Knife of Dreams - Chapters 22-23

In this section, secondary characters make the story their own.

One thing that stands out in The Wheel of Time is that no matter that the central conflict is centered around Rand, every character believes the story is about themselves. We get two examples of this, with Harine and Romanda getting full chapters from their point of view.

We last saw Harine up close entering Far Madding, in a point of view from her sister Shalon. At that time, Shalon’s own conflict seemed to end, as she found the acceptance of her sister. Now Harine is looking for the resolution to her own story. Despite Min’s Viewing, Harine has not become the Mistress of the Ships, and Harine is certain the Viewing is simply off in its timing, rather than wrong. When Elayne is putting so much faith in Min’s Viewing, this situation serves to undercut the reader’s confidence in Viewings and prophecies, and induce them to think of ways in which the Viewing may have been misinterpreted. Just like the words and Aes Sedai speaks, the Viewings are supposed to be true, but what is left unsaid may have an entirely different meaning.  

Harine and the other women of the First Twelve are gathering to meet with an envoy from the Dragon Reborn: Logain. As with most of the shorebound, Logain fails to understand the dignity and respect due to the Mistress of the Ships, since he cannot interpret the medallions representing her rank, and he simply wouldn’t care if he did know, since his orders from Rand take precedence over all else. Logain’s words reflect Rand’s hardening stance on all matters; “Mourn if you must, but mourn on the march for Tarmon Gai’don.”

Logain’s attitude towards the ritual suicide of a culture of pacifists is coarse and heartless. Like Rand, he is aimed at his task alone, and all other considerations are distractions to be swatted away. The Amayar took their lives in reaction to the cleansing of saidin, as foretold by their prophecies. As discussed in posts on Winter’s Heart, the cleansing represented forgiveness for Rand’s murders of several men. The deaths of the Amayar represent a price paid for that forgiveness, a price beyond the time Rand spent incarcerated. Although not causally related to the cleansing, giving up their lives is a symbolic action foreshadowing the Last Battle when Rand will do the same to save the world. If Rand was supposed to learn anything from the news, it is lost on him, as shown by Logain’s reaction.

Harine is accepted back as Rand’s ambassador from the Sea Folk, a decision the Mistress of the Ships has no choice but to accept. Rand has thus delivered Harine a second chance to atone for her past mistakes in making a poor bargain. To do so, she will have to endure Rand’s harsher attitude, as well as Cadsuane’s expectations. We should expect A Memory of Light to present a situation in which Harine can conclude her story, and complete a task that redeems her, and it will likely involve telling Rand more about the Amayar.

Romanda is perturbed by all the futility and failure she sees, and chooses to lose herself in pleasant tales of romance and adventure. This guilty pleasure stands out starkly against her personality, which is very pragmatic and prideful. She not only abides by custom, it is a central tenet of her beliefs. All of the new things Egwene or Nynaeve has come up with are frowned upon, and her reluctance to see possibility instead of actuality left her unable to see that Egwene was more than a novice until it was too late for her. Even as the Last Battle approaches, she sees change as an obstacle to be overturned and adherence to the old ways as the path to victory. A victory she will be central figure in, if Elaida and Egwene can be thrown out.

Nisao reveals her secret hunt for the assassin amongst the rebels, having come up against an obstacle that she cannot overcome. Egwene’s orders to carry out the search and to keep it secret now conflict with each other, and Nisao can decide which one takes precedence and act upon it. Since Lelaine already figured out that a search was underway, revealing as much to Romanda is easily rationalized.

An encounter with Sharina and the Mistress of Novices has Romanda recognize that some of the changes being effected are very practical and useful, which makes undoing them all the more unlikely, which in turn grates on her sense of how things are supposed to be. She started the chapter firmly against all things new, and now she has twice had to grudgingly admit that some of the changes constitute progress.

The third encounter that pierces her mindset is the arrival of Merise and her Asha’man warder. Here is something that definitely should not be, although if it must exist, the relationship correctly involves an Aes Sedai with a subjugated male. The Asha’man Narishma tells the Hall that someone tried to pierce the warding against eavesdropping using saidar, at which point Delana abruptly leaves. Narishma offers the Dragon Reborn’s Asha’man to be bonded, which the Hall hastily accepts. Further questioning reveals Asha’man have already bonded nearly fifty Aes Sedai, which puts all other ugly realities out of Romanda’s head; this is an abomination! Equality is intolerable, even if the bonded Aes Sedai are Elaida’s followers. The exact count gives Narishma another opportunity to talk about Hopwil’s death at the hands of a woman who could extraordinarily use saidin.

It is highly doubtful Romanda’s unchanging view of the world could have made the leap of logic to link Narishma’s tale with Nisao’s hidden assassin, without being repeatedly hammered with events that defy her structured world view. Her insight that Delana must be arrested would have been even more believable if she had left the Hall after another sister demonstrated that she could detect saidin, instead of just before this new weave was tested. As it is, Delana made her own early leap of logic, simply worrying that an Asha’man in the camp might unveil Halima.

Siuan might have been a logical character to have used for this chapter instead of Romanda, since she is Blue Ajah, and should have known something of the dead sisters and Cabriana. She also is within the group of loyal Egwene followers, and might have made a better first stop for Nisao than Romanda. However, Siuan could not have been in the Hall, so one of the Sitters had to have the point of view instead. Once Siuan was disqualified, the author had to find the character best suited to be told all of the relevant pieces of information and who also had access to the locations where each would be revealed. Once Romanda was selected, the events had to be structured to affect her such that she could reach the desired conclusions. Having now conceived of the inconceivable, Romanda is ready to accept Egwene as Amyrlin.

Writing Lessons:

Treat every character as though they are the hero of their own story within your story.

Crossroads of Twilight - Summary

Crossroads of Twilight is widely regarded as the least favorite book in the Wheel of Time because “NOTHING HAPPENS!” There are several reasons for this view.

It is the only book where the situation at the end is little different from the end of the previous book. Perrin is still seeking to free his wife. Elayne is still trying to gain the throne of Andor. Rand is still resting from his efforts. Egwene’s army is still mired outside Tar Valon. Mat is still traveling with the circus folk and wooing Tuon. Black Ajah hunters are still hunting the Black Ajah.

Typically, when the story is divided across several locales, the author has come back to the locale three times, with some progress being made each time that set of characters is revisited. Over half of the locales are shown only once in this book and even those shown twice don’t substantially change anything plotwise. These short scenes limit what the author can do to progress the plots.

So pacing is affected by the limited time devoted to each locale, and a lack of events to change the status quo. Something must happen though, right?

The book is very strong thematically, as each character has time for introspection and faces a very difficult or momentous choice. The choice is first framed with respect to the cleansing of saidin, which is the most important event to take place in the series so far. The author wanted the cleansing to have an epic scope, which required every character to take note of it, no matter where they were in the world. Often books will have a brief epilogue, revealing some of the reaction to the climatic events of the final chapters. Crossroads of Twilight is such an epilogue, 681 pages long. Cramming in everyone’s reaction bogs down the story and forces it to take place over a short period of time, about a week, which again limits how far events can progress.

The other ta’veren ignore the cleansing, concentrating on the task at hand. Elayne and Aviendha see it as something wonderful. Cadsuane disbelieves it, while other Aes Sedai mistrust it, thinking it the work of the Forsaken, which propels them in surprising directions.

Perrin’s inner turmoil is the most vivid, as he ignores the cleansing to save Faile at any cost, and taking a step too far, then realizes that not limiting what he is willing to do would destroy any chance of his reunion with Faile being a happy one. Other characters must also choose between what they want most and what they are willing to do to achieve it. Each variation brings to mind Shadar Logoth, and the price its citizens paid for their choice. Shadar Logoth is gone now, the last reminder of the price to be paid if you are willing to pay any price.

Crossroads of Twilight was published in 2003, the first book in the series to be written and published after the September 11^th attacks. Of all the characters, Perrin’s amputation of an Aiel prisoner is the most symbolic of the public discussion surrounding the appropriate response to the attacks. Perrin’s followers all insist he do what must be done, but he realizes taking the actions they want would destroy who he is. Yet he struggles to find what other courses of action he can take. He throws away his axe, choosing the hammer instead; he chooses forging, not cutting. In contrast, Mat’s choice to kill Renna to save his followers is declared justice and a righteous punishment for traitors. Rand and Egwene decide to try to find common ground with opponents, in order to fight a greater menace. As with plot elements in earlier books, modern American Mythology is blended into the story, with these plot elements applying to both the Vietnam experience and current events. In addressing these themes, a quieter, more introspective story was in order, yet another reason for the markedly slower pace of this book. I feel that wanting to give the story the right balance in this regard may have been a reason for the longer time it took to write.

Much of the trademark metaphorical language that the author uses to make descriptions mean something more is missing or more subtle. This is a deliberate way of fuzzing the reader’s understanding. Few things are blunt and direct, most descriptions, events, or revelations are vague, incomplete or unclear, which fits in tightly with the overall theme of the book.

Writing Lessons:

Make the voice you tell the story in match the theme.

Make something happen by the end!

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 10-12

In this section, Elayne does all the things the readers don’t like.

There’s a reason you rarely see characters doing menial tasks. It takes time away from them doing the things readers enjoy, such as battling, or romancing, or striving, or accomplishing. Menial tasks make the characters that much more ordinary. But it also makes them relatable. If you never see a character eat or sleep, you might wonder where they get their energy. In Elayne’s case, readers feel they are all too often treated to hair brushing, choosing clothes, and bathing.

Elayne is unique amongst the main characters, in that she grew up and still resides in a world of politics. She will be judged for improper attire, unkempt hair, or smelling bad from a day in the saddle. Some of the others might get away with those things, but they are as much a part of Elayne’s routine as practicing sword-forms is to Rand or Lan.  A princess who doesn’t spend time doing these things is not a believable princess. Nonetheless, readers yearn for less of these trivial things.

The way Elayne is judged is important to her success in gaining the throne of Andor. She is trying to present herself as the impeccable choice to be Queen, and is courting the nobility of Andor. She is successful in portraying the desired image, but the Houses have little left to give, certainly not enough to make a difference in the defense of Caemlyn. But their presence is worthwhile for the symbolism.

Elayne reflects on the power of rumour and hearsay to create an identity for her. The image she portrays must be completely infallible. This is similar to how Rand tried to manage his own image, except that he took a very firm hand in direct dealings with the people he encountered. Elayne’s own dealings are subtle, never veering in a direction that can be misconstrued. The amount of time she spends dwelling on it reflects the intense non-stop effort it requires.

Everyone still insists on mothering Elayne, treating her as a fragile specimen whose only purpose is to bear a child.

When a character makes an analogy, the author is able to write one that conveys not only Elayne’s privileged lifestyle, but relates back to the topic being considered. Thinking of Rand always makes Elayne think of the babe, so the analogy that follows is: One followed the other as surely as cream rose in the milkpan.

Elayne’s romantic relationship with Rand puts a different spin on the importance of the cleansing. She reminds herself that it is the taint on saidin that will kill him. With the cleansing, that is no longer true, for him as well as for all the Asha’man. The blazing beacon she senses to the west is a source of concern for her, which it wasn’t in the last few perspectives considering its meaning. Aviendha sets her straight: they need to have faith that Rand can deal with this on his own, rather than rushing to his side and introducing an unknown factor he isn’t expecting.

Of the five Elayne chapters in a row, three of them end with her relating how Andor is what matters most, more than any other thing could matter. This feels repetitious in the same way Perrin’s continual quest for Faile was, but without the same dire outcome waiting. If Elayne doesn’t gain the throne, and Arymilla runs the queendom into the ground, Elayne would still be free to partake in the rest of the story. Her identity is wrapped up in becoming queen though; it is all she has been told from birth. Failing to become Queen changes her identity, which is the main threat she faces. The obstacles she faces are mostly circumstantial, and are not the result of any of her character traits. If anything, her character in this regard is flawless, and it is the shadow of her mother’s character she is trying to escape from under.

The Black Ajah in the palace is brought up again, but there are no good clues pointing to her. If anything, Sareitha’s praise of Mellar causes readers to view her as sympathetic to him, a known Darkfriend. That vague and tenuous connection from a single conversation creates a strong connection because of the pre-existing link between Mellar and the Shadow.

The Sea Folk make a new bargain with Elayne. They are in a rush to leave because Zaida wants her chance to become Mistress of the Ships. This gives Elayne a chance to be rid of some of the inconveniences thrust on her by the agreement to provide teachers. She gives up some future concessions that will cost her more than she can foresee, in order to keep what help she can for now.

A theme running through this entire section is that good help is hard to find. Maids gossip, Lords provide feeble old men or boys for Elayne’s armies, Mellar is a dolt, the Sea Folk are running off, the Black Ajah in the Palace still hasn’t been found, and her own closest friends and advisors don’t trust her to care for herself or the baby. Amidst all these unreliable people, only Elayne is strong and true, never erring, always seeing to the heart of the matter. Readers tend to interpret this as Elayne being overbearing instead of the commentary on the followers failure to live up to expectations which it must be, or the same message wouldn’t keep coming back. Based on how Jordan has used this repetition technique in the past, he is trying to expose Elayne’s worst fear that she won’t live up to expectations. Unfortunately, by the end of all this, a significant portion of readers won’t care whether she does or not.

Writing Lessons:

The events a character spends time on should be consistent with their background and goals.  

Crossroads of Twilight - Chapters 8-9

In this section, Perrin and Faile become aware of Rand’s actions.

This is the second and third times in which characters become aware of Rand’s effort to cleanse saidin. The Forsaken were able to sense the immense amount of the One Power being used, and so are the various other channelers dispersed around the world. We already saw Mat’s perspective, now the Aes Sedai, Asha’man and Wise Ones with Perrin and Faile give warning of the event.

Up until now, important events such as the conquest of a nation, the fall of a ruler, or large-scale battles took place, and characters in other locales learned of them months, weeks or days later. The temporal gap in knowledge has been getting shorter and shorter as the series progresses. It took months for the Amyrlin to chase down Moiraine in The Great Hunt, or for news of Falme to spread across the continent. As Traveling, Dreamwalking and Bonding have been introduced, the ability to learn the truth of far-off events became quicker and more accurate.

The cleansing of saidin is the first time where events are being observed as they happen. Both Mat and Perrin, through some ta’veren link, are able, or forced, to see images of Rand taking place at that very moment. This new mechanism gives immediacy to each of their actions. It hasn’t made much difference yet, but in A Memory of Light I expect to see this ability used to its full potential, allowing the three ta’veren to coordinate actions across the continent, or even into other realms such as Tel’aran’rhiod.

The cleansing of saidin is also the first time that a world-spanning event has taken place. The fall of the Stone of Tear, the proclamation of the Dragon, the fall of Nations, or the largest battles since Hawkwing’s time have all been important, and have all had repercussions, but their scope was local first and foremost. Cleansing saidin has immediate consequences that matter to everyone in the entire world, which is one of the most important reasons for giving other character’s instantaneous perspective on it.

The other reason to show this event from multiple perspectives is to use it as an example of the personal battles each of the other characters is going through. Perrin quickly dismisses the event, since it has no relevance to finding Faile. This should heighten concern that he is neglecting important duties for selfish reasons. We’ve heard often enough from him since his return from Dumai’s Wells that the world can burn if it keeps him from Faile. Now we see direct proof that it is not rhetoric, but painful fact.

Perrin’s mood has the effect of creating a negative opinion in the reader’s mind. Aside from his single-mindedness, the brooding weighs on the reader’s spirit as much as Perrin’s. The only thing that elevates it somewhat is the comparison to a blacksmith’s puzzle. Now that he has seen all the pieces, Perrin is determined to solve it. In the face of overwhelming odds, that kind of perseverance inspires hope and approval. Leaving the scene with that mood is important to make the reader want to read the next Perrin section. You always want the reader to want to read more, no matter whether the characters are happy or despondent.

Faile has a pivotal discussion with Chiad. Chiad tells her: If I cast aside my honor and my obligations just because the Shaido have, then I allow them to decide how I will act. I will wear white for a year and a day and then they will release me, or I will walk away, but I will not throw away who I am. This lesson is equally applicable to Perrin and Rand, who are under intense pressure sufficient to make them consider paths that they would normally never take. Changing the way they act changes their character so much that the original version of them might as well be dead. Obviously, that is not the desired outcome for the reader.

Faile’s tangle is in many ways more interesting than Perrin’s, because the characters surrounding her are well-rounded individuals, unlike the generic Wise Ones, Aes Sedai, and soldiers following Perrin. Galina, Sevanna, and Therava have a solid strike against them based on their previous appearances, invoking negative emotions. Morgase, Bain and Chiad induce positive feelings. Rolan is man of mystery, and the new gai’shain introduced present interesting possible threats. The hazards Faile faces are specific, while Perrin’s are vague.  

Writing Lessons:

Be aware of the mood you end a scene with.

The Wheel of Time - Act 2 - Books 4-9

Treating The Wheel of Time as one long novel, the Books from The Shadow Rising to Winter’s Heart make up Act 2. This is the middle of the story, where we expect to find conflict and a growing problem that the heroes can’t solve, leading into the conclusion of the story in which victory is achieved.

The Shadow Rising picks up with Rand having accepted that he is mankind’s saviour. He sets out determined to act out his role, only if he can do it without guidance or prodding. He rejects help from Moiraine, preferring to set out where his parentage leads: to the Aiel waste. With the help of Lanfear, he gains leadership over the Aiel and captures a Forsaken to teach him. Lanfear later strikes out at Rand in jealousy, and he loses his mentors.

Rand becomes a leader, and builds an army of soldiers and male channelers. He learns that followers have more say over the leader than the other way around. His arrogance leads him to make a mistake that gets him kidnapped. His treatment hardens him, and he grows ever more protective of his emotions. He resolves to firmly impose his will over both enemies and followers. For a time he appears to succeed, leaving dead Forsaken and wrecked armies wherever he goes. Eventually, the people he constrains wiggle free or fight back, reinforcing his attitude. Rand is well on his way to becoming a tyrant.

At this late juncture new potential mentors appear, Cadsuane and Sorilea, who see that a saviour who imposes his will is not much better than the Dark One. Their challenge is to save Rand from himself, before it is too late. At the last, Rand stumbles into a trap of his own making, yet recovers enough to gain Cadsuane’s help. He cleanses the taint, metaphorically erasing his past mistakes, but the question remains what path will he follow?

The villain Ishamael has returned in a new body, naming himself Moridin. He reveals his plan to be not to try control Rand yet. A board game serves as a metaphor for controlling Rand. It can be as dangerous to hold Rand as to let your opponent hold him. Moridin has cast doubt in Rand’s mind, now he plans to sit back while the heroes fulfill those doubts and set Rand’s path towards the Shadow. The only hitch so far is Rand’s cleansing of saidin, a danger so great to the Dark One that all the Forsaken were commanded to stop it even if Rand is killed in the doing.

The cleansing of the taint is the single most important event to happen in the world, opening up the possibility of men and women working together to defeat the Dark One, and acting as the opening blow of the Last Battle. As a pivotal moment, it makes a logical place to end Act 2.

Robert Jordan deftly creates obstacles of character, making the heroes’ choices directly responsible for how events play out. Nowhere is this clearer than with the battle for Rand’s identity, where his most personal defining choices dictate the fate of the world.

Supporting characters have been propelled into positions of leadership throughout Act 2. Elayne, Egwene, Mat and Perrin have assumed the responsibilities of leadership without going through the difficulties that Rand has created for himself. Notably absent is Nynaeve, who acts as Rand’s protector and conscience, disposing of threats to him, and she therefore has no leadership duties to assume.

All of the characters have had romantic interests identified and the majority have cemented them. Where stories frequently are resolved by acquiring the romantic interest, the fact that this story has tied most of them up this early may signify that the most important role of the relationship is to make men and women work together, like saidar and saidin. Resolving the romance at the end of the story would be counterproductive in achieving this goal.

The World of Dreams, Tel’aran’rhiod, is a place where identity and force of will shape reality. The early part of Act 2 had a heavy focus on this realm which was conspicuously absent in later books. This is distraction on the author’s part, diverting the reader’s attention from the possibilities of its powers until their eventual use in the final act.

Several of the books made use of a magical item or spell in the climax of a plotline, such as the Bowl of the Winds, balefire, a’dam, or the Choedan Kal, but these are far less obvious quests than in the earlier books of the series.

The broadened cast of characters and more frequent use of minor characters’ viewpoints greatly expand the world. Readers understand that the whole world is at stake, because they are exposed to the entire world and its myriad cultures. This wider tapestry has the side effect of bogging down the story a bit; most often when the readers can’t see how a scene affects the characters they have been following for so long.

The story carries the best pacing and enjoyment when readers are treated to several chapters in a row featuring the same locale before jumping to a different one.

Continuing the theme of American fantasy, the books of Act 2 reflect a far less certain time, reminiscent of the Vietnam era and its outcome, and the internal conflict it created.  Rand and America have stepped forward to claim the privileges of adulthood, and then made an apparent bungle of things with hardened arrogance and ego, the type of errors in judgment such as any young man might make. These events are part of the modern American mythology, along with the self-questioning that comes with it. These books are about the search not only for what outcomes are right, but what actions are right to reach them.

Winter's Heart - Summary

Winter’s Heart shows Rand reacting to an attempt on his life at the conclusion of the previous book. As with the pair of books before them, The Path of Daggers and Winter’s Heart are like halves of a book dealing with Rand’s ego and the vipers he has brought to nest at his side. The assassins who hid among his followers are symbolic of the choices he is making, which are leading him astray from where he must go. His attempt to destroy them for their betrayal only aggravates the situation, leaving him with fewer and fewer people to trust.

Rand’s eventual apology and plea to Cadsuane provide him the help he needs when he needs it most. A highly symbolic series of events in Far Madding represent his life without the Light, and with it. As soon as he embraces the Light, in the stern form of Cadsuane, he is able to cleanse saidin, representing his own cleansing.

Nynaeve nearly gets Rand and Lan killed through a mistake that is also symbolic of her role as protector. She left Emond’s Field to save Rand and to gain Lan’s love, and she fails them both. This is the first time we see Nynaeve end a book in disgrace instead of victory. She is pardoned, via Rand’s control of the link they form when they cleanse saidin.

Padan Fain surprisingly returns for the first time since cutting Rand with his knife. Fain uses the Shadow’s own tactics against it, and he represents Rand’s potential to do the same.

The Forsaken collectively attack Rand but are repelled by people with a common goal, including one who shares that goal despite being Black Ajah. Verin’s compulsion of Elza and her subsequent destruction of Osan’gar represent the Shadow’s own tactics turning on itself, just as happened in Aridhol. Evil simply cannot get out of its own way.

This battle was the first to show men and women linked together. Enough has been made of the need for cooperation in the Last Battle that this development is exciting, though lacking in some insight as to the possibilities and limitations. The author doesn’t want to give too much away yet.

Other sections of the book jump from established characters to newcomers. These newcomers act as very subtle symbols of greater events occurring in the story and Rand’s conflict. So subtle, the reader must ask what the point of them was. Approximately 6000 pages into the story, readers have significantly less interest in characters that have never featured before and appear unlikely to again. Even knowing what future books hold, I struggle to find why these characters needed such a strong presence in the story.

Several romantic angles are covered, with Perrin, Mat, and Rand each finding difficulties in their relationships. Perrin’s identity is centered on his wife, Mat’s identity is contingent on not having a wife, and Rand’s identity will depend on the romance with his three loves. Each of these relationships is somewhat symbolic of faith. Perrin is accused of losing faith or betraying it, Mat rejects it, and Rand feels he cannot afford to have faith, seeing it as a weakness.

Elayne begins her quest for the crown, but it feels like her quest to become the ideal ruler. If Rand represented the Light when he was bonded to the three women, and Cadsuane represents it later, then Elayne is attempting to become the embodiment of the Light, searching for that perfect balance between strength and compassion.

Several Seanchan points of view emphasize the direction the series will take from here on. The Seanchan are ingrained and cannot be removed or repelled.

This was the first book to skip a full calendar year in the publication schedule. Readers can forgive delays when they get what they want in the end. Adding to the sense of delay is the virtual absence of Egwene, whose storyline jumped ahead a month at the end of the previous book, and the unfinished plotlines involving Perrin, and Elayne. Although each of these reaches a turning point, they are in no way as complete as Rand’s plotline was. Readers expect to wrap them up a year later, when the next book is published.

Overall the book offers a baffling mix of new and old characters and a few dangling plotlines, which are overcome by potent scenes in Ebou Dar, Far Madding and Shadar Logoth.

Writing Lessons:

Introducing new pivotal characters late in the story can frustrate your longtime readers.  

Winter's Heart - Chapters 13-16

In this section, the villains cement the plot while an old hero returns.

Stories will often have an interlude when readers get to see what the villains have been up to. This is often an opportunity to feed information to the reader they wouldn’t otherwise receive, as well as to throw in plot twists as the villains respond to the hero’s moves and vice versa. Three such moments are presented here, as we peek in on Cadsuane, Demandred, and Tuon.

Cadsuane’s interlude is the least informative. Some background events involving minor characters and politics are revealed. Then Alanna falls unconscious. Odds favour Rand’s triple bonding having some effect on Alanna. Since Cadsuane will show up for the big fight later, establishing that the bond exists, and that she knows about it, and that it still works, are all important. Equally important is that her coterie of sisters and Asha’man will follow her.

With that business aside, the story moves to the more serious interlude featuring Demandred. This is the first time since the early books that the final goal is revealed so bluntly. Rand will try to cleanse the source and the Forsaken will try to stop him. The plots of these later books have jumped from character to character, not all of whom will have a completed story by the end of this book, so it is helpful to the reader to be reminded what the main plot is. Unless the characters are all working towards the same goal, having too many of them fuzzes the plot, and risks losing the reader’s interest.

Moridin has been thinking along the same lines, and has ordered the other Forsaken to follow his plan. This is the first time the Forsaken and the Dark One have been alarmed at one of Rand’s plans, to the point where killing Rand is acceptable when all recent efforts were to keep him alive. The danger they are worried about is that male channelers can be trusted if saidin is cleansed, and the Dark One’s best hope of victory is by dividing humanity, man against woman. Remember that theme from The Fires of Heaven?  

It irks me that after the secret resurrections of Osan’gar and Aran’gar, the other Forsaken all know about them now. What happened to Shaidar Haran’s statement that only he knew they lived again? When a plot point is raised, an expectation is created. Readers might have seen the Forsaken brought to heel by Moridin, all the while two others secretly lurk waiting to take him down on the Dark One’s orders. The irritation would be lessened with any explanation, but there is none to be had, just keep reading between the lines. After a while it sinks in that despite all the plotting and conniving, the Forsaken are being used as typical henchmen. Not quite what was advertised, alas.

Some excitement is conjured up by Demandred’s perception of the battle to come: So they would take al’Thor – while he was trying to use the Choedan Kal, no less, he and some woman drinking enough of the One Power to melt continents! Rand will have the firepower, but for the first time he’ll be facing multiple foes. The steady increase in the scope of battles throughout the series is well carried out. Each conflict makes the last look tame, whether hand-to-hand, with the One Power, or with armies. This battle looks to be epic, which means it has to be, or the reader will get angry.

The last interlude is from a new character, only named by her title before now, and even that is only confirmed in the last paragraph of her appearance. Tuon’s strange superstitious belief in portents and omens, her bland acceptance of slavery and assassination attempts, and her own sidekicks are all designed to make her appear alien. Her customs are strange, yet she thinks of them as the only right way to behave. Using superstition turns out to be an effective way to throw off the reader and make them uncomfortable. Superstitions are familiar and fun, but living one’s life guided by them will make readers shudder. She is dangerous to Rand, and to Mat, yet we know Mat will somehow marry her. She is not depicted as villainous, but nor is she a misguided damsel in distress. Her crazy Seanchan ways are more intimidating and surprising than the armies she commands.

Her appearance also signals the return of the Seanchan in larger numbers than ever. This is the setup of a larger conflict to come, and the author’s intent is to make readers wonder how the heroes will overcome the forces arrayed against them.

The answer is obviously Mat, who is expected to become an insider and undermine the Seanchan from within. Undermining their society has already been mentioned as a viable strategy twice in this book. Mat has no such intentions. He only wants to get out of Ebou Dar, especially after the Gholam tries to kill him again. At this point, readers have had six years to build up ideas about what Mat’s marriage might entail, and to be sure, they expect him to stop the Seanchan singlehandedly.

Writing Lessons:

Used well, interludes can propel your story onward, set expectations, and provide key information. Used poorly, they can confuse and irritate your readers.

Winter's Heart - Prologue

In this section, multiple plots are laid out clearly, and reader’s expectations are set.

Perhaps recognizing the previous book’s weak ending, the author immediately sets up several storylines with expectations to be met before the book ends.

In the White Tower, the Black Ajah Hunters get Talene to re-swear the Three Oaths. Talene is a tool that can be used now, but the Hunters decide to proceed with caution, bringing in the ten rebel ferrets to swear obedience first. That will bring their number to sixteen. Seaine also has her first doubts about what task Elaida actually assigned her. We expect this quest to net a second Black sister soon.

Elayne’s section reveals a little about Egwene, which is all we’ll see of the Amyrlin in this book. A simple primer about Elayne’s major competitors for the throne means we should see some of them interfering before the book is over. A number of reasonable contrivances explain why Elayne won’t be receiving any outside help. No allies are available, and in any case would unintentionally cost Elayne the throne because they are foreigners. The Sea Folk remain stuck in Caemlyn by their own mistrust that Elayne will break the Bargain. This character-driven obstacle is more powerful than a physical one could be. Renaile will not leave until she gets what was agreed to, which will keep her at Elayne’s side for a long time.

The confrontation between Taim and Elayne ends with him acquiescing to her requests to visit the Black Tower under supervision. When she later carries out her first visit and Toveine sees her, we then expect some interaction between the two.

After Taim, a Wise One enters, the third uninvited interruption in the last twenty minutes. Dyelin provides a comment which is likely echoing the reader’s thoughts, and is therefore meant to restore the plausibility of the scene: “Blood and ashes!” Dyelin muttered. “ Is the whole world just going to walk in here?” She uses exaggeration to make the current situation seem normal in comparison. Humour is another tactic which causes the reader to overlook the obvious by pointing out the abnormal situation. A reader who knows that the author has recognized their complaint will be satisfied and move on with the story feeling the problem has been resolved.

The first-sister ceremony provides a glimpse of a healthy relationship by Aiel standards. It amounts to knowledge, faith, and forgiveness of the first-sister. Elayne has already shown this behaviour is the basis for her romance with Rand, so now this example will allow Aviendha to learn how to love him as well, and maybe they will teach and remind Rand how to behave.

Toveine is crafty, and seems to have a secret plan to pull down Elaida, even as she agrees to publicly give leadership of the Black Tower prisoners to another sister. Readers expect this plan to bear some fruit by the end of the book. Logain’s unwanted presence at the Black Tower and the faction he is heading create interest in seeing matters advance or get resolved. The Asha’man voice concerns that Rand doesn’t care about them, that Taim is giving preferred treatment to certain Asha’man, and that Taim’s cronies have turned bad. The implication is that Taim is creating a private army and Logain will be the main obstacle he has to overcome.

Rand has decided he can’t wait to move forward with his plan to make his Asha’man into reliable tools again. As soon as he can lure his would-be assassins to him and dispatch them, he plans to cleanse saidin. This sets the reader’s expectations. There had better be an attempt to cleanse saidin before the book is done! He even describes how it will go down: everyone within a thousand miles will feel him channeling, and come to put an end to it, so he needs to whittle down the number of detractors he will face before he starts cleansing. That and get over the sickness that has begun to affect him whenever he channels.

Each of these points of view has created expectations that readers will want resolved.

Writing Lessons:

Set expectations purposefully, or your readers will set them for you.

Use humour and exaggeration and acknowledgement to have readers overlook the contrived scenarios you devise.

The Path of Daggers - Chapters 23-24

In this section Rand and the Seanchan engage in warfare.

Robert Jordan gained a strong reputation for capturing the mood of battles. We’ll now dissect the first large scale battle since The Fires of Heaven.

Rand’s strategy has been shown, and with the advantage of surprise and Traveling, he should be unstoppable. The body count is very high, Bashere will compare it to the Blood Snows, the battle near Tar Valon during which Rand was born. Most of Rand’s followers are in some form of shock at the devastation. Rand’s losses have been limited. Unless they face damane, the Asha’man tear every opponent apart meeting little resistance.

Rand encounters a problem with prisoners. He can’t afford to guard prisoners so he leaves them behind, except for damane and sul’dam, who he keeps in order to weaken the Seanchan. Rand’s unfailing memory of every woman who has died as a result of his actions gets more unbelievable every time he adds a name, there are simply too many. That is one of the points being made: trying to take responsibility for every person you meet is an impossibility.

So far, Rand is winning.

More Seanchan with names and personalities are met. Furyk Karede has been appointed to lead the Seanchan towards Rand. He notices that raken returning from the front lines are anxious. He dispatches a man under his command for actions that have squandered lives. Furyk will luckily live through this battle thanks to his wise decision to retreat. What else could he do with no sul’dam to fight back against the lightnings?

Rand is still winning.

An Asha’man tells Rand about saidin’s strange behaviour, which he dismisses. Rand proves particularly reluctant to take advice or information that has not been solicited. He is not someone you would want to have to serve. Rand continues to lose few men in battle. A group of Seanchan slip past Weiramon and manage to hit Rand directly. Yet the nobles he has been so reluctant to trust come to his aid, charging the Seanchan to protect Rand, coming to his side to treat his wound. Morr is surprised to receive thanks, given that Rand has done such a good job of expecting obedience without question or reward. The Darkfriends in his party plant the idea of continuing the march against the retreating Seanchan, all the way to Ebou Dar. His staunchest supporters, the ones he trusts the most, advise ending the campaign. Lews Therin sagely says “I would not mind having you in my head, if you were not so clearly mad.”

Rand is winning, but we sense he’s about to make a mistake.

A third Seanchan, the short-lived Kennar Miraj, continues to humanize the enemy. Suroth pays him a visit with information she has gleaned from the network of Darkfriends around Rand. This is a fine opportunity to quickly tie off some loose ends by showing the current fate of Alwhin and Liandrin without wasting much page space on it. In mid-battle, the author wants to keep the focus on the battle. These Seanchan perspectives also are a great place to lay groundwork for future Seanchan-related plots such as the Crystal Throne. We are left with the conviction that the Seanchan are quite proficient in war, and also obedient to the point of a death which can be easily avoided. The damane are about to be reintroduced to the fighting, though they may still be ill. The author creates sympathy for the enemy by showing how they are not being given what they need to succeed, and by continually reminding us that the bulk of the forces Rand is killing so far are from Tarabon, who are technically his own people.

This is the Seanchan counter thrust.

Rand directs five columns to attack an assembled force of Seanchan. When the lengthy list of nobles is given for each of the five columns, it serves to place the actors for the next few scenes, as well as to humanize Rand’s forces. Lews Therin makes the same observation about saidin’s behaviour, and now Rand is willing to pay a little attention. Only a little, because he rejects Dashiva’s concerns and carries on with the attack. Yet he can’t help noticing little changes among the Asha’man.

The reader should be worried that the Seanchan counterthrust will succeed.

Miraj has planned for how to meet Rand in battle. But the question of how the sul’dam will do is still up in the air.

Now the reader suspects the battle could go either way.

Bertome Saighan overhears the Darkfriends plotting and disagreeing. They are two of the closest to Rand. The words they use are as confusing as the battle itself. Either their words are being misinterpreted, as other nobles were earlier when Rand fell during an attack, or it is strongly implied that Gedwyn will try kill Rand.

The rapid shifts from character to character represent the confusion and back-and forth nature of the battle. We can’t tell who is winning.

Varek is a Seanchan underling forced to take command and order a retreat. The damane had a difficult time controlling their weaves, and accidentally killed some of their own soldiers.

Bashere has taken heavy losses, and his Asha’man are tired and having trouble using saidin. Extreme caution is keeping Bashere alive. Bashere is alarmed about what would happen if Asha’man began deserting and walking the world.

The battle is still a draw, unknowable except for continued losses.

Adley has also slipped and killed some of his own men. Rand has taken him out of battle, concerned he might have begun turning irreversibly mad. When Bashere appears and tells Rand about orders he sent, we remember how Furyk killed an underling who did the same. Rand seems poised to copy that action in a fury. Bashere is able to direct his ire at the Seanchan, and Rand decides to prove how devoted he is to repelling the Seanchan invasion. Bashere points out the folly, and how good the Seanchan generals are. Rand’s ego prompts him to unveil Callandor.

As with Adley and the damane, Rand cannot control the torrents of lightning he unleashes. Bashere physically topples Rand and wrests Callandor from his grip. The damage is done, Rand has done as much damage to his own forces as the week of fighting has.

Rand has lost.

Yulan orders the final Seanchan retreat, given that Miraj has been killed by Rand’s final outburst.

The Seanchan have lost.

The entire battle has been a metaphor for the futility of war. Both sides retreat, the border hasn’t moved, neither Rand nor the Seanchan have given anything up. Rand can’t win because participating means he loses. The Tinkers may not have been in this book, but their saying that violence harms the axe as well as the tree it chops is apt here. Even as he routed the Seanchan, it was Rand’s own actions that caused the deaths of his men. Humanizing both the nobles and the Seanchan allows the reader to feel their loss. Meanwhile Rand is emotionless as a stone, unmoved by the tragedy of the wasted lives. The end result is that he and the Asha’man are even closer to going mad, as much from the horror of the battle as from the Dark One’s taint.

Writing Lessons:

Give your battles ebb and flow, and meaning beyond the immediate result.

The Path of Daggers - Chapters 13-15

In this section, the stakes for Rand are raised and Egwene has a problem she turns into an opportunity

The weather tells us Rand’s mood is poor, especially in light of what Cadsuane and Sorilea agreed moments earlier. Rand acts with all the worst behaviours of the nobility he has displaced. The nobles may not trust each other, but Rand trusts none of them. He starts off polite and firm, but quickly degrades and contemptuously tells the dregs of Sammael’s army to surrender or be killed. Furious at their continued opposition and doubt, he considers a number of other obstacles he is facing, and latches onto the rumour of an Aes Sedai amongst the Shaido as proof the White Tower would never give him peace. His experiences with Galina’s Aes Sedai have left him deeply mistrustful and paranoid about the Tower.

The introduction of several new nobles is pulled off effectively by tagging each by their nationality, sex, and rank. Gregorin is the head of the Council of Nine, Marcolin is captain of their armies. Weiramon leads the cavalry for Tear, Tolmeran is his rival, Rosana is new. Three other names are written off as soon to be dead, no need to distinguish between them. Semaradrid is a soldier from Cairhien. For a large group of mostly new characters thrown at the reader, it is remarkably easy to distinguish them.

The Asha’man were bit players in the last book, but we now see a number of them interact, just as the nobles did a chapter earlier. Again, each is given a tag of age or nationality or ability to distinguish them, which works well. Each is also well associated with the task he was assigned. The Asha’man have a discussion about numbers of male channelers, and the inevitable madness that will consume them all. Rand accidentally reveals to them his desire to cleanse saidin, and the Asha’man are enthralled.

Our attention is once more drawn to Herid Fel’s message about sealing the Dark One’s prison.

Lews Therin’s voice has been absent since before Rand took Illian. Having spent some time over the last three books making Lew Therin’s presence normal to the reader, its absence is disconcerting. He welcomes the return of the voice which of course makes readers uncomfortable. Not only is Rand in the wrong mood to achieve victory, he is plainly more likely to believe the voice in his head than anyone trying to get through to him. The voice returns because Rand has entrusted Narishma with a task that requires trust, which brings forth his mad desire to kill the Asha’man who return to the Black Tower. Rand has little choice but to stay away from the Black Tower, he can’t trust himself not to get into a fight with Mazrim Taim, whose attitude is belligerent, but he still appears to be doing what he is supposed to be doing. Readers are well on their way to adopting Lews Therin’s ideas regarding Taim, indicating that the author has very successfully made the mad voice seem reasonable, which is just what our mad hero would think.

This book is oddly straightforward, and feels like there are fewer layers of meaning in various passages. Is this related to the proposed theme of Darkfriends lurking amongst allies? Jordan is portraying people and events very directly to achieve a sensation of normalcy, that there is nothing lurking just out of sight. Revealing known Darkfriends like Aran'gar after telling readers about Moridin’s secret agents would be useful in getting the reader to drop their guard for when the hidden Darkfriends make their move later on. He tells the reader what to look for, and then shows the reader what they are looking for so they don’t search any further. This technique works even better by establishing a few cases in which the reader has been told what to look for, and then found it, establishing trust in the author’s directions.

In earlier sections it was established that no Darkfriends had infiltrated the Kin, or the Black Ajah would have known their secret. Perrin has people with secrets in his camp, but there is a remarkable lack of Darkfriends so far. In Rand’s section we suspect someone must be a Darkfriend. With Egwene, the main skulker we know about is Aran’gar, disguised as Halima, who has gotten close to both Egwene and Delana, a Sitter who is also Black Ajah.

Egwene learns of an army ahead of hers, so she arranges for parley, and tries to keep it from the Hall of the Sitters for as long as possible. This is the first step in her plan to assert her control. It’s a subtle plan, which we are told nothing of yet, and she expected to have to implement it once they reached Andor, but this is slightly ahead of her schedule. We’ll talk plenty about Egwene in the next post.

Writing Lessons:

Use misdirection to set your reader’s expectations the way you want them.

The Great Hunt - Chapters 31-34

In this section, Rand regains his allies, and they track the Horn to an impassable obstacle.

The heroes and villains have had the Horn twice each. The back and forth skirmishes in which the Horn is taken and lost leave a strong impression of struggle, which can’t be achieved as easily in a straightforward journey quest, like in The Eye of the World. Each time the Horn changes hands is a natural turning point in the story. The arrival of Rand’s friends just after he loses the Horn makes the loss even more poignant, but also introduces hope into that bleak situation.

Rand’s first instinct is to tell Mat about the dagger, and place the Horn second. Lanfear does not like this situation, and finds even less to like as she secretly observes Rand proclaiming his lack of greatness, saying his heart is Egwene’s, burning Selene’s letters. The flames are fanned by a sudden roar of wind, indicating Lanfear’s unhappiness. Only the scent of her perfume indicates her presence. Many novice writers leave out the sense of taste and smell. In this instance, where other senses cannot detect her, smells not only round out the description, they are an essential clue as to what is taking place without having to resort to a new point of view, or an omniscient one.

The description of Perrin’s abilities relies heavily on both taste and smell. Placing these ahead of sight and touch is a simple way to show the difference in culture between men and wolves, giving a feeling of alienness while remaining rooted in the familiar. Even wolves have prophecies, or at least they recognize a Dragon when they smell one.

Verin proves to be freer with information than Moiraine was, but is considered no more trustworthy for it, simply an extension of Moiraine. The seeds of mistrust towards Aes Sedai sowed by Ba’alzamon in the The Eye of the World are sprouting. How much of Ba’alzamon’s plan was designed not to turn Rand, but to create discord between him and any potential allies, to keep any united opposition from forming?

Rand plunges headfirst into Daes Dae’mar, little knowing how any word uttered by a ta’veren in this situation sends ripples through the Pattern. The recent uptick in the seriousness of the Great Game seems Pattern spawned to let Rand affect the maximum number of people in his short time in Cairhien. After less than a week, the heads of the two most powerful houses are dead, one at Thom’s vengeful hands, the other at Lanfear’s. She should not be scorned. Why did she kill Barthanes, a known Darkfriend? Likely because he allowed the Horn and dagger to escape, items which she realizes are the best goads to push Rand where she wants.

Fain’s escape to Toman Head still needs explaining, which even Verin cannot provide. Fain didn’t know much about the Seanchan until he reached Toman Head, so how did he decide to go there? Did he write the Dark prophecy? Can he see the future with Mordeth’s powers? Mordeth is the simplest explanation, even if the reader has been given little indication it’s within his power. It is still unclear which villain is pulling strings, and at which point of the story. In general, Ba’alzamon’s master plan is to establish a Seanchan foothold on the mainland, and get the Horn of Valere into the Blight. Fain, rescued because he may have further use, has found Power and desire to break free of the Dark, while he maintains a terrible link to Rand that he wants to sever. Lanfear is acting mostly independently of Ba’alzamon, trying to seduce Rand, and probably not minding if Ba’alzamon’s plans go awry, since the Forsaken are in stiff competition with each other.  

Rand finally uses saidin, to combat Machin Shin, which could not be defeated any other way. Rand’s instinctive use of how to use the One Power in situations like this is still odd.  Saidin still fills Rand with vitality and raw power, but there is added focus on the taint, which leaves unpleasant sensations long after he has released saidin.

Getting to Toman Head seems almost impossible without the Ways, and even if they find a shortcut that lets Mat survive long enough to get the dagger, the Seanchan they will meet when they get there seem insurmountable. This is the part of the book when it looks more and more like all is lost.

Writing Lessons:

Use descriptions of all five senses to make your world come alive. Using them in unusual ways can create unique effects.

The Great Hunt - Chapters 18-22

In this section, Rand tries the enemy’s path, and doesn’t like it.

Selene has been exhorting Rand to retrieve the Horn from Fain’s Trollocs, to seize the glory he deserves. Rand, drunk on the attention, does it. If he can just get that chest, he can have Selene too. Shrouded in the void that masks him from Fain’s senses, he and Loial enter the camp, and escape with the Horn. The loss of the dagger immediately wakes Fain, since its power makes his mind whole. Are the Forsaken done with Fain now that Rand has taken the Horn?In the void, the Power of saidin beckons to Rand. Desperate not to embrace it, Rand sticks to swordplay to defeat the handful of Trollocs barring their way. His desperation is such that he invites death in battle before he will touch it. And with each Trolloc he cuts down, he realizes that he can make do without it. The pressing need he has to touch saidin, to seize the Power, can be put off. And that triggers his revelation that he doesn’t want the Horn, or the glory it comes with. Selene is not happy; their honeymoon phase is over.

The swordplay imagery is an example of a few words telling the reader several different things. In three or four words, each form paints a motion, gives a feeling of defense or offense, and engages the reader’s imagination. The whole reveals a part of the world’s culture, and harkens back to the relationship between Rand and Lan.

By placing the ruby dagger inside the horn’s curl, Rand leaves himself a reminder about his purpose, in case he is ever tempted again. Selene contrives to stay in Rand’s company for a few days longer, hoping to have him cast away the dagger. She may want the horn, but she wants the Dragon more. When Rand accidentally taps into a sa’angreal’s power, he risks being consumed by the sheer power of saidin, causing Selene to promise anything, even giving up the Horn, to get Rand away from this danger. To win the struggle with that immense Power, Power to Break the World, Rand falls back again on his sense of self, and forges a link between his two ancestries.  Adoptive Manetheren, a bramble to the Dark One’s hand; and the Aiel, who spit in Sightblinder’s eye on the last day. In this world, under many circumstances, knowing one’s self is a source of power and control.

By the time Selene leaves Rand’s side, he is more in control of his destiny than at any previous time in the novel. This is a high point, maybe the first in the book, where it feels like everything could work out fine. Getting the Horn and the dagger this early is a bit of a surprise, if not a plot twist.

Nynaeve learns that she too is exceptional. Readers already knew she could become one of the strongest Aes Sedai alive, but she can also recreate any weave that she sees. However, it is not strength the Aes Sedai value most, it is fortitude, which is the quality that Novice and Accepted training is designed to promote. Nynaeve and Egwene should have no problems in that regard, their personalities dictate their greatest risk will come from failing to accept the reduced freedom, lower rank, and restricted privileges of Novices and Accepted.

The scene where the Amyrlin teaches Nynaeve and Egwene is fun, because the heroines are faced with a challenge, and come out on top, with greater knowledge and power than they had before. Even as the future challenge of the White Tower looms, the reader is developing confidence in their ability to meet it.  The training of the girls is an effective way to also explain what Rand will be able to do with the One Power, and the types of weave he may face.  

Egwene’s dreams continue to be prophetic. Dreams are generally a contrived plot device in fiction, used for foreshadowing or to let the reader know what the character is concerned about. Once the rules of the World of Dreams get established, they feel less contrived. For now, Egwene is having dreams which show her exactly what is going on with Rand. Ba’alzamon sees her in the dream, and laughs at her. Laughs! Not only does Egwene see true in the dreams, she is filled with certainty about actions she should take, such as not telling Anaiya certain details of the dream. This certainty is part of the Pattern’s corrective mechanism, the same plot device that allows Elaida’s Foretellings, Min’s Viewings, Nynaeve’s Listening to the Wind, and the various ter’angreal that give visions of the future. These free-willed creatures require a lot of guidance.

Liandrin sends a warded Draghkar after Moiraine. Moiraine is after information that can help her, and her questions casually remind us that Toman Head waits in Rand’s future. Lan reflects on the reasons he has built a protective relationship with Rand, not realizing it may have to do with his love for Nynaeve. Moiraine knows, and has made arrangements for Lan to be taken care of, and have the possibility of his bond passing to Nynaeve if all works out. Protecting the Dragon is her end goal, but she is satisfied that she can also help out her Warder in doing so.

Writing Lessons:

Brevity forces you to use words that have more impact, and which can serve more than one purpose.

The Great Hunt - Chapters 13-17

In this section, Rand encounters an old enemy, and a new love interest.

Introducing a love interest, whether as the main squeeze, as a foil, or as the third in a love triangle, can be tricky. The reader may find it obvious what the author’s intent regarding the love interest is. You should be aware of how you want the reader to perceive the character. To date, only a few random encounters have seriously threatened the Rand-Egwene relationship. The main obstacle the relationship faces is their incompatible destinies. But now, Selene enters the picture, and the author’s intent is clear. Selene offers an adult relationship far from the platonic love that Egwene represents. From the onset, Selene is portrayed as a temptress. Her behavior, added to the Dark Prophecy and the odd scenes with the elusive woman in white, allow the reader to easily deduce her motives and identity. She is playing a stereotype; there is no need for subtlety. She is Bad News.

If Ba’alzamon represented doubt, Lanfear is temptation. Her breathy whispers of power and glory, her impossibly perfect beauty, her willingness, her vague promises, are all designed to bring Rand to the Dark One. She and Ba’alzamon have abducted Rand, removed him from outside influences, and offered him a choice where either option leads to the Dark One.

With all these possible motivations foisted on him by Moiraine, Lanfear, Ingtar, and his friends, Rand’s quest will no longer be to find the Horn, but to find his reason for finding the Horn.

Touching saidin is depicted in a very sexual way, that feeling of being truly alive, of being able to do anything, of always wanting more.  This association is a strength of the world’s mythology. People’s feelings about sexuality can be very different, but having feelings about it is a universal human experience.  The more universal an experience, the wider an audience can identify with it. Rand’s ability to touch saidin is coincident with his discovery of sexuality in these chapters. The language giving this imagery is not confined to saidin, such as when he pictures Selene naked, or rubs his hand along the Portal Stone column, or when Selene describes her desire to touch the Horn. Enough nouns are replaced by ‘it’ to make many sentences have dual meanings, suggestive and funny. Selene urges him to touch saidin, and to learn to control it. Rand is afraid of what will happen if he uses saidin, is worried about the taint on it. These feelings of uncertainty, fear, and excitement feel like they could happen to any young man who is coming of age, and resonate with readers. If it’s a bit icky to some readers, well, that’s the taint on saidin.

Lanfear really is the total package, combining an Age of Legends equivalent of a Ph. D. in astrophysics with beauty and grace. Only a few of the ancient Aes Sedai studied the Mirror Worlds, and understood how to use their properties as elegantly as Lanfear has done, to move Rand in space-time ahead of Fain’s Trollocs. I wish Loial hadn’t dropped his sungwood quarterstaff before leaving the Mirror World, so that we’d see whether it survived the trip back to this one. Exploring the mechanics of Mirror Worlds is best saved for after we learn more about the World of Dreams.

Perrin’s storyline parallels Rand’s, as he too seeks to avoid the new abilities he has discovered. Perrin’s interview with the Amyrlin seems not to have involved discussion of his abilities, since he believes that no one beyond Egwene and Moiraine knows about it. Verin should soon be able to add herself to that short list with her curiosity and interest in ta’veren.

Robert Jordan had a wonderful way of crafting a sentence. I’ve pulled one in particular out, to see just how and why he has made it twist so wonderfully.

There across his palm was branded a heron.

This way of phrasing it is poetic, drags out the revelation, emphasizes the symbol. A number of possible variations could have been direct, or emphasized the pain, or sparked confusion, or been a lesser part of the paragraph instead of its central idea, or a number of other things. The order of words helps strengthen the idea, and the emphasis put on it.

There was a heron on his palm, branded.

A heron was branded across his palm.

His palm had a heron branded across it.

The brand there across his palm was a heron.

A heron, there, across his palm, branded.

Writing Lessons:

The order of words in a sentence, and of sentences in a paragraph, has an impact on the reader.