A Memory of Light - Chapters 21-24

In this section, Demandred finally appears in person, and the day dawns twice as Rand enters Shayol Ghul.

Siuan and associates escaped the Sharan attack by diving through a pre-existing Gateway to fall hundreds of feet to the ground, and readers are informed of this via a short flashback. The flashback allows the author to skip right to the introspection by Bryne, which is the key element of the scene. A scene with Siuan falling towards a crash landing even as she surveys the battle from above could have been awesome, but longer than the 2/3 of a page for the flashback. A narrow escape might also have raised the reader’s spirits a bit, and the intent here is to keep them very low.

Lyrelle gives a solid example of just how self-serving some people can be, even in crisis times when altruism is the desired virtue. She gets her Warders, but only because there were enough men who actually wanted to be Warders. The point once again, is that the Asha’man choose their own path, marching to the Last Battle not because they must, but because they want to. It’s a nice mirror to Rand’s own storyline.

Egwene witnesses Bao the Wyld, Demandred, as he executes prisoners and questions Leane. There are so many hints of an epic back story to his dominion over the Sharans, but thankfully it’s used to tantalize and not bog down the story with exposition.

The Sharan culture is a sharp downturn from even the Seanchan culture which readers and characters have grudgingly had to accept. In Shara, there is no hope of rising, only fear of falling to an even worse position. Even the ‘lords’ “had hollow, haunted expressions. They slumped forward, eyes down, faces wan. Their arms seemed thin, almost skeletal. So frail. What had been done to these people?”  This culture symbolizes what Demandred and the Dark One offer. Nothing.  Had they been introduced earlier, the symbolism would not have been as effective as now, when the other Nations and their various cultures stand together in opposition to a nihilistic way of life.

Perrin confronts Graendal in Tel’aran’rhiod, bending balefire as a matter of course. Lanfear, the Age of Legends’ premier researcher into space-time, then tells him how time is being affected by the Last Battle, even in the waking world. The use of time distortions, with the Bore acting as a black hole where time runs slowest is a brilliant way to make the battles in each location last an appropriate amount of time, and to pass off any disparity as a random fluctuation instead of author error. It also speaks to the finality of the Last Battle, if time itself can no longer be counted on and reality frays away.

Lanfear offers Perrin even more aid, and a chance to be her consort. She scorns his refusal, jabbing him with the revelation that his father-in-law was Graendal’s target. Now readers have the big piece of the puzzle they were missing, and know that the generals are subject to the Forsaken’s influence. Bryne’s bond with Siuan ought to protect him though…

In desperation, Gawyn uses the Seanchan Bloodknives’ rings to move Egwene from the Sharan camp. Leilwin helps her along the way. When confronted with a Sharan who has captured her, Egwene is able to let herself feel intense fear and then control it.

At Shayol Ghul, Aviendha leads the channelers against the first Forsaken and Dreadlords who appear to thwart the strike. She finds ways to defend against balefire, and devises methods to fool their opponents should they strike again.

Rand enters the cave with Moiraine and Nynaeve, Duty and Conscience, at his side. They have always played these roles, nagging at him to do what he knows he must. He has found a way to balance the two driving forces in his life. He wasn’t certain if he should be pleased that the two of them had started to get along. Nynaeve’s new short-haired maturity shows how Rand’s conscience has found a way to adapt to the other moral frameworks he has encountered, staying the same but just a little different because of that exposure. Rand wears a coat bearing the thorns representing Manetheren, a reminder of the tale Moiraine told long ago to give Rand the bedrock of confidence he needed to face his greatest opponent.

Thom guards the entrance as an eclipse occludes the sun. The sun’s return heralds Rand’s victory, a symbolism that is so obvious that the author spends only two paragraphs dwelling on it each time a character sees it in their location. Except Elayne, who makes a speech that would fit Manetheren’s last stand as easily as the defense of Cairhien she now leads.

Moiraine gasps as a voice shakes them, the voice of the Creator. It portends no victory, only the inevitable confrontation that the Pattern has pulled Rand towards with thousands of threads. As with Rand’s own drive to save mankind so they can continue trying to live their lives and solve their problems, the Voice can’t or won’t help Rand, it can only give him the opportunity to do things right this time.

Fortuona makes an observation about Mat which mirrors what has happened with Rand: He has changed, yet is the same. Mat is chaos, Fortuona order. The ability of Seanchan to accept a change in station is funnily portrayed with Mat’s response to being renamed, told from Fortuona’s perspective: “Knotai?” Knotai said. Knotai convinces Fortuona to send aid to the Aes Sedai.

Elsewhere, Agelmar, Bashere and Ituralde seem to be doing everything right. The Sea Folk make their last appearance of any import when Zaida reports the Bowl of the Winds is all that is keeping the Dark One from scouring the valley of Thakan’dar.

Writing Lessons:

Know what your characters represent so that you portray them consistently.

Lord of Chaos - Chapters 1-4

In this section, Rand is plotting so many things, he must delegate to his followers.

Bashere points out that the first task Rand should delegate to others is the fighting. While Rand’s training under Lan and the Aiel have made him a warrior with few equals, that task can still be taken up by others. Nothing a warrior can threaten him with can hurt Rand so long as he can channel. Bashere says Rand’s task is to deal with the One Power menaces, and the soldiering should be left to soldiers. Learning how to fight five men at once is of no utility, but Rand understands that his remaining foes are likely to work together, now that he’s cut their number in half. After reading the prologue, and this section, readers will see the story being set-up as two opposing teams, one led by Rand, the other by the Dark One, each trying to outmanoeuvre each other.

No one knows Rand’s true plans, so much of what he does is subterfuge to confuse or convince his enemies of his objectives. The plan to attack Sammael with the largest army in the world is a feint, the biggest joke in the world, revealed in a chapter all about humour.  But with the meaning of the Dark One’s orders to let the Lord of Chaos rule still unexplained, readers should be wondering whether the joke is on Rand. The intent is to leave the reader with curiosity as to what is really going on, how the myriad plots will play out, and who will get the upper hand. The last book, The Fires of Heaven, began setting up mysteries that would remain unexplained for a long time. Is it any wonder that when this book was released, coincident with the emergence of the internet, that speculation and theorizing about the series took off?

Taim presents himself to Rand to seek amnesty. He is handed a task that Rand has no time or ability for: teaching the men who want to channel. Rand places significantly more importance on the immediate objective of killing Sammael than the long-term objective of building an army for the Last Battle. Lews Therin’s voice rants in Rand’s head, and can hear Rand speak to it as well, giving an example of the risk to any man who follows Rand. Taim offers hope that the madness can be held at bay. Rand has channelled large amounts of the One Power in the two short years he has had the ability, drawing oceans of it through Callandor and his other sa’angreal, the Choedan Kal. Could Taim have drawn less than that in his fifteen years? Has he been granted protection by the Dark One because he is a Darkfriend, or a Forsaken in disguise? Can he be trusted even if he is not evil and is not mad? In the end, necessity and hope push Rand to give Taim a free hand with the male channelers. However, Rand is clear that he wants weapons, even though he expresses a desire to build something, not destroy.

Regarding trust, Rand says he can never trust Aes Sedai, but he can try to use them. Bashere says in the end he will have no choice, he must trust them, or conquer all without them. Rand leans toward conquest, as one expects from the leader of the greatest armed forces in the world. The rebels need Rand as much as he needs them, and while his allies work to tie them to each other, even those efforts are mired in layers of deception. The theme of intricate intertwined plots is everywhere.

While the world overheats in an overlong summer, due to the Dark One’s touch, I wonder about the prophecy describing the Dragon being one with the land, which is relevant to the later books in the series. Once Rand chose to acknowledge he was the Dragon by drawing Callandor, did any link to the land get created? Can the weather patterns be due to Rand’s mistrusting attitude, a reflection of his innermost feelings? Does letting the Lord of Chaos rule mean trying to crush Rand under the burdens of leadership, so that he himself becomes responsible for what afflicts the world?

One of Rand’s answers from the Eelfinn is revealed: To live, you must die, a confirmation of other prophecies. Keeping his questions and answers secret allows Rand to act on the advice without giving away to the reader what his objective is. Curiosity builds, and each answer can later act as an interesting and powerful revelation.

More personal background on the Forsaken is revealed here than in any other part of the story to date. With brief thumbnail sketches, their sins are laid bare. This creates excellent tension between the good and evil teams, making the grudges between them personal. This was sadly lacking from the earliest appearances of the Forsaken. It is good to finally have the intensity of their mutual dislike exposed as well as explaining the stakes of Forsaken victory.

Jordan expresses madness or volatility with a few simple techniques. Rand never quite finishes a conversation, he will make abrupt changes in the topic of discussion, making his interlocutors distinctly uncomfortable. Their negative reactions, no matter their rank, age, or sex, provide consistent reinforcement to the reader that something is off with Rand’s behaviour. Taim is unflappable, hardly caring for swords aimed at his throat or Rand’s anger, but Rand’s illogical actions finally make him react, implying that Rand’s behaviour is quite abnormal.

Writing Lessons:

Use the reactions of other characters to reinforce the characteristics of another character.

The Eye of the World - Chapters 9-12

In this section, the heroes act on the information they have, and flee the Two Rivers. The party is rounded out by an adventurous Egwene and a potentially insidious and troublemaking Thom. They both have good reason for wanting to join, and Moiraine has good reasons for allowing them to. Her argument is one of necessity. She wants to leave as soon as possible, and with as little notice as possible. She’s eager to have dibs on Egwene, and figures she can deal with Thom later if he proves troublesome. Thom knows it too, but he’s in a mood to undermine an Aes Sedai despite the possible consequences. He’s the first of many who will purposefully do what they must, then pay the price.

We don’t need to know Moiraine and Lan’s and Thom’s backstory to understand what they are doing, and that they are highly motivated to do it. The motivations can be made clear in time. If you read New Spring, then you might have a slightly more trusting attitude towards Moiraine and Aes Sedai. We don’t know how Tam knows what he knows, but he tells Rand to watch the ‘tricksome’ Aes Sedai. It’s an effective way to build tension, when you have two or more mentor-type characters who are offering opposing advice, and the hero must make a decision lacking crucial information. Because of the openness and honesty of the relationships each of them fosters, Rand’s trust will quickly fall in the order: Tam, Thom, Moiraine.

Moiraine will get a strong last place finish due to her interest in getting Egwene to the White Tower for Aes Sedai training. Egwene would be a prize to attract Moiraine even if the Trollocs had not attacked. Making sure Rand knows she’s going to Tar Valon creates an extra motivation for Rand to complete the journey, but Moiraine does not realize it will come at the cost of her trustworthiness and credibility.

It’s practically inevitable that Rand would mistrust Aes Sedai. Even if he hadn’t been mistrustful of the legends in the first place, even if he wasn’t resentful of Moiraine dragging Egwene along, the very first thing the bad guys do after they’ve been routed by the Aes Sedai is to attack the boys in their dreams. It’s not a face-to-face attack, just an immediate attempt to discredit the Aes Sedai by showing Tar Valon as a place of danger. An attempt to separate the boys from their protector. Given the role that the World of Dreams plays in the series, I can’t accept that this is just some random nightmare, or that Rand would accidentally dream himself to Shayol Ghul.

The standout writing is in Moiraine’s telling of the Fall of Manetheren. Not just an info-dump, not just a means to escape an angry mob, Moiraine’s tale reveals the character of the Two Rivers folk, and situates them in a much larger world, historically and philosophically. Manetheren’s opposition to the Dark One is renewed by Moiraine’s tale, proving that you can’t kill an idea. Drawing on the tale of the Fall of Manetheren, the boys will find their own resolve to endure later perils.

Writing lessons:

Stories told by your characters are not only an effective way to reveal backstory, but to form other characters as they respond to the stories they hear. Make your stories reveal more than just past events.