers of Shadowspawn.

 Writing Lessons:

Time pressure not only increases tension, but can dispel any concerns that the plot isn’t moving.

Knife of Dreams - Prologue Part 2 to Chapter 1

In this section, Aes Sedai, both good and bad, find reason to hope.

We left off the last section with the Black Ajah Hunters worried about being found by their prey. Alviarin has already been cast down to a status well below where she ranks with her strength in the Power, so her mood has nowhere to go but up. Since she is the very prey the Black Ajah Hunters are seeking, it is natural for the story to move from their unfortunate discovery and Talene’s failure to appear before the Black Ajah, to Alviarin’s thin hopes to restore her standing. The reader knows, but Alviarin doesn’t, that the two women she is having followed will not only lead her to Talene, but to the very plot she needs to fulfill the mission assigned to her by the Dark One.   

Alviarin’s rank raised a thought. The Black Ajah meet hooded, and only know a handful of members’ names, but any Aes Sedai can feel not only another woman’s ability to channel, but their strength in the Power. Some of them must have been able to deduce the identities of other Black Ajah with this method. Any particularly strong or weak Aes Sedai would be easier to identify in another setting if there are few candidates to match with what they sensed. I suppose the entire Black Ajah never meets at once, but meetings of up to fifty seem possible. Even with that many there is risk of drawing attention with so many conspicuously absent.

Galina is believed dead by the White Tower and is trapped under Therava’s thumb. She has waited patiently for Faile to deliver the Oath Rod to her, but learning of Perrin’s plans makes her need more desperate. She plans to motivate Faile, then kill her, and then escape her captivity at last. Unwilling to take a chance that she is discovered lying and exposed as Black Ajah, she sees killing Faile as the only solution. Ironically, it is being able to lie that binds her in this predicament. Had she freely helped Perrin, she likely could have been freed when he attacks, and escaped soon after. Perhaps the Oath to the Dark One compelled her down this path of reasoning, since she must not betray her secret.

With a message to Faile passed along, Perrin now appears ready to attack, holding off for a few days only to see whether the Seanchan can be of help. Presenting his readiness through an outsider’s point of view lets the author present only the most essential information, avoiding getting bogged down in the actions and reactions of every person in his camp.

Egwene is an outsider to the White Tower, and in short order she understands that the Ajahs are divided, sniping and challenging each other. She realizes this presents an opportunity to topple Elaida, and once she learns she will not be stilled or executed, she resolves to take advantage of her captivity in the Tower.

Siuan was in a sorry state when Egwene’s boat was found, but the message delivered in her sleep assuages her, summons the Hall to meet in Tel’aran’rhiod, and gives her leverage over a number of Egwene’s ‘loyal’ Aes Sedai. Importantly, Beonin has found the loophole she needs to escape, so off-page she avoids learning anything that may close it.

A variety of information has to be presented in Egwene’s section to set the stage for later chapters with Siuan, Beonin and Elaida. I’ll take a closer look at her section, in order to understand the structure of what is presented and when it is presented.

Her first realization is that her clothes are dry, which implies she is being physically cared for, not something that is done to those who will be executed, even though the women who captured her do not know that yet. This is the author’s trick, rationalized by the need to preserve the dignity of all Aes Sedai, for if grinding Egwene down had been the intent, they could have left her sopping wet, cold, and miserable when she gets dragged before Silviana.

Next, the state of Tar Valon’s streets shocks her. Refuse lies out in the open, a metaphor for the ugly divisions between the Aes Sedai in her carriage.

Third, upon being woken with a slap, Egwene learns she was drugged with Forkroot. Noting small divisions in the women who captured her, Egwene realizes she is not afraid.

These three concepts, punishment, division, Egwene’s reaction, will be revisited several times over, each time with more detail. One, two, three. There is near certainty Egwene will be executed. The Aes Sedai openly argue. A shield is woven before the Forkroot dose runs its course, provoking a mild sigh from Egwene.

There are taunts Egwene will lose her head this very night, the Gray sister is taunted as well by the Reds, and Egwene states the harbors will remain closed, but chooses to remain silent rather than be slapped yet again.

Egwene makes plans for what she can do before her execution, the Aes Sedai mistrustfully all hold the Power in each other’s presence, yet Egwene feels she has come home.

Now there is a slight unexpected change in the first concept. Egwene is to be handed over to the Mistress of Novices, the Red Sisters intimidate the other Aes Sedai, and Egwene is incredulous that they can give in to fear so easily.

There is a switch to the parallel situation with Leane. Leane is being flogged, the rancor between Ajahs almost cost them their chance to capture Leane, but Leane won’t budge from her story.

The Mistress of Novices takes charge of Egwene and sends the Reds away, not before they almost refuse to hand her over. Silviana notes that Egwene is not hysterical.

Egwene is told she is to be a Novice again, Silviana notes the difference between herself and her kindly predecessor Sheriam, Egwene means to resist as long as she can, doing as she must.

With the situation regarding punishment and division in the Tower now fully known, Egwene remains in control of her situation and her emotions. Other topics, such as her dreams about Seanchan attacking the Tower, Nicola’s defection, the state of the cuendillar chains in the harbours were brought up at the earliest available opportunity where a conversation could be carried out about them. Communicating with Siuan is only brought up at the last, when Egwene has a chance to muse over all she has seen and heard, and she has a chance to sleep.

Writing Lessons:

An outsider’s point of view can help the author focus on the most important details, and speed the story along.

Crossroads of Twilight - Chapters 20-22

In this section, there is harsh reaction to failures.

Tel’aran’rhiod makes its first appearance in some time. Egwene meets with Aviendha, and finally discuss Rand’s cleansing of saidin from their perspectives. Egwene shares the view that it was the Forsaken, and how that has driven the rebels to commence talks with the Black Tower. Aviendha doesn’t think the Wise Ones would have taken such a radical course of action. She manages to be evasive about what she knows, while probing Egwene’s reasoning. Even if the Forsaken didn’t scoop Shadar Logoth out of the earth’s crust, the Asha’man still must be dealt with, so Egwene will proceed with the Hall’s decision, but recognizes the danger Mazrim Taim poses.

Egwene has a number of prophetic dreams, and catalogues them. This is blatant foreshadowing, and is of course of interest to the reader who has the means to decipher some of them. Mat will kill men with an Illuminator’s help; Egwene will be saved by a Seanchan; the Seanchan will attack the White Tower. These give readers something to look forward to, and create expectations that can either be fulfilled or foiled, depending on the author’s desire.

Anaiya is killed, along with her warder, obviously by Aran’gar who is looking to reinvigorate the distrust between Aes Sedai and Asha’man that seems to have fallen to the side with the recent vote to open talks between them. Nisao may uncover the killer, but it’s more likely Anaiya was simply killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, for any Aes Sedai killed with saidin will do.

In the White Tower, Alviarin returns from Tremalking. There is no clue why Mesaana sent her there for a month, though perhaps she went to other places as well, giving orders to Darkfriends? She doesn’t even reveal exactly what is happening there after the use of the Choedan Kal fulfilled an Amayar prophecy. She notes wards are failing in the White Tower, similar to how Egwene noted rotting food that had been preserved using the One Power. Was it Rand’s use of so much of the One Power that did it, or is this a new result of the Dark One’s touch?

The three Sea Folk Aes Sedai manage the most secret records of the White Tower. It would be funny if they had been passing the most privileged information to the Sea Folk all these years.

Alviarin gets anxious about some rumour that every one has heard but her. The other Aes Sedai watch her in a way that indicates they know something she doesn’t. She soon learns Elaida has replaced her, and becomes certain that she is in danger of being revealed. In her panic she summons Mesaana, bringing her into the open for the first time since saidin was cleansed, and into the clutches of Shaidar Haran. Her failure to follow orders merits a punishment even Alviarin doesn’t want to see. Alviarin is set a task to deliver the Black Ajah Hunters to Shaidar Haran. Obviously, she does not intend to fail.

Elaida treats the negotiations the same way as Egwene, not taking them seriously at all unless her all but impossible conditions are met.

Pevara, one of the Hunters, has received a message from Toveine, revealing they have been bonded by Asha’man. Tarna, the new Keeper, thinks this news is inconsequential to her plan to bond Asha’man. Pevara disagrees, implying it is too late to bond Asha’man, they might instead be bonded by them.

The happenstance that both Rebels and Tar Valon Aes Sedai are entertaining the idea of joining with the Black Tower in some fashion provides both a question of who will get there first and implies that one way or another, there will be some treaty between the two forces before the Last Battle.

Alviarin’s evil isn’t depicted directly here, but she has enough peculiar characteristics and behaviours to give readers a queasy feeling about her:

Her pride is to the point where any rumour of weakness is avoided, but more so if others are aware of it: To have anyone hear such things said, and to her face!

She considers inconveniencing others for no reason but to spare her own inconvenience: Today, though, by the time Alviarin had climbed close to eighty spans, she was seriously considering making Elaida move back down.

She strives to act in a manner which is aloof from the general population: She prided herself on her icy detachment, always presenting a cool unruffled surface.

She is mean: She almost wanted to tell Zemaille what was happening on Tremalking, just to see whether the other woman would flinch.

She lacks common human emotions: Mercy was for those afraid to be strong.

Writing Lessons:  

You don’t need evil actions to make a character villainous; their unconventional thoughts can give effective and subtle feelings of wrong-doing.

Crossroads of Twilight - Chapters 18-19

In this section Egwene is plunged into the deepest depths of Aes Sedai intrigue…

The final part of this Egwene section is a study in Aes Sedai politics that makes your head spin. There have been several mentions of the too-young Sitters, and Siuan has discovered that Elaida has the same problem. In Tar Valon there are at least three, maybe four Sitters who are too young by custom. Egwene has another eight. It would have stood out as strange in either place, but together they point to somebody who has a hand in all Ajahs and is directing their decision-making. Once the Black Ajah has been ruled out, Siuan and Egwene can’t even conceive that the Ajah Heads not only know each other but may be communicating secretly with each other.

This is the behaviour Talene was investigating, which led to her capture by the Black Ajah hunters. Some of the Sitters had been meeting secretly, but Talene and the Black Ajah and Mesaana herself did not know their purpose. Interestingly, the Ajah heads meeting and the too-young Sitter mysteries solve each other, so we know who is behind it, and some of what they have done, but their motive is still lacking. Some readers may have the intuition to look at the unknowns and wonder how they may fit together to get this far, but I think most often they remain categorized as two separate mysteries.

Egwene’s meeting with the Hall goes on for pages, with every mannerism and action potentially laden with meaning. The author convincingly shows how much noise there is covering the true signal. One tool to help simplify our understanding of this mess is a grid showing common stances on certain issues.

Rebel Aes Sedai Young Sitters Chart

Now we can more easily see the pattern that Siuan was getting at. When those five Sitters started pressing for negotiations, Egwene should have wondered whether it meant that Romanda and Lelaine were supportive of it, given the affiliations those five shared. It is much easier to see that long-time Sitters outside the Blue Ajah viscerally oppose talks with the Black Tower and favour all reunification measures, including refusal to declare war on Elaida.  

The question is why didn’t the author make this plainer to the reader? He could easily have had Egwene notice this pattern and comment on it, or summarized the votes as “the newly raised Sitters were amenable to change, the ones raised before the split would die before agreeing to this proposal.” Instead, he spread one vote over six entire pages, challenging readers to cobble together clues from this section as well as from several other books to even have a clear idea of who is in the Hall and what the factions may be. He wanted readers to work for the answer and to have a life-like representation of the political complexities the Amyrlin faces with every proposal. I wonder how much of the time it took to write Crossroads of Twilight is as a result of this decision to present this vote in such a detailed way. So many characters, so many details.

Egwene’s migraine headaches are an original disability. They don’t affect her ability to channel, but they do give an opportunity for Halima to get close to her. It’s debatable whether Halima could in some way be causing the headaches, but there is a grave risk of discovery if someone discovers a saidin resonance centered on Egwene’s tent. The metaphor works better if headaches are a natural outgrowth of Egwene’s difficulties with the Sitters and Halima’s touch offers to make the problems go away, which Egwene won’t accept, preferring to slog it out in the Hall.

To reinforce Egwene’s stance about Halima staying in her tent, one chapter opens with Egwene considering the rumours about her in the camp. The novices compare her to the stern Sereille Bagand, and Egwene recognizes that there is often little truth to rumours about her. This is soon contrasted to rumours about Halima breaking a man’s arm and being too free with her favours. If Egwene rejects gossip for personal reasons, because she knows it to be false, she now has a personal stake in not accepting gossip about Halima. That decision made, she becomes steadfast in the woman’s defense. She also has a personal need for Halima’s presence, since she is the only woman with whom she can stop being the Amyrlin for a few minutes. Ironically, this relationship helps Egwene remain grounded and not become a typical Aes Sedai.

The seed planted back in New Spring takes root, as Siuan reveals her suspicion that Cadsuane is Black Ajah. Just when we had started to trust her a bit.

Egwene proves she will do anything to reunite the Tower, holding her nose at having to use Rand’s apparent Compulsion of Aes Sedai to prove that he must not have submitted to Elaida. A foul-tasting tea acts as the metaphor throughout the discussion.

Writing Lessons:

Clues and solutions to mysteries can be hidden in noise, but the amount of noise can also be a deterrent to readers.