A Memory of Light - Chapter 37 - Part 2

In this section, the heroes suffer setbacks and losses.

Deep in the Blasted Lands, on the approach to Shayol Ghul, Faile discovers the village supplying the Shadow’s armies.

Perrin awakens to find hours have passed and he is still weak from his ordeal. The rationing of healing for even heroes of his stature indicates how poorly the battle is going. Perrin insists Faile is alive even though her caravan vanished in a bubble of evil. As well he might, for the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills, and the Horn must be at the Last Battle. Since nothing guarantees she is still the one carrying it, the scene still plays nicely as a point of faith, as opposed to counting on divine providence.

Androl and Pevara flirt as they make plans to find Taim. They sit on a hillside looking down on fields where nothing grows, surrounded by dead trees. Androl feels that mirth and love have a place even in the face of such desolation, perhaps it is even the best place to have them so they can build something up.

Rhuarc stalks the valley of Thakan’dar, killing Trollocs and red veils until Hessalam finds him. He looked up and someone beautiful stepped through the storm to inspect him. She had wonderful eyes, though the two were offset from one another. He’d never before realized how horribly balanced everyone else’s eyes were. Thinking of it nauseated him. And all other women had too much hair on their heads. This creature, with thinning hair, was far more marvelous.

The first thoughts are portrayed neutrally as though they could be Rhuarc’s or a narrator’s. The second sentence shows a slight resistance, as Rhuarc is still able to describe the offset eyes in a neutral, slightly pejorative manner. By the third sentence, Rhuarc is well and truly her creature, comparing her to all other women, with not even a thought of his wives, even to dismiss them. His memory of them is completely overwhelmed by his immediate need to please Hessalam. Rhuarc’s conversion jabs the reader with the speed and totality of his change of allegiance, undercutting the positive emotions displayed in the earlier sections with Perrin, Androl and Pevara.

Mirroring this example of good things turning suddenly bad, Rand weaves a world where all is well, and finds it overtaken by the Dark One very quickly. THESE PEOPLE ARE MINE NOW. I WILL TAKE THEM. The Dark One goads Rand with uncharacteristic explanations to point out the flaws in his creation, and attacks Rand when he wavers slightly. IT IS NOT ENOUGH, AND WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH. YOUR DREAM IS FLAWED. YOUR DREAM IS A LIE. I AM THE ONLY HONESTY YOUR WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN.

Whatever hope came from Rand’s triumphant dismissal of the Dark One’s reality is now seriously undermined. It is good that this pivotal confrontation not end too easily or quickly, and with the Dark One taking the upper hand, things once gain look bleak for Rand. At least readers expect a second round of battle. It is another stroke of genius to have this confrontation rely on character and imagination instead of ability with the One Power. Outside of the Pattern, weaving reality into being, Rand is more powerful than he ever was as a mere channeler.

Silviana offers to take Egwene’s bond so that she doesn’t suffer from his death during the Last Battle. Egwene defends keeping the bond, a link of love and trust that she fought hard to create. She believes the importance of her role will be enough to see her through his loss, but she nonetheless hurries to try rescue him.

Birgitte describes Gaidal in a way that makes her loss poignant, and relates directly to what happens when a loved one or warder is lost. Discussion of the deep personal nature of the loss adds a lot of emotional intensity to the story.  Readers have seen several supporting characters killed or destroyed, and forcing the reader to contemplate what those losses mean to the main characters heightens the tension over which of them may perish. The reader is being primed to feel the losses as deeply and personally as the characters will.

Galad receives orders and Mat’s medallion. He is to kill as many channelers as possible. Bryne arrives searching out Gawyn.

Mat is excited about playing in the highest stakes game ever. Having previously stated that both Mat and Demandred are master generals and master gamblers, the effect is reinforced with their mutual admiration for each other’s talents. This saves the author much trouble in actually conceiving of brilliant battlefield tactics, as the impression of skill can be conveyed far more convincingly than the skill itself.

Logain is given permission to seek out Taim. Mat looks for a good reason to fake a rift between himself and Tuon. He is not convinced Tuon’s safety is a good enough reason to pick a fight, yet his luck intervenes and a band of Gray Men and Sharan channelers makes Tuon’s point admirably. Having given away his medallion, the stakes are suddenly higher for Mat.

Min saves Tuon with the help of Siuan who dies in the effort. Siuan’s almost last words under pressure reveal her character, one reminiscent of the people of Manetheren: “Whatever you think you did, the viewing has not been accomplished yet, It’s still there.”

Siuan stood frozen for a moment. “Cauthon is in danger.”

“But—“

“I don’t care, girl!” Nearby, the ground trembled with the force of the One Power. The damane were fighting back. “If Cauthon falls, this battle is lost! I don’t care if we both die from this. We must help. Move!”

Egwene tries desperately to reach Gawyn in time.

Demandred considers how to defeat Mat, and opts to drag things out, so as to avoid committing himself to a potential trap and to maintain full control of the battle and his eventual confrontation with Rand. Demandred’s girlfriend Shendla is devious, capable, powerful, but not enough to change his heart. “I would cast it all away,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Everything for a chance at Lews Therin.” Demandred considers whether he could change, given the new feelings budding with him. This is the third Forsaken given an option of redemption in this book. Surely, readers think, the author wouldn’t show three such situations unless at least one of them will take it? The very fact that three options were presented implies that an option will be chosen, creating an expectation for the author to fulfill or surprise readers with. Precious insight into the twisted mind of this opponent creates interest and excitement. Will Demandred get his wish to confront Rand? Will he find out Rand isn’t coming and crush Mat? Many tantalizing possibilities are made available with a short jaunt into Demandred’s thoughts.

The M’Hael is admonished by Demandred and is assigned a specific task of confronting the Aes Sedai.

The Dark One shows Rand the fighting. I WILL WIN EVENTUALLY, ADVERSARY. WATCH THEM SCREAM. WATCH THEM DIE.

THE DEAD ARE MINE.

 “Lies,” Rand said.

NO. I WILL SHOW YOU.

Juilin fights and keeps on fighting. His uncertainty about what to do other than keep resisting mirrors Rand’s predicament.

Androl and Pevara in disguise are able to learn Taim’s whereabouts from Demandred. This scene would have lacked some credibility without having seen Demandred just before, so that readers are already familiar with his whereabouts and state of mind. Demandred’s ability to detect Gawyn wreathed in shadows doesn’t extend to an inverted Mask of Mirrors. Demandred is too preoccupied to notice if whipping Androl’s cheek breaks reveals the disguise. Androl points out that even Trollocs battle in shifts, a reality shown earlier with Lan, yet unexpected here as the battle rages. If Mat’s armies are doing the same, it hasn’t been shown because it would detract from the perception that every last person is needed. It is more difficult to portray dire need when a third of your army is sleeping and another third is in reserve. The fact that the Trollocs can afford to do this demonstrates how badly the good guys are outnumbered.

Galad has a number of plans which he signals to his men by holding up a number of fingers. Memorizing a handful of plans may not be too difficult, but do men remember them under the pressure of battle? It seems risky given that they would have had under an hour to develop the plans.    

Galad finds Gawyn as he dies and learns Rand is his brother. Gawyn’s extraordinary survival so far is explained by his Warder bond, another fantastic invention that gives the author a lot of leeway to make events play out as needed. Galad is motivated by his brother’s loss, and maybe by his newfound brother’s existence, to seek out and destroy Demandred. He is a better swordsman than Gawyn was, and has a medallion to negate Demandred’s channeling, and he’s taken down several channelers easily, and his desire for vengeance seems so right that his victory feels fairly certain.

Egwene feels the crippling loss of her Warder. A short amount of text is dedicated to this, for the good reason that every character in sequence is building up emotions of worry, frustration, fatigue, and loss. Each character’s point of view not only describes their own situation, but builds up to or builds on the points of view presented before and after. The rhythm of the Last Battle and Rand’s conflict play off each other emotionally more than they do temporally. Egwene’s realization of her naiveté plays very well with Rand’s imminent next round against the Dark One.

Writing lessons:

Set or maintain the emotions you want from one point of view to the next, using them as parts of a whole, not only to advance plot.

A Memory of Light - Chapters 29-32

In this section, the Great Captains are removed and Mat takes over everything.

The next chapters contain a bit of overlap, as we see closely-spaced events from several perspectives. Since they all concern the erratic behaviour of the Great Captains and the events on the field, they mesh together well, though they remain strongly plot-driven.

Lan investigates Agelmar’s tactics, and finds disturbing facts. Lan resolves the problem with dutiful competence. He doesn’t grow, he doesn’t learn, he simply applies what he already has, and solves the problem. Perhaps the fact that the solution is to admit defeat constitutes character development of a sort, but it feels much more like plot-driven necessity. The scene is perhaps most successful in how it sets up later expectations. Lan does not consider a final stand to fulfill his long-awaiting destiny to fall fighting the Shadow. He instead tries to save as many lives as he can with a hurried withdrawal, carrying on in the way he promised his Malkieri followers.

Mat scouts the battle with Tuon in tow. In true ta’veren fashion, he learns what he must do to save humanity, capturing a new damane and other followers in the process. The Seanchan captain won’t work out in the end though, if this paragraph follows the same type of symbolism used in earlier books: The Seanchan captain reminded him a little too much of Talmanes, and Mat had enough people following him about. I wonder if he plays dice, Mat thought idly, stepping into the water. His boots were good, but all boots eventually leaked, and his feet squished inside his stocking as he walked across the ford with Pips. The way the author leaps forward with the action throughout the book makes it harder to tell if this set-up was intentional, but the section is so introspective I think it must be.  

The following sentences both succeed and fail to capture Mat’s personality: Any man who wanted to wield the One Power was already crazy, so far as Mat considered it. Adding more crazy to them would be like pouring tea into an already full cup. The physical analogy of an overflowing cup is common enough that readers easily identify it with a man who yearns for the simple life. His disdain for the men who channel saidin is equally well captured, consistent with his previous thoughts on the subject. Where the analogy fails, is that Mat rarely drinks tea, and tea has no association with erratic behaviour. A better choice to bring out Mat’s personality even more could have been to make the analogy with an alcoholic beverage, such as a cup of wine or a mug of beer. He speaks about his bedtime mug of ale only two pages later!

Perrin enlists Elyas to help stop Ituralde from sabotaging his own army in the waking world.

Rand’s leg slipped backward, and brushed the darkness behind, which waited like a pool of ink. A light brush is more effective than a plunge or other motion in conveying the danger.

Elayne’s army almost wins, having overcome Bashere’s treachery too late. She fires a final ball of flame to protect the Dragons, the symbol of human innovation. Almost as if summoned by her gesture, Logain’s Asha’man rally her forces and quickly devastate the Trolloc horde in a particularly inventive fashion. Androl leads the first ever circle of male and female channelers cooperating on a large scale. Differences are set aside in desperation, here as has happened elsewhere. Once control has been established, Elayne asserts that the Trollocs will be slaughtered down to the last one standing, lest they get up to havoc while she helps elsewhere.

Egwene has the hardest time of everyone accepting that her trusted general is a traitor. She finds that she trusts Mat more than even Bryne, despite his carefree ways. This is justified by her memories of his past actions, newly minted to reinforce that she knows his true heart despite staying an arm’s length from him for years. A couple of plot-driven reasons to trust also are invoked: he broke Bryne’s orders to the Seanchan cavalry to save many men, and he is the only one who they can be sure is under no Compulsion.

Assessing the situation, Mat decides to assemble all the Light’s forces in one location, close enough to the Shadow’s two main forces to draw them irresistibly into battle, before they can ravage elsewhere, or return to Thakan’dar. Displaying weakness should work, after all it was the Shadow who launched the initial attacks against humanity, putting them on the defensive. Rand used their desperate plight as cover for his own daring raid on Shayol Ghul, yet the Shadow must not be worried, as only a handful of Dreadlords and Graendal have intervened there. Perhaps keeping the good guys penned up just trying to survive is the minimum objective, as they would be powerless to help Rand. Who would benefit most of everyone just Traveled to Shayol Ghul?

Galad’s perspective is well-suited to state the blunt awful truth about how bad things are, and how much worse they are about to get. Tam and Elayne counter grim reality with hope, spreading the message that all must focus on what has been won, not what has been lost.

Writing Lessons:

Analogies must fit the character making them as well as the situation they describe. 

Towers of Midnight - Chapters 33-35

In this section, Perrin, Egwene, and Gawyn begin their greatest battles.

Egwene plans to lure Mesaana into attacking her in Tel’aran’rhiod and springing her own trap.

Perrin practices defeating nightmares, learning the skills he’ll use in his later battle with Slayer.

Gawyn and Elayne talk about Gawyn’s conflicted choices and his jealousy of Rand. He resents that Rand has acquired all the things that have been promised to him since birth, and finds him undeserving of it. Encountering a sul’dam captive in the Palace, Gawyn learns that the assassins stalking the White Tower are Seanchan Bloodknives, a foe which Egwene does not know about and has not prepared for. When he receives a terse letter from Egwene, he cuts off his nose to spite his face, sending her a letter instead of coming as she asks and as he originally intended to. Some people just can’t stand being told what to do.

Trials are often the climax of a story, and do not always succeed in sustaining the reader’s interest. The use of Perrin’s trial as a delaying tactic in a larger plot allows it to be condensed into one chapter, showing how the law fits into the larger world of The Wheel of Time, then getting back to the more familiar elements of the world.  

Perrin realizes the trial is part of a larger trap, but nothing else he says or does augments the excitement and anticipation as much as his blunt plan:

“We ride to this trial,” Perrin said. “And do whatever we can to keep from going to battle with the Whitecloaks. Then tonight, I see if I can stop the thing that is preventing the gateways. We can’t just ride far enough away to escape it; the thing can be moved. I saw it in two places. I’ll have to destroy it somehow.  After that, we escape.”

Perrin’s trial alternates between testimony and Perrin’s memories, giving the reader, but not the judge, both sides of the story. Perrin’s memories serve to remind the reader of these long ago events which give his testimony more weight in the reader’s mind, although it all sounds like it must be crazy talk when he testifies about wolves and the Horn of Valere.

Why don’t Bornhald and Byar just lie if they are under some Compulsion? Byar’s scent and Perrin’s earlier reasoning about the trap implies Graendal has been at Byar’s mind, so why not just compel him to implicate Perrin more directly if the trial turns in Perrin’s favour? The answer must be that Graendal’s subtle methods and desire to avoid detection require less intrusive Compulsion.

Morgase rules that Perrin is guilty of killing the two Children of the Light but lets Galad decide on the sentence. Galad’s decision will dictate the identity of the Children of the Light, and effectively allows them to choose who they will be and what they will represent, defining their own reality.

Egwene and Perrin both go to sleep with clear objectives in mind. Battles are imminent.

Perrin encounters Slayer first. Perrin feels a small tremble in the ground, which somehow foretells that Slayer has fired an arrow at him. There are enough special abilities and well-defined rules to give characters the insight they need to escape dangers. It is irritating when it stems from some peculiar feeling of no discernible origin. Mat’s dice and Nynaeve’s storm sense are ill-explained, yet oft-used so that readers forget how contrived they are. Readers accept them because they offer no usable information to the characters to help them escape danger.

Perrin’s practice pays off, and his affirmation that he is a wolf and this is his place helps his mental projections take on more force, as well as providing inspirational tension-building for the reader. The wolves are able to combat Slayer and draw him away while one of them sneaks away to find the dreamspike.

The dreamspike affects the waking world despite existing only in Tel’aran’rhiod. There has been some criticism about this ter’angreal’s abilities, but I find it provides a vital clue for the Last Battle, showing that this realm of willpower over reality can in fact affect the waking world. Tel’aran’rhiod was pivotal in early books, then vanished so readers would stop thinking about it, before reintroducing it in time for the Last Battle.  It fits the theme presented above with Galad, repeated several times over in recent books, which is that people shape their own reality.

Writing Lessons:

Don’t let your characters have unexplained or contrived ‘funny feelings’ that save their skins.

Crossroads of Twilight - Chapters 18-19

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

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

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

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

Rebel Aes Sedai Young Sitters Chart

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

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

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

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

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

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

Writing Lessons:

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

The Path of Daggers - Prologue to Chapter 1

In this section, sinister forces move in the background

The prologue shows scenes from the point of view of three characters. It is unclear what each of the situations means in the prologue, since no clear threat is presented in two of the three sections, and even the third is vague. The vagueness of the threat is the point being made; the heroes have no idea where the threat is coming from or what it consists of.

The first section, from the point of view of Ethenielle, Queen of Kandor, comes out of nowhere. A rumour of missing rulers from earlier is proven true, and they are joining forces to march south and do something with Rand. They commit to each other, a blood oath that none will break. We see the strength of their resolve and their dedication to this cause; they were willing to kill to avoid detection. What they intend to do when they meet Rand is untold, but they will not shirk in the slightest from doing it. The reader may have slight worries, after all these are Borderland rulers who have spent their entire lives fighting the Shadow. They can’t mean Rand any harm. Unfortunately they have acquired thirteen Aes Sedai in their travels, whose motives remain unknown.

The second section picks up on the vague threat posed by the Aes Sedai and shows Verin questioning Elaida’s Aes Sedai. Verin has gone to great lengths to convince her handlers Sorilea and Amys that she can bring value to Rand by learning what Elaida had planned with regards to Rand. She has been given slight trust and she works hard to keep it. We are shown that personal discomfort and distaste for the actions she must take are no deterrent to Verin. She gives Sorilea everything she asks for and is meekly compliant. She will do what must be done and seems to have accepted that she must serve Rand as she swore to. She expresses disgust that Katerine was allowed to escape, which was made possible by forces that infiltrated the camp. And just when it seems like she has proven her trustworthiness, Verin reveals a forbidden weave and Compels an Aes Sedai to do… something. Verin’s motives become suspect. Why is she compelling the Aes Sedai and for what purpose? Why is she so quick to consider killing other Aes Sedai? How should the reader interpret her desire to keep Rand alive until it is time for him to die?

The third section reveals Moridin gloating that in the struggle to control Rand, he is manipulating both sides so that Rand will ultimately do as Moridin wishes. A metaphor is presented suggesting that those closest to Rand, holding the Fisher, will drive him to where Moridin needs him. The implication is that Rand’s allies may mishandle him, but even if they don’t then Moridin’s agents will act to destabilize him. There is no mention of a link between him and Rand.

The three sections moved from the vaguest threat to the most specific, but none of them do more than menace.

In Ebou Dar, Nynaeve still has the ability to sense imminent metaphorical storms. Her demeanor recently improved, she reaches out to help Teslyn and is soundly rejected.   Aviendha fears she is growing into a soft-hearted wetlander despite that her immediate solution to every problem is to kill someone. Aviendha exhibits the uncanny ability to know when an enemy is watching her. She catches the gholam in her sights, but she may also have detected Moridin despite his special skulker outfit. Aviendha reveals that rank amongst the Aiel stems from honour, the first outright statement on the subject. She has a plan for her future involving Rand and Elayne. Elayne asserted her position among the Aes Sedai recently, which has the consequence of cementing the Bargain she made with the Sea Folk even further. No one can countermand the Bargain she made.

Let’s examine a few short descriptors the author uses when other words might have done as well and see what was accomplished with their use:

snagged at her eye: You might often see something pull your eye, or catch it. ‘Snag’ is a more visceral word. It is used to describe how the riches of the Wetlands attract Aviendha with a violence that she is usually the one to dispense. It is used in the 3^rd paragraph of her first appearance, setting the dilemma she faces.  

eye-wrenching cloak of a Warder: ‘eye-wrenching’ is a compact way of describing the cloaks readers have become familiar with.

Elayne could have made a roofmistress seem a goatherd: It is impossible to maintain dignity when goats are involved. The word ‘goatherd’ imparts an activity that is easily visualized: chasing after stubborn animals.

most with annoyance ill-concealed behind cool serenity: ‘ill-concealed’ could have been replaced with the synonym ‘visible’. Instead this compound word allows two words with negative connotation to be assigned to the Aes Sedai, helping set the mood and the relationship.

willowy, doe-eyed Chilares:  ‘doe-eyed’ describes not just her eyes but implies she is docile. Any number of eye adjectives could make her intelligent as in ‘bright-eyed’, crafty as in ‘keen-eyed’, useless as in ‘cow-eyed’. The reason she is doe-eyed is to describe the Kin’s general behaviour, not because the author preferred to describe her eyes over her hair, or had previously decided in his notes that Chilares was to be described that way.

Writing Lessons:

Use that thesaurus to find synonyms that convey mood, character, setting or action, or just cobble together your own with compound words.

A Crown of Swords - Chapters 14-17

In this section, all the players are introduced in Ebou Dar

Throughout the Ebou Dar sections, there are a number of players: Mat, Elayne, Nynaeve, Thom, Juilin, Olver, Nalesean, Vanin, Aviendha, Merilille, Sareitha, Careane, Adeleas, Vandene, Joline, Teslyn, Tylin, Beslan, Setalle, Jaichim, Shiaine, Old Cully, Sammael, Falion, Ispan, Nesta, Malin, Dorile and a gholam. These players move about interacting with each other to bring the search for the Bowl of the Winds to its conclusion.

We’ve already seen that Elayne, Nynaeve and Aviendha have begun preparing for the day they find the Bowl of the Winds by entering into a bargain with Sea Folk. In stories you will often see parallel tasks being carried out by different people, but less often will you see characters multi-tasking the different steps needed and preparing for future events ahead of time. In this case it allows later events to take place rapidly. The Sea Folk can simply be summoned and show up when needed.

The first piece to fall into place is the suggestion that Mat can be used to help find the Bowl of the Winds. Being ta’veren, he has already established the needed relationships with Setalle that will lead to its hiding place. We are re-introduced to Mat doing all the things that Nynaeve can’t stand: gambling, ogling, drinking, swearing. Mat’s behaviour and Nyaneve’s low tolerance for it are presented as the major obstacle. This is a switch from the physical obstacle of searching the Rahad which has proven insurmountable so far. By shifting the obstacle to one of character traits, the reader will be more involved in their interactions, and have a more rewarding reading experience.

Mat’s involvement draws the villains in. Mat recognizes Shiaine, who visits Jaichim, who in turn recognizes Mat from the secret orders placed in his mind by Ishamael. Jaichim feels a need to kill Mat, but the mere suggestion is dismissed by Sammael who can’t afford to let Rand get wind what he is up to. Sammael gives explicit orders not to touch Mat unless it turns out Mat is there looking for Sammael or acting against him in some way. Jaichim now has contradicting orders from two Forsaken, and the fact that one of them is dead does not make Jaichim any safer from the consequences of not carrying out his orders to kill Rand and his allies. No one survives disobedience, but Jaichim skirts as close as he can, ignoring Sammael’s orders to find the cache and setting Shiaine to kidnap Mat. Jaichim serves many masters, but none more important than himself.

Sammael sends a helper to get rid of any Aes Sedai impeding the search: the gholam who tore Herid Fel apart. Meanwhile, a pair of Black Ajah working on Moghedien’s orders to find the cache come close to a clue by interrogating a Wise Woman. Despite the fact that Moghedien is probably dead, they dare not stop what they are doing.

 The stage is now set for all of these players in the main plotline to race towards the same objective, coming closer and closer to an eventual confrontation.

Mat needs to tell the women about his discovery. In the Tarasin Palace he bumps into every Aes Sedai except the ones he is looking for. Mat’s nature is to be contrary. He will do an aboutface on an action that was important to put Nynaeve in her place a moment ago in order to put off someone else now. He acts purely in the moment, on impulse and instinct, changing his opinions entirely on the whim of the moment. Mat’s opinions are made clear in a sentence where the substitution of a noun provides humour, feeling and tension: The two groups stared at one another as if trying to see who could out-Aes Sedai who. Mat next meets Tylin and Beslan, who will be willing to help in any way they can, now that Mat is a close friend of the family. Once again the ta’veren provides what is needed before it is known what is needed. Beslan acts much like Mat, living for the moment, yet Mat immediately sees himself as the reasonable one, as always in order to try avoid doing anything against his will.

 Teslyn is sharp and prepared, either hearing Mat was in the palace and seeking him out to place a note in his pocket, or carrying one around for the eventual moment she would meet him. By telling Joline she acts like a child, she manipulates Joline into resisting Elaida’s orders. She is as contrary as Mat. The secondary plot of trying to capture Elayne and Nynaeve is established. A second group is also trying to nab the women. The Black Ajah are ready to put aside their search and try for Moghedien’s hated enemies instead, also shifting from a physical obstacle to one based on character and relationships.

Now the remaining players will be drawn towards those participating in the main plotline.

The attempts on Mat begin, and the first cluster of Darkfriends falls. Mat is unobservant about their purpose, but when a second group led by Old Cully falls, he puts two and two together, in a fashion.

The first of several mystery characters shows up. An old man with memory gaps observes the comings and goings of the Black Ajah. It is not obvious that he is under Compulsion and is spying for Graendal. He also doesn’t show up again, so readers are left to wonder why he appears at all. It does set a precedent for the later mystery characters who show up spying on Sammael and helping Rand, so their appearance will not feel as contrived.

Writing Lessons:

Obstacles related to character and personality are more interesting than physical obstacles.

The Fires of Heaven - Chapters 18-21

In this section, the big villains establish their dominance while Rand tries to establish his own.

Moghedien takes charge of the Black Ajah, tracking them down in Amadicia. Whichever of the Forsaken had sent them on their original quest is now likely dead, since they were sent from the Stone of Tear just before it fell to Rand. Moghedien is a little more hands-on, and insists on giving lessons in obedience to each of the Black Sisters. There is closure from the last book. The reader now knows that the villains will be more organized and more focused on seeking revenge against Nynaeve. The whereabouts of several characters are now known, which serves to change the menace from a vague ambient one to a specific more dangerous one. Insight into the mind of the villains is given. Aside from Padan Fain, there have been precious few points of view from villainous perspectives.  

Often a point of view will cause the reader to have some sympathy and understanding for the character in question. To avoid this in this situation, the author very quickly displays some unsavoury personality traits of Liandrin’s: she is elitist and power-hungry. When Liandrin receives her lesson at Moghedien’s hands, the reader’s response will be that Liandrin is receiving just treatment of the sort that she would dole out. In contrast, Moghedien appears almost kindly and respectable due to her treatment of the servants in Tanchico, and her willingness to do things herself instead of relying on servants. The immediate danger from the cruelty of the Black Ajah remains, and is put to good use by being directed against Nynaeve as per Moghedien’s wishes.  

Many of the villains, Liandrin, Seanchan, Ba’alzamon, hold strongly to the idea that there is a hierarchy of worthiness, and that they are atop it and others must be made to keep their place in the lower echelons. The Heroes tend to be humbler with where they rank themselves and how strongly people should conform or if a hierarchy even applies. Of course, Rand is now stuck at the top of the Aiel hierarchy. Even though he sought out that position, so far he tries to conduct himself with compassion and interest towards those who follow him and the victims of his enemies, the Shaido.

Morgase manages to escape the clutches of Rahvin, who has made his dominion over Andor complete. He is manipulating the White Tower’s agent, has booted out the old guard and brought in people more reliably self-interested, and turned public opinion to the point where the idea of having a king instead of Morgase isn’t so offensive. Rahvin’s only failure is Morgase’s escape. The simplicity and ease with which the Forsaken can take control of a Nation is a stark contrast to Rand’s reluctant leadership over the Aiel. Had Couladin’s power grab been successful, Asmodean would have had dominion over the Aiel in much the same way that Rahvin and Moghedien dominate their subjects.

Morgase manages to momentarily snap out of her stupor when told of the red eagle banner flying over the Two Rivers. A ta’veren effect? All of her allies but Lini could have been snared in a Web of the Pattern as well from having met Rand and Mat. Lamgwin, Tallanvor, Gill, and the educator Breane Taborwin.

Gaebril’s toadies do not prove as memorable as the circus folk when they were introduced. For one, each of them carries two names: their given name and their house name, which greatly increases demands on the reader. Second, they do not have an immediate role to play: they will feature briefly in the next book, then be absent until Elayne’s attempt to secure the throne. Therefore, there is less need to attach tags to them, and the tags are less distinctive. They are all sycophants, and their current good standing and their mockery of Morgase is all the reader needs to know. These Lords and Ladies were introduced to make a point about how Rahvin runs the kingdom, not for Morgase or anyone to interact with.

If earlier clues were too subtle, Rand’s repeated dreams of Aviendha make it clear that her difficulties stem from her romantic attraction to Rand. I have previously said that if a point is important to make, it should be hammered home, and this qualifies since it has taken up a lot of page space. The reader is meant to think about it because the problem is always presented as one without a solution. In fact, the problem itself is never fully described, the reader only knows that Aviendha finds it difficult being near Rand so much.

Despite the visions from the glass columns, the sight of the dock on the mountainside is the first direct proof offered of the scale of the Breaking. Other ruins seen in the series indicate failure of cities to survive, not wholescale destruction of cities by flipping up a portion of the planet’s crust. When Rand brings the Aiel across the Dragonwall, he’ll be unleashing the most destructive force in a thousand years. The ruins of Shorelle also hint at what Rand might be capable of when he goes mad.

Writing Lessons:

Add symbolism to the cool details you show, to make them more personal and relevant to the reader and the characters.

The Fires of Heaven - Prologue to Chapter 1

In this section, lengthy prologues explain the current situation.

In the White Tower, a host of Aes Sedai are introduced. The point is to show that the Tower is made up of factions, and a crowd of new faces and names are necessary to convey this idea. A few are made to stand out, Shemerin and Joline particularly, the first Yellow, and a new Green. The most important thing is that Elaida and Alviarin are contending for power. Later Moiraine will describe how Siuan should now be approaching leaders of nations to unite them behind Rand, but the reality is that the Tower is unstable, and that anything might come out of Rand showing up there, most of it detrimental to him. There is a sense that Elaida is worse than Alviarin, simply because we know how bad she is while Alviarin is portrayed as cool and logical, and she must have been misled by Elaida.

Padan fain is in the Tower, doing to Elaida what he did to Pedron Niall. He tells her to tie a thread to one Rand trusts. It is now certain that whatever slim potential help Elaida might have been, she is now bad, bad, bad.  

Carrying over from last book, we are reminded Mazrim Taim is on the loose. Since the entire Black Ajah was in Tanchico, it is easy to overlook the supposed plot to control Mazrim Taim. Other happenings in the world are easily conveyed by the meeting of Elaida’s entourage. These briefings are used frequently to pack in information that is not worth showing to the reader directly.

This is the first time a point of view is given for a Forsaken. This makes it possible to give personalities to the Forsaken, since they won't usually be talkative in front of heroes. It is also the only way to reveal the villainous plot, unless the eavesdropping (Mat), dreams (Perrin or Egwene) or interrogation (Amico and Joiya) methods are used again. Typically, overusing any one method is picked up by the reader, except for direct revelation by the villain’s point of view, which can be done frequently. There is also now less reason to keep the Forsaken mysterious, since Rand has access to one and the air of mystery will quickly be undone.

Lanfear contrives to stay near Rand and keep some 'allies' away. Rahvin considers that knowing Lanfear’s activities is better than not knowing. Important information about the differences between men and women linking, or strength in the Power, are given by a true authority in the matter. This information would be somewhat untrustworthy coming from Asmodean, who may have ulterior motives. Internal thoughts about it from an authority outside the captor-jailor relationship are a better way to make the reader believe what is being said. Similarly, Rahvin confirms how the protection from the taint works. He describes the Dark One as a ‘greater power than the Light, or even the Creator’. He differentiates between the two. The ‘Light’ therefore represents the One Power, so earlier passages about Rand wielding a ‘sword of the Light’, or other references to the capitalized word ‘Light’ can now be put in a correct context.

The prologue and Chapter 1 act like continuation from The Shadow Rising’s 4th storyline. The focus on Min is a shift from other books, where she has played a peripheral role. Putting her front and center in Chapter 1 means she is a central character. The switch in viewpoint from Elaida to Siuan’s group is logical; it completes the White Tower characters updates. Bryne is portrayed as a cowboy leading a posse, a significant change from his days in Caemlyn. Under the pseudonym Jackson O’Reilly, Robert Jordan wrote his first book, a Western titled Cheyenne Raiders. Bryne reflects on whether the Nations will stand for or against Rand, a concern that Moiraine will echo.  

From Bryne, the logical people to look in on next are in Caemlyn. Alteima and Morgase have viewpoints, such that by page 55, not one of the original Two Rivers characters has been shown. Readers may now be anxious to get back to the central characters they know. All of the characters in this chapter are in Andor.  An expectation that they will meet up is being created.

Alteima's role is largely to provide Rahvin with information in a convincing way. Rahvin could get it elsewise, but information from someone with firsthand knowledge is more convincing. Alteima's role is also to heighten danger to Morgase. Morgase has already been described as stubborn enough to try get out of the Compulsion, and she is portrayed as being of two minds about many things. Morgase is well liked by Thom, Gareth, Elayne, Galad, and Gawyn, and may even be part of Elaida's foretelling about the Royal line of Andor (Rand is still the more likely though). She is therefore instantly identifiable as a good guy, and reader sentiment is with her.

Rahvin is interested in Rand's allies and friends. This is the second mention of tying strings to his friends. Unlike Elaida, Rahvin is a master manipulator, and uses everyone.

The very 2nd paragraph of Chapter 1, where a wind blows from Braem Wood can be contrasted with the situation of the refugees from the White Tower.  This is not simply telling readers about the geography, it tells how Min and her group are alone, exhausted, without relief, in danger of being exposed.

South and west it blew, dry, beneath a sun of molten gold. There had been no rain for long weeks in the land below, and the late-summer heat grew day by day. Brown leaves come early dotted some trees, and naked stones baked where small streams had run. In an open place where grass had vanished and only thin, weathered bush held the soil with its roots, the wind began uncovering long-buried stones. They were weathered and worn, and no human eye would have recognized them for the remains of a city remembered in story yet otherwise forgotten.

Wow, that is a great paragraph.

Writing Lessons:

Make sure the benefits of revealing the villain’s point of view outweigh the downsides.

The Shadow Rising - Chapters 42-46

In this section, Perrin becomes a Lord, and a villainess discovers Elayne and Nynaeve.

In what will become a familiar a scene, Perrin protests his treatment as a Lord and Commander of men. It all happens while he is recovering from a grievous wound, unable to stop it from unfolding. Scenes like this, where the hero is exposed to be vulnerable, are opportunities to remove their influence, and reshuffle the state of affairs if things were beginning to look too easy. Perrin has been in firm control of events up until now, and has managed to avoid making the worst blunders and minimize the damage caused by the mistakes he didn’t avoid. As entertaining as Perrin’s victories have been, his consistent ability to come out on top creates the expectation that he will always come out on top. A major mistake that bloodies him and shows that he can lose, and lose badly, is required in order for the reader to have genuine concern about the outcome of the final confrontation. Enemies test his defenses, more are hidden waiting for their chance to strike. Other enemies are invited inside the protective barriers, some allies may not be trustworthy, and Perrin is still weakened. Now, the reader should be properly concerned.

Similarly, the ‘Aes Sedai’ in Tanchico are moving cautiously, but remain in control of their situation. The numbers arrayed against them demand sure slow steps. Even so, a Forsaken stumbles upon them after Elayne makes a necessary fist of Air to save Egeanin. Moghedien is close enough or powerful enough to sense the channeling, and uses Compulsion when she investigates the disturbance. Even if Elayne and Nynaeve somehow defeat the Black Ajah, Moghedien is waiting to scoop them up, and seems like she can take them all too easily. Their defenses have been penetrated and scorned, and they do not even know it. Now, the reader should be properly concerned.  

The people of Emond’s Field and the Two Rivers are becoming familiar. A simple tag or two is applied to each that no other Two Rivers inhabitant has. A drunk, a liar, a mayor, a proud fletcher, a grump, a first kiss, horse-face, a ladies man, a beanpole, that nose, a bull-voiced teen, a woman big enough to lift Daise Congar, Daise’s scrawny husband, troublemaker, sour-face, a standard-bearer, a braggart. In short bursts, they say or do enough to be remembered by their tags. They interact with each other as much or more than with Perrin, telling far more about them. Perrin then cements their importance by remembering them from before the adventure started. They are no longer just quick pastiches, they are characters who have lived and grown. Perrin sees them as his family now, replacing his murdered kin, and an association is forged between his failure to protect them, and his desire to protect these living characters. The stakes of the next confrontation will be their lives, and Perrin’s associated need to make up for his murdered family.

Robert Jordan sometimes crafts lengthy sentences. Here is an example of one that uncharacteristically uses M-dashes, interjectory marks, to separate ideas instead of the traditional commas and conjunctions:

For a wonder, they bowed clumsily—Dav made an awkward leg, looking a complete fool—and murmured hasty apologies—to her, not him!—and turned to go.

In this case, the sentence structure allows the temporal order to be kept, and also the immediacy of the humour.

A sequence with Elayne and Nynaeve getting ambushed shows paragraph-length interjections. As a setup, Egeanin observes the goons preparing to ambush the young women and races to intervene. There follows a page of the young women blissfully ignorant of the danger, thinking of silk dresses, discussing their plans, concerned only about the pickpockets grasping at their pouches. Then, paragraph by paragraph…

Action: Bulky man strikes, Nynaeve cracks him upside the head.

Action: Second man strikes, Elayne conks him out.

Action: Seven more men surround them.

Action: Elayne and Nynaeve both embrace the True Source.

Interjection: they don’t dare channel.

Interjection: The Black Ajah might sense them. In fact trying to sense the Black Ajah is the reason why they are walking down the street in the first place.

Interjection: If they channel to drub the goons, the crowd would see.

Interjection: Aes Sedai are not popular in Tanchico. The crowd would know there were Aes Sedai and mob them, or carry the tales to the Black Ajah.

Action: No other choice, Elayne and Nynaeve stand back to back to defend themselves.

Action: The goon leader prods the goons to attack.

And the action continues for a page or so.

All of the information in the interjectory paragraphs could have been given up front before the action sequence began. It might even have made sense to the reader why the women were walking the streets alone. But it would have undermined their unpreparedness if there seemed to be a design to what they were doing. Imagine the scene rewritten as a pure action scene, the interjections condensed to a simple: And they dared not channel. Light! The immediacy of the fight would then become the focus. Any tension caused by the pause during which the reader finds out how dire things are might be lost. So in this case, the interjection serves to draw out the scene and increase concern, and also to give the information necessary to understand at a moment where it will increase the reader’s involvement, and not undermine the emotional impact of the scene.

Writing Lessons:

Heighten emotional impact on the reader by using interjections of duration and timing that best suit your purpose.

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 49-52

In this section, the Black Ajah finds Egwene and her friends, Perrin crafts a hammer, and Mat arrives too late.

In the World of Dreams, Egwene comes upon the Black Ajah, who appear only faintly while using their own dream ter’angreal. The element of surprise is lost, if they ever had it, since the Black Ajah’s intent was to lure them to Tear, for use in some Forsaken plot. The best thief taker in Tear, Juilin Sandar, isn’t good enough, and he is caught and turned by Liandrin’s thin form of Compulsion. This is the second time Compulsion has been shown, the first was Morgase made docile under Gaebril’s thumb. It is not quite the same as being collared as damane, but the loss of self determination and free will is similar. With Compulsion, the victim can be made to forget what has taken place, with the a’dam, the damane knows but is made to believe they are in their proper place. Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne are in for a worse fate, since Be’lal is bringing thirteen Myrddraal to Tear to turn them to the Dark One. If the Black Ajah left the White Tower at the behest of Ba’alzamon or Lanfear, they belong to Be’lal now.

Once again, the young women are being used to bait Rand. If it weren’t for the Forsaken being so intent on such a convoluted ploy, leading Rand to Tear to save his childhood sweetheart, they should have been eliminated more directly. They don’t know that Rand is walking the streets of Tear even now, and the ploy to draw him in was unnecessary. They also don’t know that they have unintentionally drawn the other two ta’veren to the city as well.

Liandrin so loves breaking Ailhuin’s spirit, she convinces Rianna to spare her life. She is thus able to tell Mat what he needs to know. When Mat first ignored the signs that would have drawn him to Ailhuin’s home, the Pattern compensates by giving Thom a cold. In search of a remedy, they find Ailhuin. The Pattern works subtly.

When Mat leaves Ailhuin’s home, he feels the dice tumbling in his head, for the first that it is called as such. He has felt the room lurching, felt dizzy, felt feverish, but never before the dice tumbling in his head, as he does when he decides to break into the Stone.

Moiraine and Lan also set off for the Stone of Tear. Perrin is left behind to consider his new hammer. Earlier in chapter 4 of this book, Ba’alzamon tries to convince Perrin to take up his hammer and put aside his axe. In the Great Hunt, Perrin is already thinking about how his hands are made for swinging a hammer, not an axe for killing. In the Eye of the World, Elyas told Perrin to set aside the axe the day he stops hating to use it. With the symbolic hammer and axe at his side, Perrin will spend a long while trying to balance the Builder and the Destroyer in him.

Rand, Mat, Moiraine, and Lan are all bound for the Stone. Deadly Aiel warriors are hiding in the city. Inside the Stone are the three hostages, a baker’s dozen of Black Ajah, and a Forsaken. And the prize: Callandor, a sa’angreal of immense power. Despite the fact that the story meandered with no clear objective, the ending looks to be smashing. The two elements that build the tension the most are the fate awaiting Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne, and the trap that is waiting for Rand. Take away these two things and there would be little to look forward to.

The scene where Perrin crafts tools in Ajala’s smithy is sometimes called a favorite by readers, but it is doubtful they like it because of their interest in blacksmithing. They could find a reference book for that. It is more likely that the scene provokes an emotional reaction because the four pages tell readers about Perrin, how he thinks, how he acts. I’ll abbreviate the scene to show how Perrin’s character stands out amid the description.

Entering the smithy is a relief, familiarity among the Tairen strangeness. Yard. Equipped to do heavy labour. Tools. Neatly arranged, none missing. Metal, grinding wheels, anvils, forges. A wealth of options. Ready. The blacksmith, experienced, with no apprentices. Hot iron smelled like home. Perrin acts without asking, seeing a need and providing help. Bellows. Slow, steady, even strokes. Perrin guesses what the blacksmith is making. He gives Perrin some metal. Perrin can make anything he wants with it. He examines it, learns its qualities, prepares it to be worked. He examines his equipment, finds appropriate garments. The Blacksmith is pleased so far, Perrin knows the true test lies ahead.  He selects his tools. He heats the metal to the temperature he wants. He knows how the tools function, why they are made that way. He uses them properly, with care. Making nothing fancy, a simple thing. Step by step, always keeping the metal at the temperature he wants. Changing tools when needed to shape his piece, thinking ahead for what will be added to it later. He has decided what the piece will be. Quenching the piece, committing to it. Can’t be undone. Grinding. Slow work, to polish, to temper. Going back to the quenching would destroy what he had done. The final touch remains to be added. A neat piece of work, no wasted motion. A master’s piece. Fine stroking, better than steady. Doffing the apron makes him feel uncomfortable. It is the work that is important, the skill with metal, not the colour of a man’s eyes. The Blacksmith understands. He respects the care and the craft.

The reader can see deep into Perrin’s mind, how he tackles problems, how he deals with people. The blacksmithing provides a pleasant dose of realism, but could have been replaced by any of a dozen other actions. It is the character that matters most, and what the experience means to the character.

Writing Lessons:

Elevate mundane descriptions of the everyday by making them reveal more about your character.

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.