Winter's Heart by Robert JordanMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5 stars?
It's been a bit odd to be reading about snow and cold during a heat wave, but that's what I've been doing. Perhaps because I've had a bit of a break from the Wheel of Time, I enjoyed this volume more than the previous couple. Mind you, I was also hiding from the heat and this was a good distraction.
There's still a strong focus on the women of the tale, but we also get a good helping of Rand and Mat, as well as a quick check in on Perrin. Maybe its my imagination, but I thought the relationships between the sexes shifted a bit too. Rand can admit that he loves three women and they have decided that they can share. I found the sisterhood ceremony between Elayne and Aviendha to be very moving, so I think they can make it work. I was surprised that Rand didn't fuss more when the three women asked to bind him as their Warder, but he did say it would allow him to worry less, knowing where & how they are at all times. (I also enjoyed Far Madding, where the women are firmly in charge, men are treated as pretty featherheads, and they can figure out how much women put up with on a regular basis.)
There are several unresolved issues at book's end to draw the reader along to the next installment: can Perrin rescue Faile? Will Mat's scheme to get a ragtag group of refugees out of Seanchan controlled territory work? Are Rand and Nynaeve okay and will their purge of the Source make any difference in the grand scheme of things?
I will definitely be reading the next book, but if I stick to my reading schedule, it won't be until next year. That’s just as well, since I'm not sure that I could stand to read these books one right after another. They are best enjoyed with some space and time between them!
Book number 414 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.
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