Knife of Dreams - Chapters 8-10

In this section, Mat unites his followers.

In other posts I’ve pointed out how the books are most entertaining when they follow a character for a few chapters, then jump to another locale for a few more chapters, and so on, so that each locale is seen three or more times, and enough time is spent in each locale to advance the story. This section takes us to the fifth consecutive chapter from Mat’s point of view, with one more to come after. That’s a significant chunk of the book, and a sign that either some characters will be cut out, or have abridged sections. Nonetheless, Mat’s uniquely funny voice and a sense of advancement in the relationships among his followers make these chapters entertaining and flow smoothly.

A number of other ongoing plots are advanced: Mat and Aludra make a deal regarding her cannons, Bayle and Egeanin get married, the sul’dam begin to learn how to channel from the Aes Sedai, more of the Prophecies concerning the Last Battle are revealed, and continual references to the Snakes and Foxes keep cropping up.

Tuon educates Mat about the finer points of reading omens. Most omens are related to animals’ behaviour. The Pattern could have a wonderful control mechanism for the Seanchan Empire with the fervent belief in these superstitions. The Empress and High Blood take them very seriously and appear to alter plans based on seemingly random events. I wonder if Robert Jordan was detail-oriented enough to have known some of these omens when he wrote the earlier books and insert them before readers had any context to interpret them. Even he wouldn’t have. Right? Funnily, things that Mat knows to be true, she derides as superstition.

Mat finally gets Tuon to take a horseback ride with him, and while visiting some ruins he makes a startling realization: the Aelfinn and Eelfinn have established a lasting connection to him and may know exactly what he is doing.

Egeanin tells Mat more about Tuon and what she knows of life in the Imperial Family. Mat has slowly been falling for Tuon, despite starting out as him simply trying to learn more about his fated wife. Setalle Anan is also helping him as much as she can, and trying to correct his roguish ways.

All in all, Mat leaps from misadventure to another, slowly getting to know Tuon, slowly gaining the confidence of followers, and slowly letting other followers get out of hand. Amongst these, Joline loses her temper against Tuon, and then finds an a’dam clapped around her neck. Tuon provides a taste of her effective training methods. Then Mat steps into the fray, unlocking the a’dam despite Tuon controlling the Aes Sedai to weave flows of air around Mat. The Aes Sedai and Tuon had already seen the foxhead medallion in action, so this is the second time Mat is able to do what no man should be able to do, earning the respect of everyone involved. It has taken a while, but Mat’s ragtag band is forging links of trust, dependence, and mutual respect.

A bubble of evil or breakdown in the Pattern has an ancient village materialize, then vanish, taking a peddler with it. Once again, this stands out as a little contrived, seeming to serve no direct purpose other than to provide another example of the signs heralding the Last Battle. It does serve an incidental purpose as a motivating factor for Egeanin and Juilin to make peace between them, and vacate the tent, leaving Thom, Noal, Olver and Mat alone.

Thom has been reading a letter over and over, subtly making Mat curious about the letter, hoping he will ask about it, as Moiraine insisted he must before he can show it to him. Mat, oblivious as always, has taken months to finally ask Thom about it, and at last we get confirmation that Moiraine is not dead. Mat agrees to undertake a perilous journey back to the realm of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn to rescue her, with Thom and Noal in tow. This gives some satisfaction that a long-awaited plot will be resolved, but its resolution is yet several books away.

Writing Lessons:

Create suspense and tension by telling what must happen, then dragging out its resolution.

The Fires of Heaven - Chapters 13-17

In this section, new allies give refuge from old acquaintances, and Egwene surpasses Nynaeve.

The lengthy focus on Elayne and Nynaeve means the book is following a format more like The Dragon Reborn than the quick switches of The Shadow Rising. So far, it has been to the detriment of the story. Short bits with Siuan, or Bryne, or Min, or Moiraine have not increased the pace, particularly when those bits share a common element with the two main storylines: length treks across the land.

Nynaeve’s strong façade is developing cracks. Elayne gains the upper hand in several conversations. Thom and Juilin are right when they should be wrong. Egwene knows more than she does. Nynaeve tries very hard to convince herself that she is doing no wrong even as her mistakes pile up around her. After a few chapters of shrill annoyance, she finally lies outright to Egwene and is made to apologize. Watching Nynaeve get put in her place is a relief and pleasant outcome. Never before has anyone so clearly had the upper hand over her. Now that she has been forced to recognize her shortcomings, and realizes that while everyone else moves forward, she is falling behind, she will have to find some way to pick herself back up.

Egwene’s quiet serenity is a good juxtaposition with Nynaeve’s bad attitude. Having Wise Ones and Moiraine and Nynaeve herself all recognize that she is gaining maturity is itself a pleasant change from her playing Mistress Snip in The Dragon Reborn. Moiraine’s realization that to control, you must first surrender has been borne out by Egwene’s performance. She can hope it will bear fruit for her as well, now that she can surrender to Rand’s plan to move beyond the Dragonwall.

Birgitte has been helping Nynaeve and Elayne regularly. Her knowledge of Moghedien and the Forsaken lets her play the role of knowledgeable mentor.

The utility of Tel’aran’rhiod is shown as it is learned that Elaida is Amyrlin, and they can read all her personal messages. The strange characteristics of Tel’aran’rhiod are prominently displayed, including time elasticity with regards to Birgitte, the abode of the Heroes, how to control the environment, controlling your appearance, nightmares, and the lack of weaves in the real world being mirrored in Tel’aran’rhiod (despite Elayne’s caution around Callandor). Birgitte can even sense ripples from Dreamers walking about her realm.

Galad has joined the Children of the Light, and coincidentally meets up with Elayne in Sienda. Not too big of a coincidence since Niall recalled all the Whitecloaks to… capture both banks of the River Eldar. Not long ago Niall was going to take Almoth Plain and clamp Tarabon in a vise. He had Geofram Bornhald and Eamon Valda in Andor in the last year, and sent Dain there as well to search the Two Rivers. He meddled in some border dispute between Sammael’s Illian and its neighbours. And now he is withdrawing into his own borders except for some excursions to take the border towns across the river? His ambitions have been curtailed, unless it’s Fain-fed paranoia making him want to keep his forces close.

Galad’s presence prods Elayne to make a hasty escape. He is the first heroic character, a potential ally, to switch over to an enemy of Rand’s. Aside from the shock of seeing a friend side with the villains, it provides a personal reason for Elayne and Nynaeve to avoid Whitecloaks. Random Whitecloak arrows give a sense of menace, but Galad’s interference is more dangerous to them if less lethal.

Luca’s menagerie and traveling circus will make the travels less monotonous than the wagon. With a Seanchan animal trainer introduced, a familiar Illuminator, and a host of other named characters, the plan to escape into Ghealdan is expected to work.

When introducing so many characters, it simplifies understanding to define them with tags and by their relationships to each other.

Petra: Strong and wide.

Clarine: Trains dogs, married to Petra.

Latelle: Trains bears, sneers, jealous of Elayne and Nynaeve

Aludra: Illuminator, lost her job because of Rand, helped Mat.

Chavanas: Acrobats, interested in Elayne and Nynaeve, distant nationalities: Saldaea, Sea Folk

Bari and Kin: Jugglers, brothers, worried about Thom

Cerandin: trains elephants, submits to Elayne

Luca: ringleader, greedy, proud, pursuing Elayne

Despite very quick appearances, there is enough revealed to make the reader anticipate some of the later interactions, mostly with respect to who will be angry at the newcomers, and who will become romantically involved.

Writing Lessons:

When introducing new characters, defining their relationships is as important as their appearance or occupation.