I have to be honest that this is as good an ending to this book as I think we can expect. Tons of areas are only hinted at and some just left unexplained all together. This is probably more of an indictment of me as a reader than the author but I was too confused. And I don't care that much about the characters. Way to many flaws. Not nearly enough positive areas. You will notice a pattern that the wheel seems to weave with me and the end of this book: Confusion. Summary and thoughts below the fold.
Also, I still am not bothering to do any spell checking on names/places.
Ch49: The Dark One Stirs
Chased through the Blight by all sorts of evil things (trees?, animals?, werms?). Since the party's need is greatest, they make it in to the area of the Greenman. He helps all things grow, wont go in to eye of world, and his time is ending.
Ch50: Meetings At the Eye
What the heck is the eye of the world? It was made by 100 of the last male eyesadie along with some of the females. It keeps the dark one bound or releases him somehow. They fight the forsaken: aganor & balthamel. Greenman comes in and saves the day. Balthamel is killed by living things (nature always wins). Greenman is killed, but not before a mighty oak is born through him marking the "tomb of a legend". Morain starts a fire and aganor ignores it, because that is what his name sounds like. No idea what is happening.
Ch51: Against the Shadow
Rand is running but is chased by aganor. Rand sees a glowing rope/cord on aganor. They have some weird staring contest which turns out to be a pretty fierce battle (as far as staring contests seem to go). Rand is filled with the light. He is transported away to see a battle. But what or when is the battle? He destroys the evil creatures with fire. Rand has a cord attached to him as well. I think aganor is dead now. Baalzimon shows up and has a big black cord that eats light (we get it, he's evil). Serve Baal or the tower are the choices he says Rand has. The wheel weaves the pattern. Jayin far strider sent to the ogier, black adja try to find the Dragon. Baal wants him to serve him but Rand "deny's him". Rand is forced to watch his mother be tortured. He pulls a sword of light and spares her. Then he beats Baal. This was all pretty confusing.
Ch52: The is Neither Beginning or End
Rand comes to, lying in the remains of the forest fire. He thinks shaitan is dead and bravely/stupidly names him. Rand can channel and moraine explains why. And she can't teach him to control the power because their connection to the power is specific to sex. Only if his will is strong enough will he be able to learn. One of the pieces of the seal that holds the evil one in place is found. They also find the horn of valleer. It calls back the hero's of ages past. Seems like a pretty good weapon to use. The last thing found is the Banner of the Lord of the Morning or Luz Theremin Tellimon, also known as: The Dragon.
Ch53: The Wheel Turns
Loyal sings over the Oak tree to help protect it and the Blight will not be able to overtake it. They return to the city victorious. Finally they have a weapon (horn) to overpower the evil. But they are taking it to Iyllian. Lan teaches Rand to be a blademaster. Girls and Matt going to Tarvalen. Rand is not going home but away to protect the ones he loves.
Thoughts from the reading:
The Greenman is a nice character with what I assume is a very rich history. Too bad we will probably never get it. Or I should say that I don't expect to get it. I would love to know more about that scar across his face. If there was anyone who reminds me of Ent's, it is the Greenman. He all but calls him a shepherd of the forest. Though his role seems clearly different. Do I dare to do more than mention the line about their "need being greatest"? We should just move on.
Introduction of two of the Forsaken was good. They were appropriately vile. What you expect out of evil beings. But I have to say that I am frankly befuddled as to the point of the Eye of the World. And why did they bother to go to it? All they seem to do is just get scared of the thing. If it was so important, it would have been nice to know a bit more about why. Maybe they will give us some sort of explanation later in the series. Thought it was nice to learn a bit about how it was made with both sides of the Power. I should mention that I am getting more and more frustrated with this Power. There needs to be a lot more explained about it, and how it can be so corrupted, because it isn't very clear to me.
Not all the forsaken truely serve the dark one according to what aganor says. Is that important? Probably, thought I don't know why yet. I guess the battle they are watching is being fought by the people from the city they had left. I think. Rand's cord that is attached to him must represent his connect to the Power, right? So does Baalzimon have a connection to the source? Or is it a different power because it is dark? Door well remembered? I assume that should mean something to us, but not to me. The mentioning of Jain Far-Strider was odd. Is he supposed to be the Dragon in a previous life? Should it mean something to us that he was sent to the Ogier to do something? We do get these questions answered right?
Our take aways from this are once again that the Eye of the world was made for the time of greatest need. And now is the time. Also they get the Horn, and the banner of the Dragon. These are two incrdibly powerful weapons. How will they be used? Especially the horn. The seal of the evil one was made from some metal. They kind of went on about it, more so than I thought necessary. Is that type of metal important somehow? Also, could Moraine be anymore obtuse about helping Rand prepare to channel? I don't like her.
But I am sure that everyone will be incredibly patient with Rand as he teaches himself how to channel.
I like that Loyal does what he can to help protect the oak tree where the Greenman died. That was touching. What is so special about Iyllian that they need to take the horn there? I like that Lan is starting to do what he can to help teach/train Rand. As a teenager, he needs guidance. And the party is about to split. The end.
