A Memory of Light - Chapters 33-36

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Writing Lessons:

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

A Memory of Light - Chapters 29-32

In this section, the Great Captains are removed and Mat takes over everything.

The next chapters contain a bit of overlap, as we see closely-spaced events from several perspectives. Since they all concern the erratic behaviour of the Great Captains and the events on the field, they mesh together well, though they remain strongly plot-driven.

Lan investigates Agelmar’s tactics, and finds disturbing facts. Lan resolves the problem with dutiful competence. He doesn’t grow, he doesn’t learn, he simply applies what he already has, and solves the problem. Perhaps the fact that the solution is to admit defeat constitutes character development of a sort, but it feels much more like plot-driven necessity. The scene is perhaps most successful in how it sets up later expectations. Lan does not consider a final stand to fulfill his long-awaiting destiny to fall fighting the Shadow. He instead tries to save as many lives as he can with a hurried withdrawal, carrying on in the way he promised his Malkieri followers.

Mat scouts the battle with Tuon in tow. In true ta’veren fashion, he learns what he must do to save humanity, capturing a new damane and other followers in the process. The Seanchan captain won’t work out in the end though, if this paragraph follows the same type of symbolism used in earlier books: The Seanchan captain reminded him a little too much of Talmanes, and Mat had enough people following him about. I wonder if he plays dice, Mat thought idly, stepping into the water. His boots were good, but all boots eventually leaked, and his feet squished inside his stocking as he walked across the ford with Pips. The way the author leaps forward with the action throughout the book makes it harder to tell if this set-up was intentional, but the section is so introspective I think it must be.  

The following sentences both succeed and fail to capture Mat’s personality: Any man who wanted to wield the One Power was already crazy, so far as Mat considered it. Adding more crazy to them would be like pouring tea into an already full cup. The physical analogy of an overflowing cup is common enough that readers easily identify it with a man who yearns for the simple life. His disdain for the men who channel saidin is equally well captured, consistent with his previous thoughts on the subject. Where the analogy fails, is that Mat rarely drinks tea, and tea has no association with erratic behaviour. A better choice to bring out Mat’s personality even more could have been to make the analogy with an alcoholic beverage, such as a cup of wine or a mug of beer. He speaks about his bedtime mug of ale only two pages later!

Perrin enlists Elyas to help stop Ituralde from sabotaging his own army in the waking world.

Rand’s leg slipped backward, and brushed the darkness behind, which waited like a pool of ink. A light brush is more effective than a plunge or other motion in conveying the danger.

Elayne’s army almost wins, having overcome Bashere’s treachery too late. She fires a final ball of flame to protect the Dragons, the symbol of human innovation. Almost as if summoned by her gesture, Logain’s Asha’man rally her forces and quickly devastate the Trolloc horde in a particularly inventive fashion. Androl leads the first ever circle of male and female channelers cooperating on a large scale. Differences are set aside in desperation, here as has happened elsewhere. Once control has been established, Elayne asserts that the Trollocs will be slaughtered down to the last one standing, lest they get up to havoc while she helps elsewhere.

Egwene has the hardest time of everyone accepting that her trusted general is a traitor. She finds that she trusts Mat more than even Bryne, despite his carefree ways. This is justified by her memories of his past actions, newly minted to reinforce that she knows his true heart despite staying an arm’s length from him for years. A couple of plot-driven reasons to trust also are invoked: he broke Bryne’s orders to the Seanchan cavalry to save many men, and he is the only one who they can be sure is under no Compulsion.

Assessing the situation, Mat decides to assemble all the Light’s forces in one location, close enough to the Shadow’s two main forces to draw them irresistibly into battle, before they can ravage elsewhere, or return to Thakan’dar. Displaying weakness should work, after all it was the Shadow who launched the initial attacks against humanity, putting them on the defensive. Rand used their desperate plight as cover for his own daring raid on Shayol Ghul, yet the Shadow must not be worried, as only a handful of Dreadlords and Graendal have intervened there. Perhaps keeping the good guys penned up just trying to survive is the minimum objective, as they would be powerless to help Rand. Who would benefit most of everyone just Traveled to Shayol Ghul?

Galad’s perspective is well-suited to state the blunt awful truth about how bad things are, and how much worse they are about to get. Tam and Elayne counter grim reality with hope, spreading the message that all must focus on what has been won, not what has been lost.

Writing Lessons:

Analogies must fit the character making them as well as the situation they describe. 

Crossroads of Twilight - Chapters 10-12

In this section, Elayne does all the things the readers don’t like.

There’s a reason you rarely see characters doing menial tasks. It takes time away from them doing the things readers enjoy, such as battling, or romancing, or striving, or accomplishing. Menial tasks make the characters that much more ordinary. But it also makes them relatable. If you never see a character eat or sleep, you might wonder where they get their energy. In Elayne’s case, readers feel they are all too often treated to hair brushing, choosing clothes, and bathing.

Elayne is unique amongst the main characters, in that she grew up and still resides in a world of politics. She will be judged for improper attire, unkempt hair, or smelling bad from a day in the saddle. Some of the others might get away with those things, but they are as much a part of Elayne’s routine as practicing sword-forms is to Rand or Lan.  A princess who doesn’t spend time doing these things is not a believable princess. Nonetheless, readers yearn for less of these trivial things.

The way Elayne is judged is important to her success in gaining the throne of Andor. She is trying to present herself as the impeccable choice to be Queen, and is courting the nobility of Andor. She is successful in portraying the desired image, but the Houses have little left to give, certainly not enough to make a difference in the defense of Caemlyn. But their presence is worthwhile for the symbolism.

Elayne reflects on the power of rumour and hearsay to create an identity for her. The image she portrays must be completely infallible. This is similar to how Rand tried to manage his own image, except that he took a very firm hand in direct dealings with the people he encountered. Elayne’s own dealings are subtle, never veering in a direction that can be misconstrued. The amount of time she spends dwelling on it reflects the intense non-stop effort it requires.

Everyone still insists on mothering Elayne, treating her as a fragile specimen whose only purpose is to bear a child.

When a character makes an analogy, the author is able to write one that conveys not only Elayne’s privileged lifestyle, but relates back to the topic being considered. Thinking of Rand always makes Elayne think of the babe, so the analogy that follows is: One followed the other as surely as cream rose in the milkpan.

Elayne’s romantic relationship with Rand puts a different spin on the importance of the cleansing. She reminds herself that it is the taint on saidin that will kill him. With the cleansing, that is no longer true, for him as well as for all the Asha’man. The blazing beacon she senses to the west is a source of concern for her, which it wasn’t in the last few perspectives considering its meaning. Aviendha sets her straight: they need to have faith that Rand can deal with this on his own, rather than rushing to his side and introducing an unknown factor he isn’t expecting.

Of the five Elayne chapters in a row, three of them end with her relating how Andor is what matters most, more than any other thing could matter. This feels repetitious in the same way Perrin’s continual quest for Faile was, but without the same dire outcome waiting. If Elayne doesn’t gain the throne, and Arymilla runs the queendom into the ground, Elayne would still be free to partake in the rest of the story. Her identity is wrapped up in becoming queen though; it is all she has been told from birth. Failing to become Queen changes her identity, which is the main threat she faces. The obstacles she faces are mostly circumstantial, and are not the result of any of her character traits. If anything, her character in this regard is flawless, and it is the shadow of her mother’s character she is trying to escape from under.

The Black Ajah in the palace is brought up again, but there are no good clues pointing to her. If anything, Sareitha’s praise of Mellar causes readers to view her as sympathetic to him, a known Darkfriend. That vague and tenuous connection from a single conversation creates a strong connection because of the pre-existing link between Mellar and the Shadow.

The Sea Folk make a new bargain with Elayne. They are in a rush to leave because Zaida wants her chance to become Mistress of the Ships. This gives Elayne a chance to be rid of some of the inconveniences thrust on her by the agreement to provide teachers. She gives up some future concessions that will cost her more than she can foresee, in order to keep what help she can for now.

A theme running through this entire section is that good help is hard to find. Maids gossip, Lords provide feeble old men or boys for Elayne’s armies, Mellar is a dolt, the Sea Folk are running off, the Black Ajah in the Palace still hasn’t been found, and her own closest friends and advisors don’t trust her to care for herself or the baby. Amidst all these unreliable people, only Elayne is strong and true, never erring, always seeing to the heart of the matter. Readers tend to interpret this as Elayne being overbearing instead of the commentary on the followers failure to live up to expectations which it must be, or the same message wouldn’t keep coming back. Based on how Jordan has used this repetition technique in the past, he is trying to expose Elayne’s worst fear that she won’t live up to expectations. Unfortunately, by the end of all this, a significant portion of readers won’t care whether she does or not.

Writing Lessons:

The events a character spends time on should be consistent with their background and goals.  

The Dragon Reborn - Chapters 35-39

In this section, Perrin spies on the villains while Egwene is captured.

Hopper is teaching Perrin how to use the World of Dreams to his advantage. Right now it is important that Perrin know that Lanfear is a dissident within the Forsaken. Lanfear’s claim on the World of Dreams and Ba’alzamon’s attempt to yell “Aha! You are not helping the Great Lord!” reinforces the idea that she may have drilled the Bore in tel’aran’rhiod and that the Dark One has a particular interest in the World of Dreams as a matter of protecting his doorstep.

Avoiding direct confrontation, Ba’alzamon enlists minions across the globe to help him kill or ‘take’ certain of the heroes. Ba’alzamon never says he wants Mat dead, just that he should not have been allowed to escape Tar Valon. He also wants Egwene and Nynaeve captured. The Gray Men trying to kill everyone in sight are therefore someone else’s work.  

Perrin meets the falcon from Min’s viewing. There are so many Dreams, Viewings and Prophecies in this book that readers have a lot of opportunity to figure a few out, just as Egwene does. Egwene’s realization serves as a bit of a lesson to the reader on how the dreams can be interpreted, in case it wasn’t clear. Once a few have been figured out, readers are likely to want to solve the others. Some revelations will unfold over several books, leaving a lot of fun conjecture to engage the reader’s thinking muscles.

As with the two earlier books, new allies will be found leading up to the final battle. The Aiel haven’t yet committed to showing up in Tear, but with both Perrin and Nynaeve dropping clues as to where they and Rand are heading, it is expected they will show up in time to help out. And once there, Rand can finally confirm what everyone else has figured out, that he is an Aiel. The approach of keeping one character in the dark while giving all the relevant clues to other characters and the reader is used frequently in the series. It allows the reader to understand while keeping the characters doing what is needed to move the plot in the desired direction.

Some examples of this are present in the introduction to Aiel culture that Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve receive. In some cases, the required understanding is not yet provided, so discussing the Aiel sin of so long ago does not reveal anything about their secret origin, and the knowing looks exchanged by Bain and Chiad do not give away what they know about the Wise Ones’ interest in Aviendha. In other cases, full insight into the cultural element is given, which gives readers the required background to understand future events when they take place, such as asking to become first-sisters, or knowing that Wise Ones give the clan chiefs direction based on their dreams. One method is a mystery waiting for a solution; the other is a solution to a future mystery. It will be the case that readers will read something that reminds them of a nugget of information they remember reading two books ago. Scattering the information throughout the story makes it surprising when the solution is revealed, and is also the basis of the heavy-duty theorizing that we hardcore fans love so much.

A second mention of balefire is an indication it’ll be seen again. Nynaeve’s spontaneous use of balefire reminds readers that Rand did something similar near the beginning of the book. Like Rand, Nynaeve is demonstrating the ability to create the weave she wants, as though through sheer willpower. Another parallel showing that Nynaeve is the female equivalent to the Dragon? Even Egwene seems able to do this learning to a lesser extent. My earlier suggestion that some learning was planted in Rand’s mind when he used the Eye of the World is somewhat undermined since Nynaeve didn’t have a similar experience to explain her ability. Instead, the idea that willpower is related to spontaneous learning of certain weaves of the One Power is worth remembering, given that a number of other plot elements such as tel’aran’rhiod and the heroes trials are based on willpower.

The short Rand section once again serves as a bridge between Perrin and Egwene’s parts of the story.

Egwene and Elayne have a discussion reminiscent of one Perrin had with Moiraine not long ago. Each wondered how the Pattern could allow such suffering and evil to go on. There has been little thought for the larger scale suffering in the world since the heroes’ impact on the world, and even the people around them, has been quite limited. As the series progresses, concerns of this nature will become more common.

I’ll give a few examples of analogies from this section, to demonstrate the richness it brings to the text, more so than simple adjectives would. The last part of each phrase is sometimes used to flip the meaning of the phrase, but more often is simply not necessary, it just adds flavor, often telling something about the character making the analogy as well as the thing being described. They also have vivid imagery that might convey a mood, or feel, or smell, or taste.

His voice was soft, as cold iron is soft.

He sounded like a bumblebee only the size of a dog instead of a horse.

Does he always look like that, or did he eat a rock for his last meal?

Fear struck through him like hammered spikes.

The man screamed, and began to quiver like a file struck against an anvil.

Be wary as a cub hunting porcupine.

I will be crying like a girl, next.

Yet dress and cloak were of the best wool, well cut and well sewn.

I either hunt them, or else I sit like a rabbit waiting for a hawk.

Nynaeve’s Healing caught her like a straw on the edge of a whirlpool.

They shrieked like splintered bones jamming a meatgrinder.

Amys and Bair and Melaine and Seana stalked me like ridgecats after a wild goat.

He courts the death that took his land as other men court beautiful women.

The Darter belied its name with a bluff bow as round as its captain.

Writing Lessons:

Analogies present an opportunity to make your text richer.