The Road to A Memory of Light: the Fires of Heaven
This book has long been my favourite of the series. Things are starting to heat up for our heroes, in more ways than one. The threads of the Pattern are being placed now for the Last Battle. The Tower is split and the world rocks with the news the Dragon is Reborn, while the seals are weakening and the hand of the Dark One spreads. Aes Sedai are said to be puppeteers but now the puppets are snipping their strings. Events are growing out of Aes Sedai control.
In the White Tower Elaida is Amyrlin, with Alviarin as her Keeper. This shows how blindsided Aes Sedai can be - a Red in charge at a time when the Dragon, a man who can channel, is loose on the world! Fain is also in the Tower where he steals back the ruby dagger. Evil permeates the Tower; the Black Ajah manipulates events through Alviarin. With Elaida’s help, they have already split the Tower and you’re left to wonder what other havoc they can wreck. Is Elaida what the Pattern needs her to be in order to bring the Aes Sedai to Tarmon Gai’don?
In Fires of Heaven, it is ever more evident that Aes Sedai believe themselves greater than others but they are no more than human. The Aes Sedai speak of rulers needing a firm hand and send sisters to manage Tenobia and others. Yet they cower at even the thought of the Dragon Reborn, refusing to look at his image. As it is, the White Tower is unprepared to face the Last Battle. Instead of being reasonable and pulling the nations together to support the Dragon Reborn, as Siuan would have done, they are mismanaging the situation. By trying to tighten the bonds built over centuries with rulers they end up forcing the rulers away. You are left to hope that the Tower does not have the influence the Aes Sedai believes it does.
Meanwhile Siuan, Min and Leane flee the White Tower with Logain, trying to find the Blues and others who have also fled. The three women end up on trial under Gareth Bryne and swear oaths to serve him. When Logain frees them, Bryne pursues. The group travel to Salidar, to the Tower in Exile, where Siuan and Leane offer their services in re-establishing an eyes-and-ears network under the six Aes Sedai who govern Salidar. They mean to manipulate the Aes Sedai, who discount them as they can now no longer channel. When Bryne arrives after the girls, the sisters convince him to become their general in the battle against Elaida. This adds a new and exciting depth to the Tower split. The split in the Tower is some of the best reading of the series. I love Siuan in this book, just because she doesn’t have the Power anymore it doesn’t mean she is giving up power.
At the same time Elayne, Nynaeve, Thom and Juilin leave Tanchico. Through Tel’aran’hriod they learn of the group of Blues, but after spotting Galad in Amadicia they flee with a travelling menagerie to Ghealdan. Galad, upset at the White Tower pulling Elayne and Egwene into their plots, has disdained the Tower and has become a Whitecloak. I see this as more proof that Aes Sedai are in the wrong. Galad is known to do whatever is right and he cannot stand their manipulations any more.
In the World of Dreams Nynaeve and Birgitte battle Moghedien severely wounding her but not before Birgitte is tossed from Tel’aran’hriod into the real world. In Samara, the Whitecloaks and the Prophet clash when both Galad and Masema capture a boat to send the girls to Salidar. Nynaeve and Elayne agree to secretly teach Siuan and Leane what they know about Tel’aran’hriod. During one of these lessons Nynaeve spots Moghedien again and eventually captures her with an a’dam knowing she sleeps in Salidar.
Moiraine and Egwene travel with Rand from Rhuidean to Cairhien. Moiraine swears to Rand to obey him in all things as her manipulations have made him push her away. In Cairhien, Lanfear attacks and Egwene is injured. Moiraine, however, drags Lanfear into the portal to the Eelfinn, and the doorway is destroyed behind them. Five books into the series we lost the Aes Sedai we’ve grown to know best; the one we know to be the most human.
Things do not look good for the White Tower. We know that the Watcher of the Seals does not actually possess any of the Seals, which can now be broken with a tap. The Black Ajah are controlling events and almost a third of Aes Sedai are living close to Amadicia, where Niall is gathering his Whitecloaks. Aes Sedai have long acted like they have all knowledge but frequently show themselves shortsighted and unwilling to learn new things. Wise Ones surpass them in many skills including Dreamwalking. The group of women who are deemed to manipulate rulers and nations are being manipulated themselves, both by the Shadow and by others they see as beneath them. And finally, the one Aes Sedai that has gotten close to the Dragon Reborn, and who might have helped the White Tower guide him, is believed dead.
In non Aes Sedai related plot lines; this is the first book where one of our three taveren do not appear, as Perrin is tied up in the Two Rivers. Rand is taught channeling by Asmodean, and becomes more of a leader, taking the Aiel out of the Waste and into Cairhien after the Shaido. He declines the throne but becomes more and more a king. Mat’s gifts from the Eelfinn are crucial to him. The foxhead keeps him protected from channeling and the memories make him into an incredible battle commander. Poor Mat would rather find a dice game. Maybe that’s why he hears the dice roll as he battles!
After hearing news Gaebril has killed Morgase, Rand Travels to Caemlyn with Mat and Aviendha. He knows Gaebril is Rahvin. He battles and kills Rahvin, with a little help in Tel’aran’hriod from Nynaeve. Thankfully, Morgase is not dead but fled. Where once she would have gone to Aes Sedai for help, her distrust has grown so much that she has instead gone to Amador, the home of the Whitecloaks.
This fifth book in the series really takes it out of the Forsaken. Another one bites the dust as Asmodean is mysteriously killed for teaching Rand. Taim comes to Caemlyn and Rand announces an amnesty for men who want to learn to channel. As if the White Tower hadn’t enough to be dealing with! Perhaps they need to relearn the lesson Moiraine did; to control saidar, first you have to surrender to it.
