I have spent so much time writing other things lately that it is a joy to come back to a blog post! Not only a blog post but a blog post on one of my favourite fantasy series! After seven books, interwoven storylines and multiple locations, I had to scratch my head for a while and do some googling to remind myself of the plot. Because … “did that happen then or now … are they here? WHO IS THIS?” *went the conversation with myself*
This novel in The Wheel of Times series is set greatly in my now favourite city to yet. There’s a battle with the weather going on, the Forsaken are running around some more doing some underhanded things and being more like real people. Most of the women in this novel seem to go a little crazy, there are cat fights and sexual power struggles (stop thinking of turkish oil wrestling you dirty dirty people). Mat takes up a whole chunk of this novel and it’s delightful to see him get some page time to shine. And there is a lot of meandering. As you might expect, it’s Robert Jordan.
A Crown of Swords – Robert Jordan
Alas my friends we have another novel that drags at little! But it is still enjoyable, it has all the tropes of Robert Jordan though that we have come to recognise. Men and women can’t talk to one another, certain actions are maddeningly repetitive but in this one it edges close to the ridiculous. But we know these short comings already.
Rand prepares to attack the Forsaken Sammael in Illian while enjoying life with Min. Rand as always is juggling more balls then a pingpong factory and much like the Lord of Chaos is zipping around everywhere. He quells a rebellion by the nobles in Cairhien, convinces himself that he has forced himself on Min (even though he hasn’t) and the Aes Sedai vow to serve him (not without a few tantrums). He banishes someone and they kill themselves as a result. And generally is ruffling a lot of feathers doing things his way. But as is often the case, Rand is not the most interesting part of this novel.
Ebou Dar in Altara is where the most interesting parts of the story unfold (for me anyway). Elayne, Nynaeve and Mat search for the Bowl of Winds. This magical artefact, or ter’angreal will theoretically break the unnatural heat that has been brought on the world by the Dark One’s manipulation. Accompanied by Aviendha, Thom, Juilin and Birgitte there is of course drama, drama, drama. (Scenes of Mat and Birgitte drinking together… you guys… it is the book to read for even that perfect friendship forming)
For romantic relationships Jordan really falls down (as usual), Mat gets involved with the Queen of Altara who like all women of that country, is a force to be reckoned with. Here women rule and men are second class. A perhaps clunky cultural shift in comparison to some of Jordan’s others no?
To some Queen Tylin is a cougar who does not understand the word ‘no’ and pressures Mat into sex at knife point on more then one occasion. But I think Jordan is taking a wild stab at being sexy and it is in incredible poor taste. I find nothing sexy about this. But I have pointed fun at Mat for meeting a woman he hadn’t bargained for and a situation that even he can’t slip out of.
Elayne and Nynaeve fall into old habits and begin bitching from the moment the book starts. But seem to put up a united front when faced with other Aes Sedai who do not recognise them as full Aes Sedai or their authority. Later on in the novel they meet a group of women, they do not expect, the Kin, and so begins a new twist in the world of magic and witches and women and men and all that stuff that build’s Jordan’s world up so brilliantly. Think a secret knitting circle, but with magic.
Egwene and Siuan are finding themselves a bit at odds with the other Aes Sedai rebels in Salidar. Having raised Egwene, they believe themselves to be in control of her and she is slowly learning the ways in which she can shift things to her advantage. While attempting to drive them towards moving against Elaida in the White Tower of Tar Valon, Lan is found. (YESSSSS HE IS ALIVEEEEE!!!!)
Meanwhile, Moghedien tries to kill Nynaeve will balefire and successfully misses by becoming spooked by some pigeons. To give her some credit she has some problems of her own right now and isn’t at her best. But Nynaeve almost drowns in a river and in doing so finally manages to shift her block and touch the power to save herself and THEENNNN…. Jordan demonstrates how awful he is at romantic relationships again … because LAN IS THERE BECAUSE EGWENE SENT HIM THERE TO FIND HER! And it’s really awkward… and she tells him off.
But of course other things happen as it is the Wheel of Time and the wheel wills what it wills and what it weaves it weaves. Or whatever. This is a bit of a novel of housekeeping really isn’t it? I think we cover some of the material in the Lord of Chaos again to fully make sense of the last few scenes in the Lord of Chaos. The following Rand chapters seem to be Rand brandishing his own wrathful justice and also he has a nasty argument with Perrin which sees him leaving the entire book.
While this book reveals some lovely things it still sort of leaves us hanging, DOES the Bowl of Winds fix the weather? That subplot is never really finished off? What is going to happen to Moghedien and why am I starting to like her? Is Elaida getting red eyes and a batman voice? (because thats how I imagine her) What’s going on with Morgase, she’s in this book for the width of a blink and then she’s dropped in the lions mouth and ??? hello?? Morgase?? Is Loial okay? I’m worried about him because I’M ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT LOIAL! Is his mother going to marry him off while no one’s looking so he has to stay in the Stedding and be a good boy?
SO MANY QUESTIONS!
This novel treads the fine line between being filler and cannon fodder. But even when it slows it is interesting, perhaps not as dynamic and interesting as some of the other novels and not nearly as ambitious. I’ve had a little break between books now and this post is coming quite a while after reading it so writing it has been a real delight. Though it has made me homesick. I am homesick for the Wheel of Time series, which means one thing: I better get on and finish my current book so I can start the Path of Daggers.
The Shelf Wanderer 