Wheel Of Time #5 - The Fires Of Heaven
This post will contain spoilers for the Wheel of Time.
There's not a lot in this book that I really remember from my previous reads, and I think that that's partly because it's very much the middle book in this second trilogy and is therefore mostly setting up events for the next book.
I remembered Moiraine dying, but I'd forgotten that it happens here, and it once again took me by surprise. I'd completely forgotten that it's Aviendha who rediscovers travelling, and I'd forgotten that it's Mat who kills Couladin - off page, another interesting decision by Jordan that I don't think quite works. Couladin is such a massive presence in the story of Rand among the Aiel that it feels like a disservice to us to have it be resolved in the way it is.
And where the hell is Perrin? Again I'd forgotten that he simply disappears for this entire book. His story is always my favourite part of this series and I miss seeing what he's been doing. We ended book four on the promise of resolving the Stalker plot, and for it to be completely absent here feels like a broken promise.
Overall I'm not sure how to feel about this book. It's still good, but I think it's very long in the tooth for what it actually achieves in propelling the story forward. There are places where it feels a little rushed and confused despite the length, too. But I do like the stuff around the second tower in Salidar, and it sets up a lot of plot elements that I know pay off well in later books. I think overall this is a bit of a dip in the series, but I'm hoping it's because book 6 is going to wrap some things up in a big way. Maybe I'm wrong about that - I genuinely can't remember what happens in each book - but I'm looking forward to finding out.