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.

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.

Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes
Book Twelve in the Wheel of Time Series
Publisher: Tor Books; Reprint edition (September 28, 2010), Mass Market Paperback: 1120 pages , Language: English , ISBN-10: 0765341530 , ISBN-13: 978-0765341532

I really enjoyed this book, it was interesting and it resolved a number of major issues, I found the book hard to put down as I kept wondering what would happen next. Even though the book was written by Brandon Sanderson, I felt that it had much the feel of Robert Jordan and I do not think it is really noticeable that is was written by someone else.

The book starts with all the main players separated from each other, with each doing their own thing and resolving their own issues*.  There is also mention throughout the book about a storm that is coming and the dark clouds that are gathering, (hence the name of the book.) Rand is in hiding with Min and Nynaeve plus his enormous entourage of Aiel, Aes Sedai and Asha’man (men who can channel) in Arad Doman.  He wants to make peace with the Seanchan so he doesn’t have to worry about them when he fights at the final battle.  He also wants to help the people in Arad Doman by setting up a King and resolving the food shortage.

Rand is searching for one of the Forsaken, Graendal and has another one, Semirhage, in custody.  However, Semirhage escapes and tries to bind Rand with a male collar (a collar that makes the person into a slave through pain,) however Randy escapes this through accessing the True Power.  A power even more powerful than the One Power. He destroys Semirhage with balefire, a method of killing that causes the pattern of time to unravel so it is very dangerous, but it is also the only way to kill the Forsaken.  Every other Forsaken that Rand thought he killed, has re-appeared.

Min is researching out information to help Rand defeat the Dark One.  Nynaeve is now married to Lan, but Lan has gone North to defend the Gap (against the forces of dark coming into the South,) even though she is worried for Lan, she feels she must stay with Rand to assist him as she is the only Aes Sedai that he trusts.  (Although I am thinking that Rand will need to work with the female Aes Sedai in order to defeat the dark one and so must at some point overcome his fears.)

There is not much action in Mat’s story except that he is no longer with the Daughter of the Nine Moons, Tuon (who he married in the last book,) and he is traveling with the Band to Caemlyn, although there is an interesting story where they come across a town that has weird things happening due to the influence of the Dark One on the world.

There is also not much action in Perrin’s story except that he is now back together with Faille and since he routed the Shadio, the Aiel who do not support Rand, he has a large number of refuges to transport.

The story centres mostly around Rand and Egwene.  Egwene is the Amrylin Seat for the rebel group of Aes Sedai, who are camped outside of the White Tower, putting the Tower under seige.  Egwene has been captured by the White Tower and they have declared she is still a novice and has been sent for punishment every day.  She is fighting back by still acting like the Amrylin and refusing to show any discomfort with the punishment.  She builds up a lot of support in the Tower during this period and there is a lot of details about her predicament.

If you have not read the book, do not read anymore as it goes into more details about how the story progresses.

The Seanchan, with Tuon, now as Empress, declines Rands offer of peace and decides to make a raid of the White Tower to try to capture as many Aes Sedais as possible.  This way they will not be able to support Rand and will be of use to the Empire.  When the Seanchan attack the White Tower, Egwene is instrumental in fighting them off, so attains more popularity.  Also, Elaida, the Amrylin Seat of the White Tower (not the rebel group,) is carried away by the Seanchan.  This quite conveniently solves the problem of the White Tower and allows Egwene to make the Tower whole again.  In the process Verin, an Aes Sedai that has been helping Rand, comes to Egwene revealing that she is in fact of the Black Ajah, but only joined so she could study it.  She has discovered the names of over 200 Aes Sedai that are Black and gives Egwenethese names before she dies.  As she can only reveal this information the hour before her death due to the restrictions of the oath she took to the Dark One, she took poison before seeing Egwene so she could reveal the information.

After Rand is captured, once again, (as noted above) and once he accesses the True Source, he becomes very grim, hard and dark.  He knows he is going to die at the last battle and he has finally crossed the line that he set for himself of not killing a woman, when he kills Semirhage.  Then when he kills Graendal, he uses balefire and destroys an entire castle filled with people. He also feels he failed in Arad Doman because all the grain he arranged to arrive has gone bad, due to the influence of the Dark One, and he was unable to establish a King.  Everyone is very worried about him and send his father Tam to him, who Rand almost kills in anger.  Rand then decides to go Ebou Dar where the Seanchan are stationed to destroy them.  Once there he realizes that the people under the rule of the Seanchan are doing better than they were under his rule.  He still decides he is going to destroy city with balefire, but when he tries to access the one power he becomes very ill, the people around him show him a lot of concern, so he leaves the area.

He travels to Dragonmount and is consumed with despair, feeling what is the point of it all anyways, maybe it would be best to end it all now, using an immensely powerful sa’angreal, he pulls in huge amounts of the one power, much more than Lews Therin Telamon used when he killed himself and created the Dragonmount.  As he is contemplating the point of it all, Lews Therin Telamon, the voice in his head, says in a very sane voice, that maybe the point of it all is so that we can have a second chance. And this is a pivotal point for Rand, he realises that he does have a purpose, he realizes that the last time Lews Therin Telamon fought the Dark One he did it wrong, but maybe this time Rand can do it right.  So he takes all the power he has created and directs it to the sa’angreal, which he then destroys. Rand now knows that he will never hear Lews Therin Telamon’s voice again because he now knows that he and Lews are one and the same.  At the same time the clouds have broken and the sun is shining over Dragonmount.  This to me is a turning point for Rand.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series as well as the final conclusion.

*See my blog on the Wheel of Time Series as well as the previous books in the series