These are without a doubt, the best chapters of the story we have read so far. They were fast paced, exciting, and entertaining. I remember telling Joey when I first listened to them that these felt like I was reading a D&D adventure. I felt part of it at every step of the process. And while it has been weird that Rand has barely played a part in the overall story, Jordan brings him in at the end with such power that I am blown away. This book compels me to want to read more of this series. Continued in-attempts to make sure spelling is correct. Chapters and summary below the fold.
Ch50 The Hammer
Everyone seems dejected and acts as though there is no hope (probably due to the dreams that Belial has been sending in to peoples heads). Loyal has been to Tir before? Perrin works the forge. He is rewarded for his efforts by the blacksmith with a hammer. There is a Forsaken in Tir. Moraine has learned how to do balefire in the last year. She plans to use it on Belial. Loyal has info on the forsaken. Belial is the 'net-weaver' (schemer) and plans to maybe take Calendore from Rand once he takes it.
Ch51 Bait for the Net
Spilled fish standing upright in a circle. How weird, Nineve gets mad at a butcher. The women are captured and Julin appears to be the one who betrayed them. Nineve still fights back. She swears like a sailor, but it's totally ok because it is nineve. The girls try to pretend that they were trying to trap the dark-friends.
Ch52 In Search of a Remedy
Tom is sicker and Matt takes him to a wise-woman. The elderly should not be out in the elements. Mother Guenna is going to Make Tom better. Matt's randomness luck holds and he finds out that the girls were here, but taken captive. He leaves Tom at her house. But how is he going to get in to the Stone?
Ch53 A Flow of Spirit
Continued working at the forge. They learn that Rand is in Tir. Amazing things are happening (both bad and good). Moraine tries to send them away. Faieile has been ensnared in a hedgehog-spirit ter-angrial trap meant for Moraine. It will actually work towards Moraine's good since they will think she is ensnared. Faiele 'sleeps' probably in TAR, trapped in a dream. Perrin hopes it will be like the wolf dreams. Loyal is to watch guard over the room and Perrin rushes in. Hopper is there and helps Perrin.
Ch54 Into the Stone
Matt climbs the walls of The Stone and meets Eyeel and Jewlyn at the top. The Eyeele leave them alone and leave. Matt uses his newly formed bomb/fireworks to great effect and wakes up the Stone. He and Joolin fight off defenders of the stone as well as High Lords, using Matt's blind luck at times. Igwayne comes to and uses her Ring to go to TAR and see what she can do. She finds Joya, attacks her and cuts her off from the Power. Perrin and Hopper search around for the real Faieel and have to beat several people.
Ch55 What is Written in the Profecy
Rand makes his way to Calendore and meets Belial. He tries to make him take the sword, but Rand does not. Moraine shows up and acts like a champion despite facing down one of the forsaken. To Belial's surprise she sends out balefire and destroys him. She tells him to take the sword and then is attacked and rendered inert. Rand faces down Baalzemon. Rand takes the sword. He teleports away to chase down Baalzemon. Igwayne goes searching for a way to free themselves via TAR. She finds Amiko and binds her with the power. You can only effect living things in TAR, not inanimate objects. Matt comes in to the prison and finds Amiko bound. He opens the door and gets verbally berated by the girls. Stupid ungrateful girls. He is chided for his language yet it's ok for nineve. Julin comes to face the girls and proves his innocence. Amiko tries to beg for forgiveness and gets a punch to the face by nineve. Matt is abused by the girls with the power. Perrin and Hopper continue to search for Faiele. He pounds down a bronze door. They find her and he risks everything to save her amidst falcons. He frees her and they are released from TAR. Rand is in TAR because we hear the gongs from Perrin's hammer. Baal uses balefire against him. He does other miraculous things to prevent his death. And then Baal dies… maybe, I don't know. Rand thinks that is the end battle. But it's not. Enemies stop fighting and kneel as Rand declares himself the Dragon Reborn.
Ch56 People of the Dragon
The Eyeel becomes Rand's bodyguards. There is a reunion. Moraine tells Nineve that Perrin's new girl is none of her business (great). Moraine then shows them one of the dark ones seals that is unbroken. Matt determines that everyone there are the People of the Dragon. Rooark shares some history about the Eyeel and shows the dragon on his arm that matches the dragon banner. The Dark One is not actually dead. No idea who it was that Rand actually fought. They think it might have been Ishamael. At least 9 of the 13 Foresaken are still live. Bearlain, first of Mayen, delivers a message from Lanfear. The girls don't like her, I assume because she is super pretty and acts with power and authority. Typical of people to not like those that are better.
As I read this chapter, my mind went to Atlas Shrugged and I felt so much that Perrin just like Hank Rearden, working his metal. It's nice to have that one thing that you can do to help refocus or reorient your bearings on. Loyal makes a comment that he has been to Tir before. I thought this was the first time he had been out in the world. Maybe I am wrong. Moraine is rude to loyal about his long-windedness, and that annoys me. I just like him so much that it bugs me when someone is rude to him. Why does Perrin have to choose between the hammer and the axe? Is he supposed to be choosing between being a wolf and being man? Or are we throwing one more thing in to the mix and he has to choose between what kind of man he wants to be. I liked it, but I just felt a bit confused with the whole thing. In the game Diablo 3 there is a boss called Belial and he is a schemer/liar as well. Is that a blatant ripe off of Jordan or does someone else claim the right of that character?
Joolins weapon is mead out of bamboo. Bamboo exists in this world. I guess that's kind of cool. Also, I guess it wouldn't be a chapter about Nineve without having to listen to her complain about something.
No real comment about this chapter other than I thought the guy doing the voice work did a great job of presenting this chapter.
I have no problems with Moraine ignoring Faieel and focusing on the forsaken. That is the most important thing right now. I've been hard on her in the past and will probably continue to do so in the future, but I totally back her on this. Perrin shows why he is one of my favorite characters in the story by jumping after her. He is a total hero type.
Super fun to listen to the story from Matt's perspective now that he isn't being a total punk. The voice of that character is just totally fun and I can't help but grin. Is Joya actually black skinned? Because the number of times that they referred to her as the "black sister" was a little conspicuous. And they didn't seem to refer to the other Black Adja members that way.
Moraine is awesome and shows that she has ice in her veins to face down a Forsaken like that. So amazing. I have no idea how Rand got in to the Stone. Maybe that was just Jordan continuing his mystique about Rand for this book; he was able to do it because he is the Dragon Reborn and is special. I can live with that. It makes me sick - instead of explaining what they just went through they decide to bully Matt with the power after he saved them. What happens to items hit with balefire in TAR? It should not be effected in the real world, right? The whole fight with baalzemon was confusing again. I really wish we had more info about what is going on with these fights. It's not interesting. It is just annoying.
I like that Moraine protects Perrin's privacy to the girls, who would just end up gossiping about it. The Ieel are really cool and I like them. Now that I understand their history more (from books 5 and 6) I can appreciate them so much more.
