The Gathering Storm - Chapters 24-27

In this section, the heroes learn that power must not only be wielded, but wielded properly.

Like Rand, Gawyn has the power to do anything he wants, which he displays by casually dispatching a handful of guards in the Rebels’ camp. Bryne criticizes him for it, acknowledging that the power is in his hands, but questioning what he will do with it. What guides Gawyn’s hand? He says love for Egwene does, but he has no actual idea what she wants, he is simply making his best guess. Unlike Rand, a mentor’s intervention doesn’t drive Gawyn away, but gives him pause. Gawyn bristles at his mentor’s scathing words about his mother. Bryne’s point is that the truth may be uncomfortable and may shatter heartfelt illusions, but it must be heard nonetheless. Gawyn would like to believe his mother was special, but she wasn’t in this circumstance, she gets no special dispensation. By extension the same is true for Gawyn and Rand, who both wield great power but will be judged harshly if they do not wield it properly.

With Rand abandoning the Light, and Gawyn poised on the precipice before being hauled back, it’s timely to look in on the Black Ajah Sheriam. There were still many holdouts over Sheriam’s allegiance to the Shadow in the Theoryland forums, some positing that Sheriam must have been turned against her will, since she just could not possibly be evil. Jordan had established her kindly character well, as discussed in posts on The Dragon Reborn, and the fact that she was not confirmed as evil allowed readers to stick to their emotion-based judgment of her. Sanderson uses some of the same techniques here, even as she is finally convincingly revealed as a villainess. Ambiguous phrasing, such as ‘the one who had sometimes lurked inside’ tells readers nothing about whether that person was an interloper or a Great Mistress commanding her, and in proving nothing one way or the other create fertile ground for deeper emotional commitment to deep-held beliefs about Sheriam.

We learn that the Forsaken helped raise Egwene as rebel Amyrlin, in the hope that it would further split the Aes Sedai, and that plan paid off very well until now, when Egwene’s status is rising to that of her title and threatening to heal the rift.

Egwene learns she has escaped the headsman for now, but Elaida’s outburst of rage has only unsteadied her, not toppled her, and she may yet recover. Egwene’s options are very limited, but she maintains she will never kneel to Elaida, and she will continue to resist until her trial, and possible death sentence. She still feels her resistance may provide, even in death, the means to heal the Tower and oust Elaida in time for a better candidate to lead the White Tower in the Last Battle.

Aviendha becomes a Wise One after finally standing up for herself. In a plot similar to Shemerin’s, Aviendha learns that only she can raise or debase herself, the power to establish her own  worth is entirely in her own hands.

Romanda listens to Shemerin’s tale and is disgusted that Elaida could cause such a change in an Aes Sedai. A sudden swarm of beetles ruptures the floor of the tent, a bubble of evil which represents the fate of the rebels, the first beetle a precursor to the others as Shemerin’s treatment presages the treatment the rebels will receive. Romanda burns her tent, unable to contemplate touching things that had been touched by such filth, in effect destroying her identity as thoroughly as Elaida could. She wonders if she could submit to Elaida to save the Tower. Like Gawyn, Aviendha, and the other examples, she now wields the power to decide, but may not have the means to reach a decision.

Mat brings some followers to Hinderstap to gather supplies and have some fun. The question of saving Moiraine comes up again, and Mat realizes that Lanfear may well be trapped too. He wonders if he would save her from a fate amongst the Aelfinn and Eelfinn, even knowing how evil she is. Based on the thought “You’re a fool, Matrim Cauthon. Not a Hero. Just a Fool”, readers should recognize the familiar mindset of the character who will go out of his way to do the right thing. It’s the first time anyone has considered saving one of the Forsaken; most of Rand’s interactions merely confirmed they weren’t interested in being saved. As I’ve posited before, Lanfear has close parallels in the myths of Eve and Pandora, myths which also include their redemption and salvation.

Why not attach that earlier Mat section to this one? Probably to get a bit of humour in before Rand’s grim scene sucked all the smiles out. It’s a surprise when the next chapter is also Mat’s; two in a row from one character for the first time in the book. Splitting the viewpoints changes the flow of the story, and since some of the split scenes involving the same character fit reasonably well together and could have fit the typical Robert Jordan format, it’s further confirmation that this was a stylistic choice of Brandon’s or the editor’s.  

Mat remembers the dagger from Shadar Logoth, a dagger that filled Mat and Padan Fain with all-consuming hatred for the Shadow. Once freed of the dagger, Mat’s carefree attitude is almost opposite to the single-mindedness of purpose that the Shadar Logoth taint filled him with. Mat expressly will do the least possible to rid the world of the Shadow, adopting a live and let live lifestyle, and even contemplating saving dire enemies.

Let’s quickly look at Gawyn’s short battle scene:

The four soldiers are portrayed as competent, taking their duty seriously. Gawyn’s emotions are irritation and anger, fuelled by the soldier’s dismissal of his claims. A cluster of dialogue ends with the sergeant laying a hand on his sword. Words end, action begins.

Gawyn leaps from his horse, an explanation for the strategy behind it is given.

Gawyn begins a sword form, an explanation for the strategy behind it is given.

Gawyn slams into the sergeant, an explanation for the success of the attack is given (wearing helmet the wrong way)

Gawyn repels a few blows, and strikes the halberdiers, an explanation for the necessity of wounding them is given.

Gawyn finishes the battle leaving all four wounded and winded soldiers on the ground.

The author succeeds in demonstrating that Gawyn is intensely analytical during battles with immediate and frequent explanations of his actions.

Writing Lessons:

Where you place explanations for actions in the story affects how readers perceive those actions.

Knife of Dreams - Chapters 22-23

In this section, secondary characters make the story their own.

One thing that stands out in The Wheel of Time is that no matter that the central conflict is centered around Rand, every character believes the story is about themselves. We get two examples of this, with Harine and Romanda getting full chapters from their point of view.

We last saw Harine up close entering Far Madding, in a point of view from her sister Shalon. At that time, Shalon’s own conflict seemed to end, as she found the acceptance of her sister. Now Harine is looking for the resolution to her own story. Despite Min’s Viewing, Harine has not become the Mistress of the Ships, and Harine is certain the Viewing is simply off in its timing, rather than wrong. When Elayne is putting so much faith in Min’s Viewing, this situation serves to undercut the reader’s confidence in Viewings and prophecies, and induce them to think of ways in which the Viewing may have been misinterpreted. Just like the words and Aes Sedai speaks, the Viewings are supposed to be true, but what is left unsaid may have an entirely different meaning.  

Harine and the other women of the First Twelve are gathering to meet with an envoy from the Dragon Reborn: Logain. As with most of the shorebound, Logain fails to understand the dignity and respect due to the Mistress of the Ships, since he cannot interpret the medallions representing her rank, and he simply wouldn’t care if he did know, since his orders from Rand take precedence over all else. Logain’s words reflect Rand’s hardening stance on all matters; “Mourn if you must, but mourn on the march for Tarmon Gai’don.”

Logain’s attitude towards the ritual suicide of a culture of pacifists is coarse and heartless. Like Rand, he is aimed at his task alone, and all other considerations are distractions to be swatted away. The Amayar took their lives in reaction to the cleansing of saidin, as foretold by their prophecies. As discussed in posts on Winter’s Heart, the cleansing represented forgiveness for Rand’s murders of several men. The deaths of the Amayar represent a price paid for that forgiveness, a price beyond the time Rand spent incarcerated. Although not causally related to the cleansing, giving up their lives is a symbolic action foreshadowing the Last Battle when Rand will do the same to save the world. If Rand was supposed to learn anything from the news, it is lost on him, as shown by Logain’s reaction.

Harine is accepted back as Rand’s ambassador from the Sea Folk, a decision the Mistress of the Ships has no choice but to accept. Rand has thus delivered Harine a second chance to atone for her past mistakes in making a poor bargain. To do so, she will have to endure Rand’s harsher attitude, as well as Cadsuane’s expectations. We should expect A Memory of Light to present a situation in which Harine can conclude her story, and complete a task that redeems her, and it will likely involve telling Rand more about the Amayar.

Romanda is perturbed by all the futility and failure she sees, and chooses to lose herself in pleasant tales of romance and adventure. This guilty pleasure stands out starkly against her personality, which is very pragmatic and prideful. She not only abides by custom, it is a central tenet of her beliefs. All of the new things Egwene or Nynaeve has come up with are frowned upon, and her reluctance to see possibility instead of actuality left her unable to see that Egwene was more than a novice until it was too late for her. Even as the Last Battle approaches, she sees change as an obstacle to be overturned and adherence to the old ways as the path to victory. A victory she will be central figure in, if Elaida and Egwene can be thrown out.

Nisao reveals her secret hunt for the assassin amongst the rebels, having come up against an obstacle that she cannot overcome. Egwene’s orders to carry out the search and to keep it secret now conflict with each other, and Nisao can decide which one takes precedence and act upon it. Since Lelaine already figured out that a search was underway, revealing as much to Romanda is easily rationalized.

An encounter with Sharina and the Mistress of Novices has Romanda recognize that some of the changes being effected are very practical and useful, which makes undoing them all the more unlikely, which in turn grates on her sense of how things are supposed to be. She started the chapter firmly against all things new, and now she has twice had to grudgingly admit that some of the changes constitute progress.

The third encounter that pierces her mindset is the arrival of Merise and her Asha’man warder. Here is something that definitely should not be, although if it must exist, the relationship correctly involves an Aes Sedai with a subjugated male. The Asha’man Narishma tells the Hall that someone tried to pierce the warding against eavesdropping using saidar, at which point Delana abruptly leaves. Narishma offers the Dragon Reborn’s Asha’man to be bonded, which the Hall hastily accepts. Further questioning reveals Asha’man have already bonded nearly fifty Aes Sedai, which puts all other ugly realities out of Romanda’s head; this is an abomination! Equality is intolerable, even if the bonded Aes Sedai are Elaida’s followers. The exact count gives Narishma another opportunity to talk about Hopwil’s death at the hands of a woman who could extraordinarily use saidin.

It is highly doubtful Romanda’s unchanging view of the world could have made the leap of logic to link Narishma’s tale with Nisao’s hidden assassin, without being repeatedly hammered with events that defy her structured world view. Her insight that Delana must be arrested would have been even more believable if she had left the Hall after another sister demonstrated that she could detect saidin, instead of just before this new weave was tested. As it is, Delana made her own early leap of logic, simply worrying that an Asha’man in the camp might unveil Halima.

Siuan might have been a logical character to have used for this chapter instead of Romanda, since she is Blue Ajah, and should have known something of the dead sisters and Cabriana. She also is within the group of loyal Egwene followers, and might have made a better first stop for Nisao than Romanda. However, Siuan could not have been in the Hall, so one of the Sitters had to have the point of view instead. Once Siuan was disqualified, the author had to find the character best suited to be told all of the relevant pieces of information and who also had access to the locations where each would be revealed. Once Romanda was selected, the events had to be structured to affect her such that she could reach the desired conclusions. Having now conceived of the inconceivable, Romanda is ready to accept Egwene as Amyrlin.

Writing Lessons:

Treat every character as though they are the hero of their own story within your story.

Knife of Dreams - Chapters 2-4

In this section, the villains get a leg up on the heroes.

Keeping with the theme identified in the prologue, more characters are facing the consequences of an earlier choice.

Beonin saw an opportunity for gain by returning to Elaida. She is convinced the rebels are finished and wastes no time securing a spot on the lifeboat. It was never clear that anyone on the Rebels’ original ruling council was secretly affiliated with Elaida, so her actions come as quite a shock. Importantly, her point of view focuses on her as the star of her own story, with Rand as a faraway incidental player. Sometimes authors succeed wildly at this and a character rises to become a favourite. This doesn’t quite happen here, but the unexpected actions combined with a distinct point of view unlikely to ever be confused with anyone else’s solidifies the readers’ understanding of this ambitious, distasteful, smart, and good woman.

Beonin gives a clue that may lead to unmasking Aran’gar, but as previously mentioned, she needn’t have worried about being exposed by Kairen or Anaiya through their friendship with Cabriana. Had she just murdered a random Aes Sedai instead of either of them, her goals would have been achieved at little risk of the trail leading back to her.

There have been many examples to date of the Dark One’s touch affecting the world and the White Tower. Beonin sees the dead walking, and ate some weevils in her bread. Elaida will hear of rats in the White Tower. Occurrences of the dead walking have been forced into the story as truly random events, like the bubbles of evil, while failing wards and pest-laden food can fit in seamlessly with the narrative.

From out of nowhere, we learn the former King of Illian is a captive of Elaida’s. His appearance here seems primarily aimed at demonstrating Elaida’s puissance and management style. The first report she dealt with was for garbage clean-up: “I want to hear that a start was made today. Today!” The second was for sewers: “she scrawled I WANT THESE CLEARED BY TOMORROW.” The third and most important report about rats in the Tower gets a mild “have someone check the wards.”

Beonin may have been able to end the rebellion until Sitters from other Ajahs began showing up. Her failure is forgotten in light of the secret knowledge she brings to Elaida. Egwene is a Dreamer, and the rebels have dream ter’angreal. They can weave disguises, hide their ability to channel, invert weaves, Heal with an improved weave, make cuendillar, and Travel. Egwene’s discoveries and abilities are the main reason her life was spared, but it is Beonin who pays the ‘bribe’ by teaching these weaves to Elaida. The rebel ferrets are exposed, establishing links between each of the storylines set in the White Tower. An effective way to create anticipation and excitement is with a web of possibilities, such that the reader doesn’t know which plot will interfere or aid any other plot. Too few plots makes the resolution more predictable.

The Forsaken learn someone is impersonating Sammael. There is some question as to whether he may be alive. Only two Forsaken have died by balefire so far, which means that there could be eleven left standing. There were eleven chairs waiting for the Forsaken when they arrived, but devious Graendal got to choose the setting. Did she purposefully choose the number of chairs as well to confuse the Forsaken or hide that she has been impersonating Sammael? Only eight of the Forsaken showed up for the meeting, Asmodean, Sammael and Osan’gar being the missing ones, and readers know those three have all died. But when the Dark One resurrects a minion, he also gives them a new name, so even an author quote saying that Sammael is dead may not mean as much as it seems. Hiding the simple detail of a Forsaken’s whereabouts has proven to be one of the mysteries that has engaged fans the most. These larger than life villains create excitement whenever they are on the page simply by being who they are: mysterious, powerful, with hidden motives and ruthless plots against one another. Aran’gar admits she has been impersonating another Forsaken, but which one and when she did so remain a mystery.

Lanfear and Ishamael had been the only Forsaken to take an interest in Mat and Perrin in the early books; they were beneath the attention of all the others. Now Moridin orders their deaths, and Semirhage recognizes one of them, giving a clue as to her whereabouts.

The images of Mat and Perrin conjured by Moridin in Tel’aran’rhiod move stiffly and have expressions that never alter, which is typical of such creations. This confirms that the room they are in is in fact in Tel’aran’rhiod or some aspect of it, but it also calls into question some of the theories about creating images of a specific person using Tel’aran’rhiod. A nightmare may be able to express emotion, and a created horse will act like a horse, but can a person created express emotion and speak? Not according to this scene.

Perrin meets the Seanchan, makes a display of power, and then offers to give up his claim to Manetheren in exchange for their help in rescuing Faile. When Berelain gets testy, he calms her and reveals his plan to dose the Shaido wise Ones with Forkroot. He produces a letter from Suroth that will let him carry off every bit of Forkroot the Seanchan have. The Seanchan banner-general is continually surprised by what Perrin is able to do.  A deal is made.

An odd occurrence takes place just after Perrin offers up the claim to Manetheren. A foul wind blows through, raising clouds of grit. It may be a bubble of evil, or it may be the same wind as in Chapter 1, allowing the reader to understand these events take place the same day as Egwene’s capture. It could be one of those signs of the Pattern breaking down, like the dead people sightings. More outlandishly, it could be the Wild Hunt, coursing through at high speed, taking word of Perrin’s location back to Semirhage. Whatever it is, it clumsily represents Perrin’s distaste at making a deal with the Seanchan. Throwing in odd events like this with no explanation and no reason, then having the characters decide to ignore it altogether leaves the reader wondering why the author even bothered adding it. Just another bubble of evil, same as the last.

Writing Lessons:

Multiple plots make the reader uncertain how they will interact or how events will resolve, creating anticipation and excitement.

Crossroads of Twilight - Chapters 15-17

In this section, Elayne’s rivals conspire and Egwene keeps the war effort alive

Elayne’s rivals Arymilla, Naean, and Elenia travel from camp to camp every night as they lay siege to Caemlyn. Despite having been knocked out of the contest, Elenia still sees a way in which she can emerge from this impasse as the Queen of Andor. While her drive and perseverance are admirable, her selfish reasons for seeking to become Queen are a stark contrast to Elayne’s rightful claim and interest in the well-being of the people of Andor. Despite the fact that Elayne hasn’t taken a very active hand in events so far, it is obvious that no hand at all is better than a hand like Elenia’s or Arymilla’s. Arymilla sees the Queen’s coffers as a means to upgrade her lifestyle even further while Elenia seeks the love and approval of the unwashed masses all the while thinking of them as foolish peasants. Her ego and intolerance instantly make her unlikeable, and make Elayne a more attractive choice despite whatever faults of her own she may have.

One of Elenia’s men, perhaps even her husband Jarid, has been meeting with the ringleader of the Caemlyn Darkfriends, the Lady Shiaine. Shiaine has two Black Ajah under her thumb, as per Moridin’s express wishes. She has her agent Mellar in a position of influence in the Royal Palace. She has a secret plan which Moridin has assigned her, and it remains unclear whether Elayne is meant to live or die, and if she is to die then to learn when that is to take place. It takes considerable effort to establish Hanlon’s position, keep a low profile for weeks, and wait until all Moridin’s conditions have been met. Does Moridin know something about Caemlyn’s role in the Last Battle? Does he suspect Elayne is pregnant with Rand’s children? Or does he know it for fact? How is what he is planning for Elayne any more effective than what Semirhage will later do to Rand? The only plausible answer is that the Last Battle is the battle for Rand’s soul and identity, and Moridin thinks Elayne offers a means of prodding Rand in some way. It’s incredibly vague and convoluted, and only rationalized by the fact that Rand has twice showed up where his girlfriends were in danger, in Falme and Tear.  

Darkfriends inherent mistrust and self-preservation instincts always seem on the verge of undermining their plans. Only fear of the Forsaken keeps everyone in line, knowing that their punishment will be severe, even if served years after their betrayal or failure. Hanlon wonders whether his would-be assassin had been sent by Shiaine. Falion arranges to be bruised so Shiaine won’t learn she and Hanlon are trading secrets. The level of suspicion is so high it’s a wonder they can get anything accomplished. When one of the heroes starts veering down a path of mistrust, it’s easy to see the negative context and its implications.

In the rebels’ camp, Egwene pines for her home, the White Tower. As with several other characters, she thinks of her goal in absolute terms: Whatever was required to keep the rebellion alive and pull Elaida down, she would do. Whatever was required. The author frequently uses repetition of a key phrase to emphasize the character’s level of commitment. Egwene’s goal requires she pretend at negotiations with Elaida, so that the rebels will see they haven’t come all this way for nothing. In some instances, when a character is aiming at one goal while secretly targeting some other goal, that detail is kept secret from the reader to allow for a surprise revelation later on. In this case it’s important that the reader understand exactly what Egwene is hoping to achieve, because the politics among the Hall of the Rebel Tower are convoluted enough. If the reader didn’t know Delana was Black Ajah, that Halima was a Forsaken, that Sheriam was most likely Black Ajah, and that Siuan and Leane were in her pocket, and a handful of other details, then none of the conspiratorial meetings between Sitters or other Aes Sedai would make as much sense. These waters are muddy enough that there is good reason to provide clarity to the relationships between the major and even minor players.

Egwene does keep one new surprise, which is her plan to blockade Tar Valon from receiving supplies. The reader can guess it involves cuendillar given the context in which it is stated that this secret exists.

The other secret which is not plainly revealed involves the Young Sitters. Having our attention brought back to this again implies the author has something worthwhile tucked up his sleeve. We’ll see soon enough.

A new peril facing the heroes is the revelation that foodstuffs are rotting, obviously an effect of the Dark One’s touch. Interesting that he first targeted the weather which caused a drought and affected crops, and is now attacking food. He went straight for the supply lines while his minions floundered after Rand. No one amongst the Heroes has even considered how to locate or affect the Shadow’s supply lines.

Writing Lessons:

Complex plans are unbelievable and fallible. Find the simplest way for a character to attain their goal and overcome obstacles.

The Path of Daggers - Chapters 16-19

In this section, Egwene blindsides the Sitters to take control of the rebels

Egwene’s entire battle with the Hall is resolved through a familiar trick, the last-minute introduction of a rule that the opponents must follow. This turns up frequently in stories, usually with the heroes making a plan just before the final confrontation, but the reader is not told what the plan is until the very moment the trap is revealed, the secret allies name themselves, and they achieve victory. Sometimes the revelation is logical and satisfying, other times it comes out of nowhere and leaves the reader flat. Let’s analyze how well it is pulled off here.

The plan is to get the Hall to vote in favour of declaring war, which will hand a great deal of power to Egwene personally. She will rule by edict, and the Hall will not be able to stymie any of the edicts she puts forward. The Hall must then be sufficiently motivated to declare war, but must not be aware of the implications of that vote. Egwene also has time against her, because the opportunity to declare war can be usurped by one of the Sitters if she does not act quickly enough.

Egwene must:

1 Learn the Law of War

2 Keep the Sitters from learning her plan or the Law of War

3 Call a question of war before time runs out

4 Convince the Sitters to vote in favour of war

Of these, only the second is given to the reader initially, and that only partially, as we see Egwene undertaking actions to accomplish the fourth. An army in the rebels’ path is the catalyst Egwene has been waiting for.

Half of Egwene’s loyal Aes Sedai travel north to meet with the army blocking their way, though we are not told why, while the others spend the morning reminding the rebels of something, and we are again not told what. This creates a sense of anticipation but also frustration, since we have no context for any of the actions taking place.

We also have no context for why Egwene is suddenly reversing her constant insistence they keep moving, except that it relates to her plan. In the camp, Morvrin corners Takima, who is the only Aes Sedai who knows the Law of War, but the relevance is completely lost since there is no context for the confrontation yet. Aran’gar has killed Egwene’s maids, but that has no bearing on the current plot, other than a long-term goal of trying to keep Sheriam and her maid close to Egwene to learn the plan.

Egwene’s anticipation of victory is palpable, yet she feigns meekness for what she hopes is the last time. This is the only part of the plot which depends on her behaviour or character, since with a clear plan laid out she could do the rest in her sleep. This is a weakness of the plot, because it all depends on predetermined rules and events. We get to see events unfold, but it’s not surprising to Egwene, and the potential threat of failure is diminished in our eyes. Romanda and Lelaine’s sparring suggests the time for Egwene’s plan to come to fruition is very soon, before either of them succeeds in undermining the other and taking over the Hall. Added to the list of successful and awful Amyrlins, the one thing the reader does understand are the stakes.

Another sub plot is introduced when Siuan notices too many of the Sitters are too young. The answer only matters in the long-term, but is better introduced now so this sub plot can be delved into immediately in a future book.

The threat of timeliness is introduced when both Lelaine and Romanda learn of the meeting with the army, and deliver ultimatums to Egwene. Egwene clings to her meekness, and the non-specific language used is designed to convince even the reader that she is almost chastened. Then the first surprise is revealed at the last possible moment of the chapter: “Siuan, they couldn’t have handed me the Hall better if I had told them what to do.” This sentence flips the meaning of the entire chapter on its head. All of the negative emotions felt by character and reader are not signs of imminent failure, but of success. At this moment, the reader does not know what is going on specifically, only that it is going the way Egwene wants.

The rebels march towards the Murandians and Andorans, with the showdown looming over them. A possible threat is revealed in the form of Talmanes, leader of a third army who continues to trail the rebels. Once again, we think Egwene is enduring unfair treatment from her hosts on the ice, until we are reminded that her loyal Aes Sedai rushed out here to meet with them before Egwene showed up. When they refuse passage, they are doing Egwene’s bidding, and the whole meeting is a show put on to prod the Hall. The army barring their progress is a secret ally, whose function is to openly doubt the rebels, whether they know it or not.

Once Egwene meets with the nobles and Talmanes, we realize she is unconcerned with their actions, all her attention is on the Hall and keeping them from wresting control from her. As soon as they return to the rebel camp, a meeting of the Hall is called. Siuan and Egwene go over the plan one more time, but we continue to be kept in the dark.

Finally, the moment comes. Egwene hastily calls her question about war before anyone else can speak, and the battle is almost won. Takima has the power to speak up just as Talmanes and the nobles did, but keeps silent. We still don’t know how she can undo Egwene’s power grab, until it is made clear it is her knowledge of the Law of War that matters, a Law we had never heard of up until now. A few short impassioned speeches later, consensus is reached. And with that, Egwene can reveal the power they have just invested her with. The reader is likely pleased that Egwene has pulled a fast one on the Hall, but is less impressed with learning about a Law that must be followed just before it comes into play.

Robert Jordan decided to write this scene as a mystery, keeping the method secret, but revealing the motive, the players, and elements of the plan as it became necessary. Had he discussed the Law of War in any detail earlier, that suspense would have lost, and he would have had to play up some other aspect to keep the reader’s interest. The resolution would have been obvious to the reader and would not sustain their interest. Can you think of another way these chapters could have been handled that maintained the reader’s interest? As a consequence of the mechanism Egwene uses to take power, Jordan was forced to use the least worst of several bad options to try interest the reader, resulting in a narrowly believable resolution with only mild suspense. It is not a strong way to carry the reader through the middle section of the book, but ending with Egwene firmly in charge mitigates the dissatisfaction.

Writing lessons:

Contrived solutions to the character’s problems can lose the reader’s interest. As much as you try to avoid telegraphing the surprises to the reader, also be aware of giving them too little and making them disbelieve the solution you present.

Lord of Chaos - Chapters 49-52

In this section, heroes and villains make their move!

Egwene can’t let Logain die after all the help he has been, as well as for the damage it will do to the rebels’ honor and reputation. Siuan spikes the guards’ tea, and frees him. While the three rebel factions still try to spur Egwene one way or another, she is taking matters into her own hands as much as she can. She also has a dedicated pair of followers in Siuan and Leane.

Within the factions, some of the Aes Sedai keep secrets even from their allies. Delana does whatever Aran’gar counsels her to do. Myrelle decides to keep her new Warder a secret from her own allies, with the exception of Nisao, who she hopes will provide help in keeping Lan from dying.

Elayne, Nynaeve, Birgitte and Aviendha begin their search for the Bowl of the Winds, and do so in secret, wearing disguises that allow them to slip by the keen eyes of Vanin, Thom, and Juilin. Mat searches for them as futilely as they try to locate the building with the Bowl.

Berelain spends much of her time trying to corner Perrin for no better reason than to prove a point to Faile. This despite what such behaviour has earned her at Rhuarc’s hands in the past. Whatever progress she had made in proper behaviour is thrown to the wind as she is caught in Perrin’s ta’veren swirl. What the Pattern has in store for her, Faile, and Perrin, is not clear even knowing what the next books entail.

Merana’s rebel delegation makes a show of power to Rand, which he is able to narrowly overcome. Yet with other Aes Sedai trickling into the city, he quickly decides to hightail it to Cairhien, away from the threat of a circle of thirteen. Merana realizes the arrival of more Aes Sedai is coincidental and unfortunate, but is powerless to stop the embassy form crumbling around her. The new arrivals use their ranking with the Power to overthrow what little authority she had left after Verin deftly snatched control from her. Desperately, she begs to be allowed to join those traveling to Cairhien. That Aes Sedai have given up their long-established traditions of ranking is a shocking disappointment to her.

In Cairhien, Rand receives Coiren and two other Aes Sedai, so as to keep the two embassies on equal footing. He is convinced that when she arrives in Cairhien and discovers this, Merana will capitulate and throw the rebels support behind him, and he is right that such would have been her intent.

The trap comes as an inevitable surprise. To distract the reader, a number of subplots are presented in rapid-fire succession, each carrying some emotional weight. The trick to pulling off a successful practical joke is to get the victim’s emotional response going before they have time to think things through. Here in a single page the reader is presented with cackling Lews Therin, Rand in opposition to the Wise Ones wishes, embarrassment over people knowing Min pinches his bottom, Sulin’s toh, Min and Sorilea’s failure to keep a simple promise, and Alanna’s approach. When the Aes Sedai enter, Rand is alone, though it would not have mattered. He immediately begins gloating over how he has fooled them into thinking he is interested only in the wealth they bring him as gifts. He is filled with contempt, and the reader would be hard pressed not to agree since they have just been subjected to a full page of Rand’s apparent victories and righteousness.

When the trap springs, a battle to free Rand is expected. It quickly becomes apparent that the Aes Sedai have thought things through, and they present a plausible story to the Maidens. Rand has Traveled away, and the meeting between them has turned sour. They show no haste, no hint of trying to conceal what they are doing. Presumably they had responses ready to deliver to anyone who asked why they were holding so much of the One Power in the palace, likely saying they felt the need to be ready in case Rand could not contain his anger with them.

The setup throughout the book becomes apparent. The Aes Sedai have been channeling so much at Arilyn’s palace so that the channeling they undertake when Rand is their captive will not be noticeable. Indeed, Sorilea has already become so accustomed to it that she dismisses it. Rand’s own behaviour of slipping away to do one thing or another without the appropriate number of guards now works against him. His people are desensitized to his comings and goings, and carry on fully expecting him to return eventually.

The last important piece of setup comes from Egwene thinking about the customs of keeping a man shielded. This was touched on much earlier in the story as well, and it will serve to explain the resolution of Rand’s capture in the final section of the book.

Writing Lessons:

Evoke surprise by engaging the reader’s emotions before they can analyze what is happening

Lord of Chaos - Chapters 44-48

In this section, a catalytic event heralds impending disaster.

Demira, an Aes Sedai with the rebel embassy in Caemlyn, is ambushed by a handful of Aiel in the alleyways of the city. The sudden violence inflicted on her in the last paragraph contrasts sharply with the two pages she spent idly wondering about her library books, and with the nearly two hundred pages of non-violent storytelling that preceded it. It is enough of a shock to leave a queasy feeling in the reader’s mind, an unsettling sense that things have taken a sudden and unexpected turn for the worse.  

In short order, the ramifications are felt. Verin has taken over the rebel embassy by virtue of her rank among Aes Sedai and Merana’s new deference to her. Demira has concocted a plan to let Rand know their displeasure. And the reader knows that the rebels have just blown their chance to get on the same side as Rand.

Obviously Rand didn’t send the Aiel, so who was it? Demira noticed the Aiel following her, which implies they weren’t real Aiel. The cadin’sor might not match the city as well, but Demira is not particularly observant. They used the term ‘witches’, implying they are Whitecloaks. And Padan Fain has been sitting around Caemlyn looking for some new way to prick Rand. While the Forsaken may have as much to gain as Fain, the mode of attack and the people carrying it out match his followers.

Mat does his best to tweak the Aes Sedai’s noses in Salidar by hanging a banner which is actually their ancient symbol. He dances with almost every important character among the rebels: Halima is the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life, yet Mat remembers seeing Lanfear. When Halima realizes her attempt to lay hands on Mat Cauthon has been foiled, she quickly backs off; the ter’angreal keeps the Forsaken from doing anything to him. Siuan rejects him, Leane kisses him, Myrelle offers to bond him. He plays into Egwene’s hands with the orders he leaves for the Band, and honors her publicly when no other Aes Sedai will. When the Gateway is too short, Mat has to tell his men to dismount right after telling them to mount.

Adeleas and Vandene channel against Mat continually to test the limits of his ter’angreal. Elayne tries to assert her Queenliness over her subject. Nynaeve can’t stand being near him. And Mat’s sourness shows in his judgmental and funny commentary on everything around him. Notice how the humourous sentences are structured to keep the punchline for the end.

… a cloudy liquid the lanky woman insisted was made from plums, but which tasted as if it would remove rust.

… a scruffy two stories of white-plastered bricks in a scruffy village of white-plastered bricks and flies called So Tehar.

… a woman with hips that looked as though a man’s fingers might break from giving them a pinch.

In Ebou Dar, men walked small around women, and forced a smile at what they would kill another man for. Elayne would love it. So would Nynaeve.

Mat feels the dice in his head again, and selecting an inn at random makes them stop. His own description is that he feels this sensation when his luck is running strong in the gambling. It was always there when there was a battle in the offing. And it seemed to come where there was a vital decision to make, the sort where the wrong choice might get his throat cut.

Elayne and Nynaeve act towards Queen Tylin in the way that Mat does with everyone. They speak truthfully and plainly, having interpreted a phrase from the Queen slightly incorrectly. They may be inexperienced, or rebelling against expected Aes Sedai behaviour after being put in their place by Adeleas and Vandene, but their approach will find favour with Tylin.

Jaichim Carridin is in the palace as well, and is turning into a regular opponent of Elayne and Nynaeve.

Perrin finally makes his appearance in Caemlyn, just in time to meet his in-laws. They are portrayed in such a way that Perrin’s preference to face Trollocs is reasonable. Their appearance is prefaced by a seemingly unnecessary point of view from a young Saldaean soldier named Vilnar. He describes his potential father-in-law’s expectation, his readiness to face Trollocs contrasted with his reluctance to face Aes Sedai, and his preference to face both together than to be the one who brings Faile to her mother. It’s only a page, and does a middling job of introducing Deira as a fearsome woman, a job that could have been done from Faile’s point of view, or Perrin’s for that matter. Perrin also gives Rand another chance to reminisce about their carefree youth.

Writing lessons:

Structure your humourous sentences to deliver the punchline at the end

Lord of Chaos - Chapters 38-43

In this section, Mat’s appearance in Salidar sets events in motion.

Now that Rand has discovered Salidar, he has sent Mat to bring Elayne back to Caemlyn. Elayne has other ideas. The dance that ensues is comedic both for Mat’s misjudging of the situation and for his inability to accomplish his mission without jumping through several hoops first.

First, Mat somewhat correctly guesses that Aviendha and Elayne will confront each other over Rand. He misjudges who will have the upper hand, since he doesn’t realize ji’e’toh will prevent Aviendha from lifting a finger against Elayne, but will instead have her offering to die at Elayne’s hand to make up for her ‘mistake’.  Mat is so concerned about Elayne that he happily leaves Aviendha in difficult situations to keep her away from Elayne. Aviendha’s discomfort is all the funnier because it was unnecessary, even as it provides Mat with gleeful satisfaction that he’s doing well.

Next, Mat correctly guesses that there is no good reason why Egwene should have been made Amyrlin. He thinks only a poor blind fool would take a position all but certain to lead to the headsman, and Egwene has more sense than that! Yet for all his admonitions about the trouble they’ll be in for impersonating the Amyrlin, he shows no qualms about sitting in her chair and tossing her cushions on the floor! Just what was he expecting to say if the Amyrlin he expected walked in?

After much argument about who is right and who is in danger, Mat is able to foil Egwene’s prodding thanks to his ter’angreal. As wrong as he is about the details, he cannot be forced, budged or reasoned with until he gets his way. Once Egwene reasons that he’s made a promise, she is able to make him dance to her tune, and gets him to commit to a trip to Ebou Dar before Elayne heads north with him. If she does.

Egwene declares that Mat’s Dragonsworn will taint the rebels by association. They need to distance themselves from them. They also need to be concerned about the next surprise Rand might drop on them with Traveling: Asha’man. The fears and concerns are convincing, but Egwene still needs to present them in a way that will be accepted by the three factions vying for control of the rebels.

The ability to Travel opened up many story and plot possibilities, and several are quickly closed with the strategic consideration that the ability must not be given to Elaida’s Aes Sedai. By taking away all the possibilities where a rebel might be captured by one of Elaida’s people, the advantage of Traveling is reduced to very limited occasions, such as the trip to Ebou Dar. In essence, the rebels have a tool that can be used once by surprise.  

Thom tells Mat the story of the woman who needed rescuing, but didn’t in the end. He advises helping them do what they want instead of what he wants. Trying to force people to behave in a particular way is a characteristic of the villainous cultures: Children of the Light, Shadar Logoth, Seanchan, Tairen High Lords, and Forsaken. Thom’s appeal should work on Mat, since he is constantly complaining about being badgered to do one thing or another by someone who thinks they know better.

Once Elayne and Aviendha decide they can share Rand, they speak of Min, which naturally leads into Min’s chapter. For all that some readers find the three women’s acceptance of the situation unreasonable, men and women can have informal arrangements of the sort, the stereotypical ones being the sailor with a woman in every port, or the traveling salesman. For whatever reason, people are frequently capable of accepting they only get to share part of a person’s life and know that others are doing exactly the same thing with the same person. This discussion about Rand’s love life comes right after Thom’s appeal to Mat. The point is the same, and one the three women have embraced: Let Rand and the other women do what they want, do not try to impose your will on the others.

Min’s approach to seducing Rand is to pretend she’s not trying to seduce him while blatantly acting in just that way. She challenges Rand to admit he finds her attractive and will not relent in her behaviour until he does. Whatever he chooses to do, Rand is stuck either canoodling with Min, or admitting he’d like to do more. In this story, women always have the power over romance and sex, and any man who takes a more direct approach is a villain. Egwene notes even Mat somehow only pursues those women who want to be pursued.

Min instantly befriends Melaine, averting much trouble. Once she is treated as a Wise One, she is allowed to come and go as she pleases, passing through ranks of bodyguards unmolested. Giving Min the ability to move about unhindered avoids having to explain how she got past the guards every time she comes for a visit. A small investment in this scene avoids plot holes later on, and also raises Min’s ranking to be on somewhat even footing with the other women.

Taim reacts badly to Rand naming him the second Asha’man. The readers made the obvious connection with the tale of Demandred, who was always second to Lews Therin. Demandred hasn’t been seen since spying on Elayne in Tel’aran’rhiod, but Lews Therin mentioned him in possible relation to Shadar Logoth. If this scene didn’t put the idea in their head yet, they will still have it by the end of the book. But we’ll save discussing the theory that Taim is Demandred for the final post on this book.

In a scene mirroring the earlier one where Elaida’s Aes Sedai secretly met with the nobility of Cairhien, the rebel delegation is doing the same with the exiled nobles of Andor. Min’s listing of the delegation is forgettable, and Seonid and Masuri are stereotypical Green and Brown Ajah. Out of the delegation, only Merana matters, along with her position in relation to Verin and Alanna, who have managed to distinguish themselves in the reader’s mind due to their past actions.

Writing Lessons:

Look for plot holes by examining whether your characters are doing things that a minor character could never get away with.

Lord of Chaos - Chapters 32-37

In this section, the Rebels cement their position by making Egwene their figurehead.

Egwene makes a failed attempt to board the Sea Folk ship. Her bruised ego leads her to antagonize the Sea Folk until she realizes what she has done is foolish. That event gives her an opportunity to consider how keenly she understands ji’e’toh now.  She worries, and then accepts that she will now have to pay the consequences for her past actions. She promises the Aes Sedai to come to Salidar quickly, and despite regrets about leaving the Aiel, she does not hesitate. The corporal punishment she endures is symbolic of the cost to be paid for deceit. The bigger the lie and the longer it is told, the greater the cost. There is incentive to keep your misdeeds small. Egwene had to make this mistake and pay the price so that her later feats in the White Tower as a novice will seem believable. Already small references begin to creep in about her refusal to surrender.

In a simple and partly coincidental plot twist, Rand learns the location of Salidar from that meeting. Eavesdropping is a frequent and useful mechanism to give your characters new knowledge that advances the plot. This time, eavesdropping as a plot device does not feel blatant and out of place, as it did in The Dragon Reborn when Mat overheard Gaebril in Caemlyn’s Royal Palace. Oddly, it is the fact that the location in question is difficult to access combined with Rand’s unique abilities to get there that makes it feel plausible. Two improbabilities combine to make a plausibility. It also helps that a precedent was set when Demandred observed Elayne in Tel’aran’rhiod in Chapter 7.

Mat observes a truth about dealing with the Snakes and Foxes, taken from a board game: you can’t win if you follow the rules. This will turn out to be true both in regards to the rhyme, and also with the rules governing time and space themselves.

Mat is asked to fetch Elayne back to Andor, since Rand hopes to lessen his burdens by passing a couple of nations off to her. It doesn’t work since Elayne contrives to be sent off to Ebou Dar to look for a stash of ter’angreal including one that can correct the weather.

Egwene’s method of travel, in the flesh through Tel’aran’rhiod, was used for evil, is evil, and will cause her to lose part of herself according to the Wise Ones. As inferred by the theory posted yesterday, there has to be some way that this action meets those criteria, even if it hasn’t been made obvious by Rand’s use of it or by Egwene’s use of it this time.

Egwene weaves flows of spirit to create a place where the interior of her tent is so similar to its reflection in Tel’aran’rhiod that there was no difference right there. One was the other. This should be place that is both Tel’aran’rhiod and waking world, a place both malleable and permanent.

Despite being there in the flesh, changes made to herself do not stay when she re-enters the waking world. Changing things in the waking world by altering their reflection in Tel’aran’rhiod should not be impossible when they are one and the same.

Siuan’s plan has come to fruition, she has a new Amyrlin to control, a group of rebels who believes the lies told by Logain and wants to pull Elaida down, and a spot near the center of the action as she runs the eyes and ears. Egwene quickly crushes Siuan’s ideas of manipulation, and sensing a kindred spirit, Siuan pledges to help her become Amyrlin in truth as well as name. Egwene had already started by making small decisions on her own which are questioned by her three factions of advisors. Promoting Elayne and Nynaeve to full sisters places them near the top ranks of Aes Sedai, though it is mitigated by them never having held the Oath Rod or being tested.

Egwene promises to be harsher than Moghedien’s previous captors. She very quickly establishes the rules Moghedien must follow with severe penalties for lying. Again, Egwene’s hardness would seem out of character had we not just seen her embrace the harsher side of Aiel life. Now it simply feels like she is being a Wise One to the Aes Sedai around her, and through sheer force of will and the help of her handful of allies, she is getting the results she expects.

The discovery of Traveling by Egwene opens up many story and plot advancing possibilities, but also introduces the complications of overreliance on it. Rand has only been using it himself in this book, and it is about to get him in big trouble.

Writing Lessons:

Make improbable coincidences more believable by setting up the linkages between them before revealing the coincidence.

Lord of Chaos - Chapters 11-14

In this section, the underlings strive to have more control.   

Taim seeks Rand’s permission to let him go recruiting. The familiar issue of trust comes up again, but time pressures Rand to accept Taim’s proposal. The risk of an encounter between Taim’s recruiters and an Aes Sedai leading to bad blood between them is not enough; the Aes Sedai may already be against Rand in any case.

Alanna doesn’t seek permission; she just does what she knows needs to be done, even if it goes against centuries of custom. Bonding Rand is logical if the goal is to bind the ta’veren to the Tower. While she gets that part right, she is left uncertain as to which Tower she is part of now that the Rebels have splintered away. Verin will provide the necessary guidance. It turns out she is a skilled manipulator, but hides it even from her supposed allies.

Moghedien takes a stab at pushing Nynaeve to leave the rebels before they decide to beg for Elaida’s mercy. She is surprisingly aggressive about it since Nynaeve is not wearing the a’dam to keep her cowed. The women have been speaking too freely, and Moghedien knows more about them from close observation than the Forsaken ever could have learned through spies. The fact that they had Moghedien well and truly obedient and under their thumb made them forget the threat she could become if ever freed. Still, there is no way for her to be freed that they can figure out.

Seconds after receiving advice, Nynaeve already gets it wrong: Write fast for Delana. Write slow for Janya. Yet another bad day is about to get worse! Birgitte stands up to Nynaeve. Nicola does exactly what she is told, leaving out as much as possible so as to ensure Nynaeve gets in trouble.

Nynaeve the Accepted is a fickle underling herself. Delana and Janya get Nynaeve to tell them how best to control Rand, and she complies. When Tarna asks her the same question shortly after, she tells her the exact opposite, hoping Elaida will bungle her approach to Rand.  Nynaeve eavesdrops on private conversations as well as continually failing to perform any of the exercises Theodrin assigns to help break her block. She cannot surrender control for even a moment, so it is no surprise every attempt fails.

Elayne’s classes go poorly, as no student will follow her directives. Too many independent or incompetent women. She then refuses to take Tarna’s offer to return to Tar Valon, too independent to do as she is told. Egwene is similarly unable to obey the restrictions put on her by the Wise Ones.

Once again, the power of Need is used to find something that will get the rebels to support Rand. Need is a strange power, which I think can best be likened to a guided Foretelling. A Dream, or a Viewing, or a Foretelling tells you something about the future that will, or must, or may come true. Need tells you something you need that must, or may lead to the desired outcome. Using Need to find the Bowl of the Winds is not much different from Min seeing that Bowl in a Viewing, or Egwene having a dream of them finding the Bowl in a dusty House, or Nicola spouting a quatrain about the Bowl in Ebou Dar. They all are able to use foreknowledge of the events the Pattern is weaving, and are in fact part of that weaving themselves.

Egwene introduces a new part of Tel’aran’rhiod, which in some discussions is called the Gap of Infinity. In this place, she can see the dreams of people in the real world, mirror worlds, and even stranger worlds, probably the cross-hatched hard to reach worlds from Verin’s explanation back in The Dragon Reborn. The Gap of Infinity is so named because it is ‘the infinity between Tel’aran’rhiod and the waking world, the narrow gap between dream and reality’. I am drawing a cosmological map of the Wheel of Time for a theory, and had to restart because of this area I had forgotten. It is coming soon.

A bubble of evil surfaces, and Anaiya is annoyed that it was only that and not a Forsaken. It gives the rebels a chance to try out the strategies they have been devising to combat the Forsaken. Bubbles of Evil are as random and dangerous as nightmares in Tel’aran’rhiod.

Writing Lessons:

Your minor characters, the underlings, are not obedient automatons. Give them life!

Lord of Chaos - Chapters 8-10

In this section, trickery abounds, and Rand is the victim!

Nynaeve’s weather sense is playing tricks on her. She thinks the weather should be one thing, but it just stays hot. Is she sensing the weather that the Pattern is calling for but can’t deliver due to the Dark One’s touch? There has been little detailed discussion of her weather sense in the series up until now, though in my post on The Eye of the World – chapters 35-39 I pondered whether this ability was related to Foretelling in some way. Note that what she is sensing is still not yet her ability to sense storms of a different type related to conflict.

Moghedien is giving up secrets grudgingly, and offering no more aid than she absolutely has to, correctly sensing that Nynaeve and Elayne are held hostage by the secret of her captivity as much as she is. She tricks Nynaeve into trying a weave that will give her blinding headaches, accepting the pain that the a’dam reflects back upon her as a worthwhile cost to see her captor brought down a peg. She even tells Nynaeve that the ability to not feel the heat or cold comes from years of using the Power, even as Rand learned it has nothing to do with the Power.

Sightings in Tel’aran’rhiod of Rand, or Lan begin. Slayer is back.

Myrelle is pushing hard for Nynaeve’s block to be broken. She wants Nynaeve to be ready to accept Lan’s bond, as per Moiraine’s instructions. Nynaeve has no idea that the wringer she will be put through will bring her closer to gaining Lan’s bond. A fine joke. It took a trick to break Theodrin’s block.

Logain has prepared his lies well, and Lelaine has gobbled it up as eagerly as the nobles she trots before him. If she were to suddenly have doubts as to whether Siuan was no longer held by the three Oaths, would she still be able to say that it was told to her by one who cannot lie? Would she need proof before she could utter the words, or would those doubts prevent her from ever saying them again?

The rebel Aes Sedai have not yet publicly committed to backing Rand or opposing Elaida, though Sheriam’s council is privately committed, having already made plans for… we won’t be told what just yet. The arrival of Elaida’s envoy is a catalyst, but everyone will have different ideas about what it will bring about.

Pedron Niall is a sly one, with a false spymaster working for him while the true spymaster is hidden under everyone’s nose. Are there any parallels with other hidden spies with Rand, or in Salidar? Or is this a false trail? Readers’ heads should be spinning with questions and suspicions by now.

Niall’s rumours will help maintain the rift in the Tower, just as the rumours of Logain’s Red Ajah benefactors spurred him to create them in the first place. Who is misleading who? What Niall thinks he is making up is so close to the truth, for all that it went through two cycles of the rumour mill.

Balwer himself has no apparent interest in the Children of the Light, he is simply employed by Niall because… he likes the job? He is eager to press Morgase, is that because he has an axe to grind, an old score to settle?

Following The Fires of Heaven, Rand is maintaining his decision to avoid the women he loves, and not to trust any others.

Rand finds Verin and Alanna in an inn with several Two Rivers girls on their way to become Aes Sedai. He lets his guard down, enjoys being Rand al’Thor for a few minutes, hears about his friends, and then stupidly lets Alanna bond him. This is about as big a surprise as can be, for Elayne was foreshadowed to be the one who bonds Rand, and Alanna is hardly even a second-tier character in the series so far. How was this surprise carried out?

First, both Rand’s and the readers’ guard is down. There are two pages of reminiscing, trading stories, and good times. There is no threat at all. Verin and Alanna helped Perrin after all, they are good guys. There is a strong element of humour as well, with Verin and Alanna acting as though they are in control while Rand wryly plans how to overturn their expectations. There is no doubt in the reader’s mind that Rand has the upper hand. His men can handle the warders, while he handles the Aes Sedai. When he says he wants to be alone with them, Sulin cracks a maiden joke that is surely about what men and women do when they are alone. Rand chortles as he wonders whether they notice his lack of sweat, matching theirs. Up until they discuss the rebels, Rand is presented as thoroughly in charge, unfazed, unmenaced.

Their lack of willingness to help reminds him of Moraine’s advice about trusting Aes Sedai. This is a last nagging thought before his guard is well and truly down. Alanna asks about Mat, Rand mirrors their response, refusing to tell, full of himself for having scored a point against the mighty Aes Sedai.

To pull off the surprise, it must be carried out rather quickly. Alanna immediately responds by implying they are not enemies, and makes a peace offering as she glides over to perhaps delve or heal him. Since she says straight out she will not harm him, he accepts her offer. She delves him, as expected.

Then, she bonds him. The choice of words implies the speed: flash of heat, for a heartbeat. The surprise is augmented by the next action, which is attempting to shield him. Creating suspense, Rand twice asks what they did to him before they tell him.

Writing Lessons:

Create surprise by reversing expectations in the mood you have built up.

The Fires of Heaven - Chapters 50-52

In this section, it’s the big payoff to the pent up tension in the battle of the sexes.

The animosity between the sexes isn’t as strong here, but Elayne still gets angry at Gareth and considers the reason is something to do with his scornful treatment at Morgase’s hands. Nynaeve deals with other women, so has no men to complain about, except for when her followers all frustrate her one last time before taking jobs with Bryne’s army. Mat is set upon by Melindhra who tries to drive a knife through his heart, because some oaths are stronger than others. Min and Elayne decide they are willing to share Rand’s affection. This decision somehow convinced some fans of the sordid minds of male authors. The point of the young women’s attitude is to show they freely choose to find a solution to their relationships, and to contrast it with someone who can’t or won’t do that.

Sharing Rand is a big deal, because the emotional payoff of the book, and the battle between the sexes, comes about when Lanfear dramatically refuses to share him. Lanfear had fully intended to be the one who took his virginity, to become his carneira as the Malkieri say. Rand’s shy and honorable demeanor implied she could trust that he wouldn’t tumble any woman into a bed, and she was right. Rand believed his duty was to marry Aviendha. Lanfear wanted him to say that to her, and tie him to her forever. She really blew it.

In the end, it might not have mattered if Aviendha had in fact slept with Rand, because sharing a room and cavorting before him naked should have started sufficient rumours to reach Lanfear’s ears in any case. Given Kadere’s methods, it is likely that he correctly recognized the meaningful subtle hints between Rand and Aviendha, but there is enough circumstantial evidence he could just as easily convinced himself of it even if it weren’t true.

All of the grudging remarks on the opposite sex, all of the spiteful comments, and jokes at each other’s expense, so much more strongly displayed in this book than in any of the previous ones, is designed to lead up to this incident. Lanfear is a woman scorned, and she will kill the other woman who laid a hand on her man. This is as fierce and furious a rift between a man and a woman as is possible. Since Lanfear couldn’t be around stalking Rand through the whole book, other means had to be used to build up the expectation for the reader that men and women just can’t get along. Men will perceive Lanfear as a crazy stalker bitch, women will see her as a poacher trying to claim a man who is taken, but may sympathize with the emotions caused by infidelity.

It is the most memorable scene of the book, because it has a greater emotional punch than the later battle with Rahvin. It plays on the emotions of Rand, Aviendha, Elayne and Lanfear. Adding extra gravity to the scene, Moiraine dies to do what Rand could not, and causes Lan to be lost as well. Rand has fully matured now: he has led men, he has no mentors left, and he has had a lover.

A lot of setup for the next book is established; a new status quo: Nynaeve and Siuan are blackmailing each other, the Tower in Exile has begun preparations to resist Elaida, emissaries are on their way to meet Rand, and Rand is a ruler of nations. It is a far cry from the status quo at the beginning of this book where everyone was slowly marching somewhere.

The process of teaching people to use Tel’aran’rhiod has begun. First it was Nynaeve and Elayne, now Siuan and the Salidar rebel leaders. The Aes Sedai hardly believe the World of Dreams exists, but they are eager to exploit its possibilities.

With foreknowledge of later events, the entire question of why the rebels even exist comes to mind. In a panic, many Aes Sedai fled the Tower, and the Blues let it be known that they would gather in Salidar. Once any sister from another Ajah learned this, if they weren’t actually told outright, the word would have spread through the networks of eyes and ears. The Ajah heads hatch a plan to let the rebels enough time to cool their emotions. They send ‘Sitters’ to guide the rebels to a reunification within a few months while they guide Elaida. Elaida learns of Salidar through the Reds’ own network of spies, or from an ambitious ass-kisser, or from the Blacks who are aiming for the opposite of the Ajah Heads, which is to keep the division deep and lasting. Elaida sends her own agents to bend the rebels into submission, one of whom is in the small council overseeing Salidar. Thom and Juilin describe pulling down Elaida as madness, so how does the rebellion get off the ground?

Into the seemingly sensible Ajah head plans entered Siuan, with her own plan to overthrow Elaida. The Blacks in Salidar latch onto her claims, hoping to keep the rebels rebellious. Readers know next to none of any of this, and will learn most of it in 4-6 books from now. Yet it was conceived and planned by the author at about this time. First, he had to establish a familiar structure, so he introduced the council, with one member from each Ajah, and Sheriam who is the link to the deposed regime, and currently has no Ajah of her own since she is Mistress of Novices. This is the only important detail to convey to readers: it is a mirror of the White Tower, with all the same structure and relationships.

The question of how to break cuendillar is raised again, and even though I have the answer, I am saving it for an epic theory, coming soon.

Writing Lessons:

Guide the reader into an unfamiliar situation by establishing some familiar touchstones they can use as reference points.

The Fires of Heaven - Chapters 28-32

In this section, several characters find themselves trapped in good circumstances.

Gareth knows he’ll never leave Salidar, but figures he has little to lose now. Gareth’s perspective is entertaining, providing keen insight into the politics and earning respect for the no-nonsense approach while surrounding by schemers. If for some reason readers didn’t take to Siuan, they will take to Gareth in opposition as he makes Siuan clean his boots. Gareth getting the upper hand over the Aes Sedai in his bargaining is fun to watch as well. Gareth has acquired reader’s sympathy by his ill treatment at the hands of Morgase and Rahvin. So long as Morgase, Elayne and Thom remain to remind readers of how things were in Caemlyn before the bad times, Gareth is likely to retain that sympathy.

Min turns the tables on both of them by telling Siuan she must stay near him or they will both die. The most likely reason is that without her cleaning duties to occupy her, her role guiding the rebels would be found out by the villains, and they would put an end to her. Min’s Viewing doesn’t specify a particular occasion, it is a warning against a certain behaviour, -staying away from Gareth for too far or too long- that may create an irreversible situation that ends with her death.

Kadere can’t understand why Isendre can’t seduce Rand. When he learns Isendre’s suspicions that Aviendha got there first, there is nothing left for him but to murder her. Kadere believes that the way to control Rand is through sexual relations with women that Kadere controls.

Rand discovers he is wealthy, possibly as wealthy as any man in the world. Aiel law gives him ownership of 1/50^th of everything in the Stone of Tear, and of the kingdom itself since they surrendered to him. Tairen law doesn’t cover the eventual return of the Dragon Reborn, or any other conqueror who takes over the Stone; it has always been assumed the High Lords would rule forevermore. No one was likely to argue against Rand taking anything he wants, so an imposed limit of 1/50^th is actually in their favour.

Wealth is a dangerous advantage to give a character. Buying off the opposition can offer a way out of many situations, so there always has to be some means of keeping this advantage in check. In Elayne’s case, she is in a remote location where her wealth cannot be used and her title carries the danger of abduction. Moiraine’s letters of rights can allow spies to track her down. Separating the character from the source of their wealth, often making the leave home, is usually sufficient to remove this advantage. Wealth often provokes resentment or other negative emotions in the reader. Most nobles and wealthy people in the series have had unfavourable portrayals. Rand’s earlier instinct was to feed the refugees in Cairhien, which somewhat removes any negative association with the so-called nobility, so readers might assume that his wealth will be put to that purpose.

Rand’s naiveté mirrors my own when I first read this series, never seeing Aviendha’s attraction to him despite the earlier emphasis, and thinking marriage was the only logical outcome. Rand’s later comment reflects all-too familiar entitlement: She can’t really mean never again. This book, more than any of the previous ones has honed in on male-female relationships, since Rand’s love life plays such a pivotal role. The author skillfully captures the good, bad, and humourous sides of relationships.

The Seanchan make a surprise appearance, and Aviendha demonstrates how enemies should be treated. Rand agrees that he needs to be harder.

I’ll analyze a paragraph relating to desperation, when Rand is hauling Aviendha from cold water. Desperation is tricky to portray, it easily veers towards parodying itself.

Got to pull her out. He crawled backward, hauling at her. She was a dead weight, sliding slowly out of the water. Don’t care if the ice scrapes her. Better that than freezing or drowning. Back. Keep moving. If you quit, she dies. Keep moving, burn you! Crawling. Pulling with his legs, pushing with one hand. The other locked in Aviendha’s hair; no time to get a better grip; she could not feel it anyway. You’ve had it easy for too long. Lords kneeling, and gai’shain running to fetch your wine, and Moiraine doing as she’s told. Back. Time to do something yourself, if you still can. Move, you flaming fatherless son of a spavined goat! Keep moving!

The sentences are clipped short, emphasizing action instead of the lengthy wordy sentences we are used to.  The lack of detail in each short sentence creates fear in the reader as they wonder what is happening. The seriousness is belied by certain words: Got to, dead, don’t care, if you quit, she dies, no time, she could not feel it, keep moving, move! Rand makes several choices between bad and worse outcomes: scrapes vs. drowning; freezing vs. getting a better grip; effort vs. quit. The imagery shows slowness and difficulty of movement: crawled, hauled, dead weight, slowly, back, crawling, pushing with one hand, locked, could not feel it. Rand’s building personal turmoil is revealed as he needs to save her, curses himself for fatigue, admonishes himself for having helpers, taunts himself for laziness, and finally lashes out with a long string of curses.

Writing Lessons:

Build up the emotion to show your character’s desperation.