The Wheel of Time Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 31-33

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Writing Lessons:

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

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

Knife of Dreams - Prologue Part 2 to Chapter 1

In this section, Aes Sedai, both good and bad, find reason to hope.

We left off the last section with the Black Ajah Hunters worried about being found by their prey. Alviarin has already been cast down to a status well below where she ranks with her strength in the Power, so her mood has nowhere to go but up. Since she is the very prey the Black Ajah Hunters are seeking, it is natural for the story to move from their unfortunate discovery and Talene’s failure to appear before the Black Ajah, to Alviarin’s thin hopes to restore her standing. The reader knows, but Alviarin doesn’t, that the two women she is having followed will not only lead her to Talene, but to the very plot she needs to fulfill the mission assigned to her by the Dark One.   

Alviarin’s rank raised a thought. The Black Ajah meet hooded, and only know a handful of members’ names, but any Aes Sedai can feel not only another woman’s ability to channel, but their strength in the Power. Some of them must have been able to deduce the identities of other Black Ajah with this method. Any particularly strong or weak Aes Sedai would be easier to identify in another setting if there are few candidates to match with what they sensed. I suppose the entire Black Ajah never meets at once, but meetings of up to fifty seem possible. Even with that many there is risk of drawing attention with so many conspicuously absent.

Galina is believed dead by the White Tower and is trapped under Therava’s thumb. She has waited patiently for Faile to deliver the Oath Rod to her, but learning of Perrin’s plans makes her need more desperate. She plans to motivate Faile, then kill her, and then escape her captivity at last. Unwilling to take a chance that she is discovered lying and exposed as Black Ajah, she sees killing Faile as the only solution. Ironically, it is being able to lie that binds her in this predicament. Had she freely helped Perrin, she likely could have been freed when he attacks, and escaped soon after. Perhaps the Oath to the Dark One compelled her down this path of reasoning, since she must not betray her secret.

With a message to Faile passed along, Perrin now appears ready to attack, holding off for a few days only to see whether the Seanchan can be of help. Presenting his readiness through an outsider’s point of view lets the author present only the most essential information, avoiding getting bogged down in the actions and reactions of every person in his camp.

Egwene is an outsider to the White Tower, and in short order she understands that the Ajahs are divided, sniping and challenging each other. She realizes this presents an opportunity to topple Elaida, and once she learns she will not be stilled or executed, she resolves to take advantage of her captivity in the Tower.

Siuan was in a sorry state when Egwene’s boat was found, but the message delivered in her sleep assuages her, summons the Hall to meet in Tel’aran’rhiod, and gives her leverage over a number of Egwene’s ‘loyal’ Aes Sedai. Importantly, Beonin has found the loophole she needs to escape, so off-page she avoids learning anything that may close it.

A variety of information has to be presented in Egwene’s section to set the stage for later chapters with Siuan, Beonin and Elaida. I’ll take a closer look at her section, in order to understand the structure of what is presented and when it is presented.

Her first realization is that her clothes are dry, which implies she is being physically cared for, not something that is done to those who will be executed, even though the women who captured her do not know that yet. This is the author’s trick, rationalized by the need to preserve the dignity of all Aes Sedai, for if grinding Egwene down had been the intent, they could have left her sopping wet, cold, and miserable when she gets dragged before Silviana.

Next, the state of Tar Valon’s streets shocks her. Refuse lies out in the open, a metaphor for the ugly divisions between the Aes Sedai in her carriage.

Third, upon being woken with a slap, Egwene learns she was drugged with Forkroot. Noting small divisions in the women who captured her, Egwene realizes she is not afraid.

These three concepts, punishment, division, Egwene’s reaction, will be revisited several times over, each time with more detail. One, two, three. There is near certainty Egwene will be executed. The Aes Sedai openly argue. A shield is woven before the Forkroot dose runs its course, provoking a mild sigh from Egwene.

There are taunts Egwene will lose her head this very night, the Gray sister is taunted as well by the Reds, and Egwene states the harbors will remain closed, but chooses to remain silent rather than be slapped yet again.

Egwene makes plans for what she can do before her execution, the Aes Sedai mistrustfully all hold the Power in each other’s presence, yet Egwene feels she has come home.

Now there is a slight unexpected change in the first concept. Egwene is to be handed over to the Mistress of Novices, the Red Sisters intimidate the other Aes Sedai, and Egwene is incredulous that they can give in to fear so easily.

There is a switch to the parallel situation with Leane. Leane is being flogged, the rancor between Ajahs almost cost them their chance to capture Leane, but Leane won’t budge from her story.

The Mistress of Novices takes charge of Egwene and sends the Reds away, not before they almost refuse to hand her over. Silviana notes that Egwene is not hysterical.

Egwene is told she is to be a Novice again, Silviana notes the difference between herself and her kindly predecessor Sheriam, Egwene means to resist as long as she can, doing as she must.

With the situation regarding punishment and division in the Tower now fully known, Egwene remains in control of her situation and her emotions. Other topics, such as her dreams about Seanchan attacking the Tower, Nicola’s defection, the state of the cuendillar chains in the harbours were brought up at the earliest available opportunity where a conversation could be carried out about them. Communicating with Siuan is only brought up at the last, when Egwene has a chance to muse over all she has seen and heard, and she has a chance to sleep.

Writing Lessons:

An outsider’s point of view can help the author focus on the most important details, and speed the story along.

Crossroads of Twilight - Summary

Crossroads of Twilight is widely regarded as the least favorite book in the Wheel of Time because “NOTHING HAPPENS!” There are several reasons for this view.

It is the only book where the situation at the end is little different from the end of the previous book. Perrin is still seeking to free his wife. Elayne is still trying to gain the throne of Andor. Rand is still resting from his efforts. Egwene’s army is still mired outside Tar Valon. Mat is still traveling with the circus folk and wooing Tuon. Black Ajah hunters are still hunting the Black Ajah.

Typically, when the story is divided across several locales, the author has come back to the locale three times, with some progress being made each time that set of characters is revisited. Over half of the locales are shown only once in this book and even those shown twice don’t substantially change anything plotwise. These short scenes limit what the author can do to progress the plots.

So pacing is affected by the limited time devoted to each locale, and a lack of events to change the status quo. Something must happen though, right?

The book is very strong thematically, as each character has time for introspection and faces a very difficult or momentous choice. The choice is first framed with respect to the cleansing of saidin, which is the most important event to take place in the series so far. The author wanted the cleansing to have an epic scope, which required every character to take note of it, no matter where they were in the world. Often books will have a brief epilogue, revealing some of the reaction to the climatic events of the final chapters. Crossroads of Twilight is such an epilogue, 681 pages long. Cramming in everyone’s reaction bogs down the story and forces it to take place over a short period of time, about a week, which again limits how far events can progress.

The other ta’veren ignore the cleansing, concentrating on the task at hand. Elayne and Aviendha see it as something wonderful. Cadsuane disbelieves it, while other Aes Sedai mistrust it, thinking it the work of the Forsaken, which propels them in surprising directions.

Perrin’s inner turmoil is the most vivid, as he ignores the cleansing to save Faile at any cost, and taking a step too far, then realizes that not limiting what he is willing to do would destroy any chance of his reunion with Faile being a happy one. Other characters must also choose between what they want most and what they are willing to do to achieve it. Each variation brings to mind Shadar Logoth, and the price its citizens paid for their choice. Shadar Logoth is gone now, the last reminder of the price to be paid if you are willing to pay any price.

Crossroads of Twilight was published in 2003, the first book in the series to be written and published after the September 11^th attacks. Of all the characters, Perrin’s amputation of an Aiel prisoner is the most symbolic of the public discussion surrounding the appropriate response to the attacks. Perrin’s followers all insist he do what must be done, but he realizes taking the actions they want would destroy who he is. Yet he struggles to find what other courses of action he can take. He throws away his axe, choosing the hammer instead; he chooses forging, not cutting. In contrast, Mat’s choice to kill Renna to save his followers is declared justice and a righteous punishment for traitors. Rand and Egwene decide to try to find common ground with opponents, in order to fight a greater menace. As with plot elements in earlier books, modern American Mythology is blended into the story, with these plot elements applying to both the Vietnam experience and current events. In addressing these themes, a quieter, more introspective story was in order, yet another reason for the markedly slower pace of this book. I feel that wanting to give the story the right balance in this regard may have been a reason for the longer time it took to write.

Much of the trademark metaphorical language that the author uses to make descriptions mean something more is missing or more subtle. This is a deliberate way of fuzzing the reader’s understanding. Few things are blunt and direct, most descriptions, events, or revelations are vague, incomplete or unclear, which fits in tightly with the overall theme of the book.

Writing Lessons:

Make the voice you tell the story in match the theme.

Make something happen by the end!

Crossroads of Twilight - Chapters 2-4

In this section, Mat tries to re-establish command.

Mat has an awful time trying to earn respect. His own men know all he is capable of, and Thom and Juilin know enough to respect him. The Seanchan he has picked up only know him as Tylin’s Toy, and treat him accordingly. Even the Seeker searching for Tuon considers Mat a pawn being moved by Thom Merrilin. Earlier scenes with Gawyn, Logain, and Samitsu established that having two captains is terribly inefficient. Mat is in a similar plight, with both he and Egeanin fighting for dominance among their followers.

Mat is finally able to throw Egeanin off balance by mentioning Tuon’s name. This gains him a precious advantage over her, for the time being. He has no such hold on Tuon herself however.

Tuon is angered over being called a servant as part of the cover story Mat has cobbled together. She hurls a cup at him, and Setalle presents her with another one to throw should she desire it. Mat promises to set her free once he figures out how to do so safely. After some intense seemingly random questions directed at each other, Tuon makes a promise herself. She will not betray Mat or try to escape.

Mat learns that the search for Tuon is being carried out secretly and that Tylin has been killed by the gholam, which Tuon calls superstition. Importantly, Joline senses the cleansing of saidin, far to the north, which frightens her so much she wants Mat to get the circus move as far from it as possible. The cleansing is a convenient marker for establishing the timing of these chapters, but it isn’t necessary unless there is some chance of these separate storylines being brought together.

Noal takes too long to reach Mat’s Wagon, which Mat thinks is due to him dropping off his fish, but it comes so close after the last clue that Noal is not what he seems that the reader should be distrusting him. This is a very deliberate attempt by the author to introduce doubt about Noal. The first clue was Noal finding a dark-skinned man with blue eyes familiar, and the second is that he vanished for a few minutes. It’s not much, and it’s not menacing, but it does have the desired effect, and the reader should be watching Noal very closely, even if Mat is not.

The chapter featuring Karede allows a glimpse into the most secretive parts of Seanchan society. The supposed conspiracy around Tuon’s disappearance prompts the Seeker and Karede to establish their own conspiracy, so secret only they know of it. Their persistence is played up, and builds up some tension as they set out to find Tuon. Mat never had a chance to fight Seanchan, and this could be building up towards a great battle.

Let’s take a closer look at how new ideas are introduced in the text.

In chapter 2, we first learn Valan Luca has a circus.  We next see that attendance is down, so the bouncers are playing dice. Next, the strongman and his wife are engrossed in the dicing, which is atypical for them. Any behaviour out of the ordinary catches the reader’s attention. The flow from the first idea to the next, and the next after is smooth and logical.

The circus folk react to Mat and Egeanin’s arrival, giving an opportunity to describe Mat and Egeanin’s cover story. The strongman warns Mat about Seanchan speaking with Luca. Egeanin interrupts. Noal is ready to flee. The strongman’s wife tells Egeanin the Seanchan are just talking. The strongman adds to Mat that he doesn’t think there’ll be any trouble. The bouncer adds that they’ll protect Egeanin, admitting her gold is a factor in that loyalty.  Egeanin lays down the law and renews the promise of gold. Mat is angry because it’s actually his gold. He launches into all the other things that Egeanin does wrong, and then, out of nowhere, asks himself the original question again: why are the Seanchan there?

These pages allowed the introduction of a danger to reveal aspects of Mat and Egeanin’s relationship. They jostle for control, and each of them is seen as the leader by some of the circus folk. After a short while, the author brings the reader’s attention back to a previously raised point. The fact that the Seanchan’s presence had been revealed and discussed earlier allows the sudden shift in Mat’s thinking back to that topic. By placing that sudden shift in the middle of a paragraph, the author makes it feel even more like a sudden thought interrupting Mat’s other thoughts.

Considering the danger, Mat doesn’t even think of making a run. He tells everyone he’s confident it will work out, and they are mostly surprised he even spoke since Egeanin had done such an effective job of presenting herself as leader. Mat says he’ll slip near Luca’s wagon. Noal implies they will all die. Mat searches for signs he may be right by listening for dice rolling in his head. Egeanin catches up to him. Mat worries she will be recognized by one of the Seanchan. Egeanin dismisses the idea. Mat warns her not to glare at everyone. She angrily agrees.

Now the control has shifted back to Mat. Note how Egeanin ruins his plan by showing up immediately after he has dismissed the danger. Mat is not given any time to find solid footing, and it is not done through physical inconveniences, but through relationships. There is no time pressure, no imminent threat, just a chance of impending doom if he can’t regain control of his followers.

They traverse the circus grounds, spotting Aludra on the way. Egeanin berates Mat for blowing their cover by staring at her. Mat gives a snide comment, winning that particular skirmish. They see the Seanchan, as well as a number of their followers who are also watching the Seanchan. Mat worries about the clues they are giving away to the Seanchan. Egeanin recognizes the officer as he leaves. Mat realizes his luck is all that kept him from recognizing Egeanin.

The Seanchan wanted horses, but Luca’s warrant was enough to send them on. Luca worries about them returning and insists they should have left Ebou Dar earlier. Mat says leaving that night would have drawn attention. He says not to worry, they can leave right after Thom returns from the city. Luca dances a happy dance. Egeanin is angry her orders were not followed. Luca points out that Mat has the gold so he gives the orders.

As each event unfolds, it allows the strained competition between Mat and Egeanin to be revealed. Every other danger is subordinate to that one. Except the one that Mat eventually uses to finally beat her out: the danger posed by Mat’s relationship with Tuon.  

Writing Lessons:

Allow the solution to a problem to pose its own problems to the heroes.

Crossroads of Twilight - Prologue part 2 to Chapter 1

In this section, old and new characters converge in Cairhien, and Mat resumes his slow escape from the Seanchan.

Samitsu has been running the Sun Palace in Cairhien since Cadsuane’s departure. She helped heal Rand after Fain scratched him with his ruby dagger, and she is considered the most skilled healer in the White Tower. However the emergence of Sashalle from her time as a Wise One apprentice derails Samitsu’s control.  Sashalle is ranked higher due to her strength in the Power, strength that has been re-established by her healing from stilling by one of the Asha’man. The two of them clash over who will take control of a handful of situations, from rebels, to Loial’s return, to Dobraine’s attempted assassination, to Logain’s appearance at the Sun Palace. 

Jordan uses a rapid series of unrelated events happening at the same time frequently, usually as a means of cramming as many conversations between characters in the same locale into as short a text as possible. Over these fifteen pages, Ailil, Loial, Dobraine, Sashalle, and Logain are handled, as well as even smaller tidbits passed quickly over so the reader can get a sense of what has happened in Cairhien since Cadsuane was last there. In this case, as it has been in the past, each interaction is introduced by someone entering the room with important news.

Mat has hidden at Valan Luca’s circus, and is still within sight of Ebou Dar nearly a week after he set the Windfinders free and abducted Tuon. He is trying to tally the losses to the Sea Folk as they made their escape to sea, measuring the cost of the choice he made to free them. Mat is surprised the Seanchan aren’t tearing the countryside apart looking for their missing heiress. There is also significant mention of the fact that the Seanchan are here to stay. There are too few ships to take them anywhere else, and the steady disgorgement of settlers means they will soon be setting down roots throughout the land. The entire Seanchan invasion may be a sort of metaphor about how one cannot be rid of the worst part of themselves. Later discussions of a truce being needed in order to concentrate on fighting the Last Battle seem to bear out this idea.

Noal is fishing near Mat, and a few clues are meant to have the reader question what they know about the gnarled old man. Astute minds may recall an old man in Graendal’s palace and note Noal’s foggy memory. Others may have noticed a family name shared between Noal and another notable figure. Whether or not they do, does it matter that he’s seen dark-skinned people with blue eyes before? By drawing attention to this mystery, the author is hinting that the reader should spend some time thinking about this. I still don’t know what it means, which is frustrating because if readers are going to spend time thinking about it at the author’s direction, they expect an answer at some point.

Writing Lessons:

If you draw attention to something, you are expected to make it worth the reader’s time.

A Crown of Swords - Chapters 9-11

In this section, Egwene slowly builds herself up from nothing

It is always rewarding to watch a character overcome obstacles, to go from having nothing to the top of the heap. In the previous section, Egwene was presented as not even having a reliable chair. We saw her loyal maid, who fetched her two other loyal helpers, a pair of disgraced Aes Sedai who stand very low in the hierarchy. A fourth helper, the prisoner Moghedien, had escaped. Things look grim.

Sheriam is supposed to be Egwene’s helper, but tries to keep Egwene occupied with meaningless tasks while keeping control of the rebels by hoarding information. When Egwene finally learns of a secret that Sheriam and her council kept from the Hall, Egwene begins to blackmail her. Fear of the secret being told before the Hall prompts Sheriam to reveal it to Egwene and Siuan.

Sheriam and her group sent ferrets to the White Tower to spy on Elaida. They supposedly told no one because they were not only afraid of Elaida’s own spies among the rebels, but that the Sitters may be Black Ajah. Ridiculously, they never consider whether any of the ferrets or the 6 members of their council might be either of those (true on both counts).

Rushing to investigate Moghedien’s disappearance, Egwene loses the opportunity to truly corner Sheriam, but it will work out for the best soon. Egwene even risks exposing Siuan and Leane in her haste to find who freed Moghedien. Chesa behaves loyally in fetching them, and they in turn suggest grabbing Theodrin and Faolain to do the real legwork so they can go back to the pretense of being angry at each other.

Areina and Nicola attempt to blackmail Egwene, which she takes great offense to, and pushes back at them with veiled threats that she cannot follow through on. This is meant to show the reader that Egwene’s path to power is riddled with moral peril. She berates them for doing exactly what she is doing. Egwene believes she has better cause, and acknowledges she is willing to pay the price for her actions, since it is avoiding the price that is the immoral act, not the blackmail itself. The fact that they cave in to her shows they do not have the same moral fiber or righteousness, though whether Egwene has the right of it is undetermined.

Egwene regains the moral high ground in discussion with the Wise Ones (see below) and gets the germ of an idea when they suggest getting Aes Sedai to swear fealty to Rand.

Theodrin and Faolain then do something unexpected which gives Egwene power and an idea. They swear fealty to her because they feel Egwene is the person who deserves their pledge of allegiance under the law and in principle. They received offers from Romanda and Lelaine so when they swear to Egwene it is as much by choice as by duty. Egwene confirms they made the right choice when she tells them they are Aes Sedai, but never would be if they kept repeating the denials of other sisters who hold it over them.

Romanda and Lelaine demonstrate how professional Aes Sedai of the highest standing act.

We’re given several pairs of followers to compare over these chapters (Siuan and Leane, Faolain and Theodrin, Areina and Nicola, Romanda and Lelaine), with one more pair yet to come (Myrelle and Nisao), each of whom represents a relationship between the leader and the follower. Some are willing followers, some reluctant, some need bullying, and some see themselves as the leader and Egwene as the follower. This is similar to how the author introduced many of the concepts and cultures in early books, placing them near each other in the story as logical comparisons.

Let’s take a look at a typical Robert Jordan conversation, when Egwene meets the three Wise Ones in Tel’aran’rhiod:

Bair startles Egwene by speaking. 5 lines of discussion about her reaction and how it made her feel and an exaggeration about what will come next. Egwene recovers her poise. Descriptions of the Three Wise Ones.

Melaine mentions Egwene’s reaction, comparing her to a rabbit, again framing both her mood and situation. There is an implication Egwene needs to stop being a rabbit.

Egwene explains about Moghedien. Current relationship between Egwene and Melaine is revealed.

Egwene explains further. She changes her appearance to something more self-possessed.

Bair understands. Her strong character is revealed through her voice, like iron.

They ask for details. Aiel character traits revealed.

Stop, change topic. They get down to business. Sit near Callandor. Describe Callandor’s powers. Describe how weaves are reflected in Tel’aran’rhiod (I guess that means Rand’s dreams of Be’lal holding Callandor were just dreams, not in Tel’aran’rhiod, unless he dreamed himself another copy of it).

Egwene introduces topic of why she was summoned away. She stands, even if she is seen as a supplicant or on trial.

No big deal, says Amys. How old is she anyway (relating to question of aging which will be relevant with the Kin later).

I am the Amyrlin. They seem skeptical.

A comparable situation is described. And shown. The Wise Ones see to the heart of her problem. They do not consider that Egwene’s past lies count any more, since they have been atoned for.

Egwene agrees that she is seen as a figurehead, but she means to change that.

Forget them, come back to us. The Wise Ones extend an invitation.

Egwene already made her choice. But she wants to keep close ties with the Wise Ones.

Good luck. Invitation to join them sitting implies they accept her decision.

Stop, Change topic. Will your Aes Sedai swear fealty to Rand?

They will not. She gives a comparable situation. And shows it. The Wise Ones scoff at the very idea.

They are not like us. Grrrr. Angry Wise Ones. A short history of why that might be.

Egwene will do as she must, Amys says. The other Wise Ones follow her lead. They have tea, symbolizing acceptance of the situation. Egwene compares the Wise Ones to the Aes Sedai in her head, realizing they ARE trying to do the same thing. Only Egwene herself thinks of Rand’s needs first.

Stop, Change topic. What else troubles Egwene?

Rand troubles Egwene. She tries to lighten the mood.

That’s what men do. Melaine’s joke falls flat, implying this is now serious discussion.

Merana must be failing. Egwene reveals her concerns.

A second plea to rejoin the Wise Ones. Egwene rejects it.

I can help him more from here. Egwene is trapped by her own laws and customs.

We’ll take care of any problems between Rand and the Aes Sedai. The Wise Ones are holding back. In doing so, after Egwene has been so open, Egwene’s honour will rise, while their own falls. It is a lie unspoken.

Egwene is doubtful. She detects their evasion.

Bair jokes about how well they will get along.

Merana should have said something. Egwene digs for the truth.

Amys misdirects Egwene.

Amys, promise you won’t stop them from talking. The Wise Ones are uncertain how to keep their secret.

We promise. But they don’t like what it’s doing to their honour.

Egwene thanks them for being truthful. The Wise Ones are now locked in, they have toh. Their appearance changes. Egwene pretends not to notice to save them from more shame.

The Wise ones are silent.

Egwene asks a favour. Don’t tell Rand she is Amyrlin. She doesn’t want Rand interfering or raising tension.

Agreement. They will keep the secret. Egwene is surprised at how quickly they agreed.

Stop, change topic. They talk more, but the Wise Ones are still evasive, revealing tidbits only by accident. Their advice about the Aes Sedai problem is unsound.

Be careful of Moghedien. Egwene goes back to the first topic of discussion.

We can take them down. But they will also be careful.

Friends forever?

Friends forever!

Summary of the discussion: 

Introduction to mood and bad situation.

Topic 1 - Moghedien, Egwene gains honor.

Topic 2 - Egwene is Amyrlin, reminder of mood and bad situation, Egwene gains honour.

Topic 3 – Aes Sedai will not swear fealty to Rand, Egwene gains honour.

Topic 4 – Rand and the Aes Sedai may butt heads, Egwene surpasses the honour of the Wise Ones.

Return to topic 2, then topic 1 – Wise Ones leave, downcast. Egwene is pleased.

This conversation represented a journey for Egwene, pulling herself out of a bad mood to a good one, racking up standing with the Wise Ones, solving problems, and comporting herself in a manner befitting or better than a top tier Wise One. Jordan follows a very structured layout, progressing from small things to big, following the rule of three examples yet again, then moves back down from that pinnacle to the same small things, bringing the discussion full circle. He also uses available cues to plant clues to later plot lines, reveals character, advances plot, shares information among characters, and plants gentle reminders of the broader plot.

Writing Lessons:

Use conversations to advance character development, not just plot.

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 30-34

In this section, Mat makes a daring escape from Tar Valon, and Perrin continues the search for Rand.

Mat’s extraordinary luck needs an explanation, and several are offered. An ability unleashed by the Shadar Logoth Dagger.  A side effect of Aes Sedai Healing. He was always lucky, he is just luckier now. He is ta’veren. Not mentioned is a ter’angreal that alters chance. His battle prowess comes from some other source, his Old Blood connection. Although in the past life he relived a few chapters ago, he was known as gambler, not as lucky. It could be argued that no one would be called a gambler unless they were lucky. The only two that have so far been demonstrated to twist chance in the extreme fashion seen during Mat’s dice games are ta’veren and the dice ter’angreal. It’s worth noting that Lanfear has an interest in keeping Mat alive, and the Black Ajah stole dream ter’angreal, and the dice ter’angreal, at her direction.  If Mat has ta’veren luck enhancements, it would be hard to distinguish them from any dice ter’angreal effects. If Mat’s intuition that the luck comes from Shadar Logoth is correct, then Padan Fain must have some too. I’ll keep an eye out for when the dice roll in his head, which is a variant ability he displays later, but is so far absent.

A number of assassins, including a Gray Man, pursue Mat through the city and downriver. One of the Forsaken is directing efforts to kill Mat, but there is no indication as to which one. Odds favour it being the same one trying to kill Rand, since they are using the Soulless.

Mat and Thom learn about the High Lord Samon. When a knowledgeable character professes surprise at something they should know about, the reader should be alerted that something is amiss. Since Thom is not an Aes Sedai shrouded in mystery and suspicion, his statements can be taken at face value. This technique will be difficult to use with Aes Sedai from now on, due to the overhanging question of whether they are Black Ajah.

Rand makes a brief appearance. His sections marked the transition from Perrin to the Tar Valon characters, and back again. As the character around which everything revolves, it’s Perrin who has the closest link and is carrying out the main quest. The Tar Valon scenes are like an interlude with marginally associated ideas and quests. You can imagine the banner “MEANWHILE…” hanging over the whole length of the Tar Valon sequence. In the end it is linked with the Black Ajah hunters heading for Tear at the same time as Rand, but it makes for a unique story structure.

Perrin gets in deep trouble by helping Gaul out of the cage, but fulfills an important Viewing by telling Gaul about Rand’s destination. The Aiel connection to Rand has been set aside since The Great Hunt, but with this second reminder about He Who Comes With The Dawn, the Aiel should soon be finding him. To date, the only humans Perrin has fought and killed are Whitecloaks. References to how things smell are continually and frequently inserted in Perrin’s part of the story.

So much attention to Mat lets me focus on humour. Jokes, like plot twists, depend on setting up expectations, misdirecting attention from the true cues and drawing attention to the misleading ones, and revealing a solution that makes sense yet is surprising.

Burn me, you would think I was encouraging him to drink more! Women! But pretty eyes on the pair of them.

Surprising but makes sense: Mat is incorrigible.

Besides, whoever is feeding you is not doing a good job of it, but you still have pretty eyes.

Surprising but makes sense: Saal was unhappy with Mat, but now that he’s reinvigorated Thom, she makes the exact same observation he made of her.

The first bloody ship, Thom! If it’s sinking, we’ll be on it!

Surprising but makes sense: Mat is desperate to leave and wants Thom to know it.

Nynaeve gave me the paper. I don’t know where she got it.

Well if you’re not going to tell me, I am going to sleep.

Surprising but makes sense: Mat lies so often no one believes when he tells the truth.

He did not think anyone needed to look after Nynaeve; around Nynaeve, to his mind, other people needed to look after themselves.

Surprising but makes sense: It’s funny because it’s so true!

Writing Lessons:

Humour works by being surprising, yet making sense.

The Eye of the World - Summary

First, a quick thanks to all who are reading this blog! The daily pace is grueling, but I swear I am still good for 6-7 posts a week.

I am writing it for several reasons:

- I want to reread the entire Wheel of Time before A Memory of Light comes out.

- I am an aspiring writer, and want to dissect the writing of one of my favorite authors to learn whatever I can.

- I want to ingrain habits that make me sit at the keyboard and write every day.

- I want to create, review, and reject many of the theories I’ve discussed with other fans over the last decade.

I hope it also serves your needs, whatever they may be. Feel free to comment, disagree, say ‘me too’, take the discussion to other forums, whatever.

A very brief summary of The Eye of the World:

The Eye of the World is a highly entertaining adventure story. The bits with channeling the One Power and the clues dropped that come into play several books later can all be happily ignored in favour of the immediate adventure. The thematic story consists largely of learning how you stand up to an evil that seems greater than you are. The answer is by finding your roots, sticking to your ideals, and overcoming doubt through sheer determination, perseverance and force of will. I can’t think of a much more human or more universal message than that.

I first read the Eye of the World in 1991, in college. The theme resonated with me, and I’ve often overcome obstacles in life by drawing inspiration from favorite characters such as Rand or Egwene.

In the Eye of the World, perhaps the most pivotal element of the novel is found in the story of the fall of Manetheren. Moiraine tells this story to disperse an angry mob. The story reveals the character of the Two Rivers Folk, but also serves as their inspiration through the trails they face. When things get hard, they march on like the armies striving to get back to Manetheren. The compassion they feel for each other stems from the blood price paid long ago by Manetheren. The reassurance that their steadfastness will be rewarded with freedom from the Shadow comes from learning how that was the origin of their own people and village. Lan is a child of Manetheren too, his own home of Malkier having succumbed in much the same way. Shienar seems poised for an equally devastating fall, and the flight of its people mirrors the Fall of Manetheren. To overcome doubt, to control the Power he wields, to confront evil, Rand finds resolve in the unyielding pitiless stone of Manetheren. Like the men and women of Manetheren, they do what they must then pay the price. So should we.

Tai’shar Manetheren!

I’ve abbreviated my summary descriptions for each 50 page block, and listed them below as a means of looking at the structure of the novel. These descriptions were done blindly, on the fly, so they could have been described otherwise, but I’ll work with what I’ve got. You can get a sense of the pacing of the book, the slow spots and tense spots, and exciting spots, and boring spots, even from such a short and undetailed overview. I look forward to seeing how closely it matches the structure of the series as a whole.

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

-The threat to the characters is revealed.

-The heroes act on the information they have.

-The heroes get their first chance to interact with the outside world.

-The heroes learn about the evil in the idea of the end justifying the means.

-For the first time, we get new points of view.

-The heroes begin to make their separate ways, gaining and losing allies

-The Heroes evade capture or death by keeping a low profile.

-The heroes evade enemies galore as they flee.

-The heroes score some victories, and things are finally looking up!

-The quest is tossed aside in favour of a new quest.

-Revelations, and a slight pause before the final battle!

-Enemies more powerful and numerous than any seen before are faced and defeated.

Writing Lessons:

Examine the structure of your novel, either in the planning, or after the 1^st draft. When you have writer’s block, draw on Tai’shar Manetheren!