Towers of Midnight - Chapters 46-50

In this section, a glimpse of the future is given.

Faile participates in negotiations with Perrin and Elayne over the fate of the Two Rivers. Elayne cannot enforce her writ, so she avoids being a tyrant or a fool and creates bonds to tie the fledgling nation of the Two Rivers to Andor. Elayne soon does the same with the Cairhienin, binding their fates together with an exchange of lands and nobles.

Fortuona questions Elaida, and the Seanchan gain Traveling. Ominously, she decides to use this tool to subjugate the remaining Aes Sedai in an attempt to get Rand to serve her as prophesied.

Mat explains his quest to Perrin.

Aviendha goes through the glass columns in Rhuidean, in another fan-favourite scene. I’ll contrast this scene with the similar scene in Chapters 24-25 of The Shadow Rising, when Rand originally went through the glass columns to learn the history of the Aiel.

The glass columns scene in The Shadow Rising sets expectations for Aviendha’s visit. It isn’t possible to surprise readers with the mystery of Rhuidean, or the Tree of Life, or the visions because they are already all well known. The fog has lifted from Rhuidean, and there are no more mysteries. The author wisely decides to skip over what is known and expected, instead leaving Aviendha questioning “is that all there is?” Rhuidean is mundane now, just like the decisions which led the Aiel to pick up spears and fight.

Restoring a bit of mystery, Aviendha wonders about whether the columns have more capabilities that only what use they have been put to in Rhuidean. The mundane is made extraordinary again, and the weighty purpose of the columns is hinted at, but kept shrouded.

Aviendha’s first vision builds on prior knowledge of how she experiences the lives of the people seen in the columns.  Unlike with Rand’s earlier visit, there is no crafting of links between Malidra and Aviendha, no emphasis on how these two are really one. This first vision contains several links to the present and the familiar, referring to the Waste, Aiel, and a railroad which brings the steamwagons to mind. The mystery is about why Aiel are living like scavengers and why is Aviendha seeing life through the eyes of a random Aiel girl? The revelation is not only the details in the vision, but the fact that this vision exists at all. A need is established immediately, but it is mundane, a quest for food, instead of the character oriented need of Mandein in Rand’s visions. There is no firm historical link between Aviendha and Malidra yet, largely because Malidra has no character or identity, she is simply a scavenger looking for food.

As with Rand’s visions, each subsequent vision establishes more detail, eventually revealing that the visions are linked along Aviendha’s, and Rand’s future bloodline, containing links to each other, and to the current day. Whereas Rand’s visions began as known to be his personal and cultural history, of which he was then learning the details, Aviendha’s reverse this by showing the details and then establishing that this is her personal and cultural legacy.

Rand’s visions used parental relationships to convey the passing down of cultural responsibility from one generation to the next, giving great weight to the losses suffered by each of the lives he lived, and great importance to the sacrifices. Aviendha’s visions are bereft of such attachment to identity of the next generation, as shown with the casual indifference to the loss of children. In each of Aviendha’s visions, the women try to maintain the culture of the Aiel, at the cost of the people, overlooking that sacrifices are made for family, not only for the sake of sacrificing itself.

The lives of the women take on personal importance to Aviendha. Each of their failures is hers, and Rand’s. While so much of the history of this world has built towards the day when Rand faced the Dark One, until recently there was little attention to what happens after the Last Battle. Rand is not the end point of the cross-generational burden, he is a link in a chain which extends as far into the future as into the past.

Once again, the reverse chronological order the visions are presented in is effective in drawing the reader in, and the revelation puts the emphasis back on Rand and Aviendha to correct mistakes.

How can Aviendha find a new identity for the Aiel and overcome the Seanchan menace, or even craft an alliance with them that outlasts the Last Battle? One possibility is the Aiel clan chiefs and Wise Ones singing the lost Tinker Song, since they all learned it in the glass columns. The song is an act of creation, and can overcome the blight afflicting the crops of the world. Such a life offers an honourable and productive alternative to clan warfare. The Aiel once sealed a promise with a sapling of the Tree of Life, and they could do so again with the Seanchan, even offering them Avendesora itself. What good could come of Seanchan nobles walking through the glass columns, seeing the mistakes and errors of their ancestors? With this insight, the Seanchan and Aiel should be able to avoid some of the decisions Aviendha saw in the glass columns.

Writing Lessons:

Withholding context while establishing links to other parts of the story creates effective mystery.

The Gathering Storm - Summary

The Gathering Storm is the most intense book of The Wheel of Time so far, profiling the meteoric rise of Egwene and the chronicle of Rand’s disastrous shunning of emotion and love. As one rises, the other falls. Both live through memorable scenes of triumph even as they follow opposing trajectories.

Rand is subjected to the most personal and traumatic of tortures. He overcomes them by turning his back on the Light and his friends, coming to see everyone as a thing to be used to advance his quest, failing to see them as people at all. In this distant emotional state, he has the power to do anything, but lacks the imperative to do anything at all. He follows the prophecies as though it were a script, playing his part with no care for how he interacts with the other players.

Egwene’s subtle resistance to Elaida’s physical and personal humiliation of her wins allies of ever-increasing rank. Novices, Aes Sedai, and Sitters all come to respect her, culminating in Verin entrusting her with her life’s work. The support she has built allows her to take on power during a Seanchan raid in which she singlehandedly hands the raiders a defeat. Egwene has demonstrated she embodies the best traits of all Ajahs, and reunites the factions of the White Tower under her rule.  

These two heroes stand at counterpoint to each other, Egwene demonstrating how to gain followers, and Rand demonstrating how to lose them. Egwene unites feuding factions while Rand can’t reach simple temporary agreement with the Seanchan nipping at him. Many dueling forces stand between Rand and victory: the Seanchan against the mainland nations, the male channelers against female channelers, Lews Therin against his own soul, Moridin’s nihilistic philosophy against the hopes espoused by Cadsuane and Nynaeve. All of these opposing forces must be reconciled, demanding sacrifice in the form of discomfort, concession, and acceptance.

Since the book is co-authored by Brandon Sanderson, the question of who wrote individual scenes in The Gathering Storm is inevitable. In the early part of the book, the difference in writing style from Robert Jordan’s earlier work is jarring, yet before long, the story takes hold of the reader, and the fate of Rand, Egwene, Verin, and other favourite characters overrides any apparent dissonance. By the time Rand finds himself in Semirhage’s clutches, the pace of the story carries the reader forward.

If Brandon has committed any sin in his handling of the story, it is one he could never overcome: he is not Robert Jordan.

Robert Jordan was facing his own mortality as he wrote this book, and must have found himself uncomfortably in the shoes of several of his characters. In the legend of Manetheren, in Seanchan imperial culture, in the Malkieri vows, in the historical truth shown in the glass columns of Rhuidean, there have been trans-generational commitments; tasks so vast, so important, that each generation must pick up the duty from their forefathers, and carry the burden onward. Best summarized in this passage from The Shadow Rising:

“I mean to save something here, and that something is you.”

“As you say,” he said reluctantly. “We will care for what you have given into our charge until you want them again.”

“Of course. The things we gave you.” She smiled at him and loosened her grip, smoothing his hair once more before folding her hands.

Like Verin in this book, Robert Jordan entrusted his work to loved ones who understood and could finish what he set out to accomplish. The words of the story and the order they appear in are merely things, unimportant compared to the messages they contain, the resolution of the characters’ quests, or the battle against the Shadow which permeates the story. Fighting the Shadow is more than one man can do alone. Rand tried that in this very story, and failed. Working together, the keepers of Robert Jordan’s legacy forged ahead with the story as he wished, knowing the criticisms that would be leveled, cognizant of the difficulties in living up to the level of his work, understanding that hesitation might cost the opportunity to ever complete it.

“So many decisions you must make, for one so young.” She yawned, then grimaced as a pain stabbed her.

Egwene rose, walking to Verin’s side. “Thank you, Verin. Thank you for choosing me to carry this burden.”

My thanks also.

Writing Lessons:

You are a writer. Never quit, never give up.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Shadow Rising - Summary

My favorite book in The Wheel of Time is The Shadow Rising; in fact it is my favorite book ever. A great many fans also point to this book as the highest point of the series. Why is it considered one of the best?

The book follows three narratives, each one an independent short novel on its own, interwoven for pacing, but not for their effect on each other. There is no confusion over dates or which event came first; all the reader needs to know is simply which group of heroes they are following for the next chapter. Sometimes information in one storyline is relevant to another and helps the reader interpret events. Sometimes more than one viewpoint is used in a location, such as Nynaeve and Elayne, or Rand and Mat. In all, eight main heroes have viewpoints, but five of them carry the bulk of the story. So, the structure is simple. Jump from one group to the next, don’t confuse the reader.

The cast of characters is just enough to feel crowded, but not so much that the reader loses track of them all. In Tanchico, there are Nynaeve, Thom, Elayne, Juilin, Bayle, Egeanin, Rendra, the Seeker, Bethamin, Carridin, the Black Ajah, Amathera, the King, and Moghedien. A dozen or so easily distinguishable characters.  In the Two Rivers there are more: Perrin, Faile, Loial, Gaul, Bain, Chiad, Slayer, Luc, Byar, Bornhald, Fain, Tam, Bran, Abell, Haral, Alsbet, Marin, Daise, Verin, Alanna, the Warders, and a host of local men and women. With a cast of twenty or so, the young men of the Companions tend to blur into one another unless they have very distinguishing characteristics, but none play so significant a role that a distinction is necessary. The reader is unlikely to be confused. In the Aiel Waste we find Rand, Mat, Egwene, Moiraine, Aviendha, Lan, Amys, Bair, Melaine, Seana, Rhuarc, Adelin, Couladin, Kadere, Natael, Isendre, Keille, and a variety of Aiel. As with the Two Rivers folk, the Wise Ones and Aiel tend to blend together unless something distinguishes them. Mild confusion about the Wise Ones does not prevent being able to follow the story. The number of characters and the roles they play are justified and well suited to the length of text accorded to each of the three storylines.

The heroes themselves develop and grow. In earlier books, they were at the mercy of events, now they attempt to drive events. Each of them makes missteps, some costly. Each of them overcomes more challenging obstacles than ever, and they do it on their own with minimal interference from others. It is their own wits, intelligence, perseverance, planning, leadership and courage that let them win. Their identity is not being dictated by prophecy or plot; the heroes are forging new identities for themselves. Nynaeve beats a Forsaken! Elayne finds she is a better ruler than Amathera! Perrin defeats Slayer! Rand captures a Forsaken!

Two of the storylines have deeply personal stakes for the heroes. Perrin’s defense of the Two Rivers is harrowing and provides most of the traditional action. Rand’s discovery of the Aiel secret history and their vain sacrifices is heart-wrenching and is the best writing in the series. His decision to use them, even at the cost of destroying them with this knowledge, will set him down a solitary path. With this military force at his disposal, he needn’t worry about trusting Moiraine again. He has achieved freedom of one kind, but is now bound to the Aiel.

A multitude of magical and fantastic locations are shown. The realms of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn. Rhuidean. The Age of Legends. The Tower of Ghenjei. Tel’aran’rhiod and the Heroes of the Horn. The Aiel Waste. The Ways.

In the background, when no one was paying attention, the White Tower splits, and the world’s chance of surviving just got lessened.  Even as the heroes claim victories by fending off foes, others lurk in waiting or will return. Lanfear, Moghedien and the other Forsaken. The Black Ajah. Padan Fain and his pet Myrddraal. The Children of the Light. Elaida. Couladin.

The broadened world put on display in The Shadow Rising is cause for liking the story, but it is the controlled balance of the story that makes it work so wonderfully. The expansion of the cast of main characters and of the secondary and minor characters is restrained enough to prevent confusion, but big enough to give a feeling of unfettered exploration to the reader. The personal nature of the threats and the victories provide an emotional impact that is difficult to match. Everything is at once epic in scope and intensely personal in importance. Keeping the storylines self-contained in this book provides closure of a kind that later books lack. In short, there is little that was mishandled, and in most respects The Shadow Rising surpassed expectations created by the previous books.

Four word summary: The heroes gain allies.

Writing Lessons:

 Use the minimum number of characters necessary to achieve your goals.

The Shadow Rising - Chapters 55-58

In this section, the heroes soundly overcome all obstacles.

Following her face to face victory over Moghedien, Nynaeve reunites with her friends, and they make their escape. They are taken aback by the violence they have unleashed with the riots, and it seems certain the Panarch’s Palace will be looted, and the Black Ajah sent packing. The villains may still be on the loose, but Nynaeve snuck in under their noses, tweaked them, and escaped with the goods. Elayne trounced Temaile, and freed her captive who has the means to make Tanchico strong again. Elayne plans to make a good ruler out of her. Of all the rulers in the land, none will have had to spend as much time amongst the commoners as Elayne. Elayne will never suffer from a lack of empathy with her subjects, as Amathera does.

Nynaeve and Elayne have won a strong victory using their wits, intelligence, and bravery.

Perrin and the Emond’s Fielders are in dire straits. They have made final preparations should the worst happen, which it seems bound to. Showing these desperate preparations to give the children a chance to survive is more effective than simply describing the massive forces arrayed against the village. The grimness of their expectations despite all their efforts sets them in the reader’s mind as well. To achieve the deep level of concern, there has to be no possible way out, no hope presented, no better outcome than death. When the attack begins, and events unfold exactly as expected, with Trollocs pushing the men back between the houses, the order given to the Companions to go to the children’s aid, the reader makes the association with the rest of the expected result: that they will all die. When things first go differently than the expectation, it happens in a worse way, with the Whitecloaks breaking their promise, with the women stepping in to hold the line, dedicating every last person to an effort that cannot be won, that will result in complete eradication. It is only then that the slim chance of survival is presented, as men from the other villages assault the Trollocs from behind. The slim chance grows to hope, represented by Faile. And finally, victory.

The scenario repeats in quicker fashion with the Children of the Light. An expectation has been created that Perrin will be taken by them, the forces against Perrin look overwhelming, and then he defies them. Defiance immediately is taken up by the villagers, and now they have the upper hand. First evil was defeated, and then suspicion was rejected. The Two Rivers folk have taken a stance and forged a new identity for themselves, one that is embodied by their Lord Perrin.

Perrin has won a decisive victory against two forces using his steadfastness, reason, and leadership.

Rand can’t afford to have Aiel fight each other, he wants them all on his side.  He expects to show up at Alcair Dal, reveal his Dragons and win them over. The Shaido march forces him to advance his plans, but he still thinks it could work out until Couladin reveals his markings. Left with no choice if he wants to become Car’a’carn, he chooses to reveal the Aiel’s darkest secret. The chiefs know Couladin for a fraud, and they now know what kind of man Rand is.  

Asmodean was behind the Draghkar attack, and Couladin’s Dragons, both meant to delay Rand while he learned what was in Rhuidean. Coward that he is, he never entered it in case there were dangers he didn’t know of.  Had he simply walked in the night after Rand left Chaendaer, he could have claimed his prize. Instead he bumbled around asking questions and made futile attempts to enter Rhuidean in Tel’aran’rhiod.

Rand figures out how to Skim. The Skimming space has certain properties of Tel’aran’rhiod. The steps in The Eye of the World when Rand left Tarwin’s Gap was Skimming, even though those steps were first visible without the doorway to the Skimming space.

Rand’s is able to cut off Asmodean from the Dark One using an angreal to get a tiny bit more Power. Angreal are well defined objects at this point, and even though it is a magic object that lets Rand achieve victory, it is easy to accept since the rules governing its use are well understood.

Rand beat Asmodean with a simple clever trick, and faced down Lanfear with certitude and courage.

All of the major storylines end with resounding victory for the heroes, achieved by their own fortitude, villains left to creep away, and a host of new allies and possibilities for the future.  

Writing Lessons:

Craft stepwise expectations, then unveil events step by step that will lead readers to conclusions you want them to reach.

The Shadow Rising - Chapters 51-54

In this section, the heroes are taking charge of the situation.

In past books, the inexperience of the heroes was evident in the before last section. Always the odds were stacked against them and only a desperate effort to reach out and use the magic object (Eye of the World, Horn of Valere, Callandor) allowed them to win. Events happened to the Heroes but they were not something that could be controlled, only endured and overcome. In The Shadow Rising, all three stories have a new element, in that the heroes are actively planning and carrying out those plans to overcome the obstacles. Rand was last seen chuckling over his suspicions and hopeful that his plan to recruit the Aiel would work. Nynaeve and Elayne work out a plan to not only enter the Panarch’s Palace but to start riots to cover their escape. Perrin may be outnumbered, but he’s getting Faile out of danger, and managed to get Slayer out of the way by thinking. Nynaeve already showed this kind of maturity and foresight, but for the others it is a welcome development. They may make mistakes, but those are a result of taking action.

It’s not exactly clear why the Black Ajah haven’t been able to find the object they are looking for. The Seal on the Dark One’s prison was hidden by Moghedien, but the black bracelets were in plain sight. How did they know they could find something in Tanchico, and why didn’t they have a description of it? They correctly reasoned that it is a ter’angreal, and they were able to guess that it should be in the exhibition room or the Panarch’s collection, so why not just scoop up anything that might be a ter’angreal? I suppose they were waiting on Eldrith to finish her research to make sure they got the right item, since they wouldn’t want to look like fools when they presented their prize. Still, their information about where to look and what the ter’angreal does is very specific, while its shape and description are not. One of the Forsaken must have found a fragment of information that was incomplete enough that field work was needed to figure it out, if it was even possible. Forsaken don’t get their hands dirty, except Moghedien, so the task is delegated to the Black Ajah.

Birgitte can’t figure out why she is talking to Nynaeve or Perrin. It is simple: The Pattern needs to give some highly knowledgeable insight to the Heroes, which requires releasing a Hero of the Horn from the precepts, and possibly changing the very identity they’ve had for countless reincarnations. Throwing Birgitte under the wagon wheels, as it were. It might have been all part of the Pattern, but it also feels like desperation.

Birgitte gives some insight about Tel’aran’rhiod. Existing in Tel’aran’rhiod as a dead Hero makes her more vulnerable, because she is all there. The admonition against being in Tel’aran’rhiod too strongly makes a little more sense. Your very being can be affected if you are in Tel’aran’rhiod in the flesh. Others can do more than change your clothing or your braids, they can change you. Entering as Egwene and the Wise Ones do, with a firm footing in the waking world, reduces that vulnerability. The only major confrontation at the end of this book in Tel’aran’rhiod is Perrin confronting Slayer, Nynaeve only observes. This is a switch from earlier books, but Tel’aran’rhiod still plays an important part.

Moghedien doesn’t know how Nynaeve found the bracelets. Does she not know about using Need in Tel’aran’rhiod? Are Wise Ones the only ones who have figured this out? Isn’t Moghedien the best at using Tel’aran’rhiod? Is she just assuming Nynaeve can’t enter the World of Dreams? Are Darkfriends somehow unable to use Need? Since a number of the Forsaken have been entering Rand’s dreams, they must be able to use some of Tel’aran’rhiod’s properties to learn about Rand and their enemies.

Nynaeve is as powerful as Moghedien, but this equality might only apply to their strength with Spirit. Moghedien could be much more powerful in other of the Five Powers, or in overall strength.

Nynaeve and Elayne must have been delusional if they thought no one would be hurt by the riots they instigate. Elayne rationalizes it beautifully, as a ruler might, by inferring that the citizens of Tanchico are aiding in the battle against the Dark One, whether they know it or not, whether they want to or not. A ruler’s whims come first; Elayne’s whims are presented as necessary for the sake of the world. It’s as slippery slope, Elayne.

Perrin came to the Two Rivers to die. Despite his best efforts, that will still happen, and where he couldn’t get Faile out of harm’s way before, now he does, by agreeing to marry her. In many ways, the initial situation from the beginning of his quest has not changed, except for being killed by Trollocs instead of Whitecloaks.

I used Perrin’s wedding vows at my own wedding. Not obsessed with the series at all.

Slayer’s identity isn’t stated directly, but the mystery is nicely closed up with a comparison that even if they have the same inhuman smell, Slayer looks like Lan, Luc looks like Rand. There is not much more that could be said without revealing how they became a combined person, and that mystery is meant to be resolved in the future, not now. Based on Birgitte’s information and the fact that Slayer operates in Tel’aran’rhiod, one way these two people may have been combined into one is if it was done in Tel’aran’rhiod, where what you imagine becomes reality.

Writing Lessons:

Don’t let events simply happen to your characters; have them take actions, make decisions, do things.

The Shadow Rising - Chapters 47-50

In this section, The Center of All Good Things is riven from within, while Rand considers the snakes in his own midst.

The description of the White Tower in the prologue, as the center of the known universe, and the heart of opposition to the Dark One, pays off here. Rand had an ally in the Amyrlin Seat, the ruler of the Aes Sedai. While Rand has been worried about Siuan and Moiraine’s plots, the reader has been privy to Siuan’s thoughts at least, and knows that their aid should be welcome and useful to Rand. The White Tower and Siuan have been portrayed as difficult allies, but clearly on Rand’s side. Now Siuan has been deposed.

The new Amyrlin Elaida has been portrayed as a bully, difficult, controlling and egotistical, and a member of the Ajah who is most likely to gentle Rand. We’ve heard about the disastrous reigns of two prominent Red Amyrlins, one who betrayed Manetheren, and one who mishandled Artur Hawkwing. Elaida’s ascension is the worst possible outcome so far as Rand is concerned. There have been hints that the Red Ajah may flout the law, such as when Owyn was gentled without trial. Heck, after his escape even Mazrim Taim wasn’t getting a fair trial under Siuan’s rule. If Siuan can do that out of necessity, what can Elaida do out of misguided necessity or misinterpretation of her Foretellings?

The suddenness of the Tower’s fall provides a great shock to the reader. Watching Alviarin and Elaida plot would have removed any surprise and replaced it with dread. Instead, the last we saw was a murdered novice and farmer, with no indication of any immediate threat to Siuan or Min, just skulking in the shadows off-page. There is little advantage in dragging out the description of the schism in a step by step process for the sake of including some action or suspense. Due to Min’s viewings any overt buildup would give away the timing of it coming true and the end result. Readers may identify with Min since the focus has been on her, but they don’t have the same affinity for the other White Tower characters. Any danger which others are put in is of minor consequence, so just as well to gloss over it. Only three characters in the Tower have mattered enough to reveal much about them: Min, Siuan and Gawyn.

Since Siuan is an ally, and a knowledgeable mentor character that is meant to be trusted later, there is a need to make her more sympathetic. This is accomplished in part by taking away her power and authority, by forcefully changing her identity from ruler to peasant. Had the same happened to Elaida, we’d likely raise a cheer, when it happens to Siuan, the reaction is one of disgust and horror. How can they do that a woman? And it is a simple woman that the reader sees, not a ruler. The way Laras talks down to Siuan, the way Aes Sedai, warders, and Elaida herself won’t condescend even to glance in her direction when she is on her knees, the loss of her ageless look, her newfound ability to lie, all of these demonstrate that Siuan is no longer anything more than a woman with determination.

The fighting in the Tower should not have resulted in death, yet not everyone is bound against using violence, and they only form they are prevented from using under most circumstances is the One Power. Regular weapons may still be used, as may warders. Elaida understood that if her plan were to fail, she herself may be in mortal danger, so she made sure to have enough strength on her side to win any confrontation. With armed men stalking the halls, any Aes Sedai might interpret the incursion as menacing her life, that of her sisters, or even being an obvious Darkfriend attack, for who else would dare attack the Tower openly? Each side interprets the situation as only being possible if the opponents are Darkfriends. With such high stakes, there is more opportunity to rationalize and find loopholes in the Three Oaths, resulting in battle, death and murder. Doing everything short of outright naming Siuan a Darkfriend may have been necessary to Elaida’s side simply to motivate and enable their forces. Even if an Aes Sedai kills with the Power in the heat of battle, they need only find a believable rationale or loophole, and no one can call them Black Ajah.

Rand lacks the ability to interpret his dreams, or distinguish between ordinary dreams and foretelling dreams. Lanfear intrudes into the prophetic Waterwood bathing dream and also fails to understand its meaning.  She is also interrupted in her attempt to seduce Rand properly (I remember Thom’s line about an education every man should have once in his life) by Asmodean. This gives Rand the confirmation he wanted about the spies among the caravans. He now knows that Lanfear has brought an ally with her, and the ally is greedy and wants something extra to sweeten the pot for the risk he puts himself in. Does Rand make the connection to the goodies in Rhuidean yet? He suspects Isendre, does he also suspect Kadere instead of Natael?

Waking, Rand belatedly realizes that he is not so clever for keeping the spy he knows about, Aviendha, near him. The Wise Ones allow him to believe it, until Aviendha lets on that the real spying takes place in tel’aran’rhiod. Whether Rand makes a connection or not, the author is deliberately placing this latest insight about spying and decoys right after the exchange between Lanfear and Asmodean. Aside from being a decoy, the Wise Ones may have other motives in keeping Aviendha with Rand, based on insight gained from dreams or Rhuidean. Dreams seems most likely. They certainly have enough foreknowledge of events to avoid entering tel’aran’rhiod the night that Lanfear is there, perhaps because they do not want to let the Shadow know they have this ability. Lanfear or any other Forsaken could certainly act to protect their dominion over the World of Dreams, so discretion is the best course of action. Of course, Lanfear never does kill anyone, so long as she feels confident that her plans are not menaced. And her plans always revolve around making Rand love her.

The Shadowspawn once again provide a break in the relatively uninteresting travel across the desert. This battle is better than the last, with more danger, more substantial threats. Whichever Forsaken is trying to kill Rand hasn’t tried warding the Shadowspawn as Liandrin did when she tried to kill Moiraine. The stakes are raised when the Draghkar eliminate a Dreamwalker. Seana may have been a peripheral character, but the implication of a viable threat is better than what was served up in the Trolloc encounter at Imre Stand.

Writing Lessons:

Remove scenes which don’t serve your purpose or the story.

The Shadow Rising - Chapters 42-46

In this section, Perrin becomes a Lord, and a villainess discovers Elayne and Nynaeve.

In what will become a familiar a scene, Perrin protests his treatment as a Lord and Commander of men. It all happens while he is recovering from a grievous wound, unable to stop it from unfolding. Scenes like this, where the hero is exposed to be vulnerable, are opportunities to remove their influence, and reshuffle the state of affairs if things were beginning to look too easy. Perrin has been in firm control of events up until now, and has managed to avoid making the worst blunders and minimize the damage caused by the mistakes he didn’t avoid. As entertaining as Perrin’s victories have been, his consistent ability to come out on top creates the expectation that he will always come out on top. A major mistake that bloodies him and shows that he can lose, and lose badly, is required in order for the reader to have genuine concern about the outcome of the final confrontation. Enemies test his defenses, more are hidden waiting for their chance to strike. Other enemies are invited inside the protective barriers, some allies may not be trustworthy, and Perrin is still weakened. Now, the reader should be properly concerned.

Similarly, the ‘Aes Sedai’ in Tanchico are moving cautiously, but remain in control of their situation. The numbers arrayed against them demand sure slow steps. Even so, a Forsaken stumbles upon them after Elayne makes a necessary fist of Air to save Egeanin. Moghedien is close enough or powerful enough to sense the channeling, and uses Compulsion when she investigates the disturbance. Even if Elayne and Nynaeve somehow defeat the Black Ajah, Moghedien is waiting to scoop them up, and seems like she can take them all too easily. Their defenses have been penetrated and scorned, and they do not even know it. Now, the reader should be properly concerned.  

The people of Emond’s Field and the Two Rivers are becoming familiar. A simple tag or two is applied to each that no other Two Rivers inhabitant has. A drunk, a liar, a mayor, a proud fletcher, a grump, a first kiss, horse-face, a ladies man, a beanpole, that nose, a bull-voiced teen, a woman big enough to lift Daise Congar, Daise’s scrawny husband, troublemaker, sour-face, a standard-bearer, a braggart. In short bursts, they say or do enough to be remembered by their tags. They interact with each other as much or more than with Perrin, telling far more about them. Perrin then cements their importance by remembering them from before the adventure started. They are no longer just quick pastiches, they are characters who have lived and grown. Perrin sees them as his family now, replacing his murdered kin, and an association is forged between his failure to protect them, and his desire to protect these living characters. The stakes of the next confrontation will be their lives, and Perrin’s associated need to make up for his murdered family.

Robert Jordan sometimes crafts lengthy sentences. Here is an example of one that uncharacteristically uses M-dashes, interjectory marks, to separate ideas instead of the traditional commas and conjunctions:

For a wonder, they bowed clumsily—Dav made an awkward leg, looking a complete fool—and murmured hasty apologies—to her, not him!—and turned to go.

In this case, the sentence structure allows the temporal order to be kept, and also the immediacy of the humour.

A sequence with Elayne and Nynaeve getting ambushed shows paragraph-length interjections. As a setup, Egeanin observes the goons preparing to ambush the young women and races to intervene. There follows a page of the young women blissfully ignorant of the danger, thinking of silk dresses, discussing their plans, concerned only about the pickpockets grasping at their pouches. Then, paragraph by paragraph…

Action: Bulky man strikes, Nynaeve cracks him upside the head.

Action: Second man strikes, Elayne conks him out.

Action: Seven more men surround them.

Action: Elayne and Nynaeve both embrace the True Source.

Interjection: they don’t dare channel.

Interjection: The Black Ajah might sense them. In fact trying to sense the Black Ajah is the reason why they are walking down the street in the first place.

Interjection: If they channel to drub the goons, the crowd would see.

Interjection: Aes Sedai are not popular in Tanchico. The crowd would know there were Aes Sedai and mob them, or carry the tales to the Black Ajah.

Action: No other choice, Elayne and Nynaeve stand back to back to defend themselves.

Action: The goon leader prods the goons to attack.

And the action continues for a page or so.

All of the information in the interjectory paragraphs could have been given up front before the action sequence began. It might even have made sense to the reader why the women were walking the streets alone. But it would have undermined their unpreparedness if there seemed to be a design to what they were doing. Imagine the scene rewritten as a pure action scene, the interjections condensed to a simple: And they dared not channel. Light! The immediacy of the fight would then become the focus. Any tension caused by the pause during which the reader finds out how dire things are might be lost. So in this case, the interjection serves to draw out the scene and increase concern, and also to give the information necessary to understand at a moment where it will increase the reader’s involvement, and not undermine the emotional impact of the scene.

Writing Lessons:

Heighten emotional impact on the reader by using interjections of duration and timing that best suit your purpose.

The Shadow Rising - Chapters 38-41

In this section, dangers loom in Tanchico where the Hunters are hopeful, while the Hunter in the Westwood takes his loss personally.

Following a disastrous Trolloc ambush, Perrin acknowledges what he’s been trying to accomplish: vengeance and justice. The bottled up emotions, clear to the reader but understated in the text until now, are finally released. Faile quickly sets him straight on where guilt for his actions will lead. Her rebuke about proper behaviour for generals leads her to admit her royal lineage. Perrin is also stuck revealing his own secrets. They both come clean with each other, holding nothing back. Perrin and Faile face issues of guilt, responsibility, honesty and come out with a strengthened bond. This is all accomplished in relatively little space, which can be contrasted with Rand’s yet-to-come similar struggle with the same issues, which will be stretched out over a far longer period of time. There might be some message here about strength as a couple versus vulnerability as a loner. Faile and Perrin accept each other as they are, in line with the Way of the Leaf, which is not only non-violence, but acceptance of what comes. Interestingly, the Aiel have kept this part of the Way of the Leaf, in the form of their grim fatalism about death.

The first real insight into the mind of a Black Ajah, Liandrin, illustrates their selfishness and sense of entitlement. The way she lashes out at a maid, one who purportedly shares her affiliation with the Dark One, serves to demonstrate what her dominion over Rand would be like. Six Black Ajah, and however many others are off-screen, and a force of five hundred Whitecloaks greatly outmatch Elayne, Nynaeve, Thom, Juilin and Bayle. The sense of danger is heightened; excitement builds.

The reminder about the Seanchan menace waiting in the wings is much less effective at producing a similar sense of danger and excitement. At best, there is an indication of some divisive elements among the Seanchan, and potential for one side or the other to aid the heroes. Odds favour Egeanin, who is on the verge of contemplating treason. She sent the Lady Leilwin overseas. With all the intrigue in Seanchan, it is doubtful Egeanin’s new name was chosen coincidentally.

There is no indication yet that Bayle recognizes Thom from their flight down the Arinelle but he easily picks Nynaeve out of a crowd. There are no ta’veren in Tanchico, yet the coincidences happen anyway. Perhaps it is sufficient simply to encounter a ta’veren for him to set your path?

Similarly to the young couple, Thom comes clean with Elayne about his affair with her mother. Elayne seems likely to remember the feeling, if not the exact words Thom said, strengthening their trust.

Chapter separation in the Perrin sequence again seems to serve spacing and pacing considerations, but there is no indication chapter breaks were purposefully designed.  Rather, an uninterrupted Perrin sequence was written, and the breaks and placement chosen afterwards to improve the flow.

Slayer is now twice described as looking as Lan’s brother might. Alert readers remember the legend of Isam, and may even pick up on the same inhuman smell coming from Lord Luc. These clues require memory of earlier books events, but a hook was placed that allows easy recollection: Lan. Stories about random people who are deceased from a generation earlier don’t stick in the memory. Make that story about Lan’s lost cousin, and reader interest is piqued. If it were about Bornhald’s lost cousin, it would not work so well. Lan is the last Malkieri, so any relative affects his identity. Slayer also reveals his plan to Perrin, which is made into a reasonable action by the intent that the information will lure Perrin into a trap. A suitable alternative since an inner monologue such as Slayer gives in The Path Of Daggers would give away too much at this point. The clues may be there, but there is no sense solving the mystery for the reader yet.

With the raker’s departure, the Sea Folk have yet to play a significant role, so readers may expect the Coramoor, Elayne, the Sea Folk and the Seanchan to meet up in the future.

Writing Lessons:

Make a detail more memorable by linking to a character or event that already made an emotional impact in the reader’s mind.

The Shadow Rising - Chapters 34-37

In this section, Rand slowly leads his Aiel towards a gathering place, but his enemies have already tracked him down.

A common complaint about this book and its sequel are the lengthy walks through the desert where ‘nothing happens’. Contrasting these chapters with any earlier part of the book, it is a fair complaint. Once Rand has his face to face with the Wise Ones, there is a short sequence where Egwene is put in her place by the Wise Ones, a sequence where the peddlers show up, and the discovery of a vacant settlement at Imre Stand, followed by a Trolloc attack. Something happens; it’s just not as intense as in earlier parts of the book.

Rand’s return from Rhuidean is exciting. The reader doesn’t know what to expect, but they are probably disappointed about the lack of Aiel acceptance, just as Rand is. The subsequent Shaido trouble and Rand’s discussion about Rhuidean and his parentage are engrossing enough to sustain interest.

Learning about the World of Dreams would be interesting, except Egwene doesn’t actually learn anything concrete. In her conversation with Elayne she spits out information the reader already knows. The most important outcome of the discussion is that Egwene will tell Aviendha about Elayne’s letters, which sets up a mildly humourous situation later on. Egwene is dragged to the steam tent where the Wise Ones begin plotting how to guide Rand to best serve their purpose to save as many Aiel as possible. The most important thing learned is that Aviendha is placed near Rand in the hope he will confide in her. Overall, the chapter acts more like a prologue or interlude than to sustain the breakneck pace of earlier sections. That pace may already have been slowed down by the lengthy Perrin sequence lasting six chapters, but it at least kept introducing new elements and interesting plot twists.

The next sequence is the big plot twist where peddlers find Rand and his Aiel in the Waste. The significance is mostly lost on the reader. Rand points out that these are dangerous people and goes out of his way to act as though he isn’t paying attention to them, hoping to lull them into complacency. He lets the charade play out, even though the fact that is a charade isn’t obvious. Rand expects someone to try to find him, and so is suspicious of anything out of the ordinary. Peddlers showing up may be odd, but recent chapters had ruined cities, a world where wishes come true, a daring rescue, a mysterious Slayer, so as far as oddities go, the peddlers seem relatively normal. Readers will identify more with Mat’s perception of events, thinking Rand is a little paranoid, maybe even beginning to go mad, and there is nothing strange about the peddlers. Mat’s point of view serves to establish that Rand may not be a trustworthy narrator any more. Having an outsider make this observation helps create uncertainty about Rand.

Even though Lanfear has been shown changing her appearance, she is the only Forsaken recognizable on sight. Disguised or not, there is no way to tell which, if any, of the Peddlers are villains, and little to distinguish any one from any other. Keille’s hairdo could as easily be a red herring as a clue if appearances can be changed with the One Power. The inability to pick anything out may increase mystery at the cost of disinterest in the answer. If there is no clue to decipher, why bother trying to find one? In this case the reader can’t wait to get to the next section, not to see what happens next, but to avoid the less interesting bits.

The Trolloc attack is bland, even if it designed to throw a little bit of action into the story, which has been absent since Perrin raided the Whitecloak camp. In the last two major Shadowspawn raids, Perrin discovered he hated Neverborn, and Rand discovered he could wipe out Shadowspawn in vast numbers with Callandor. In this skirmish, Mat fends off attackers with his newfound battle prowess. Except Mat had plenty of prowess before he received new memories, so little new is learned. There is another reminder Rand suspects the peddlers, another reminder of the tensions between Rand and the various women in the camp.

Rand thinks he knows where Aviendha stands.  Readers still have little insight into how she feels, except that it may have to do with what she saw in Rhuidean. Odds favour it being a combination of sulkiness over giving up the spears and anger at Rand for breaking the Aiel as foretold. Romance doesn’t seem a factor.

In the Trolloc attack, Mat unknowingly feels channeling against him as his foxhead medallion pulses with cold. Forsaken? Attempted helping or hindering? Another stab at kicking down a leg of the ta’veren tripod? I’ll have to watch and see who is most surprised that he survived. It ought not to have taken long to try throwing a rock at him with the Power, so the channeler is either unstrategic or very cautious.

Rand still hasn’t learned who his mother really is, except she was a well-to-do wetlander, and a man who resembled her was encountered in the Blight. A hint or two have been dropped about Tigraine and Luc’s disappearances in the past, but if the Glossary is not used, there is slim chance for anyone to make the association yet. If you read the Glossary, it is simple to reason out.

Writing Lessons:

Repeating information the reader already knows, or failing to introduce new information quickly enough, can lose their interest quickly.

The Shadow Rising - Chapters 29-33

In this section, Perrin takes charge in the Two Rivers.

Perrin has changed since The Dragon Reborn, as demonstrated by his internal descriptions of the people and events around him. Previously, a heavy emphasis on his blacksmithing background was used to show his personality and character. Now, the blacksmithing references are gone, almost completely absent, replaced by a more worldly view, laced with soldiering metaphors. Even before he takes up arms, Perrin is being cast in a different light than in the previous book. For the most part, his perception is more focused, blunt, to the point. Here are a few examples showing his most blacksmith related thoughts, which are few, and a selection of others showing his growth and experience:

A small bowl balanced on the back of a cunningly made lion.

Whitecloaks don’t need much to decide somebody is guilty.

If he’s not a crackbrain, it won’t matter.

It was past time to be doing something.

A huge tree that looked as if it had been cleft down the middle by an axe.

Looking past Marin at him sharp as tacks.

How could he tell a man something like that?

Other times he might as well have been some complicated mechanism she meant to disassemble in order to puzzle out how it worked.

She was in for a surprise, if it came to that.

He had just tried to think of what a Shienaran he knew, a soldier named Uno, would have said.

Perrin immediately and methodically prioritizes his objectives. The ones he can achieve, and the ones with the greatest impact on himself and his loved ones come first. He sets Slayer last, not knowing he is the greatest of the foes to be reckoned with. His mindset is militaristic, not smith-like.

The sequence where Perrin learns of his family’s death has shortened Perrin responses. Every other character in the room is speaking about the various bits of news for several sentences, almost talking over his head, while Perrin’s responses are a few lines. This serves to illustrate his shock and forced detachment from the news of his family’s demise. An alternative might have been to have a heavily internalized Perrin sequence where he goes through the grieving process. Instead, by keeping Perrin somewhat removed and keeping most of his emotional display short or off page, the feeling is maintained that he is all business. There is even a sense of alarm that he is not fully aware of the dangers of the path he is heading down, that his cold resolve is blinding him to the ridiculousness of his objectives. The removal of the blacksmith related language accentuates this.

The language describing the Aes Sedai’s abode relates to the threat they may pose, and their trustworthiness. Anything at all in and around the sickhouse could be described, but the selection of adjectives and nouns the author chose to use begins to paint a picture: undergrowth, old sickhouse, sourgum, forest closed in, oddly, low branches, net of vines and briars snaked, vine-shrouded windows, dim light, cobwebs. No trusted friend could live in such a place.

Surprisingly, Dain Bornhald is cast in a favourable light, although his good behaviour is incidental to his misguided pursuit of Perrin. Padan Fain once again demonstrates how he uses anyone’s desires to his advantage, using it to goad people into advancing his own goals. Padan Fain took advantage of an organization which acts first, thinks later (if at all) to secure a force of fighting men. The Children of the Light’s actions are meant to draw Rand to him, but may also have been intended to protect him from the Shadow’s attempts on his life, which he wisely foresaw. Any attempts by the Forsaken to pursue Fain can be turned to giving further incentive to Rand to return to the Two Rivers to face Fain. All he has to do is survive the Shadow’s assassins.

Fain has turned Trollocs, and now a Myrddraal. If swearing allegiance to the Shadow involves unspeakable rites to bind you, how frightful is a process to turn you away from that allegiance? What will he do with this Myrddraal? Create a double agent?

Writing Lessons:

Show irrationality by removing a part of normal behaviour.

The Shadow Rising - Chapters 24-28

In this section, the three ta’veren find mysteries and revelations.

The Rhuidean sequence carries a strange sense of dread and destiny, slowly revealed to the reader. First is the city that no one will speak of. Second is the secret about it that is held by clan chiefs and Wise Ones. Third is that the city should not be there, the Aiel do not live in cities. Fourth is that Rhuidean cannot even be visited in tel’aran’rhiod. Fifth is the strange fog that envelops Rhuidean, hiding its secrets in the waking world. Sixth is its architecture, designed for grandeur and not the practical aspects of city living. Seventh is the plaza filled with objects of the One Power, each one unknowable and lost. Eighth is the Tree of Life, and the glass columns. Up until this moment, everything about Rhuidean is couched in mystery, little of it making sense, all of it ominous. Memories of the ruins of Shadar Logoth come to mind, even in the absence of a stated comparison. Many details have been revealed, but there are precious few links to enable readers to make sense of them.

Mat’s discovery of the second redstone ter’angreal is climatic. This is why he has come to Rhuidean. Mat has unfinished business with the Aelfinn, and now he can resolve it. The moment when the unexpected result is revealed drives the reader eagerly onward: “Wherever this was, it was not where he had been.” The use of simple words, lacking detail and vague in meaning, draws out the surprise. The Eelfinn says “a very long time”, establishing the first link to Mat’s earlier experience even as the new locale and different species makes clear that this experience will be different. In sequences where strange or alien experiences take place, some links or reference points to the familiar are required. The selection of these signposts and whether they are placed early or late will affect whether the sequence is mysterious, horrific, humourous, or some other outcome.

Rand’s experiences in the glass columns are my favorite of any fiction. Each short sequence shown stands on its own yet is linked to the others and to the main story in a well-crafted chain. The first link to the familiar and the main story in the present is the sight of Muradin several steps ahead of him. The strangeness is in Muradin’s angry reaction to what he is seeing. Readers may be reminded of the testing for Accepted since that is what was described to Aviendha.

Rand is first shown inside, but not controlling a body. The owner of the body is someone else. Rand eventually merges with the body’s owner, separateness fading. He becomes Mandein, strengthening the reader’s interest in this new character’s fate. It is established that this character is a sept chief, a link to the familiar. Further drawing the reader in, immediately a need is established. He must agree. The sequence would not work as well if these elements were presented later, or if they were not linked to Rand. A story about the newcomer Mandein is not as interesting as a story about Rand reliving a vital part of Mandein’s life, even if it does reveal interesting facts about the past. To further maintain the empathy with each new character presented, a reminder that each one is linked to Rand comes from the short interludes when Rand reflects on what he has seen. Eventually the reader understands that the visions of the past follow bloodlines from father to son over several centuries, and logically, since Rand and his father are Aiel, this is not only Aiel history, but family history. Each vision thus helps Rand anchor his identity, which has been cut loose from his links to Tam al’Thor. The moment when the reader understands the bloodlines, and later their link to Rand, is one of several climatic revelations in this sequence.

Each story is linked to the one before it by several elements.

The very next paragraph throws out a lot of information designed to draw the reader in. I categorize it below, because these components will show up in each of the visions in the glass columns.

Revelation: The Jenn built Rhuidean

Mystery: Why do the Aiel avoid the Jenn? Who are the Jenn? Why did they build an indefensible city?

Link to present day: Rhuidean is being built. The accursed Lost Ones search for their songs. Astute readers know these are the Tinkers.

Link to familiar: Aiel have militaristic thinking, hatred of Tinkers.

There are even more revelations, links and mysteries as the Mandein scene progresses. Each vision establishes how it fits with the others, reveals intimate information about the Aiel that has links to present-day Aiel, exposes new mysteries that will be solved in the next visions, and contains clues relating to other cultures, characters, and objects that are important in the series.

This first vision scene tells readers that the upcoming scenes will reveal why Aiel do not use swords, why the Jenn and Aes Sedai put so much effort into ensuring they learn and remember the Aiel. Each of the visions only takes readers a little way towards the final revelations. It reminds me of a word game in which you make one word become another but are only allowed to change one letter at a time.

The next scene establishes the timing of the visions by discussing the founding of Tar Valon. Later visions confirm the setting to be during the Breaking of the World. Eventually every cultural belief of the Aiel is shown to be a misinterpretation of what has come before, from sword-wielding, to veiling before battle, to their short hair, to refusal to ride horses. The Aiel truly forgot where they came from, largely as a result of some very humiliating personal failures that resulted from justifiable actions. By Jenn Aiel standards they were not justifiable, they were rationalized. The visions move gradually from stories that touch on several aspects of Aiel cultural life to Lewin’s, one that is intensely personal but almost devoid of Aiel culture since it is the true origin of Aiel.

Before there were Aiel, there were the Da’shain, who traveled the world in wagons, looking for a place of shelter. They also had a duty so important that it would lead to Lewin being cast out of the Da’shain wagons. Several generations believed that duty was to protect the ter’angreal in the wagons, but above all else, the Aes Sedai hoped to preserve the peaceful ways of the Da’shain, their belief being the last remnant of the Age of Legends. Even Rand sees the modern Aiel for what they are, not what they were. Those Aiel who will follow Rand will do so out of desire to fulfill their destiny, to atone for their sin and their failure to keep to the Way of the Leaf. But they will not be able to follow it themselves, both they and Rand see them as weapons to be used. The one who must follow the Way of the Leaf in their place is Rand, and to follow the Jesus myth, he will have to embrace non-violence against the Shadow and die.

Telling the collection of short stories that make up the visions in reverse chronological order works very effectively. An alternative would have been to start at the beginning, and leave the reader wondering how this would lead to the Aiel they know, but this approach would not have displayed the same keen sense of loss and failure felt when readers discover that each generation tried so hard, but ultimately failed at what they were supposed to do. Highlighting that knowledge puts the emphasis back on Rand and his duty to correct the mistakes and atone for the sins. The final scene of the visions shows the Dark One being freed, and is the origin of the entire story. The origin of the end of the Aiel, of their sin and their duty, and Rand’s origin as well, which will lead to his conclusive battle against the Dark One.

Dreaming was a somewhat common power through all the generations of Aiel. When the Tuatha’an splintered off from the Da’shain, did they lose the Dreamwalking ability? Does having Dreamwalkers in your midst keep you on the right path, while those without Dreamwalkers split off and wander away?

Mat is the only one who makes blunt assessments of Rand’s madness. His rash words are so often wrong they are overlooked, which makes his notice of something a perfect place to hide something in plain sight. As the reader and other characters dismiss Mat’s insight, it still serves to remind readers that madness will overtake Rand. They will clearly not believe it has begun already.

Perrin learns the hazards of dealing with Eelfinn AFTER it’s too late for Mat, a fun way of revealing more about the redstone doorway worlds that might have taken away some of the mystery had it been told to Perrin before Mat’s encounters. Slayer did not enter the Tower of Ghenjei, but making Perrin believe he did was an excellent trap. With dead wolves and Faile to concern him, Perrin now has enough reason to live to avoid immediately giving himself up to the Whitecloaks.

Writing Lessons:

Keep plots and events personal, keep your character’s identity mired in the events that transpire around him, and even when it all seems so obvious already, make it about your character again.

The Shadow Rising - Chapters 19-23

In this section, plans and secrets are revealed, and the Heroes try to take charge of their destinies.

Rand hatches a plan to acquire his own army by entering Rhuidean and winning the hearts of the Aiel. Through shrewd deductions, he determines he can travel from Tear to Rhuidean in a day using Portal Stones. He holds onto this secret means of travel until the last possible moment. The author does the same, showing Rand think repeatedly to himself that he can hold out just a little longer before telling. This small mystery is solved, but a few more are introduced: Rand’s father, not mother, was Aiel, contradicting what has been insinuated previously; who are the Jenn Aiel?; what will they find in Rhuidean?

Rand also made plans for Tear, trying to elevate the peasantry out of their grinding poverty, trying to shape the nation into something in line with his ideals. With Thom’s help he has disposed of several threats to his rule from the nobility. He is trying to treat the Tairens as his flock, sparing a care for even the High Lords he is threatening to execute. This behaviour is contrary to Moiraine’s, who puts achieving her goals and winning the Last Battle ahead of everything else. Over time, Rand will embrace Moiraine’s ideals, becoming cold and driven, even as his allies try to reintroduce the concepts of mercy and love to him. Moiraine and Lan may have had the important task of finding Rand, but their influence on his behavior has overall been negative and sets him down a path of self-destruction.

Moiraine’s thoughts regarding Rand involve frequent use of the puppet on a string metaphor.  She ties strings, she deliberately seeks to control and manipulate him just as Thom feared. The author could have chosen a number of metaphors to express this Aes Sedai need for control, but he deliberately chose the one which Ba’alzamon had used, which has appeared in certain dreams, which has very negative connotations. The goal is to make the reader see Moiraine as plainly untrustworthy, as someone that Rand cannot confide in, so as to increase the sense of desperation he feels. Even noting how Lan, who is a very likeable character, is contemplating leaving Moiraine’s side, adds to the feeling that there is something wrong with Moiraine, and justifiable in stymieing her plans. Every one of Rand or Mat’s insolent grins at her also undermines her standing. There is never just one technique used to affect reader’s perceptions, there are several, subtly working together.

It seems one of Moiraine’s questions to the Aelfinn involved the list of Red Ajah she promises to Thom, for the expedient purpose of getting him out of the way, unless the story of the rogue gentling was well known among the Aes Sedai.

The Portal Stones and discussion of tel’aran’rhiod remind me to examine the geography of the universe. Each mirror world is represented by a horizontal line, other worlds which are even harder to reach, such as the Aelfinn world or worlds that might be reached with an Ogier Book of Translation, are represented by vertical lines crossing the horizontal lines. These are the warp and woof of Verin’s Pattern. And accessible from all of them is the World of Dreams. Some places do not have accessible reflections in tel’aran’rhiod, such as stedding and Rhuidean. What a strange weave to cut off access from tel’aran’rhiod! Useful however, to close the unguarded back door into every fortress. The World of Dreams must also have reflections of the Mirror Worlds and the ‘vertical’ worlds as well! Is the strange realm of spires and ramps that Rand evaded Forsaken in simply a tel’aran’rhiod reflection of the Ways? The property of laying across mirror worlds is that a number of different outcomes of the past or future can be observed. This may explain the Aelfinn ability to give true answers, or a Dreamer’s ability to gain insight about the future. Mirror Worlds are faded if the decisions leading to them are improbable. A probability density function can be used to interpret the ‘realness’ of Mirror Worlds and see what has happened or may happen. Is this why the Wise Ones speak about future events in an odds-based vocabulary? Parts of Tel’aran’rhiod itself shift in relation to the probability that an object is in a given location or not. The more likely it keeps a fixed location in the real world, the more stability its reflection has in tel’aran’rhiod. One should be able to travel to reflections of the other worlds, somehow. What keeps our heroes anchored in the reflection of their own World? Simple probability, or lack of awareness that other reflections exist? Do the Mirror People also have souls? Can they somehow also be represented at the Last Battle, the battle for all creation? I can’t help but feel they will be there.

Egwene’s lessons haven’t even started yet, but we’ve learned much about what can be done in tel’aran’rhiod, if not how. The Wise Ones are being set up as mentor characters, supplanting Moiraine and Lan.

A technique used frequently in this book, probably due to the number of characters being juggled, is that important events concerning a character may be told from a different character’s point of view. Some examples were Aviendha being sent to Rhuidean as seen by Egwene, Rand’s gathering of the High Lords as seen by Moiraine, Lan and Nynaeve’s romance as seen by Elayne. The advantage is that it requires fewer switches back and forth between character points of view. A disadvantage is that a long-awaited or compelling scene lacks a direct report of the emotions felt by the character, it is only seen from the outside looking in. An author could selectively time these scenes and the way they are presented to affect the tempo of the book. Not showing a scene from the concerned character’s perspective also allows the reader to imagine and imprint their own ideas about what is going through the character’s head, creating mystery or tension. There could be several reasons to select or avoid a given character’s point of view.  

The Aiel and Sea Folk have larger cultural differences with the Heroes than any previously encountered people. In earlier books, Robert Jordan would have one culture lead into the other, or have them play off each other. Here, both cultures endure certain hardships particular to their home, have prophecies foretelling massive change to their way of life, have lived in seclusion from the centre of the continent, hiding their channelers. They are meant to express the same idea, that every person in every place in the world has as take in the events unfolding.  

Next time: My favorite chapters ever!

Writing Lessons:

Use an old idea in a new place to associate the reaction to the old idea to the new place.