Towers of Midnight - Chapters 10-14

In this section, the past catches up to the heroes.

Perrin learns the taint has been cleansed from saidin. He could have learned this at any time over the last few weeks, but he learns it now, because it reflects his current situation. Cleansing the taint is a metaphor for wiping the slate clean, casting off past sins. It is relevant because Perrin’s sin of killing other men is coming back to haunt him.

Neald is making circles with Wise Ones, and he is the first to explain that he can use saidar to strengthen his weaves of saidin. He feels more complete, as he feels saidar, and can increase the Power and size of his weaves. The sensations are reflected back to the women, who have disparate feelings about what they sense.

Perrin opts to keep Grady away from the Black Tower for rational and practical reasons, but it reminds readers that the Black Tower hasn’t been seen in a long time, since Pevara arrived and an ominous revelation had just taken place.

Galad decides to fight Perrin now so he won’t have to face him at the Last Battle, mirroring Rand’s decision to break the seals.

Elayne’s council expresses vastly different advice regarding her political prisoners. Birgitte is all practicality and hardness, while Dyelin thinks this is the moment when releasing the captives will earn Elayne the most credit. Birgitte is emotion, Dyelin is reason. Elayne decides this is an opportune time to claim Cairhien.

Mat’s letter to Elayne, with its spelling mistakes, is funny. It once again feels out of place with what has come before due to modern touches like the postscripts, but succeeds because it defies expectations. Mat never writes, foiling one expectation and providing a surprise. Postscripts don’t belong in this world, so Mat uses three of them. Mat is a trickster and it is always correct to write him defying expectations. Thom is laffing so hard at me that I want to be done.

Min gives only readers the only insight into Rand’s head since he descended from Dragonmount. Rand’s earlier behaviour with Egwene and Almen Bunt revealed a changed man, but it is Min’s insight that gives part of the reason.

Alanna vanished, leaving no clue where she is going. The likeliest explanation involves no abduction, simply a decision to leave and accomplish something. Rand could have contacted her and set her a task, weaving a Gateway that she could use without others detecting it. The change in Rand’s behaviour is the only impetus she likely received to make her do anything at all.

Cadsuane declares that Alanna, and by extension everyone, is a tool. This is an odd statement for her to make publicly, but is nonetheless consistent with her focus on Rand. Rand asks her to find someone who is missing in the Caralain Grass, someone who has been abducted by well-meaning allies in the White Tower. Assuming she succeeds, Cadsuane can then act as a bridge, or mediator between Rand and Egwene.  

Rand has insight into the Last Battle, how it will be fought, what he needs, and what must be done. He is decisive, apologetic, self-assured.  He knows secrets and has new abilities, such as his ability to pick Darkfriends out of a line-up. Somehow he picked up the fact that Mattin Stepaneos is being held in the White Tower, though that could have been learned through a ta’veren effect when he was in Tar Valon. Rand makes amends with the Aiel, Cadsuane, Nynaeve, Tam, everyone he let down previously. If he realized on Dragonmount that every one wants a second chance, he is getting every second chance possible.

“I’m not a weapon. I never have been,” he says. Cadsuane says that “Of all people, you cannot afford to let the pressure of life drive you.” Rand has understood some of what Cadsuane had to teach, but it is unclear whether this is the entirety of it, since the Asha’man haven’t yet learned their part.

Finally, Rand is forgiven by his father, and reclaims his role as a son. At the same time, Tam’s acceptance allows Rand to be a man, an equal, to his father. Nynaeve said that he needed to grow up, but feared the man he became. That judgment has been reversed.

Egwene meets with the Wise Ones, seeking their help with Rand. The two sides are polarizing quickly, setting up the final confrontation long awaited, when the heroes must confront, then accept those who differ from them in fundamental ways.

Egwene sees a strange reflection in Tel’aran’rhiod, a window that doesn’t exist in the real world. Verin’s words are repeated, and her newfound credibility combined with the fact that this is being repeated for the reader’s benefit strikingly points to its importance:  There is a third constant besides the Creator and the Dark One. There is a world that lies within each of these others, inside all of them at the same time. Or perhaps surrounding them Writers in the Age of Legends called it Tel’aran’rhiod.

Egwene tricks Nynaeve by appealing for advice from her past as a Wisdom, then reversing their roles in the next example she presents. It’s startlingly effective and convincing as a technique to make an inflexible character bend. Nynaeve could hold out for months otherwise.

Writing Lessons:

Repetition infers importance. Use repetition to lead or mislead readers.

Crossroads of Twilight - Chapters 15-17

In this section, Elayne’s rivals conspire and Egwene keeps the war effort alive

Elayne’s rivals Arymilla, Naean, and Elenia travel from camp to camp every night as they lay siege to Caemlyn. Despite having been knocked out of the contest, Elenia still sees a way in which she can emerge from this impasse as the Queen of Andor. While her drive and perseverance are admirable, her selfish reasons for seeking to become Queen are a stark contrast to Elayne’s rightful claim and interest in the well-being of the people of Andor. Despite the fact that Elayne hasn’t taken a very active hand in events so far, it is obvious that no hand at all is better than a hand like Elenia’s or Arymilla’s. Arymilla sees the Queen’s coffers as a means to upgrade her lifestyle even further while Elenia seeks the love and approval of the unwashed masses all the while thinking of them as foolish peasants. Her ego and intolerance instantly make her unlikeable, and make Elayne a more attractive choice despite whatever faults of her own she may have.

One of Elenia’s men, perhaps even her husband Jarid, has been meeting with the ringleader of the Caemlyn Darkfriends, the Lady Shiaine. Shiaine has two Black Ajah under her thumb, as per Moridin’s express wishes. She has her agent Mellar in a position of influence in the Royal Palace. She has a secret plan which Moridin has assigned her, and it remains unclear whether Elayne is meant to live or die, and if she is to die then to learn when that is to take place. It takes considerable effort to establish Hanlon’s position, keep a low profile for weeks, and wait until all Moridin’s conditions have been met. Does Moridin know something about Caemlyn’s role in the Last Battle? Does he suspect Elayne is pregnant with Rand’s children? Or does he know it for fact? How is what he is planning for Elayne any more effective than what Semirhage will later do to Rand? The only plausible answer is that the Last Battle is the battle for Rand’s soul and identity, and Moridin thinks Elayne offers a means of prodding Rand in some way. It’s incredibly vague and convoluted, and only rationalized by the fact that Rand has twice showed up where his girlfriends were in danger, in Falme and Tear.  

Darkfriends inherent mistrust and self-preservation instincts always seem on the verge of undermining their plans. Only fear of the Forsaken keeps everyone in line, knowing that their punishment will be severe, even if served years after their betrayal or failure. Hanlon wonders whether his would-be assassin had been sent by Shiaine. Falion arranges to be bruised so Shiaine won’t learn she and Hanlon are trading secrets. The level of suspicion is so high it’s a wonder they can get anything accomplished. When one of the heroes starts veering down a path of mistrust, it’s easy to see the negative context and its implications.

In the rebels’ camp, Egwene pines for her home, the White Tower. As with several other characters, she thinks of her goal in absolute terms: Whatever was required to keep the rebellion alive and pull Elaida down, she would do. Whatever was required. The author frequently uses repetition of a key phrase to emphasize the character’s level of commitment. Egwene’s goal requires she pretend at negotiations with Elaida, so that the rebels will see they haven’t come all this way for nothing. In some instances, when a character is aiming at one goal while secretly targeting some other goal, that detail is kept secret from the reader to allow for a surprise revelation later on. In this case it’s important that the reader understand exactly what Egwene is hoping to achieve, because the politics among the Hall of the Rebel Tower are convoluted enough. If the reader didn’t know Delana was Black Ajah, that Halima was a Forsaken, that Sheriam was most likely Black Ajah, and that Siuan and Leane were in her pocket, and a handful of other details, then none of the conspiratorial meetings between Sitters or other Aes Sedai would make as much sense. These waters are muddy enough that there is good reason to provide clarity to the relationships between the major and even minor players.

Egwene does keep one new surprise, which is her plan to blockade Tar Valon from receiving supplies. The reader can guess it involves cuendillar given the context in which it is stated that this secret exists.

The other secret which is not plainly revealed involves the Young Sitters. Having our attention brought back to this again implies the author has something worthwhile tucked up his sleeve. We’ll see soon enough.

A new peril facing the heroes is the revelation that foodstuffs are rotting, obviously an effect of the Dark One’s touch. Interesting that he first targeted the weather which caused a drought and affected crops, and is now attacking food. He went straight for the supply lines while his minions floundered after Rand. No one amongst the Heroes has even considered how to locate or affect the Shadow’s supply lines.

Writing Lessons:

Complex plans are unbelievable and fallible. Find the simplest way for a character to attain their goal and overcome obstacles.

Crossroads of Twilight - Chapters 10-12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Writing Lessons:

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

The Path of Daggers - Chapters 5-7

In this section, the heroines make a desperate escape while plotlines converge around Perrin.

Both Aviendha and Nynaeve apologize for their recent behaviour, though neither is warranted in Elayne’s view. Elayne is the leader in the group for now. She will hide it when they arrange for Nynaeve to do the demonstrations of linking, but her leadership is what keeps the Sea Folk in line when they need to flee the hilltop.

Participation in the circle using the Bowl of the Winds is based on strength, which provides a handy list of who is on par with our heroines. Sea folk include Talaan, Metarra, Rainyn, Naime, Rysael, Tebreille and Caire. Kin include Garenia, Reanne, and Kirstian. The use of circles and linking and bonding will be important in future battles, so this is an opportunity to present everything the reader needs to know on the topic.

There is some funny sexual imagery as Elayne and the others are abruptly dropped from the circle: She felt tired, if not anywhere near what she would have felt had she done anything beyond serve as a conduit, but what she felt most was loss. Letting go of saidar was bad enough; having it simply vanish out of you went beyond thinking about.  

Nynaeve has spent too much time trying to assert her worth over that of Alise, who has already organized the escape from the Farm. Aviendha is simply no good at making Gateways. So it falls to Elayne to weave, and then unweave the Gateway.

Aviendha uses a novel tactic, launching fireballs from a point of origin in front of the Gateway without being in that spot herself. As soon as she tires, the Seanchan erupt from the Gateway and shield Elayne, which abruptly ends the unraveling of the Gateway. The collapse of the weave causes a shockwave which devastates both ends of the Gateway. Having shared the risks Elayne took, Elayne realizes she is ready to embrace Aviendha as a near-sister, sister-wife or in any other relationship. Aviendha has now also seen Elayne in battle, and has a good opinion of her. Their bond may now be stronger than their romantic interest in Rand.

Rolling like a gambling wheel, they fell. This is when the raken is tumbling out of the sky. All kinds of objects roll, but choosing one that conjures luck, poor odds and uncertainty is brilliant.

Before his name appears, you can tell it’s Perrin’s point of view, as we see the forested hills hammered by a fierce morning sun. Perrin has a chance encounter with Morgase and her little group. These two converging plotlines should streamline the plot. Perrin’s simple approach to defending right and ending wrong can’t help but win readers over, despite that he is setting up future trouble for himself. The author chooses to understate the horror of what the Prophet’s men do, saving the revelation  for the very last: At first, Perrin did not know what he was looking at, a long loop of rawhide thickly strung with what appeared to be tags of shriveled leather. Then he did know, and his teeth bared in a snarl. “The Prophet would have our ears you said.”

Perrin’s current problem is approaching Queen Alliandre without putting Faile in danger nor offending her by sending her rival. Perrin reminds us that nothing is more important to him than Faile’s life and her perception of him. That’s twice that a blatant statement to this effect has shown up in the early part of a book.

His other objective is to deal with the Prophet, but more on that in the next post.

Writing Lessons:

When crafting your similes and metaphors, use terms that convey strong imagery and associated ideas.

A Crown of Swords - Chapters 37-39

In this section, myriad plotlines in Ebou Dar are resolved in a grand confrontation involving almost everyone.

Mat’s relationship with Queen Tylin becomes known to everyone, which leaves them either amused or offended. Mat’s discomfort allows the scene to play out humourously, with Mat getting more and more embarrassed with every snicker.

A great deal of effort is made to convince the reader that there is no conceivable problem in the Rahad that the women cannot handle. With over half a dozen channelers, many of them wearing Wise One belts that will scare would-be robbers into hiding, Mat’s soldiers are there for show, and to keep a promise made to Mat. After a few reminders, the reader may even begin to wonder why even have the chapter, if all that it involves is Mat getting more and more bored. It is all a set up.

The Black Ajah attack, and once Nynaeve is unshielded, it appears that there is still no point to the soldiers, who do nothing but get flung about by the channelers. However, Mat’s medallion spares him being tossed around, and he is therefore able to go to Elayne’s aid, and the only one who could provide any help against other channelers such as Moghedien, who can be assumed to be the opponent upstairs. Nynaeve’s plea moves Mat, because it is out of character for her, representing her recent inner growth, not poor writing.

Mat faces yet another mystery character: the gholam. It loves killing, and it is soon described as moving quicker than a Myrddraal in order to quickly impress its high skill level on the reader.  It bests Mat in combat even though we know Mat is almost the best there is at combat. Everything the Gholam can do is out of the ordinary. This is the help that Sammael promised Carridin. Luckily Mat discovers the creature’s weakness and is able to save Elayne, but the Darkfriends escape with some of the ter’angreal, which will provide some explanation for Sammael’s ability to whip several ter’angreal out of thin air before the book’s conclusion. Still no indication why Sammael would have used the gholam to kill Herid Fel. By no means a philosopher, Sammael should have had no interest in either keeping Fel’s guidance from reaching Rand’s ears. Instead the likeliest objective was the same as the one he was trying for in Ebou Dar: pick at Rand’s allies in any way possible that will slow down the army coming towards Illian or divert his attention elsewhere.

Mat is the third person to make a bargain with the Sea Folk. This scene would not have worked without the other two precedents establishing the reader’s expectation that budging the Sea Folk will cost the heroes something.  Mat’s unexpected approach is both funny and effective. Nynaeve reluctantly admires his feat while Elayne is impressed with his ability. Whatever mistrust they had for Mat and his ways at the beginning of the book has been resolved, he has their acceptance. He achieved this without specifically setting out to do so, yet it is the means that allowed him to accomplish his goals.

The Seanchan invade Ebou Dar, cutting off Mat’s escape while he searches for Olver. Once he can no longer leave the city, the dice in his head stop. He is now where the Pattern needs him to be. And also under a pile of rubble.

Writing Lessons:

Set the reader’s expectations by describing scenarios they will find plausible, the surprise them by having a different scenario play out.

Lord of Chaos - Chapters 24-27

In this section, Egwene maneuvers through some tricky situations.

Egwene’s biggest concern is getting brought back to the Tower by unfriendly Aes Sedai. While the Embassy certainly has reason to apprehend her as per Elaida’s orders, the lies she has been telling or letting others believe risk increasing the severity of her treatment once in their hands. So, she has some fancy footwork to do.

She convinces the Aiel Wise Ones not to let on that she is there. She convinces Gawyn not to report her. She almost has to ask Rand for protection. With her objective firmly in mind, she is hardly deterred by any of the actions she is forced to take to accomplish her goal. This single-mindedness is the character trait that will make her more powerful than other Dreamers in Tel’aran’rhiod, where force of will gives power. Her goal has shifted slightly from earlier. She no longer wants Rand to meet the Aes Sedai in Salidar because she is worried about his mental state. It would be sufficient to mess up his relations with the Tower Aes Sedai.

Egwene has thoroughly embraced the ethics and conventions of the Aiel, shaming random people in the street when their behaviour is found wanting, not understanding why she finds servants so irritating. Aiel society is built upon personal honour, which is gained through one’s own actions. Deferring to others only happens when they have more honour, which might be a consequence of having more sense than others. Berelain gained much standing with the Aiel for acknowledging her past errors and correcting her behaviour. She may be the only other character than Egwene to receive and adopt some form of ji’e’toh in their personal code of ethics. I’ll look for signs she retains any of it once she meets up with Perrin again.

The introduction of several Aes Sedai in Elaida’s Embassy, Nesune, Coiren, Galina, Sarene, Katerine, and Erian, is quite a bit for readers to wrap their heads around. Katerine and Galina have already been tagged as both Red Ajah and Black Ajah, either of which would be an effective tag to remember them by. Aside from their own Ajahs, there are no memorable tags for the other Aes Sedai. Even after they meet Rand, they feel interchangeable. The author tried to overcome this by having Egwene discuss them with the Wise Ones beforehand, but it did not work effectively since Egwene’s descriptions had no tags which could be easily fitted to their respective Aes Sedai when they visited Rand. Having read the passages twice, and with foreknowledge of which ones will show up later and in what capacity is the only thing which kept them distinct in my mind. While this could still be intentional in keeping with the theme of confusion and uncertainty, their importance in the story makes me think this is more of a failure than deliberate.

Egwene and Gawyn have a bit of a silly teen romance. Having spent some time together in the Tower as friends of sorts, Egwene has decided that she is in love with him as much as he is in love with her. They make vows not to betray one another, and not to help each other within the limits they can. Yet from Egwene’s perspective it makes sense. Egwene has disdain for canoodling before marriage and she is very conservative in her views on proper relationships. It stands to reason that once she finds someone, she will throw herself into the relationship with abandon, fully expecting it to end in a lifetime of matrimony and Bonding with the One Power. Having set aside her pre-planned marriage to Rand, this is the first time she is in love, and she acts with all the rashness and naiveté of a teen in love.

Egwene stumbles on the constant and powerful use of the One Power by the Aes Sedai. This is the first time the ability to detect channeling has been used in a strategic manner. In the past the ability to be found because you could channel has been a weakness to be worked around, but the Tower Aes Sedai turn it into strength. This is the case for many abilities and weaves in the series. First the ability or weave is introduced, then it is used several times, and once familiar with its properties, it is used in a new fashion to give an advantage. Robert Jordan’s patience in this regard is astounding, but it almost always pays off by giving a sense of wonder and discovery to the reader.

The Sea Folk have sought out Rand, in two cities no less. A plot for another day, since there have already been Taim and the Ogier showing up unannounced; a third such visit might start pushing it.

Egwene describes how she would Travel using Tel’aran’rhiod. She would create a similarity between the real world and its reflection in Tel’aran’rhiod, which should make it possible to simply step from one to the other. This sounds like what Rand has done in the past, we’ll see if it is when Egwene tries it.

Further causing Rand to let down his guard, a weak attack by Fain’s Whitecloaks fails, and Rand’s guards don’t do much that he could not have handled himself, just as Bashere predicted. His Aiel guards warn him that a weak ambush is sometimes just a setup for a later strong ambush. His guards are correct, as this is precisely the tactic the Embassy will use. But in the next scene, Rand next learns he is not related to Elayne, and is relieved. This relief has nothing to do with ambushes, yet its placement at that point in the story will have the effect of inducing confidence and relaxation. It’s all good. Whatever we were worried about just before doesn’t matter now, does it? The discussion of connecting lines to Ishara could have been placed virtually anywhere in the story, yet it is used to great effectiveness to get both Rand and the reader’s guard down.

Writing Lessons:

Place scenes in an order that creates the desired effect on the reader’s emotions.

The Great Hunt - Chapters 23-26

In this section, Nynaeve becomes Accepted, while Thom declines to join the Hunt.

The viewpoint characters are getting ever more numerous. Some of the viewpoints, such as Min’s and Thom’s, are kept necessarily short to maintain the pace, even as they expand the scope of the story. One purpose of these viewpoints is to remind the reader that as ta’veren, Rand affects every character he encounters, Else, Gawyn, Elayne, random farmers, Min, and more, prompting them to move where the Pattern needs them. Verin and Moiraine have made this observation, just as Gawyn does right before Rand has an incredibly fortuitous meeting with Thom. The power of ta’veren is an incredibly useful plot device that satisfactorily explains away any number of improbable encounters and events. The more people Rand meets, the more this plot device can be used. The broad array of people from every walk of life that Rand meets also serves to illustrate that he is destined to save all humanity. Saving the World means more if you see more of the world you’re saving.

Through ta’veren, the Pattern uses people as pawns to allow Rand to fulfill his destiny, burn their freedom. The human equivalent is Daes Dae’mar, the Game of Houses. Every action of the Cairhienin nobility is aimed at gaining advantage, burn the wishes of the pawns. Perhaps the intensity of the game in Cairhien is due to the fact that the political structure is less rigid than other hierarchies, so scheming for advantage is worthwhile to anyone who plays. In a short time, Caldevwin has already demonstrated inordinate political acumen for an officer supervising an earth-moving project. Loial has heard King Galldrian is a disgrace, trying to buy prestige and stability with bread and entertainers. No sooner has Rand unpacked than letters to bring him into the game begin arriving. Rand’s determination to not be used by Ba’alzamon, Aes Sedai or the Cairhienin nobles will soon include his unwillingness to be used by the Pattern. Despite being a master at Daes Dae’mar, Thom cannot win the game the Pattern is playing with him.

Nynaeve also has little choice but to follow the path put before her. Her revenge, her pursuit of Lan, her desire to protect Rand, all depend on following the rules of the White Tower. She has already begun to bend those rules, taking satisfaction in passing the test for Accepted by cheating with her use of the One Power to make the exit arch reappear. The world inside the ter’angreal has properties of the World of Dreams, in which Nynaeve can create thorns to pierce her palms, in which force of will can alter the reality before her to bring the vanished archway back into existence. Were the thorns crafted of the Power, of dreamstuff, or were they real? Nynaeve’s test involved a number of never before seen oddities. Did these oddities happen because Nynaeve is a woman of extraordinary willpower and strong sense of identity, or is there some other force at work? The holes in Nynaeve’s palms are reminiscent of another saviour figure. As male/female parallels begin to show up more and more often, why shouldn’t the saviour of humanity have a female equivalent? Her testing involved a trinity of trials, threatening her body, her ‘family’, and her love; her past, present and future. I’ll keep an eye out for other subtle hints that Nynaeve is the female equivalent to Rand, the saidar to his saidin.

Egwene’s low key romance with Rand hits several bumps as Else, Min, and Elayne are reintroduced. Min knows she will fall in love with Rand and has dropped hints that Elayne might be in the same boat. Galad serves as the male equivalent in beauty to Lanfear, tempting Egwene just as Rand was tempted. After so much expectation built up that Egwene would be furious at Rand for his flirtations, Egwene’s encounter with Galad is a rich humourous payoff.

The threat of gentling is front and center again with two examples, Logain and Owyn, reminding readers that the only way to prevent the madness may be worse than the madness itself. Elaida’s interest in Rand reinforces the feeling of danger.

Writing Lessons:

Repetition of a plot element reinforces it, especially when revealed in a different way or coming from a different source.

The Great Hunt - Chapters 10-12

In this section, the quest, the Great Hunt, gets underway.

With no friends speaking to Rand, his mentors gone in a different direction, and his love interest perhaps never to be seen again, the stakes seem particularly high for Rand as he undertakes this quest. The dual quests, one for friendship, the other for glory, will be undertaken together, even as success in one may oppose the other. I particularly like the way these two motives leave Rand no choice but to chase after the villains, it is a powerful setup, a classic heroic quest.

Little clues indicate that retrieving the Horn is the greater of the quests. The description of humankind’s fate to be swept away by darkness without something to rally around provides a deeper understanding of the fractures between the nations of men, and gives a strong rationale for Ingtar’s drive and insistence.

Mat realizes Rand is not as stuck up as believed, and is determined to help heal him. Despite Rand’s apparent benevolence, Perrin and Mat give Rand similar advice: run away. Perrin adds, maybe he should also consider what to do if he can’t run. Rand’s options for running get fewer as Moiraine sneaks the Dragon Banner in his saddlebags and contrives for Rand to earn some leadership experience to prepare him for becoming king of Illian.

Moiraine, Fain, and Lanfear all seek to herd Rand in the direction they want. If Moiraine and Fain have the most control as the Hunt begins, Lanfear soon finds a way to get Rand on his own to offer him her own incentives. She spends some time tracking the party, and weaves a small trap to test Rand’s ability to channel saidin. Merely touching saidin is enough to break free.

Unlike the previous book, where Rand was unable to form the void properly, Lan’s training helps him perfect the ability, an ability that will help him touch saidin more easily. The Amyrlin showed some alarm about the void, or the Oneness, as the Gaidin call this common focusing technique, perhaps because she understood it might facilitate his channeling. The void has an added benefit: it masks Rand from Fain’s senses. Nothing else Rand was doing can explain his vanishing from the bloodhound senses Ba’alzamon bestowed on him. It also gives a clue as to how Fain can be eluded. Within the void, Rand feels no emotion. Does emotion play a special role in the battle between Light and Dark? Does the Oneness represent anything beyond centeredness and self-knowledge?

Fain’s struggle for control of himself, and the resulting battle for control with the Myrddraal, left a jagged trail across the countryside. Even if the Myrddraal was placed in command, Fain quickly overthrew its authority. The spirit of Mordeth gives him vast knowledge, great charisma, and apparent immunity to Shadowspawn powers, such that the Myrddraal managed only short periods of control over the Darkfriends and Trollocs. Fain is the ‘something worse’ that should have been evident to the reader before the increasingly disturbing clues are found. Since we already knew that Fain was as bad as they come, and gave clues about Mordeth’s cohabitation of his body, the payoff for this suspense had to come quickly. The sycophantic bleatings of the Darkfriends blend in well with the sounds of Trolloc slaughter of innocents, which might tell readers what the author thinks of self-preservation over duty and honour.

In a similar fashion as in the Eye of the World, learning about saidar provides clues, perhaps the only ones possible given the cast of characters, as to what the reader can expect Rand to go through as he too learns to channel the One Power.

In another similarity to the Eye of the World, three characters act as potential mentors, each with different degrees of trustworthiness: Moiraine, acting with too much secrecy and sneakiness to maintain the trust of the Emond’s Fielders; Verin, whose mannerisms and quirks may make her more appealing to those who have come to mistrust Moiraine; and Liandrin, untrustworthy but cloaked in the same veil of authority as the other two Aes Sedai.

There have been more Aiel references already than in the entire last book. The reader now expects Rand to get confirmation he is Aiel, and to learn more about these born killers. How close is the Waste from here?

Many of the channeling sections in this book and the previous one left readers confused, partly because we have no frame of reference to know this is channeling, partly because they are written to portray the confusion of the characters. I’ll analyze the infamous House of Flies scene:

We’ve already had one abandoned village where a woman in white mysteriously disappeared. They say Uno is jumping at curtains. A second abandoned village is entered. Curtains beat in an open window. The curtains are a cue to the reader to make the association with the previous village, to note that the situation is exactly the same, so they should expect… a woman in white who can’t be found. Instead, when Rand enters the dining room…

He blinks, and sees a scene from the recent past.

He blinks, and is in the present, cold, with louder flies on the table.

He blinks, and the scene from the past repeats.

He blinks, and is in the present, colder, with a lot more flies on the table. He seeks the void.

He blinks, and the scene from the past repeats.

He blinks, and is freezing, flies crawl into his mouth. He touches saidin.

The weave is destroyed.

It won’t be until Egwene dreams of the Woman in White a chapter later that the reader can confirm any suspicion that she was involved in the House of Flies scene.

This technique of gradual revelation builds suspense. It allows for a quick build-up as seen here, or a camouflaged longer term build-up as when Rand gradually began to channel in the Eye of the World. First, a danger is mentioned; second, a strong reminder; third, an immediate threat. A similar example is the unseen eyes on Rand, then Liandrin, and finally a fleeting image of the owner of those eyes. It’s like a variant of a joke in which you repeat the principal situation twice, and the listener knows that the third time you say it will be the time something funny happens. The material between each bit of revelation is less important than the space it provides between them, so that it is not as obvious as in the joke that there will be a third time, when the third time will be, and that a noteworthy event will take place on the third time.

Writing Lessons:

Some techniques to use for building suspense or laying groundwork for a future payoff are: repetition, gradual revelation, distraction using surrounding material, and spacing.