The Fires of Heaven: 5/12 (Wheel of Time)

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There was a moment towards the end that I considered, against my better judgment, to continue with the series.

Elayne, convinced that Galad will turn them in to the Whitecloaks, suggests they hide among Valan Luca’s traveling show.He learns that Couladin is marching in his direction unawares, and sets the bait for a crushing pincer attack. We will live on what can be found wild or hunted or bought - if there is anyone with food to sell - until I can have the Tairens increase what they are bringing up from Tear.

Nynaeve and Elayne pack and say their goodbyes, then hurry to the boat, guarded by Galad, Uno, and the other Shienarans. Mat rides south, dodging Shaido in an attempt to escape the battlefield, but circumstances conspire to keep him in the thick of things. Moghedien ejects Birgitte from Tel’aran’rhiod, then wakes and seeks Healing from her Black Ajah pets.After a long walk from the riverbank, Elayne and Nynaeve arrive in Salidar and are questioned thoroughly. I’m having a moment, which is as good of a bad segue as I am likely to get to roll us into a discussion of the book. I don't ask to usurp your authority - yet I do not want to waste men because you do not understand war. But then when it actually happens it is not actually a real crowning moment of awesomeness, rather more of a resigned charge of desperation in how it plays out when Moiraine and Lan are each tossed to the side and Lanfear is working on crushing Rand when she (Lanfear) realizes that she will never have him and that was the only thing holding her back from truly going after Rand - the thought that she could turn him to love her and serve by her side - but somewhen Lanfear had been told that Rand / Lews Therin had been with another woman - and Lanfear is incandescent with fury about Aviendha. Moiraine crawls out from under the wagon to see Rand suffering and Lanfear in the wagon with the Twisted redstone doorframe behind her.

Moiraine contemplates what she saw inside the rings of Rhuidean, and the choices she must still make. Before he can do so, Lanfear, learning that Rand slept with Aviendha, is furious with jealousy and attempts to kill them. I mean, sure, in the real world men and women do misunderstand each other at times and might think the methods of the opposing sex are frivolous but Jordan takes it to another level in his books. They show that Jordan can have good ideas, that he can deliver exciting scenes, but they're ultimately drowned out by the drudgery.They don disguises since both the Black Ajah and the White Tower seek to capture them and at first head for Tear. Aviendha and Egwene are inside the dome, though, and Lanfear begins to torture them, asking which is Aviendha. Lightning bolts triggered by Rahvin kill Mat, Asmodean and Aviendha, which causes Rand to recklessly attack the Forsaken. Rand uses Moiraine’s lessons about Daes Dae’mar to unsettle the Tairen lords who greet him at the palace gates, then refuses the throne of Cairhien. I think the execution of the concept of Rand having numerous lovers will annoy me in later installments.

Rahvin strikes at Rand while the Aiel face Trollocs and Myrddraal on the palace grounds, killing Mat, Asmodean, and Aviendha. You must dance free, and even the best intentioned of my sisters may well try to guide your steps as I once did.Egwene joins the Wise Ones and Moiraine in the sweat tent; Moiraine attempts to convince the Wise Ones that crossing the Dragonwall with Rand would be disastrous. Stuff happens in the last 100-odd pages that doesn’t feel set up at all and almost like there was a “I need action here to finish the book” motive behind it. Continuing the epic tale of Rand al Thor, Jordan uses this novel to delve deep into the lives of our heroines. Jordan has a powerful vision of good and evil-- but what strikes me as most pleasurable about The Eye of the World is all the fascinating people moving through a rich and interesting world.