The Dragon Reborn

The Wheel of Time #3

by Robert Jordan, Kate Reading (Narrator), Michael Kramer (Narrator)

The Dragon Reborn—the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the savior who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him—is on the run from his destiny.

Able to touch the One Power, but unable to control it, and with no one to teach him how—for no man has done it in three thousand years—Rand al'Thor knows only that he must face the Dark One. But how?

Winter has stopped the war—almost—yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he?

Perrin Aybara is in pursuit with Moiraine Sedai, her Warder Lan, and Loial the Ogier. Bedeviled by dreams, Perrin is grappling with another deadly problem—how is he to escape the loss of his own humanity?

Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are approaching Tar Valon, where Mat will be healed—if he lives until they arrive. But who will tell the Amyrlin their news—that the Black Ajah, long thought only a hideous rumor, is all too real? They cannot know that in Tar Valon far worse awaits...

Ahead, for all of them, in the Heart of the Stone, lies the next great test of the Dragon reborn....

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Audiobook, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure

25 pages, Audiobook

First published October 15, 1991

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.

Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to 1970) with the United States Army as a helicopter gunner. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. After returning from Vietnam he attended The Citadel where he received an undergraduate degree in physics. After graduating he was employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer. He began writing in 1977. He was a history buff and enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting.

He described himself as a "High Church" Episcopalian and received communion more than once a week. He lived with his wife Harriet McDougal, who works as a book editor (currently with Tor Books; she was also Jordan's editor) in a house built in 1797.

Responding to queries on the similarity of some of the concepts in his Wheel of Time books with Freemasonry concepts, Jordan admitted that he was a Freemason. However, "like his father and grandfather," he preferred not to advertise, possibly because of the negative propaganda against Freemasonry. In his own words, "no man in this country should feel in danger because of his beliefs."

On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed in a statement that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, and that with treatment, his median life expectancy was four years, though he said he intended to beat the statistics. He later posted on his Dragonmount blog to encourage his fans not to worry about him and that he intended to have a long and fully creative life.

He began chemotherapy treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in early April 2006. Jordan was enrolled in a study using the drug Revlimid just approved for multiple myeloma but not yet tested on primary amyloidosis.

Jordan died at approximately 2:45 p.m. EDT on September 16, 2007, and a funeral service was held for him on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Jordan was cremated and his ashes buried in the churchyard of St. James Church in Goose Creek, outside Charleston.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

Not much actually happened in The Dragon Reborn but it was more engaging than the previous two books.

The Dragon Reborn is the third book in The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. The title of this novel may be The Dragon Reborn, this title implies that Rand will take the central role again, but the main characters of this book were actually Mat, Perrin, and Egwene. If I’m not mistaken, Rand has only like three or four small POV chapters. This doesn’t mean that Rand wasn’t important to the main story, the storyline still heavily revolved around him.

Picture: The Dragon Reborn by Francesca Resta



Now that I’m three books into the series, let me just say that Jordan is terribly slow in progressing his main story, and the early books are supposedly some of Jordan’s finest works in the series; I haven’t reached the infamous dreadful book 7-10. If you cut/condensed the traveling sections of the first three books, what you have is pretty much one book with no pacing issue; Jordan is that inefficient and repetitive. That being said, The Dragon Reborn was, somehow, the most engaging book so far. Sure there was still repetition and same plot structure usage—started strong for the first 20%, travel for 50-60%, then closing with incredible final section—but I didn’t find myself struggling through the middle section as much as I did for the first two books.

I feel like Jordan has improved a lot in characterizations; I found Mat, Perrin, and Egwene to be more sympathetic than before now. Focusing the POV chapters to these three ended up being a great decision; it brings a lot of benefits rather than disadvantages. First of all, we get to read these important characters being developed further. We also get to see their thoughts towards Rand, other characters, and the state of the world/predicament they’re in. Finally, Rand was still thickheaded here and I don’t think I can withstand reading him being stubborn about accepting his destiny for another 700 pages for the third time in a row. I get it, he has valid reasons for being stubborn and reluctant, and I do understand why he acted that way. However, just because I understand his reasons doesn’t mean that I would enjoy reading literally thousands of pages of him being angry and stubborn about something which he always ended up doing anyway.

“Should and would build no bridges.”

This was the first time where I started to realize just how insane Nynaeve’s braid tugging syndrome was. Insane, I mean it, insane and ridiculous. Not only she’s one of the most annoying female characters I’ve ever encountered (and there are still 10 books left for her to get worse), her existence relies dangerously on her tugging braid. I can’t seem to understand why Jordan need to emphasize her braid tugging that much, it was pointless and annoying; I think she’ll literally die if she doesn’t tug her braid. No one in the world tugs their braid that fiercely and that much. NO ONE.

“She jerked her braid so hard it hurt.”

*standing applause*

As much as I enjoyed reading this installment, I seriously feel like not a lot of important things have happened; the entirety of the three books so far could’ve been easily condensed into one book without losing matters of importance. I’m giving the same 3.5 stars rating just like I did for the first two books. In my opinion, that’s not a good enough measurement for a series as massive as this. Why am I continuing? I loved Sanderson’s adult fantasy works that much that I’m willing to push myself—or at least still attempt—to finish this series just to read Sanderson’s involvement in it. Although I sounded negative and critical in this review, let me clarify that it wasn’t because it’s a bad book, The Dragon Reborn was the least boring installment so far. I just feel disappointed that a lot of the superb parts of the series so far were constantly diminished unnecessarily due to pacing issue and repetitiveness. I’ve heard a lot of amazing things about the next book of the series, The Shadow Rising, here’s hoping that it will finally break or at least reached my 4 stars rating barrier.

You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.”

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Ivan · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 30%

Dear Wheel of time I am breaking up with you.

This wasn't easy decision as I don't like to leave things unfinished.My friends keep on telling me how great you are and that I should give you another chance but I think that this relationship has already taken too much of my time and I just can't look past your snail pace and many obnoxious characters.We definitively had our good moments but every time we are together I keep thinking about other series and keep glancing on other books on my shelf and that is not how relationship between reader and book should be.Call me old fashioned but I believe book should hold the reader tight and make him forget about other books until the last page is done.

I am sure you will find devoted reader who will adore you and maybe our paths well cross again and we continue from where we left but I just can't see it happening anytime soon.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!! Nuff said!

Mel ❤️

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

The Dragon Reborn is where things really start getting good.

PLEASE NOTE that I am speaking strictly from the REREAD perspective. If you have never read the series before, the first two books are spectacular. Spectacular x5, even. It's only knowing what's coming and being impatient to get to the even better parts that makes books 1 and 2 merely enjoyable when compared to the depth of imagination and interconnectedness as the series progresses.

BUT. All of that epicness must have a solid foundation on which to build.

And book #3 is still very much a part of that early foundation-laying process.

However, TWO very important things happen in this installment (and those two things make all the difference):

1. Mat is healed from the taint of the Shadar Logoth dagger.
2. Perrin meets Faile.

I don't know if prior-to-book 3-Mat was part of Jordan's character growth process, or if he just got bored with the character--I certainly found the early version to be tiresome--but when Mat wakes from being Healed in Tar Valon, he's almost a completely different person.

Oh, he's still a rascal, but no longer a rascal of the juvenile variety. Instead, he becomes that kind of clever, scalawag, rogue-type character, who has always been one of my personal favorites.

In another life (HA!), he would have made an excellent pirate.

It's the difference between telling a couple of younger boys a story about ghost hounds, then covering a few dogs in flour and loosing them on the village green, and betting Galad and Gawyn that he can beat them, his quarterstaff against their two swords, both b/c he needs the money to finance his escape, and also b/c "it would be fun."

Then there's Faile.

A lot of WoT fans aren't particularly fond of Faile, and maybe I'll change my mind after rereading some of the later installments . . . but I doubt it.

I just like her.

Firstly, she's Saldaean, which is my second favorite people group (after the Aiel).

Almost all of the drama in her relationship with Perrin can be attributed to her nationality, and where others are simply exhausted by her and her antics, I chalk it up to cultural differences. <------legit cause for misunderstandings.

And when she's not behaving in what a non-Saldaean would consider a ridiculous manner, her interactions with Perrin are positively delightful; I am full of delight.

Her appearance is also the first concrete manifestation (with long-term consequences) of one of Min's Viewings.

So yeah, those two things are where I turn the corner and stop fighting the urge to skim things I've read numerous times before.

This book is also where the Forsaken start to become real characters instead of flat boogiemen-type shapes.

In The Eye of the World, we learned nothing beyond the fact that some of them were no longer imprisoned, and that there were two fewer of them in world. In The Great Hunt, the information was limited to Lanfear. But in The Dragon Reborn, we not only learn more about Lanfear, we also meet at least three others, and some of the mystery surrounding "Ba’alzamon" is . . . not revealed, per se, but I definitely felt I understood what the situation was by the time I finished the book.

And anytime we learn anything about the Age of Legends (whence the Forsaken came), I am a happy camper.

Basically, I loved it.

PS: is it just me, or does Cover Dude bear a remarkable resemblance to Prince Harry?



My other reviews for this series:

The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time, #1) by Robert Jordan
The Great Hunt (Wheel of Time, #2) by Robert Jordan
The Shadow Rising (Wheel of Time, #4) by Robert Jordan
The Fires of Heaven (Wheel of Time, #5) by Robert Jordan
Lord of Chaos (Wheel of Time, #6) by Robert Jordan
A Crown of Swords (Wheel of Time, #7) by Robert Jordan
The Path of Daggers (Wheel of Time, #8) by Robert Jordan
Winter's Heart (Wheel of Time, #9) by Robert Jordan
Crossroads of Twilight (Wheel of Time, #10) by Robert Jordan
New Spring (Wheel of Time, #0) by Robert Jordan

Highlights:

1. Mat HEALED!! WOOT!

2. Egwene's Accepted Test.

3. Mat with a quarterstaff vs. Galad and Gawyn with swords. Like . . . a day after he'd been Healed. EPIC. One of my favorite scenes from the whole series.

4. FAILE.

5. Mat rescuing Nynaeve, Egwene, and Elayne.

6. He raised Callandor above his head. Silver lightning crackled from the blade, jagged streaks arching toward the great dome above. “Stop!” he shouted. The fighting ceased; men stared at him in wonder, over black veils, from beneath the rims of round helmets. “I am Rand al’Thor!” he called, so his voice rang through the chamber. “I am the Dragon Reborn!” Callandor shone in his grasp.
One by one, veiled men and helmeted, they knelt to him, crying, “The Dragon is Reborn! The Dragon is Reborn!”

Forsaken:

1. He hated Illian. “One day we’ll loot Illian bare, tear down every town and village, and sow their filthy ground with salt.” Mallia’s beard almost bristled with outrage at how filthy the Illian land was. “Even their olives are putrid! One day we’ll carry every last Illianer pig off in chains! That is what the High Lord Samon says.”

Be'lal.

2. Before he could find words, the door crashed back against the wall, and Moiraine stood in the doorway, her face as pale and grim as death. “Your wolf dreams tell as truly as a Dreamer’s, Perrin. The Forsaken are loose, and one of them rules in Illian.”
Perrin climbed off the bed and started dressing, not caring whether Zarine was watching or not. He knew what he intended to do, but he asked Moiraine anyway. “Do we leave?”
“Unless you want to make closer acquaintance with Sammael,” she said dryly.

3. “Be silent, boy,” the dark man in the gold-encrusted coat said calmly. He was a handsome man, almost as good-looking as Galad and nearly as youthful-seeming, despite the white streaking his temples, but built on a bigger scale, with more than Rand’s height and very nearly Perrin’s shoulders. “We will hear what you have to say in a moment.” He reached over Morgase’s shoulder and plucked the letter out of her hand. Her glare turned on him—Mat could see her temper heating—but the dark man laid a strong hand on her shoulder, never taking his eyes off what he was reading, and Morgase’s anger melted. “It seems she has left the Tower again,” he said. “On the service of the Amyrlin Seat. The woman oversteps herself again, Morgase.”
Mat had no trouble holding his tongue. Luck. It was stuck to the roof of his mouth. Sometimes I don’t know if it’s good or bad. The dark man was the owner of the deep voice, the “Great Master” who wanted Elayne’s head. She called him Gaebril. Her advisor wants to murder Elayne? Light! And Morgase was staring up at him like an adoring dog with her master’s hand on her shoulder.

Rahvin.

4. “One of the Forsaken is in Tear. The High Lord Samon is Be’lal.”

5. “I will not be undone!” Ba’alzamon cried. His mouth was fire; his shriek echoed among the columns. “I cannot be defeated! Aid me!” Some of the darkness shrouding him drifted into his hands, formed into a ball so black it seemed to soak up even the light of Callandor. Sudden triumph blazed in the flames of his eyes.
“You are destroyed!” Rand shouted. Callandor spun in his hands. Its light roiled the darkness, severed the steel-black lines around Ba’alzamon, and Ba’alzamon convulsed. As if there were two of him he seemed to dwindle and grow larger at the same time. “You are undone!” Rand plunged the shining blade into Ba’alzamon’s chest.
Ba’alzamon screamed, and the fires of his face flared wildly. “Fool!” he howled. “The Great Lord of the Dark can never be defeated!”
Rand pulled Callandor’s blade free as Ba’alzamon’s body sagged and began to fall, the shadow around him vanishing.
And suddenly Rand was in another Heart of the Stone, surrounded by columns still whole, and fighting men screaming and dying, veiled men and men in breastplates and helmets. Moiraine still lay crumpled at the base of a redstone column. And at Rand’s feet lay the body of a man, sprawled on its back with a hole burned through the chest. He might have been a handsome man in his middle years, except that where his eyes and mouth should have been were only pits from which rose tendrils of black smoke.

Ba’alzamon = Ishamael.

Foresight:

1. Only a dream, he thought, shivering from the cold, and with that everything shifted.
He stared into the mirror, a part of him not comprehending what he saw, another part accepting. A gilded helmet, worked like a lion’s head, sat on his head as if it belonged there. Gold leaf covered his ornately hammered breastplate, and gold-work embellished the plate and mail on his arms and legs. Only the axe at his side was plain. A voice—his own—whispered in his mind that he would take it over any other weapon, had carried it a thousand times, in a hundred battles. No! He wanted to take it off, throw it away. I can’t!

2. “An Aielman in a cage,” she said promptly. “A Tuatha’an with a sword. A falcon and a hawk, perching on your shoulders. Both female, I think. And all the rest, of course. What is always there. Darkness swirling ’round you, and—”

1. Gaul
2. Aram
3.a. Faile
3.b. Berelain

3. " ‘Heart of the Dark. Ba’alzamon. Name hidden within name shrouded by name. Secret buried within secret cloaked by secret. Betrayer of Hope. Ishamael betrays all hope. Truth burns and sears. Hope fails before truth. A lie is our shield. Who can stand against the Heart of the Dark? Who can face the Betrayer of Hope? Soul of shadow, Soul of the Shadow, he is—’ ”

4. “Tell me why,” she demanded. “Why would you ask me to—to murder you? I will Heal you, I will do anything to get you out of there, but I cannot kill you. Why?”
“They can turn me, Egwene.” His breathing was so tortured, she wished she could weep. “If they take me—the Myrddraal—the Dreadlords—they can turn me to the Shadow. If madness has me, I cannot fight them. I won’t know what they are doing till it is too late. If there is even a spark of life left when they find me, they can still do it. Please, Egwene. For the love of the Light. Kill me.”

Sheriam sighed, glanced at the other Aes Sedai again, then dropped her voice to a whisper and spoke swiftly. “This is something known only to a few, child, even in the Tower. You should not learn it now, if ever, but I will tell you. There is—a weakness in being able to channel. That we learn to open ourselves to the True Source means that we can be—opened to other things.” Egwene shuddered. “Calm yourself, child. It is not so easily done. It is a thing not done, so far as I know—Light send it has not been done!—since the Trolloc Wars. It took thirteen Dreadlords—Darkfriends who could channel—weaving the flows through thirteen Myrddraal. You see? Not easily done."

5. "Where are you from, lad?”
“Manetheren.” Mat froze when he heard the name come out of his mouth. “I mean, I’m from the Two Rivers. I have heard too many old stories.”

6. There had been a dream of Rand, reaching for a sword that seemed to be made of crystal, never seeing the fine net dropping over him. And one of him kneeling in a chamber where a parched wind blew dust across the floor, and creatures like the one on the Dragon banner, but much smaller, floated on that wind, and settled into his skin. There had been a dream of him walking down into a great hole in a black mountain, a hole filled with a reddish glare as from vast fires below, and even a dream of him confronting Seanchan.

Perrin with a falcon on his shoulder, and Perrin with a hawk. Only the hawk held a leash in her talons—Egwene was somehow convinced both hawk and falcon were female—and the hawk was trying to fasten it around Perrin’s neck.

And that dream of Perrin—with a beard!—leading a huge pack of wolves that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Mat, placing his own left eye on a balance scale. Mat, hanging by his neck from a tree limb.

7. “Farmboy! Perhaps I will call myself Faile. My father used to call me that, when I was little. It means ‘falcon.’ ”
He stiffened and almost missed the first step of the ladder. Coincidence. He made himself go down without looking back toward her. It has to be.

8. There had been dreams of Mat, too. Of Mat with dice spinning ’round him—she felt she knew where that one came from—of Mat being followed by a man who was not there—she still did not understand that; there was a man following, or maybe more than one, but in some way there was no one there—of Mat riding desperately toward something unseen in the distance that he had to reach, and Mat with a woman who seemed to be tossing fireworks about. An Illuminator, she assumed, but that made no more sense than anything else.

Insight:

1. A dozen small things besides, some perhaps only baseless rumors, but taken together with the rest . . . Sightings of Aiel reported as far west as Murandy, and Kandor. Only two or three in one place, but one or a thousand, Aiel had come out of the Waste just once in all the years since the Breaking. Only in the Aiel War had they ever left that desolate wilderness.

The Atha’an Miere, the Sea Folk, were said to be ignoring trade to seek signs and portents—of what, exactly, they did not say—sailing with ships half full or even empty.

Illian had called the Great Hunt of the Horn for the first time in almost four hundred years, had sent out the Hunters to seek the fabled Horn of Valere, which prophecy said would summon dead heroes from the grave to fight in Tarmon Gai’don, the Last Battle against the Shadow.

Rumor said the Ogier, always so reclusive that most common people thought them only legend, had called meetings between their far-flung stedding.

2. “Browns seek knowledge, Blues meddle in causes, and Whites consider the questions of truth with implacable logic. We all do some of it all, of course. But to be a Green means to stand ready.” A note of pride entered Alanna’s voice. “In the Trolloc Wars, we were often called the Battle Ajah. All Aes Sedai helped where and when they could, but the Green Ajah alone was always with the armies, in almost every battle. We were the counter to the Dreadlords. The Battle Ajah. And now we stand ready, for the Trollocs to come south again, for Tarmon Gai’don, the Last Battle. We will be there. That is what it means to be a Green.”

3. If dogs had been able to make footprints on stone, he would have said it was the print of a large hound. There were no hound’s footprints in any of the bare ground he could see, where softer dirt on the verge might take one, and no smell of any dog’s trail. Just a faint trace in the air of something burned, almost the sulphurous smell left by setting off fireworks.

4. “Every queen of Manetheren was an Aes Sedai, and the king the Warder bound to her."

5. Elayne nodded. “I think so. I do not know much of the Prophecies of the Dragon, but I have heard a few lines. One I remember is, ‘On the slopes of Dragonmount shall he be born, born of a maiden wedded to no man.’ Egwene, Rand does look like an Aiel. Well, he looks like the pictures I have seen of Tigraine, too, but she vanished before he was born, and I hardly think she could have been his mother anyway. I think Rand’s mother was a Maiden of the Spear.”

6. Rhuarc cleared his throat. “When a man wishes to become a clan chief, he must go to Rhuidean, in the lands of the Jenn Aiel, the clan that is not.” He spoke slowly and frowned often at the red-fringed silk carpet under his soft boots, a man trying to explain what he did not want to explain at all. “Women who wish to become Wise Ones also make this journey, but their marking, if they are marked, is kept secret among themselves. The men who are chosen at Rhuidean, those who survive, return marked on the left arm. So.”
He pushed back the sleeves of his coat and shirt together to reveal his left forearm, the skin much paler than that of his hands and face. Etched into the skin as if part of it, wrapped twice around, marched the same gold-and-scarlet form as rippled on the banner above the Stone.
The Aiel let his sleeve fall with a sigh. “It is a name not spoken except among the clan chiefs and the Wise Ones. We are . . .” He cleared his throat again, unable to say it here.
“The Aiel are the People of the Dragon.”

Musings:

1. Niall nodded grimly. There had been no male Aes Sedai since the Breaking of the World, but the women who still claimed that title were bad enough. They prated of their Three Oaths: to speak no word that was not true, to make no weapon for one man to kill another, to use the One Power as a weapon only against Darkfriends or Shadowspawn. But now they had showed those oaths for the lies they were. He had always known no one could want the power they wielded except to challenge the Creator, and that meant to serve the Dark One.

Whitecloaks are so freaking obnoxious. What do you mean, "no one could want the power they wielded"? It's not like they HAVE A CHOICE. *grumbles*

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book in the series so far

I had a great time reading The Dragon Reborn, and am happy that each book in the series so far has been better than the previous one. The pacing of this book was much more enjoyable, and the second half of the book is far more exciting. This is the first book in the series where the story really starts to take on the grand scale that this story is steadily marching the reader towards.

Even though Rand is definitely the main character of this book, I appreciated that he had a smaller role in this book so we could learn more about other characters and get to feel for them more. With a series this long, that's only a good thing.

I am excited to keep reading and learning more about these characters and seeing where this epic plot takes us.

Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Wheel of Time, book 3: The Dragon is reborn and his and his friends destinies and paths have been foretold, but are their futures fixed? Although this book focused a lot more on the female leads and the world of the Aes Sedai, it still didn't really grab my attention, like the previous two books, so much of this work is world building... where's the story? Where's the characterisation? Ultimately it feels so much is revealed by exposition, whereas I much prefer stories where key moments and details are revealed in conversations, plot twists or other types of plot-led reveals. The biggest problem though is the pacing, as Chandler would say "Could this book move any slower?".

I accept and can see that this really is a momentous piece of world building, but to me overall it just feels really trite and lifeless - 4 out of 12, Two Star Read! I may need a break from this series.

2022 read

[Dana Ilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in the series is a bit strange, in my opinion. It draws away from Rand, who I firmly believe is the main character, despite the infinitely large cast.The book instead follows the various subgroups that are in a quest to follow Rand, and his path of destruction, whether they know it or not.
Mat finally gets a POV chapter and stops sucking and starts being a fount of pure, unadulterated awesome. Perrin stops mid-story to do a little blacksmithing; central to Perrin’s character. He’s a born craftsman forced into the role of a warrior.

[Em Lost In Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is titled Dragon Reborn, it definitely is not about Rand al’Thor as the title suggests. This book paves way for Mat, Perrin, and Egwene to shine.

Mat, Perrin, Rand, and Egwene all got their separate story arcs here as they all went their different ways in the start of the book. Rand appeared only in 2-3 chapters. So when Rand went in to Tear to take Callandor and put the rumours down for once and all; it was Mat, Perrin and the girl gang (Egwene, Nynaeve, Elyane) who took the center stage here.

While the girls were good, it was Perrin and Mat who won my heart in this book. Both guys finally came out of Rand’s shadow and surprised me. Perrin already holds a special place because of what he can do (and let’s not forget wolves) but Mat was the surprise package. I hated Mat from Book 1, so I am shocked how much I liked him here. He is witty, trouble-magnet, not so brave (he try his best to escape evil/difficult situations) but when he went into the tower to save the girls, I turned into a fan.

the book dragged in few chapters but Jordan surely knows how to write an amazing climax and all the different story lines and different prophecies converge beautifully in the end.

All in all another great book in the long series.

[Choko · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 5 ***

"...“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..."

An amazing continuation of this epic series! I can not help but keep falling deeper and deeper in love with everything about it... Writing a review, the way I fan-girl over this series, is absolutely worthless. I have no objectivity left and honestly, attempting to describe this intricate and complex plot seems to me an insurmountable task.

"...“Heart of the Dark. Ba’alzamon. Name hidden within name shrouded by name. Secret buried within secret cloaked by secret. Betrayer of Hope. Ishamael betrays all hope. Truth burns and sears. Hope fails before truth. A lie is our shield. Who can stand against the Heart of the Dark? Who can face the Betrayer of Hope? Soul of shadow, Soul of the Shadow, he is—”
― Robert Jordan, The Dragon Reborn..."

If you are even slightly interested in the genre of Classic Fantasy, or High Quest Fantasy, and I would say the restrictions of those labels are far outreached in this series, this should be a MUST READ!!! It starts slow, but instead of boring, it is entrancing with the masterful world building which unfolds natural in front of us... And the characters are so animated and real, that when away from the books, you actually miss them... Epic and entertaining. Read it!!!

"...“Just because fate has chosen something for you instead of you choosing it for yourself doesn’t mean it has to be bad. Even if it’s something you are sure you would never have chosen in a hundred years. ‘Better ten days of love than years of regretting,’ ” she quoted.”
― Robert Jordan, The Dragon Reborn..."

I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find enrichment in the pages of a Good Book!

[Nimrod Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very compelling continuation of The Wheel of Time series, but not as amazing as The Great Hunt.

There’s a very interesting decision by Jordan to push Rand to the background so Mat and Perrin would shine in his absence, and it worked very well. In The  Great Hunt I felt like Perrin barely had a focus on him in comparison to The Eye of The World, and so did Mat. Mat had even less focus than Perrin in the first 2 books, and both of them felt like nice additions to the cast but no more than that. In The Dragon Reborn it’s exactly the opposite, as they have quite a lot of POV chapters where they could grow into interesting characters and their overall importance begins to emerge.
As for the rest of the characters – there’s still focus on Nynaeve and Egwene, both are really great characters and probably my favorites. Elayne becomes a very important part of this  trio, and the three of them keep growing and developing as characters. Moiraine and Lan were mostly in the background in book 2 but we see much more of them here, which is great.

To that, pour some schemes by the Black Aja, The Forsaken keep steering things in the world, and Ba’alzamon continues with his plans. Oh, and some ancient relics:)

What I really liked in this book is the development of the world-building, as we find out more about the World of Dreams and Jordan even dabbled with parallel worlds ideas. That opens up a lot of possibilities for the series to go in interesting directions. As the series progresses, it is evident that The Wheel of Time isn’t a formulaic generic fantasy, which is great, especially when considering when WoT was written. 

All in all, it’s a very good installment in the Wheel of Time series, with very good character development, fascinating world-building and pretty good plot (but not as good as in book 2).

4.25/5

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I get the increasing feeling the tv show is actually terrible. It does not do these books justice. It’s more than just Jordan’s prose which is obviously lost; the magical quality to it all just doesn’t translate. I remember seeing a meme somewhere saying ”Go to hell” is too basic a threat. “May your favorite book be made into an awful adaptation” is much more terrifying. And I really felt that.


Spoilers below!!
———————————






Anyway, I was really excited about Rand accepting his fate at the end of book 2 and thus about the promising title of The Dragon Reborn (book 3). However, because of that title, I wrongly assumed Rand to be the main viewpoint character when instead we see events unfolding through Egwene, Mat, and Perrin and only see Rand fighting Shadowspawn in brief passages. Even if the title felt like false advertisement to me at times when I missed Rand’s perspective, Jordan made the narrative work really well. Since Rand has accepted his fate and goes on his journey alone, his character arc wasn’t going to advance much further; other than him becoming more competent in using Saidin by defeating foes - which is efficiently shown in brief POV sequences - his arc couldn’t have progressed any further yet. The other protagonists, however, had some growing to do and therefore needed the page time - Mat most of all. I’m happy to note I’m starting to dislike him less and maybe even starting to like him.

I also really like how the Wheel keeps leading our heroes to significant events; something that without the pretext of predestination would elicit eyerolls. Here, it is truly refreshing that instead of characters missing each other by mere minutes or stupid circumstances, they actually meet and have a chance to team up.

However, a minor complaint I have is how Ba’alzamon’s defeat is handled. Third time is the charm, eh? I was a bit annoyed to find that he hadn’t died in books 1 and 2 after all and if he isn’t down for good now, I’ll be seriously put out. Sanderson once observed that if your heroes defeat the same evil forces over and over, you run the risk of making your adversary appear less of a threat. While I have no problem with that in WoT as of yet, I think book 1 should already have cleared up who Ba’alzemon is (or rather isn’t) and that we haven’t even seen the big bad yet.

Now, on to book 4! It’s a testament to how much I’m enjoying this series that those 1007 pages don’t put me off. On the contrary, more of the Aiel, more of Rand and Mat and Perrin and Nynaeve and Egwene and Lan, please!

[Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The alarm gongs sent echoes crashing through the Stone, but Rand paid no more attention to them than he had to the roar that had come before, like muffled thunder from somewhere below. His side ached, the old wound burned, strained almost to tearing by the climb up the side of the fortress. He gave the pain no heed, either. A crooked smile was fixed on his face, a smile of anticipation and dread he could not have wiped away if he had wanted to. It was close now. What he had dreamed of. Callandor."

Rand al'Thor has finally, and very reluctantly, embraced his destiny as the Dragon Reborn after the events at Almoth Plain. But his face is known throughout the nations now, and he is hunted relentlessly by the numerous followers of the Shadow. Thus begins a new journey, and at its end lies the Stone of Tear, the impregnable fortress of the Tairen in the far south.

The Dragon Reborn, while not reaching the same level as The Eye of the World, is certainly an improvement from The Great Hunt. The story is more compelling, new villains arise, and the childishness, the completely unfounded arrogance and the insufferable stupidity of the main characters is finally starting to wear off. But it is not gone. Rand himself is barely appearing in this book, and both Mat and Nynaeve seem to be improving considerably. Perrin and Egwene, however, stand ready to assume the inglorious mantle of the worst characters.

Mostly, though, this book is a solid addition to the story of the Wheel of Time, and the ending is great, leaving the reader excited for the next volume, The Shadow Rising.

That's all there is to say, really. Those of you who have already read this knows what it is about. And those who haven't yet, should do so!

Wheel of Time reviews:
#1 The Eye of the World
#2 The Great Hunt
#3 The Dragon Reborn
#4 The Shadow Rising
#5 The Fires of Heaven
#6 Lord of Chaos
#7 A Crown of Swords
#8 The Path of Daggers
#9 Winter's Heart
#10 Crossroads of Twilight
#11 Knife of Dreams
#12 The Gathering Storm
#13 Towers of Midnight
#14 A Memory of Light

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this!! Most of the book was more like a journey and the resolution was neatly wrapped in like the last 50 pages or so. I’ve read many don’t like Egwene, Elayne, Moraine, etc the female rep but I honestly love them all. Even Mat grew on me in this book, I don’t hate him at least anymore. We only had a few Rand passages of Rand pov -which worried me when I first learned about it- but fear not, it was absolutely fine. Can’t wait to read the next one. I would’ve started it now but it was never good for me to read a book immediately after I read its previous.

[SAM · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third chapter in the mammoth Wheel of Time saga and I’m finally starting to realise why there are fourteen books. The scope of the story Robert Jordan is weaving finally becomes evident in The Dragon Reborn.

After two books of Rand being the focal point of the story he is barely featured in the third installment. Instead the spotlight is directed toward Perrin and Mat, who so far have come off looking like Rand’s peripheral sidekicks.

Mat has finally arrived in Tar Valon to be healed of the poison running through his body courtesy of the tainted dagger. With him are Egewene and Nynaeve who are given the task of hunting down the Black Ajah. Perrin is with Morraine and Lan on the trail of Rand who has run off seemingly on the way to Tear to take control of Callandor, the Sword of the Dragon.

Giving Mat and Perrin time to develop as pivotal characters was a class move on the authors part. Another book solely dedicated to Rand could have turned readers against him but instead he is transformed into an insane wreck of a hero whose sparse appearances contribute to the best parts of the book.

Mat and Perrin are able to breathe whilst away from Rand and their personalities come to the forefront as they commence their own journeys. I preferred Mat’s story over Perrin’s as he spends a greater amount of time on his own and is a more interesting character. Perrin is still slightly held back by Morraine and Lan but i’m sure he’ll venture out on his own at some point.

Compared to The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt this is a slow burn. At around the 300 page mark i was almost regretting reading this so close after finishing The Great Hunt but suddenly the book comes to life and transforms into a work of brilliance. The ending, although expected, is still well written and worthy of a fist pumping cheer! My favourite book so far.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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The Dragon Reborn is my favorite book in this series so far. A few reasons for that are I’m pretty comfortable in this world now and can focus on the story more than all the parts, places and lore. The other reason is the character are becoming more developed and while at time I want to box their ears for fighting against their destiny/power/specialness so much instead of embracing it and just going with it.

Shorter review for me than normal since there are a bazillion reviews on this series. But the run down is…..

Rand - Still trying to save those around him and a little lost as to what to do with himself. Also he is struggling a bit with the madness. Is he mad or is the dark one just taunting him and making him think he is starting to go mad….idk the jury is still out on that. He is on a quest to retrieve a sword that is not a sword and so even though most of his journey is shone third person a quest for a magical sword is rarely dull.

Perrin - Stubborn two rivers folk. He is a wolf brother but fighting against it. (see totally want to box his ears because it is so cool and I want him to explore it) But we find out why it might be dangerous as well. Perrin meet a girl and damn if she doesn’t have him on his toes not knowing what to think. Let the games begin :P

“No questions, remember? And my name is Perrin, Zarine. Not ‘big man,’ or ‘blacksmith,’ or anything else. Perrin. Perrin Aybara.”
“And mine is Faile, shaggy-hair.”
With something close to a snarl, he booted Stepper after the others. Zarine had to throw her arms around his waist to keep from being tossed over the dun’s crupper. He thought she was laughing.

Mat - Well Mat has been my least favorite in prior books but he has grown a bit on me in this one. Now that he isn’t slightly crazy and paranoid he is a more likeable fellow even if he is totally oblivious to the danger surrounding him and figuring out why it is there. The Wool Headed Ox has no idea that all the trouble he has been getting into might have something to do with the Dark One or some of the forsaken. Ignorance is bliss I guess. Still he has some really interesting things going on with his new found luck and is he perhaps channeling a little bit of a king from the past…..hmmm time will tell. He is definitely a lot more interesting now.

Mat also gets the best fight scene in this book and I totally loved how he was able to take down Elayne’s brothers with a quarterstaff. Mat is a man not to be underestimated anymore.

“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.”
He lowered his eyes to Galad, and lowered his voice as well. “If you cannot get up by now, lad, it is finished.”

Nynaeve, Egwene and Elayne - These three did practically everything together in this so it is hard to separate them. Even though I got a little tired of Egwene always fighting stubbornly with Nynaeve over EVERYTHING the rest of their story arc is really interesting. Egwene’s accepted test was almost as harsh as Nynaeve’s. Also I enjoyed it as they learn more about what they can do with the one power and go on a quest to find the Black Ajah. What is revealed about the Black Ajah in this book is scary to say the least.

Best New Culture - The Aiel…yes yes I know that we got a glimpse of them in the last book. But, in this one we get a better understanding of them as their culture is fleshed out. It also seems they have some prophecies of their own about the Dragon Reborn and those were some of the most interesting by far. Plus they are badass fighters.

As if he had all the time in the world, Gaul calmly lifted a dark cloth from his shoulders and wrapped it around his head, finishing with a thick black veil that hid his face except for his eyes.
“Do you like to dance, Perrin Aybara?” he asked.
With that, he darted away from the cage. Straight at the oncoming Whitecloaks.

And he totally kicked ass. But the thing I love about the Aiel is not just that the men are great fighters but also the women. They are all like ninja’s sneaking around and rarely being seen. They are masters of fighting, camouflage and stealth. Plus it seems like they might be Rand’s people and learning more about his true origins was one of the best highlights of this book for me.

Everything Else - There really is a lot going on with:
- some forsaken on the lose
- the Black Ajah plotting
- Rand’s dreams permeating those around him and the weird side effects it is causing
- Loial stepping into the role of a fighter as well as an Ogier of just knowledge
- Min and some of her predictions
- Moraine trying to control the situation and kinda failing at it
- Another prophecy coming to completion
- And FINALLY maybe FINALLY Rand will accept that he IS the Dragon Reborn and not try to deny his fate or destiny any longer.

There is definitely a lot to enjoy in this installment even if again it takes a little time to get really rolling. But overall this world and the overall plot arc is growing on me.

[Mayim de Vries · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The breaker of bonds; the forger of chains. The maker of futures; the unshaper of destiny.”

Destiny is a nasty business. Rand al'Thor learns this lesson quickly. He is the Dragon Reborn, the Chosen One who will save the world... and destroy it at the same time. How does somebody, who in the future is bound to succumb to the madness which will lead him to murder all the loved ones, cope with something like that? Rand is embarking on the winding path leading him to become what he is destined to become. One thing is for sure: it is going to be epic.

Classic high fantasy can be a pleasant break from more and more realistic, dark and dirty contemporary fantasy. I have read many (probably too many!) Tolkien-based series and few have been able to enchant me. By copying The Lord of the Rings themes, plots and tropes, Mr Jordan has created what is among the best secondary fantasy on the market because he reworked those into an original vision, maybe not equally well written, but even more epic and delivered with an even greater - in terms of page-count - panache. That alone should be appreciated. And the third volume of his series is a great piece of entertainment, offering everything that we love the genre for.

“Fate can kill you, if it does not do worse.”

Dragon Reborn, as the title suggests, should focus on the main character, Rand al'Thor. Against these expectations, the Author decided on an interesting trick, namely pushing the main protagonist into the margins. Simultaneously, the novel brings us closer to other heroes whom we follow through the pages of the book. It was an excellent idea! I thought it very refreshing to tell a tale about the chosen one without the chosen one in attendance. I also admired how the different paths were intertwined even though half of the protagonists either wished to be elsewhere or actively planned for doing different things. In this respect, Dragon Reborn is largely focused on the changes that occur in them.

Boys and girls become more and more mature, grow up into their assigned roles and face their destiny. It is neither easy nor simple. Rand’s story gives way to Perrin’s plot, also fleeing from his own wolf dreams and the insanity they bring with them, and Mat’s, who turns out to be one of the most interesting characters and who definitely gains in this volume (in the previous volumes he irritated rather than aroused my sympathy). Those POVs are both interesting and addictive, but the plot of Egwene and BFF squad becomes unbearable with time. These girls are too full of themselves and essentially ungrateful wretches, and I shudder to think what is going to happen when the inevitable romance kicks in.

“Everywhere I go, you humans are doing things, hurrying and scurrying, having things happen to you. How can you stand so much excitement?”

As we accompany the heroes more or less consciously race against time, and against each other, it can be frustrating at times. The reader knows far more than the protagonists so s/he can grow exasperated as they flail about blind and unsuspecting, not seeing the larger picture we are privy to. Mr Jordan shows once again how important the dreams are. It is not only an opportunity to predict the future or to confront one’s subconsciousness. The things experienced in dreams have real effects in reality. The dream sequences are superb and rival to the ones in Harry Potter, which I always thought exquisite.

There are more and more strange events and inexplicable phenomena in the world, which clearly indicate that seals are binding Ba’alzamon and his minions are weakening. There are, of course, the ubiquitous conspiracies, plots, more or less particular interests that influence the direction in which the world turns. And it is this world, represented by its wealth of histories, lands, peoples and their customs, that is perhaps the greatest asset of the series. I was especially fascinated by the Aiel, who to my delight play an increasingly important role.

“If events outrun me, they may well trample you, and the rest of the world with you.”

This is definitely the best book in the series so far and it draws the reader in even more than the previous two, which were really good. For me, Dragon Reborn reads much better than The Great Hunt as I am not able to indicate any moment of boredom, and there were those in the previous instalment. And yes, I know people complained that the ending is rushed. But really, that was an Erikson-worthy convergence written even before Erikson learnt what a trope is. There are two things I would like to point out with regard to the grand finale.

Firstly, some of you might know my unholy obsession with the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Malazan, if you have read the series, you will know that, is basically wholly built on the premise of the convergence. This concept has been a backbone of everything that happens in every single book and the whole series as a whole. In Malazan, I have seen some far-fetched and miraculous endings. In comparison, just the fact that the final chapter of Dragon Reborn has a kind of mission impossible, last-minute, perfectly timed sequence is not that galling.

Secondly, it is worth remembering that we are only at the beginning of the road. This book is the culmination of a very extensive introduction. As I was finishing the last page, I basically realised that “This is just the beginning,” and that there are actually a dozen or so volumes ahead of me. It would be silly to expect an ultimate climax from something that was, in fact, a three-volume long prologue.

And what a prologue it was! Now, to the series proper.

Also in the series:

1. The Eye of the World ★★★★☆
2. The Great Hunt ★★★★☆
4. The Shadow Rising ★★★★☆
5. The Fires of Heaven ★★★★☆
6. Lord of Chaos ★★★☆☆
7. A Crown of Swords ★★★☆☆
8. The Path of Daggers ★★★☆☆
9. Winter's Heart ★☆☆☆☆
10. Crossroads of Twilight ★★☆☆☆
11. Knife of Dreams ★★★★☆
12. The Gathering Storm ★★★★☆
13. Towers of Midnight ★★★☆☆
14. A Memory of Light ★★★☆☆

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And it was written that no hand but his should wield the Sword held in the Stone, but he did draw it out, like fire in his hand, and his glory did burn the world. Thus did it begin. Thus do sing his Rebirth. Thus do we sing the beginning."

And a new beginning it is indeed.

Notes to myself, major spoilers:
Niall vs Caridin/Bors / Rand & Co fight with Trollocs in the mountain camp / Rand's flight toward Tear / Co follows him / Perrin's meeting with Noam, the one who lost his humanity to wolf / Signs all over where Rand passed through / Mat healed in Tar Valon / Verin gives Egwene the ring for Tel'aran'rhiod / all, except Mat, are heading to Tear / Sammael is Lord Brend in Illian / Mat's luck kicks in / he meets Thom and go together to Caemlyn / Perrin frees Gaul / meets Faile / girls' meeting with Aviendha / Mat saves Aludra in Arringil / Mat learns that Gaebril/Rahvin wants to kill Elayne and goes to Tear to save the girls / Be'lal is one of the High Lords in Tear and Moraine kills him with balefire / Aiel and our heroes fight in the Stone of Tear and Rand aquires Callandor, with which he kills Ba'alzamon/Ishamael.

Loved it to pieces all over again.

(3rd read 7 - 16.01.2022)

-----

>>> Minor spoilers ahead <<<

”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.”

Our heroes’ lives become more and more complicated. They grow and are shaped by the challenges they face.

The girls, raised to the Accepted, are being sent in pursue of Black Ajah, Rand is trying to take his life into his own hands, Mat is finally healed and his bond to Shadar Logoth severed and Perrin is holding onto his own humanity.

The Dragon is indeed reborn, Callandor claimed and used for the first time in 3000 years. The world, nation by nation and little by little, is being thrown into wars and chaos.

Everything is becoming even more complicated than before and no one seems able to pull apart from the ta’veren’s attraction into the Pattern’s web.

On to the fourth; I can’t stop myself… not just yet, anyway.

[Deborah Obida · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dragon Reborn is the third book in the WoT series and so far the only one worth it's hype in my opinion. The plot progression and character development is at a snail's pace, it's only after three books that I finally started caring about the characters, even at that, it took me three whole months to finish this book, yes it was that uninspiring. Despite that I'll still continue this series, I'm invested now and wants to know how it all ends.

“Always plan for the worst, child, that way all your surprises are pleasant ones.”

This picked up just where The Great Hunt ended with the girls on their way to Tar valon(I listened to the audiobook so my spellings of names might be incorrect). Mat was sick and Perrin finally got reunited with Rand.

Rand still in doubt that he is actually the dragon reborn ran away so as not to hurt people he loves, Perrin and Morriane went after him. Egwene and Nynaeve were promoted to accepted at Tar valon but left shortly after on a mission. They all converge together at Tear just like the prophesy says.


“If you can’t hide what you are going to do, do it so everybody thinks you are a fool.”

As usual Rand is still in denial, he believes that Morriane is either wrong or trying to use him, he was barely in this and I loved that, he's PoV is always whinny and depressing.

Nynaeve, Egwene and Elaine has lots of page space, with Nynaeve and Egwene having POVs. I really love their character development. Nynaeve still blames Morriane for ruining the lives of the Amoz fielders but she is taking it better. Egwene embraced the life of an Aes Sedai and is more willing to learn.

Perrin is the most matured of all three boys and still is, he thinks everything through, he is still sceptical of Aes Sedai but given how he grew up it isn't surprising.

“Just because fate has chosen something for you instead of you choosing it for yourself doesn’t mean it has to be bad.”

Mat's character development is my favourite in this book, I disliked him in the first and second book but now I like him. He is cynical but not evil, he loves his friends and is willing to help them when in need.

Land, Morriane and the Ogier were also in this.

The writing though slow in progression is easy to understand, things have finally started coming together. The world building is great, but overly done. I enjoyed the fight scenes and the magic system, it's awesome.

[Tina Haigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Pedron Niall's aged gaze wandered about his private audience chamber, but dark eyes hazed with thought saw nothing."

Really, what can I say that hasn't already been said? This is the best high fantasy series I've ever read, hands down. So much so that I am reading it all the way through for a second time. I am not a re-reader of anything, but it's 2020 so anything goes. I know it's massive, but it's worth all the time spent, every second. Plus, honestly, with books this big and a series this long, you've forgotten the beginning by the time you've gotten to the end, and it's impossible to remember all the details, so it's almost like reading something brand new.

This series is easily my favorite fantasy series. I truly can't stress that enough. I won't tell you anything about the plot, you can read a synopsis for that, and sometimes a leap of faith is required. Well I feel like I've rambled on enough, so I'll just say this: Read it! Make this your to-read series of 2021. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

P.S. Since this is a series, and the plot is too intricate to include without spoilers, this will be my review for every book in the series. If you've read this one, then you've read the others. I stand by what I said. In my opinion this is the best fantasy series of all time, and that's all that needs to be said. Thank you Robert Jordan, for sharing your masterpiece with the world. RIP.

'"The Dragon!"'

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 stars

Much the same as the first two. Readable, sometimes interesting, sometimes confusing, occasionally boring, often using too many words to get to the point, and a lot of plot points seemingly pulled out of thin air (or other, much darker orifices!)

So far, the plot for these books move along like the poster child for Deus Ex Machina.

I feel like since there are about 800 books in this series, my reviews are at risk of getting repetitive. So, with book three now done, I am trying to figure out something creative to do with each of my Wheel of Times reviews to keep things fresh and interesting . . .

So, for this one – I would like for you to share in the comments the most ridiculous Deus Ex Machinas you have ever encountered in literature. Maybe it was a place where you could not see how the plot could continue. Or, perhaps the characters were in a jam you were sure they could not getout of and then *BOOM* everything is fine.

Please mark spoilers, but, if they are really cringe-worthy then spoiling it may save us all some pain in the future!

[Tamsen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably closer to 1.5 stars.

This book is terrible. I think I might be done with this series, unless my friends at work that recommended this can seriously give me a good reason to continue. There were about forty interesting pages in the late-middle of this book, where Aiel women warriors (wedded to the blade --- how cool is that?) show up and exchange a lot of looks about how E&E&N (Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve) are seriously stupid. That's it.

But, there's a lot of boring/frustrating/terrible writing that I just don't think I can put up with for another 6,000 pages/11 books.

First of all, Jordan is fucking repetitive. These books would be a lot shorter if Jordan would just condense or perhaps shut the fuck up. Light, burn me, and Nynaeve tugging on her fucking braid. Seriously. This probably makes up about 1/3 of the series. I counted over a random selection of 10 pages, and Nynaeve tugs her braid SIX TIMES. That girl is going to have serious scalp issues/hair loss in about three books.

Other terrible stuff: how stupid all six of our main characters are and how everyone puts so much faith in them. E&E&N are probably the most ignorant, poorly trained Aes Sedai in the history of the White Tower (even if, as Jordan reminds us 109834092843 million times, they have the most potential in the same amount of years) and guess what? The Amyriln Seat keep sending them on little missions. It's like, bitch, please, don't you have far better trained, older, wiser Aes Sedai?? Not everyone can be a Black Ajah. Trust someone. And not those little half-wits.

Also, speaking of dumb: The Amyriln Seat just GIVING two letters that don't identify the person she's giving ultimate power to? I mean, SERIOUSLY? If that fell into the hands of Black Ajah, just think of all the damage she could do.

Can we also talk about how Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve are all the same character? Basically? No? Well, how about the fact that Rand, Mat, and Perrin all essentially have the exact same thoughts and personality?

And why is it that Morraine still hasn't learned in three books (and what? Two years?) that she probably could be like, just a shade nicer to any of the boys, and they would tell her anything? Or if she told them like, a fraction (.0002%) of what she guessed at or knew, that they would be more understanding, or more willing to follow her, or more willing to share things that are obviously, very important, like their dreams? Instead, she shoots them an unreadable look, sniffs about how it would take her years to share the .0002% of the knowledge she know, and that they should all just trust her blindly. Eventually this scenario leads to them skipping town, and then it takes an entire book of Morraine + Lan + one of the boys + some random person that Min sees as part of their future to find them. It's so frustrating.

And how is it that Jordan can make things seriously boring? I mean, the Aes Sedai and all they know and the girls getting raised to Accepted should actually be interesting. But it's not. They all have the same thoughts, so that even the trial of being accepted is almost exactly the same as Nynaeve's in the last book.

There is also a strange mix of sexism happening. It's like, other cultures (see Aielmen and women) can have women that are equal to men, but it is BAFFLING to the rest of the world. Even though Aes Sedai are only women and are all-powerful. Even the dumb boys P&M&R (Perrin, Mat, and Rand) are flabbergasted any time they meet a woman that can do anything. Here's one of Perrin's stupid thoughts: "She spoke of fighting and killing as calmly as another woman might speak of baking." These men have been out of their limited little country town for YEARS now and they still don't get that a vagina doesn't render a woman useless everywhere except the kitchen.

Not that they'd have any idea what a vagina even is... Every time they meet a woman, they think, "LIGHT, she's beautiful. Check out those pouty lips. Boy, I'd like to dance with her. Maybe even have a kiss." (They immediately redden. Chick sees blush and laughs.) "Stop blushing, P&M&R (because they all are exactly the same with the same thoughts.) or she won't even think you've ever kissed a pretty girl before."

Seriously. This exact scenario happens at least 5 or 6 times, per book, per BOY, per village. Ugh.

The girls aren't much better, except they all swoon over Rand. Sometimes they think they can't have Rand, so they swoon over someone else for like a minute. Except for Nynaeve, who loves Lan, who loves her, even though they've had exactly two minutes of conversation and Lan is seriously awesome, so that's confusing.

And the dream sequences are just awful. They are confusing but important and I always want to skip them, but I can't. P.S. Aren't dream sequences to convey important information to your reader just like, the most lazy of all writing devices?

I just don't think I can do this anymore. It took me hours of holding this book this weekend (staring at the wall mostly, because that was more interesting than reading about Mat eating food or playing dice, Rand's hissy fits, E&E&N's stupidity, Faile stomping her foot and demanding not to be called Zarine, watching a powerful female race of basically wizards put their faith in Tweedle-Dee, Tweedle-Dum, and Tweedle-Fucking-Stupid to destroy the world then save it (P&M&R) or get caught, get saved, fret about what the boys are doing (E&E&N) for books upon end.

I'm going to take my complaints to the people who recommended this to me, but all reviews seem to point to this being the better of the series, so.... excuse me while I run away screaming towards the darkhounds. Death by the Dark One (yes, you're right, Jordan has very little imagination) is far preferable than reading another 6,000 pages of this repetitive crap.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Great Re-Read of the WoT (for me) continues!

Well, since this was my fifth time reading this book, I kinda rather knew what to expect, but I think I tend to enjoy it all the more because of it. So many details. So many characters. So much foreshadowing!

And so much abuse for Matt! I mean, come on. The poor trickster DOES pour most of it on himself, true, but he has a heart of pure gold. I can't believe how those women treat him. After all that he did?? Oh, woe...

I was laughing my ass off about poor Perrin, too. Faile, the love of his life, really MANAGES him thoroughly, right from the very start. And of course, the conflict inside him, always shifting back and forth between destruction and creation, of the Axe and the Hammer, is really starting strong here.

Rand? Yeah, well, I laughed my butt off about the rash of marriages but he kinda became a cardboard cutout. A force of nature that everything else, the weave of the world, snarled around. No big deal, really, because the women all had a huge role in this book and I never felt the dearth. Egwene, Nynaeve, Elayne, and even our fateful introduction to Aviendha made up for that.

Ah, to have future history while reliving the early bits again... there's nothing quite like it. :)


Suffice to say, I'm having a grand ole time. I'm coming home to one of my top favorite series and it holds up. It holds up extremely well. The Dragon is Reborn! :)

[Miche · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

So far I struggled with all books I read from this series. I normally enjoy journey books, but the ones from Wheel of Time might be the exception.

The plot development at this installment moved at snail speed. The last 15% of this book was nice, but it wasn't worth the time I had to spend reading the other 85% about inn descriptions, skirts smoothed, braids tugged and dice tossed. The constant repetition during most of the book made me wonder how this book passed the edition phase.

There are some points that I liked:

-Matt's character development was really well handled. He was the one I couldn't stand at the previous two books and he became one of my favorite characters by the end of this book.

-The Aiel. Such an interesting people!

-Perrin's arc was slow, but interesting nonetheless.

Overall it wasn't a bad book. A lot of people enjoyed, as you can see by all the 5 and 4 stars reviews. However, I when I finished this book, the only feeling I had was one of wasting time in a underwhelming journey.

I might try the next book as I was told that it is one of the best in the series. If that one doesn't grab by attention, it will be my farewell to the Wheel of Time.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one where they walk a lot.

No mention of plot, since this is the third book in a fourteen book series, and I'd hate to spoil anyone.

This is classical fantasy at its best, and possibly also classical fantasy at its most descriptive. I enjoyed this one, but these books take me a long time to read.

I'm not the biggest fan of descriptive prose, and don't feel the need to find out about every character's clothing in detail.

It took me a while to get into the third book. A surprise, since this feels like a sort of first climax in the 14 book arc, but I felt like plot-wise not a lot happened for the first 60% but then I couldn't put it down during the last few hundred pages.

Also, thank you, to whoever pointed out the braid tugging to me, now I can't help but notice just how often Jordan's women randomly tug on their braids.

[Eon Windrunner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read time over at BB&B

This is another excellent WoT entry by Robert Jordan. Unfortunately I let a week pass after finishing this one, reading a bunch of other books and also making some inroads into the next WoT book before thinking of writing this review. So basics it is. And some random shout outs.

- Rand is on a dangerous mission to the stone of Tear in order to find out the truth. To be the Dragon, or not to be the Dragon.
- Matt is healed in Tar Valon and shows some pretty cool fighting skills and language talents. *Best scene award
- The Black Ajah hunt gets underway
- Thom Merrilin!
- AIEL!
- 13. 13! *shivers
- Perrin meets Zaire. Or Faile. Or the Falcon. Fun ensues.
- Tel'aran'rhiod.
- Callandor.
- Epic fights. Traps. MULTIPLE Forsaken. BALEFIRE. The Dragon Reborn!

READ IT!!!

[Wera · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** I have a YouTube channel now! Check it out here. ***

3 stars
**Although this is a spoiler free review (spoilers are hidden), there may be spoilers for previous books in the series (scroll down)**

*braid-tugging intensifies** After finishing The Great Hunt, I was dying to get into this. The ending wit the Battle of Falme, the blowing of the Horn, the Seachan, oh it was so perfect. I could not wait to see where the follow up would take me because WOW I felt exhilarated and hyped up. Although I still think The Dragon Reborn is a good novel, but compared to its predecessors, it shines a little weaker. After a hard winter, following the events on Almoth Plain, Rand, Perrin, Lan, Min and the Shienar company camp in the mountains waiting for a good time to proceed with Moiraine's plans for Rand as the Dragon reborn. Rand, though, is going through a mental breakdown not knowing if he really is the Dragon, or just the Aes Sedais' puppet. When he runs off to Tear in the attempts to raise the great sword Callandor and prove to himself if he really is the Dragon, Perrin, Lan, Moiraine and company soon follow in pursuit. What they find in Rand's wake is a path of very peculiar occurrences. On the other hand, Elayne, Nynaeve, Egwene, Verin, and Mat finally make it back to Tar Valon to get Mat healed and separated from the Shadar Logoth dagger. What the three young novices/Accepted find, though, is a Tower in shambles crawling with Soulless and terrifyingly, Black Ajah. As new weaves in the Pattern are formed, events all start tumbling down to a final showdown... but what will happen then?

"Always plan for the worst, child, that way all your surprises are pleasant ones."

I really should have listened to Verin when she said this. Again, not that I disliked this book, compared to many it is still good, but I think I set my expectations way too high. I know this is a very controversial opinion as I heard many people proclaiming that this is where The Wheel of Time gets phenomenal. It didn't for me. I felt like all our Two Rivers gang decided to channel Tobey Maguire in Spiderman 3:



Rand in the last book was losing it. Sure. But when this book begins he is in full on brooding-emo mode. I did not like this. Later on he also does some pretty shady stuff that I felt totally distanced us from what I came to love about him in book 2. He doesn't get that much screen time in this book. Maybe a total of 50-pages (POV-wise). Perrin and Egwene both started having intense anger issues. Perrin, sure I understand what spending 6-months in the mountains alone feels like... It's quarantine after all, but Egwene?? She just turns so anti-everyone. If she lived now she'd probably go through a goth phase while silently making heart eyes at Galad and posting on Instagram fake-deep quotes. As for Perrin, he just kinda seems to go through a rebellious teen phase, Moiraine and Lan being his parents. I wasn't really into that. Nynaeve tries to hold it together but OHHHH MAN she really has to get that braid tugging together. Mat in the beginning is a whiny twat. I know he is frustrated, but darn, I just couldn't take it. The Mat situation really did start improving later on and I am starting to see why so many people love him. He just isn't at that point for me yet.

Overall, Jordan really did stick the landing in the end. I had shivers. Great ending that really made up for most of my frustrations along the way. I hate to compare this once again to The Great Hunt, but I gotta. The reason I don't think I loved it as much as I could have is because this book follows almost the exact same formula as book 2. I did not like that at all. Once again the party is separated just to accidentally form up in the end for a battle. Variation was needed. And the execution wasn't as good as in book 2. I hated that the Tar Valon squad kept getting caught. They are so powerful, yet so utterly helpless. Not gonna lie, it got on my nerves a tad. At the end of book 2 Egwene was caught by the Seanchan, at the end of book 3, all of them are caught by Be'lal. Come on! In book 2 there is a huge showdown with a spectacular army brought on by the Horn of Valere. Now there is an army of Aiel fighting alongside the People of the Dragon. Rand and Ba'alzamon have an intense fight in book 2 and in book 3, but this time it is more confusing. Still a good ending, but a bit formulaic and less fun. I really hope that the next book in the series varies up the formula a bit. This one was so similar to book 2 but without the intrigue, and less wonder than book 1. Still good though.

Looking forward to book 4, I cannot wait to find out more about the Aiel. If we will follow the prophecies, that means that we are journeying to the Three Fold Land. Can't wait. The Aiel culture holds a lot of promise, so I really want to spend more time exploring it. The Dragon Reborn is a solid book but a tad formulaic... kinda like the emo version of its predecessor.

-----------------------------------
Books in series:
#0 New Spring: ★★.75
#1 The Eye of the World: ★★★.5
#2 The Great Hunt: ★★★.75
#3 The Dragon Reborn: ★★★
#4 The Shadow Rising: ★★★★.25
#5 The Fires of Heaven: ★★★★
#6 Lord of Chaos: ★★★★.25
#7 A Crown of Swords: ★★★.75
#8 The Path of Daggers: ★★.25
#9 Winter's Heart: ★.25
#10 Crossroads of Twilight: ★.5
#11 Knife of Dreams: ★★★.5
#12 The Gathering Storm: ★★★★.5
#13 Towers of Midnight: ★★★
#14 A Memory of Light: ★★★.5

[Mpauli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think my journey to finally get to the Wheel of Time is almost as long as the series itself. I was recommended that series in the mid 90s by a friend and bought the first 8-10 books in German (in Germany, due to 1000 english words roughly being 1500 German words, books are often split in two halves) and read the first 3, which would be The Eye of the World and half of The Great Hunt.
As the books seemed very slow, especially for my action-craving younger self (waves to the past) I moved on to other things and never returned.
In 2006 I rediscovered the series, bought a box-set of the first 3, read The Eye of the World and never continued.
Finally around 2013 or 14 when the whole Sanderson hype started out, I re-read Eye of the World for the 3rd time, waited for another 2-3 years and read The Great Hunt and now finally got to The Dragon Reborn.

That is a very long introduction just to show you why actually finishing and 4 starring (previous two books were 3 stars for me) is actually a big deal, because this time around I really have the urge to continue and tackle the Wheel of Time for good.

I think I have adjusted to Jordan's writing and now better understand what to expect, so I'm not that annoyed by the umpteenth innkeep or most of the characters behaving headstrongly dumb in a lot of the conversations.
I adapted and actually enjoyed this one quite a bit, despite not much happening. Rand wasn't really in that book, although he played a pivotal role and we actually see a lot more of Mat, Perryn, Egwene, Nynave and Elayne.
This is actually a gutsy decision for a novel series that follows some very classical plot routes of "boy with a destiny against a dark lord".

Overall I cherished the scenic road this time, tried to dig into the mysteries and prophcies and learnt more about some different towns, cultures and factions.
And now I'm interested to find out what will happen to those characters (I have 2-3 wild theories) and what the hell will be the content of another 11 books in that series.

[Krell75 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terzo romanzo della Ruota del Tempo.

Buona la scelta di una struttura narrativa in quattro archi differenti che convergono nel finale, avvincente e ben calibrata nei ritmi.
Le descrizioni dei luoghi e delle varie popolazioni sono approfondite e precise, dipingono un mondo vario ampliando il già consistente world building presentato nei romanzi precedenti.
I personaggi e le loro scelte finalmente non lasciano quella sgradevole sensazione di essere mossi dalla volontà esterna dello scrittore e non risultano superficiali e banali nelle risoluzioni.

Questo è il romanzo di Perrin e Mat, finalmente.
Dopo i primi romanzi in cui erano relegati nell'ombra di Rand ora i due assurgono al ruolo di veri protagonisti e possiamo conoscerli meglio.
Perrin e il suo rapporto con i lupi e il mondo dei Sogni è affascinante, credo di sicura ispirazione per la Hobb nella stesura della sua prima trilogia dei Lungavista, ma qui devo dire addirittura migliore e più complesso.
Mat è l'unico personaggio della saga che riesce a strapparti un sorriso. Il suo arco narrativo godibile e ben scritto.
Per il gruppo delle ragazze si ha ancora quel senso di incertezza specialmente in tutta la parte nella Torre delle Aes Sedai dove la scelta di semplici novizie per un incarico così pericoloso appare piuttosto forzata.

E Rand? Di sicuro non è al centro della narrazione di questo romanzo, poco male. Presente in sporadiche apparizioni tra i capitoli dedicati agli altri personaggi per poi tornare prepotentemente alla ribalta in un finale con i fuochi d'artificio!

Gradevole e meno forzato dei precedenti.

-----------------------------
Third Wheel of Time novel.

The choice of a narrative structure in four different arcs that converge in the finale is good, compelling and well-calibrated in rhythms.
The descriptions of the places and the various populations are in-depth and precise, they paint a varied world, expanding the already substantial world building presented in the previous novels.
The characters and their choices finally do not leave that unpleasant sensation of being moved by the external will of the writer and the resolutions do not appear superficial and banal.

This is Perrin and Mat's novel, finally.
After the first novels in which they were relegated to Rand's shadow, now the two rise to the role of true protagonists and we can get to know them better.
Perrin and his relationship with wolves and the world of Dreams is fascinating, I believe it was certainly an inspiration for Hobb in the writing of her first Farseer trilogy, but here I must say even better and more complex.
Mat is the only character in the saga who manages to make you smile. Its narrative arc is enjoyable and well written.
For the group of girls there is still that sense of uncertainty especially throughout the part in the Tower of the Aes Sedai where the choice of simple novices for such a dangerous assignment seems rather forced.

And Rand? It's certainly not at the center of the narrative of this novel, never mind. Present in sporadic appearances between the chapters dedicated to the other characters and then forcefully returning to the fore in a finale with fireworks!

Pleasant and less forced than the previous ones.