“And his paths shall be many, and who shall know his name, for he shall be born among us many times, in many guises, as he has been and ever will be, time without end. His coming shall be like the sharp edge of the plow, turning our lives in furrows from out of the places where we lie in our silence. The breaker of bonds; the forger of chains. The maker of futures; the unshaper of destiny.”
– Robert Jordan, The Dragon Reborn
Warning!
From here on will be SPOILERS up to and including book 3 of the Wheel of Time.
At 243,569 words and 624 pages, The Dragon Reborn is the third instalment in Robert Jordan’s popular epic fantasy series, the Wheel of Time.
Considering the title, one would expect slightly more of our Dragon Reborn, aka Rand Al’Thor. Especially after the last two books, where he was undoubtedly the main protagonist of the series. We don’t even get to see directly inside his head until the very end of the book. Saying all that, Robert Jordan still did a masterful job of adding to Rand’s character, if in a slightly different way.
Regardless of that (minor) criticism, The Dragon Reborn is a fantastic book. I don’t believe it’s quite as good as The Great Hunt, but it’s certainly not far off. There were some moments that dragged a bit, mainly within ‘the girls’’ storyline, and obviously the gaping hole where Rand should have been, but it was still a concise (at least by Wheel of Time standards) and gripping read, littered with amazing moments and advancing the story in a way that just keeps me craving more.
While Rand is somewhat in absence, The Dragon Reborn instead does a fantastic job developing our other Emond Field boys, Perrin and Mat. I don’t know who was done better. Perrin had slightly more screen time, but Mat . . . Where do I start with Mat?
I never really knew what to make of the guy. Whenever I used to view others’ rankings of their top Wheel of Time characters, Mat always used to appear very high on the list. I never understood the hype.
After reading The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt, I didn’t understand where they were coming from. After The Dragon Reborn, I can now see what they mean.
He’s definitely growing on me. Like fungus.
“A man is the easiest animal to put on a leash, and the hardest to keep leashed. Even when he chooses it himself.”
– Robert Jordan, The Dragon Reborn
Anyway, I’ll begin with our wolfboy, Perrin Aybara. I loved the growth in Perrin during The Dragon Reborn, and I’m not just talking about the beard (although the beard is great).
A bond between a man and a wolf. Something we see a lot of in fantasy. While I certainly prefer how it’s done in Robin Hobb’s The Realm of the Elderlings, Perrin’s canine connection isn’t bad, per say, it’s just not as good. Definitely not bad. The Dragon Reborn does a great job of exploring Perrin’s character; in two different ways. The wolfy side, and the innocent blacksmith thrust into a cruel world of death and destruction.
I really enjoyed the opening chapters, with Perrin, Rand, Min, and Moiraine in the Mountains of Mist. Perrin’s first proper explorations into the World of Dreams, Tel’aran’rhiod, the fight with the Trollocs, and Perrin killing his first Myrddraal, were all captivating moments.
Also, at the point I’m at in the series (A Memory of Light), I’m in awe of all the subtle foreshadowing in the Wheel of Time. For example, Min’s viewings around Perrin: The Tinker with a Sword, An Aielman in a cage, and a Hawk and a Falcon. Small things like that. They’re so fascinating to pick up. Almost enough to make a man want to reread the books.
Almost.
Perrin’s encounter with Noam was another moment that stood out in Perrin’s arc. That was kind of disturbing. And sad. To see a fellow Wolfbrother end up as Noam did, to lose any sense of humanity, to be kept caged like that . . . Yikes. No wonder Perrin tries to distance himself from the wolves.
Also, if my boy Loial gets confused with a Trolloc one more time, I’ll . . . I’ll . . . phaw!
Speaking of cages, Perrin’s encounter with the Aielman in the small town of Remen was another scene I deeply enjoyed. I love Gaul. His and Perrin’s friendship becomes one of my favourite in the series. Perrin’s choice to free Gaul, and their subsequent fight against the Whitecloaks was another top moment in the book.
Man. Perrin just can’t escape those guys.
Other parts of Perrin’s arc I enjoyed include him meeting Faile and discovering her name means ‘falcon’, fighting the Gray men and the Darkhounds (Moiraine is so awesome), and everything he does in the wolf dream; spying on the Forsaken, spying on Rand. Lots of spying. For such a big guy, he’s pretty good at sneaking.
The final thing I want to say that I really appreciated with regard to Perrin was in the chapter called The Hammer. Wow. After all the crazy fast pace of the book, it was so nice just to slow down a little and meditate with Perrin in the smithy. A piece of metal, a hammer, a forge, and the desire to simply create something.
It was such a simple thing, but much needed. Especially as you understand Perrin’s inner conflict, ‘the axe or the hammer’. In this moment, he chose ‘the hammer’, bringing him a sense of peace and wholeness. Talk about escapism.
Honestly, it was kind of therapeutic.
“A man is the easiest animal to put on a leash, and the hardest to keep leashed. Even when he chooses it himself.”
– Robert Jordan, The Dragon Reborn
Now then . . .
Matrim Cauthon. Where to start? As I’ve already said, the guy had some amazing growth in The Dragon Reborn. And no, I’m not talking about the beard (I don’t think that guy can grow a beard), And yes, I’m absolutely talking about his ego. In a good way, of course. I mean, come on. His . . . memorable duel, his luck with the dice, gaining an audience with the flippin QUEEN of Andor, and saving the girls, pretty much single-handedly. More on those soon.
Anyway, I was joking about the ego part, but Mat really does have an awesome arc in The Dragon Reborn. Honestly, I was even more interested in his chapters than Perrin’s, which is saying something.
His time can be split into three segments (or what I like to call, the three T’s): Tar Valon, Travelling with Thom, and Tear. Tar Valon was probably my favourite. He gets Healed by a circle of Sisters, and he wakes up in the Tower and is visited by Lanfear (that was actually pretty funny).
His fight with Galad and Gawyn was one of the best moments of the entire book. One farmer with a quarterstaff vs two highly skilled men with swords, taught by the best of the best. Oh, and don’t forget that ‘farmer’ has recently been possessed by an evil dagger and confined to bed rest after extensive Healing.
Who do you think would win?
Mat, of course. Duh. I’ve not got a problem with Galad, but it was still super satisfying to watch Mat wipe the smug grins off their noble faces. The way he did it, so matter of fact. Hammar’s admonition afterwards was the icing on the cake.
“Yes!” Hammar shouted, turning to make sure all heard. “During his lifetime, Jearom fought over ten thousand times, in battle and single combat. He was defeated once. By a farmer with a quarterstaff! Remember that. Remember what you just saw.”
During his lifetime, the greatest blademaster fought over ten thousand times, in battle and single combat. He was defeated once. By a farmer with a quarterstaff! Remember that.”
So good.
And then his ‘escape’ from Tar Valon. Quick tip, Siuan Sanche. In the future, it would probably be wise to refrain from giving Mat a letter of permission in the name of the Amyrlin Seat.
Time to toss the dice.
The chapter called The First Toss and the following chapters are maybe some of my favourite Mat moments in the book. This is the first we see of him exploring the bounds of his supernatural ‘luck’. In gambling, then when he’s ambushed by Darkfriends and then by a Gray man, then sumbling into the tavern that Thom’s staying in, then somehow securing passage on a ship travelling south.
That ‘luck’ of his becomes a bit of a staple as the series progresses. All of that, plus how it’s told through Mat’s witty and distinct (but well written) inner dialogue, made for one engrossing chapter.
Other moments in Mat’s arc that stood out was his fight against the Darkfriends on the ship, rescuing Aludra, and giving some money to the mother of a starving family. That last one was downright caring of him.
“A […] hero. Thom, if I ever look like acting the hero again, you kick me.”
However he acts, the guy’s heart is in the right place.
Another hilarious scene was Mat falling into the Caemlyn gardens the same way Rand did. He got a slightly different reception, though. His chat with Morgase as he delivered the letter, accompanied by his inner dialogue, was priceless.
One of my favourite aspects of Mat is his obsession with all things that go BOOM! Using the fireworks to create a wall in the Stone of Tear? Flippin genius. Then infiltrating the fortress and saving the girls, only to be reprimanded?
Leave them to rot, next time.
“Should and would build no bridges.”
-Robert Jordan, The Dragon Reborn
Speaking of the girls, let’s get into what I liked and what I . . . didn’t like so much. Similar to Mat, their time is also split into three categories (the three T’s): Tar Valon, Travelling, and Tear.
There were some moments that . . . dragged a bit. I’m just not as invested in their storyline’s as much as the boys (that does sort of change later on in the series). It’s nothing personal, I’m just not as invested whenever they appear on page. I think we’ve all felt the same way, at some point.
Anyway . . .
I actually did really enjoy everything at Tar Valon and the White Tower. I genuinely really liked spending time in the daily life of novices and Accepted. Egwene being introduced to Tel’aran’rhiod, and the girls beginning their hunt for the Black Ajah were other aspects I thoroughly was caught on with. The friendship development between Egwene and Elayne and Nynaeve was also quite heart-warming.
Similar to Nynaeve’s Testing in The Great Hunt, Egwene’s Testing was a spectacular scene, one of my favourite of her moments in the book. Dang. Anything that involves ter’angreal and rituals. That was deep stuff. The sort of stuff that punches a man in the gut, but in a good way. Each of her visions were related to Rand, as well, which was interesting.
The first; married to him, the second; he asks her to kill him before he can Break the world, and the third; Egwene as Amyrlin refuses to gentle him, but is unable to save him.
Yikes. Even though it’s not real, seeing that sort of stuff has got to mess with your brain. It makes one wonder what it takes to become Aes Sedai. Wonder, with apprehension.
Although, maybe remove the ring next time, Egwene.
Although I didn’t really care for their travelling to Tear, I did appreciated meeting with the Aiel. Aviendha and Rhuarc and the rest. The Aiel. Their culture, fighting skills, everything about them is so interesting.
The final thing I enjoyed in their arc was them being captured by Liandrin and her cronies. Serves them right. Just joking. Maybe. Egwene using tel’aran’rhiod to turn against their captors was satisfying. Although I’m still steaming over how they treat Mat after he frees them.
“Men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.”
– Robert Jordan, The Dragon Reborn
The last thing I’ll mention is Rand. Obviously, as I already said, Rand was sort of non-existent in The Dragon Reborn. Yet, at the same time, it revolved around him. Looking back, Jordan did a masterful job of the whole ‘about Rand but not of Rand’ dynamic created in the book.
In the brief glimpses we got through Perrin and Egwene’s eyes, Rand has been on the run, constantly ambushed by Darkfriends and Shadowspawn. Ever since Falme, he’s become harder and darker, less trusting of everyone, even his closest friends and confidants. To the point where he almost kills Perrin and Egwene when they try to visit him through the World of Dreams. It reminds me of The Great Hunt, where Rand tries to push his friends away to keep them safe.
From himself.
One particular moment which really stood out was when Rand killed those Darkfriends at the end of chapter 36, Daughter of the Night. The first time I read that, I was genuinely troubled. I thought Rand had just killed 11 innocents, after inviting them to share his fire.
The way it was written, it wasn’t immediately clear they were Darkfriends, so I thought it was pretty messed up. Not just killing them, but doing it with his heron blade made of fire, then leaving their bodies kneeling, in a twisted supplication of Rand, the Dragon Reborn?
Yikes. Once I realised they were Darkfriends though, that scene was . . . just wow. That was written so well.
I will say that the ending of The Dragon Reborn was sooo satisfying. I won’t necessarily say it’s better than The Great Hunt’s, but it was still phenomenal. Rand’s duel with the Forsaken Be’lal, followed by Moiraine BALEFIRING the guy. Considering it’s a forbidden weave, she sure has begun to use it a lot.
Moiraine weaves and Moiraine wills, I guess.
Then Rand seizes Callandor and follows Ba’alzamon into Tel’aran’rhiod, finally delivering a fatal blow. Good riddance.
Honestly, it shames me to say, but by this point, I still kind of believed Ba’alzamon was the Dark One. So I was pretty disappointed when Rand actually killed him for real. I remember thinking, “Hey, we’re only on book 3, what happens for the next 11 books?”
Hey, I was pretty tired at the time.
What made the ending oh, so great, though, was the twist, that Ba’alzamon was actually Ishamael the whole time, and had only been impersonating the Dark One. What a twist. I know, I know.
Did I mention I was tired?
“Til shade is gone,
til water is gone
Into the shadow with teeth bared
Screaming defiance with the last breath
To spit in Sightblinder’s eye on the Last Day.”
– Robert Jordan, The Dragon Reborn
Overall, The Dragon Reborn was a solid book. The more I look back, the more I appreciate it for what it is and what it does. The originality, the pure audacity of it. I loved getting more character development with Perrin and Mat. And the girls, I guess. To a lesser extent.
I also really enjoyed Tel’aran’rhiod, the World of Dreams, being explored much more through Perrin and Egwene. And Rand, of course. The world just keeps expanding, and I’m really excited to see where we’ll go from here.
The Shadow Rising, here I come!
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