Let’s rank all 14 books in The Wheel of Time series

5. The Fires of Heaven, Book 5 of The Wheel of Time

The Fires of Heaven continues a stretch of heavy plot development, with a ton going on for our heroes. Rand tries to piece together a broken people as he grows in character and abilities. Mat solidifies his role as a reluctant hero, and Elaine has a bigger role to play as well. With the exception of Perrin, this title features a healthy balance of characters.

The weight of responsibility taken on by our heroes truly hits home in The Fires of Heaven. The shocking conclusion pivots away from what readers have grown used to up to this point, and has a ripple effect that will affect many of our characters going forward. The once innocent farm villagers are long gone, and looking back at the events of the first few novels, it feels as if ages have passed.