A Memory of Light - Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

A MEMORY OF LIGHT

Final Book in the "Wheel of Time"

ISBN - 978-1-84149-870-6
FIRST PUBLISHED - Jan 08, 2013
PUBLISHERS - Orbit/Hachette
PAGES - 912
BINDING - Paperback
GENRE - Epic Fantasy

AUTHOR - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

BEST-SELLERS - The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn

SYNOPSIS - For twenty years, The Wheel of Time has enthralled more than forty million readers in over thirty-two languages. A Memory of Light brings this majestic fantasy creation to its richly satisfying conclusion.

'And it came to pass in those days, as it had come before and would come again, that the Dark lay heavy on the land and weighed down the hearts of men, and the green things failed, and hope died.' - From Charal Drianaan te Calamon, The Cycle of the Dragon.

In the Field of Merrilor the rulers of the nations gather to join behind Rand al'Thor, or to stop him from his plan to break the seals on the Dark One's prison - which may be a sign of his madness, or the last hope of humankind. Egwene, the Amyrlin Seat, leans toward the former.
In Andor, the Trollocs seize Caemlyn.

In the wolf dream, Perrin Aybara battles Slayer.
Approaching Ebou Dar, Mat Cauthon plans to visit his wife Tuon, now Fortuona, Empress of the Seanchan.
All humanity is in peril - and the outcome will be decided in Shayol Ghul itself. The Wheel is turning, and the Age is coming to its end. The Last Battle will determine the fate of the world. . .

Working from notes and partials left by Robert Jordan when he died in 2007, and consulting with Jordan's widow, who edited all of Jordan's books, established fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson has recreated the vision Jordan left behind.

EXCERPT - 

My arm will be my sword...

Hooves clattered on the ground. The Trollocs ahead hooted in delight, realising that their prey had transformed to retreat into a charge of men rushing right into their grasp.

My breast itself a shield...

Lan could hear a voice, his father's voice, speaking these words. That was foolish, of course. Lan had been a baby when Malkier had fallen.

To defend the Seven Towers...

He had never seen the Seven Towers stand against the Blight. He'd only heard stories.

To hold back the darkness...

The horses' hooves were becoming a thunder. So loud, louder than he'd have thought possible. He held himself straight, sword out.

I will stand when all others fall.

The oncoming Trollocs levelled spears as the distance between the two opposing forces narrowed.

Al Chalidholara Malkier. For my sweet land Malkier.

It was the oath a Malkieri soldier took during the first posting to the Border. Lan had never spoken it.

He did so now in his heart.

"Al Chalidholara Malkier!" Lan screamed. "Lances, set!" Light, but those hoofbeats were loud! Could six thousand make so much noise? He turned to look at those behind him.

Atleast ten thousand rode there.

FL Speak - [No spoilers]

This is what fans of The Wheel of Time waited for 22 long years. They waited when Jordan first wrote The Eye of the World, they waited when Rand became the Dragon Reborn, they waited when he created the Black Tower, they waited when the White Tower fell, they waited when the Forsaken laid traps, they waited when Rand cleansed Saidin and they waited for the Final Battle. No more, my friends. This 900+ book is only that. The Final Battle.

Hardcore fans like me may have already read the excerpt from the prologue "By Grace and Banners Fallen". And I know, friends, the emotion that swept through me then must have been coursing through you as well. Fear not, there is no let down. No quarter given back to the enemy. Brandon Sanderson has done the impossible. He has finished the tale.

Boy, where do I start? All the characters you met over the course of the first books are here. And you should see their roles man! They've been absolutely stunning. Its impossible to write a no-spoiler review without letting a few out. But I promise not to say anything important. Just a few hints here and there.

Remember the army Demandred was boasting about. Well, its here. Its here and its terrifying! Flaming Forsaken has channellers as well. Then there is Mazrim Taim. And Mat, oh Mat, fans of Mat will absolutely flaming love this book. He's here. He's here in more than half the book. Rand may have the shortest pages among the three. But we all know his is the most important one.

There are deaths. Burn you, but there are deaths. Jordan has saved all those in the last thirteen books only to finish them off in a heroic style here. So many deaths, so many lights extinguished, even the brightest flame of all. So be prepared folks. Be prepared.

It feels like the end of time. Now that the book is over, I don't see the pattern. The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. I'll simply have to move on. But its hard. It flaming hurts.

900 pages of action. The pace is flaming relentless. You couldn't have asked for a better way to finish the story. Yes, there will be questions. But the ultimate thing is that you'll be satisfied. More than satisfied. You will be awash with excitement and passion. One chapter is 190 pages long. And I can't wait for you to read that.

Readers and lovers of the "Wheel of Time", you're in for an epic ride, one final battle. You'll cheer, you'll shout, you'll cry when they fall, but you'll be with Rand, giving him your hope, you'll be with Mat, giving him your luck, you'll be with Perrin, giving him your strength and you'll be with millions of us fans, giving them our voice.

When Robert Jordan passed away in 2007 and Brandon Sanderson was asked to keep the flame burning, we had no idea we would see this day. Today, I want you to remember what Lan taught Rand all those years ago.

Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain.

And Brandon Sanderson has lit the brightest flame and saw us to the end. Thank you Sanderson. Thank you Jordan for the best days of our lives.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.

My Rating - 5/5 stars

PRICE - INR 599/- [Flipkart Price] 

He came like the wind, like the wind touched everything and, like the wind was gone.

Crossroads of Twilight - Robert Jordan

CROSSROADS OF TWILIGHT

Book 10 of "Wheel of Time"

Read about the other books HERE

ISBN - 9780312864590
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2003
GENRE - Epic Fantasy
BINDING - Paperback
PAGES - 700

AUTHOR - Robert Jordan

BEST-SELLERS - The Shadow Rising, The Dragon Reborn, The Great Hunt

SYNOPSIS - [From Goodreads]

In the tenth book of The Wheel of Time from the New York Times #1 bestselling author Robert Jordan, the world and the characters stand at a crossroads, and the world approaches twilight, when the power of the Shadow grows stronger.

Fleeing from Ebou Dar with the kidnapped Daughter of the Nine Moons, whom he is fated to marry, Mat Cauthon learns that he can neither keep her nor let her go, not in safety for either of them, for both the Shadow and the might of the Seanchan Empire are in deadly pursuit.

At Tar Valon, Egwene al'Vere, the young Amyrlin of the rebel Aes Sedai, lays siege to the heart of Aes Sedai power, but she must win quickly, with as little bloodshed as possible, for unless the Aes Sedai are reunited, only the male Asha'man will remain to defend the world against the Dark One, and nothing can hold the Asha'man themselves back from total power except the Aes Sedai and a unified White Tower.

Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn himself, has cleansed the Dark One's taint from the male half of the True Source, and everything has changed. Yet nothing has, for only men who can channel believe that saidin is clean again, and a man who can channel is still hated and feared-even one prophesied to save the world. Now, Rand must gamble again, with himself at stake, and he cannot be sure which of his allies are really enemies. 

QUOTES - 

“Sometimes, pain is all that lets you know you're alive.” 

“If your enemy offers you two targets, strike at a third.” 

FL Speak - [contains spoilers]

Boy o boy, this is getting interesting. The plot continues to thicken and the conclusion is not very far away. [Okay, its still far. But we know its coming. It simply has to.]

So here's the grub. Let me simply point out what happens without going into the details. Elayne, her lovely highness is in Andor and she's expecting twins. 10 marks for guessing who the daddy is. And she ain't safe one bit. Plots to overthrow her or simply kill her arise like a bad penny everywhere. Birgitte, poor lass, has her hands full. Not to forget the bickering Elayne has to maintain with the Aes Sedai, the Sea Folk, the Kin and Nynaeve.

Elsewhere, Perrin is still in search of his kidnapped wife, who is not having a good time under the rule of the Shaido. Serves that know-it-all, puffed up chick, me thinks. And Perrin is dangerously close to making  a deal with the dreaded Seanchan to get his wife back. Even if it means betraying Rand [which he probably will do, that wolf-eyed, love-struck blacksmith]

Rand is missing. Not surprising. Since he managed to do the impossible in the last book. If you haven't read the last book and still getting your kicks by reading this one, lemme tell you, he cleansed Saidin. Hah! He has only 2 chapters in this one. So what that tired sheepherder does is send Davram Bashere to make a truce with the Seanchan. Yes, got me thinking too. But apparently Rand thinks that he can only fight one at a time. Its either the Shadow or the Seanchan. And fighting the blasted Shadow is more important than ever. Right? RIGHT??

And Oh...Remember Egwene?? She's leading her troops straight to the heart of the White Tower. And she has a problem. She wants to win but she doesn't want bloodshed. tut tut.
Frankly the other sisters just want to go back but they're not sure if they face an embrace or a death. So its a standoff. And bwoy! there's a major surprise in the end. huhuhuhu.

Now, to my fav WoT character MATRIM CAUTHON!! Yes, he's still on the run with the Daughter of the Nine Moons, the same lady he's supposed to marry in the nearby future. And what he discovers?? The lady who keeps suldams as pets may quite be one. Yes, Tuon can learn to channel the One Power. I only wish Mat put a bloody a'dam over her. When you read Mat, you know you're in for a treat. His banter with Tuon, his cursing...Light! I missed his cursing.

The one major disadvantage this book has is that many of these events occur simultaneously with the events of the previous book. So as you can imagine, the to and fro goes on and on. I told you about Egwene right? She has been travelling with her army for 2 books now only to stop to watch the view of the White Tower. And there are more plots! You'd have thought that by book 10, the time for building and adding more plots were over, but Robert Jordan is apparently a different creature altogether. He adds more and you're left wondering how will he tie those up. Fans of Mr. Jordan, who has stuck to his books till here, I'd be happy to tell you that from here on, the story quickens again.

Tarmon Gai'don is not far. And some more secrets are yet to be revealed. The Children of the Light have their own plans and so does Mazrim Taim. Romanda of the White Tower will not be silenced and the Seanchan has a far bolder plan than anyone ever guessed. And that's in the next book. Le sigh.

And I found this amazing lolcat of Mat. bwahahahaha :D

PROPHECY - 

And it shall come to pass, in the days when the Dark Hunt rides,

when the right hand falters and the left hand strays,

that mankind shall come to the Crossroads of Twilight,

and all that is, all that was,

and all that will be shall balance on the point of a sword,

while the winds of the Shadow grow

My Rating - 3.5/5 stars

PRICE - INR 350/-

Muad'drin tia dar allende caba'drin rhadiem

Winter's Heart - Robert Jordan

 

WINTER'S HEART

Book 9 of 'Wheel of Time'

Read about the previous books HERE

ISBN - 9780812575583
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2000
PAGES - 780
GENRE - Epic Fantasy
BINDING - Paperback

AUTHOR - Robert Jordan

BEST-SELLERS - The Eye of the World, The Dragon Reborn, The Shadow Rising

SYNOPSIS - [From GOODREADS]

The eagerly awaited sequel to The Path of Daggers, the New York Times#1 bestseller that swept the nation like a firestorm.

Rand, with Min, is on the run, and Cadsuane, in Carhien, is trying to figure out where he is headed.

Mazrim Taim, the leader of the Black Tower, is revealed to be a liar. Faile, with her companions, is a prisoner of Sevanna's Sept.

With Elyas Machera, Berelain, the Prophet, and an "army" of disparate forces, Perrin is moving through country rife with bandits and roving Seanchan.

In Ebou Dar, the Seanchan princess known as Daughter of the Nine Moons arrives. In Tar Valon, the schemers and counter-schemers in Elaida's White Tower are shaken to the core when the rebels appear suddenly outside the walls.

QUOTES - 

A man who trusts everyone is a fool, and a man who trusts no one is a fool. We are all fools, if we live long enough.

• Lews Therin Telamon

I thought I could build, I was wrong. We are not builders, not you, or I, or the other one. We are destroyers. Destroyers.

• Lews Therin Telamon to Rand

You can never know everything, and part of what you know is always wrong. Perhaps even the most important part. A portion of wisdom lies in knowing that. A portion of courage lies in going on anyway.

• Lan Mandragoran

FL Speak - This is one of the better books. Not as best as the first few but its a great book in terms of the plot.

A lot happens. And when I say a lot, its mega-lot. New readers, who do not know Mr. Jordan or heard of Wheel of Time or didn't read my last few reviews, but somehow found their eyes reading these very words, STOP! There is no point reading on. New fans of Wheel of Time, who is yet to read this book but is much more excited and can't contain themselves, STOP! [believe me, I've been there] This review contains spoilers. Rest, read on.

After the terrific first five novels and the "other three" after that, Winter's Heart is one of the best of the lot. Why?? Because, whatever we missed in the last 3 books or lamented on the lack of "IT", well it's here. Not to mention that Mat Cauthon is back.

Lets get over the boring bits first. I'm jumbling up the scenes in which they occur okay. I will talk about all major happenings but in a random order and without giving out the climax or climaxes. So, Perrin is out searching for his wife, Faile, after the know-it-all lady manages to get herself kidnapped. 

Rand, the Dragon Reborn is finally confronted by the 3 girls he's in love with. Apparently, Elayne, Min and Aviendha all feel they can share him. *cough* *cough* [lucky bastard] Also, he's own team of perfect Asha'man are not as perfect as it seems. Specially since a couple of them tried to kill him! Now Rand is in turn hunting them. Elayne is managing her throne in Andor. She's Queen now and she believes she can accomplish everything. Nynaeve and Birgitte and a whole lot of Kinswomen accompany her. Its downright outrageous to notice that how almost all the women (correction, all of them!) behave like 5 year olds most of the time. I get it, women are complex Mr. Jordan. 

Last we heard of Egwene, she was still on the way to the White Tower with her army. Her chapters I look forward to. Aes Sedai's are always fun to read about. (mostly) 

But the best news is, Mat is back. Mat is back under the care of Tylin (hahahaha, I hope you remember her tying him up in laces hahahaha) right under the noses of the Seanchan army camped there. And here's one of the twists. The DAUGHTER OF THE NINE MOONS, whom Mat is prophesied to marry, is the daughter of the Empress of the Seanchan. (Yeah, beat that!) And Mat manages to kidnap her and whisk her away!!!

Boy, the book just got better. And the last 100 pages will blow your mind. Hint?? It includes Rand and something about saidin and lots and lots of the Forsaken and a huge battle. Yes, you need to read it.

Loved the book. I missed lots of other plotlines as well. The prologue itself is 88 pages!! The Children of the Light are making their own plans for judgement day and in the meanwhile, The Dark One grows in strength.

Everyone complaining about how Jordan's writing has been declining can finally heave a sigh of relief. Although this book has not reached its peak yet, the next one will definitely be better. Especially after reading the climax on this one. Rand Al'Thor's worries has just increased tenfold.

PROPHECY - 

The Seals that hold back the night shall weaken,and in the heart of winter shall winter’s heart be born,amid the wailings of lamentation and the gnashing of teeth,for winter’s heart shall ride a black horse, and the name of it is Death.

As the plow breaks the earth shall he break the lives of men,and all that was shall be consumed in the fire of his eyes.The trumpets of war shall sound at his footsteps, the ravens feed at his voice,and he shall wear a crown of swords. 

My Rating - 3.5/5 stars

PRICE - INR 350/- 

Mordero daghain pas duente cuebiyari

The Path of Daggers - Robert Jordan

THE PATH OF DAGGERS

Book 8 of "The Wheel of Time"

Read about the other books HERE

ISBN - 9780812550290

FIRST PUBLISHED - 1998

PAGES - 685

GENRE - Epic Fantasy

BINDING - Paperback

AUTHOR - Robert Jordan

BEST-SELLERS - The Great Hunt, Lord of Chaos, The Shadow Rising

SYNOPSIS - The phenomenal tale that is mesmerizing a generation of readers now continues.

The Seanchan invasion force is in possession of Ebou Dar. Nynaeve, Elayne, and Aviendha head for Caemlyn and Elayne's rightful throne, but on the way they discover an enemy much worse than the Seanchan.

In Illian, Rand vows to throw the Seanchan back as he did once before. But signs of madness are appearing among the Asha'man.

In Ghealdan, Perrin faces the intrigues of Whitecloaks, Seanchan invaders, the scattered Shaido Aiel, and the Prophet himself. Perrin's beloved wife, Faile, may pay with her life, and Perrin himself may have to destroy his soul to save her.

Meanwhile the rebel Aes Sedai under their young Amyrlin, Egwene al'Vere, face an army that intends to keep them away from the White Tower. But Egwene is determined to unseat the usurper Elaida and reunite the Aes Sedai. She does not yet understand the price that others--and she herself--will pay.

QUOTES - 

When a woman plays the fool, look for the man.

• Lini

Kittens tangle your yarn, men tangle your wits, and it's simple as breathing for both.

• Lini

I killed the whole world, and you can too, if you try hard.

• Lews Therin Telamon

FL Speak - After a gap of more than a month, I return with The Wheel of Time reviews. With only 3 months until the final book of the epic series is published, the 22 year long epic is about to end.

*wipes tears*

*gets ready to get a Wheel of Time tattoo on his arm*

So where were we?? Oh yes, Sammael is dead. That's another of those dreaded Forsaken dead. But the Dark One is still getting stronger. And Rand is beginning to lose it. He's beginning to lose himself to the voice in his head, to the memories of Lews Therin Telamon, the previous Dragon Reborn who damned the world.

This book is more about the girls, Nynaeve, Elayne, Egwene, Birgitte. Even though I like women very, very much....I wish I could skip these. The stories of the boys are much more interesting. But the late Mr. Jordan knew how to keep everyone happy. The weather bowl that Elayne and Nynaeve found is finally being used to clear the weather.

 Rand is slowly but steadily growing mad. And he's trying to make himself colder in fear of being used by people around him. And that, specially, ain't working at all. When he used Callandor against the Seanchan for the second time, he almost obliterated his own army. 

What's good about this one is that, for once there is no going back and forth and re-repeating what already happened. Fans of Perrin would love this one, as he finally makes an appearance after his absence from the last book. Egwene is having the time of her life. She's trying to get all the Sisters accept her and she's doing a good job so far. And yet, there's a lot to go before she takes them to the White Tower.

Mat, is missing! Yes, apparently he injured himself in the last book and taking this book off. So, with Mat, goes the Army of the Red Band, and with them, goes away the fun. But, Perrin has an important task, despite it being boring on many counts. I'm glad to see Faile go. That girl is so irritating. 

The Final Battle is coming. There's no doubt about that. And Rand is forced to make decisions he doesn't like. And he has only a handful of people he can trust. And now the Asha'man has betrayed him. Yeah, led by Dashiva, a few of the Asha'man that Rand himself has formed are after his life.

Elsewhere, Perrin is after the self proclaimed Prophet of the Dragon. But things go from bad to worse when his wife Faile is kidnapped by the Shaido. Now, Perrin needs to decide what he has to do. Chase after Faile and bring her back or tame the Prophet as Rand wants.

The fight for humanity's survival is far from over.

PROPHECY - 

Twice and twice shall he be marked,
twice to live, and twice to die.
Once the heron, to set his path.
Twice the heron, to name him true.
Once the Dragon, for remembrance lost.
Twice the Dragon, for the price he must pay. 

Power of the Shadow made human flesh,
wakened to turmoil, strife and ruin.
The Reborn One, marked and bleeding,
dances the sword in dreams and mist,
chains the Shadowsworn to his will,
from the city, lost and forsaken,
leads the spears to war once more,
breaks the spears and makes them see,
truth long hidden in the ancient dream.

My Rating - 3.5/5 stars

PRICE - INR 350/-

Sa souvraya niende misain ye

A Crown of Swords - Robert Jordan

A CROWN OF SWORDS

Book 7 of "The Wheel of Time"

Read about the other books of the series HERE

ISBN - 9780812550283

FIRST PUBLISHED -  1997

PAGES - 896

GENRE - Epic Fantasy

BINDING - Paperback

SYNOPSIS - The war for humanity's survival has begun.

Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, has escaped the snares of the White Tower and the first of the rebel Aes Sedai have sworn to follow him. Attacked by the servants of the Dark, threatened by the invading Seanchan, Rand rallies his forces and brings battle to bear upon Illian, stronghold of Sammael the Forsaken...

In the city of Ebou Dar, Elayne, Aviendha and Mat struggle to secure the ter'angreal that can break the Dark One's hold on the world's weather - and an ancient bane moves to oppose them. In the town of Salidar, Egwene al'Vere gathers an army to reclaim Tar Valon and reunite the Aes Sedai...

And in Shadar Logoth, city of darkness, a terrible power awakens...

QUOTES - 

If you don't know everything, you must go on with what you do know.

• Rand al'Thor

The weak must be bold cautiously.

• Siuan Sanche

The more bosom a woman displayed, the less she wanted you to look. Openly, at least.

• Matrim Cauthon

FL Speak - First of all, hats off for continuing to read this epic journey. We are almost halfway through the series. Now sit back, pick this up and lets get channelling.

Still not over the last book? Where the Aes Sedai, for the first time in history, swear fealty to the Dragon Reborn. Yes, it might not be all the Aes Sedai...but still that's a beginning. No one can forget Taim's famous dialogue "Kneel before the Dragon Reborn....or you will be knelt" 

You might have expected more of Rand in this book, but you'd be disappointed..oh he's still there...with Min, who is getting very very interesting but this book belongs to one Matrim Cauthon. Oh yes, the gambler and womaniser is back!! [Min Farshaw in the pic]

Jordan has not even introduced the Seanchan properly, but fear not, they're here now. Lets get over the boring bits first shall we? Nynaeve and Aviendha and Elayne are on the hunt for the "Bowl of the Winds", which they believe will weaken the Dark One's stranglehold over the weather. Mat ofcourse is with them, determined to protect them as well as stay away from the ladies.

You'd have thought with the Aes Sedai, the Asha'man, the Seanchan damane, the Seafolk and the Aeil Wise Ones, there were enough channelers. Well, Jordan thought not so. So here's the Kin...a huge huge group of women who left the White Tower for various reasons but still channelling. Looks like our dear little Egwene has her hands full now.

We will come back to Mat and Rand...here's Perrin for you. He, is missing from this book again except for the first couple of pages. Apparently Rand sent him on a mission. Alright, alright...I get it you're bored now. How about a picture of a LOLCAT to cheer you up???

So the best scenes now....Mat drinks with Birgitte and Elayne has a hangover...That's a rofl moment as any...Thank you, warder bond. That prim daughter-heir needed that. And then, there's this spectacular battle between Nynaeve and Moghedien which involves balefire. Moghedien's hatred for the ex-village wisdom is remarkable. And then there's Mat and Tylin. Hahahaha... Tylin, the Queen of Ebou Dar, is absolutely shameless. Poor Mat is often tied up in lace and Tylin spares him not once for sexual advances... [btw, that's Mat in lace..hahahahaahahhaha]

As you near the end of the book, you know something’s got to give. Jordan may write a dull, boring, sleepy story but the ending is always explosive. And yes, you will find it here as well. The battle with Sammael and Shadar Logoth. Rand does manages to get himself mortally injured by Padan Fain before the showdown...you'll need to read the book to figure how. And if you thought, this was the fight you were waiting for in the whole book, guess again. The Seanchan attack Ebou Dar and Mat is stranded smack in the middle of it. And the dice in his head just stopped rolling.

Wait for the next one, guys. The story is far from over.

PROPHECY - 

The unstained tower breaks and bends knee to the forgotten sign.
The seas rage, and stormclouds gather unseen.
Beyond the horizon, hidden fires swell, and serpents nestle in the bosom.
What was exalted is cast down; what was cast down is raised up.
Order burns to clear his path.

Master of the lightnings, rider on the storm,
wearer of a crown of swords, spinner out of fate.
Who thinks he turns the Wheel of Time,
may learn the truth too late.

Rating - 3.5/5 stars

PRICE - INR 350/-

Mia dovienya nesodhin soende

Lord of Chaos - Robert Jordan

LORD OF CHAOS

Book 6 of "The Wheel of Time"

Read about the previous books HERE

ISBN - 978-1-85723-300-1

FIRST PUBLISHED - 1994

PAGES - 1035

GENRE - Epic Fantasy

BINDING - Paperback

AUTHOR - Robert Jordan

BEST-SELLERS - The Dragon Reborn, The Shadow Rising

SYNOPSIS - On the slopes of Shayol Ghul, the Myrddraal swords are forged, and the sky is not the sky of this world;

In Salidar the White Tower in exile prepares an embassy to Caemlyn, where Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, holds the throne--and where an unexpected visitor may change the world....

In Emond's Field, Perrin Goldeneyes, Lord of the Two Rivers, feels the pull of ta'veren to ta'veren and prepares to march....

Morgase of Caemlyn finds a most unexpected, and quite unwelcome, ally....And south lies Illian, where Sammael holds sway....

And as the realms of men fall in chaos the immortal Forsaken and the servants of the Dark plan their assault on the Dragon Reborn.

QUOTES -  

Dance with her, and she will forgive much; dance well, and she will forgive anything.

• Matrim Cauthon

Death rides on my shoulder, death walks in my footsteps. I am death.

• Lews Therin Telamon

Never prod at a woman unless you must. She will kill you faster than a man and for less reason, even if she weeps over it after.

• Lews Therin Telamon

Kneel and swear to the Lord Dragon, or you will be knelt. 

• Mazrim Taim

FL Speak - [contains spoilers]

What was once supposed to be a trilogy is now into its 6th book...which stretches to a total of 14 books. What was Mr. Jordan thinking proposing WoT as a trilogy??

I assume you've read the first 5 books...it might have taken you a week to finish all 5 or 3 years...but if you've finished till book 5, I can safely assume you know what the heck assumed to Asmodean.

Yes, that's a mystery that Jordan hasn't answered us...yet. Although I still LOL at picturing the look at Asmodean's face just before he gets bumped. Some people say that this book was the final straw and they stopped reading it and left the series halfway. Yeah, even I was tempted. But somehow I stuck to it...

Finally we have more of Rand. And even though it seems the voices in his head are getting stronger and his chances of going mad and damning the world to hell are increasing significantly, it just seems fun reading him coming to grasps with his destiny. If he was stone, he's now iron. The death of Moiraine, triggered his coldness and he uses everyone to his advantage.

Mat is the leader of the Red Army [Yes, our dear old Mat, the gambler. Who on earth would have thought that!!] And Rand has sent him with his army to Salidar to find Elayne and bring her to Caemlyn. [And one of the most epic scenes involve Mat] One of the surprises in the last book is Birgitte Silverbow. The legendary heroine of the Ages, is spun out of the Pattern by the Forsaken, Moghedien and to save her life, Elayne had bonded her as her warder. The funniest parts are those how the Maidens treat Rand. [Oh he's respected and they'd die for him in battle, but in private, they would fuss over him like an elder sister or a protective mother. Poor Rand]

And then, there's the Asha'man. Rand's own private army of male wielders of the One Power. Destined to go mad, the Creator only knows what Rand is planning. The Forsaken has decided to scheme together....[Finally, they're showing some brains] The book has moved from adventure to politics and it is here that you can see that there is a whole lot to come. Some of the characters are yet to be introduced...the Seanchan are yet to be discussed properly... Mr. Jordan is still putting his pawns into the board...the game is yet to begin.

The rebel White Tower has raised a new Amrylin. And that's a surprise to everyone. But the best part of the book is in the final few pages..The battle at Dumai Wells. I really do not want to spill it, but you've Rand and Perrin and the Asha'man and the Wise Ones and the Maidens and Shaido and Aes Sedai all mixed up. And that battle changes everything...changes every flaming thing.

One a day of fire and blood and the One Power, as prophecy had suggested, the unstained tower, broken, bent knee to the forgotten sign.

PROPHECY - 

Yet one shall be born to face the Shadow,
born once more as he was born before,
and shall be born again, time without end.
The Dragon shall be Reborn,
and there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth at his rebirth.
In sackcloth and ashes shall he clothe the people,
and he shall break the world again by his coming,
tearing apart all ties that bind.
Like the unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burn us,
yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last Bhall give us the Light.
Let tears flow, O ye people of the world.
Weep for your salvation.

Video of the cover and audio of the final few lines 

My Rating - 3.5/5 stars

PRICE -  INR 350/-

Tia mi aven Moridin isainde vadin

The Fires of Heaven - Robert Jordan

 

THE FIRES OF HEAVEN

Book 5 of "The Wheel of Time"

Read about the other books of the series HERE

ISBN - 978-1-85723-209-7

FIRST PUBLISHED - 1993

PAGES - 912

GENRE -  Epic Fantasy

BINDING - Paperback

AUTHOR - Robert Jordan

BEST-SELLERS - The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn, The Shadow Rising

SYNOPSIS - The bonds and wards that hold the Great Lord of the Dark are slowly fading, but still his fragile prison holds. The Forsaken, immortal servants of the Shadow, weave their snares and tighten their grip upon the realms of men, sure in their knowledge that their master will soon break free...

Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, knows that he must strike at the Enemy, but his forces are divided by treachery and by ambition. Even the Aes Sedai, ancient guardians of the Light, are riven by civil war.

Betrayed by his allies, pursued by his enemies and beset by the madness that comes to the male wielders of the One Power, Rand rides out to meet the foe.

And the Fires of Heaven scour the world.

QUOTES - 

Schemes within schemes. The Great Serpent is a good sign for you Aes Sedai, I think. Someday you may swallow yourselves by accident.

• Melaine

The Creator made women to please the eye and trouble the mind.

• Two Rivers saying

Men always believe they are in control of everything around them. When they find out they are not, they think they have failed, instead of learning a simple truth women already know.

• Aviendha

When a woman says she will obey you, of her own will, it is time to sleep lightly and watch your back.

• Asmodean

All he wanted from life was some good wine, a game of dice, and a pretty girl or three.

• Matrim Cauthon

FL Speak -  This is where it was supposed to start all over again. This is where Rand fights back with the world as his soldiers....this is where Robert Jordan falters in his writing...[only a bit though, the book carries an explosive ending]

And we are back at the Aeil Waste with Rand, Mat and Egwene together with the Aeil. And Rand is doing a great job of making things harder for himself. Egwene on the other hand is still an apprentice to the Wise Ones, which means she gets her bottoms spanked more than once. Jokes aside, she has learned to move about the Dream World where she secretly meets with Nynaeve and Elayne.

Lets talk about the shockers from the last book. Asmodean, one of the Forsaken is Rand's captive and is teaching him how to make new weaves and The White Tower is broken internally. Siuan, the ex-Amrylin is on the run with young Min and of all people, Logain. Apparently there is a deal of some short.

Need more of Min...she's cute.

Aviendha is one awesome Aeil chick [Far Dareis Mai turned into apprentice Wise One] Its her scenes with Rand that actually provides the much needed comic relief to the book. Not to forget the fact that she's ALSO in love with Rand. Rand is turning out to be the stud. He's in love with 2 women...oh wait, Min might be the third one, if her viewing comes true.

Moiraine is acting weird. She has lost the edge and is practically begging Rand to listen to her counsel. As much as I'd like to see Rand tame the Aes Sedai, Moiraine's behavior suggests that there is a huge twist coming. Nynaeve and Elayne are still hunting the Black Ajah and now we have the Whitecloaks in the story as well. It looks like Galad and Gawyn are yet to join the label of main characters.

Of the boys, Perrin is blatantly absent from the book. So is Loial. Thom and Juilin are hitchhiking along with Nynaeve and Elayne. Mat, on the other hand, is getting more than he can chew. He desperately wants to be away from Rand when the madness hits him but is unable to. And to make matters worse, there are a lot of memories of other people long dead inside his head. And those memories make him a battle general. Not to mention his brilliant luck. [I've always loved Mat, specially because of the flaming language he uses. Oh yeah, Mat's the Man!]

I do admit that reading about Rand and then jumping to hunting the Black Ajah and then stumbling upon some Whitecloak plot and again to the half hearted plans of the rebel Aes Sedai in hiding, this book can give you a massive headache. And then Mr. Roberts brings back the magnificence. The battle with the Shaido Aeil where Mat displays his skill as a battle leader and the showdown with one of the Forsaken, Rahvin.

There is one huge, huge surprise as well. Something that even Rand hadn't predicted.

5 books down...9 more to go. A Memory of Light, here I come... 

PROPHECY : 

And it shall come to pass that what men made shall be shattered,

and the Shadow shall lie across the Pattern of the Age,
and the Dark One shall once more lay his hand upon the world of man.
Women shall weep and men quail as the nations of the earth are rent like rotting cloth.
Neither shall anything stand or abide... 

The Shadow shall rise across the world, and darken every land, even to the smallest corner, and there shall be neither Light nor safety. And he who shall be born of the Dawn, born of the Maiden, according to Prophecy, he shall stretch forth his hands to catch the Shadow, and the world shall scream in the pain of salvation. All Glory be to the Creator, and to the Light, and to he who shall be born again. May the Light save us from him.

RATING - 4/5 stars

PRICE - INR 350/-

Dovie'andi se tovya sagain