The Path of Daggers - Robert Jordan

RATING: FOUR STARS

Rand al'Thor is the Dragon Reborn, The Lord of the Morning, the storm prophesied to bring doom to the Dark One, to reseal him in the accursed prison Shayol Ghul. But he has grown arrogant and cold in his power. Gone is the carefree and modest boy he was when his life was that of a simple farmer, before Ishmael touched the world for the first time since the Age of Legends. He sheds no tears now and thinks nothing of dealing judgement and death. He is a ruler, wearing stolen crowns upon his brow. He is a general, leading vast armies that fight and die in his name. He is the Dragon Reborn; the world will both weep and rejoice at his passing.

Sitting upon the throne of Ilian, Rand seethes at the Seanchan invasion of Arad Doman. He has a war to prepare and can't continue to fight it on so many fronts. The Shaido Aiel are everywhere and are as insidious as ever. Many of the Forsaken still make their plans against him and the White Tower, even divided, is determined to use him. Too many fronts and too little time. So Rand decides to strike out at the Seanchan and drive them into the sea in a repeat of his victory at Falme. Legions of damane, shackled women who are powerful in the One Power, walk with them and Rand seeks another trump card should his Asha'man fail. He looks to use an artefact of legend to his advantage, not understanding its power or the strange illness that's afflicting all those who can touch the Source. He makes his first mistake, one that may shatter the Black Tower and breed him more enemies than allies. Worse still, the Bowl of Winds has been used. The unnatural long summer that has afflicted the lands has broken into storms and blizzards that leaves whole armies shivering in their wake. Winter is coming and the Dragon Reborn is more alone than ever . . .

The Good
Once again, Robert Jordan has created a seamless masterpiece of high fantasy. His world and characters are rich and detailed to the point where I'm beginning to understand his major protagonists as people. It's interesting how each character and faction have their own relatively selfish goals and dilemmas in their various storylines, which all work to defeat the Dark One, yet have very different mechanisms and outcomes. They work with Rand because it suits their end rather than blindly following him, which is redolent of real life where people work to benefit themselves as much as others and adds a real edge of realism to The Path of Daggers and Wheel of Time as a whole. With the notable exception of George R. R. Martin, this is something many authors overlook and fantasy protagonists are often simply just amazingly altruistic.

I also like how Jordan's been developing Rand's character throughout the series and just how much he has changed has become evident in this book. The events Rand has survived through, along with the burden of saving the world and fulfilling the Karaethon Cycle, have taken their toll. Add that to the insanity that stems from using saidin and nobody could remain the same, which creates one of the most fascinating and deepest layers of the story.

The Bad
Sadly, the last few books in The Wheel of Time have been following a trend where nothing much really happens for large parts of it. The Path of Daggers has fallen into the same pitfall and is predominately telling a story of people walking around and talking. Once again, it seems to be laying the ground work for future events rather than carrying the story forward itself. However, it's worth noting that the story picks up towards its end and I have the feeling that Jordan is going to break this mandate soon, allowing The Wheel of Time to grow as exciting and addictive as it was in its early books.

My Thoughts
The Path of Daggers is a fantastic read and don't let my criticism of it being slow put you off it or The Wheel of Time as a whole. Set against a stunning backdrop that even rivals New Zealand as Middle Earth, the book is full of epic struggle, betrayals, failure and success. It's got swords and battles and users of magic, being a masterful work of fantasy. I can't wait to continue the series with Winter's Heart, its ninth instalment, and can't stress enough how anyone who likes fantasy needs to begin their adventure into The Wheel of Time.