Towers of Midnight - Chapters 21-22

In this section, the chronology gets confusing.

When Perrin’s scouts report back, readers get their first strong inkling that Perrin’s storyline is chronologically out of synch with the other ones. The reader requires some thought to sort it out. Mat’s letter established the timing of his storyline, and his meeting with Elayne establishes her chronology as well, though oddly she hasn’t commented on Rand’s mood or location sufficiently to say whether events take place before or after the final scene of The Gathering Storm. Egwene’s and Rand’s scenes are obviously placed after The Gathering Storm.

The confusing order of events has been pointed out as one of the major flaws of Towers of Midnight, even though other books had events take place in different locales without strong indications of when they occur relative to each other, primarily because they did not affect each other. Rand’s epiphany was a turning point and could have been a focus of suspense, but in this book the suspense centers on Perrin and Mat and other players, and discovering whether they survived their own perils while Rand was turning inward and ignoring them.

Confusion could have been reduced by establishing earlier in the story some stronger links to other pivotal moments in other plotlines. Alternatively, a two line preface explaining the chronology to readers would have instantly resolved confusion, but could have been seen as a radical departure from the customary format.

Aiel Wise Ones dismiss the idea of an alliance with the Seanchan, despite the fact that Rand has been working towards that very goal. Morgase learns, finally, that the Forsaken Rahvin was behind her behaviour during her final months as queen. Balwer tells Perrin he is content with his current station in life.

Ituralde’s forces panic and run before the Trolloc onslaught. A Saldaean soldier named Yoeli leads a charge to save Ituralde’s men and bring them inside the city despite orders not to. Once again, people work together, trusting to their own judgment over that of a being placed above them.

As a counterpoint, Gawyn can’t simply do what Egwene wishes, he must follow his own judgment on how to behave. This leads him to stop an assassination attempt on her which was in reality a trap designed to apprehend Mesaana. While he stopped the Seanchan Bloodknives, he inadvertently alerted Mesaana to the trap.

In Caemlyn, Mat plans his entry to the Tower of Ghenjei, and seeks out Birgitte for advice. She tells him a harrowing tale of her own demise in a world where time and space made no sense. Mat’s vulnerability is increased, since in addition to having no foxhead medallion to protect him from the gholam, even his luck offers scant hope of surviving the journey into the Tower of Ghenjei. Unrelated, though adding to the sense of impending doom, Elayne is in trouble, providing the first real cliffhanger ending to a chapter.

Mat encounters some street toughs and battles them in a seemingly pointless scene. Let’s look more closely:

Brooding as he walks the streets, the eerie solitude feels like an opportunity for the gholam to strike. He randomly stumbles upon a robbery, and three toughs leap out to mug him. Mat is relieved to see people instead of something worse.

Mat uses his staff instead of his sword, confounding his first attacker. Mat drops him with one swing and he falls into a second cutpurse, whom Mat quickly knocks out. The third man’s hesitation gives Mat the chance to leap towards him, knock him senseless, then toss a knife into the leader’s throat. This is pure action, but has little meaning, which is why it takes place so quickly.

Mat rambles some nonsense at the man he saved from the muggers, then that man recognizes Mat. Mat disarms him with his scarf, then launches two daggers into the man’s eyes, metaphorically becoming unseen by his opponent. Mat finds a paper with his own face on it, a reminder that Darkfriends and the Forsaken are looking for him. Unmentioned is the fact that wild rumours about him are circulating throughout the city, drawing unwanted attention.

Aside from acting as a reminder of the dangers Mat faces, this short battle offers little beyond a display of Mat’s prowess. Any intimidation created by the reminder about the Forsaken is undone by the astonishing quickness he dispatches his foes with. In this instance, physical action is confused with meaningful action, and the casual way in which Mat kills is contrary to other plotlines in which violence is intently avoided.

Writing Lessons:

Action can’t exist for action’s sake, it should be meaningful to the character or the story.

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 17-20

In this section, new difficulties present themselves to the characters.

The way in which Brandon Sanderson jumps from character to character makes it harder to identify themes in the fifty-page portions I post about. Where in earlier books there was time to delve deep into a character’s psyche, in this format there is hardly time to start thinking in the same way the character does before the perspective changes to a new character. This format is a good fit for Sanderson’s sketchy descriptive style, where he is able to use minimal description to give the illusion of a fully-imagined location. Longer descriptions would hinder this jumping about, and would also have delayed publication in all likelihood. I can see ways in which several Cadsuane or Perrin viewpoints could have been combined into a longer single chapter or two to retain the format of earlier books. Sanderson may also have divided the chapters into these short bursts to better follow the chronological order of events, although the fact that Tuon is only now agreeing to meet Rand when her agreement was revealed to the Aiel several chapters earlier undermines that possibility.

Cadsuane breaks Semirhage by damaging her pride, and humiliating her. Semirhage will still never talk, but Cadsuane has at least proved who is the greater of the two. Recalling that in past books Cadsuane represented the Light itself, how can her interactions with Semirhage be viewed? On the surface, Semirhage represents pain, but her personality is sheer pride. She knows everything worth knowing, and whatever else Cadsuane may know is dismissed by Semirhage. She is cold and without feeling, the only emotions she expresses are calculated to raise her standing and diminish others. While Cadsuane knows that “a statue with no feelings could not face the Dark One”, she is faced with just such a personality in Semirhage. She has a staunch reliance on her intimate knowledge of the human body, seeing it only for its parts and treating the human spirit as worthless, something only to be destroyed.  Semirhage may dismiss the Light, or believe is has no bearing on her, yet Cadsuane’s simple punishment strikes at the core of her certainty very effectively.

Perrin can’t move refugees away quickly enough, and they cling to his protection, refusing to leave even if Gateways are provided. This is the second Perrin section in which he hardly spares a thought for Faile, concentrating on his unwanted leadership and his duty to Rand even though he has just complete a multi-volume single-minded quest to free Faile. While Perrin alludes to single-mindedness as his problem, and thinks he has a need to strike balance between these competing forces in his life, the switch to his current mindset is startling. The story demands that Perrin return to the Wolf Dream, and the rationale offered involves a character-driven plot that it is claimed has been set aside for some time. Perrin quite deliberately used his followers desire to follow him to serve his selfish purpose of freeing Faile, so it’s true that he doesn’t want to be their leader, and ignored that aspect of his personality in order to regain Faile. He used the wolves similarly, but now he resolves to treat both groups as they deserve, which has nothing to do with his broken relationship with Faile. The fact that he has dwelt this long on what still stands between them, when he has forgiven her any betrayal, implies that the fault still lies with him.

Since it’s unclear where Robert Jordan’s guidance ends and Brandon Sanderson’s ideas begin, I will accept general plot lines as being Jordan’s influence, but with Sanderson’s words telling them. This means that Perrin’s angst was planned by Jordan, and must have some deep-seated reason for existing. I still see this as confirmation of an event that Perrin doesn’t want to confirm, regarding his night with Berelain.

Grady explains the problem with moving so many refugees in engineering-lingo, placing a mathematical word problem in the text. It gets the point across, but does anyone in this fantasy world really calculate things with ‘per second’? A better suited measure would have been knowing how many men can march past a certain point in an hour, which has a practical application in the military forces of this world, and phrased the measurement as “Balwer and I figure we can move about seven thousand men through the gateway in an hour,” leaving Perrin to do the sums for his hundred thousand refugees.

Siuan learns Elaida can travel and figures out the implications for the army very quickly. With Sharina’s help, Siuan learns that Lelaine is trying to foment discord, and is angling to take over the rebels in Egwene’s absence. Again, this section could have been juxtaposed with Siuan’s earlier section, and presumably her later ones, to keep the format of earlier books.

Tuon hears of Trollocs in Altara, forgives Beslan for a rebellion, and prepares a raid on Tar Valon, before finally agreeing to meet Rand. After some reflection, it seems that Perrin, Mat and Tuon are in the same timeframe, while Rand’s sections may be several days ahead. It is certainly confusing and jumping from character to character with several days gap between each time we see them only adds to the confusion. The advantage of the format in earlier books is that readers had to perform these mental gymnastics once much less frequently. The disadvantage is when too many events are crammed into a single day, straining believability, yet it works quite effectively in this throne room scene, which compels characters to save their important business for this particular day.

Mat is in love, and is bound for Hinderstap. His section starts with rampant humour, which is startlingly out of place given the intensity and pacing of earlier chapters. Yet any humour has to be here, because in a few short chapters, the intensity will not allow for any humour but gallows humour.  

Writing Lessons:

Short viewpoints, writing style, description, pacing, and clarity all affect each other. Use them coherently so they support each other, and do not undermine each other.

Crossroads of Twilight - Epilogue

The epilogue offers a rare opportunity to do a very detailed analysis of almost every word. My old friend Scartoe says that every word a writer chooses serves a purpose. Why is each word there? Why this word and not that one? The epilogue is 267 words long. First, read the full passage, then below, the analysis. In terms of action and plot, this is as simple as it gets. Rand is waiting for Bashere. Bashere enters and gives Rand the news he’s been waiting for.

Rand stared out of the window at the steady rain falling out of a gray sky. Another storm down out of the Spine of the World. The Dragonwall. He thought spring must be coming soon. Spring always came, eventually. Earlier here than back home, it should be, though there seemed little sign of it. Lightning forked silver-blue across the sky, and long moments passed before the peal of thunder. Distant lightning. The wounds in his side ached. Light, the herons branded into his palms ached, after all this time.

Sometimes, pain is all that lets you know you’re alive, Lews Therin whispered, but Rand ignored the voice in his head.

The door creaked open behind him, and he looked over his shoulder at the man who came into the sitting room. Bashere was wearing a short, gray silk coat, a rich shimmering coat, and he had the baton of the Marshal-General of Saldaea, an ivory rod tipped with a golden wolf’s head, tucked behind his belt next to his scabbarded sword. His turned-down boots had been waxed until they shone. Rand tried not to let his relief show. They had been gone long enough.

“Well?” he said.

“The Seanchan are amenable,” Bashere replied. “Crazy as loons, but amenable. They require a meeting with you in person, though. The Marshal-General of Saldaea isn’t the Dragon Reborn.”

“With this Lady Suroth?”

Bashere shook his head. “Apparently a member of their royal family has arrived. Suroth wants you to meet someone called the Daughter of the Nine Moons.”

Thunder rolled again for distant lightning.

Short and powerful. Here’s the analysis:

Rand stared out of the window at the steady rain falling out of a gray sky. Another weather-as-mood analogy. Steady rain implies long unhappy times. Staring implies he’s been looking for a while, which makes it a better choice than ‘watching’ or ‘looking’. Another storm down out of the Spine of the World. Saying ‘another storm’ amplifies the rain to a concept of continual rain and bad times. Using ‘down’ adds to the negative mood. The Spine of the World evokes a forlorn place, much better than a storm out of Haddon Mirk, or elsewhere. The Dragonwall. He didn’t have to say Dragonwall at all here. It has a dual meaning here, referring to the walls Rand has erected in his heart. He thought spring must be coming soon. Now Rand is looking for hope, symbolized by spring. “He thought it must be” is a statement that almost guarantees the speaker is wrong. Spring always came, eventually. This sentence starts out as an affirmation, but ends with doubt. The word ‘eventually’ has more impact placed at the end of the sentence, where it can undermine the entire section that precedes it. Earlier here than back home, it should be, though there seemed little sign of it. The words ‘it should be’ again showing that Rand is wrong. This sentence is not necessary given the earlier part of the paragraph, but it introduces the concept of home, with associated feelings of warmth and comfort. The reference to home shows regret on Rand’s part. He wants to get back to a place of comfort and peace. Lightning forked silver-blue across the sky, and long moments passed before the peal of thunder. A sentence with no apparent relevance to the plot. At first glance it only describes the storm further. But the choice of words makes it resonate very closely with the mood being crafted. ‘Forked’ is used to evoke a choice. ‘Long moments’ pass to evoke waiting. ‘Peal’ is close to ‘appeal’.  Distant lightning. If the lightning represents the Light, then it is far, far away from Rand. The wounds in his side ached. The wounds are always a representation of the Shadow and of the evil that comes from fighting the Shadow at all costs. Light, the herons branded into his palms ached, after all this time. Another reference to a long period of unhappiness. His brands never really hurt before; this is about the burden that comes with those Herons. It shows Rand in a state of mind where the pain caused by the Shadow is no greater than the pain caused by the Light.

The first paragraph is thick with mood, showing Rand moping, waiting, faintly hoping. It tells us where the story is happening and a bit about the environment where this scene will take place.

Sometimes, pain is all that lets you know you’re alive, Lews Therin whispered, but Rand ignored the voice in his head. Rand ignores Lews Therin like he would ignore his conscience. Lews Therin doesn’t ‘say’, he only whispers, indicating he is weak or timid. His idea is introduced with the word ‘sometimes’, as though he is scared to commit to an idea that Rand might dismiss. His tortured thought is still striving to find a bright side to the pain, but Rand won’t even allow that mild of a happy thought, which is a good direct example of his mood.

The door creaked open behind him, and he looked over his shoulder at the man who came into the sitting room. No knocks, no calls of “hello”, just a creaking door. Looking over his shoulder is an expression of mistrust. The man’s name isn’t given immediately, to heighten that mistrust. It could be anybody, maybe even an assailant. Bashere was wearing a short, gray silk coat, a rich shimmering coat, and he had the baton of the Marshal-General of Saldaea, an ivory rod tipped with a golden wolf’s head, tucked behind his belt next to his scabbarded sword. Bashere’s accessories convey wealth and power. His formal rank is given to remind the reader how powerful he is, which will be relevant soon. His coat shimmers, his rod is ivory and gold, all of which convey brightness and light. His sword and rod represent power, which is tucked away but ready at hand.  His turned-down boots had been waxed until they shone. Another representation of light and brightness. ‘Waxed’ has another meaning which implies he is in a state of fullness. ‘Turned-down’ and ‘boots’ have other meanings too, associated with rejection. Rand tried not to let his relief show. Rand’s first fully described emotion is relief. But he tries not to show it to the man he is relieved to see. They had been gone long enough. Is Rand worried they might have been captured or killed? Is he impatient to start his next endeavour? A blunt statement like this tells readers what Rand’s concern was, but provides no context, making it a mystery.

“Well?” he said. Using ‘said’ or ‘replied’ keeps the conversation normal. Normal for Rand is a vague monosyllabic demand which Bashere must interpret. Rand’s impatience and unreasonableness is conveyed powerfully by this single word.

“The Seanchan are amenable,” Bashere replied. Bashere also keeps the conversation normal. His response is blunt too, but uses a grandiose word. ‘Amenable’ implies the Seanchan can be persuaded or controlled. “Crazy as loons, but amenable. Loons have been used several times to describe crazy people, but lunatics only once, by Mat. The idea that they are crazy adds to the prejudice that Rand can control them. This sentence is the only one that gives an idea of what negotiations may be like. Without it, the conversation would be blander. They require a meeting with you in person, though. Persuading the Seanchan means meeting a condition or two. This is the first condition. The Marshal-General of Saldaea isn’t the Dragon Reborn.” This is the payoff for stating Bashere’s full title earlier. Despite his resplendent outfit Bashere isn’t who the Seanchan want.

“With this Lady Suroth?” Danger! Readers know she’s a Darkfriend.

Bashere shook his head.  The author could have just said no in the reply, but an action conveys the same and keeps this short discussion from being a pair of talking heads.  “Apparently a member of their royal family has arrived. Using the word ‘apparently’ shows Bashere doesn’t take everything the Seanchan say at face value. It’s a short way to convey that, because it would probably require a full sentence otherwise. Suroth wants you to meet someone called the Daughter of the Nine Moons.” This revelation should cause unease and confusion. It is uncertain whether this scene takes place long after Mat’s recent scene, so it is unclear whether Tuon is back in Ebou Dar. Using her title instead of her name adds to that confusion. ‘Someone’ makes the statement less precise, and may indicate more doubt from Bashere.

Thunder rolled again for distant lightning. Going back to the earlier metaphor, Rand is no closer to the Light than he was before, and the thunder has an ominous feel to accentuate the last paragraph’s revelation.

Robert Jordan isn’t always this crisp, so this epilogue is a pleasure to read.

Writing Lessons:

Every word a writer chooses serves a purpose.

Winter's Heart - Chapters 20-22

In this section, confusion stems from new point of view characters and missing details from a new location.

Bethamin and Egeanin provide new viewpoints from the Seanchan perspective, which when added to Tuon’s makes 3 chapters from three different Seanchan. The author is clearly pointing to the Seanchan as a major part of the ongoing story with this attention to their citizens, and so many new points of view in this book serves as a signal that the story has reached a turning point. While this is useful to establish the background of the various players, jumping from character to character carries risks. In this instance, unfamiliarity with new characters means the reader may be confused, angry that her favorite characters are absent, or simply too impatient to care about these newcomers.   

The two Seanchan characters are particularly unlikely to have the reader’s acceptance because the Seanchan have been depicted as villains up until now. Their culture is evil by all the standards of our heroes, and it also alien to them, which makes embracing a character from there very difficult.

Bethamin is the Wheel of Time’s equivalent of a slave driver, using an a’dam instead of a whip. This is a behaviour that is particularly unlikeable, but the author uses a few techniques to try to overcome that.

First, Bethamin is performing an inspection, which is a simple duty anyone can identify with. The author is trying to establish common traits with the readers. She cares for the health of her damane, which is slightly admirable given that she is talking about humans. She bullies Renna, who had tried to break Egwene to the a’dam. Anyone who bullies Egwene’s enemies can’t be that bad. She doles out candies. Maybe not all sul’dam are bad.  Maybe Bethamin could switch sides.

Before sympathies develop too much, a reminder of Bethamin’s cruelty is given: how she takes away her charges names and gives them new ones. Three gentle strokes, one slap.

Then it’s back to nice Bethamin. She takes special care of damane having problems; she refuses to lose a damane, even that ugly old Tessi. It’s no accident that Teslyn is used an example. Teslyn stood for Elaida, deposed Siuan, is Red Ajah, and has no compelling physical traits, so Bethamin stands in opposition to all that Teslyn represents. Bethamin distrusts Aes Sedai, as do all the readers by now. She makes a note to be more diligent about breaking Tessi. Three gentle strokes, one slap.

Other things which align the reader’s sympathies with Bethamin: she enjoys shopping, she has a healthy sense of self-preservation, and she knows secrets that could be useful to our heroes. Except for her current station in life, which is at risk, she is incredibly normal.

When someone alien is introduced, you want to highlight the differences. But you also need to establish commonalities, with the reader more than with the other characters.

The Seeker exemplifies the highly paranoid nature of the alien Seanchan culture. He has knitted together moonbeams and happenstance into a strangling cord for Egeanin’s neck. He is recognizable as a police officer, a common character type, but the paranoia and limitless power make him ineffectual. Only by blundering into clues does he make any headway, and that in the wrong direction.

Egeanin continues to be the bridge between cultures, with her potential husband and so’jhin Bayle Domon. She is resigned to the fact that she will never fully induct him into Seanchan culture, and with this danger before her, she realizes it is she who might have to embrace his culture instead.

Egeanin’s loyalties would obviously seem to lie with the mainlanders under the circumstances, and readers would accept her since she has been helpful to the heroines in past books. But to place doubt in the reader’s mind, a crucial action she took, handing the male a’dam over to Suroth herself, will taint that association with goodness. At best she was caught with no way out, at worst she betrayed Rand and Nynaeve. When she says she will stay free “whatever it took”, the example of her quick surrender of the male a’dam should come to mind as an example of how quickly she would throw allies overboard.

Rand has an entire chapter set on Far Madding, and we are told that he can safely confront the Asha’man here, but not how. He has a swordfight with one, but we are not told why neither is using the One Power.   The explanation will come a chapter later, which allows readers to enjoy a fight, an assassination, and a second assassination without the context. Keeping the explanation back from readers is meant to convey a sense of secrecy and frustration, just as Rand is experiencing. Similarly, Kisman is lacking information despite giving much insight to readers. Isam also doesn’t know the whole story, but again reveals exciting details. Assassinations of Kisman and the couple staying in Rand’s old room symbolize that what Rand doesn’t know could kill him. Rand really is lost morally and spiritually, but everything he needs will soon be coming in with Cadsuane, which is symbolized by her readers finally learning about the city when she strolls into town.

Writing Lessons:

When someone alien is introduced, you want to highlight the differences. But you also need to establish commonalities, with the reader more than with the other characters.

The Path of Daggers - Chapters 23-24

In this section Rand and the Seanchan engage in warfare.

Robert Jordan gained a strong reputation for capturing the mood of battles. We’ll now dissect the first large scale battle since The Fires of Heaven.

Rand’s strategy has been shown, and with the advantage of surprise and Traveling, he should be unstoppable. The body count is very high, Bashere will compare it to the Blood Snows, the battle near Tar Valon during which Rand was born. Most of Rand’s followers are in some form of shock at the devastation. Rand’s losses have been limited. Unless they face damane, the Asha’man tear every opponent apart meeting little resistance.

Rand encounters a problem with prisoners. He can’t afford to guard prisoners so he leaves them behind, except for damane and sul’dam, who he keeps in order to weaken the Seanchan. Rand’s unfailing memory of every woman who has died as a result of his actions gets more unbelievable every time he adds a name, there are simply too many. That is one of the points being made: trying to take responsibility for every person you meet is an impossibility.

So far, Rand is winning.

More Seanchan with names and personalities are met. Furyk Karede has been appointed to lead the Seanchan towards Rand. He notices that raken returning from the front lines are anxious. He dispatches a man under his command for actions that have squandered lives. Furyk will luckily live through this battle thanks to his wise decision to retreat. What else could he do with no sul’dam to fight back against the lightnings?

Rand is still winning.

An Asha’man tells Rand about saidin’s strange behaviour, which he dismisses. Rand proves particularly reluctant to take advice or information that has not been solicited. He is not someone you would want to have to serve. Rand continues to lose few men in battle. A group of Seanchan slip past Weiramon and manage to hit Rand directly. Yet the nobles he has been so reluctant to trust come to his aid, charging the Seanchan to protect Rand, coming to his side to treat his wound. Morr is surprised to receive thanks, given that Rand has done such a good job of expecting obedience without question or reward. The Darkfriends in his party plant the idea of continuing the march against the retreating Seanchan, all the way to Ebou Dar. His staunchest supporters, the ones he trusts the most, advise ending the campaign. Lews Therin sagely says “I would not mind having you in my head, if you were not so clearly mad.”

Rand is winning, but we sense he’s about to make a mistake.

A third Seanchan, the short-lived Kennar Miraj, continues to humanize the enemy. Suroth pays him a visit with information she has gleaned from the network of Darkfriends around Rand. This is a fine opportunity to quickly tie off some loose ends by showing the current fate of Alwhin and Liandrin without wasting much page space on it. In mid-battle, the author wants to keep the focus on the battle. These Seanchan perspectives also are a great place to lay groundwork for future Seanchan-related plots such as the Crystal Throne. We are left with the conviction that the Seanchan are quite proficient in war, and also obedient to the point of a death which can be easily avoided. The damane are about to be reintroduced to the fighting, though they may still be ill. The author creates sympathy for the enemy by showing how they are not being given what they need to succeed, and by continually reminding us that the bulk of the forces Rand is killing so far are from Tarabon, who are technically his own people.

This is the Seanchan counter thrust.

Rand directs five columns to attack an assembled force of Seanchan. When the lengthy list of nobles is given for each of the five columns, it serves to place the actors for the next few scenes, as well as to humanize Rand’s forces. Lews Therin makes the same observation about saidin’s behaviour, and now Rand is willing to pay a little attention. Only a little, because he rejects Dashiva’s concerns and carries on with the attack. Yet he can’t help noticing little changes among the Asha’man.

The reader should be worried that the Seanchan counterthrust will succeed.

Miraj has planned for how to meet Rand in battle. But the question of how the sul’dam will do is still up in the air.

Now the reader suspects the battle could go either way.

Bertome Saighan overhears the Darkfriends plotting and disagreeing. They are two of the closest to Rand. The words they use are as confusing as the battle itself. Either their words are being misinterpreted, as other nobles were earlier when Rand fell during an attack, or it is strongly implied that Gedwyn will try kill Rand.

The rapid shifts from character to character represent the confusion and back-and forth nature of the battle. We can’t tell who is winning.

Varek is a Seanchan underling forced to take command and order a retreat. The damane had a difficult time controlling their weaves, and accidentally killed some of their own soldiers.

Bashere has taken heavy losses, and his Asha’man are tired and having trouble using saidin. Extreme caution is keeping Bashere alive. Bashere is alarmed about what would happen if Asha’man began deserting and walking the world.

The battle is still a draw, unknowable except for continued losses.

Adley has also slipped and killed some of his own men. Rand has taken him out of battle, concerned he might have begun turning irreversibly mad. When Bashere appears and tells Rand about orders he sent, we remember how Furyk killed an underling who did the same. Rand seems poised to copy that action in a fury. Bashere is able to direct his ire at the Seanchan, and Rand decides to prove how devoted he is to repelling the Seanchan invasion. Bashere points out the folly, and how good the Seanchan generals are. Rand’s ego prompts him to unveil Callandor.

As with Adley and the damane, Rand cannot control the torrents of lightning he unleashes. Bashere physically topples Rand and wrests Callandor from his grip. The damage is done, Rand has done as much damage to his own forces as the week of fighting has.

Rand has lost.

Yulan orders the final Seanchan retreat, given that Miraj has been killed by Rand’s final outburst.

The Seanchan have lost.

The entire battle has been a metaphor for the futility of war. Both sides retreat, the border hasn’t moved, neither Rand nor the Seanchan have given anything up. Rand can’t win because participating means he loses. The Tinkers may not have been in this book, but their saying that violence harms the axe as well as the tree it chops is apt here. Even as he routed the Seanchan, it was Rand’s own actions that caused the deaths of his men. Humanizing both the nobles and the Seanchan allows the reader to feel their loss. Meanwhile Rand is emotionless as a stone, unmoved by the tragedy of the wasted lives. The end result is that he and the Asha’man are even closer to going mad, as much from the horror of the battle as from the Dark One’s taint.

Writing Lessons:

Give your battles ebb and flow, and meaning beyond the immediate result.

Lord of Chaos - Chapters 53-55

In this section, the Heroes take desperate actions to free Rand

There are a series of reversals in the concluding chapters of this book: The Tower Aes Sedai turn the tables on Rand. The Shaido turn the tables on the Aes Sedai. And finally Rand’s allies turn the tables on them both. A constant theme has been the idea of chaotic, surprising events, often revealed in the form of humour or jokes. A second theme particular to this book is misunderstanding due to lack of context. Even when the reader knows what is going on, the characters don’t. The overarching way this is presented is through the Dark One’s orders to Demandred. Only the first part of the order is known, and the manner in which Demandred accomplishes his mission remains a mystery at the conclusion. This is a joke that only they two get, and the punchline is yet to be understood by Rand and his allies.

There were two very important cues that led to the inception of the theory that Mazrim Taim is Demandred. The first is a physical and behavioural resemblance: neither of the two ever smiles or finds anything funny. The second is related to timing: Demandred’s success immediately follows Taim’s moment of glory during Rand’s rescue. Together, these provoke a powerful reaction in the reader. However, the theme is deception and tricks. Any resemblance between the two characters may seem like the trick they are pulling is hiding Demandred in plain sight, but even that itself could be the deception intentionally played on the reader. In light of the theme, I have to recant my advocacy of the theory that Taim is Demandred. This book is filled with so many punchlines, I now feel quite certain this one is at the reader’s expense. The book was published just as internet chat groups took off, and on the heels of sudden intense fan interest in Asmodean’s murder, and I am now left with the sense that in reaction to this strange new phenomenon, the author placed a very deliberate red herring. A big fat joke to end the book, as befits the theme.

(Despite this, “RJ is wrong... Taim is Demandred!”, remains a hilarious statement befitting the madness that is Theoryland. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about emotional attachment to a position, it is that it withstands all reason and evidence, as true in life as it is on Theoryland. The author of that other reread blog on Tor.com took the statement (or one just like it) at face value, so bonus points to me for successfully yanking her chain: She fell for it!)

That still doesn’t answer what Demandred succeeded so well at that the Dark One’s laughter filled his head. Getting Rand to trust Taim? Unlikely since Rand never sets foot anywhere near him again. Getting Rand to mistrust Aes Sedai? He was already there. Getting the Aes Sedai to bend the knee? Maybe. The Lord of Chaos is akin to the King of Fools, a figurehead that everyone must obey, no matter how ridiculous the orders. Obedience is one of the characteristics of the evil societies in the series. There have been consistent thematic elements which have the Heroes representing free will, and the Dark One representing obedience. Forcing Rand to take on the role of the one who receives obedience from others is an attempt to crush him under the burdens of leadership and to give him an emotional stake in controlling the actions of others.

What was Demandred’s involvement in this success? If he wasn’t Taim, was he controlling Taim? Someone is. If Demandred used balefire up until now, readers didn’t see it. The Asha’man could unleash balefire at some later point, and have proven to be a force that Rand can’t control or even risk approaching. They have no equivalent in the world, unless it is the damane who could be equally battle-trained. Even if Taim isn’t Demandred, setting up Rand’s own force of male channelers to betray his purposes at some later point still fits best with the theme and with later events. This is likely what the Dark One was so pleased about.

Lews Therin’s progress from mad rants, to running from Rand’s calls to leave him alone, to reacting to what Rand sees and says, to finally carrying on a discussion with Rand is masterfully handled. Each step leads inexorably to the next one. The moment when they agree to work together is when Rand embraces the madness, agreeing to cooperate with a mad voice in his head, which again fits with the theme. Lews Therin agreeing in turn to work with whoever Rand is, assuming Rand is real, is a brilliant twist that makes the reader see Lews Therin as an equal of sorts, since he has all the same questions as Rand. Having the voice in his head or listening to it doesn’t make Rand that crazy. Trusting the voice can’t help but induce spine tingles. That is crazy.

The epilogue is a stream of almost one-liner surprise twists, the most effective of which are the gholam and Moghedien’s release. Out of nowhere, the Gholam kills a minor character. The only possible conclusion the reader can reach is that Herid Fel had something to say that the Forsaken didn’t want Rand to hear. The Gholam belongs to Sammael, so this murder is also an added pressure to take Rand’s attention from Illian and focus him to the north, where Sammael has also been prodding the Shaido. Moghedien’s disappearance is instantly exciting because her captivity has paralleled Rand’s experience in the chest, and we just saw Rand’s cold fury as he dealt with his captors.

For once, Perrin showed no hesitation or shame about his wolf abilities. He simply acted. In the context of this book, such concerns would have been misplaced since it would be difficult to present this in a way that shows deception, trickery, or chaos. Instead, it’s just handled straightforwardly, which also helps keep the tense pace of the final confrontation.

Writing Lessons:

A lack of context risks confusing the reader. Be certain that the payoff is worth the risk.

Lord of Chaos - Prologue

In this section, many villainous forces are arrayed against the heroes, and so many secrets are kept.

The prologue shows 11 different points of view, each of them with some threat to the heroes. The objective is to set the stage for the rest of the novel, displaying the main plotline which bookends this section and relates to Demandred and the Dark One’s message. Other sections are tangentially related.

The overarching theme is that there are plots within plots, and no one knows the full plan. Demandred worries that the Dark One is withholding information, then makes the other Forsaken worry that he is doing the same to them. The Dark One is keeping secrets, in particular related to two resurrected Forsaken, whose existence is secret from everyone but Shaidar Haran.

Nynaeve worries about what Moghedien is withholding, even as she and her friends keep Moghedien’s captivity secret form the Rebel Aes Sedai. Nynaeve and Elayne and Siuan and Leane lie and lie about everything, and strangely, the need to talk with each other forces them to reveal all of it in Moghedien’s presence.

Min and Elayne have to keep Min’s Viewings from Rand, lest he try to escape them for the women’s own good. Even as they tally Rand’s past victories, the oppressive and unnatural heat makes them wonder about whether he is truly winning so far.

Faile cannot stop Perrin from leaving the Two Rivers. His departure provides a necessary explanation for his later arrival at Caemlyn, but also introduces the concept that Rand is in a terrible danger that only Perrin can stop.   

Gawyn leads the Younglings as they accompany an Embassy from the White Tower. When he learns that Rand may have killed his mother and sister, he vows to kill Rand, displaying the trademark disregard for authority that had Elaida arrange for their removal from the White Tower.

The Embassy itself has instructions to deliver Rand into Elaida’s hands, which fits with orders the Black Ajah has received. At least two of the Aes Sedai in the Embassy are Black Ajah.

The Shaido are temporarily and loosely allied with Elaida’s Embassy. Sevanna considers betraying that alliance to get her hands on Rand, so she can make him obedient. She has also been contacted by a funny man who must be a Forsaken…

Morgase is in a predicament that may force her to cede rights in Andor for the Children of the Light to do as they will. Her only way out is with the help of a Darkfriend.

Pedron Niall moves soldiers around a lot, but prefers playing the Game of Houses. Even if not a single Whitecloak makes it to Andor, in the meantime he will spread rumours and cause strife in neighbouring kingdoms such that no man would be comfortable declaring for Rand.

 Altogether, there are too many substantial threats to Rand to say which ones will be predominant in the story. So why show so many? In this case, the idea is to have the reader as confused as the characters as to which plots are relevant, what the villains are up to, and who is really in charge. The effect is dizzying, yet it’s only Demandred’s appearances in the first and second-last sections that tie it together, implying that all the intermediate sections are in some way part of the plans he, the Forsaken, and the Dark One have been carrying out. The unnatural heat, Elaida’s Embassy to Rand, the Shaido’s mysterious visitor certainly all fit that implication. Other lesser plotlines with Morgase and Perrin show where other pertinent actors are and how they will fit in to the villain’s schemes. The whole proposition that Demandred is the next Nae’blis is turned upside down when it is revealed that two Forsaken have been resurrected without any of the other’s knowledge, and that one of them is now in a woman’s body. Clearly, the Lord of Chaos rules.

An important element of building excitement is creating the feeling of discovery, of showing something new. The forgers, the descent into the Bore, and Shaidar Haran’s appearance do this, but seeing the Dark One speak tops that. Importantly, reality near the Bore is the Dark One’s to control. Lightning shoots up, stalactites have variable lengths depending who walks under them, and the sky in the Bore is not the sky of Thakan’dar. Physically, this place is no closer to the Bore than any other in the World. Another place like that is the ‘palace’ where the Forsaken meet, which is ‘far from anywhere, in any way that most humans would understand’.

At this point, there are only 6 Forsaken left alive: Demandred, Semirhage, Graendal, Mesaana, Sammael, and Moghedien. Amongst the dead: Ishamael, Be’lal, Aginor, Balthamel, Lanfear, Rahvin, Asmodean. The plan appears to involve Demandred using balefire, letting the Lord of Chaos rule (The Lord of Chaos is Rand, if it is considered that there are still orders to keep Rand alive), killing some people and letting others live, or perhaps to live again. Whatever the plan may entail, it surely involves minimal risk to the Forsaken, who are so cautious they will not risk being caught by modern weak Aes Sedai while trying to steal angreal. Therefore, Mesaana’s insistence that the plan will require luck to work means only that its success is no sure thing.

Does the plan depend on Osan’gar and Aran’gar? Since their existence is supposedly secret, at first glance it seems not. However, Aran’gar is told that her refusal will result in another taking her place. Since we’ll soon learn that she is to be placed amongst the rebel Aes Sedai, and strife between the factions is the desired outcome, it seems likely that another Forsaken would have been given orders meant for her. This implies that the other Forsaken do already know, or will soon be told of their existence, and the role they will play.

Writing Lessons:

Build excitement by letting the reader discover something new.

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.