A Crown of Swords - Chapters 25-28

In this section, old villains return

Moghedien’s escape is shown for a third time as a flashback in her own point of view. This time, it is short and to the point, serving only as introduction for what happens to her later. Moghedien is being punished inside a vacuole, which I can only conceive as being like a drop of condensation on the surface of the Pattern. It is attached to the Pattern, but not truly part of it, and the laws of space and time inside it can vary considerably. Sometimes the vacuole can detach from the Pattern. This is the third strange world we’ve seen where time runs at a different speed, the others being Mirror Worlds and the world of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn. I wonder if vacuoles might be parts of the Pattern no longer needed, which slowly wither before falling off, or maybe new buds which form new Mirror Worlds.

Her punishment consists of reliving the same dream over and over. The dream is being dictated to her, she has no control over it, as though she had entered the Dark One’s dreams and had become a player in it, much as we’ve seen in other examples of being stuck in someone else’s dream, even to the point of not truly realizing it is a dream.

Moghedien’s journey to Shayol Ghul is altered, as her Skimming platform arrives instantly instead of taking the expected several minutes or hour. The Dark One has a little effort left over to bend reality despite fixing the seasons at the height of summer. This ability is strongly implied to come from the True Power; a Power first introduced a few chapters ago by the mysterious watcher in the woods. Moghedien thinks that reality was clay to the Great Lord at Shayol Ghul, and then describes how she can bathe in the radiant glory of the Great Lord, the True Power washing around her, so strong here that attempting to channel it would fry her to a cinder. The True Power is thus linked with the ability to reshape reality, which is as much as the author wants to say on the subject until several books later. It is noteworthy that he waited this long before explaining the major tool at the villains’ disposal, and that he waits much longer before bringing it up again. The reader needs to know it so later chapters will work, but the author doesn’t want them thinking about it too much.

A third mystery character is introduced: Moridin is a man set above the Forsaken, whom even Shaidar Haran seems to serve. This is a new and unexpected development. Shaidar Haran has two resurrected Forsaken serving him, while Moghedien and one other serve Moridin. That makes up to five Forsaken in this secret group, while five others still roam the world. There are no blatant personality traits linking Moridin to Ishamael, the reader has to get there through logic, reasoning, and counting. It is left to the reader to decipher Moridin’s plans, and there is little to go on. The intent is to destabilize the reader, much as was done with Cadsuane’s introduction, showing a powerful new character to balance Cadsuane’s arrival. How does Moridin have the will to resist the True Power now that the saa have appeared in his eyes?

The mindtrap is a device which embodies the Dark One’s morals. The evil societies and characters all crave obedience, and the master’s desires are all that matters, the servant exists only to serve. The mindtrap forces voluntary obedience using the threat of eternal obedience. The one mindtrapped can only hope to escape or live for the moments of freedom when the master’s attention is directed elsewhere.

In Amador, Morgase’s master has changed several times. Niall wanted her to come to serve him willingly which she gave, then Valda exacted her capitulation under threat of pain, which she gave, and now Suroth demands an Oath under threat of enslavement as a damane. Having started by giving a little promise, the demands have grown into a promise of complete servility to the Seanchan. She now realizes her poor choices have led her to the point where anything else she does only serves to give more to her enemies and take more away from Andor. Amathera and Pura demonstrate what the Oath may entail. Giving up leadership is her only path to being a true leader to her people, something Rand will later repeat.

Balwer, a servant with no master, comes to Morgase’s aid. His motivation was to steal Valda’s prize to repay his poor treatment, but Suroth will do just as well. The Seanchan’s return is at the end of a series of introductions and reappearances of powerful enemies. There is a feeling that the Dark One’s forces are gathering which overwhelms the small victories the heroes have made in Salidar and Ebou Dar.

The grim mood continues with Perrin leaving Cairhien after a very public argument with Rand about his behaviour concerning the Aes Sedai prisoners. A potent flashback cuts down the amount of exposition needed. The chapter opens with a paragraph on Perrin’s regrets, a second paragraph on Rand promoting fear amongst his servants, and then the introduction to the flashback. By placing the flashback early in the chapter, the order of events is maintained without having to describe what happened before and immediately after their confrontation. The decision not to play up their argument stems from wanting to continue setting the mood of insurmountable obstacles and the fact that the argument is a sham, a ploy to divert attention away from Perrin while he carries out Rand’s orders. Knowing of the plot beforehand reduces an emotional impact that can be wrung out of it, this simply isn’t a powerful enough scene to warrant much attention.

The chapter also serves to list Perrin’s followers, describe his mission, and the likely obstacle she will face. As with the tail end of Lord of Chaos when Elayne and Nynaeve begin their search in Ebou Dar, this is just the beginning of the new quest, which will carry over several books. Since his battle in the Two Rivers, Perrin has only shown up briefly in the prologue of Lord of Chaos, briefly again later in that book, and for several chapters at the beginning of this one. Having been mostly absent for a long time, Perrin is about to become a steady player, much to the chagrin of many readers.

Mat has had dice rolling in his head, then not, several times in Ebou Dar. The dice first stop when he stays in the randomly selected inn that Setalle Anan owns. This is because he has acquired the link to the people needed for the Bowl of the Winds to be found. The dice start again, then stop when he agrees to stay in the Palace, because he can now form a relationship with Tylin. The dice start a third time before Beslan’s approval of Mat’s relationship with his mother disturbs him at the right moment to follow a random Kinswoman to a house on the Rahad. The dice are still spinning…

Writing Lessons:

The location of a flashback within a chapter will affect mood and comprehension.  A flashback’s length and placement can serve you as much as it’s content.

A Crown of Swords - Chapters 4-8

In this section, the heroes are back in command, for now

Colavaere has her lands and titles stripped from her as punishment for usurping the throne of Cairhien. She exemplifies the follower who gets ahead of herself, betraying her Lord for power.

Perrin has his own betrayal to deal with, as he reconciles with Faile over Berelain’s unwanted attentions and his slip of the tongue in the throne room. Unlike previous books where the theme was about rifts between men and women which would have dragged out any reconciliation, or where the theme was about deceit and trickery which is when the unnecessary argument between the two began, this time the theme is about the trust in people closest to you. Perrin comments on Faile’s disregard for her own safety and intent to do things her own way, as a wife should. Faile comments on her fears that the Aes Sedai had somehow turned Perrin. Sometimes certain events seem to have been set aside waiting for the book with the correct theme to come along before dealing with it. Other times the plot just rolls along and the author presents the plot elements in a way that fit the theme of that book, without delaying or forcing the plot’s progress.

Colavaere’s removal allows the author to draw attention to Rand’s scheme to invest Elayne in the thrones of Cairhien and Andor. Handing these nations to Elayne whole is important to Rand, and is a symbol of how he hopes to preserve the world itself through the struggles of the Last Battle. To pull this off, Rand must put faith in his trusted followers, who are few enough that he can name them. Rand repeatedly distinguishes between the followers he can trust, and those he can’t.

When the Wise Ones send word ahead to Melaine in Andor about Rand’s kidnapping and rescue, she shares it with Bael, Dorindha, and Davram and Deira Bashere. Rand has to quash his anger at the freedom his followers allow themselves. This group is split in two over the Aes Sedai captives. Rand is left to puzzle over how other Aes Sedai will be treated when he encounters them.

The Aes Sedai in question are led by Egwene, who must snatch what authority she can from the three competing factions among the rebels. She can barely control her official advisor, and she completely loses control of her captive Forsaken. Symbolizing how little control she has, in the first sentence even her folding chair can’t be trusted to stay erected. The discussion veers into spies in the camp, both for Elaida, sent to Elaida, and the most feared covert spies of all: the Black Ajah.

This is one of the first instances where the author has shown the same scene twice. This version is not exactly a flashback, but more of a fleshed out version of the short page-long scene from Lord of Chaos. Why do it this way?

In Lord of Chaos, Moghedien’s escape is meant to be a punchline and a disruptive plot element. It didn’t have to be long or detailed, it just needed to shock the reader into realizing that the villains have not been set back at all and are advancing their own goals. In this wordier section, the groundwork is being laid for Egwene’s storyline. But establishing the status quo among the rebels doesn’t require showing the same scene over again, or even continuing from that moment; it could even have been a meeting with Sheriam a week or a month later. What the scene does offer is establishing when the events happen to Egwene, in relation to when Rand’s events take place. This is of some interest to the reader, but not quite necessary, and could again have been handled with a ‘one week ago Moghedien escaped’ sort of line. The scene offers an immediate reason for Egwene to reason out which Forsaken yet live, noting that Ishamael was dead , ‘or so it seemed’, and also to wonder about the Aes Sedai look of agelessness, which will become relevant in the later Ebou Dar scenes.

Writing Lessons:

Have a good reason to show a scene twice, or from two different perspectives.

The Eye of the World - Prologue & Chapters 1-4

Prologue – Dragonmount has to be the part of the Wheel of Time I’ve read the most often. Readers are still scrutinizing it for clues. First appearances of True Power, Ishamael’s half-imprisonment, and more are subtly tucked in here. Most recently I’ve wondered if the bolt of light at the end wasn’t the Dragon’s doing at all. He asks for forgiveness three times before the bolt strikes from the heavens, a shining bar that lasts but a second and still scores a hole through the earth’s crust. Earth-shattering lightning bolt? Or divine intervention? Did Lews Therin call for a time out and get it? Was the Dragon able to summon the Creator? Does the end of an Age come when the Dragon hits the ‘keep spinning’ button? Does the Dark One win when the Dragon decides to stop pressing it?

The reader's head is left spinning, some first-time readers reportedly just skip the prologue because they have no framework to understand the references Lews and Elan are making. That’s what Ravens was for (see previous post). And the Glossary. I’d have been lost my first read through without the Glossary.

But assuming you have no glossary, or don’t want readers to step out of the story to look something up, the author has to establish the framework and setting of the story. That is what I’ll be looking at for chapters 1-4.

The Two Rivers is a remote farming community, and the subplots of these chapters evoke that feeling of insulation from outside affairs. A traveling performer in town is the highlight of the festival. They last saw fireworks ten years ago and everyone still talks about it. War is an unfamiliar word.  A lone rider in a black cloak is enough to draw attention because everyone has a strong familiarity with everyone else in the village. No one in the village has any authoritative knowledge about anything outside the Two Rivers.

The characters interactions also reveal that insulation from the outside: Egwene thinks of leaving the Two Rivers to see the outside world, a preposterous notion. It also means Rand would never see her again. Padan Fain is able to satisfy his ego by drawing out his news report. Thom makes fun of the boys for being ‘well-traveled’.

Farming is a familiar and understandable activity. Readers have no trouble understanding the setting and characters of the Two Rivers. We all know someplace that is in the back end of forever. The town I grew up in had this sign:

It's not the Quarry Road. If you look close the stripes show where they taped over the old 381 km sign.

The setting is established, the characters are well introduced, the idea of the set of mysterious strangers with unknown motives is placed, now the adventure can begin.

Writing Lessons:

Readers need a grounding with something they can relate to. It can be just a small thing, or it could be the entire setting, but familiar things will help them relate to the strange new world you’re introducing them to.

The Big White Book: The World of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time Chapter 2 to End

The One Power:

The workings of circles and population statistics for wilders are better explained here than in the series itself, even compared to the Glossaries.

Writing lessons: even when the mythology and rules are all worked out in your story, you’ve got to decide whether the reader needs to know that level of detail to appreciate the story or action that it relates to. Jordan mostly hit the mark with his explanations of One Power usage, except for Rand’s first use, but I’ll deal with that in The Eye of the World.

The Age of Legends:

The use of semi-mythological names invokes certain images, notably Paaren Disen (Paradise). Jordan made good use of names to invoke certain connotations and associated feelings in readers.

Unlike the One Power, where we are heavily reminded of rules, ter’angreal need no explanation other than ‘it makes toast’ or ‘it spins you upside down’. We’re never specifically told about any rules governing ter’angreal, but because we’re so well versed in the other rules for angreal and channeling, we export that perception to ter’angreal. I suppose there is technically no one in-story who could explain how they work the way they do, but I had never noticed how he gets away with making magic objects with no more explanation than “those snazzy Age of Legends people made it that way”. Convenient. I bet he had 52 pages of notes on ter’angreal construction.

Writing lessons: Make use of reader’s existing perceptions and biases to elicit the reaction you want, or impose some perceptions and biases on them. Make rules, follow rules, explain rules if necessary.

The Fall into Shadow:

Please do yourself a favour and read Jordan’s original short story, The Strike at Shayol Ghul, which has a little less detail, but certainly more flair than this chapter which is mostly comprised of the same information. Jordan somehow creates a tension that doesn’t come through in this chapter’s description of the same events. I’ll look at how he does it under a post dedicated to the short story.

The main question I had was whether the Dark One could be cut off from the main part of the Pattern by creating a wall around the Bore. The Strike at Shayol Ghul answered that question. Read it.

Writing lessons: You could always add more information and detail, but you should be concentrating on how your text will be affecting the reader, not how much background you can provide.

The Forsaken:

How do we know anything about the Dark One at all? The only reliable sources are all Forsaken, no one else has spoken to him. The Dark One could verify any information about the Wheel of Time and Creation, presuming he can observe it from his prison. But would you trust him?

And there’s the problem with Ishamael. He’s got all this insight that you either have to take at face value, or question because he’s untrustworthy. Many of the arguments I’d use at Theoryland were ‘negated’ by the fact that Ishamael had spoken the words I was using as proof, therefore I was wrong. Certainly we’ve seen that Ishamael believes what he’s dishing out, but that still doesn’t satisfy the critics. Sigh.

Ishamael is cheeky though. At a conference discussing the crisis, he tells them who’s behind it all, then says he’s joining forces with this Dark One. That is the kind of sweet detail and characterization I wish had made it into the books.

So, there’s a whole cosmology that everyone believes in, but the only entity who could verify it is the enemy of all existence. And the only reason anyone does believe it is because of the supposed existence of this enemy whom no one knew existed until Ishamael told the world about him. As I say, in-story they take it on faith, but as a reader and theorizer, it bugs me that there’s this disconnect between what is verifiable and what is stated. The Big White Book makes official that neither the Dark One nor Ishamael appear to be lying about the cosmology, but the bias against anything else they say is maintained. That’s what you get for naming your villain Father of Lies.

By my count, Aginor killed more than any other Forsaken, some 54 million people in his experiments. 10,000 per day were collected for 5 years, more than double that for the next five. Some of this exposition would have been nice to know before he made his first on-page appearance. Same for the other Forsaken. I think Jordan once mentioned Sammael as a dud, but we didn’t see him that way. Each of the Forsaken was a potential treasure trove of conflict with Rand, since they had dealt with Lews Therin in the previous Age. Jordan used that in some places, and seems to have purposefully underplayed it in others, preferring to build up the intermediaries than the big baddies.

Writing lessons: You’ll have to work hard to get readers to believe your unreliable viewpoint characters. Which is too bad, because their viewpoints are very useful. Think about which characters you’re building up, and why. Does it serve the story? Are you concentrating on the right characters?

The rest of the Big White Book:

It devolves into details which mostly get shown in-story in much more interesting fashion than here. I’m sure we’ll get some chances to discuss these throughout the reread.