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Title: Winter's Heart
Series:
The Wheel of Time #9
Author: Robert Jordan
Rating:
4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages:
598
Words: 244.5K
From Tarvalon.net &
authored by Toral Delvar
After
being subjected to the Chair of Remorse, Talene forswears her Black
Ajah oaths and re-swears the Three Oaths, as well as one to obey
Seaine, Pevara, Yukiri, Doesine and Saerin. She insists Elaida must
be Black as the Black always knows what Elaida plans. Although they
all doubt it, no one realizes Alviarin is Black. Taim arrives to meet
with Elayne. He tells her he has damane and sul'dam for her. He
grants her permission to inspect the Black Tower. She is instructed
to strip for the first-sister ceremony while Taim is there. The
ceremony involves the creation of a bond, in some ways similar to the
Warder bond, between her and Aviendha. In the Black Tower, Toveine
considers the various factions present and how she might be able to
use them to escape. Logain is trying to find men interested in
Healing severing. It is announced that Damer, Jahar and Eben are
rebels. Rand lays false trails and tells Min he plans to cleanse
saidin.
Perrin
returns from meeting Masema, who is keen to go to Rand, but not by
using the One Power. Perrin learns Faile has been taken by the
Shaido. Alliandre tells the Aiel who she is. Galina Heals the
prisoners. Alliandre, Faile and Morgase are set to work as Sevanna's
maids and told to spy on her by Therava. Galina enlists them to fetch
an Oath Rod in return for aiding their escape. Perrin learns Masema
has been meeting with the Seanchan. Masema agrees to help Perrin look
for Faile, even accepting the use of Travelling.
Hanlon
organizes and foils an attack on Elayne and is named Captain of her
bodyguard. Rand Travels to Caemlyn to meet Nynaeve and to arrange the
cleansing saidin. Nynaeve teaches the Windfinders and Talaan asks to
be a novice. Alivia and two of the damane decide they no longer wish
to be damane. The sul'dam refuse to admit they can channel. Min
forces Rand to meet with Elayne and Aviendha. He tells all three he
loves them and they tell him the same, much to Nynaeve's disgust. All
three of them bond him as their Warder and all are concerned about
the pain he feels and that the only emotion they can sense is his
love for them. He sleeps with Elayne, much to Birgitte's displeasure,
getting her pregnant according to one of Min's viewings. Min, Lan and
Nynaeve leave with Rand, taking Alivia, angreal and ter'angreal.
Merilille returns from meeting the Borderland army and Elayne goes to
meet them. She decides to use their presence in Andor to try and
unite the factions behind her. On her return, she learns from Norry
that there are four small armies approaching from the east.
Harine
argues with Cadsuane. Sorilea announces that the last of the captive
Aes Sedai, all Red, have sworn fealty to Rand. Corele announces that
Damer has Healed Irgain. He is allowed to Heal the other two Aes
Sedai stilled by Rand. Alanna collapses and will not wake. Dobraine
impresses Cadsuane by telling her that he has sent Darlin and
Caraline to Tear, where Darlin is to be Steward.
The
Forsaken learn of the decision to cleanse saidin and are told by
Moridin to kill Rand to stop him. Tuon arrives in Ebou Dar, regretful
over having a damane beaten for a telling of the future she did not
like. Mat tries to persuade Aludra to help him make weapons, and to
persuade Beslan to be sensible. Mat sees that the Mistress of the
Ships has been executed for rebellion. He arranges passage out of
Ebou Dar with the circus. He is attacked by the gholam and saved by
Noal, who distracts it. He meets Tuon, stopping the dice in his head.
She offers to buy him from Tylin and takes a general interest in him,
later offering to buy his ashandarei.
Mistress
Anan shows him Joline. Mat agrees to help them escape, along with
Teslyn, who, he learns, warned Elayne and Nynaeve, just to spite
Elaida. Teslyn insists he also free Edesina. Mat sees Domon and
Egeanin together. Bethamin is told by a Seeker to befriend Egeanin,
in order to spy on her, but Bethamin warns her instead. Domon decides
to enlist Mat's help as he remembers him escaping Trollocs. Tylin
tells Mat that she is going with Suroth to see which lands will be
hers. He talks Juilin into stealing an a'dam and a damane dress.
Setalle tries to hold Joline with it, but both fall to the floor
whimpering. Domon accosts him and Mat persuades Egeanin to leave
quickly with him, and also to procure for him three sul'dam. He
releases Nestelle, a Windfinder who promises to wait before trying to
free the others. Mat is forced to tie up Tylin, who has returned
unexpectedly. Tuon tries to stop him leaving, but Mat and Noal tie
her up. Juilin brings Amathera. Egeanin reveals that Tuon is the
Daughter of the Nine Moons when she sees her. Mat says that she is
his wife. Selucia arrives and relaxes when Mat promises not to hurt
her but to take her with them, which causes Tuon to smile.
In
Far Madding, Rand fights Kisman and Rochaid, killing Rochaid. Kisman
escapes but is killed by Fain, who wants Rand for himself. Min
worries that Rand felt nothing. Isam/Luc is killing people for one of
the Forsaken, who hides his own identity. Cadsuane takes Harine,
Shalon, various Aes Sedai and the Asha'man Warders to Far Madding.
Shalon notices tensions between the groups. It is revealed that
within Far Madding is a ter'angreal that mimics a stedding, in that
no one can sense the One Power or channel within its bounds. Cadsuane
talks to the First Council and Verin mentions the dangers of
upsetting anyone with an army as large as the Dragon Reborn’s.
Alanna goes to see Rand. He sends her to Haddon Mirk to deal with the
Tairen rebels. Verin decides not to poison Cadsuane after learning of
her intent to remind Rand that he is human.
Rand
learns that the Stone is under siege and that the Seanchan are
advancing into Illian. He gets Verin to ask Cadsuane to be his
advisor. Nynaeve and Cadsuane are revealed to be carrying channeling
wells, a type of ter'angreal that allows them to store a measure of
the Power and use it, even in Far Madding. Rand, Nynaeve and Lan go
to kill Torval and Gedwyn. They watch them enter their dwelling, and
are then lifted in by Nynaeve, using the One Power. Min and Alivia
fetch Cadsuane. Inside, Torval and Gedwyn are dead, having been
killed by Fain. Fain attacks Rand, who is severely affected by the
pain in his side. Toram attacks Lan, but is quickly dealt with. Fain
flees. Rand and Lan are arrested by men who were sent to investigate
Nynaeve's use of the Power. Cadsuane intimidates the rulers into
releasing Rand by showing them that she can use the Power within Far
Madding.
They
Travel to a spot outside Shadar Logoth. Rand and Nynaeve link and use
the two great sa'angreal. He links the taint to the city using
saidar. The others form into groups to try and protect him, taking
angreal. Cadsuane maintains a shield around him and Nynaeve, while
Elza, Merise and Jahar stay near him for added protection. Damer,
Sarene and Corele fight Demandred; Shalon, Verin and Kumira fight
Graendal; Eben, Daigian and Beldeine fight Aran'gar, who, they are
surprised to discover, can use saidin. Alivia fights Cyndane and Elza
kills Dashiva. Moghedien avoids fighting and sees a great black dome
form, and when it collapses she is sucked towards it. The taint is
shown to be gone, but Kumira and Eben are killed. Damer Heals
everyone else.
This book was on a one way ticket to 3 stars for the first 85% of the
book. Jordan just dicks around and overdescribes everything. When
someone walks into a room we get a detailed description of everything
they see, from the scenery to the people to the clothes they are
wearing to the weather conditions, etc. It felt exactly like what
Dickens did in his books, but Jordan is no Dickens and it bored me.
What was worse, Jordan would do this WHILE characters were having
conversations. So Egwene would be talking to Elayne and ask a
question and then we'd get a paragraph of what Elayne was wearing or
what Egwene was feeling and in the freaking middle of all that
blather Jordan would insert Elayne's one sentence answer. I ended up
just skimming and looking for quote marks when characters started
talking to each other. And that 85% is either setup or nothing. I
felt the bloat so bad that I wondered if I needed to take some pepto
bismol™.
The last 15% were good enough though to make up for it. Rand is
bonded by the 3 women (which was interesting as I had forgotten that
Min wasn't able to channel and so how they included her was
interesting just from a “huh, so that's how they do that”
perspective) and the cleansing of Saidin. THAT was a big battle
between a bunch of the Forsaken and allies of Rand. While not as
intense as the Battle of Dumai Wells (where the Ashaman rescued Rand
and beat the snot out of the Aiel), it was good enough to raise this
up to 4 stars.
But it brought to mind, once again, just how weak the Forsaken
actually are. That leads into how in the world did they do what they
did in the last breaking of the world? Whatever, that question just
never gets answered.
On a completely different note, I REALLY like this ebook cover. I
tried to find a high-res cover but all I could find was this 450x680
version. I even tried using TinEye and came up empty. I just like
how it shows Rand using the Key and it's a good reminder that he's
Aeil. I keep forgetting he's got red hair even though it is mentioned
in almost every book :-D
★★★★☆
