A Memory of Light - Chapter 37 - Part 4

In this section, Lan fights the Last Battle.

Leane is about to order the retreat of the remaining Aes Sedai, until Egwene shows up, devastating the enemy with her sa’angreal. Even at this late stage of the story, two new Aes Sedai is named. As Keeper of the Chronicles for ten of the last twelve years, Leane has better reason than anyone to know every Aes Sedai’s name and face. Had she not named these two, it would have been out of place, and it would be equally out of place if readers only saw Aes Sedai they had already met.

Talmanes is leading the repair of the dragons. The return of the dragons offers some hope so it is well juxtaposed with Egwene’s return to the field of battle.

Faile chases Aravine and the Horn, riding barebacked on Bela, the mare who has carried many of the heroes throughout their adventures. Stalwart Bela has always been dependable, like her owner Tam. Bela represents the way Rand was raised, his foundation and moral compass that will always carry him through and help him bear his burdens, which is why she has never faltered. Faile appeals to Bela to give her all in the chase: Faile scrambled to Bela’s side, cutting free the saddle – and all of its burdens – with a few swipes of the knife. And then, “Run, Bela,” Faile said. “If you’ve kept any strength back, now is the time to use it. Please. Run, girl. Run.” Bela’s imminent death signals the end of the last vestiges of Rand’s childhood.  

Faile learns that Vanin and Harnan had just been hoping to steal back some tabac, not the Horn. They clear her a path, and she kills Aravine with a dagger in the back. Realizing there is no way she can escape her pursuers, she gives the Horn to Olver while she leads them away. She is certain they will kill her. The feeling of desperation is heavy, with Faile’s imminent death and this essential task passed into the hands of the meekest of heroes.  “I’m sorry to place this upon you, little one. There is no one else. You did well earlier; you can do this. Take the Horn to Mat or all is lost.”

Logain keeps the Seals and goes hunting for Demandred, his sa’angreal, and something to fill the void within him. Logain is one of the only remaining characters who has not yet completely joined one side or the other. While he opposes the Shadow, he feels no affinity for the Light.

Egwene leads her assault and encounters Mazrim Taim, the M’Hael.

Raen and Ila triage the dead and wounded. Raen wonders what alternative there is to fighting the Shadow, since Trollocs would never stop chasing them no matter where they ran. He decides he will not think quite so poorly of those who follow a different path. Though he did not ask anyone to sacrifice their life for his, he recognizes that they have made the sacrifice nonetheless.  Ila considers Raen’s words. When she sees but fails to recognize the Darkfriends who have infiltrated the civilians helping with the wounded, she begins to see the world in greys, not the stark black and white she has seen all these past years. Her strict adherence to a viewpoint which had only two polar opposites drove her grandson away. This rejection of strict moral boundaries is very similar to what Rand will soon come to understand.

Olver has been abandoned. He is chased into a crevice. Simple use of verbs and adjectives strongly convey how hopeless his situation is while retaining his childlike view of the world.

Alone. He’d been left alone again.

Olver whimpered.

No safety.

There were hundreds of them back there, chasing him.

The tantalizing hope of escape ends as Bela is shot dead by arrows. In a little cleft, Olver hides, with Trolloc claws tearing at his clothing. Take the Horn to Mat or all is lost. Can the reader have any doubt that the Horn will never reach Mat, and that all is indeed lost?

Logain attacks Demandred, but is quickly overpowered. He relies on his training to escape, and not only the power. He wonders how they will ever beat Demandred. He is the third to face the Forsaken, and third to fail. Perhaps they will lose unless Rand comes to their aid. The only thing which cuts through Logain’s frustration is the realization that his Aes Sedai Gabrelle actually was concerned for him.

Egwene overpowers Taim, but he escapes using the True Power. She ponders the nature of balefire. This is a second attempt to prepare the reader for Egwene’s surprise weave.

Hurin’s nose describes more violence than has ever been wrought. He manages to keep fighting, but the worst is yet to come. His own faith in Rand is the only certainty any of the characters feel.

Berelain has had to order that only those who can be saved may be tended, rationing the care of the wounded. She further must cajole the gai’shain into helping collect and tend the wounded. Berelain discovers Annoura has burned herself out as a sacrifice of atonement to bring Galad back to Mayene. This final kindness to restore a friendship before the end was one that brought tears to my eyes. For other readers it may have been this scene, or another, since they all build on waves of hopelessness, courage and redemption. Where they finally break through depends on the characters you identify with. The author makes excellent use of the most minor characters such as Ila, Annoura, Hurin, and others to prime the readers for what may be in store for their favourites.

Galad passes out before he can tell Berelain about the medallion.

Rand watches as friends and allies die. His ability to see the battle unfold in detail even while in an otherworldly dimension is an efficient way to compress many emotional moments into a small amount of text. Minor characters are dying, quickly. Now that they are out of the way, the author can move on to the main characters. The Dark One weaves…

Taim receives a loan of the sa’angreal Sarkanen. Egwene is commanded to be destroyed by balefire. Taim forces himself to think of himself as M’Hael. When Fortuona renamed Mat as Knotai, he made no similar effort despite acknowledging Karede’s insistence he go by that new name; he still thinks of himself as Mat. M’Hael’s forced effort to adopt the identity thrust upon him by another is contrary to how each of the Heroes has resisted changing their identity when it was dictated by others.

Elayne is attacked by mercenaries. Mellar’s control of her is displayed as Elayne is even denied the chance to spit in his face properly. He then kills Birgitte in a bloody and awful manner. The suddenness of her death is jarring, lacking any heroism, and emphasizes Elayne’s lack of options. Mellar even gets to brag about how good it felt. A substitute blonde corpse convinces her army that she is dead, so none know she is missing. Her children will be cut out of her and delivered to Shayol Ghul. This looks bad.

Rand receives the Dark One’s final offer to annihilate the world, eliminating pain suffering and existence itself. He can stop Elayne’s forced caesarean, end the violent deaths, and end the betrayals and the burdens. The Dark One offers suicide. Rand rejects the offer. He does not seek an end, he seeks a solution.

Min unmasks Moghedien using her ability to see Viewings. It is one of the only times when a character’s abilities trump their personality in overcoming an obstacle. In past examples, there has almost always been an overt decision or affirmation made by the character before the abilities or happenstance come into play. Nonetheless, it is rewarding to have a non-channeler such as Min best one of the Forsaken. The Seanchan will soon join the fray.

Egwene delivers destruction unto her enemies. Despite bonding Leilwin, she is distraught, and fueled by rage. In most circumstances this ends badly for an Aes Sedai, and her suicidal frontal assault would normally end poorly, if not for the entirety of the White Tower’s channelers providing defense while she recklessly advances.

The use of balefire in large quantities is shown to have the expected effects, but in such a chaotic battle, there is no use in dissecting the chain of events that has been rewritten. This provides some cover to the author, who is free to dictate what has happened and what hasn’t, with no further explanation. Egwene discovers a new weave, as she has done in the past, yet the explanation feels contrived and I wonder if less explanation may have been more convincing than this blaze of illogic: Two sides to every coin. Two halves to the Power. Hot and cold, light and dark, woman and man. If a weave exists, so must its opposite.

The counter-weave to balefire and Egwene’s death have deeper meaning. M’Hael sought to undo Egwene, erasing her from existence. Egwene represents Rand’s childhood. She needed to die so that he could truly pass from childhood to adulthood. The manner of her death by balefire would represent that Rand had forever lost his childhood ideals and the love of the community that raised him. With Egwene’s final assertion, embodied in the new weave, she instead protects that childhood, stopping its erasure, preserving it for Rand to draw upon in times of need.  

Rand gets very angry at Egwene’s death. THE DEAD ARE MINE. I WILL KILL THEM ALL, ADVERSARY. Rand feels her loss like part of him has been cut away. He remembers all his failures.

Leane discovers Egwene is gone, and a crystal column stands in her place, that will likely stand forever. The balefire damage has been repaired. Word of the Amyrlin’s demise begins to travel.

Berelain hears a whisper from her beloved Galad “…Hope…”, and she rushes out to return Mat’s medallion. Once again, I am impressed how even the least powerful characters have essential roles to play, and could easily have carried a story on their own.

Mat learns Egwene has eliminated almost all the enemy channelers, leaving a battle between armies. And Demandred.  He has no brilliant strategy to give Lan, asking him to check on reserves from Mayene. He calls on his luck, and receives word Elayne is dead, which is fitting as she represents both the present and the gleaming promise of civilization itself. Andor and the Queen have always been foremost among humanity’s champions. Mat delivers orders to Tuon and Talmanes, his last reserves. Mat can’t win, but he fights on anyway, “Because I’ll be a Darkfriend before I’ll let this battle go without trying everything, 

Arganda.” As Mat makes his final preparations, Lan has gone on to fight Demandred alone.

Trollocs tear at Olver. He stands in for all humanity, enemies mercilessly clawing, the ground caving in on him, trapped with no hope of escape.

Loial must witness the fall of the last King of the Malkieri. Predicting his death with a reliable character works convincingly. All other opponents before have lost, why should Lan fare any better? Loial is trustworthy, which means Lan will die.

Tam sees Lan, a dim spark of Light in the Shadow: Tam almost lost Lan’s figure atop the midnight stallion, despite the bonfires burning on the Heights. Their light seemed feeble. He paves the way for Lan with a hail of fiery arrows. Lan’s spark alone can’t do it, but with a second to join with Lan’s? Rand’s father figures unite for a last desperate strike.

Lan intends to destroy Demandred, implausible as it seems. First he must get close, and even knowing the impossibility of it, he tries, and finds that Tam has come to his aid. Even as he nears his objective, he shows care for his horse by leaving its saddle, though it seems likely Mandarb would not stand idly by, and could end up just as dead. Lan offers no opening, shows no hesitation. There is no glory, no pride, no contest of equals. He is the man who will kill Demandred. Who then is Demandred? He is the man whose pride could not abide being less than first, who chose to gamble on being first for the Shadow’s cause, who traded ideals for a chance at prominence. Demandred is pride, and too much pride has been one of Rand’s weaknesses.

Min sees signs of the end, or so it seems. Once again she is a reliable character whose viewings are never wrong, and this confidence in her statements transfers easily to her opinions, which have also proven mostly correct. She represents the future, and she watches the lights flicker, the last embers of a fire that would soon be extinguished. She feels Rand tremble.

Rand thinks he has failed. In his pride he believes that all of these deaths were his fault, their lives were his responsibility. And then he remembers to let go. Rand has a role to play in people’s lives, but he does not bear final responsibility for everything that befalls them. He is there to give them a chance to choose who they will be, and how they will stand, or fall.

Lan calls himself just a man, which is why he succeeds when the prince of Andor, the Dragon’s Brother, and the leader of the Black Tower all failed. While the medallion and swordsmanship allow him to stand on almost equal terms with Demandred, it is his dedication to what he stands for and understanding of who he is and the battle that he fights that allows him to anticipate his enemy’s moves, whether with sword or the One Power. Mirroring what he taught Rand near the beginning of the series, Lan impales himself on Demandred’s sword, immobilizing it, then drives his own blade into Demandred’s throat. He never cared about winning as Demandred did, so full of pride. A tie is all he needed. He came to do what needed to be done, and he slays false pride. He quotes “Death is light as a feather”, sends his love to Nynaeve and dies.

The Last Battle is apparently over, and surprisingly, it was not Rand’s, but Lan’s.

Writing Lessons:

 The identity and reputation of the character delivering the message matter as much as the message itself.

A Memory of Light - Chapters 7-9

In this section, the long war begins.

The ink is hardly dry on the Dragon’s Peace before planning for the conflict begins. Splitting the conflict onto three immediate fronts in Andor, Shienar and Kandor allows the author to showcase more characters playing roles and to balance momentum, so that even if one battle front goes well for the heroes, other dire situations maintain tension. If there is a downside, it is that with so many plotlines to juggle, some may get only short attention, if they show up at all, and if they play off each other, the complexity of the plotting increases. This intricacy, and the time needed for the author to handle it, is one of the reasons that The Wheel of Time came to feel bogged down. Much of what the author needs to establish now is the setting and placement of characters in each locale.

One of the four great captains is assigned to each of the battle fronts. Merrilor is maintained as Elayne’s central command location, a seemingly trivial decision that will dictate the setting of the Last Battle. A countdown for two locations will run out if a victory is not achieved in Andor quickly. Loial sticks his head in the story long enough to announce the Ogier will fight alongside the humans. The Horn of Valere is entrusted to Faile, who originally left home hunting for it. Lan sets the tone for the coming battle: no sadness, no mourning, only pride that when the time of their testing came, and victory all but impossible, the soldiers were ready, and did their duty, even unto death. Most importantly, the men of many nations fight together, as they never have since the Age of Legends.

The events beginning the conflict have an air of finality. Elayne torches her home city, and reveals the father of her children, admitting there can be no safety for them since she herself is a target. Evin is turned to the Shadow with little fuss, and it seems inevitable that Androl will receive no outside help. Bulen and other Borderlanders give their lives for small, but meaningful causes in their battle. Their sacrifices buy time, but Agelmar tells Lan that even so, they will eventually retreat and give up the land their comrades paid for in blood. Each painful decision is made in the name of duty, necessary evils meant to improve their marginal chances against the Trollocs. Lan grudgingly realizes he will abandon his lost home of Malkier yet again, because duty to his fellow men compels this grim course of action.

Through the preparations, the author maintains each character’s personality, highlighting the unique way in which they think instead of committing solely to plot-based descriptions. Elayne held out for the most advantage when the Dragon’s Peace was signed, and now Egwene can’t help but lament that all of the choices arrayed before her undermine her authority, regarding Elayne’s place at the head of the armies: Refusing her would set a bad precedent. As would obeying her.

Egwene also keeps up her intense hatred of the Seanchan, despite that humanity needs the two forces to be allies. Egwene embraces the use of the name Leilwin for the hated Seanchan woman Egeanin, happy to remind her that she is less than nothing in Egwene’s eyes.

Despite the overwhelming military aspects of the story, small introspective moments point to the possibility that some non-violent means may give the key to victory. Lan prefers to use Aes Sedai as useful tools rather than weapons, and Rand considers grand philosophical questions as he evaluates his chances for success. Was the flame alive? It ate, it moved on its own. You could smother it, so in a way it breathed. What was it to be alive? Could an idea live? A world without the Dark One. A world without evil. There have been clues in earlier books as well, notably Verin’s assertion that the Last Battle would not be fought in the way that Rand imagined. Little reminders such as this one will keep the reader from being distraught if the greatest battle of all time isn’t resolved through battle.

Elayne and Rand share a last night together, exchanging gifts and revealing their deepest feelings and secrets. Elayne represents Rand’s present, while Aviendha and Min were his past and future. Elayne embodies Andor, especially now that Caemlyn is burned. Andor itself represents a set of morals and ideals that Rand was raised with, given to him by Tam. Through these ideals, Elayne represents what is best in Rand, the core of his being, his shining heart, like the gleaming city on the hill, the oldest and most respected of the Nations to rise after Hawkwing’s empire shattered. Elayne is all that is good, and when Rand tells her who he is now, her reaction is acceptance and love, unlike anyone else’s.  

Writing Lessons:

Keep your characters in character, no matter what exciting events are taking place.

A Memory of Light - Chapters 1-4

In this section, Rand returns as a point of view character while dire events transpire at the Black Tower.

The familiar opening shows a world failing, withering, dying, awaiting the end. Rand’s appearance disrupts that imagery with happiness: Laughter broke the air.

While Moridin’s forces feel assured of victory, Rand is more hesitant, concocting a plan he isn’t sure can work, revealing that he wishes to kill the Dark One himself. The key element of the plan involves breaking the seals on the Dark One’s prison, which drives a wedge between him and Egwene. Egwene has a clue left by a Dreamer, a well known and oft studied clue: Wait upon the Light.

Rand pays attention to Roedran, inciting the reader to do the same, yet it seems unlikely or undesirable to the reader that such a minor character can suddenly play a meaningful role. It turns out that this is a feint; Roedran is being mildly played up to attract attention while keeping the reader guessing about Demandred’s whereabouts a little while longer.

Rand correctly surmises the Shadow wants to prevent the heroes from unifying, and the bold attack on Caemlyn threatens to do just that. More importantly to the story, Caemlyn is the central city, the gleaming jewel on the hill, the heart of the civilization that emerged after Hawkwing’s death. Its fall symbolizes the last cutting of ties to the old, the end of all that was good. It symbolizes that all the people of the world have left is each other now, even though most of their nations and cities still stand.

Talmanes’ overly heroic death is averted by Nynaeve’s healing.  This doesn’t sit well, as it indicates an unwillingness to let even a secondary character die, and cheapens the stakes. On a reread, it may instead have been intended to deliberately mislead, so that when well-established heroes die later, it will be even more shocking. If an author goes to such great lengths to keep this character alive, a payoff is expected. Does Talmanes have a critical role to play which no one else can do? Is there some clue in the way he embraced death which he can teach a main hero? Or is this just one of many death and resurrection parallels throughout the story?

Perrin and Elayne urge Rand and Egwene to talk, not argue, when they meet on the morrow.

At the Black Tower, Androl commits to a course of action, abducting and questioning one of Taim’s men. While the characters at Merrilor debate what to do and talk about events at a distance, it is Androl’s sections which provide the excitement. No matter that Androl is a new character and Pevara is a Red Sister, and that readers generally identify with Rand and Egwene closely, having followed their adventures for thirteen books. All it takes is a lack of action on their part to thrust Androl’s plotline to the forefront. It helps that readers are mildly unsure whether Androl’s events take place precisely on the eve of the meeting at Merrilor, and that they expect Taim’s men to play some role in disrupting those proceedings. Readers expect that the Black Tower storyline will play directly into events surrounding Rand. The fact that this turns out to be false doesn’t lessen the excitement immediately felt as Androl’s plan comes apart and he and his followers are overwhelmed as they rescue Logain. Logain’s own role and foretold destiny also help lift this plotline above the main storyline.

Aviendha comes to Rand, and for the last time he makes a halfhearted attempt to try spare a woman any pain. As always, the woman points out that she is truly an equal, and must therefore be allowed to choose on her own what pain and risks she will accept. Rand finally accepts this, and immediately reaps the rewards.

The dreamshard scene reminds readers that Moridin and Rand are linked somehow. The possibility that many of their early interactions took place in a dreamshard is raised, and offers an explanation for many small mysteries from the early books.

However brief the Moridin-Rand scene is, it contains emotive power in the cool verbal parrying between them. In just four pages it covers Lanfear’s relationship with Lews Therin, Moridin’s self-loathing, Rand’s desire to protect his loved ones, dreamshard physics, discussions on fate and destiny, Rand’s ultimate plan revealed to his enemies, and a surprise ability that sends Moridin scurrying. Any interaction between the principal hero and antagonist is bound to excite the reader, and this short section hits with everything it can. Hammering at the raw nerves of either character and addressing their worst fears is wonderfully effective here.

On the back of the hope raised by Rand’s small victory over Moridin, everything runs smoothly for Androl up until the last second, when hope is dashed. This too is a great example of stringing disparate sections together based on the mood the author wants to convey. Rand’s victory leads to Androl’s early success which reinforces expectation of Androl’s ongoing success, right up to the last second.

Writing Lessons:

Readers will perceive importance with the things the author treats with importance.

A Memory of Light - Prologue

Sorry for the lengthy wait, life struck and added to the time I needed to digest A Memory of Light.

In this section, new point of view characters foil readers’ expectations.

Oddly, Bayrd the Andoran soldier is introduced as a new character. It’s odd because there are already a multitude of other characters in which readers are already emotionally invested. Why introduce him at all? In this case, Bayrd’s story ties up a few loose ends, telling what happened to one of Elayne’s enemies and showing that across the world, ordinary men recognize the signs of Tarmon Gai’don and decide to join with whatever army they can find so they can march against the Dark One. Bayrd and his companions stand in for all the other people which the author can’t afford to show. It’s still meager benefit against the risk of displeasing the reader, but the other possible reasons for including are misleading. Weapons failing? Rejecting immoral authority figures? The act of creating as a ward against the Dark One? The lack of other good explanations for this section gives each of these possible other explanations added weight, whether it is intended or not.

Talmanes appears between every other scene in the prologue, leading a desperate defense of Caemlyn. The alternating structure of the prologue increases the sense of urgency over what a straightforward telling would have done. This structure is highly atypical of most Wheel of Time books, which would normally avoid interruptions in the midst of an action sequence, except to show other players within that same action sequence. It is however common in other fantasy stories, serving to delay resolution and increase the reader’s curiosity and emotional involvement. The difficulty here is that Talmanes is a secondary character, and spends a great deal of time searching for cannons, two things which reduce a reader’s engagement. The author wisely first portrayed Talmanes’ actions in saving the citizens of Caemlyn, forging an emotional bond with Talmanes before sending him off to save the new weapons, which so far offer more hope than proof of effectiveness.

Isam offers a peek inside his grim upbringing in the Town, a way station in the shadow of Shayol Ghul itself. The initial description represents Isam’s life: “The building would have been called an inn elsewhere, though Isam had never seen anyone inside except for the dull-eyed women who tended the few drab rooms and prepared tasteless meals. Visits here were never for comfort. He sat on a hard stool at a pine table so worn with age, it had likely grayed long before Isam’s birth. He refrained from touching the surface overly much, lest he come away with more splinters than an Aiel had spears.” Women, food, and simple furniture all fail to live up to the most meager of expectations. What isn’t bland is likely to hurt him. It’s all symbolic of life under the Dark One, and the reader can’t help but feel a twinge of pity for Isam, or hope that there is something of him to be salvaged. These feelings come from the way Isam stands in contrast to his surroundings. Longtime readers know Isam is nasty, but as presented here he becomes rather sympathetic in comparison to the red-veiled Aiel called Samma N’Sei, or the Forsaken who use and discard him. Coming so soon after Lanfear’s appeal for help at the end of the last book, there is reason to wonder whether Isam, or Luc, has any interest in ending his service to the Shadow. Once again, such an assumption will prove to be misleading.

Clues reveal these Samma N’Sei are Aiel men who can channel, but have been captured and turned to serve the Shadow. This secret army of channelers made a surprise appearance at the end of Towers of Midnight, stacking the odds against the heroes, who don’t yet know they exist. Having successfully avoided revealing the existence of these evil channelers throughout the entire series, readers expect a big payoff when they enter the fray. Readers may dread the outcome for their heroes, they may resent their sudden appearance, but they will expect big things from the Samma N’Sei.

Leilwin approaches Nynaeve to offer help, but finds her past mistakes impede her chances of having her offer accepted.

Aviendha returns from Rhuidean, and realizes this is the last possible night for her to be with Rand.

Androl and Pevara act out the same tale that recurs throughout the series; that of deciding whether to trust someone who is very different from yourself. A quick exchange of background stories aims to make the reader care about these men but it is Androl’s drive which creates the greatest interest. The overwhelming sense of danger built up over the last several books outweighs all other considerations though, and now a countdown element is added as Androl’s group suspects their time is dwindling. Allies turn to Taim’s side overnight. Androl is weak, his Talent useless. Yet more than Bayrd or Talmanes, readers want to see him rise up and succeed. Connecting Androl’s personal desires to the Black Tower’s fate, which is already foremost in readers’ minds, allows them to care deeply about him despite his sudden appearance at the end of the series.  

Moghedien learns that Taim has joined the ranks of the Chosen. Her perspective also allows readers to learn about Sindhol, Dreamshards, Demandred’s whereabouts, Graendal’s fate, and other tempting morsels of Moridin’s plan. Disappointingly, Taim and Demandred appear together, at the same time, seeming to drive the final nail in the magnificent theory that Demandred is Taim. But if Kari al’Thor can be a dreamshard fabrication, why not one of these two? HA! I’ll never yield!

Moridin’s last command is chilling, setting the stage for the Last Battle: “The last days are upon us. In these hours, you will earn your final rewards. If you have grudges, put them behind you. If you have plots, bring them to completion. Make your final plays, for this… this is the end.”

Those words rev me up every time I read them! AAAAAAAAA!!!!

Writing Lessons:

Make a character appear sympathetic by showing them in contrast to something worse.

Towers of Midnight - Chapters 39-43

In this section, peculiar characters take center stage and banners are raised.

Aviendha’s appearance in Chapter 39 is awkward because it is only the third time her name has been mentioned in this book. Long time readers will of course know who Aviendha is, yet it is odd to leap into her quest without even a reminder that she had been sent on it. Only a few short chapters ago, the Wise Ones were speaking with Egwene, which offered an excellent set-up for her to learn her friend was making her second trip to Rhuidean.

Aviendha doesn’t tell anyone that she has traveled some distance from Rhuidean so that she can run the last stretch to get there. She meets an Aiel woman named Nakomi, who bizarrely appears as though from nowhere and vanishes just as mysteriously, after leaving Aviendha with some troubling thoughts to ponder. The manner of her abrupt departure despite Aviendha’s keen senses and tracking vaguely implies a greater purpose to her appearance, rather than a random encounter. Aviendha doesn’t dwell on her words much later, so the reader is left to wonder whether this was a dream, a time-disjointing hallucination brought on by burning brush, a visit from a more knowledgeable person such as another Wise One, a Forsaken, an Aes Sedai, or a future Aviendha, or worst of all, a divine intervention. I cross my fingers for random encounter, because Aviendha could have had these thoughts on her own with no need for mysterious old women.  

Perrin forges a hammer, and becomes powerfully linked to Norse myth. He also decides to be a leader of men, and raises his flag. He realizes the truth of one of his dreams, and decides to save the Children of the Light, for he thinks they are still in danger from the trap laid for him.

Berelain and Faile discuss Perrin’s identity, and later Alliandre reflects on it as well. Perrin is not calculating and does not do what is advantageous, he does what he feels is right. This is what led him to defend the Children of the Light instead of attacking them. Faile was right about him, and Berelain was wrong, and one last time, I can’t help but see that even when these women are honest with each other, they are not honest with each other. Faile’s and Berelain’s feud ends as agreed, with Faile using her own political acumen to give Berelain some help in reeling in her new man and free Perrin from her clutches for good. It wouldn’t have happened any differently if Perrin had slept with Berelain to gain her help in freeing Faile.

Why show Alliandre’s perspective at all, given that we’ve never been shown it up until now? One hint may be the silk shirt that she salvages from the pile of garments being rent for bandages. Cutting clothes up for bandages is a metaphor for tearing up something good like a marriage, but when Alliandre rescues the shirt that she intends to make a sash out of, it represents that even troubled relationships may sometimes be saved, and something worthwhile made out of them. Alliandre’s point of view is the only one from an outsider which comments on Faile and Perrin’s relationship, effectively reaffirming that they are the ones best able to decide whether to pursue or end it, and their opinions of each other outweigh any other truths.

Elyas leaves to join the wolves. For Perrin to lead wolves effectively, he’ll have to be in Tel’aran’rhiod, leaving Elyas to lead the wolves of the waking world, if they congregate rather than spread out.

Gawyn gets the Bloodknives’ rings, an ominous development that leaves readers wondering whether he’ll put them on, knowing the cost.

Lan raises his banner to lead his people, just as Perrin did. Lan’s reluctant rise to leadership was much shorter than Perrin’s, but conveyed quite effectively. Lan cannot change his character, part of which is his horse, which is what causes him to be recognized at last.  

Writing Lessons:

Remind readers of what characters are doing if they’ve been off-screen for too long.

Towers of Midnight - Prologue to Chapter 2

In this section, old and new characters give meaning and emotion to the story.

The prologue has three sections which are truly prologue material, involving Graendal, Fain, and some new Kandori characters. The other three sections involve main characters who figure prominently throughout this book. Lan gains his first follower, while Perrin and Galad share the first of several chapters in which they are inexorably drawn into conflict, though for now they are simply moving towards each other, though even that is not yet clear. Placing their perspectives in the same chapter, or in back-to-back chapters, creates the feeling that their stories are intertwined early on, which will allow later chapters to increase the tension as they draw ever closer to opposing each other.

Graendal survives Rand’s balefire attack by a narrow margin. One flaw I had identified in the balefiring of her palace was that none of the food her servants prepared for the last several hours or days ever made it to her plate, since the servants were balefired too. For all intents and purposes, Graendal was sitting in a forest for some time, imagining that she was in a castle surrounded by her pets. It may be that the balefire simply didn’t undo events very far back.

But once again, balefire has been used, and readers have yet another opportunity to have its properties explained, heavily implying that it will feature in the Last Battle, either as a tool of Demandred’s as suggested when the Dark One asked if he would unleash balefire, or in the hands of the heroes. Balefire’s most important property, revealed long ago, and only recently discovered by Rand, is that the Dark One cannot step outside of time any more than the heroes can. So what can Rand balefire to make use of this property in defeating the Dark One? The obvious answer is that the seals can be balefired. The Dark One’s prison can be broken open using balefire without him knowing that he was free to leave it. Rand can prepare his new seals, and while he balefires the seals, his allies can place the new ones at the instant he does so, cutting off any opportunity for the Dark One to take advantage of the gaping hole in his prison.

Fain enters the Blight, and readers are reminded that he has a role to play. His powers have increased immensely. He represents both the Shadow and intense opposition to the Shadow. He also represents a side of the heroes that they have turned away from, a dedication to a cause at all costs. His final role in A Memory of Light should play off of the heroes’ dedication to their causes, such as Perrin’s protectiveness of Faile, Rand’s desire to win, or Egwene’s pride. There have been two examples of how his evil can counteract the Dark One’s evil, with Rand’s wound and the cleansing of saidin. Fain is a trickster, so the third and final example where he counteracts the Dark One himself is not a foregone outcome.

Rand has had an epiphany of sorts, and where his immediate surroundings used to have all manner of bad things happen, such as spoiling of food or fatal accidents, now his presence makes things grow and provide sustenance. This change reinforces the idea that the spreading bubbles of evil and bad ta’veren effects were a result of his mental state, following the prophetic words that the Dragon is one with the land.  

It stands out as odd when new characters are introduced so late in a story, or when peripheral characters not seen since the first book make a return to the story. In Almen Bunt’s case, Rand is able to return a favour given long ago, and this is a second chance for him to treat people correctly, since he realized everyone should have a second chance during his epiphany atop Dragonmount.

Let’s take a quick look at how a scene of disposable characters, meant to introduce the dire forces massing against the heroes, is presented:

Malenarin expresses frustration, and has never accustomed himself to having the Blight nearby, yet he exhibits a casual ability to overcome difficulty by taking matters into his own hands, all presented with a short scene in which he latches a window to stop a hot breeze.

More detail of the sort of difficulty he must overcome is given in the form of the talents of his recruits, a memento of battles past, and the necessity to trick men into joining the ranks.

Malenarin’s son Keemlin is turning fourteen, and will be presented an heirloom sword. As he surveys the fortress, providing more details on the difficulties its men may face, the author forges a link between Keemlin, the fortress, and the difficulties, by talking about duty and burden, and how Malenarin’s philosophy encompasses them. In only two pages, the reader gains a strong understanding of Malenarin’s motivation, setting, and character.

A problem is introduced, Jargen says that another tower has signaled trouble. The author brings attention to Jargen joining the ranks of soldiers on his fourteenth birthday, further establishing the idea that Keemlin will do the same. Malenarin quickly decides to treat the event as though it represents the most serious possibility. Riders are to be sent south in case the flashes prove ineffective, and Keemlin thankfully happens to be on the list.

Malenarin’s worst fears are realized when the other tower southward does not respond. The hopes of the kingdom now ride with Keemlin. Malenarin orders the fortress made ready for a siege, and is dismayed to find Keemlin before him!

Keemlin explains that he let another younger rider take his place, out of concern for a friend’s family, and for the slight advantage that a few less pounds may have on the horse’s endurance and speed. Malenarin realizes that his son needn’t wait until his birthday to be raised to manhood. He has acted selflessly, and responsibly, choosing the least worst of his available options, even though it means his own death. He is thus able to stand with his fellow soldiers, having adopted behaviour that fits solidly within the philosophy presented earlier.

These few pages introduce new characters whose ideals are explained, challenged and met. The author accomplishes this rapidly by presenting several concepts and then linking them under a common idea, so that it stands in for all the subordinate concepts.

Writing Lessons:

Link ideas under a larger common idea to efficiently represent them all at once.

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.

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.

Crossroads of Twilight - Prologue part 1

In this section, a host of secondary characters are introduced.

Prologues are usually intended to give the reader information that can’t otherwise be shown in the story. When information is given in a prologue, it creates the expectation that the information will be of some necessity in building mood, explaining events, or driving the plot forward. In this case it only works if we consider Crossroads of Twilight as the first part of a larger book which includes the following volume or two. It might be best to think of it that way since this prologue spans eighty pages, almost one eighth of the entire book. At that point, the only reason to call it prologue instead of chapters is in order to lump various shorter bits together and pretend that the story actually only starts when the central characters are presented in Chapter one.

The first part of the prologue covers General Ituralde in Arad Doman, Eamon Valda leading the Children of the Light, Gabrelle at the Black Tower, Yukiri in the White Tower, Gawyn outside Tar Valon, and General Davram Bashere near Caemlyn. Four of these are battle leaders, indicating that war preparations are beginning. Four of these are completely new perspectives, though the sections previously granted to Gawyn or Valda were short, and parts of prologues themselves.

Ituralde has been mentioned by name before, but has never been seen on-page. His behaviour is consistent with Cadsuane’s, in that he seems to have been already anointed by the Light. He carries the favour of the disparate factions, and the only rules he follows are those ingrained by his morals. In comparison, Valda contemplates murder of his peers. Gawyn merely contemplates betraying his fellows, and he will act as a proxy for Rand for the next few books, looking down two divergent roads and deciding which to follow.

Gabrelle and Yukiri fail to attract any interest aside from the circumstances in their respective locales. Gabrelle’s seduction of Logain overshadows all other aspects of her personality, which is completely typical of her Ajah. As previously discussed, the Black Ajah hunters are more identifiable by their quest than by their individual personalities. As a result, each of them is interchangeable with the others, all the more so when Yukiri has a bland personality that fails to elevate her to the status of her co-conspirators Seaine and Pevara.

The mystery of the too-young Sitters is reintroduced here, and more discussion will follow in later chapters. We’ll check in to see if it warrants the attention.

In Bashere’s section, the attempted theft of the Seals on the Dark One’s Prison provides the first direct menace. All the other threats have been veiled and insinuated, none have been directly shown.

Let’s examine how the author handles the introduction of new characters, with a closer look at Ituralde’s first appearance.

Bashere is introduced as a seasoned soldier; the first two paragraphs give examples.

Jaalam is introduced in paragraph three, and his close relationship to Ituralde is demonstrated in the next two paragraphs.

The next two pages describe King Alsalam, an old friend whose erratic behaviour brought Ituralde to concoct his mad plan. Four other Lords and Ladies are named, who unswervingly obeyed the King’s orders, never to be seen again.

The next page introduces Donjel, a scout with severe facial injuries. He is trusted with carrying a packet to Ituralde’s wife should he die.

Jaalam is called to follow to Lady Osana’s hunting lodge. She too will never be heard from again. Jaalam opens doors and takes the lead to offer Ituralde some small protection as they enter the lodge.

They are met by Lord Shimron, once a trusted advisor to the King, now Dragonsworn. Shimron and Jaalam trade bows, honoring each other.

Three domain lords are named: Rajabi, Wakeda and Ankaer. The Dragonsworn have Shimron, and the Taraboners have no named leader.

Wakeda expresses doubt, taunting Ituralde. They trade verbal jabs as they discuss the Seanchan invasion.

Shimron acts as peacemaker, turning the talk to the Aiel on Almoth Plain. Ituralde points out that the Aiel have slowed the Seanchan, but can’t stop them. He reveals his latest orders from the King. He offers a truce in the King’s name to the assembled battle leaders. Now the earlier focus on the relationship between Ituralde and King is justified. All of these relationships and the choice to face the Seanchan depend on trust, which is why all the characters shown have had some element of their trustworthiness described.

Rajabi and Wakeda get one-line physical reactions. Shimron asks whether the Seanchan can be defeated, effectively deferring to Ituralde’s wisdom.

Ituralde answers yes, and Shimron, Rajabi and Wakeda agree to follow him. Their responses are given in order from he with the closest links to Ituralde to the most hostile.

The nameless Taraboners express doubt, and Ituralde offers to lead them himself. Wakeda wails at this aspect of the plan, still acting as the most vocal doubter of the group. But having already given his word, there is nothing to be done, and the Taraboner leader accepts Ituralde’s offer to put his own skin on the line.

In summary, a handful of named characters are used to establish the role of trust in relationships in this part of the world. Jaalam and Donjel offer direct examples, and the description of the other Domani’s dedication to follow orders reinforces them. Three named Lords are presented to show a range of attitudes towards Ituralde, and the domino-like fashion in which they fall into line precedes the Taraboner reaction, which represents the attitude of the everyman.

Writing Lessons:

Use a variety of characters in short speaking roles or shorter non-speaking roles to portray behaviours that will give believability to the situation.

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.  

Winter's Heart - Chapters 26-28

In this section, Elayne and Mat are under pressure.

The clock is ticking down on both Mat and Elayne. Mat needs to escape Ebou Dar in ten days, while Elayne has to act to address an immediate threat from a Borderlander army, and a longer term one from her rivals. In both of their sections, there is an example of compressed time. Let’s take a closer look.

In Elayne’s case, she receives an invitation of sorts from the Borderlanders, and hastily departs to meet with them. The author chooses to focus on certain discussions and preparations she makes, and the reactions of a large number of supporting characters; a scene readers are familiar with which turns up fairly often now that the heroes travel with large groups of companions.

Elayne wants to go now, but it is not so simple. Aviendha and Birgitte try to talk her out of it.

Elayne explains why she has to go now, deciding she will present herself as an Aes Sedai. Birgitte tries to force her into the role of the Daughter-Heir. Elayne asserts herself. Birgitte says she can’t go running off to have adventures. Elayne asserts herself again.

Mellar stays back, which should help Elayne present the façade of an Aes Sedai instead of Andoran noble.  The Guardswoman are not so accommodating. Birgitte sets them straight, complaining the whole while.

Essande lays out clothing, and helpfully brings Elayne her special pregnant meal. Mistress Harfor is tasked with handling the delegations who had hoped to see Elayne, and announces she has acquired goats to milk for Elayne’s special pregnant diet. The Aes Sedai Careane and Vandene accept their assigned tasks and give advice, none of which has to do with pregnancy.  Reanne is summoned to weave the Gateway. Elayne emphasizes the need for speed. The Sea Folk are aware of this bustle, but are not told where Elayne is going.

Marking the passage of time, we read: Making haste seemed beyond Essande’s ability, yet everyone else flew, and by the time the sun stood straight overhead, Elayne found herself riding Fireheart slowly through the snows of Braem Wood.

Birgitte and Aviendha take one last stab at convincing Elayne that Braem wood is no place for her. Then Elayne realizes what is going on.

Elayne dismantles the all-too-common assumption that once a woman is pregnant, that is all she is. She puts Birgitte and Aviendha in their places by threatening to make them wet nurses and reminds them she does not need a wet nurse, she is the same woman she always has been, and she needs to take these actions to accomplish her goals. In stories, pregnancy almost always relegates the mother to becoming a sidekick to the new arrival, often because the female character is not well enough developed to be more than a brood mare. This passage is an announcement that Elayne will not be depicted in that fashion. She will continue to have adventures and fight for the throne. The pregnancy has become a threat to her identity, one which she hopes to overcome by establishing her own rules early on.

The Borderlanders decision to move on makes sense given they’ve expended what their current location can offer as food. However, they latch onto the wisp of guidance Elayne gives them too easily, and the reader will probably find the solution overly simple. This could have been remedied by emphasizing that the Borderlanders must move, giving Elayne’s arguments more weight.

In Mat’s chapter, once he assigns Juilin the task of stealing some clothing and a’dam, events are told out of chronological order, instead following topics of the steps of Mat’s preparations.

First, the servants’ reaction to Mat’s change of clothing is covered. Then the sul’dam’s reaction is noted while Mat builds his horse’s stamina. He sees Aes Sedai occasionally and wants to reassure them, but can’t go near the kennels for fear of meeting Tuon again. Mat notes which high-ranking Seanchan are in the palace and which aren’t. He worries about what Tylin will do if she catches him. Noal tells him daily about the gholam’s murders, and Mat changes sleeping quarters every night.

Then we move on to Mat’s allies: Thom was told of Mat’s desire to free Teslyn before the chapter began though it is only announced now. He develops a plan to get out the gates, and they plot with Juilin how to carry out the plan. Beslan learns of their plans and tries to insert his own uprising into the plan. Mat dissuades him. Beslan stops coming to meetings.

Juilin’s efforts at spying and chasing Thera are described, and he learns important things about the sul’dam’s schedule. They know they’ll have to make their move at night, and risk being seen by Deathwatch guards in the streets. Getting the items isn’t as easy, but there are no significant hitches in the plan yet.

Through Riselle, they learn they’ll need an order, or one of the Blood, to get damane out of the gates. Options for women to pretend to be sul’dam are rejected. Six days have elapsed, more than half their time, and the lack of order, sul’dam and a’dam ramps up the tension. The last bit goes back to chronological order, covering the seventh day.

Reading through those first six days chronologically would have resulted in much lengthier descriptions, covering Mat’s wanderings and explaining every time he changes location. By combining several days’ worth of events that happen in the same location, the author is able to compress the information into easier to read chunks. The pacing and flow are much smoother with this thematic and locational approach than by forcing the reader to follow a chronological description of mundane and repetitive motions.

Writing Lessons:

Don’t describe events chronologically if it bogs down the flow of your story.