To be honest, I had to read these chapters a week in advance, but I didn’t get a chance to write up my thoughts fresh from completing them. Summaries and commentary below the fold.
Egwene begins to learn about being a novice at the White Tower. She finds herself liking Elayne and jealous of Min.
Rand is delighted to learn that Moiraine was right and Thom Merrilin is alive and well. Thom even has himself a beautiful young lover.
Rand and Loial hear more parts of the Prophecy of the Dragon.
As they make their way back to the inn, Rand and Loial are herded outside the city by Darkfriends and Trollocs. They have a chance encounter with Selene, who is unafraid of perilous adventure. They manage to piss off the Illuminators and Selene disappears again.
Perrin finds the wolves have named Rand and an Aiel appears announcing a search for He Who Comes With The Dawn. Perrin and Mat start to feel a little odd about things lining up oddly with their friend.
Geofram Bornhald is sick of wasting his time being a villain. He decides to disregard orders and abandon the Questioners to their evil ways. He orders his troops to form up for an attack on the Seanchan. Bayle Domon is captured by the Seanchan and learns they have a way of leashing women who can channel and controlling them like trained attack dogs. His mysterious cuendillar disc is confiscated by High Lord Turak who has a matching disc, as well as a massive fortune in antiquities.
My Thoughts
I remember enjoying my read through for the most part, but after going over the summaries, it seems like we are spending a lot of time setting up all these prophecies. We’ve already been treated to the Aes Sedai point of view indicating they believe Rand is the Dragon Reborn. Ba’alzamon has pretty much said the same thing to Rand’s face. He now has a heron mark brand on his hand, to match part of the prophecy Thom imparted. He seems to match up a little with the Aiel prophecy. Do you feel like you’re getting hit over the head with this a little?
This is really a minor complaint, because honestly, I’m enjoying the spinning of the yarn overall. These chapters have some high points, and I do enjoy seeing Bornhald show a little common sense. I really feel like the Children of the Light could be a much more useful organization if more of its members were less fanatical and more pragmatic like him. Paladins are people too, you know.
I really don’t like the Seanchan. They’re kinda/sorta villains, but not really. Maybe Sanderson’s novels can save them for me in the series, because it seemed like Jordan was about to do something interesting with them before he died. As it stands at this point of The Great Hunt, they’re still kind of a weird threat tied into the prophecy about Toman Head. They are certainly formidable with their leashed channelers.
On a scale of ick to holy freaking wow, I give this assignment a meh.
