Winter's Heart
Book 9 of The Wheel of Time
In the ninth book of the Wheel of Time saga, the plot continues to thicken, and intrigue, as always, runs rampant. As usual, the story depends heavily on what has gone on in the previous book, in this case, The Path of Daggers (1998). Also as usual, the story focuses alternately on one or another of the main characters, most--make that all--of whom seem to be conspiring against friend and foe alike as they try to fulfill their roles in the ongoing battle. Rand, sought by assassins, has fled and gone into hiding with Min, and Cadsuane, in residence at the Sun Palace, wants to find him. Perrin, returning from a mission for Rand, discovers that his wife, Faile, has been captured by a large group of Aiel. Elayne, in Caemlyn, is still the Daughter Heir trying to get support to take the throne. Queen Tylin is holding Mat as a pretty boy-toy when the Daughter of the Nine Moons arrives to reclaim what had been stolen from her ancestor. Aes Sedai seem to be everywhere. And, and, and . . . There is no way the complexities of the plot can be briefly summarized, but the novel certainly gives confirmed fans what they expect. In fact, only those already immersed in Jordan's universe will be able to follow the multitude of characters moving in and out of the story line, each one picking up a thread, advancing it, and dropping it, perhaps to return to it later in this book, or, perhaps, in the next. The cliff-hanger of a climax ensures that there will be a next.
— Sally Estes
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