Min viewed, in the Lord of Chaos, that Berelain will meet "a man in white who will make her fall head over heels." This man in white appears to be Galad. In Towers of Midnight, Galad and Berelain seem to be taken with each other. At the beginning of the series, he's known to try whatever he can to shirk responsibility and work. For example, when he first discovered his ta'veren nature, he attempts to avoid his role in the Pattern, and only reluctantly accepts what he needs to do. He is all the while steadfast and loyal, and has learned over time not to shirk from his duties, no matter how much he might grumble about it. During the events in Ebou Dar, Mat meets a Seanchan High Lady by the name of Tuon, who Egeanin calls Daughter of the Nine Moons, the woman Mat knows he is fated to marry. After being confronted by her, Mat reluctantly kidnaps Tuon from the Tarasin Palace and takes her along for his escape from the city alongside her Voice, Selucia. He names Tuon his wife three times, unknowingly completing half of the Seanchan marriage ceremony, in response to which Tuon simply smiles. At first, Tuon calls Mat "Tylin's Toy" or "Toy" for short, which Mat repays by referring to Tuon as "Precious" for a while. During their journey, much to Egeanin's dissatisfaction, Mat begins to court Tuon in earnest, frequently giving her gifts, going on walks with her, and playing stones with her, seeming to finally accept his fate. Tuon's responses are never anything less than opaque, though, and when they finally do marry, it seems almost entirely a political match on her behalf, despite it being clear clear that Mat has sincere feelings for her. Over the course of the books we see Mat in many fights and his skill with his quarterstaff is shown as exemplary, though it is rarely commented on. The fact that Mat, while exhausted and weak, simultaneously defeated Galad and Gawyn, both considered exceptional swordsmen, and later Couladin of the Shaido clan (who is considered a fierce fighter, even among the Aiel) in single combat, shows that his skill in combat is above that of even the average blademaster—though he admittedly cannot be called a true blademaster because he does not use a sword. And it’s not just behaviour that’s heavily gendered in The Wheel of Time – the magic in the books is different for men and women. The male half of the One Power, Saidin, has been poisoned long ago by mega baddie Shai’tan (the Dark One), sending all male magic practitioners mad. This means that only women can use magic in the present-day world – so far, so feminist – but their half is called saidar, and while men must master saidin to channel it, women must submit to saidar. Hmm.

Mat is a peerless tactician. Aided by memories collected by the Aelfinn and Eelfinn from generals that entered the lands of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn between the Trolloc Wars and the War of a Hundred Years, his tactical acumen is such that no army under his command has ever suffered a defeat, no matter what the odds seem to be. The best thing about reading this series is the constant reminder of how long it is. As I readthis, I frequently looked up at my Wheel of Time shelf, at the nine books I have yet to read in the series, which serve as a reminder that I’ve barely scratched the surface of this totally epic fantasy world. I have so much left to see.

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Min Farshaw arrives at the White Tower to report to the Amyrlin, as Moiraine bid her to do. Her arrival is noted by Elaida, who discovers that something is going on between Moiraine, Siuan, and the Dragon Reborn. Min remains in the Tower in the guise of Elmindreda, a giddy, empty-headed woman unable to decide between two suitors. Elaida and her supporters confront and depose Siuan, stilling her and Leane Sharif, her Keeper of the Chronicles. Elaida is Raised (made Amyrlin) and many Aes Sedai flee. Min hides, and with the help of the cook Laras, frees the deposed Amyrlin Seat and Leane. Min, Siuan, and Leane are recognized by Gawyn Trakand as they try to flee the Tower grounds. He is reluctant to help Siuan since the disappearance of Elayne, but he helps them escape because Min asks it, and because it means helping Egwene as well. While riding through the city toward freedom across one of the bridges, they come across the gentled Logain, whom they talk into going with them. Before the showdown with the Trollocs, Perrin marries Faile and tasks her with travelling to Caemlyn and asking Queen Morgase to lend soldiers in their fight. The Shadow deploys Slayer, a mysterious and powerful agent together with a large host of Trollocs to kill Fain, endangering the Two Rivers. The persona of Merlin is also linked to a woman named Nynaeve (one of a number of Lady of the Lakes with similar names), and is eventually trapped in an enchanted tower by her.

I personally love the new locations characters venture out to in this book. Not only does the reader get to experience new cultures in the series, but also is split up with fantastic chapters involving Perrin and a more familiar location in the Two Rivers. However, this isn’t just Rand’s story.It would be a terribly boring book if it was.Thisseries does have thestandard fantasy trope of the light versus the dark, but the world is much more complex than that. It is full of factions that attempt to do good, namely The White Cloaks, though they are completely misguided and tend to do very stupid things. They are noble-hearted men, for the most part, and they remain true to theircause, but they cannot identify evil. These fools deserve pity more than anything. The same is true for theAesSedai; they attempt a controlling approach, and whilstsome oftheiractions are benevolent, they do lean towards tyranny. Sometimes theyjustneed to guide mankind,togive him a gentle push, rather than try to control him directly.Gandalf managed it inThe Lord of the Rings. Thom watched with Mat as Teslyn, Joline, and Edesina left for the White Tower. He then rode with Mat into Caemlyn to meet with Queen Elayne. After a pleasant greeting with her, Elayne offered him a proclamation to become a proper court bard of Caemlyn. He promised to think about it.

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Robert Jordan, author of The Wheel of Time series. Photograph: Liza Groen Trombi, Locus Publications The fourth novel in the Wheel of Time series - one of the most influential and popular fantasy epics ever published.

Thom was hot-headed but generally kind and considerate, though he nursed a hatred of the Red Ajah and a distrust of all Aes Sedai following their treatment of his nephew. A great player of Daes Dae'mar, Thom was able to sort out what was important among the information he gathered and what was lies. He assisted Matrim Cauthon in rescuing Moiraine from the Tower of Ghenjei and became her Warder and husband. It was later revealed that Thom knew of Moiraine's fate after her battle with Lanfear and that her rescue would require Mat's help. This comes from the letter that Thom received after her "death," in which she detailed some of what she saw when visiting the three rings in Rhuidean. [14] Traveling with the Band [ ]

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The boys leave all their weapons and head to the city, which is surrounded by a strange fog, one which cannot be penetrated in Tel’aran’rhiod. In the center of Rhuidean, Rand enters a crystal ter'angreal, where he starts to see visions of Aiel long dead, including most of the important events from their history. He learns the truth that most Aiel don't know; that once, they followed the Way of the Leaf. In fact, the original, full name of the Aiel, "Da'shain Aiel", means “dedicated to peace” in the Old Tongue. Rand also learns that the Tuatha’an are descended from the same people in the Age of Legends. He sees Couladin's first-brother, Muradin, apparently dying. The female sorcerers in the series are called Aes Sedai – a sort of Bene Gesserit-like organisation of which Pike’s character Moiraine is a member. Moiraine, who is actually one of Jordan’s better characters, is looking for the Dragon Reborn, a reincarnation of the male sorcerer who took on Shai’tan generations earlier. She believes he is one of three teenage boys living in the small village of Emond’s Field. Chapter 47 has four points of view, two of which are from Siuan Sanche's POV. Her first is 21% of the chapter and her second is 6% of the chapter. Galad then goes with Gawyn and Elayne to Tar Valon where he trains to become a Warder. He is an extremely good swordsman, besting Hammar more often than not, and " always does the right thing, with no regard for who it hurts."