The Wheel of Time - Act 1 - Books 1-3

Treating The Wheel of Time as one long novel, the books The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, and The Dragon Reborn make up the first act. The groundwork is laid for the series concept as a whole, and all of the most important thematic elements are introduced. The beginning and end of the story are bookends, what shows up in one should be resolved in the other. So what are those elements that we can expect to see in the final act and the final volume A Memory of Light?

The first act is where Rand is told he must save the world, which is reportedly the idea that got the series started in the author’s mind. By the end of the first act, Rand accepts that this is true, and he is the saviour of mankind. The second act will be his struggle to convince others that he is the saviour, and the final act will be where the world saving takes place.

I’ve mentioned several times that self-awareness and force of will are defining characteristics of the heroes. In the most recent books Rand is using his force of will to make it to the Last Battle in a way that is counter-productive, becoming almost as bad as the force he is trying to defeat, running headlong down the path that Mordeth took, leading to the destruction of Aridhol. Mordeth’s drive and desire to root out evil was described early in the series, because that destructive single-mindedness is the major pitfall Rand has to overcome. As a saviour figure drawn from Christian religion, forgiveness and acceptance are the character traits that are supposed to save mankind from its sins, and those are the characteristics Rand must embrace before he shares Mordeth’s fate, and humanity suffers Aridhol’s.

Seven of the original characters are defined by their willpower: Rand, Perrin, Mat, Egwene, Nynaeve, Lan, Moiraine. Each of them has a drive to accomplish their goals that far exceeds that of the characters around them. Lan’s influence has been detrimental to Rand, as it has introduced him to the myth of the lone warrior fighting an impossible war, a myth which Rand is eager to star in. Readers are told several times that Lan will die alone in the Blight if he carries on this way, but he looks forward to that romantic death. A similar fate awaits Rand if he follows Lan’s footsteps, yet Ba’alzamon has laid just such a path before Rand.

Ba’alzamon, as the force of doubt, undermines Rand’s trust in others, making him think he has to do battle alone. Rand’s friends seek to support him, but his chivalric view that people must be saved in spite of their own wishes will make him dismiss their help over time. Ultimately, defeating Ba’alzamon requires rejecting the ideas he represents. Rand will have to realize that all humanity will be fighting the battle, and it will be a battle of ideas and willpower, not of bloodletting. Individually, no one can stand against the Dark One, but collectively, humanity can reject the selfishness he represents and stand united.

None of that is any good against Trolloc hordes, but there is one place in which ideas and force of will can fight battles: tel’aran’rhiod, the World of Dreams. Here, ideas are given strength. The idea that the world can rally around is that there is a person who can defeat the Dark One, a Dragon, and in tel’aran’rhiod you can lend strength to the Dragon by believing in him. If one person can alter reality by thinking it, how much more powerful would it be if a group of people collectively will it to be real in tel’aran’rhiod? But first, he has to believe in himself, which point he has reached at the end of Act 1.

Every book in Act 1 ended with a battle in tel’aran’rhiod. The last book should also end in tel’aran’rhiod. The Pandora/Eve who freed the Dark One is especially knowledgeable about tel’aran’rhiod. She was encountered early in the story, therefore she should have a role to play at the end of it. Her sins must be redeemed by the Dragon if the story is to follow western religious myths. Dreams and willpower are the common link between several important characters and plot elements.

Each book so far also has a magic object used in the final battle: the Eye of the World, The Horn of Valere, and Callandor. This practice should generally continue, but for the final book, it should be a magic object introduced much earlier than in that book. Tel’aran’rhiod itself qualifies, even if it isn’t an object, but an environment.

This series should rightly be classified as American Fantasy, as it incorporates several important historical and mythic elements from that culture. The Seanchan’s role as invaders from across the sea who require absolute devotion to their ruler evokes the War of American Independence. The slavery that the Seanchan built their empire on speaks to themes from the American Civil War. The myth of the self-made man, the lone cowboy, is one that permeates American culture and the egos of Rand and Lan. Despite the many other mythic influences of far older cultures, American Mythology also stands out prominently.  

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 53-56

In this section, the Heroes overcome the forces arrayed against them, and Rand confirms he is the Dragon Reborn.

Faile falls into a trap, and since Moiraine assigned responsibility for her to Perrin, he makes use of the ability to enter the Wolf Dream to save her. Compared with Perrin’s careful smithing, his behavior here is frantic, leaping before he looks, urging Hopper to stop explaining and get on with leading him to Faile. These are the impetuous actions of man thinking with his heart, not his head.

Egwene takes control of her captivity, also using her access to the World of Dreams to save herself and her friends. Like Perrin, she is ignorant of the rules governing the World of Dreams, but fortunately her opponents are even less knowledgeable. Egwene is able to channel in tel’aran’rhiod despite being shielded in the waking world. The True Source can be touched anywhere but a stedding. Some part of her, maybe the most important part of her, is free of the confines of a physical body, and in the World of Dreams exists as a conceptualization of herself. The shield is around her body, and is not replicated in tel’aran’rhiod. Is the same true of all weaves? Does it matter whether they are tied off weaves or being held by someone? Later we’ll see how warded boxes are no protection in tel’aran’rhiod, so the answer must be that no weaves in the waking world are replicated in the World of Dreams. That also explains how Be’lal and Rand can wield Callandor in dreams.

Egwene finds Joiya first, and shields her. She scares Joiya by inferring that the shield may extend to her waking body. What affects you in tel’aran’rhiod affects your body in the waking world too, though to a lesser degree. Rand and Perrin’s wounds upon waking have often been less than what they appeared to have been subjected to in their dreams. Readers are finally getting the long awaited explanation of the World of Dreams. There is no better way to explain than by showing examples of the rules in action.

Egwene finds Amico next, who is drifting in and out of sleep as she toys with her dream ter’angreal. Egwene shields her also, but when she finds resistance, she sharpens her weave and rams it in place, stilling Amico. What affects you in tel’aran’rhiod affects you in the waking world, yet somehow Amico’s weaves hold even as she is stilled. Since Amico was not yet fully in tel’aran’rhiod, she can’t access it any further with the True Source cut off, but also can’t have the stilling take effect until she wakes. The ter’angreal has effectively trapped her between worlds. Nynaeve’s punch ends both the channeling and the dream. The ability to still someone instead of shield them may never been a real possibility in battle given how closely matched most Aes Sedai are in the One Power. The only example shown was years earlier when Moiraine battled Merean in New Spring. In tel’aran’rhiod, the willpower making the action is more important than the strength in the One Power, and Egwene forced the shield in place with all her might.

Mat manages to make friends on the rooftops and battle his way through the stone, taking out the High Lord Darlin with battle skill, not luck. He finds and frees the young women, gets insulted for his trouble, but may have saved them from any retribution by the remaining eleven Black Ajah before they fled the Stone.

Rand finally makes his appearance. Despite being absent most of the book, his short talk with Perrin, the updates through the dreams, and what is learned about the prophecy surrounding Callandor and the Stone of Tear all serve to make the stakes important to the reader. In a sentence or two, Rand’s conflict is made clear; his reluctance to learn the truth opposes his need to get Callandor before someone else does. Moiraine balefires Be’lal out of existence, and is herself knocked out by Ba’alzamon, who has decided to kill Rand after all. The only way to survive is to take Callandor.

Like both Perrin and Egwene, Rand must enter the World of Dreams. Ba’alzamon uses tel’aran’rhiod against Rand in a dozen ways. It is unlikely that Rand instinctively knows which weaves to use to survive each trap, or to split Ba’alzamon’s stream of balefire. He just uses Callandor to hold more of the One Power, and in doing so is filled with confidence, which lends him the power to manipulate tel’aran’rhiod. Each of Rand’s feats is more plausible as a consequence of him exerting his will over his surroundings, outmatching Ba’alzamon’s will, undoing what traps his opponent has set. Rand should have had less success using the One Power in this manner in the waking world. But, there is the precedent of his intuitive use of weaves when he used the Eye of the World.

The book’s ending would be difficult for Rand to carry alone. The other character’s plotlines all conclude with some satisfactory action, but it is not clear whether they have overcome their internal difficulties. Is Egwene burying the hatchet with Nynaeve when she asks her to sing to her as she did when she was a child? Perrin set out to find Rand, but dropped that quest in favour of his falcon and the Wolf Dream. Mat just wanted to get away from it all, and wound up defeating some minor villains, but resolved little else. The haphazard way in which each of their plotlines ends leaves the way wide open for Rand to provide the conclusive victory. Be’lal and the Forsaken were late arrivals on the scene in this book, but understanding the scope of their power made Be’lal’s confrontation with Rand a worthy challenge. Ba’alzamon danced around the edges throughout the book, but was never clearly made the main villain, given that neither Egwene nor Perrin had much to do with him. Only the carryover from the other books made it work well.

Another element that worked well was the continually shorter duration of each character’s point of view throughout the novel, culminating in rapid jumps from character to character within single chapters. The same quick switching was in the Great Hunt, but was mostly present because the other points of view were required to understand the events unfolding.  

Writing Lessons:

Give your characters satisfactory resolutions to their story arcs or risk the wrath of the reader.

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 44-48

In this section, Perrin evades great danger, Mat sets out to rescue the Black Ajah hunters, and an argument has Egwene and Nynaeve at loggerheads.

Perrin mentions that Rand is the Dragon Reborn, tying Faile to his side even tighter. Were it not for Moiraine’s urgent need to flee and save their own skins, Nieda and Faile might have been disposed of to keep that secret. Darkhounds cannot be outrun, so Moiraine uses balefire to undo them before their abilities are revealed. It is important that Moiraine use balefire now, so that its later use won’t seem contrived. She says balefire hasn’t been used in two thousand years, which is a millennium after the voluntary cease-balefire called in the War of Power. Was it last used against the Shadowspawn that overran Manetheren?

Moiraine also determined that the Gray Men trying to kill Perrin were not sent by Sammael, so responsibility falls back to Be’lal or Ba’alzamon. Ba’alzamon is the one who knows who all Rand’s allies are and wants to distance them from his side. Mat is just as much of a problem, so the assassins pursuing him are determined, if not up to the challenge.

Mat finds all the same cues as the others regarding the presence of a Forsaken, but lacks the means to figure it out. He makes up for it by luckily stumbling upon a plot to kill Elayne, rather than let her fall into Be’lal’s hands. Egwene’s dreams also tell that the Forsaken are all focused on their own plots, some pushing Rand, some trying to stop him, some consolidating power. Gaebril is one of those ignoring Rand for now, but his path to power is made easier with Elayne’s death, and complicated if she is held by another Forsaken. Somehow, Mat’s acting ability never works on his friends, yet Gaebril swallows Mat’s tale, publicly. Just to be safe, he would have put Mat to the question, but Morgase’s intervention delays it long enough for Mat to make a trademark run for the hills before anyone realizes he’s gone.

In Egwene’s dream, Mat is dicing with the Dark One, not simply Ba’alzamon, but the wager he makes is with Gaebril, the alias adopted by Rahvin. The dream must therefore be about Mat’s evasion of the assassins, implying they were sent by Ba’alzamon, or refer to a larger scale game he is unwittingly playing against Ba’alzamon.

Morgase is supposed to be one of the greatest players of the Game of Houses, yet now, and later, the Compulsion she has suffered at Rahvin’s hands will quash her confidence or her talent, or both.

Most of the interactions between characters so far in the series have centered on themes of trust. Who can be trusted, and how much. There have been frequent mentor relationships between the experienced characters and the newlings. Now Egwene’s building frustration with Nynaeve’s dominance is driving a wedge between the Black Ajah hunters. To complete her story arc, she will have to escape from under Nynaeve’s guidance and set her own path.

Elayne, caught in the middle, has been intelligent enough to solve several puzzles, compassionate towards both her friends, favored the best suggestions put forth by either of the girls, and kept her composure through it all since the hunt began. Egwene’s snippiness finally irritates her enough that she slaps Egwene across the face. Her reasonable explanation, since she always has one, is that Egwene’s selfish actions may expose them to unwanted risks.

The story can be developed by character as well as by plot. Each of the three women has distinctive traits that must be adhered to. Nynaeve is courageous, quick to anger, and a bully. She has needed to be completely independent her entire life. Elayne has had the advantages of an incredibly full education, is accustomed to having her decisions heeded, and has never had to strive for anything but her mother’s happiness. Egwene has had a warm upbringing, but is tired of living in the shadow of others, which is the source of her great determination. By finding the natural ways in which these traits are incompatible, story possibilities are opened up. The Wheel of Time’s attention to this sort of interaction, particularly with regard to its female characters, helped it stand out from other fantasy novels, which have the sad reputation of being very boy-oriented.

Writing lessons:

 It’s not all plot! Look for ways to play each character’s traits off each other.

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 40-43

In this section, Perrin and friends survive a sneak attack and make a desperate search for information, while Mat gets his hands on a useful tool.

As a reward for saving a disgraced Illuminator, Mat receives a bag of fireworks. Aludra and Tammuz were last seen in Cairhien when Rand evaded Trollocs in a chase through their compound. Using a recurring minor character is a reminder that anyone whose life is touched by a ta’veren can’t easily escape the Web of Destiny. In the context of ta’veren, it has now become less far-fetched for a random person once met to pop back into the story and provide help, than for a completely new character to be saved and give Mat fireworks as a reward. These secondary or minor characters are also a means to reveal the outcome of the events in locales the heroes have left behind.

Aha! This time a Rand point of view does not serve as a bridge between the Perrin point of view and the other characters. It may be a sign that they are getting closer to each other.

Perrin’s love interest Faile becomes a member of the party. Nynaeve is the only character whose love life is not foretold in some manner. All of the other major characters have their love interests thrust on them by the Pattern, or at the least have some prophetic insight about who they will love.

A group of Gray Men try to kill Perrin. Six at once! This is a very serious attempt on his life, and harkens back to the Myrddraal’s words in the mountains, “Cut one leg of the tripod, and all fall down.” On top of that, Darkhound prints are found in the stone outside. The Gray Men come from the same source as the ones trying to kill Rand and Mat, while the Darkhound is simply a guardian of Lord Brend, an alias of Sammael. Sammael took over Illian earlier in the spring, and his presence is causing the citizens to have bad dreams, the Ogier to pack up and leave without a word of explanation, and gives a significant amount of the populace an angry demeanor. The ascension to power and the side effects are reminiscent of the High Lord Samon in Tear. With these two examples, in the future readers should be able to notice signs on their own which indicate a Forsaken may have set up base.

Moiraine goes off to confirm the source of the evil in Illian, and Perrin does the same by consulting Hopper in the Wolf Dream. One of the two men Perrin saw speaking with Ba’alzamon much earlier in the book appears holding Callandor, in a manner suggesting that Perrin has seen inside this Forsaken’s dreams.

Perrin also sees visions in the sky of tel’aran’rhiod. Does the Pattern show him what he must see? Are the visions brought to Perrin by using the power of Need? Can the Forsaken also use the power of Need? If they could, can they trust the information they get out of it? One of his visions is of Mat dicing with Ba’alzamon. Could Ba’alzamon be trying to kill Mat instead of taking him and using him? Or is this a metaphor for something else? In the vision of Nynaeve and Egwene, Liandrin traps them and laughs, while Lanfear in turn laughs at Liandrin. Another clue that Lanfear is not acting fully in accordance with Ba’alzamon’s wishes.

Hopper has told Perrin that the Last Hunt is coming, and previously explained that all dead wolves reside in the Wolf Dream awaiting rebirth, just as the Heroes of the Horn do. When Perrin fulfills Egwene’s dream of leading innumerable wolves in battle, it will have to be in tel’aran’rhiod.

Recent Perrin chapters have not been slow as predicted by my earlier thought that his point of view was partly responsible for the pacing. Whatever time he spends finding a bed to climb into and leaving in the middle of the night is balanced by the number of fascinating interactions he has with new characters and old. What makes a story fun is the act of discovering, and Perrin’s chapters have had plenty of discovery.

Many of the locales in the Wheel of Time are fascinating and unique. I’ll take a look at how the great city of Illian is given its own distinctive elements.

In earlier books we learned that Illian is associated with the Great Hunt for the Horn of Valere, and that the Hunt had been called for the first time in four hundred years. Hunters gather and take their vows in the Square of Tammaz, then spread across the world searching for adventure. There has been an expectation that Thom would eventually find his way there, or Rand and Mat with the actual Horn in hand.

Here are the main descriptors of Illian as Perrin arrives:

Long stone docks, great numbers of long-legged birds, tall marsh grass that all but encircled the great harbor, cranes, crested birds, gulls swooped and soared, ships three or four times as long as snow Goose anchored across the expanse of the harbor, waiting their turns at the docks, or for tides to shift so they could sail beyond the long breakwater, fishing boats worked close to the marsh, and in the creeks winding through it, the wind carried a sharp scent of salt, and did little to break the heat, the air felt damp, the smell of fresh fish, old fish, mud, sour stink from a tannery on a treeless island in the marsh grass.

The city itself:

The city was large, as big as other great cities, it reared out of a huge marsh that stretched for miles like a plain of waving grass, Illian had no walls at all, but it seemed to be all towers and palaces, buildings of pale stone, some with white plaster, rooftops of tile sparkled under the sun, the long docks held many ships, bustled, shipyards at the far end of the city, stone posts along the docks, spices and tar and stinks of the docks, hubbub, clamor, slower, pitched differently, rough, uneven paving stones, music and song and laughter drifting from inns and taverns, voices, a hum of voices, people and horses, cooking and baking, a hundred scents, the smell of marsh and salt water, a bridge, the third such bridge, Illian was crisscrossed by as many canals as streets, poling laden barges, plying whips to move heavy wagons, sedan chairs, peculiar beards, hats with wide brims and attached scarves that they wound around their necks, sedan chairs wove through the crowds, lacquered coach, a great square, surrounded by huge columns of white marble, a huge white palace stood at either end of the square, airy balconies, slender towers.

That’s enough, and I didn’t even get to the Perfumed Quarter and the Bridge of Flowers. Overall, the impression is of a sprawling, large, busy, wealthy city. Even the length of the description adds to the impression of size. The focus on the mildly unpleasant odors reflects the underlying unhappiness in the city that Perrin later observes. The oppressive heat and slow pace of the people, and the attention to the marsh add a feeling of being stuck, indicating dread and a possible trap. The adjectives applied to the people focus on their oddness, their difference from the normal, a clue to Sammael’s grip on the city.

Writing Lessons:

Selection of certain characteristics of a locale can set ideas or feelings in the minds of readers.

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 35-39

In this section, Perrin spies on the villains while Egwene is captured.

Hopper is teaching Perrin how to use the World of Dreams to his advantage. Right now it is important that Perrin know that Lanfear is a dissident within the Forsaken. Lanfear’s claim on the World of Dreams and Ba’alzamon’s attempt to yell “Aha! You are not helping the Great Lord!” reinforces the idea that she may have drilled the Bore in tel’aran’rhiod and that the Dark One has a particular interest in the World of Dreams as a matter of protecting his doorstep.

Avoiding direct confrontation, Ba’alzamon enlists minions across the globe to help him kill or ‘take’ certain of the heroes. Ba’alzamon never says he wants Mat dead, just that he should not have been allowed to escape Tar Valon. He also wants Egwene and Nynaeve captured. The Gray Men trying to kill everyone in sight are therefore someone else’s work.  

Perrin meets the falcon from Min’s viewing. There are so many Dreams, Viewings and Prophecies in this book that readers have a lot of opportunity to figure a few out, just as Egwene does. Egwene’s realization serves as a bit of a lesson to the reader on how the dreams can be interpreted, in case it wasn’t clear. Once a few have been figured out, readers are likely to want to solve the others. Some revelations will unfold over several books, leaving a lot of fun conjecture to engage the reader’s thinking muscles.

As with the two earlier books, new allies will be found leading up to the final battle. The Aiel haven’t yet committed to showing up in Tear, but with both Perrin and Nynaeve dropping clues as to where they and Rand are heading, it is expected they will show up in time to help out. And once there, Rand can finally confirm what everyone else has figured out, that he is an Aiel. The approach of keeping one character in the dark while giving all the relevant clues to other characters and the reader is used frequently in the series. It allows the reader to understand while keeping the characters doing what is needed to move the plot in the desired direction.

Some examples of this are present in the introduction to Aiel culture that Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve receive. In some cases, the required understanding is not yet provided, so discussing the Aiel sin of so long ago does not reveal anything about their secret origin, and the knowing looks exchanged by Bain and Chiad do not give away what they know about the Wise Ones’ interest in Aviendha. In other cases, full insight into the cultural element is given, which gives readers the required background to understand future events when they take place, such as asking to become first-sisters, or knowing that Wise Ones give the clan chiefs direction based on their dreams. One method is a mystery waiting for a solution; the other is a solution to a future mystery. It will be the case that readers will read something that reminds them of a nugget of information they remember reading two books ago. Scattering the information throughout the story makes it surprising when the solution is revealed, and is also the basis of the heavy-duty theorizing that we hardcore fans love so much.

A second mention of balefire is an indication it’ll be seen again. Nynaeve’s spontaneous use of balefire reminds readers that Rand did something similar near the beginning of the book. Like Rand, Nynaeve is demonstrating the ability to create the weave she wants, as though through sheer willpower. Another parallel showing that Nynaeve is the female equivalent to the Dragon? Even Egwene seems able to do this learning to a lesser extent. My earlier suggestion that some learning was planted in Rand’s mind when he used the Eye of the World is somewhat undermined since Nynaeve didn’t have a similar experience to explain her ability. Instead, the idea that willpower is related to spontaneous learning of certain weaves of the One Power is worth remembering, given that a number of other plot elements such as tel’aran’rhiod and the heroes trials are based on willpower.

The short Rand section once again serves as a bridge between Perrin and Egwene’s parts of the story.

Egwene and Elayne have a discussion reminiscent of one Perrin had with Moiraine not long ago. Each wondered how the Pattern could allow such suffering and evil to go on. There has been little thought for the larger scale suffering in the world since the heroes’ impact on the world, and even the people around them, has been quite limited. As the series progresses, concerns of this nature will become more common.

I’ll give a few examples of analogies from this section, to demonstrate the richness it brings to the text, more so than simple adjectives would. The last part of each phrase is sometimes used to flip the meaning of the phrase, but more often is simply not necessary, it just adds flavor, often telling something about the character making the analogy as well as the thing being described. They also have vivid imagery that might convey a mood, or feel, or smell, or taste.

His voice was soft, as cold iron is soft.

He sounded like a bumblebee only the size of a dog instead of a horse.

Does he always look like that, or did he eat a rock for his last meal?

Fear struck through him like hammered spikes.

The man screamed, and began to quiver like a file struck against an anvil.

Be wary as a cub hunting porcupine.

I will be crying like a girl, next.

Yet dress and cloak were of the best wool, well cut and well sewn.

I either hunt them, or else I sit like a rabbit waiting for a hawk.

Nynaeve’s Healing caught her like a straw on the edge of a whirlpool.

They shrieked like splintered bones jamming a meatgrinder.

Amys and Bair and Melaine and Seana stalked me like ridgecats after a wild goat.

He courts the death that took his land as other men court beautiful women.

The Darter belied its name with a bluff bow as round as its captain.

Writing Lessons:

Analogies present an opportunity to make your text richer.

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 21-24

In this section, Egwene learns about the World of Dreams and passes the test for Accepted.

Dreams have played a significant role in the series so far, and their prevalence will only increase, as indicated by Perrin’s and Egwene’s newfound abilities. Despite having seen the World of Dreams several times, in climatic battles at the end of each of the first two books, and in short bursts elsewhere, little has been revealed about how the World of Dreams works. Verin provides the first real insight.

Along with the Creator and the Dark One, the World of Dreams is a constant, permeating all other worlds, whether a Mirror World or some stranger world that runs (metaphorically) perpendicular to them. The Ways and the World of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn may be examples of such worlds. There is only one World of Dreams for all existence. Mastery over it would be extremely advantageous, so it is little surprise that the Forsaken have made use of it to overcome real world obstacles, mainly by communicating with human minions through it. The Forsaken are a cautious bunch, else they would not still be alive, and they would rather meet in the World of Dreams where escape is quicker and they hold the advantage of knowledge and power, than in the real world where unforeseen circumstances may trap them.

Verin explains the paradox of the Dark One’s imprisonment. So long as he is trapped in one World, he is trapped in all of them. If he is freed in one world, he is freed in all of them. But this needn’t be a paradox, if the Dark One’s prison is in the World of Dreams. A single prison, accessible from a single place, in tel’aran’rhiod, which itself can be reached from anywhere in reality. Readers will later be told that Shayol Ghul is a place where the thinness can be sensed more than anywhere else in the World, but is no closer to the Bore than any other, which implies the thinness permeates the world, just as the World of Dreams does. There is circumstantial evidence in later books and chapters to support this, notably Lanfear’s expertise in tel’aran’rhiod and other Worlds, how strength of will creates the reality in the World of Dreams, Herid Fel’s study of the Seals and the metaphysical aspects of how they work, and ter’angreal that have effects in both waking world and the World of Dreams. I’ll delve into those more as they come up, for now I’ll end with noting all this emphasis on the World of Dreams is for more than simply to advance the plot and provide easy outs for characters, it is a cornerstone of the story and should figure prominently in A Memory of Light.

Mistrust and paranoia continue to worm their way into Egwene’s heart. She can’t even trust the Aes Sedai she has to. Given the options presented, readers might guess that one of the named Aes Sedai, Siuan, Verin, Sheriam, Alanna, Elaida, Alviarin, Leane, might be Black Ajah. Probably not two. Or three. Or all. To emphasize the mistrust, a short passage from Verin’s point of view is given, and it is deliberately vague as to her motivations. When she outlines her options for Corianin’s notes, the reader is given no reference points to determine which of the options is good or bad. Everything is presented in a neutral moral haze. Such an effort could only work when used on a character who is or who skirts close to being a villain, and is not simply absent-minded.

Egwene’s testing reveals possible elements of the future, and gives insight into her current dilemma. She learns, and Sheriam confirms, that channelers can be turned to the Dark. Much later in the series, readers learn that Black Ajah swear a Fourth Oath, in a ‘distinctive’ process. Is it different from the process Egwene learns of through the testing? My gut feeling is that they are one and the same, that you not only swear the Black Ajah oath on the Oath Rod, but that you do so guided by the circle of thirteen channelers and thirteen Myrddraal, to make the Oath irrevocable. The only difference is whether the swearing of the Oath was done voluntarily. There is no evidence that being turned transforms one into a cackling madwoman wreaking havoc, and Black Ajah should have concern about whether someone turned stands higher than themselves. Alternately, being turned could be a form of compulsion, but a circle is needed to channel that much power. Since Compulsion leaves signs, turning women would introduce a strong risk of discovery, so it could only be used sparingly, with great need.

The resonance between the Dream Ring and the testing ter’angreal shows the link between the World of Dreams and the visions in the test. Were they real? Yes, and the Pattern can use them to feed information to the women who use them, just as it does with Dreams and Viewings. Egwene learned some possible advantages that might come her way, and is now warned of possible dangers.

Wounds taken in the World of Dreams do not heal like other wounds, which explains Rand’s never-healing wound on his side. Ba’alzamon’s burns and stab through the heart should be equally difficult to recover from.

Mat has another encounter with a Forsaken, though neither he nor readers know it at the time. Else Grinwell insists he step aside and not come near her, probably for fear of ruining her Mask of Mirrors, possibly from concern over his Shadar Logoth taint. Mat’s encounter with Galad and Gawyn is used to establish his fighting ability, which he has no good reason for having. Combined with his speaking Old Tongue and memories, Mat is going through the same disorienting changes that his friends did, struggling to understand and adapt to new powers thrust upon him.

An editorial mistake? A deliberate pairing of similar passages, one to end a chapter, the other to begin one? Read the end of Chapter 22 and the Beginning of Chapter 23 for a nifty look at two different ways of conveying the same information. I think chapters may have been reordered, with these two originally intended to be separated. Normally an author might do this to remind the reader what had happened during that cliffhanger, which this book has more of than earlier books. Does the slight rewording change it much? Do you find one better?

Chapter 22 - ends

Light plucked her apart fiber by fiber, sliced the fibers to hairs, split the hairs to wisps of nothing. All drifted apart on the light. Forever.

Chapter 23 - begins

Light pulled her apart fiber by fiber, sliced the fibers to hairs that drifted apart, burning. Drifting and burning, forever. Forever.

Writing Lessons:

Substituting one word for a more meaningful one can change reader perception. Try to be accurate. Every word has its purpose.

The Dragon Reborn - Prologue to Chapter 4

In this introductory section, the story is no longer about Rand, but Perrin!

The prologue, as in the previous novel, provides some quick background essentials: how male channelers go mad, why no one wants the Dragon to be Reborn, the Three Oaths that Aes Sedai vow, and frames the battle against the Dark One. The prologue also ties off some loose threads from the last book: Fain fled to Amadicia, the Seanchan were repelled, and the Darkfriend Jaichim Carridin remains well placed, ready to use his station to advance the Dark One’s plans. With all that out of the way, there is even room to squeeze in the plots for this book: Carridin’s orders have suddenly changed from using Rand to killing Rand. The Whitecloaks mean to leave Rand alone, for now, but under Fain’s influence, they may investigate this Darkfriend-filled Two Rivers district. All the bases have been covered in this short passage.

The most important new element out of those was the sudden desire to kill Rand. This is out of character for Ba’alzamon and Lanfear, but we already knew that the Forsaken work against each other as much as with, so perhaps a new Forsaken is involved. Remembering that Ba’alzamon represented doubt, and Lanfear desire, let’s watch for similar characteristics that could be attributed to a new villain.

Immediately, the feel of this novel is different than the previous two. The initial mystery introduced is not ‘who is the black rider?’ or ‘what does the Amyrlin want?’, it is ‘when will we move on from this valley?’. This is not as keenly intriguing as in the previous novels. It is the first appearance of an infamous style that Robert Jordan used abundantly in later books, it is dragging out the revelation of simple details. Why is it used here?

Firstly, this entire first section is told from Perrin’s point of view, the longest sequence to date devoted to a single character’s point of view other than Rand, indicating his importance to the story. As part of making Perrin’s point of view unique, the text is an expression of Perrin’s attitude towards life, move slowly, carefully, and thoughtfully. Perrin himself can’t get right to the point, so chapters from his point of view will show more consideration of details, and feel more drawn out than chapters told from other characters’ point of view. If this wasn’t as obvious in earlier Perrin chapters in the other books, it is probably because there were but one or two chapters at a time, and enough new material was being introduced to overrun this effect. Part of the problem here is that there is no new significant information being presented. Knowing reader perceptions of much later books, I’ll keep an eye on whether this slowness shows up more frequently in Perrin’s point of view than elsewhere.

Another way to show Perrin’s different way of seeing the world is the number of blacksmith references. Descriptions of faces or objects are as comparisons to his experiences at Master Luhhan’s forge. Oddly, Rand never made so many shepherd and tabac references. Perhaps Rand is simply more imaginative and eager for the future, such that his frame of reference extends beyond what he did as a young man. Nynaeve’s cultural references were consistent with her experience, and were used frequently, Egwene’s much less so. Every character, even Perrin, felt like a man or woman of action in earlier books, but now he stands out as slow-moving by association with the idea being expressed in these chapters. Chapter 1 is even called ‘Waiting’.

The famous Wind that rose in the Mountains of Mist does more than describe the setting, the language describing it sets up the mood of ‘Waiting’ before any character is even introduced. Here is some sample language:  Down long valleys, hanging in the air, soon spring up, forgotten, snow that never melted, clouds clung to the mountaintops, snow and white billows seemed one, it held awhile, clung, not yet quickened. A variety of subjects have been described, none of them human, but altogether the reader is primed to think of being stuck in place and impatience to move.

Other characters are reintroduced, with their motivations. Loial who wants to write a book on ta’veren. Min who is reluctantly in love with Rand. Uno who bloody well fights goat-kissing Trollocs. Masema who is overeager to serve Rand. Several plotlines relating to Perrin are begun or touched on here: his association with Tuatha’an, his Wolfbrother abilities, dreams. As the central character, Rand scarcely appears. There is little point, his concerns are the same as Perrin’s to a large extent, and no one has the answers to his most pressing dilemma, how to control the One Power. Switching to Perrin’s Point of View instead of Rand’s has no downsides. Staying out of Moiraine’s point of view, but reminding readers of her inviolable objectives, keeps them suspicious of her.

In the dreams, Perrin gains more insight into the Forsaken than anyone else has. His Wolfbrother dreaming ability lets him enter the World of Dreams despite any protective effects from Moiraine’s presence. First Ba’alzamon, then Lanfear each pays him a visit and tries to get him to drink from their cup. They are still intent on using the Two Rivers boys, and have passed up easy opportunities to kill Perrin here. Interestingly, Perrin tries to assert his identity in a realm where force of will creates reality. Lanfear is eager to help Perrin, and brings him or lets him follow to the chaotic paths of the World of Dreams, where he sees Ba’alzamon meet with Be’lal in puffy sleeves and another Forsaken. They argue and vanish in a fireball. One of them is sending the Soulless after Rand. One of them is behind the Myrddraal that visited Carridin. One of them is not playing Ba’alzamon’s way, and is trying to kill Rand. And they just sent the Twisted Ones at the camp! Waiting is over.

Writing Lessons:

Changing point of view also allows you to change the voice, style, and pacing of your writing. It’s a new person with a whole new world view.

The Great Hunt - Summary

The Great Hunt is a fast-paced, action-packed chase for the magical Horn of Valere, an artifact so sought after that even the attempt to take up the hunt for it is guaranteed to bring glory. For Rand, the quest for glory is not an objective, but an obstacle. Rand’s mistrust of Aes Sedai and wariness about their intentions regarding him and the Horn are enough to keep him from chasing after glory. Rand intends to retrieve the Horn and turn it over to others rather than claim it for his own.  He will instead focus his efforts on retrieving the dagger that can save Mat’s life.

The greatest impediment he faces is in the form of Lanfear, the embodiment of desire. Her promises are seductive and urgent. She urges Rand to reach out and take what he wants, what he deserves. He just has to put himself ahead of other considerations once, even briefly, and he can have her, and everything else he ever dreamed of. Her methods have no subtlety, but are no less effective on a young man for that. A combination of stubbornness, bashfulness, luck, and steadfastness helps Rand avoid her clutches.

Rand’s idealism and perseverance eventually give enough hope to persuade even a Darkfriend to turn back to the Light. If the most important concepts of the series were introduced earliest, they should reappear in the final book, like bookends. Redemption of the wicked, duty before glory, selflessness and sacrifice are among those concepts.

The series expands its focus to several other prominent characters, none who stand out more than Nynaeve. She bristles with confidence and power, protectiveness, justice, and selflessness. Her rescue of Egwene is a testament to her resolve and courage. She and Perrin, like Rand himself, all find themselves making choices that tie them closer to a destiny they hope to avoid, always as a matter of duty to friends.

The pacing of the book benefits greatly from the back and forth skirmishes for possession of the Horn, as well as the rapid changes in point of view character. At almost no point does the story get bogged down, there is always something progressing towards the epic battles at the end. The book’s biggest weakness is even more pronounced than in The Eye of the World. For as much as the author had developed detailed rules that explain the magic and the odd happenings, much of it is left unexplained, such that the rules for using magic and the World of Dreams might as well not exist. Explanations in later books will allow readers to come back to The Great Hunt and marvel at how well it all fits together, but on a first read a shrug will suffice, so that they can get back to the action.

It’s not as easy to unravel the haphazard plotting of the Forsaken, and this proves to be a flaw in the storytelling, or perhaps a feature so far as Theorylanders might see it. Ba’alzamon’s ranting during his occasional encounters with Rand has little to do with Toman Head or anything other than rehashing what will happen to Rand if he keeps channeling without Ba’alzamon’s help. The Trolloc incursion at Fal Dara and theft of the Horn can’t be tied to him, and since Lanfear’s presence was felt in the fortress before the night of the attack, it had to have been her who organized it. “Ishamael thinks he controls events, but I do.” She isn’t completely independent, since Ba’alzamon was able to track Rand down in both a Mirror World and shortly after his reappearance on Toman Head. Ba’alzamon’s main focus for this novel was overseeing the Seanchan invasion, and trying to send Rand’s allies to captivity as damane. Lanfear trailed Rand for most of his journey, attempting to shape him, leaving his side only when she might be exposed as a liar. She is unperturbed by the fact that the Myrddraal failed to take the Horn north to Shayol Ghul, the fact that Rand chases after it is enough. Rand is her prize, not the Horn. When Fain escapes through the Waygate, Lanfear’s lever to prod Rand is taken with him, and she kills Barthanes messily for allowing this to happen. She now realizes to what extent Fain sets his own path. Though Barthanes must have told her where Fain went, her only hope to keep shaping Rand lies with him chasing down the Horn, so she does not interfere. She dare not meet Rand while he is with his friends, and his four month absence by Portal Stone keeps her away until after the battle at Falme.    

The outstanding question of who wrote the Dark Prophecy, and a few other questions readers are reminded of throughout the book, is finally answered by Moiraine. Her last minute revelation about Padan Fain and Mordeth is meant to provide closure to the outstanding questions. Readers knew Fain had secret knowledge and newfound powers, if not their extent, now they know how he acquired them. He is the only character who spoke openly of luring Rand to Toman Head, scrawling his own message in blood for Rand to read, alongside the Dark Prophecy in neatly printed Trolloc script. Whether his knowledge comes from Mordeth, or was gleaned from Ba’alzamon in earlier trips to Shayol Ghul is yet to be determined.

The visions of the Mirror Worlds were a particular highlight, raising the stakes for the Last Battle to an undreamed of level. We saw what Trollocs do to ruin anything that can sustain life when they attacked Tam’s farm on Winternight, now we know what a world under the Dark One’s dominion looks like. And we know that many worlds have fallen under his rule. The immensity of the threat is astonishing.

My old roommate Scartoe and I used to finish conversations with “I have won again, Lews Therin.”  

Writing Lessons:

If rules of magic and plots are not simple, consider giving more insight into what is going on.

The Great Hunt - Chapters 45-50

In this section, almost every character gets a chance to shine in the final showdown.

Another pitfall of having several plotlines is that they all should resolve themselves satisfactorily. That means every character which has played a role should get a chance to participate, and hopefully achieve victory over the forces that oppose them. In this final sequence, Rand, Egwene, Nynaeve, Min, Mat, Ingtar, Bayle, and Geofram all get their chance to shine. Perrin and Elayne simply tag along.

Ba’alzamon wanted to get Egwene and Nynaeve out of the way, to keep them in Seanchan until the Last Battle. He does not want Rand to have any help. He wants Rand to have to shoulder the duty alone. He wisely assumes that being from Emond’s Field and having more potential than any living Aes Sedai is enough to justify removing them. His orders to do so came at a time when Rand had disappeared from the world entirely. Was this also an attempt to draw Rand out of hiding?

It’s hard to say how Rand achieved victory over Turak the Seanchan Blademaster. Luck, a bit of the element of surprise, and the Seanchan heron mark maybe not being worth as much as one from this side of the ocean. Rand’s challenges are incidental, his major obstacle was overcome by his insistence that saving Mat and Egwene is worth more than the Horn, which proved pivotal in redeeming Ingtar and setting the winning conditions for the final battle. The idea that Rand must think of others’ salvation is key not only to this battle, but to the Last Battle. The redemption of Ingtar the Darkfriend was easy. In the Last Battle Rand will be striving to redeem the worst of the worst, those who were Forsaken by the rest of humanity.

Lanfear is the villain most likely to be redeemed. Her likeness to Pandora and Eve, her role in unleashing the Dark One on an unsuspecting world, and her eventual bad situation in later books all point to Rand taking a hand in her redemption. She is as bad as they come. And, there are some prophecies relating to her that have to be fulfilled, her new lover must serve her and die, yet serve still. Ingtar’s role was to show that Rand can redeem Darkfriends, and to introduce the concept that no one can walk so long in the Shadow that they cannot come again to the Light. Later, Rand will discuss such matters with a Forsaken, Asmodean. If his role is to save humanity, then he has to save all of it, even the worst dregs.

The courage and resourcefulness displayed by Nynaeve is the stuff of legends. Faced with certain doom if she fails, her bold resolve is the brightest point of the novel’s ending. She walks into the heart of darkness and emerges with Egwene’s freedom. Like Rand, she is looking for salvation of others, not glory. Her administration of justice to Renna and Seta gives such satisfaction, as she follows her own advice: it’s all right to hate them, but it isn’t all right to let them make you like they are. The depiction of justice is consistent with that in earlier Robert Jordan works, such as his Conan novels.  Those who live by the sword, die by that same sword, those who take too much rope will eventually hang themselves, and those who won’t change their evil ways will get what’s coming to them.

Egwene gets a chance to turn her new skills on the Seanchan. More importantly, she unequivocally sets Rand aside, allowing Min to stake her own claim on his affection. Like Rand, Min has halfheartedly tried to avoid her destiny, but finally accepts what must happen. She will play out her part as one of the three women in Rand’s life, even as Lanfear stakes her own claim, telling Min that she is but a caretaker, Lews Therin belongs to her. Lanfear does not Travel, she vanishes. Since she claims dominion over the World of Dreams, she must be entering it directly to perform her vanishing act so quickly.

Bornhald and Bayle Domon have lesser roles, important to explain the larger events unfolding, not important enough to spend half a page on. Bornhald’s death is no loss, his role was to bring his son Dain and his Lord Commander Pedron Niall into the story. The Children of the Light play peripheral roles throughout the series, and their principal function relates to Perrin’s murders, which is heavily accentuated in this book. Bayle Domon’s function is to provide a point of contact with the Seanchan, which none of the other characters can do. In this book, it was important not to show Seanchan points of view, since they are agents of Ba’alzamon. Humanizing them now would have reduced their villainy. Trying to change a prejudice given to readers is difficult. Later Seanchan encounters will undermine original assumptions, and show that there are some citizens of the Empire who were never really all that fond of the way damane are treated. It is their perspectives readers will be introduced to once Bayle Domon is able to befriend one at a later date.

Moiraine provides insight to Padan Fain’s condition. It is only of use for later story arcs, as is the outstanding prophecy about Elayne and the red-hot iron and the axe. Rand may also be associated with this viewing, his being a white-hot iron and a bloody hand. Too similar to not be related.

Rand describes a feeling that threads touching his life are in danger, a feeling of being pulled towards Falme. One can believe in destiny, but as a plot device it is horribly contrived. There seemed to be enough pulling Rand towards Falme without having feelings of certitude that the Pattern wants him to do it. Is this some type of ta’veren effect, similar to how the ta’veren will later be able to see each other through swirls of colour?  

When Mat sounds the Horn of Valere, the real world and the World of Dreams are connected for a time. The feeling of looking down on events from above is similar to later descriptions of spying on others from the World of Dreams. Through this connection between worlds, the Heroes are able to temporarily leave their home in the World of Dreams, and interact with the Seanchan. Interestingly, the Heroes of the Horn come for the hornblower, but will only follow the Dragon, and the banner.

Writing Lessons:

Any character introduced should have a chance to complete their story arc, or you risk reader annoyance.

The Great Hunt - Chapters 40-44

In this section, the disparate plotlines converge, building tension for the book’s climax.

Weaving several plotlines together is challenging. In general, the author tries to make the different storylines have some bearing on each other, other than simply resulting in getting all the players to the same spot at the same time. Familiarity with Rand and Egwene makes meshing their two storylines easy. Bayle Domon’s storyline fits in clumsily, providing early introduction to the Seanchan and a possible escape route from the final battle. Bornhald’s plotline comes out of nowhere every time it shows up on the page. Obviously the Children of the Light are meant to play some role in the end, but their story is so far removed from what is happening to the others, it mucks up the flow of the book. The only similarity that can be drawn between Bornhald’s problems and the others, is dealing with authority figures that have turned traitor. In this, Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elayne had a similar problem but lacked the inventiveness and opportunity to find a way out of it.

Even Ba’alzamon, absent since Lanfear walked onto the page, comes back to remind Rand that the only way to take control of his own destiny is to give up his role in the Pattern. Having instilled in Rand the distrust and the urge to not be used and to throw off the authority of others, Ba’alzamon is offering a solution: serve the Dark One and throw off the shackles of destiny. He hints that getting Rand to meet the Seanchan was a goal he has been working towards for a millennium, and the Pattern even longer. Ba’alzamon has spoken often about how Rand will not be reborn this time. Given future events where the dead walk the earth, is it possible that this is true? If the Dark One can mess up the Wheel’s rebirth mechanism, what happens when Rand dies? With nowhere else to go, does the soul go back to his own body, or would he truly be dead forever?

Lanfear doesn’t show up in this section. What did she and Ba’alzamon do when Rand vanished for four months? Egwene simply stopped having dreams about him, but these Forsaken were actively looking for him. Oh, that must have been frustrating. No dreams to invade, no tracking possible, they just disappeared. Presumably, regular failure reports did not have to be delivered to the Bore.

The most alarming development is Egwene’s capture by the Seanchan. Her situation is bleak and hopeless. Renna’s teaching is implacable and dehumanizing. Every citizen in the Seanchan Empire must know their place, and Renna happily embraces her role in the institutionalized torture of channelers. Even knowing they look upon the damane as animals, it is difficult to imagine the level of societal complicity in this horror, without the rigid caste system to reinforce it. Ironically, the caste system itself can only be maintained by the power of the damane used against anyone who strays from their appointed place. Given any flexibility, any gap in the threat of power being used to keep you in your place, assassinations and power struggles would spread chaos through the empire. The metaphor about the powerless recognizing the power they hold, recognizing their worth and equality, will be built on later through the series. I suspect it will find its ultimate expression in the Last Battle, where every man and woman will count, where Rand can’t win without their backing.

As with Moiraine in New Spring, Nynaeve and Elayne’s first order of business trying to rescue Egwene is to buy new dresses. I will be disappointed if no new dresses are bought in A Memory of Light. In all fairness, Rand and friends got local style clothing as well. Describing not only clothing, but the reasons characters choose clothing, adds some rich detail to the story. It is often criticized as out of place in a fantasy setting, but how much time do you or your friends spend choosing clothes, fixing hair, making your appearance just right? Real-life concerns, even superficial ones, make the characters more real.

The sudden and lengthy shift in focus to Nynaeve, Egwene, and Min gives the female characters their first major plotline. Nynaeve has had action scenes previously, and there have been points of view told from their perspectives, but this is the first time where a reader might feel the whole rest of the book could be about them and feel it was justified. They are finally being set up as the female equivalent to the three male ta’veren.  Nynaeve might even end up as the female equivalent of Rand the Saviour. She is certainly the only one who could fit the role, should it exist. Rand may be the Dragon, but all the best work is done with males and females working together. I’ll watch for characteristics that Nynaeve shares with Jesus, or the other figures that Rand is based on.

Writing Lessons:

Different plotlines involving different characters still need links between them, or they will feel contrived and give away their purpose.

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 3-6

In this section, a host of secondary characters are introduced, and a major plot twist defines the quest.

Through viewpoints of Moiraine, Bornhald, Liandrin, and Fain, a dizzying array of plot elements and events are presented.  The reader learns the whereabouts of many secondary characters encountered in The Eye of the World, including Elaida, Elayne, Morgase, Child Byar, and Dain. We are further introduced to a multitude of new secondary characters: Liandrin, Ingtar, Siuan, Carridin, other Aes Sedai, Amalisa, and more. This would not have been possible staying within the main characters viewpoints. In order for later events to make sense, it was necessary to use other credible viewpoints to present information.

The major plot twist begins with learning the Amyrlin, Siuan Sanche, is Moiraine’s best friend, and she is heavily involved in the quest to find and protect the Dragon. The threat from her is replaced by a new one. With the Amyrlin’s backing, Rand would have nothing to fear from any Aes Sedai, except that Siuan’s hold on power is tenuous. Other factions within the White Tower seek to topple her, personified by Elaida and Liandrin, both of whom fit the Red Ajah stereotype of man-haters, bullies, and having poor social skills. Siuan is still stuck on bringing Rand to Tar Valon, which has now also become the objective of her opponents. In Tar Valon, Rand would be well and truly trapped, within easy reach of the Black Ajah. Liandrin wastes no time in trying to snatch the young men to carry back to the White Tower. Moiraine’s new quest is to get Rand and the Horn of Valere to Illian. The plot twist concludes with the theft of the Horn and Mat’s dagger. Rand will surely chase after them, but will that lead him to Illian as Moiraine hopes, or to Toman Head, as Fain has predicted? Wherever Rand goes, the multinational gathering of Darkfriends made it clear that people will be watching for him, and trying to set his path according to Ba’alzamon’s wishes.

Toman Head is where Hawkwing’s armies have landed. Rumour of their arrival has spread, despite efforts to conceal it. Bors keeps confirmation of these rumours from his Lord Commander Niall so that no one will oppose them. While the Whitecloaks go about trying to conquer Almoth Plain, the strangers will gain a foothold on the mainland, as per Ba’alzamon’s wishes. Their invasion will prove to be an important distraction to the nations of men while he rallies his own forces for the Last Battle. He crafted this plan for returning forces to divide the mainland’s attention a millennium ago! But Ba’alzamon doesn’t want it to be a complete secret: Liandrin raises the rumours to Moiraine, and is surprised at herself for doing so, as though she were under a Compulsion to speak of it, should certain circumstances arise. Is the objective to get Rand to Toman Head?

Fain could have been told about his role in this plot through dreams, or by the traitor who freed him. He is still a pawn being moved around at this point. He could have been told to leave the message for Rand, telling him where they will next meet. How else could he have chosen Toman Head? Was the Horn meant to be the bait, or did they know Rand would chase after the dagger, for his friend’s sake?

Funny how the first concern Siuan expressed to Moiraine was about their old ‘mentor’ Elaida. Elaida must really feel that she didn’t do enough to help Siuan and Moiraine reach their potential, or they wouldn’t be messing with ta’veren so irresponsibly. Elaida’s strength in the Power, her credibility, and her bullying manner as depicted in New Spring, are still enough to shake the confidence of the Amyrlin.

Are Aes Sedai pledged to obey the Amyrlin as Moiraine suggests? Past coups and later events would indicate that this pledge of allegiance is in custom only.

To introduce the concept that each Ajah follows certain philosophies, the first Aes Sedai of each Ajah met is a stereotype of that philosophy. Browns are learners blind to all else, Whites are cold and logical, Greens are fiery and emotional. It is a bit more difficult to show an atypical behavior for that culture the first time you meet them. Loial is an atypical Ogier, but even so he well represents the stereotypical Ogier.

A long-term plotline is sown, as Moiraine understands that proclaiming Rand to be the Dragon will not cause any less chaos and destruction than when any False Dragon proclamation has. Even success carries a cost.

Liandrin feels her skin prickle as unseen eyes watch her. None of it makes any sense until later, but this is Lanfear again

The White Tower, presumably led by Tetsuan at the time, Tetsuan who betrayed Manetheren out of jealousy, lost the last of the Seals in the Trolloc Wars. With epic fails of this magnitude, it’s no wonder the Reds can’t get a break.

Salvation, not glory. This prophecy about the Horn of Valere is bound to play a role in A Memory of Light, as well as this novel.

Writing Lessons:

Plot twists don’t just strike out in a new direction, they somehow make the situation worse.

The Great Hunt – Prologue to Chapter 3

In this section, Rand has attracted the attention of powerful enemies. The cast of characters and the plot elements are revealed.

The threat from powerful enemies is aimed primarily at Rand, and tangentially includes his friends Mat and Perrin. Ba’alzamon has healed from his incineration at Rand’s hands. Wounds taken in the World of Dreams are inflicted on you when you wake up. Rand has repaid the scratches he received from their encounters a millionfold. Somehow Ba’alzamon escaped the World of Dreams before he could be killed. With clear indications that Darkfriends and Forsaken would pounce on any weakness detected in their fellows, Ba’alzamon must have found some way to heal himself that didn’t involve letting a Forsaken lay hands on him. Ouch!

Despite the raw burns still creasing his flesh, Ba’alzamon’s patience seems infinite. He lays out plans for his acolytes to direct the Dragon where he wants. Killing the Dragon is not the objective; he still wants to turn him. Having failed with direct intimidation, it looks like leverage is needed to make the Dragon bend knee.

Bors, a Questioner for the Children of the Light, is ordered to continue with his day job, to watch for the three young men, and to prevent word of the new arrivals on Toman Head from spreading. It’s all vague, so the reader is left pondering the mystery of what is happening there. The expectation is created that this secret will be revealed, and that it is related to the plan to turn the Dragon. Bors receives his most important orders in the form of Compulsion, a series of commands to be carried out only if certain circumstances arise. Orders too important for him to consciously know, and potentially reveal. Among them, let himself be killed if he meets a wolf, do not interfere with the Woman in White, if he encounters the Seanchan, they will know he is pledged to the Dark One, and will leave him be.

A more immediate threat comes from the Aes Sedai who may try to gentle Rand. The arrival of the most powerful person in the world, the Amyrlin Seat, results in Rand becoming trapped within the walls of Fal Dara.  Realizing he may be in danger, he distances himself from his friends, demonstrating his willingness to make sacrifices to keep them safe. The willingness to care for others, not simply protect them, could be the most important of the Dragon’s traits. His propensity to try overcome obstacles on his own may prove to be his greatest flaw.

In particular, the reader learns of Rand’s affection for Egwene. While he is uncertain of how to proceed, his enemies seem likely to try to exploit this relationship. I’ll keep an eye open for hints that later events are based on attempts to do exactly that.

While Moiraine has left Rand alone to his great annoyance, Lan has filled the void and taken him under his wing, perhaps sensing a kindred spirit after their successful adventure in the Blight. Mat and Perrin’s unusual circumstances are also summarized in a concise paragraph for each. In fact, where The Eye of the World dribbled information out sparingly, this book dumps the known facts about characters, history and the One Power on the reader in haste, eager to get on with the tale.

The last major character, Padan Fain, unworriedly reveals clues to Rand about the secret he’s been keeping. He says Mordeth knows more than all of them. Is it true? Mordeth should be able to sense Shadowspawn, such as those outside the city walls coming to free him. He can sense the three Two Rivers men. He has conferred with Ba’alzamon. He was able to open the Waygate in Caemlyn with Mordeth’s knowledge. He knows a lot. I’ll watch for things he knows that can’t easily be explained with the resources we know he has at his disposal. Sensing Aes Sedai or the One Power may be among those, but that could be part of Ba’alzamon’s distilling of the Dragon’s essence, knowing that he is likely to be able to use the One Power.

The wind blowing out of the Blight exposed Rand to some danger during the swordplay training. The wind carries an odor, while Rand has an image of an ‘old grave fresh opened’. Soon after, making his way through the yard, his skin prickles, the odor returns, he hears sly laughter, and unseen eyes follow him. The image is a description that does more than describe what Rand smells; it tells us what has happened. An ancient grave has just been opened, and the Forsaken walk the world again. Fearless, Lanfear has already begun stalking Rand.

Almost all of the character motivations and important plot elements have been shown. The adventure is starting up quickly.

Writing Lessons:

When presenting information that is crucial for the reader to know, present it concisely so it is well understood. Be less blunt for information the reader should be left wondering about.