Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
Book Three of The Wheel of Time Series
Publisher: Tor Fantasy (September 14, 2002), paperback: 624 pages, Language: English, ISBN-10: 0765305119, ISBN-13: 978-0765305114

An enjoyable book with an exciting storyline.  This time however, the book did not spend much time with the main protagonist Rand Al’Thor (The Dragon reborn,) the book starts several months after the end of the Great Hunt. Rand, Perrin and Min with Moiraine and Lan are with the Shienarans are waiting (for what I could never figure out) and hiding in the mountains of Mist, with Matt, Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve at the White Tower. I did not enjoy it as much as the first 2 books because I thought the middle was a bit slow.

The story starts out with the two parties, but then once again they get separated into 4 parties, with each group on their own adventures, the book focused mostly on the adventures of Matt and Thom as one group, Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve as one group and Perrin and Moiraine with Lan as one group. We learn more about the forsaken and the Black Ajah.  The adventures of each group along the way is intriguing, but the end was the most thrilling.

If you have not read the book, do not read any further.

Rand is tired of sitting and hiding, so he sets out on his own to go to Tear where Callandor (a sword that is not a sword and one than can only be removed by the Dragon Reborn) is held, on his way he is beset by dark friends, Myrddraal, dark hounds and other evils which he must fight on his journey. Perrin and Moiraine with Lan follow, along the way they meet Faille (Perrin’s great love) and they discover that the forsaken are in Illian and Tear.  They are also chased by grey men and dark hounds, but they too end up in Tear.

Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are sent on a chase to find the Black Ajah and they too end up in Tear, along the way they also run into difficulties but they are saved by the Aiel. Meanwhile Matt has gone to Caemlyn to take a letter to Queen Morgase from Elayne, along the way he meets up with Thom and his luck and the spinning dice are really starting to impact his life. When he gets to Caemlyn he finds another forsaken controlling Queen Morgase and plotting to kill Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve. Once he learns this he and Thom decides to go to Tear to save them.

Once everyone is Tear, things really start to happen, Elayne, Egwene And Nynaeve are captured by the Black Ajah, but then released by Matt.  Perrin saves Faille and in the process cements their relationship.  Moraine kills Be’lal with balefire after he first fights with Rand. Rand takes hold of Callandor, kills one of the forsaken who he thinks is the Dark One.  By taking hold of Callandor he proclaims himself the Dragon Reborn and has proven himself by fulfilling the prophecies.  The Aiel claim he is “He who comes with the dawn” and proclaim they are the people of the dragon.