The sixth main Wheel of Time novel, much like its predecessors, opens with a poem that “inspired” its title, and a prologue where Demandred holds prisoners from the Borderlands at Shayol Ghul. The preface gives time to other characters such as Nynaeve, who has lost her ability to channel the One Power, and, absent from The Fires of Heaven, the newly-married Perrin and Faile. The main chapters commence with the same wind motif opening the book’s predecessors, with the wind in this case flowing through abandoned settlements in Cairhien, along with mention of the White Tower’s divided Aes Sedai.
Rand al’Thor, the prophesied Dragon Reborn, grants amnesty to a few false Dragons such as Mazarin Taim, in fact training him to be faithful warriors and wishing to intervene in the Aes Sedai civil war, with the voice of the long-deceased Lews Therin continuing to haunt him. Elaida vows to reunite the White Tower under her rule, and Nynaeve attempts to recover her ability to channel magic. Gawyn, in the meantime, blames Rand for the death of his mother Morgase, and Egwene receives a bit of a surprise concerning the leadership of the Aes Sedai.
Several conflicts and a Feast of Lights end the novel, which is very much on par with its predecessors, weaving a complex tale of fantastical war, although the sheer number of identified characters, and abundance of unique terminology, might prove cumbersome for a few readers who prefer simpler fantasy tales. Thus, a list of important dramatic personae prefacing the text would have certainly been welcome, although the glossary at the end of the book is somewhat helpful in this regard. Jordan was also obviously a fan of Star Wars, given elements such as the One Power, but even so, those who enjoyed the book’s precursors will likely enjoy Lord of Chaos.
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