The Wheel of Time Review

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan is the greatest epic fantasy series written, and will be embraced that way for decades to come because it is not simply about one hero’s battle against evil, it is the inspirational tale of how to battle evil.

The story centers on Rand al'Thor, a kind, intelligent and responsible youth from a remote farm. Narrowly escaping a brutal raid on his home, Rand learns that the malevolent Dark One is seeking him, and he ventures into the world to save his village and ultimately, to fulfill his prophesied destiny and save the world from destruction.

For Rand is the reincarnation of the most infamous man in history, the man titled the Dragon, who pridefully led mankind against the Dark One in a past Age and brought the curse of insanity upon all men who would use the One Power. As his own innate abilities with the One Power grow, Rand too will eventually go mad and endanger everyone he loves.

Rand travels to faraway cities and through hostile wilderness where he meets dozens of complex and well-realized characters from a wealth of distinct cultures.   The Children of the Light see only another madman to be put down, while the factions of One Power wielding women of the White Tower intend to control Rand or sever him from the One Power forever. Kings and Queens seek to capture Rand, subjugate him, exile him, or follow him. Opposing him, the Dark One’s forces include half-animal Trollocs, eyeless Myrddraal, otherworldly tricksters, and thirteen powerful beings released from an ageless prison, all of whom knew Rand in his previous incarnation as the Dragon.

Only a small group of childhood friends and a handful of dedicated allies can help Rand stave off the forces of the Dark One: Perrin, an apprentice blacksmith whose quiet loyalty is continually tested; Egwene, an ambitious young woman who strains against any limits placed upon her; Mat, a rascal who disregards as many rules as he can; Nynaeve, a wilful healer whose stubbornness is matched only by how much she cares about people; Moiraine, a mysterious sorceress from the White Tower who set aside a fortune and a throne to find Rand; Lan, a warrior king sworn to serve Moiraine and avenge the destruction of his kingdom; Thom, a despondent bard who can't resist helping some boys who are in trouble well over their heads. Some of them develop special abilities of their own which combine familiar myths in original ways.

The Wheel of Time balances the narrative between these heroes and many others, expanding to bring in hundreds of characters, all of whom struggle to control their lives against insidious opponents and the tumultuous forces leading Rand towards his ultimate confrontation with the Dark One. Robert Jordan skilfully intertwines the heroes’ quest to shape their identity with the epic scale of a war that puts all of reality at stake, Even the structure of the series matches the characters’ development, as they come face to face with a world that is stranger and more diverse than they ever imagined.

Men and women are equally prominent in principal roles, each sex certain having abilities which are restricted to the other, relationships between the sexes acting as a pivotal part of the plot. Romances play straightforward roles, and are resolved well before the series conclusion, allowing each character to concentrate on defining themselves instead of being defined by their love life.

Robert Jordan developed wonderfully subtle tools to make his world believable, including a highly structured and understandable magic system, repertoires of lost knowledge, inexplicable magic devices with near limitless variations, and characters that bend the laws of probability. Using these tools deftly and sparingly, resolving problems is almost always a matter of character, not magical ability.  Readers have engagingly filled in the blanks where explanations aren’t presented, crafting elaborate theories based on the pieces secreted in the text. Brandon Sanderson brings the series to a resounding climax, easily maintaining the story’s original themes and successfully capturing the elements that made the series beloved to readers.

Each character’s journey mirrors parts of the others’, and each must face the Dark One’s might in their own way, learning the true nature of evil and how to overcome it. Through their violent thrust into adulthood, their loss and fear, their victory and hope, readers will thrill to the adventures of these heroes. The Wheel of Time is rich and exciting, thought-provoking and engaging, and surpasses other epic fantasy stories by being not only enjoyably rewarding, but by establishing a successful model for how to overcome obstacles in life.

This reader’s life turns with The Wheel of Time.

A Memory of Light - Chapter 37 - Part 3

In this section, Mat commits all his resources to his plan.

Tam fires arrows at Trollocs. Throughout the battle, it has been regularly shown that Tam and the other Two Rivers archers hardly ever miss. Having enjoyed some amount of success with their bows, the archers abandon them for lack of arrows. They enter the fray in wedges, trying to split up Trolloc armies assaulting the Whitecloaks.

Making an example, Fortuona dispatches Karede, a beloved guardian, and others of her Deathwatch guards to the front lines as punishment for letting her be put in danger. Then she publicly turns her ire on Mat. While safety is presented as the foremost reason for their rift, the final nail in the coffin is, as always, one of personality. She deftly diverts the attention from the strategy and its results to the man behind them. “This entire battle has been a disaster. You lose ground each moment. You talk lightly and joke, refusing proper protocol; I do not think you approach this with the solemnity befitting your station.”  For readers and Seanchan nobles, it is clear Mat will never abide by her rule. Readers know Mat better than they know tactics. The author marries the irrefutable reason of Mat’s behaviour to a debatable reason in the form of his tactics.

The Dark One spins a new reality for Rand, one in which there is no value to human life. Children are murdered callously, might makes right, and the very concept of compassion is absent. The Dark One’s words are chilling: MEN WHO THINK THEY ARE OPPRESSED WILL SOMEDAY FIGHT. I WILL REMOVE FROM THEM NOT JUST THEIR WILL TO RESIST, BUT THE VERY SUSPICION THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG. COMPASSION IS NOT NEEDED. WHAT I SHOWED BEFORE IS WHAT MEN EXPECT. IT IS THE EVIL THEY THINK THEY FIGHT. BUT I WILL MAKE A WORLD WHERE THERE IS NOT GOOD OR EVIL. THERE IS ONLY ME. Rand responds by beginning to spin a world without the Dark One.

Mat sends Min to follow Fortuona, but keeps Karede and the other exiled Deathwatch Guards. Surprisingly, the Seanchan only comprise a quarter of his forces.

Tam fights Trollocs. He wins. Lan meets him and salutes him. Both of Rand’s father figures are solid, unchangeable, and are able to stand against anything. No reed practiced how to bend in the wind. It simply did. Tam watches children and elderly take to the field of battle, to collect arrows and identify the wounded. As in the Two Rivers back in The Shadow Rising, the battle is not just the men’s battle, it is everyone’s battle. This depth of involvement, down to the least trained and least able indicates the level of desperation. It proves to be an effective way to raise the stakes without resorting to a contrived battle scene putting heroes in danger. In fact, it works despite Tam’s victory over the Trollocs only minutes earlier.

Elayne lays Bryne to rest. Adding to the desperation, Elayne hears a summary of the bad news: “The camp at Dashar Knob has been abandoned,” Birgitte said. “I don’t know where Cauthon is. The Seanchan have forsaken us.” Elayne responds by raising her banner, to offer some point of hope to the troops. Nonetheless, she concludes that humankind did not have days remaining, but hours.  Demandred begins sending balefire into Elayne’s troops trying to kill her, so Birgitte pulls her from the field.

Galad attacks Demandred, announcing his identity. Everything feels right to him. The right thing had always seemed clear to Galad before, but never had it felt as right as this. With Mat’s medallion in hand and an introduction like that which ties his very identity to the action he is about to take, readers are easily led to believe Galad is going to pull this off.

Nynaeve sews to save Alanna’s life. The most mundane of skills and Nynaeve’s creativity and stubbornness may be all that keeps Alanna alive long enough to save Rand. Of all the scenes of courage in this book, I don’t think any stole my breath as much as this one. For all her power, Nynaeve’s ability to care and to try save lives, her desire to heal is what makes the difference. Her brief scenes packed a strong emotional punch.

Mat orders Bashere to carry his orders. “I don’t care if you’ve bloody been touched by the Shadow!” Mat said. “Every man has had the Dark One’s fingers on his heart, and that’s the bloody truth. You can fight through it.”  He then gathers his remaining forces to keep Demandred pinned on the plateau. A ta’veren twist brings Teslyn at an opportune moment.

Egwene feels the absence of Gawyn deeply. She needs something to fill the void, someone to watch her back when she goes back to the battle.  Leilwin is the only potential warder available who has loyally served and saved her. Egwene finally embraces her former enemy and completes her character arc, making peace with the decision to bond Leilwin, bringing the representative of her most hated opponents as close as her beloved Gawyn was.

Demandred wounds Galad, and is wounded in turn. Then Demandred lops off Galad’s arm, and seemingly kills Galad. Despite that Demandred was worried and is wounded, Galad did everything the heroes are supposed to do, using a ter’angreal, being one of the world’s best swordsmen, and never giving in, even going so far as to spit at Demandred in defiance as an Aiel would. If Galad can’t beat Demandred, can anyone?

Androl approaches Taim in disguise and manages to steal the seals. It would have been easy and simple to use a Gateway to sever Taim’s hand off and drop it into another Gateway to send the Seals directly elsewhere. More believable too. Echoing the reader’s thoughts often works to suspend their disbelief, but seems to fall short on this occasion. “You’re not going to believe this, but…”

Arganda’s battle with a Trolloc plays off of Demandred’s taunts, with him falling to a Trolloc. He faced just the one, and lost. Only wounded, he is later revived and concludes they are doomed. “To win… Light, to win we’d need to break these Sharans, rescue the pikemen – they will soon be surrounded by the Trollocs – and each man of ours would need to kill at least five of those beasts! That’s not even counting Demandred.”

Rand weaves a reality which is too good, and demonstrates that removing the Shadow would change those he loves as surely as the Dark One would remake them. IN KILLING ME, I WOULD WIN. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, I WILL WIN. YOU CANNOT SAVE THEM.

I am thrilled with the way Mat contrasts the battle to a game of cards, how I recognize that it is playing out like a game of cards, and that one of Robert Jordan’s hobbies was playing cards. It feels right. Mat and Demandred have been slowly adding chips to the pot, neither one committing all their forces. Keeping the Seanchan in reserve with their damane has kept Demandred from committing too strongly, lest Mat use them to gain some advantage. Demandred holds the advantage of both time and numbers. Mat can hold him off for only so long. With no reserves after the Seanchan departure, Mat’s armies look more vulnerable. Demandred poses a problem to Mat’s attempt to contain him until an attack from Egwene begins drawing channelers away.

Olver and Faile’s caravan infiltrates a Shadow supply line, and get brought to the fighting at Merrilor. Aravine has been a Darkfriend all along, but the traitor’s identity is not as important as her story. She had hoped to leave that life behind and return to the Light, but even a small step in the Shadow is one too many. There is no return. Despite this warning, the earlier attempts to cast Lanfear in an uncertain light are too effective, and readers may retain some hope for at least one Forsaken to be redeemed.

Events seem set in stone now. Mat is committed, Rand is losing hope, Perrin is still wounded. The few bright spots shown by Elayne and Tam have been quickly overturned. Only Egwene and Androl offer a glimmer of hope. And Olver.

With the Horn taken by Darkfriends and his friends captured, pitiful Olver has been ignored. Knowing that all is lost, he still makes a desperate attempt to kill the Dreadlord holding Faile captive. The moment when the meekest of characters tried to win in the face of impossible odds felt like a turning point, when once again, momentum can begin building for the heroes.

Writing Lessons:

Use character to motivate actions, rather than strategy or logic.

A Memory of Light - Chapters 33-36

In this section, the heroes show determination in the face of the worst odds yet.

Perrin battles Slayer in Tel’aran’rhiod, showcasing a variety of tactics granting either of them a momentary edge. Perrin has no trouble running through the sky, but is so used to swimming that he can’t maintain his focus when underwater. Exhaustion impedes his ability to manipulate the World of Dreams, and Slayer finally hits him with an arrow.

Lanfear finds Perrin, and scorns him, easily switching her favour to the victor of the battle. Alone in Tel’aran’rhiod, with no energy, Perrin realizes his hammer is warm, giving him enough clarity of mind to wake up from the Wolf Dream. He lands where he expects Faile to be, at the Field of Merrilor, where the Last Battle is upon them.

Faile begins her transit to Merrilor with the Horn of Valere, but a bubble of evil disrupts her departure. She concludes that there is likely a traitor in her midst, which she thinks is Vanin. Aravine is the one who would best be able to divine the nature of Faile’s cargo, though, so my suspicion fell on her. The traitor’s identity is not as important as the suspicion that one exists, and that Faile is without resources in a hostile land while this person bides their time. With a number of nameless travelers killed by such trivial things as mud and plants, the feeling of helplessness and paranoia is well established. Her own attempts to weed out the traitor backfire, and she is forced to flee, afoot, into the Blasted Lands with creatures in pursuit.

The perfect accentuation of this feeling of powerlessness comes with Olver’s perspective. Olver is the only child of note in the entire series, and despite training with his uncles in the band, it is obvious to the reader that Olver is well and truly outmatched by everything. By placing Olver’s perspective here, just before the Last Battle, the author greatly increases the feeling that humanity is overwhelmed by the forces arrayed against it.

At Shayol Ghul, Aviendha learns about male Aiel channelers and is forced to admit what she has discovered to Cadsuane. Aviendha sets the strategy for how to stand against so many, with so much uncertainty: set plans together to counteract any one man having too much influence, in case he is under Compulsion, and “don’t try anything clever. We just hold.”

Hessalam escapes a skirmish with Aviendha, taking a deeply-Compelled Sarene with her. Sarene, a well-developed secondary character who hunted the Black Ajah, is irreversibly converted to the enemy ranks so brutally quickly that it is hard not to feel frustration. This is a warning to readers that anyone can be lost, and it can happen very quickly. A plan is concocted between Aviendha, Sorilea and Cadsuane to eliminate this threat.

Rand stands outside the Pattern and speaks with the Dark One. The author uses imagery established long ago, threads in a Pattern, to describe the otherworld in which Rand exists. The Dark One is dismissive of Moridin now that he has delivered the Dark One’s prize into his grasp. The Dark One makes an analogy, which of course is rooted in deathly imagery: SMALL TOOLS CAN BE EFFECTIVE. THE THINNEST OF KNIVES CAN STOP A HEART.

At the same time, but at a different rate of time, Nynaeve grows impatient and discovers Alanna chained to a wall in the Pit of Doom, slowly bleeding to death. This discovery puts the Dark One’s statement in context, adding a layer of extra meaning. The jolt of dread and excitement would be lessened if Alanna had been discovered before Rand’s first meeting with the Dark One. Now that it is too late for him to do anything about it, and Nynaeve seems powerless to save her, it is the equivalent of readers being shown a drawn weapon raised at Rand which he is oblivious to.

A map is provided for the Last Battle. Maps are one of the best parts of fantasy worlds, and the inclusion of this one to help the reader navigate the upcoming battle is priceless to following the action.

Mat trains his troops. His bluster fits well in a normal context, but he completely fails to acknowledge this is the Last Battle, and the overwhelming fear his fighters must be feeling. Perhaps portraying a commander who expects to live, and his soldiers to live, is the appropriate way to motivate them to hold and not break ranks. It feels far less effective than Elayne’s earlier rallying cry, but still maintains credibility because it is interspersed with solid advice and tactics the soldiers can use.

Delarn’s association with the nameless villagers is a clue to their identity. By having Mat recall the moment he saved Delarn, the author is subtly pointing at the town where Delarn was saved, and where certain events happen every night.

Mat learns the Horn is lost, in a strange conversation where Egwene has reverted to her younger self, and accidentally gives away more than she intended. The amazing author’s trick of ta’veren, though not cited in this case, always provides an easy explanation for falling out of character.

Mat is changing the plan, realizing the Shadow likely knows everything his army has planned. He intends to heap everything in one pile, providing a chance to wipe out humanity’s forces all at once, a target the Shadow is incapable of resisting. The Shadow’s armies arrive early, because somehow all of the commanders have forgotten that Trollocs can march through the night, a mistake that recently nearly undid Elayne’s forces.

The final set-up for the Last Battle is done. The forces of humanity are vastly outnumbered and surrounded. The Horn of Valere and the Seals on the Dark One’s prison are lost. Yet another weakness of Rand’s has been exposed. Perrin is grievously wounded.  Nynaeve, Olver and other characters are nearly powerless. Forsaken appear and leave the battlefield unscathed. Several heroic characters have already been lost or removed from power. If any of the Heroes, anywhere, fail, then the Shadow falls across the world. The excitement level is off the charts.

Writing Lessons:

Use association to place clues: for example, show a person associated with an event, to represent some other aspect of that event you want to reveal only later.

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.

The Wheel of Time - Act 3 - Books 10-14

Treating The Wheel of Time as one long novel, the books Crossroads of Twilight, Knife of Dreams, The Gathering Storm, Towers of Midnight, and A Memory of Light make up the third and final act. The beginning and end of the story are bookends, what shows up in one should be resolved in the other. As of this writing, I have yet to acquire A Memory of Light, but the concept of the story’s end is simple to guess at.  

Rand was told he must save the world, which he grows determined to do despite what the world may have to say on the matter. He tries repeatedly to force people to act as he thinks they should, eventually using the Dark One’s own seductive True Power to exert his will on them. The end justifies his means, a philosophy once espoused by Mordeth, who viewed any cost as worth paying to be rid of the Shadow. Rand finds that even unbelievable achievements such as cleansing saidin earn him little gratitude or respect, pushing him further down a path where he seeks to validate his accomplishments and soothe his ego.

Other characters face their own intense desires and duties, each of them successfully fending off thoughts of absolute adherence to some objective at any cost. Each of them finds a balance, weighing the need versus the cost, never entirely certain how hard each objective must be strived for, yet willing to stand for their values at great personal cost. They all learn that only they can find the balance, and when they do they become free and powerful.

Rand’s balance is much harder to achieve, coming only after he has nearly abandoned his humanity in a misguided attempt to protect his loved ones. He callously murders and rationalizes his actions, and even Nynaeve, the stand-in for his conscience, considers that he may be right. Only when faced with his father, does he relent and reflect upon his actions as he holds the power to end the Pattern.  Rand realizes that the Pattern allows people a second chance to correct their mistakes, and that strength comes from fostering relationships, not cutting them off. Rand has finally overcome the delusion that he has to face his destiny alone, a falsehood perpetrated on him by Lan, who has now come to the same realization.

From the early books the characters used their formidable force of will to overcome obstacles, and after fumbling about for a while, they finally know when and how to use it. The heroes have acquired followers in the thousands, and have learned how to lead them after stumbling a few times. They no longer require mentors, having earned equality and rank equal to those who used to guide them. The greatest foes they faced, gholam, Forsaken, otherworldly creatures, have all fallen before them. The heroes are adults, full-fledged members of their community, and have attained the pinnacle of their power and influence, and have learned how to use them well, just in time for the challenge of their young lives.

Almost every character has entered into a romantic relationship, many choosing to be bonded as well. Battles showing large circles of bonded men and women have not yet appeared, but promise to reveal the full glory and importance of male-female relationships, drawing on the power of creation to defeat the forces of the Shadow.

Every book in Act 1 ended with a battle in Tel’aran’rhiod. The last book should also end in Tel’aran’rhiod. Lanfear freed the Dark One and is especially knowledgeable about Tel’aran’rhiod. She was last seen begging to be saved from the Dark One, opening the door for her to fulfill her role and have her sins redeemed by the Dragon. The rules governing Tel’aran’rhiod have at last been explained, almost in full, allowing the final confrontation to take place there.

The last final message Rand leaves should fit the themes running throughout the story: man needs guidance but has to be trusted to stand and act on his own; choices and attitude dictate who you are, no one can impose identity on you; it is wrong to impose your will on someone else; standing for and against what you cherish most is worth dying for; no philosophy should be adhered to absolutely.

Following the earlier comparisons of the series to American History, this final act covers the modern era, when world-changing events demand absolute commitment to fighting the enemy, and a grudging realization that the cost of rigid adherence to winning battles may cost the war. The Wheel of Time’s characters find a different path, one that balances on a razor’s edge, one that questions the value of conflict and the identity of the enemy and proposes a different solution. Rand will face the very nature of evil, and learn that it is often within oneself.  

The Seanchan’s role as foreign invaders with a strange culture and vastly different treatment of some residents has its modern parallel. How can the heroes make peace with these aggressive people and get them to join the fight against the true enemy? The myth of the self-made man, the lone cowboy, is laid to rest and replaced with a multicultural community-minded set of values, wherein each person stands alone, in exactly the way they want, every difference laid bare and celebrated, and despite the differences is accepted and supported by the community.

Brandon Sanderson weaves the tale he took over with great skill, preserving the thematic elements and essence of the characters. His writing style is more direct than Robert Jordan’s, uses modern language, and short choppy chapter breaks which increase the pace of the story, and act as a structural version of the breakdown of the Pattern affecting the world. Like several of his characters, Robert Jordan had to delegate his life’s work to the next generation, living the very scenarios he wrote about, entrusting loved ones to carry on with his duty. Life didn’t imitate art so much as Jordan wrote about the essence of life and purpose of existence so well.

Writing Lessons:

Know your story’s message and themes.

Towers of Midnight - Chapters 18-20

In this section, characters learn they must set aside their differences and work towards common goals.

Perrin begins his training in Tel’aran’rhiod. His interaction with wolves is one of the more interesting facets of his character, and to be portrayed convincingly, the wolves’ language and culture has to be distinct and recognizable. For the most part, their vocabulary is monosyllabic, implying only cursory language skills, which are supplemented with detailed scents and impressions which they can send to each other.

The longest words Hopper uses are: follow, understand, sparrow, cannot, slumber, always, remember, unnatural, honey, memory, remain, again, quickly, ready, especially, strongly, holding , carrying, running, practice, wrongness.  Of these words, most have simple meanings that are easy for readers to attribute to a clever animal’s mind. The ones which don’t are especially, holding, and unnatural. Especially is suitable for a language that can distinguish levels of gradation, not the precise terms generally used by wolves elsewhere. Holding is something men do, and in other contexts the wolves have called the objects Perrin holds his claws, as though they were part of him. Unnatural is applied to Perrin, yet the purplish wall of the dreamspike is termed wrongness, and the difference is lost on the reader. Wrongness is the more wolfish of the two, in keeping with the majority of the examples in other wolf dialogue, but it’s odd that Hopper would call Perrin’s presence unnatural if men have historically walked the Wolf Dream.

Overall, the few words wolves use which are mildly inappropriate can only be identified as such because of the consistency in tone, sentence structure, and vocabulary in the rest of their speech.

Ituralde is defending Maradon from a Trolloc horde, yet they won’t come to his aid. He holds his position, waiting for Rand to send help as was promised.

Faile confronts Berelain about the rumours, and she denies anything inappropriate happened. Wouldn’t she consider it appropriate if Perrin set aside his wife for her? In any case, Faile makes Berelain realize that Faile will challenge her to a death match unless she can find a way to dispel the rumours. Berelain concocts a plan that requires Faile and Berelain to behave as though they were friends, with no animosity between them, one of many examples of characters setting aside differences to work towards common goals.

Mat is badly failing to keep a low profile, thanks to rumours in Caemlyn which he cannot hope to quash. He meets with Elayne, and they discuss the manufacture of his dragons. The negotiation scene is heavy on dialogue. Mat says the opposite of almost every point he had made to himself before the talk began, consistently upending expectations. The negotiation ends with both Mat and Elayne satisfied at the outcome. Each of them will benefit from their arrangement, keeping a portion of the dragons, which are primarily to be used in the Last Battle. Defending against lightning strikes with the One Power is simple, so these cannonballs should be stopped as easily, unless they are deployed against Trollocs.

Mat had to sweeten the offer by giving up his sole protection against the gholam stalking him. Writers can be backed into a corner when their heroes become too powerful, and readers can see through contrived attempts to bring them back to a more normal power level. Mat giving up his medallion works effectively, because the immediate threat to Mat is obvious, and he is trading a short-term risk for a long-term gain, which is an entirely believable course of action. The reader’s emotional reaction to the threat and outrage that Mat has to give up his only defense will likely override any analysis which recognizes this deliberate effort to place Mat in a situation which he can’t easily escape.

Nynaeve takes her test to be confirmed an Aes Sedai, to be given and judged by several of the highest ranking Aes Sedai. Throughout the test, she consistently ignores the precepts placed in her mind to save the inhabitants of the test realms. She later says that without context, she can’t know why the rules have to be followed so strictly, so it is right that she flout them to act as she thinks an Aes Sedai should. There is a fierce debate about whether she should follow strictures or be trusted with forbidden weaves, or the ability to decide what the greater good is. She is raised by a narrow margin, yet by undergoing the test, she has decided she already knows what she must do, and the shawl of an Aes Sedai is a worthwhile goal, but not her ultimate goal. For this realization, she is able to claim the prize she most desires, Lan’s bond. As with the Ebou Dar scene in which they were married, Nynaeve is instantly rewarded for her personal growth.

Writing Lessons:

Portray other cultures with a consistent use of language specific to that culture.

Towers of Midnight - Chapters 15-17

In this section, possible future plots are laid, both good and dreadful.

Nynaeve heals madness, a feat considered impossible by three millennia of Aes Sedai, who simply took the easy path of gentling men rather than study them. Once the easy path was institutionalized, deviating from it was not well looked upon. As has been done in earlier books, before Nynaeve does her Healing, it is established that she first Delves a person, telling her what is wrong with them.

Nynaeve healed gentling and stilling by building a bridge across a gap in the afflicted person. She can heal Compulsion by weaving its reverse pattern. She helped cleanse saidin by funneling the immensity of the taint through a filter. She heals madness by meticulously pulling one barb at a time and healing the spot where it penetrated the brain. Could stopping the Dark One and sealing the Bore again be done similarly to any of these, or as a combination of all four?

A bubble of evil once again represents the situation at hand. Everyone in a several block radius of a neighbourhood in Tear has been turned into a fine powder. When Nynaeve and Naeff pile it up, and she adds fire, the spark sets it all off in a fiery flash. A mad Asha’man acts similarly, having his very essence ground away, until something sets him off, and he is caught in irrationally mad behaviour, destroying everything around him.

Nynaeve feels insignificant in the face of such monumental forces of evil, but she realizes it is important to feel the little victories, for futility is what the Dark One wants her to feel. This is in line with Rand’s realization that it is not the big epic things that matter most, it is the immediate, local things that matter in the long run, that when repeated in the thousands across the land, create the fabric that the Dark One seeks to unravel.

Nynaeve is invited to Shayol Ghul, to accompany Rand at the Last Battle. Rand had decided this prior to seeing Nynaeve and learning of her feat, yet it is presented as a natural consequence of Nynaeve’s ongoing dedication to her community. Rand hands out compliments and takes criticism gracefully. He has taken on a role similar to his father, and is seen as such by Nynaeve, further cementing the fact that he has fully matured and is ready for the Last Battle.

Egwene learns the Oath Rod can be beaten, and rather easily at that. The weave allowing sounds to be heard differently is simply a means of doing what most Aes Sedai do anyway, which is to twist the truth. Egwene has the Aes Sedai researching Mesaana’s character traits, looking for clues to understand her and eventually defeat her. Egwene’s intense personal focus on Mesaana builds up interest in their eventual confrontation. That focus stems from the comparison of Mesaana being the Shadow’s Amyrlin, a direct and personal comparison to Egwene. The realization that she is the target, and the decision to use herself as bait adds to the personal nature of their conflict. Without these elements, there would be nothing but plot driving this storyline forward.

Perrin and Faile celebrate an anniversary, coming mostly clean with secrets they held back previously. As cathartic as it is talking about captivity and running with wolves, they both avoid the topic of infidelity. Perrin guesses why Faile won’t talk about Rolan, but now ascribes it to fondness, nothing more. Faile won’t let Perrin talk about Berelain, reserving the duty of dealing with her and the rumours for herself. On the surface, no cheating took place for either of them, but I still have nagging doubts that this is a case of willingly unreliable narrators, convincing themselves and each other of the truth they want to believe.

Perrin has a weakness: Faile, and he is told that he must accept that weakness, since it is a part of him that he cannot change, and makes him who he is.

Perrin contrasts his unforgiving attitude towards Rolan with the Whitecloaks’ attitude towards him. Empathy is something readers should identify with, since it is hoped they feel empathy towards the main characters. Showing empathetic characters who can see from someone else’s point of view makes them likeable, while unempathetic characters may feel readers with dislike, disgust, horror, or dread.

Mat’s followers are parting from his company, and will almost certainly be seen with Egwene next. I just noticed Olver shares a name with the author. Did he include a young version of himself in the story?

Elayne continues to believe Min’s Viewing makes her safe, then considers doing the very thing Rand warned Nynaeve not to: approach the Black Tower. No matter which order these two elements are presented in, the end result is dread.

Writing Lessons:

Show empathy to make characters likeable, and do not show it to make readers uncertain or negative towards the characters.

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 43-45

In this section, Rand’s reunion with Hurin is menacing, while Egwene’s reunification of the Tower proceeds much better.

Rand’s attempts to sever all emotional ties hardly finds an obstacle when he meets with Hurin, a follower from long ago. Back then Rand offered Hurin leadership, courage, and hope. Today he threatens Hurin, questions his very identity, and dismisses all of his petty concerns. What could have been a gesture of friendship is interpreted as an attempt to influence Rand, with disastrous consequences. Nynaeve is hardly able to sway Rand’s mood when he begins weaving lightning to send crashing into the Borderlanders’ camp.

When he does relent, it is partly out of a sense that he owes Nynaeve a debt for caring when he can no longer afford to. Similarly to Far Madding, when he reached out for Cadsuane’s help before getting in trouble, Rand reaches out to his conscience, Nynaeve, and gives her a scrap of information, telling her where Perrin is. The other part of his motivation is that he hopes to save time by having Nynaeve reel Perrin back to his side.

Nynaeve brings Perrin’s location to Cadsuane, but it isn’t Perrin she is after, but someone whose relationship with Rand goes back even further than Hurin or Perrin.

It is pointed out that Min’s Viewings are clues as to what the Pattern intends for later, but if the Dark One wins, those plans will be for naught, since the Pattern itself would have been destroyed.  

Egwene goes through some introspection, which is always a danger for authors. Too much self-awareness, or too little, and readers can be knocked out of the story. Egwene’s lasts for almost three pages, and is extremely self-aware, teetering on slipping into the author’s voice instead of her own.

Egwene is bitter over her failure to persuade Siuan not to come to her rescue. She blames her secrecy for allowing Siuan to reach conclusions she would not have, had she known more details of Egwene’s plan. Egwene resolves to share her thoughts more freely in the future, while knowing that there will be some secrets her position demands be kept close. To illustrate her new mindset, the chapter concludes with her revelation to the Sitters of the Black Ajah amongst them. This purging of their ranks could not happen if Egwene didn’t have some reason and means to openly share the contents of Verin’s research with her highest-ranking and most-trusted followers.

Further illustrating the previous lack of communication between Egwene and her closest followers, Egwene must explain to Gawyn that his discomfort was the price she demanded of him. The idea that loved ones must be free and empowered to take their own risks in life has surfaced repeatedly throughout The Wheel of Time, and the truest example of this is the relationship between Warder and Aes Sedai.

Siuan and Bryne’s storyline comes to an end. Siuan has fulfilled her Viewing, as has Bryne, and they are at last united in love and the Warder bond. With Egwene installed on the Amyrlin Seat neither Siuan nor Bryne has anything further to accomplish in relation to the story. It would be nice if they could retire after the Last Battle, but it’s just as plausible that they will get singled out as casualties in the fighting.

The Ajah heads in the White Tower are revealed to have been behind the Young Sitters in both Halls. The Young Sitters didn’t obey as well as expected, and some of the more experienced Sitters turn out to have been serving the Black Ajah, explaining their odd voting record. It’s an anticlimactic resolution to a plotline that had been thrust to the forefront at least twice. The Ajah heads settle on Egwene as their preference for the next Amyrlin, putting the need of the Tower and the world ahead of their own at last, since their earlier efforts conveniently aligned their own interests with the perceived needs of the Tower and the world.  

Egwene’s exposition of Sheriam is handled with quick, curt dialogue. The rapid exchange lures the reader in, allowing them to plow through the text before having time to think, which is exactly the effect that the exchange has on Sheriam. There is hardly even any descriptive text, just curt questions and answers:

“Egwene?” Sheriam asked uncomfortably “I was just –“

Egwene stepped forward. “Are you Black Ajah, Sheriam?”

“What? Of course not!”

“Do you consort with the Forsaken?”

“No!” Sheriam said, glancing to the sides.

“Do you serve the Dark One?”

“No!”

“Have you been released from your oaths?”

“No!”

“Do you have red hair?”

“Of course not, I never –“ She froze.

In this scene, Sheriam is a stand-in for all the Black Ajah, her familiar, kindly, and oft seen face representing the closeness which many of the Aes Sedai will have had with their evil sisters. Were they able to tell all as they marched to the headsman, as Verin was able to? Once they believed their death was imminent, were they able to reveal the Dark One’s secrets? Did they even try to?  Sheriam at least revealed she had been stealing dream ter’angreal, another strong indication that the Dark One doesn’t want the heroes poking around in this realm, although it could still simply be Forsaken jealousy. Did Mesaana arrange for many other ter’angreal to be stolen from the Tower?  Why were she and other Forsaken so worried about getting caught stealing ter’angreal when Egwene was able to waltz in to the storerooms twice? It seems likely there was simply nothing worth stealing, or worth having the Aes Sedai notice was missing, which implies cowardice on the Forsaken’s part, a strong motivator. The sa’angreal Egwene used must nonetheless have been tempting.

Egwene’s purge of the Black Ajah amongst the rebels is not representative of Rand’s handling of the darkness within him. She does however acknowledge the existence of the Black Ajah privately, which is an important step for Rand to take. Only then is she able to excise it, yet Aes Sedai will still behave as Aes Sedai do, even if they do not serve the Shadow. The capacity for evil always remains, and if Egwene has only lightly touched on this truth, Rand will have to deal with it more directly before he can win the Last Battle.

Egwene accepts the Tower’s surrender, and their appeal to her to take the Amyrlin Seat. It’s nowhere near as gripping or powerful as the scene where the Black Ajah amongst the rebels are purged, and feels like a necessary epilogue to Egwene’s plotline, and there’s yet more Egwene to come.

Writing Lessons:

Control the pace of dialogue to keep the reader focused on something, or to keep them from focusing on something.

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 31-33

In this section, Nynaeve can’t get through to Rand

As with several earlier storylines, the focus is shifting from physical obstacles, such as the Last Battle, to character-driven storylines, such as Cadsuane and Nynaeve’s need to have Rand rediscover his feelings before it’s too late. In this section the problem is just being established.  I’ll note once again that Cadsuane represents the Light, and Nynaeve represents Rand’s conscience. Ever since he dismissed the Light, his conscience is in turmoil.

Arad Doman is itself a metaphor, the people need something more than Rand offers. He brings food but the people distrust it.  

Cadsuane learns that the normal ta’veren balancing of events is no longer taking place. The bad effects persist, the good ones have stopped occurring. A sudden change in a fact that the reader knows to be true is an effective way of raising the stakes.

Cadsuane ponders the question of who stole the collar and bracelets from her room. She concludes its removal was intentionally designed to sow distrust. The obvious candidate is Shaidar Haran, who was in the building, and has some reality-bending abilities, surely enough to get past Cadsuane’s defensive weaves.

Cadsuane comes up with a desperate plan, kept secret from the reader. She runs to the Wise Ones with it, and they listen.

Nynaeve may be trustworthy enough to act as Rand’s new advisor. His first act is to tell her how Lan’s death in the Blight may serve Rand’s larger battle plan. Rand then consigns the noblewoman Milisair to the dungeon where she let a messenger die, Rand’s last lead to track down Graendal. Nynaeve disagrees with that act as well, but Rand is ready to banish her as easily as he banished Cadsuane. Rand’s solutions to all possible problems involve force and decrees, leaving little room for anyone else’s wishes to be considered.

Nynaeve recalls that only Moiraine had ever made any headway with Rand, guiding him as she guided saidar. She immediately dismisses the idea of flattering him or acting subservient, choosing instead to demonstrate that they are working towards the same goals by trying to uncover a link to Graendal. Her refusal to bow and scrape is similar to when she refused to apologize to Mat in A Crown of Swords, even though that character-centric action is what was required to succeed in her quest.

Nynaeve shows Rand a boy she discovered, suffering from Compulsion. At Rand’s instruction, and seeking to prove herself, she removes Graendal’s weaves, causing the boy’s death. Even though he whispers a location to Rand, Nynaeve considers the exercise a failure since she believes the boy could have been saved had Rand not so callously determined his fate. When Rand guides her, she is soiled, their relationship needs to be set back properly with her guiding him.

Rand explains himself: he doesn’t need to save his soul, since he’ll be dying in the Last Battle. He doesn’t have to worry about whether his hardness will destroy him; he knows it will. He accepts that Nynaeve cares about him, and is grateful, but has no need of that emotion. Nynaeve sees that by surrendering his hope, he has lost all reason to care about the outcome of his battles. Yet she cannot find words to argue against his grim point of view; he is dragging her along with him.

With these chapters, the format is similar to Jordan’s earlier books with a lengthier focus on a particular locale and set of characters. This seems to be partly due to the rapid succession of events in each locale, though that rapid succession itself may be a result of Jordan’s plotting to fit the desired novel structure. Compressing events in time allows that lengthier focus to be maintained.

Nynaeve spends a long chapter piecing together a mystery, so we’ll take a closer look at how this mystery is presented.

A sick boy met on the road home allows a chance to show off the skills Nynaeve will use to find clues, particularly Delving to find symptoms of illness. Nynaeve is looking for clues without knowing what they might look like, but readers aren’t even immediately told she is looking for clues leading to Graendal, all they know is that she is looking for some means to get Rand to listen to her. Vague language keeps the reader guessing: A plan began to take root in her head. By the time she reached the mansion, she had an idea of what to do.  

Nynaeve recruits three soldiers, and uses them to recruit a handful of servants, never telling the reader why. Curiosity over the lack of context and her out-of-character actions keeps the reader interested. The author could simply have presented readers with Nynaeve busting down the door of the chandler’s shop and offered a quick explanation of why she was there and who she had brought with her, but keeping it a mystery accentuates the feeling that she is looking for something, because the reader is also looking for something.

Nynaeve procures her first piece of information, the dungeon’s location, and thinks: Good. She didn’t intend to withhold information. Revealing this location tells the reader what to think about, what to try make connections to. Nynaeve’s thoughts tell that more information will be forthcoming, but not until it is needed. The author withholds each piece of information as long as possible, allowing readers time to try figure it out and maintaining their sense of curiosity as long as possible.

At last the reason for Nynaeve’s interest is given: the timing between Rand’s request for the messenger and his death. Too coincidental for her taste, she wants to investigate further.

The dungeon’s questioners are captured, but Nynaeve doesn’t directly them what she most wants to know, instead going through the facility one step at a time.  The person she is looking for is ignored at first while she questions the torturers, and nearly manages to escape later. This is a typical distraction, presenting the reader with an obvious target for their attention, such that the true solution has been shown but is overlooked.

The torturers weave an incredible story, casting doubt on their version of events. Having already promised not to punish them for past sins if they cooperated, Nynaeve has no choice but to accept what they tell her.  She decides to Delve and Heal Milisair before leaving in failure, which is when she discovers traces of poison, something so out of place she knows it is the link she has been looking for.

Writing Lessons:

When writing mysteries, the character and reader must both be looking for something, but not necessarily for the same thing.

To sustain the mystery, reveal each dribble of information as late as possible.

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 6-9

In this section, several more characters get their first point of view, expanding the cast.

Sanderson’s style involves much more frequent changes in the point of view character. It changes at least every chapter, sometimes several times within a chapter. Shorter, more frequent points of view can make the pace quicker, and keep the reader’s attention only for the time necessary to drive the main points home; they are unlikely to be as analytical when there’s little time to digest what has taken place before jumping to the next locale. Jordan’s longer concentration on one locale for several chapters kept the reader more deeply immersed in the world, allowing time to flesh out more details. Jordan’s pacing was most effective when he’d spend only a few chapters in one locale, but returned to that locale several times in the story, allowing the story to progress. In later books, the pacing often felt off because he might only return to the locale once, leaving plotlines unresolved. This is unlikely with Sanderson’s pacing, which trades depth and detail for action and progress. 

In one example, we get Leane’s 4-page point of view, followed by 3 pages featuring Egwene. Why switch at all? Is anything accomplished by showing Leane when we’ve been following Egwene so closely? The main detail too unseemly for her to tell Egwene is the conditions of her captivity. It also makes sense that Leane would know the names of the two Yellows shielding her, but Egwene would not, yet that detail is of no import. Even the comfort Egwene provides to her is stated rather than explained through internal dialogue. The only other reason I can see is to establish that Leane is a point of view character so that readers don’t find it jarring if the action shifts to her at some later point in the story, but I don’t recall any major role she plays in this book. In short, adding a few pages from Leane’s point of view when Egwene’s would have done as well, was unnecessary.

In fact, Egwene’s point of view is pivotal, since immediately after leaving two sections of the Tower are transposed, an event that greatly affects a later battle. Egwene sees that the floor should have been “nondescript gray tiles”, but unless something really is nondescript, that adjective should not be used. There have been several examples of rooms changing, and being relocated, and the scale seems to be increasing. Will we later see entire pieces of countryside being randomly shuffled about the world? What good would any strategy be when the geography is ever-changing?

Ituralde scores a great victory, but realizes that ever more powerful forces will come for him; Seanchan pride demands no less. Several characters’ pride interferes with their decision-making.

Nynaeve senses a storm coming, but I wonder if she senses Rand’s mood? In earlier books, she acts as his conscience, so it seems plausible this great and terrible storm she senses is related to Rand’s future behaviour. I’d have to go back and see where else she has used this ability, and compare with what Rand was up to.

Perrin is lying in the mud fixing wagons, wondering how to fix his marriage. The metaphor of him lying in the mud as he contemplates this compares well to Faile’s own muddy metaphors, both of them relating to infidelities. Some of the language fits well with the earlier metaphors which implied neither of them was being truthful, even to themselves. In other ways, the language is much franker, seeming to embrace the truth presented on the surface. Perrin puts off his problems with Faile though, to concentrate on the other thing bothering him, which requires seeking out Rand and leading his men. It’s an unsatisfying deviation from the more important problem of Faile.

Siuan walks through the makeshift village the rebels have set up, and some of the descriptive text stands out as distinctly different from similar concepts described in earlier books. Let’s look at what the two different styles convey:

In earlier books, Jordan used examples to illustrate some of the points.

Once she gained the Tower, that second kitchen would be opened again, and the Novices still would need to eat by shifts, something unknown since well before the Trolloc Wars.

Delana would discuss anything, from how they were to find proper clothes for nine hundred and eighty-seven novices to whether Elaida had secret supporters among the sisters, another topic that gave most sisters a case of the prickles.

In Sanderson’s text, the same basic information is given, as a reminder, in the same way that Jordan often did when reintroducing a concept established in an earlier book. But here, the examples are more generic, not attributed to any particular person, not compared to any particular situation. Sanderson’s method is briefer, and conveys the apparent truth of the situation concisely. Jordan’s text was rich with detail and context, but much lengthier, surely requiring more research and consistency checks.

One of the only oddities about the village – if one ignored the fact that there were tents instead of rooms and wooden walkways instead of tiled hallways- was the number of novices. There were hundreds and hundreds. In fact, the number had to be over a thousand now, many more than the Tower had held in recent memory. Once the Aes Sedai were united, novices’ quarters that hadn’t been used in decades would have to be reopened. They might even need the second kitchen.

These novices bustled around in families, and most of the Aes Sedai tried to ignore them. Some did this out of habit; who paid attention to Novices? But others did so out of displeasure. By their estimation, women aged enough to be mothers and grandmothers – indeed, many who were mothers and grandmothers- shouldn’t have been entered into the novice book. But what could be done? Egwene al’Vere, the Amyrlin Seat, had declared that it should happen.

It seems odd that a detail-oriented person such as Siuan would not know more precisely the number of novices, or that the details Egwene reveals about eating in shifts at the kitchens wouldn’t have come from Siuan in the first place. Maybe Egwene learned it during her short stint as a novice?

Writing Lessons:

Each writing style has some trade-offs: detail vs. conciseness, specificity vs. time invested to write. Be aware of the benefits and downsides to the writing style you choose.

The Wheel of Time - Act 2 - Books 4-9

Treating The Wheel of Time as one long novel, the Books from The Shadow Rising to Winter’s Heart make up Act 2. This is the middle of the story, where we expect to find conflict and a growing problem that the heroes can’t solve, leading into the conclusion of the story in which victory is achieved.

The Shadow Rising picks up with Rand having accepted that he is mankind’s saviour. He sets out determined to act out his role, only if he can do it without guidance or prodding. He rejects help from Moiraine, preferring to set out where his parentage leads: to the Aiel waste. With the help of Lanfear, he gains leadership over the Aiel and captures a Forsaken to teach him. Lanfear later strikes out at Rand in jealousy, and he loses his mentors.

Rand becomes a leader, and builds an army of soldiers and male channelers. He learns that followers have more say over the leader than the other way around. His arrogance leads him to make a mistake that gets him kidnapped. His treatment hardens him, and he grows ever more protective of his emotions. He resolves to firmly impose his will over both enemies and followers. For a time he appears to succeed, leaving dead Forsaken and wrecked armies wherever he goes. Eventually, the people he constrains wiggle free or fight back, reinforcing his attitude. Rand is well on his way to becoming a tyrant.

At this late juncture new potential mentors appear, Cadsuane and Sorilea, who see that a saviour who imposes his will is not much better than the Dark One. Their challenge is to save Rand from himself, before it is too late. At the last, Rand stumbles into a trap of his own making, yet recovers enough to gain Cadsuane’s help. He cleanses the taint, metaphorically erasing his past mistakes, but the question remains what path will he follow?

The villain Ishamael has returned in a new body, naming himself Moridin. He reveals his plan to be not to try control Rand yet. A board game serves as a metaphor for controlling Rand. It can be as dangerous to hold Rand as to let your opponent hold him. Moridin has cast doubt in Rand’s mind, now he plans to sit back while the heroes fulfill those doubts and set Rand’s path towards the Shadow. The only hitch so far is Rand’s cleansing of saidin, a danger so great to the Dark One that all the Forsaken were commanded to stop it even if Rand is killed in the doing.

The cleansing of the taint is the single most important event to happen in the world, opening up the possibility of men and women working together to defeat the Dark One, and acting as the opening blow of the Last Battle. As a pivotal moment, it makes a logical place to end Act 2.

Robert Jordan deftly creates obstacles of character, making the heroes’ choices directly responsible for how events play out. Nowhere is this clearer than with the battle for Rand’s identity, where his most personal defining choices dictate the fate of the world.

Supporting characters have been propelled into positions of leadership throughout Act 2. Elayne, Egwene, Mat and Perrin have assumed the responsibilities of leadership without going through the difficulties that Rand has created for himself. Notably absent is Nynaeve, who acts as Rand’s protector and conscience, disposing of threats to him, and she therefore has no leadership duties to assume.

All of the characters have had romantic interests identified and the majority have cemented them. Where stories frequently are resolved by acquiring the romantic interest, the fact that this story has tied most of them up this early may signify that the most important role of the relationship is to make men and women work together, like saidar and saidin. Resolving the romance at the end of the story would be counterproductive in achieving this goal.

The World of Dreams, Tel’aran’rhiod, is a place where identity and force of will shape reality. The early part of Act 2 had a heavy focus on this realm which was conspicuously absent in later books. This is distraction on the author’s part, diverting the reader’s attention from the possibilities of its powers until their eventual use in the final act.

Several of the books made use of a magical item or spell in the climax of a plotline, such as the Bowl of the Winds, balefire, a’dam, or the Choedan Kal, but these are far less obvious quests than in the earlier books of the series.

The broadened cast of characters and more frequent use of minor characters’ viewpoints greatly expand the world. Readers understand that the whole world is at stake, because they are exposed to the entire world and its myriad cultures. This wider tapestry has the side effect of bogging down the story a bit; most often when the readers can’t see how a scene affects the characters they have been following for so long.

The story carries the best pacing and enjoyment when readers are treated to several chapters in a row featuring the same locale before jumping to a different one.

Continuing the theme of American fantasy, the books of Act 2 reflect a far less certain time, reminiscent of the Vietnam era and its outcome, and the internal conflict it created.  Rand and America have stepped forward to claim the privileges of adulthood, and then made an apparent bungle of things with hardened arrogance and ego, the type of errors in judgment such as any young man might make. These events are part of the modern American mythology, along with the self-questioning that comes with it. These books are about the search not only for what outcomes are right, but what actions are right to reach them.

Winter's Heart - Summary

Winter’s Heart shows Rand reacting to an attempt on his life at the conclusion of the previous book. As with the pair of books before them, The Path of Daggers and Winter’s Heart are like halves of a book dealing with Rand’s ego and the vipers he has brought to nest at his side. The assassins who hid among his followers are symbolic of the choices he is making, which are leading him astray from where he must go. His attempt to destroy them for their betrayal only aggravates the situation, leaving him with fewer and fewer people to trust.

Rand’s eventual apology and plea to Cadsuane provide him the help he needs when he needs it most. A highly symbolic series of events in Far Madding represent his life without the Light, and with it. As soon as he embraces the Light, in the stern form of Cadsuane, he is able to cleanse saidin, representing his own cleansing.

Nynaeve nearly gets Rand and Lan killed through a mistake that is also symbolic of her role as protector. She left Emond’s Field to save Rand and to gain Lan’s love, and she fails them both. This is the first time we see Nynaeve end a book in disgrace instead of victory. She is pardoned, via Rand’s control of the link they form when they cleanse saidin.

Padan Fain surprisingly returns for the first time since cutting Rand with his knife. Fain uses the Shadow’s own tactics against it, and he represents Rand’s potential to do the same.

The Forsaken collectively attack Rand but are repelled by people with a common goal, including one who shares that goal despite being Black Ajah. Verin’s compulsion of Elza and her subsequent destruction of Osan’gar represent the Shadow’s own tactics turning on itself, just as happened in Aridhol. Evil simply cannot get out of its own way.

This battle was the first to show men and women linked together. Enough has been made of the need for cooperation in the Last Battle that this development is exciting, though lacking in some insight as to the possibilities and limitations. The author doesn’t want to give too much away yet.

Other sections of the book jump from established characters to newcomers. These newcomers act as very subtle symbols of greater events occurring in the story and Rand’s conflict. So subtle, the reader must ask what the point of them was. Approximately 6000 pages into the story, readers have significantly less interest in characters that have never featured before and appear unlikely to again. Even knowing what future books hold, I struggle to find why these characters needed such a strong presence in the story.

Several romantic angles are covered, with Perrin, Mat, and Rand each finding difficulties in their relationships. Perrin’s identity is centered on his wife, Mat’s identity is contingent on not having a wife, and Rand’s identity will depend on the romance with his three loves. Each of these relationships is somewhat symbolic of faith. Perrin is accused of losing faith or betraying it, Mat rejects it, and Rand feels he cannot afford to have faith, seeing it as a weakness.

Elayne begins her quest for the crown, but it feels like her quest to become the ideal ruler. If Rand represented the Light when he was bonded to the three women, and Cadsuane represents it later, then Elayne is attempting to become the embodiment of the Light, searching for that perfect balance between strength and compassion.

Several Seanchan points of view emphasize the direction the series will take from here on. The Seanchan are ingrained and cannot be removed or repelled.

This was the first book to skip a full calendar year in the publication schedule. Readers can forgive delays when they get what they want in the end. Adding to the sense of delay is the virtual absence of Egwene, whose storyline jumped ahead a month at the end of the previous book, and the unfinished plotlines involving Perrin, and Elayne. Although each of these reaches a turning point, they are in no way as complete as Rand’s plotline was. Readers expect to wrap them up a year later, when the next book is published.

Overall the book offers a baffling mix of new and old characters and a few dangling plotlines, which are overcome by potent scenes in Ebou Dar, Far Madding and Shadar Logoth.

Writing Lessons:

Introducing new pivotal characters late in the story can frustrate your longtime readers.