After dragging his feet a bit with the first two novels, Robert Jordan really seems to have a grasp on where he wants to go as we start the third book in the saga. Chapter summaries...you know the drill.
We get some insight into the evil machinations of the Children of the Light. Even when they’re not Darkfriends, they’re still rotten to the core. Plotting to carve out a sizable chunk of the countryside, Pedron Niall is a force to be reckoned with. He has a mysterious advisor that seems familiar somehow. Jaichim Carridin has his own plots and secrets as a Myrddraal instructs him to directly disobey his superiors.
Perrin and the Shienaran Dragonsworn await an odd messenger bringing news of the outside world to Moiraine.
Perrin continues his mental struggle with the wolves. We are re-introduced to characters from the last novel (Uno, Masema, Min, Loial, Rand, Lan and Moiraine.) Rand has been fighting with Moiraine all winter and he storms out of her hut to his secret sulking place. Perrin goes to chat with him and Rand shares disturbing insights into his mental state, then causes a minor earth tremor.
Perrin returns to camp to find that the earth tremor has caused some minor wounds. The Shienarans take it in stride that the Lord Dragon will do as he sees fit. Moiraine seems to take things less in stride. Moiraine shares her news of the outside world and everyone retires to sleep knowing that Rand has lit a beacon for any nearby Fades.
Perrin has some odd dreams, including one of the Stone of Tear. Wolves warn him that Trollocs are attacking the camp.
Perrin runs outside in his underwear to fight them. Many of the Shienarans wear even less as they take up arms. Perrin tries to protect the Tinker woman (Moiraine’s messenger) but fails and in turn gives in to his inner wolf. The nearby pack descend on the attacking Trollocs and Fades. After the attack, Perrin goes to find Rand who discloses that he did nothing during the fight except wrestle to control the One Power. Rand’s wound from his fight in Falme is still not healed.
Rand disappears during the night. Perrin yells at Moiraine to everyone’s discomfort. Moiraine decides that Rand has been dreaming of the Stone of Tear and his dreams have been affecting the rest of the camp. Knowing that Callandor (an angreal) is kept in the Stone of Tear and that both are part of the Dragon Prophecies, they agree to track Rand (suspecting that is his destination.) The Shienarans are sent to await orders from Moiraine and Min is sent to the White Tower to inform the Amyrlin Seat of these recent events.
They track Rand through the Mountains of Mist whilst Moiraine reasserts her dominance over Perrin.
My Thoughts
I loved these chapters. So much is covered at such a good pace while re-familiarizing the reader with what’s happening.
I love seeing Moiraine reduced to arguing with these country lads. She’s no longer the mysterious leader who must be obeyed without question. She’s very much a parental figure that Rand must cast off to assume adulthood. She’s sought him out since his birth, so this is incredibly difficult for her. If my kids argue with me like that when they are teenagers, I will be equally angry. It’s especially galling that Rand knows she’s right, but is arguing just because he’s frustrated.
I love the way Jordan paints the relationship between Rand and the Shienarans in these chapters. Rand wants to be a part of the camp, but these soldiers are so smitten with him, that he can’t take it and has to live apart from them. Their awe of him is incredible.
Perrin’s dreams mean a lot more if you know who is talking to him. I think Jordan has failed a little bit here to make me buy into Perrin’s reluctance to embrace the wolves. It seems like such a cool ability that Perrin seems weird. I understand what the author is trying to do - make it seem like to join with the wolves is to become an animal - but it’s just not...I just can’t buy into it.
As I was reading the battle with the Trollocs, I was thinking, “Man, Trollocs sure aren’t very scary anymore. These Shienarans are fighting them naked now.” Then Jordan killed most of them in the fight and hinted that without the wolves, they’d all be dead. So maybe they are still kinda scary, it’s just that our protagonists are quite a bit more powerful than back on Winternight the year previous.
Jordan is definitely trying to make a point that Rand needs a tutor.
