Author: Robert Jordan
Genre: Epic fantasy
Series: The Wheel of Time
Nynaeve and Elayne are on their way to Tar Valon, completely unaware that the new Amyrlin has disposed Siuan Sanche. Rand is trying to unite the Aiel’s but the rebellious Shaido and Couladin are not going to submit that easily. While Siuan Sanche is on the run from the tower. And the forsakens are plotting their next move!
The series started really well. It had an epic world, a great plot, complex and innumerable characters. Everything you want from a true epic fantasy. I won’t talk about what makes the series great. It’s all out there. But after reading Fires of the Heaven, few problems become quite evident. Especially the characters and also there is a similar storytelling pattern throughout the series, which is getting repetitive. I know a lot of people have problems with the representation of the female characters. I actually don’t mind that. I totally understand the motive of the author. In a society where the men doomed the world, they became more dominating sex, and their treatment of the men is no different than what women had to go through in the real world. It makes me uncomfortable, but I really appreciate the point of view.
But, the trio of Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elayne’s characters have some serious problems. There has been no character growth since the first book. They keep treating people around them like they own them. They constantly fight and crib with each other. They like to keep their business secrets, but they don’t like it when others don’t tell them their secrets, and for Egwene, it’s totally okay to sneak around in other people’s dreams. See I understand, there could be flaws in a character, but I still want to like the main cast. Even if they are bad people. But for me, it has been really difficult to like these three. Moiraine is not very different from them, she’s a strong character with enough sass, but yet I really like her. So are Siuan Sanche and Min. But since these three are a major part of the narration, reading the constant cribbing and negativity gets very annoying!
In terms of storytelling, the books are failing to surprise me (except for that one moment). There are always some convenient way around of the difficult situation! Classic deus-ex-machina! The books never end at a point, where I can’t wait to pick up the next. What I need is one book where Rand doesn’t always come out victorious. His is one character which actually has grown a lot, but I really want to see him in some difficult position (not that saving the world, and in doing that destroying is not difficult :P) at the end of a book.
I know, I complained a lot. This doesn’t mean, I don’t like the series. I love the scale, and complexity of the world Robert Jordan has built. The series has been truly epic in every sense. And there are enough books left to change my opinion on characters and storytelling.
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