All the biggest book changes in The Wheel of Time Episode 204

The fourth episode of The Wheel of Time season 2 is here, and it’s a big one. After a lot of set up in the season’s first three episodes, “Daughter of the Night” hits us with a series of exciting reveals that raise the stakes in a big way. It also featured some very intriguing developments in regards to how the show is adapting The Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan.

Beware SPOILERS beyond this point.

The White Tower

In the show: Liandrin tells Nynaeve that Perrin, Loial and the Shienarans have been captured by an army out west. Nynaeve, Egwene and Elayne then sneak out of the White Tower only to be captured by Liandrin for some nefarious purpose.

In the books: Liandrin similarly comes to Egwene and Nynaeve and tells them that their friends are being hunted by the Dark One’s forces. Egwene and Nynaeve agree to follow Liandrin to the peninsula of Toman Head to help Rand, Mat and Perrin, who are all searching for Padan Fain. Liandrin swears Egwene and Nynaeve to secrecy, telling them that the Black Ajah — a sect of Aes Sedai working for the Dark One — will try to stop them leaving.

Egwene and Nynaeve, along with Elayne and Min Farshaw, all leave the White Tower with Liandrin. As on the show, Liandrin eventually turns on them and captures them, but in the books she doesn’t spring her trap until the group has already traveled to Toman Head via the Ways.

Perrin

In the show: Perrin hangs out with Elyas, who rescued him from the Seanchan after the battle of Atuan’s Mill. Elyas teaches him more about what it means to be a wolfbrother and Perrin meets a wolf named Hopper. Elyas reveals that he and the wolves saved Perrin and Egwene from the Whitecloaks in season 1.

In the books: Perrin and Egwene meet Elyas in the first novel, The Eye of the World, following their escape from Shadar Logoth. This is when Elyas teaches Perrin about being a wolfbrother. Perrin and Elyas do not cross paths again until much later in the book series.

In the books, Elyas is not responsible for rescuing Perrin and Egwene from the Whitecloaks. Instead, Hopper the wolf dies defending Perrin and Egwene from the Whitecloaks. They’re later saved by Lan, Moiraine, Nynaeve, and a pack of wolves.

Mat and Min

In the show: Mat and Min travel together. Min is working for Liandrin, who has promised that she knows someone who can provide Min relief by taking away her powers of foresight. Min finds out that this person is the Forsaken Ishamael, who instructs Min to take the oblivious Mat Cauthon to Cairhien for some unknown purpose.

In the books: Mat is off hunting for Padan Fain alongside Rand, Perrin and the Shienarans. Mat is still bonded to the ruby-hilted dagger, which Fain has stolen, and needs to retrieve it before he dies of withdrawal from its dark influence. Min is at the White Tower at Moiraine’s command and joins Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve when they are led to Toman Head by Liandrin.

Moiraine

In the show: Moiraine goes to Cairhien in search of Rand. She reunites with her sister Amvaere. They haven’t seen each other in decades and their relationship is strained. We discover that Moiraine has manipulated Rand’s situation by having Logain placed in Cairhien so that he could teach Rand how to channel. She saves Rand from Lanfear. And all this time, Moiraine does not have access to magic.

In the books: Moiraine spends most of The Great Hunt, the book on which this season is mainly based, researching the Prophecies of the Dragon at Adelas’ villa. She never goes to Cairhien or saves Rand from Lanfear. Instead she leaves Adeleas’ villa because of an attack coordinated by the Black Ajah, a secret sect of Aes Sedai which serves the Dark One. Moiraine spends the rest of the book traveling offscreen until she reunites with Rand during the aftermath of the climactic events at Falme. And of course, Moiraine is still able to access her magic.

Lan and Alanna

In the show: Lan spends time with Alanna and her warders Ihvon and Maksim. They try to cheer Lan up after Moiraine decides she does not want him to accompany her anymore as a warder now that she’s lost her ability to use magic.

In the books: Lan remains at Moiraine’s side. Moiraine reveals to Lan that she’s made plans for his bond to pass to another Aes Sedai in the event of her death without his consent, which causes tension between them. The Aes Sedai who will inherit the bond is Myrelle, a sister of the Green Ajah with a reputation for rehabilitating warders after their Aes Sedai are killed. The show has Lan spend time with Alanna, another Green sister, instead.

Rand and Lanfear

In the show: Rand accompanies Selene on a woodland retreat to Kinslayer’s Dagger. Selene manipulates Rand into using his ability to channel in front of her, but before she can reveal her own dark secrets, Moiraine arrives and seemingly kills her. Moiraine tells Rand that Selene’s true identity is Lanfear. She is one of the Forsaken: a group of incredibly powerful magic users from a previous age who are the Dark One’s foremost lieutenants.

In the books: Rand encounters Selene while traveling with Perrin and Loial in search of Padan Fain. They are drawn to one another, but are separated in Cairhien before their relationship can become explicitly romantic. She similarly coaxes him into using Saidin.

Readers first find out Lanfear’s true identity at the end of The Great Hunt, when the Forsaken reveals herself to Min. But Rand doesn’t discover that Selene is Lanfear until the beginning of the fourth novel, The Shadow Rising, when she comes to speak with him at the Stone of Tear.

The Wheel of Time premieres new episodes Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. EST / 5:00 p.m. PST.

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