Knife of Dreams, the 11th installment in The Wheel of Time series, is the last book penned by Robert Jordan before his death. It is a massively important volume to the series because it resolves several multi-book story arcs, and the overall tale can move into the final three books, which were penned by Brandon Sanderson.
This book may be the most significant one since the fourth book, The Shadow Rising, despite it only checking in briefly with important characters like Rand and Egwene. Extended storylines for Mat, Elayne, and Perrin are all resolved, allowing each to prepare for the Last Battle.
At nearly 900 pages, Knife of Dreams was also a much longer book than the three or four preceding it. A lot went on within the pages of this one, and it was great to see all of the stories moving forward.
Points of View in Knife of Dreams
Mat is the flag bearer of Knife of Dreams, with nearly 20 percent of the chapters written from his point of view. He's followed by Elayne with 15 percent. Perrin and Faile’s interlocked storyline makes up another 16 percent, followed by Rand with 10 percent, and Egwene with seven. Twenty other characters tell the remaining third of the book.
Jordan finally wrapped up three significant storylines involving Mat, Elyane, and Perrin, so it isn’t surprising to see so much of this book from their points of view. It was necessary to resolve their individual arcs so they could move forward into the final stages of the story. All three needed time to develop their characters and the leadership qualities each will need as the series winds toward the end.
Elayne (finally) gains the throne of Andor
Elayne’s story has been the most drawn out and least interesting of any of the lead characters. Caemlyn has been under siege for a couple of books as others challenge her for the throne.
Things come to a head when she is captured by the Black Ajah and hauled out of the city. Brigitte leads her rescue just as Elayne’s rivals attack the city. A big battle ensues along the walls of Caemlyn, and Elayne’s forces win out. During the aftermath, some of the House heads who fought against her declare for her right to the throne, mostly in self-preservation.
Other House lords, those who had been working their way toward Caemlyn from the south, meet with Elayne and begrudgingly declare for her, giving her enough of the major Houses for her to take the crown.
This inevitable outcome seemed to take forever to reach, but at last, Elayne has prevailed. Now, the White Tower, even if it is those Aes Sedai considered to be in rebellion, has a sister on a throne.
Perrin rescues Faile
At the end of The Path of Daggers, the eighth book in the series, Faile, along with Alliandre and Morgase in disguise, are taken captive by the Shaido Aiel . In the next two installments, Perrin has been trying to find enough temporary allies to rescue his beloved wife.
He has to make shaky alliances with Masema, the fanatical, self-declared Prophet of the Dragon, and the Seanchan. He has to formulate a battle plan that would protect his forces from the more than 400 Shaido Wise Ones with the ability to channel.
The Battle of Malden takes place, one of the biggest battles to date in the series. In the end, Perrin and his forces win, scatter the surviving Shaido forces, and rescue the captured ladies and queens.
The Seanchan go their own way, impressed with Perrin’s military acuity, but Masema’s followers are nearly destroyed. Perrin lets him go, but Faile and some Two Rivers men take matters into their own hands and kill the Prophet. Faile does this for Perrin’s own good, as she knew Perrin wouldn’t do what was necessary in this instance.
Mat gets married
When Elayne and Nynaeve escaped from Ebou Dar with the Bowl of the Winds in A Crown of Swords, they had to leave Mat and his retainers behind. When he made his escape, he had almost accidentally taken Tuon, the Daughter of the Nine Moons and heir to the throne of the Seanchan, with him.
Over the months, Mat has been trying to win Tuon over, knowing he was destined to marry her as foretold by the Aelfinn when he went through the twisted doorway ter’angreal in Rhuidean, back in The Shadow Rising. During their trek northward, they travel with the same circus that Nynaeve and Elyane used to escape Tanchico in book 5, The Fires of Heaven. Mat is trying to avoid Seanchan troops, especially when he learns they are trying to kill Tuon.
During their trek northward, they traveled with the same circus that Nynaeve and Elyane used to escape Tanchico in book five. Mat is trying to avoid Seanchan troops, especially when he learns they are trying to kill Tuon.
Mat's group of retainers, Aes Sedai, Tuon, and others are forced to leave the circus, and he meets up with the Band of the Red Hand. Mat decides to take the fight to the Seanchan, using hit-and-run ambush tactics. He enjoys great success despite being massively outnumbered.
Finally, he is tracked down by the Seanchan sworn to protect Tuon. Mat agrees to give her over and Tuon says the words that seal her marriage to Mat, making him a prince of Seanchan. Neither Tuon nor Mat know that the Empress and the royal family have all been slain, and now Tuon is the Empress.
Mat is now tied forever to Tuon and the Seanchan.
Egwene’s captivity
Egwene’s arc has often been on the back burner in the books before this despite its overall importance to the story, not to mention that it's among the more interesting storylines. That trend continues in Knife of Dreams, which describes her situation after being captured by the White Tower at the end of Book 10.
Egwene decides the best way to win over her captors is through dignity. She takes her punishments without complaint and carries herself as the Amirlyn Seat that she is. Through strategically placed comments to sisters throughout the Tower, she plants seeds in fertile ground about Elaida’s ability to lead effectively. The Tower is split, and that must be healed before the Last Battle.
She's aided in her efforts by Elaida herself. Elaida has horribly mismanaged events and rules as a tyrant. She has divided the White Tower, not only with the rebels laying seige to Tar Valon but also within the Tower itself.
Rand on the run
Rand has been in hiding as he marshals his resources. He has taken residency in a backwoods estate in northern Tear, but unbeknownst to him, there is a Black Ajah sister sworn to him and in his retinue. Her vows to Rand are superseded by those she gave to the Dark One.
A force of 100,000 Trollocs attacks the estate, but Rand, with the help of Logain and some Asha’man, along with the Aes Sedai that are with him, fights them off, and Rand is forced to move again.
Rand had been trying to meet with Tuon to forge a treaty. He knows he can’t fight the Dark One’s forces in the Last Battle and be at war with Seanchan. He takes a meeting, but it turns out that it is the Forsaken Semirhage in disguise. While he and his followers capture Semirhage, Rand loses a hand in the battle.
Rand is beyond the pain and inconvenience of the lost appendage. Mentally, he is losing more and more of himself to Lews Therin, and it is becoming more evident to those around him that he is barely hanging on to his sanity.
Knife of Dreams is such a cornerstone book in this series. Readers don’t want to rush through this book just to reach the final three. So much happens in this book that is crucial to the story as a whole. The last several books have built up to many of the events in this book. Enjoy the ride!
The Wheel of Time book club:
- Book 1: The Eye of the World
- Book 2: The Great Hunt
- Book 3: The Dragon Reborn
- Book 4: The Shadow Rising
- Book 5: The Fires of Heaven
- Book 6: Lord of Chaos
- Book 7: A Crown of Swords
- Book 8: The Path of Daggers
- Book 9: Winter's Heart
- Book 10: Crossroads of Twilight
- Book 11: Knife of Dreams
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