Winter's Heart (Book Nine, The Wheel of Time)

Having defeated the Seanchan after using the Sa'angreal, an object that amplifies the use of the One Power, Callandor, Rand must now deal with more personal matters. At the end of The Path of Daggers, the rogue Asha'man Corlan Dashiva, Charl Gedwyn, and Manel Rochaid tried, and failed, to assassinate him in his chambers and are now on the run. With revenge thick in his mind, Rand has tracked the traitors to the city-state of Far Madding with the intent of ending their lives. However, an evil force has followed the three as well, with hopes of killing a different target. Far away, in the city of Caemlyn, Elayne Trakand, heir to the Lion Throne, has begun to solidify her rule of Andor. However, as enemies appear on all sides and Houses begin to rebel, how long will her rule last? Having survived a building falling on him, Mat Cauthon (YES!) is not in the best of moods. The Seanchan are in control of Ebou Dar and he has no way out. The Seanchan High Lady Tuon seemingly has a special interest in him and he is known throughout the city as the "toy" of the Queen. To Mat, thing can't seem to get any worse. That is, until the Gholam, the Dark One's invincible assassin that Mat fought in book 7, returns for revenge. Half a world away, in the tainted city of Shadar Logoth (after the Far Madding incident), Rand al'Thor, The Dragon Reborn has a plan. It is a near suicidal plan that will require massive amounts of the One Power and the Choedan Kal, the most powerful Sa'angreal ever made. He plans to rid the Dark One's taint of Saidin, the male half of the One Power. However, standing in his way are the remaining Forsaken who will do anything in their power to stop him.

Winter's Heart, the seventh in Robert Jordan's WoT series, is a good book. While not as spectacular as book 7, I still enjoyed reading it. I would compare Winter's Heart to Lord of Chaos: good, with some hard-to-get-through passages and a Dumai's Wells-style clash at the end.

The Path of Daggers (Book Eight, The Wheel of Time)

Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, has taken the city of Illian and has slain the Forsaken Sammael in single combat in the ruins of Shadar Logoth (actually, it was the evil "spirit" Mashadar who killed him . . . it's a long story). Now, a new threat has arisen to the west. The Seanchan, who Rand defeated at Falme in book two, have returned and have taken Ebou Dar, leaving Mat's fate uncertain. Faced with this old enemy, Rand must defeat the Seanchan before they overrun the Westlands in its entirety. Having fled Ebou Dar, Elayne, Aviendha, Birgitte, Nynaeve, and the Kin (a group of female channelers living in Ebou Dar who were rejected from the White Tower) now have the Bowl of the Winds in their possession. However, with the Seanchan in pursuit they must figure out a way to escape with their lives, or end up as damane (the Seanchan leash female channelers and call them damane). At the rebel Tower in Salidar, Egwene al'Vere, the Amyrlin Seat, must make a dangerous decision. Will she stay in Altara, never to seize the White Tower from the hands of the usurper Elaida, or will she march on the false Amyrlin, and risk death, to take what is rightfully hers?

I found The Path of Daggers to be a fitting eighth installment in the Wheel of Time series. Although the shortest WoT book at 685 pages, it is filled to the brim with action and the Seanchan. My only reaction to their sudden appearance was, "They're @*$^%&# everywhere!". The only disappointing part of this novel was the absolute lack of Mat. After a building fell on him in book seven (yes, a building) he is only mentioned in The Path of Daggers.

A Crown of Swords (Book Seven, The Wheel of Time)

After Rand's capture at the hands of the Aes Sedai loyal to Elaida, and the Shaido Aiel, and his rescue by the Asha'man, Mazrim Taim, and Perrin, Rand must prepare for his showdown with the powerful Forsaken Sammael and for his assault on the city of Illian. Halfway across the continent, Mat Cauthon (Go Mat!), Elayne, her Warder Birgitte, Aviendha and Nynaeve have been sent by the rebel Tower to the city of Ebou Dar, the capital of the nation of Altara. Their mission, find a legendary ter'angreal, a magical object with a specific purpose, called the Bowl of the Winds that has the power to end the eternal heat wave caused by the Dark One. Mat's mission, however, is slightly different. He has been instructed by Rand to bring Elayne and Egwene, who has been named Amyrlin Seat by the rebel Tower, to Caemlyn so that Elayne may be crowned Queen of Andor. Yet, darkness is brewing. A channeler of unimaginable power has begun to unite the forces of Shadow under his control and has brought the other Forsaken to kneel. His name is Moridin. Death.

A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan is my favorite book in the series. Most importantly, it's mostly Mat's POV. In fact, I think Mat Cauthon is my favorite character of all time. His scenes are funny, his fight scenes are intense and his character is well formed. Another reason why I love this book is because my favorite antagonist of all time, Moridin, is introduced.

Lord of Chaos (Book Six, The Wheel of Time)

Lanfear is dead. During her attack on Cairhien, Rand's Aes Sedai advisor and mentor, Moirane Damodred, sacrificed herself to defeat the powerful Forsaken. Now ruling Tear, Cairhien, and Andor, Rand must balance the needs of three nations while trying to fulfill his destiny as the Dragon Reborn. When an unexpected visitor arrives on his doorstep, Rand enlists him to begin the "Black Tower," a sanctuary where men who can channel can be transformed into perfect weapons known as Asha'man. Meanwhile, as Egwene is summoned to the Rebel Tower in Salidar, Rand sends Mat, Aviendha, and Mat's army, known as the Band of the Red Hand, to bring her back. When Elaida, the Amyrlin usurper, sends an emissary to Rand to convince him to come to the White Tower to begin a "partnership" between Rand and Elaida, he realizes that every move he makes could be fatal. When a heinous treachery is unveiled, it will take all of Rand's allies to right the wrong committed.

I enjoyed Lord of Chaos greatly. However, there were swaths of pages that I just found to be slow and difficult to get through. Aside from those troublesome sections, I the was book full of intrigue and a compelling read. For all of those WoT enthusiasts like me, and for those who are just starting the series, Lord of Chaos is a fantastic installment in Robert Jordan's fantasy epic. And by the way . . . Dumai's Wells!

(If you haven't read the book DO NOT look those last two words up. It will ruin the novel)

The Fires of Heaven (Book Five, The Wheel of Time)

The White Tower has split and the Amyrlin Seat, Siuan Sanche, has been stilled and deposed. Elaida, an Aes Sedai, a female channeler of the One Power, and the leader of the uprising, has become the new Amyrlin and those who think her a usurper have escaped to form their own Tower. After their battle in Tanchico against the Forsaken Moghedien and the Black Ajah, Aes Sedai who serve the Dark One, Nynaeve al'Meara and Elyane Trakand, both also Aes Sedai, search for those same rebels while, at the same time, flee from Moghedien's wrath. With the help of the Forsaken Lanfear, Rand al'Thor has defeated the Forsaken Asmodean, has ventured into the ruined city of Rhuidean and has been proclaimed the Car'a'carn, the Chief of Chiefs and the chosen one of the Aiel people. However, there are those who would rather die than serve. The Shaido Clan, led by their leader and self-proclaimed Car'a'Carn, Couladin, have fled the Aiel Waste in search of richer lands to pillage. With the help of Mat, Egwene, and the Aiel that follow him, Rand must pursue the Shaido across the Waste and into the Westlands, where the final showdown between Car'a'carns will take place on the doorstep of the great city of Cairhien.

Personally, The Fires of Heaven is one of my favorite in this series by Robert Jordan. My all-time favorite is Book 7. Full of twists, The Fires of Heaven has at least a dozen moments where I threw the book on the floor in fury and then immediately picked it up again to continue reading. It is full of action, Rand and his continuous Forsaken-balefiring, tons and tons of Aiel, and, most importantly, it finally gives Mat a time to shine. Go Mat!

The Shadow Rising (Book Four, The Wheel of Time)

The siege of the Stone of Tear has ended. Rand, along with Moirane's help, has erased the Forsaken Be'lal from the Pattern, killing him. Using the Sa'angreal Callandor to finally kill Ba'alzamon, who was actually the Forsaken Ishamael in another form, Rand has proven himself to be the Dragon Reborn. However, in the wake of the victory, strange things begin to occur. Perrin's axe flies across his room and tries to kill anyone around him, Mat's playing cards come to life and try to slay him as well. As for Rand, all of his reflections from mirrors or other objects emerge and try to assume his place, by killing him. All three overcome their obstacles, but are bewildered by the sudden ominous occurrences. What had just happened, and why not to anyone else? Moirane, however, understands what has occurred. She explains that, as the seals on the Dark One's prison weaken, small "bubbles' of evil will escape. These bubbles are attracted to Ta'veren and, Moirane believes, more will soon appear. When the Stone of Tear comes under attack from Trollocs, and Rand's former traveling partner, Selene, reveals herself to be Lanfear, one of the Forsaken, Rand must do everything in his power to stop the destruction of the Stone. Using Callandor, Rand repels the invaders, but at a heavy cost.  Now, Rand must travel to the Aiel Waste, to discover the truth behind his heritage to to realize his destiny as being far more than the Dragon Reborn.

The Shadow Rising is, so far, my favorite book in the series (I am up to book 5). First and foremost, it is filled to the brim with Aiel, the hearty, ninja-like people who remind me of the Freeman from Dune, but with spears! Previously, there were only a few Aiel characters. Now, the author  finally shows us what the Waste is like. I highly recommend this book for fans of the series, and for fans of the Aiel.