The Dragon Reborn (Wheel of Time Series #3) Book

This was a hugely important book for me. This is a fourteen book series, and after the last book I was practically ready to stop reading it. I had to have a six month reading break because I was that frustrated with it. I thought that Rand was characterised horrendously, and I felt that he regressed to an early state. All in all, Robert Jordan had gone backward in his character development of his hero. So, this book had to win me over to keep me reading.

And it did. It so bloody-well did. My faith in the author has been completely restored. (Yay!) Rand is still the same heroic coward, but this time his actions actually corresponded with the events. When he ran, he had reason to do so. He also had very few point of view chapters. He is still the centre of the story, but its telling is given over to much more interesting characters like Mat, Nynaeve and my personal favourite Perrin. So, let's starts with the best character.

He has the heart of a wolf



The book opens with Perrin. It's still very early days, but he is one of the only characters I actually have sympathy for. His confidence has developed even further. When he taps the ancient magic that allows him to communicate with wolves, they run to his aid and welcome him as leader of their pack. This is a worthy boon for the young warrior, but it doesn't come without its problems. The ability alters his mind; it makes him feral as the wolfish thoughts dominate his human senses. He knows the danger of the ability; thus, he suppresses it and controls it. I find his part of the story completely fascinating because he boarders on edges of remaining noble and good or loosing himself to animalistic savagery.

Moraine was silent for a time, warming her hands. Finally she spoke whilst staring into the flames. 'The Creator is good, Perrin. The Farther of Lies is evil. The Pattern of Age, the Age Lace itself, is neither. The pattern is what is. The Wheel of Time weaves all lives into the Pattern, all actions. A Pattern that is all one colour is no pattern. For the Pattern of an age, good and ill are the warp and the woof.'

Moreover, in this bleak and dark world that Jordan has created, Perrin is one of the few with a pure heart, which makes his inner darkness even more complex. Like Rand and Mat, he wants to hang up his weapons and go home; he wants to forget about the long and hard task the wheel has set for him, but he knows what he must do. He knows that he cannot run; he knows that he cannot escape fate. So, he grits his teeth and gets on with his duty. After all, he will have an important part to play in defeating the darkness. He is too honourable to shirk from what he must perform. I can see him eventually becoming the rock that holds the trio together. He is a well-rounded character that is reliable and strong. I just know that he will have the courage to insure that his friends succeed, even if he has to drag them to their destiny.

Finally, some decent female characters.

Admittedly, for the first time in this series, I actually enjoyed the female side of the story. Previously, it seemed like Jordan could only write females in one way; they were all confrontational, moody, hot headed, physically attractive and at times even quite spiteful. It was beginning to get a little bit ridiculous; it was like he somehow naively perceived that all women have this same archetypal personality. This was regardless of their social standing or life experience. All the female characters were basically the same misogynistic reused stereotype. Thankfully, and at long last, Jordan's women are actually developing their own sense of individualism. It took him long enough to get there, now they're finally out of the tower.



Well, anyway, the girls are coming into there own. Nynaeve has had heaps of character development. She's learning to wield her magic to deadly affect, but she still hasn't quite figured how to activate it properly. She can only use it when in a state of pure agitation and anger. It responds to rage and rage only. When it is eventually unleashed it is powerful to behold, but not controlled. She's a strong character, and a very strong woman. She's quickly become the leader of the naïve Egwene and the inexperienced Elayne. She has the experience, and the wisdom (see what I did there?) to lead them in their hunt for the twisted Black Ajah. It was great to see these characters have their own fully developed side story that eventually linked back to the main plot. And the same is true for the cunning Mat.

Every perfect fantasy story needs it rouge

Mat has also come along way. He's recovered from his illness, though there is still some degree of taint in his heart. He has memories that are not his own. It will be interesting to see how this develops in later books, as the true origin of his luck will hopefully be revealed. The two are clearly connected and intertwined. He is a strong character, one who is developing faster than he can handle. He's already killed countless men, which is something he would never have thought himself capable. He has the danger of becoming numb to it as many fall to his agile wielding of his quarter staff.

This was a really good book, and I'm so glad. I'm actually looking forward to reading the next one. The side characters really make this series worthwhile. If you ignore Rand, like I'm trying to do, you will see how complex and versatile these other characters are. Their stories are much more interesting on every level. The world is also rich in opposing culture and beliefs. I like the way the "forces of good" are divided and mistrusting of each other. The Children of the Light are potentially morally right, but they are misguided and confused as to what is actually evil. Their ethos is right, though they just execute it in a roundabout way. It will be interesting to see if they become pawns of the dark one or see the error of their ways. I love these conflicting ideas.

So, for me, this series remains in the realms of perfect fantasy. At least, at the moment. Hopefully, it will remain good to its end.

The Wheel of time:
1. Eye of the World- An unoriginal five stars
2. The Great Hunt- A reluctant three stars
3. The Dragon Reborn- A well-developed 4 stars.
4. The Shadow Rising- A strong four stars
5. The Fires of Heaven- A slow two stars



"Kill a man who needs killing, and sometimes others pay for it. The question is, was it worth doing it anyway? There's always a balance, you know. Good and evil. Light and Shadow. We would not be human if there wasn't a balance."