The Gathering Storm - Chapters 31-33

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Writing Lessons:

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

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

Knife of Dreams - Chapters 31-34

In this section, Elayne turns a sour experience into crushing victory!

A professional purse snatcher does what no one else has been able to so far, following Mellar to the Lady Shiaine’s home. Giddy at the prospect of capturing a circle of Darkfriends, two Black Ajah, and giving the boot to Mellar, Elayne hastily assembles the Aes Sedai and Warders to raid the manor before they disperse. Mellar’s treachery is strongly downplayed; his arrest is but a footnote.

Elayne cleverly gets the two Aes Sedai she is unsure of in linked pairs, so they cannot channel to disrupt her plan. The raid goes perfectly, until the unforeseen arrival of four other Black Ajah, seemingly still bent on capturing Elayne as Moghedien ordered so long ago. Shiaine is grateful for the rescue, but is quickly put in her place; these women have their own agenda which has nothing to do with Moridin’s or Shiaine’s. This is not the first time that one evil plot has been undone by another concurrent evil plot, where the villains do not share information or objectives.

Careane is unveiled as Black Ajah, and is stabbed by Vandene. Careane’s treachery is strongly downplayed; her death is also but a footnote, since the immediate menace is the six Black Ajah who will have no trouble killing the remaining Warders and carrying Elayne off. Fortunately, none of them know Traveling. Maintaining control over who can Travel is important for several plotlines, and devising ways to keep it secret from the general population of channelers and Mat’s group, while simultaneously allowing other heroes to make liberal use of it must have required intricate planning on the author’s part. Be careful of the tools you give your heroes, because they may make life too easy for them.

Birgitte responds correctly to Elayne’s capture and the death of the Warders. She goes for the only help capable of stopping channelers: other channelers. Birgitte appeals to the Sea Folk’s sense of self-interest, and the Black Ajah are captured and Elayne freed. In minutes, they had destroyed several hundred soldiers, providing yet another example of the escalation of the battles and their outcomes. Obviously, the Last Battle will involve large numbers of channelers, and the value of soldiers will be much less than in traditional warfare.

Birgitte had been forced to give away a number of soldiers to Dyelin to defend the city gates, which made a big difference in the city’s defense, but little difference in Elayne’s rescue which depended on the One Power. With the city under attack from one of Elayne’s rivals for the throne, she Travels into position and catches them between the city walls and her army. It is enough to win, yet the thin margin of victory could have gone the other way several times.

Elsewhere, Karede divines Mat’s plan, and moves to intercept him, setting up another tense conflict where small chance-driven events may make the difference between victory and defeat.

Robert Jordan has a particular way with his sentence structure, often crafting lengthy sentences filled with descriptions, information, the character’s personal views, symbolism, and inference. Since I’m nearing the end of the books he wrote himself, it’s long past time to study these more closely.

Just  two of the mirrored stand-lamps were lit, six flames filling the sitting room with a dim light and the scent of lilies – so much of the lamp oil had gone bad that it was always perfumed, now – but a crackling fire on the hearth was beginning to take away some of the early hour’s coolness.

In this sentence, the room’s temperature, odour, and lighting are described, establishing a mood. There are links to other ideas and plotlines: the Dark One’s touch, Elayne working at early hours of the morning, insufficient supplies to meet needs. Elayne’s situation is symbolized, she can hardly shed light on the solution to her problems, but another source will give her what she needs. So many things conveyed with just one sentence.

Gliding to one of the carved sideboards, she wrinkled her nose at the silver pitcher holding goat’s milk and poured herself a cup of dark wine before taking a chair across from Elayne.

In this sentence, the first part might have been dropped but leave the entire meaning intact. Instead of breaking the sentence into smaller parts, Jordan links them together as a complete sequence of related events. He does it again with the next sentence:

Deni made a move as if to try dragging her out, but Elayne shook her head.

In this case, an action is begun, another is contemplated, and then both are negated. Three actions in one short sentence.

The gag, a dirty piece of rag with a vile, oily taste, tied so tightly that it dug into the corners of her mouth, had been meant to keep her from shouting for help at the gates.

This is not simply a description of her gag, but has added links to explain her captor’s attitude (tightness of gag), and the reason why she has a gag in her mouth, which will lead to an explanation of Elayne’s own strategy.

At last, however, even the most diehard began shedding weapons and armor, and if not every voice cried for quarter, the roar was still thunderous.

Here, large scale events are summarized with a quick series of events. The words ‘at last’ convey Elayne’s hopes as well as the finality of the situation. Using words like ‘roar’, ‘thunderous’, and ‘every’ conveys the large scale of their surrender. Describing the actions of many through the actions of few, either by making them representative, or extraordinary, allows the entire scene to be condensed.

Writing Lessons:

Give longer descriptive passages more weight and interest by linking the ideas and actions within them.

Knife of Dreams - Chapters 28-30

In this section, Perrin and Faile have a happy reunion, except for some overhanging doubts.

I was taken aback by the possibility that the chapters detailing Faile’s theft of the Oath Rod contained a second layer of meaning, one which pointed to her sleeping with Rolan, and being so secretive about it that she doesn’t even mention it in her own thoughts. I went back and read the chapters in Winter’s Heart where Perrin wakes in Berelain’s tent and found the same thing. Neither situation means that any cheating took place, but the author definitely used language and symbolism to infer the possibility of it having happened.

In the chapters detailing Faile’s rescue, I found other symbolism which continues to support the author’s intent for readers to question whether they are being told the whole story. Galina represents truth, and both truth and Galina let Faile down. This is symbolized by Galina plunging Faile and her followers into the basement of a burned out building. The ruined timbers that collapse on them represent the web of lies that must be concocted to hide their actions with the Aiel men.

The jumble of charred timbers and half-burned boards filling the staircase resembled one of those blacksmith’s puzzles her Perrin enjoyed. Almost everything seemed to be propping up something else. Worse, the heavier timbers might be beyond all of them working together. But if they could clear enough for them to be able to crawl through, writhing between the thick beams… It would be dangerous, that crawl. But when a dangerous path was your only route to safety, you had to take it.

Much of the effort to move the timbers fails, and further shifting causes more of them to tumble into the dirty basement. The soot and ash dirtying their faces represents their shame. It means that despite their best efforts, they cannot come up with a story that can’t be unraveled. It is only when they are able to signal Faile’s other followers that they are able to escape. Rolan, the Brotherless, and the gai’shain help Faile escape the basement, representing their pledge to preserve Faile’s secret. What she did, she did for them, and they will protect her. Rolan will keep her secret as well, but not without exacting his price. A pinch on the bottom for each of the women represents something more, a price willingly paid for freedom.

At Theoryland we put great stock in quoting the text, but here is a situation where the quoted text is of no value in understanding what may have happened. Readers can accept the story told as it appears, for after all, Perrin and Faile are in love, and would never betray each other. Or, they can note the hidden symbolism and wonder, how well do I really know these characters? The author’s goal isn’t to state the truth one way or the other, it is to cast doubt. Readers won’t know for sure, they must have faith and belief in their interpretation of events, just as Perrin and Faile will have to.

The question of how well you know someone recurs frequently in this book. Mat and Tuon state it bluntly, as they circle each other warily in their courtship. Elayne’s spies and traitors aren’t presented in the shock and awe style of writing where the betrayal carries important consequences. It’s more of a gentle questioning of how far Mellar, or Sareitha, or anyone can be trusted. The motives of High Seats are vague, and are interpreted in the obvious way, with a small chance of deceit, just as the Seanchan Banner-General is someone Perrin has to decide to take at face value, and to trust. Rand’s encounter with the fake Daughter of the Nine Moons was a more direct betrayal, but his gamble to put trust in this unknown person fits the theme which runs through the relationships in this book. Perrin and Faile’s relationship is the inverse of Mat and Tuon’s. Where readers are comfortable with Perrin and Faile’s fabled honesty, and wary with Mat and Tuon’s usual unreliability, the author inverts the roles, creating doubt about the trustworthy and giving confidence in the scoundrels.

Aram is another case of someone who we thought we knew well, yet he suddenly turns on Perrin. His motivation is to protect Faile from Perrin, as explained to him by Masema, who knows no shades of grey, only the stark black and white of the moral code he and his cult have constructed around the Dragon. Aram would have killed Perrin for not being perfect, but both Perrin and Faile easily conclude that the other may have behaved imperfectly, which doesn’t matter, so long as they are together.

Min’s Viewings about the falcon and hawk, and the tinker with a sword all involve this particular part of the storyline. Why were these images important enough to merit a Viewing? Why present them to readers unless they meant something to Perrin? The falcon and its leash are obvious, but what do the other two mean if not the scenario I have described?

This is the last we see of Therava and Galina. Therava’s ability to crush the spirit of one of the most powerful women in the world stood out far more than Anath’s mild spankings of Tuon. I was sorely disappointed Semirhage’s alter ego was not as impressive as the Shaido Wise One, though that will be rectified in the next book. Therava overcame Sevanna’s ineptitude, and Galina received a just punishment for her actions. A feeling of justice is important to convey to the reader, if it is desired to keep a hopeful tone to the story. In this case it is convenient to contrast Galina’s fate and actions with Faile’s. They both may have betrayed the faith placed in them, but the consequences for each match the severity of their betrayal.

Writing Lessons:

Contrast one relationship with another to drive a point home.

Knife of Dreams - Chapters 26-27

In this section, a jumble of viewpoints leads up to Rand getting injured.

Following Egwene’s lengthy chapter, the next viewpoints are short, and are divided oddly amongst the chapters. Here are the viewpoints, the number of pages in each, and the chapter they fall in.

Chapter 25: Tarna 6, Mat 12

Chapter 26: Tuon 12, Perrin 15, Faile 3

Chapter 27 : Rand 15, Mat 9

It is an odd partition to have Tuon’s viewpoint sharing a chapter with Perrin, when the viewpoint immediately preceding it was Mat’s, who is in the same locale as Tuon. Why not have shorter chapters with no shared viewpoints? Why throw a Mat section at the end of a Rand section, when there is no logical link between Rand’s and Mat’s actions? Tarna’s viewpoint was filled with trepidation, Mat’s also, but less so. Mat is more in control of events once he meets up with his army again. Tuon’s section is back to mild confusion and study of the situation. Perrin is nothing but preparation for conflict, and worry for how it may pan out. Faile is down to a desperate gamble. The range of emotions these characters feel is similar to what Rand has gone through in preparing to meet the Seanchan. Trepidation, study, preparation, and a gamble at the end. But it’s not just Rand; each of these characters also went through something similar in their predicaments. The viewpoints are divided this way to avoid repeating each character going through similar emotions, which could make for arduous reading. The emotions and concerns expressed in each of the sections stands for the others as well. And in the end, each of the characters will make their gamble, knowing that there is a knife-thin margin between victory and defeat, which relates back to the rhyme at the opening of the book. All of these plotlines are linked thematically.  

The Tuon section reveals that surprisingly, she knows as little of Mat as he does of her. Even as a willing prisoner, Tuon plots how to undermine the enemies of her Empire, considering ways in which she can make life difficult for him or his army. Tuon’s inner thoughts have been kept from readers to maintain the mystery around her, so that they are unsure of where Mat stands with her. As their royal wedding nears, it is finally time to reveal some, but not all, of what her goals are, and how she thinks of Mat. This is an excellent opportunity to switch from his viewpoint to hers, since the author’s objective is now to keep some mystery around Mat’s brilliant plan to escape Altara.

Perrin’s plans are much less secret. Readers have been told about the Forkroot, and how Perrin will sneak some men inside the city to help Faile escape, which are the major tricky parts, the rest simply being placement of the troops. Perrin is able to put aside worries about Whitecloaks nearby, more Shaido septs reinforcing his enemies, and a ripple in the Pattern that feels as though he will be undone. That ripple represents how he may become undone by the secrets Faile may be keeping, but his singular focus lets him dismiss it, as he would dismiss anything Faile had done amongst the Shaido. He has an objective, and he will not let moral obstacles prevent him from reuniting with Faile any more than physical ones.

Perrin’s thought on Berelain are so forthright, I can’t help but feel his perspective is wrong: “Light, how could anyone believe there was anything between him and her? She was as beautiful as ever, true, yet the scent that had minded him of a hunting cat was so long gone from her smell that he barely remembered it. The bedrock of her scent was patience and resolve, now. She had come to accept that he loved Faile and only Faile, and she seemed as determined to see Faile freed as he was.” Berelain doesn’t give up, and Perrin’s smells are unerring, so Perrin has either misinterpreted what the smell means or is not being entirely truthful. It’s quite a leap to start suspecting that a bluntly honest character such as Perrin is hiding something that he can’t even address in his inner thoughts, something that contradicts the text told from his perspective. Consider this possibility: Perrin was ready to make a deal with the Dark One to get Faile back, and may have needed Berelain’s help so bad, he gives in to her as the price. Having paid her price, he tries to pretend nothing happened, to which she replied: “Very well Perrin, if that’s the way you want it.” Whether it is true or not, the author has carefully crafted the discussion between these two the morning he woke in her tent, so that a hidden meaning can be gleaned. Enough to raise suspicion, not enough to prove anything. Other clues point to a hidden meaning in the above passage as well: how exposed must she be for him to know the bedrock of her scent?  Why would she no longer smell like a hunting cat, unless she had already caught her prey? Could his forgetting that smell represent him hardly remembering what they did together? Obviously, there is never a Berelain point of view because that would reveal what is meant to never be revealed. Writing with double meaning, or to imply a double meaning, takes a particular attention and skill.

For her part, Faile is involved in rebuffing Rolan’s suggestions that they play kissing games. She plays coy with him, unwilling to lose a potential escape route. Faile hopes that the Aes Sedai Galina proves true, or she may have to take up Rolan’s offer. Readers know Galina is lying, and this represents Faile’s only truthful option being taken away. Faile recognizes that her only slim hope of not having to hide anything from Perrin lies with this woman, who is frantic and unpredictable. Giving the Oath Rod to Galina represents Faile trying to tell the truth about Rolan. The results would be unpredictable, possibly wild, with no guarantees despite Faile trying to force one out of her. The next post will further delve into the symbolism of Galina.

Rand confronts Semirhage, and loses a hand and his eyesight for it. With two other characters having somewhat successful interactions with Seanchan, there is still some expectation for Rand to come out of this well, despite Suroth’s involvement. There is some mild confusion about timing, as readers may be led to believe this scene takes place after Tuon’s return to Ebou Dar, so that Rand can meet her. The confusion is quickly resolved by the revelation that Semirhage was disguised as Tuon. Semirhage represents pain, based on her reputation, but Rand refuses to acknowledge any pain, whether from his old wounds or the loss of his hand. He is effectively cutting himself off from feeling anything, the wounds to his soul somehow eclipsing the grave physical wounds he has taken.

This uncaring sentiment is echoed when Mat refuses to give aid to the Seanchan soldiers he has cut down with his new tactics. Tuon approves: “A lion can have no mercy.”

Writing Lessons:

Unreliable narrators may require you to write true things with double meanings, not deal with certain things, or write outright lies.

Knife of Dreams - Chapters 5-7

In this section, Faile and Mat advance their romantic relationships.

Faile is steadily recruiting help, faster than she would like. Rumour travels quickly among the gai’shain, and some of her new followers may not be very reliable. Faile marches inexorably closer to her death at Galina’s hands when some of her followers are able to steal the Oath Rod. Readers have been told Galina’s plan is to get the Oath Rod, then kill Faile. She is unknowingly charging towards her own murder. This has the effect of creating anxiety over Perrin’s recent treaty; instead of beginning the attack now before Faile gets killed, Perrin is heading the other way to gather Forkroot. What looked like progress now costs precious time that Faile may not have. Reversing expectations like this is a wonderful way to keep the reader invested in the story.

Rolan makes his romantic intentions towards Faile known. His is the third possible means of escape she has before her, the other two relying on Perrin and Galina. Accepting Rolan’s help may end up with her sleeping with him. She further realizes that all of Rolan’s spear brothers would know if she did sleep with him. Despite his claim that what happens when you wear gai’shain white is forgotten when you put it off, she still recognizes that secrets are hard to keep: “If Rolan could be believed they all knew! Hope and danger, all tied together inextricably. What a tangle.”

The very next paragraph is a metaphor for her decision regarding Rolan. This is not only a description of the search for the Oath Rod, but also a description of Faile feeling exposed and dirty, hoping to keep her secrets as best she can when so many know. Covering herself as best as she could with her hands, Faile huddled together with other women wearing Sevanna’s belt and collar – they had been made to put those on again straightaway - huddled for a scrap of decency while Shaido rummaged through the gai’shain tents, tossing everything out into the mud. All Faile could do was think about her hiding place inside the town and pray. Hope and danger, and no way to untangle them. As Rolan advised, Faile will not speak of it again, even to herself, and neither will the other women in her situation, each of them complicit in keeping each other’s secrets.

A disadvantage of participating in Theoryland is that we tend to only give credit to information that is given in the text of the story, so in the past I did not believe Faile had slept with Rolan. In this case, Faile has become an unreliable narrator, refusing to even broach the topic of her affair with Rolan within her internal point of view, and certainly never alluding to it in the text. If what happens while she is wearing white can be forgotten, she has already done so to the extent that she can, and the reader will be none the wiser unless they read between the lines. It’s a wonderful piece of writing that says so much while appearing to say so little.

Mat is having much less luck with Tuon. He buys her a gift of a zebra-like horse, a rare and valued breed. Before he can give it to her, he gives Tuon a nickname: Precious. Mat asks Noal about Jain Farstrider, since he is oddly knowledgeable about his ‘cousin’. Even after keeping his identity secret for this long, it still feels contrived that Jain Farstrider is in the story. It would have been obviously worse had readers been told who he was right away. Tuon cuts through Noal’s melancholy, and just like that, another of Mat’s followers is as much under her control as his. The back and forth tug of war between Mat and Tuon for anything and everything is entertaining, and despite Mat seeming to achieve his goals as the relationship develops, he loses as much or more to Tuon’s influence.

Some Seanchan show up outside the circus tents, and after a brief scuffle, the circus folk pack up and move on before the soldiers come back to cause more trouble. Mat is alarmed that the Aes Sedai are channeling with soldiers right outside, and a confrontation with Joline results in Mat learning part of Setalle Anan’s secret: she was stilled. Learning that she has secrets at all feels only a little contrived, because readers still don’t know whether she was an important Aes Sedai or a run of the mill one. Once again, the brilliant ta’veren mechanism can be used to explain away any number of incredible coincidences such as the high profile list of Mat’s followers.

Writing Lessons:

Create tension by having progress in one plotline result in greater danger in another plotline.

The Path of Daggers - Chapters 10-12

In this section, old acquaintances team up.

Morgase’s group has already joined up with Perrin’s, tying up one loose end in this part of the world. There was a feint that her plotline would converge with some others in the last few books, but her part was simply to be a sympathetic character who could show us what was taking place in areas where none of the heroes had reached yet. Once she joins Perrin, it indicates that the main characters will take over and she will be relegated to the sidelines.

Elyas is the next old acquaintance to have a chance encounter. He immediately throws his support behind Perrin, not really asking for anything in return. He faces some risk in being near Aes Sedai, but will take what precautions he can, and be ready to aid however he can.  

A new acquaintance, Queen Alliandre, is brought before Perrin. She swears to follow him as well, though her reputation is not for steadfastness as Elyas’ is. Faile imposes restrictions on her that will keep her support from wavering.

When a contingent of Dragonsworn is hung for their brutal crimes, Aram wonders if their deaths are justified. After all, these men are sworn to Rand. Perrin says that Rand doesn’t want men like this on his side, driving a first wedge between him and the boy that will eventually result in him perceiving Perrin as the danger to the Lord Dragon.

Sevanna barely ends a rebellion against her by her Wise Ones. She had hoped to bind Galina to her service, but must concede on that point amongst others, and share her with Therava. Belinde begins the confrontation on Sevanna’s side, and ends it on Therava’s, physically moving to stand with her. Using a minor character to physically represent the shifting politics of the Shaido makes the change more believable than simply having Sevanna worry about how she stands with the others. The task is even harder when told from an outsider like Galina’s point of view, making Belinde’s actions all the more important.

Graendal is added to those who serve Moridin. She is the last to be brought in. The message is clear, there is only one boss, and there is no room to do anything outside his plan. A new Forsaken, Cyndane, is introduced, already in thrall to Moridin.

Cadsuane and Sorilea meet as equals, and pledge to work towards the goal of making Rand learn he must embrace his emotions. After several examples of how easily Cadsuane would ruthlessly use people and throw them away to get what she wants, we are unsurprised to learn Cadsuane knows that she will break this oath if it interferes with her end goal, as she suspects Sorilea will if it meant Rand would destroy the Aiel. Their tentative promise should allow both to accomplish what they want.

This problem is one of the central points of the entire series. It is not sufficient for Rand to win, which he seems well on his way to doing as he adds another crown to his brow. Rand must also win under the right conditions, in the right mood, for his victory to count. This makes the Last Battle more a matter of character than of logistics or strength. A great deal of tension is introduced since Rand’s victories to date are all leading him down the wrong path, and all the characters who have failed to approach him in the right way must now struggle to make amends, if it is not too late.

The layout of the book is similar to the last one, with several chapters concentrating on one locale before moving to the next, and brief chapters between them covering secondary characters and villains. In each of these sections, some cue is given to help the reader identify when these events happen in relation to the other events they have read about. When the locales are far apart, it makes little difference if they are told slightly out of order, but it will matter more and more as Traveling allows characters to bounce about.

In this case, we learn that events have been told out of order. The prologue and Bowl of the Winds sections at the beginning of this book took place before Rand’s confrontation with Moridin in Shadar Logoth. This means that those sections may have been intended as part of A Crown of Swords, while this Perrin sequence was intended as the opening of The Path of Daggers. Likely reasons for placing them in this book are not wanting to have an Ebou Dar overweight of chapters, fitting the theme better in this book, and a desire to increase the pacing of this book by starting out with an action sequence, since Perrin`s point of view feels like mostly talk.

Writing Lessons:

Don`t be afraid to tell your story out of sequence, you can always explain to the reader so they don`t get confused.

The Path of Daggers - Prologue to Chapter 1

In this section, sinister forces move in the background

The prologue shows scenes from the point of view of three characters. It is unclear what each of the situations means in the prologue, since no clear threat is presented in two of the three sections, and even the third is vague. The vagueness of the threat is the point being made; the heroes have no idea where the threat is coming from or what it consists of.

The first section, from the point of view of Ethenielle, Queen of Kandor, comes out of nowhere. A rumour of missing rulers from earlier is proven true, and they are joining forces to march south and do something with Rand. They commit to each other, a blood oath that none will break. We see the strength of their resolve and their dedication to this cause; they were willing to kill to avoid detection. What they intend to do when they meet Rand is untold, but they will not shirk in the slightest from doing it. The reader may have slight worries, after all these are Borderland rulers who have spent their entire lives fighting the Shadow. They can’t mean Rand any harm. Unfortunately they have acquired thirteen Aes Sedai in their travels, whose motives remain unknown.

The second section picks up on the vague threat posed by the Aes Sedai and shows Verin questioning Elaida’s Aes Sedai. Verin has gone to great lengths to convince her handlers Sorilea and Amys that she can bring value to Rand by learning what Elaida had planned with regards to Rand. She has been given slight trust and she works hard to keep it. We are shown that personal discomfort and distaste for the actions she must take are no deterrent to Verin. She gives Sorilea everything she asks for and is meekly compliant. She will do what must be done and seems to have accepted that she must serve Rand as she swore to. She expresses disgust that Katerine was allowed to escape, which was made possible by forces that infiltrated the camp. And just when it seems like she has proven her trustworthiness, Verin reveals a forbidden weave and Compels an Aes Sedai to do… something. Verin’s motives become suspect. Why is she compelling the Aes Sedai and for what purpose? Why is she so quick to consider killing other Aes Sedai? How should the reader interpret her desire to keep Rand alive until it is time for him to die?

The third section reveals Moridin gloating that in the struggle to control Rand, he is manipulating both sides so that Rand will ultimately do as Moridin wishes. A metaphor is presented suggesting that those closest to Rand, holding the Fisher, will drive him to where Moridin needs him. The implication is that Rand’s allies may mishandle him, but even if they don’t then Moridin’s agents will act to destabilize him. There is no mention of a link between him and Rand.

The three sections moved from the vaguest threat to the most specific, but none of them do more than menace.

In Ebou Dar, Nynaeve still has the ability to sense imminent metaphorical storms. Her demeanor recently improved, she reaches out to help Teslyn and is soundly rejected.   Aviendha fears she is growing into a soft-hearted wetlander despite that her immediate solution to every problem is to kill someone. Aviendha exhibits the uncanny ability to know when an enemy is watching her. She catches the gholam in her sights, but she may also have detected Moridin despite his special skulker outfit. Aviendha reveals that rank amongst the Aiel stems from honour, the first outright statement on the subject. She has a plan for her future involving Rand and Elayne. Elayne asserted her position among the Aes Sedai recently, which has the consequence of cementing the Bargain she made with the Sea Folk even further. No one can countermand the Bargain she made.

Let’s examine a few short descriptors the author uses when other words might have done as well and see what was accomplished with their use:

snagged at her eye: You might often see something pull your eye, or catch it. ‘Snag’ is a more visceral word. It is used to describe how the riches of the Wetlands attract Aviendha with a violence that she is usually the one to dispense. It is used in the 3^rd paragraph of her first appearance, setting the dilemma she faces.  

eye-wrenching cloak of a Warder: ‘eye-wrenching’ is a compact way of describing the cloaks readers have become familiar with.

Elayne could have made a roofmistress seem a goatherd: It is impossible to maintain dignity when goats are involved. The word ‘goatherd’ imparts an activity that is easily visualized: chasing after stubborn animals.

most with annoyance ill-concealed behind cool serenity: ‘ill-concealed’ could have been replaced with the synonym ‘visible’. Instead this compound word allows two words with negative connotation to be assigned to the Aes Sedai, helping set the mood and the relationship.

willowy, doe-eyed Chilares:  ‘doe-eyed’ describes not just her eyes but implies she is docile. Any number of eye adjectives could make her intelligent as in ‘bright-eyed’, crafty as in ‘keen-eyed’, useless as in ‘cow-eyed’. The reason she is doe-eyed is to describe the Kin’s general behaviour, not because the author preferred to describe her eyes over her hair, or had previously decided in his notes that Chilares was to be described that way.

Writing Lessons:

Use that thesaurus to find synonyms that convey mood, character, setting or action, or just cobble together your own with compound words.

A Crown of Swords - Chapters 4-8

In this section, the heroes are back in command, for now

Colavaere has her lands and titles stripped from her as punishment for usurping the throne of Cairhien. She exemplifies the follower who gets ahead of herself, betraying her Lord for power.

Perrin has his own betrayal to deal with, as he reconciles with Faile over Berelain’s unwanted attentions and his slip of the tongue in the throne room. Unlike previous books where the theme was about rifts between men and women which would have dragged out any reconciliation, or where the theme was about deceit and trickery which is when the unnecessary argument between the two began, this time the theme is about the trust in people closest to you. Perrin comments on Faile’s disregard for her own safety and intent to do things her own way, as a wife should. Faile comments on her fears that the Aes Sedai had somehow turned Perrin. Sometimes certain events seem to have been set aside waiting for the book with the correct theme to come along before dealing with it. Other times the plot just rolls along and the author presents the plot elements in a way that fit the theme of that book, without delaying or forcing the plot’s progress.

Colavaere’s removal allows the author to draw attention to Rand’s scheme to invest Elayne in the thrones of Cairhien and Andor. Handing these nations to Elayne whole is important to Rand, and is a symbol of how he hopes to preserve the world itself through the struggles of the Last Battle. To pull this off, Rand must put faith in his trusted followers, who are few enough that he can name them. Rand repeatedly distinguishes between the followers he can trust, and those he can’t.

When the Wise Ones send word ahead to Melaine in Andor about Rand’s kidnapping and rescue, she shares it with Bael, Dorindha, and Davram and Deira Bashere. Rand has to quash his anger at the freedom his followers allow themselves. This group is split in two over the Aes Sedai captives. Rand is left to puzzle over how other Aes Sedai will be treated when he encounters them.

The Aes Sedai in question are led by Egwene, who must snatch what authority she can from the three competing factions among the rebels. She can barely control her official advisor, and she completely loses control of her captive Forsaken. Symbolizing how little control she has, in the first sentence even her folding chair can’t be trusted to stay erected. The discussion veers into spies in the camp, both for Elaida, sent to Elaida, and the most feared covert spies of all: the Black Ajah.

This is one of the first instances where the author has shown the same scene twice. This version is not exactly a flashback, but more of a fleshed out version of the short page-long scene from Lord of Chaos. Why do it this way?

In Lord of Chaos, Moghedien’s escape is meant to be a punchline and a disruptive plot element. It didn’t have to be long or detailed, it just needed to shock the reader into realizing that the villains have not been set back at all and are advancing their own goals. In this wordier section, the groundwork is being laid for Egwene’s storyline. But establishing the status quo among the rebels doesn’t require showing the same scene over again, or even continuing from that moment; it could even have been a meeting with Sheriam a week or a month later. What the scene does offer is establishing when the events happen to Egwene, in relation to when Rand’s events take place. This is of some interest to the reader, but not quite necessary, and could again have been handled with a ‘one week ago Moghedien escaped’ sort of line. The scene offers an immediate reason for Egwene to reason out which Forsaken yet live, noting that Ishamael was dead , ‘or so it seemed’, and also to wonder about the Aes Sedai look of agelessness, which will become relevant in the later Ebou Dar scenes.

Writing Lessons:

Have a good reason to show a scene twice, or from two different perspectives.

A Crown of Swords - Chapters 1-4

In this section Perrin reveals how everyone feels.

Perrin’s ability to tell mood from a person’s scent allows a much more intimate understanding of the characters he meets than you would normally get from the typical third-person limited point of view. Without this ability, he and the reader would only have the usual visual and auditory clues to rely on. From any character’s point of view, there is always the chance that they are wrong, that they are an unreliable narrator like Mat or Nynaeve. Perrin’s ability is unerringly accurate. He lacks the context to understand many of the scents or emotions he is detecting, but he is never wrong about them.

Perrin can tell when Lews Therin is the more active of the two minds in Rand’s body. He knows how eager Aram is to kill. He can tell that a meek gai’shain is seething inside. He can tell when a man shifts from boasting to fear. He knows when the unflappable Aes Sedai are wary, or puzzled, or infuriated. In short, Perrin knows what you are thinking on the inside, which makes a Perrin point of view act as if told by an omniscient narrator.

So, Perrin makes a good choice of point of view character in situations where the author wants to introduce and establish the goals of a large number of characters, such as at the beginning of this book. Perrin is able to reveal the hidden moods of Tairens, Cairhienin, Aiel, individual Maidens, Mazrim Taim, the Asha’man, the Wise Ones, the captured Aes Sedai, the Two Rivers men, Alanna, Min, Loial, Dashiva.

In keeping with the proposed theme of subordinates choosing their path in this book, Perrin’s ability is also useful in establishing the relationship between the various leaders and their subordinates: Rand and Mazrim Taim, Mazrim Taim and the Asha’man, Bera and Kiruna and the other Aes Sedai, Sorilea and the other Wise Ones, Nandera and Sulin, and more. In almost all cases, the subordinates balk at what they have to do.

Aram seems like he’d do what Perrin told him not to the second his back was turned. The Two Rivers men never obey certain orders. Alanna is willfully stubborn to Bera and Kiruna in matters regarding her warder.  Mazrim Taim undermines Rand’s other followers implying only he can be trusted. The Aes Sedai try to set themselves above Rand even after they swore fealty to him. Feraighin struggles to tell Sorilea exactly everything she asked for, but fails to tell her something which she should have realized Sorilea would want to know.

All of this leads into the major obvious threat, which is that Rand’s followers in Cairhien are beginning to abandon him because they believe he has sworn fealty to the Aes Sedai.

A more insidious threat which also falls into the theme is that Perrin is ready to let the Pattern burn to save Faile. He will defy any order or action that puts Faile in danger. Surprisingly, of all the followers who may rebel against their leader, Perrin is not the one the reader would have expected.

Writing lessons:

To surprise the reader, give examples of behaviour the character disagrees with, then show what they care about enough that they would behave in just that way.