Book Review:4 Treasure Boxes
Fourth Book in the Wheel of Time Series
Publisher: Tor Fantasy; 1st. edition (October 15, 1993), Mass Market Paperback: 1008 pages, Language: English, ISBN-10: 0812513738, ISBN-13: 978-0812513738

This book starts out with a big bang, it really grabs your interest from the first page. It was really unexpected the way the inanimate objects started attacking Perrin, Mat and Rand. The story takes place immediately following the events from The Dragon Reborn. I really enjoyed this book and found that it was non-stop action from the first page to the last page. The plot line is advancing with all the characters showing development of both abilities and understanding. The story had an ending to each of the storylines in the book, but it also left lots of room for development.   I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

If you haven’t read the book yet, do not go any further.

It starts out in Tear after Rand has taken hold of Callandar and all the characters are together. Rand is reading a lot about the prophecies and he is trying to determine what he should do next. Soon after The Stone of Tear is attached by Trollocs and Fades and he realizes he must do something not expected.

Rand, Matt and Moiraine, separately, yet at the same time go into the twisted red door ter’angreal to the land of the Aelfinn, to get answers to their questions and it is there that Matt realizes he must go to Rhuidien.

Once again the group splits up and there is lots of actions within each group. Egwene, while in the land of dreams comes across an Aiel Wise Women, Amys who tells Egwene she must come to her in the Aiel Waste to learn how to become a dreamwalker. Rand also decides his next step must be with the Aeil and after reading the prophecies, he decides he too must go to Rhuidien.  So Rand, Matt, Egwene and Moiraine along with Lan and the Aiel all go to Rhuidien through the portal stones, but this time there are difficulties getting there.  Perrin discovers there are White Cloaks in the Two Rivers and that they are looking for him, so he decides he must go to save his family from the White Cloaks.  Faile, Loial, Gaul and 2 maidens of the spear go with him. Nynaeve and Elayne continue to chase the Black Ajah along with help from Thom and Julian the thief catcher.  They go to Tanchico to find both the object that can harm Rand and to find the Black sisters.

While Matt is in Rhuidien he goes through another twisted red door ter’angreal, but this time it is to the land of the Eelfinn and instead of answering questions they grant wishes, but at a cost.  Matt’s requests were to have the holes in his memory filled, which they are with the memories of great generals through all of time and to be protected from Aes Sedai, which he is from the medallion he now has. The cost he pays is to be hung and to die, but Rand is able to revive him.

While Rand is in Rhuidien he discovers the dirty little secret of the Aeil, that they are related to the hated Tinkers and have broken their vow of non-violence. When he leaves Rhuidien both his arms are marked with the dragons proving he is the Car’a’carn, chief of all chiefs.  But since the prophecies say he is to break the children of the dragon (Aiel) he does so when he proves that the evil Shaido Couladin is not the Car’a’carn by reveiling the truth about the Aeil.  This causes great grief and strife within the Aiel.  In the middle of this Lanfear comes to Rand and tells him that she means Asmodean to teach Rand how to use the one power and that he in Rhuidien.  Rand, using the power, goes to Rhuidien to confront Asmodean and to stop him from obtaining the strongest male angreal ever made.  In the process there is huge fight between them using the power and Rhuidien is all but destroyed, Rand however is able to shield Asmodean from access to the dark one’s power and he is able to control Asmodean.  Rand also finds both the male and female angreal and takes them with him.

Perrin goes to the Two Rivers and finds that his whole family was supposedly killed by Trollocs, (but they were really killed by Padan Fain.)  Perrin rallies everyone in the Two Rivers and is able to both defeat the Trollocs and the white cloaks, he is now considered a Lord by everyone in the Two Rivers.  Him and Faile are now married.  Perrin also is able to injure one of the forsaken known as Slayer.

Nynaeve and Elayne meet up with Egeanin, a Seanchan, but before they discover what Egeanin is they both really come to like her and Egeanin comes to like them and has to re-think what she has been taught about Aes Sedai. With Thom, Juilin and Bayle Domon’s help they find the black sisters who have the Panarch as a prisoner.  They are able to free the Panarch and find the object that is meant to harm Rand.  They also find another of the Dark One’s seals.  In the process Nynaeve defeats Moghedien in a one-on-one battle with the power and is able to shield Moghedien, but somehow she escapes.

Meanwhile in the White Tower, Elaida gets the Amrylin Seat and her sitter deposed and stilled.  Min manages to free them both and the three of them along with Logain escape from Tar Valon.