The Shadow Rising (Chapters 7-12)

Ch7 Playing With Fire
The girls come in and pester Rand about channeling. Nineve tries to bully him by bringing up the past. When he does channel they get mad at him for the way he does it. Then they compare the way each other channel. They realize he is far more powerful than they are.

Ch8 Hard Heads
Awkwardness as Elaine and Rand share their feelings. Political stuff as Rand tries to get the High Lords to solve their problems. Matt gets advice about what to do from Igwayne, and she tells him about the special Red Doorway.

Ch9 Decisions
Time passes and lots of little things happen that are of minor consequence. Igwayne and Elaine become friends with Avienda. Perrin tries to find ways to get rid of Faieel. Elaine and Rand make out... a lot. Rand deals with the High Lords some more and he gets angry. Then Lan-Fear shows up and tries to help him by giving advice on the Forsaken and some other tools that would make Rand super strong. Strong enough to challenge the Dark One. Rand kills a grey man and launches in to a battle.

Ch10 The Stone Stands
Cool battle scenes. Lan-Fear says that she is not the one who sent them here. Rand tries to heal a dead girl and is reminded that he is not the Creator. Rand says he has a plan.

Ch11 What Lies Hidden
Loads of cool stuff from Igwayne. Her special dreaming powers really kick in. Here is a list of the items that she has been dreaming about recently (list courtesy of Encyclopedia WOT):

• Rand as tall as a mountain, walking through cities, crushing buildings beneath his feet, with screaming people like ants fleeing from him.


• Rand in chains, and it was he who was screaming.


• Rand building a wall with him on one side and her on the other, her and Elayne and others she could not make out. "It has to be done," he was saying as he piled up stones. "I'll not let you stop me now."


• Aiel fighting each other, killing each other, even throwing away their weapons and running as if they had gone mad.


• Mat wrestling with a Seanchan woman who tied an invisible leash to him.


• A wolf - she was sure it was Perrin, though - fighting a man whose face kept changing.


• Galad wrapping himself in white as though putting on his own shroud.


• Gawyn with his eyes full of pain and hatred.


• Her mother weeping.
Igwayne jumps around to lots of places and sees many things that she does not understand. She meets a Wise One named Ameese from The Waste, claims to be an Eyesadie, and is told to meet her at Rhoidine (this gets pronounced differently later on, so expect the spelling to change). Then she wakes up.

Ch12 Tanchico or the Tower
Igwayne says she is going to go to the Wise One, and the other 2 girls are going to Tanchico to continue their search. The Black Adja sisters are dead. Somehow they were killed. Moraine apparently has a letter from Ameese telling her that Avienda must be sent back home. Avienda does not like it.


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Big surprise here, as Nineve is a jerk to Rand. Her failed attempt to dominate Rand was enjoyable just so I could see her get what she deserves. But it was nice to see that men and women can't share channeling secrets between each other due to the divided nature of the power. Though this will be a source of frustration in future parts of the story as Rand is left to fumble around with the power. Kinda would be nice if he had someone to teach him... :)

I have never been more sure that Elaine was fond of Rand, and that Rand was fond of Elaine in all my life. Please choose a different adjective Mr. Jordan. Well this only assures that Matt is going to go through that Red Doorway.

Eh, not much to say about this chapter. Although in general, I am getting pretty annoyed at this silly notion of "I can't possibly consider killing a woman" that every man seems to hold to. Women are terrible people. Just as terrible as men are. And one of the benefits to typically being larger and stronger than women is the ability to kill them easier. Especially the EVIL WOMEN!!!!!

Cool battle stuff. Rand will clearly have the support of the soldiers of Tear now. I felt his pain at not being able to bring that dead girl back to life. Will he one day figure out a way to do it?

Best chapter of the bunch for me was Igwayne reviewing her dreams (Robert Jordan's way of foreshadowing) and jumping around inside of TAR as she learns to control her ability. Looking back on this now, the list of items she was dreaming about make total sense.

I doubt the Black Adja girls died as a result of suicide because their tongues were nailed to the door before their throats were cut. Pretty gruesome way to go. I like this Avienda lady. Though I feel confident that I am going to hate the Wise Ones.