Author: Robert Jordan
Cover Artist: Darrell K. Sweet
Publisher: Orbit
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publication Date: 1999
The eight book in the Wheel of Time series. Published in 1998, this book is often mentioned as one of the least favourite among the Wheel of Time fans. By this point both progression in the story and Jordan’s productivity have dropped considerably. There has been a two and a half year gap between A Crown of Swords and The Path of Daggers and it would be another two years before book nine, Winter’s Heart was published. Another disappointment for many fans was that Mat does not appear in this book. Although I do not quite agree with the much heard criticism that nothing happens in this book, I don’t believe I ever read a book in which nothing happens, I can’t say it is a particularly satisfying read.
As with the previous reviews I am going to assume you have read the first seven books and give you an overview of what everybody is up. Which at this point in the story is rather complicated so don’t expect a comprehensive summary.
Anyway, book 1 – 7 spoilers ahead.
Elayne, Nyneave and Aviendha leading a group of Seafolk Windfinders, a group of the Kin and a number of Aes Sedai, escape Ebou Dar just ahead of the Seanchan invasion and travel to the Kin farm some miles outside the city. The Seafolk are eager to fulfil their end of the bargain that has been struck in the previous book and the group sets about changing the unseasonably hot the weather.Their massive use of the One Power attracts the Seanchan and the group has to flee again to escape being leashed. This time an even larger group travels to Andor by gateway where Elayne finally sets about claiming the Lion throne.
Perrin and Faile, with a mixed band of Aiel, Two Rivers men and Mayeners (including Berelain) as well as a number of Aes Sedai and Asha’man, are travelling through Ghealdan in search of the Prophet. Berelain, much the Faile’s chagrin, manages to convince Queen Alliandre of Ghealdan to swear fealty to Perrin, bringing his resurrection of the ancient state of Manatheren one step closer. The Prophet appears to be in Amadicia though so the party travels on to put an end to Masema’s destruction in the name of the Lord Dragon.They find more than the bargained for in Amadicia though. While Perrin is bringing Masema to heel his party runs into one of the scattered bands of Shaido.
Rand in the mean time is settling affairs in Illian. The King Illian has been missing for some time and Rand has accepted the Laurel Crown, or the Crown of Swords as it is know from now on. Apparently wearing it is just as uncomfortable as sitting on the Iron Throne, for those of you who are familiar with Martin. One tends to get cut.
While cleaning up in Illian Rand learns of the Seanchan invasion near Ebou Dar and plans to drive them back again. With a small army of his least loyal subjects, Bashere and a number of Shienaran lancers and several dozen Asha’man Rand departs for the mountain range that separates Illian and Altara and systematically drives the Seanchan. Although Bashere advices against it Rand tries to make a final push for Ebou Dar and for the first time since The Dragon Reborn employs Calandor, the Sword that is not a Sword, to achieve this aim. The result is noting short of disastrous.
Egwene is still struggling to get the Salidar Aes Sedai to accept her as their leader. Their army is still moving at a snail’s pace towards Tar Valon and the Aes Sedai are dragging their heels, hoping for a non-violent solution to the split in the Tower. With an inspired bit of manipulation cooked up between Siuan and herself she tricks the Hall into declaring war on Elaida. By the little know tower law of war this puts the Amyrlin in charge of all affairs relating to the war. Not as much as she would wish but definitely an improvement over the stalemate that held a serious effort to depose Elaida back. Egwene orders a month for rest and preparation after which she means to travel by gateway to Tar Valon and lay siege on the city.
We also find out where the Queen of Saldea has run off to, get a quick glance at several plots by the Forsaken and Darkfriends, learn the fate of Elaida’s unfortunate expedition to destroy the Black Tower and get a brief look of events in the White Tower and Cairhien, where negotiations with the Seafolk have been completed in Rand’s absence.
While the relatively low pace of this book makes it appear longer The Path of Daggers is actually the shortest of the bunch so far. It looks like A Memory of Light will be a lot longer as well. Sanderson is aiming of 400,000 words, which is about the size of Lord of Chaos. The problem with this book, and it appears to be a failing of a lot of other epic fantasy as well, is that Jordan spends so much time building his series that he forgets to put a proper story arc in the individual book. A lot of the book is focussed on the Elayne’s story line and that of Rand. Both provide the book with a climax of sorts I suppose but they appear at odd places in the book. Jordan ends A Crown of Swords with the Seanchan invasion in Ebou Dar, then backtracks some hours to follow Elayne’s departure and the effort to change the weather. What Jordan is really doing here is finish book 7. This overlap between books will get worse later on in the series, Crossroads of Twilight and Winter’s Hart have a lot of overlap, making it hard for the reader to keep the time line straight.
Rand’s part in this book is a bit more action packed this time. In A Crown of Swords he mostly juggles his various interests, now he goes into battle mode. His campaign against the Seanchan in interesting enough. The conclusion is somewhat predictable of course but I guess this was a lesson Rand has to learn. After this battle Jordan goes back to building again for another 120 pages at least though. He ends the book on a dramatic note of course but with an event that is only loosely related to what most of the rest of the book is focussed on (but is important to the plot of Winter’s Heart). It looks to me like he could have provided a better story arc for A Crown of Swords, A Path of Daggers and Winter’s Heart without sacrificing much of story as it is.
This book may be oddly structured and at times a bit long winded, it does have it’s good sides as well. From this point on, we’ll see a lot more of the Seanchan. It has always interested me how various people have dealt with the threat of having a small number of people among them that can wield tremendous power (and use it to rule over the others). The lands between the Spine of the World and the Aryth Ocean have dealt with it by allowing the White Tower to monopolize the One Power. After a turbulent beginning the Aes Sedai have developed the three oaths that severely limits their use of the One Power. The Seanchan have moved in another direction altogether and leashed it’s channellers. Either are quite extreme when you think about it, but logical in a way. Shara also appears to have a repressive policy on the use of the One Power. Looking at Randland from this angle, the Aiel and Seafolk are unusual.
The structure of this book, the absence of one of the main characters and the fact that even after book eight no obvious conclusion the story is in sight frustrate many readers. Jordan keeps expanding his story (by introducing the Borderlander expedition for instance) setting himself an even more impossible task. He finishes very little though. Elayne is still not on the throne, Rand still hasn’t found a way to escape madness, Egwene still isn’t at Tar Valon, Cadsuane is supposed to be important to Rand but it is still unclear how, etc. It’s not that Jordan bores me with this book but he desperately needs to get to the point. I have read worse fantasy books, a lot worse in fact, but by the standard Jordan sets this one is mediocre.
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