The Dragon Reborn

The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The prologue of the third main Wheel of Time novel focuses on the Children of Light, who hear stories about Rand al’Thor proclaiming himself to be the Dragon Reborn, with the Myrddraal manipulating them. The main chapters open with the same motif of wind like the book’s predecessors, with Perrin Aybara being among Shienarans, and a girl named Leya seeking the Aes Sedai Moiraine in the camp of the Dragon. The tainted masculine half of the One Power, the saidin, continues to tug at Rand, which could potentially attract the Myrddraal to his location.

Sure enough, Trollocs attack the camp, with Perrin’s lupine allies helping repel them, suffering casualties, Perrin wishing the wolves buried among the human deceased instead of harvested for pelts. Rand leaves the camp to spread word of his coming, fearing the Dark One is hunting him and that the seals at Shayol Ghul are weakening. Rand’s ultimate goal is to make it to Tear to take control of an enigmatic sword known as Callandor stored in the Heart of the Stone, and stops in a village called Jarra along the way, performing for a wedding.

Egwene al’Vere yearns to go to the White Tower at Tar Valon for training as an Aes Sedai, where rumors of the Black Ajah abound, and Darkfriends infiltrate. Although the Amyrlin Seat wishes Egwene and her fellow trainee Elayne to hunt Liandrin, a potential member of the Black Ajah, the two trainees fear being stilled, and hear of the Soulless, the Gray Men, who sacrifice their souls to serve the Dark One as assassins. Mat Cauthon is recovering from recent injuries at the White Tower, with several in the Aes Sedai headquarters visiting him in his unconsciousness and coming-to.

Dreams among various characters abound of Rand reaching for the crystal sword Callandor in the Heart of the Stone in Tear, with said confederates of the Dragon Reborn ultimately making it their destination as well, rare updates of Rand’s progress given throughout the story. A conflict with one of the Forsaken erupts at said location, the third entry of Robert Jordan’s magnum opus ending satisfactorily with plenty plot to come in future installments, though he again obviously had influence by the Star Wars franchise, and viewpoint characters in different locations sometimes shift within chapters instead of having clear segregation.

View all my reviews