Why you should read The Dragon Reborn, where The Wheel of Time shakes up our point of view

The Dragon Reborn is the third book in The Wheel of Time series. It serves as an important bridge book toward The Shadow Rising, widely considered one of the best in the series. But just because it's a bridge book doesn't diminish its importance to the overall story.

Author Robert Jordan uses a different tactic in this third book. He takes the central figure of the series, Rand al'Thor, out of the narrative for most of the novel. Audiences were used to seeing events through his point of view, but in The Dragon Reborn, that point of view is limited to a few pages as the book focuses on the adventures of his friends from Emond's Field, all of whom are very important to the story.

Every character always feels Rand's presence, but Jordan has Rand go off alone and follows him with a few short narrative check-ins. That Rand is a lone wolf hero is a common theme in several books, even though many people are caught up in his orbit. In The Dragon Reborn, he's dealing with the fact that he is, indeed, the Dragon Reborn, the messianic figure destined to either save the world or destroy it. That's a heavy thing to sort through, and he needs to be alone for a while to do it.

Points of view in The Dragon Reborn

We mainly follow three main characters in this book: Rand's childhood friends Egwene, Mat and Perrin. All of them go on to play key roles in the story, and readers need to get to know them, connect with them, and see them start to come into their own. Here, readers follow them as they take different paths towards the city of Tear, where the book reaches its climax.

After being betrayed by Liandirin and handed over to the Seanchan in Falme in The Great Hunt, Egwene returns to the White Tower with Nyneave and Elayne to begin their studies to become Aes Sedai sorceresses. Before long, they leave the White Tower again, heading toward Tear to hunt Black Ajah, Aes Sedai sisters who have pledged themselves to the Dark One.

Meanwhile, Mat is sent to the city of Caemlyn with a message from Elyane to her mother the queen. Because of the civil war in Cairhein, that journey is perilous. He meets the gleeman Thom Merrilin, who he'd thought was dead after parting from him in the first book, and they go to Andor's capitol. After delivering his message, he feels pulled to Rand and toward Tear.

Finally, Perrin chases Rand alongside Moiraine, Lan, and Loial. They can't catch him, but they see evidence of his passing. Along this journey, which ends in Tear, Perrin meets Gaul and Faile, two Aiel character who will play an important role in his story.

The White Tower

Although it's the headquarters of the Aes Sedai and therefore very important, readers don't spend much time in the White Tower in this book; Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne are on their way out almost immediately after returning from their adventures in The Great Hunt.

That said, they make the most of their time there. Elayne and Egwene are both raised to Accepted Status, which is one rung closer to becoming full Aes Sedai, before the Amylin Seat sends them out to chase 13 sisters of the Black Ajah.

At thie point in the series, readers still haven't learned much about the inner machinations of the White Tower and how Aes Sedai work as a group. We know there are seven Ajahs (not counting the Black), each with different strengths in the One Power. The politics of the Tower are only hinted at in The Dragon Reborn.

Tel'aran'rhoid

Tel'aran'rhoid in the old tongue means "the world of dreams," a place where some people can visit in their sleep and learn many things: select people can become adept at dream-walking while others wander in and out without realizing it. In The Dragon Reborn, Egwene gets some experience with it.

Under most conditions, I loathe dream sequences and the idea of dream-walking or seeing the future through dreams. It is usually a crutch for writers of books, movies, and TV shows and tedns to be overused. While it is my least favorite aspect of the world Robert Jordan created, it is a huge part of that world and the story he is telling.

The White Tower hasn't produced a dream-walker in over four centuries, but they believe Egwene shows promise. No one knows how to test or teach her but they encourage her anyway. In book three, Egwene is just scratching the surface of what can be accomplished in Tel'aran'rhoid, and she is doing so in a somewhat blind, learn-as-she-goes fashion.

Readers had seen hints of the dream world in the previous books, even if they weren't aware of it. Tel'aran'rhoid plays a more significant role in The Shadow Rising and future books.

The Stone of Tear

The Stone of Tear is a massive fortress in the great city of Tear, in the country of Tear. It houses Callandor, the Sword that Cannot be Touched. Callandor has hung suspended in the Stone of Tear for millinea as only the Dragon Reborn can wield it. These are strong Arthur and Excaliber vibes with Callandor. If someone claims, it's a key sign that the Dragon has been reborn and that the end of days is coming.

Though the Stone of Tear was built using the One Power and houses a powerful tool of the One Power made only for one man to use, the High Lords who rule Tear don't allow anyone to use the One Power in the city. The Stone also houses a massive collection of ter'angreal and sa'angreal, tools meant to enhance the use of the One Power. Details about them have been forgotten, and no one knows what specific purpose many were made for.

The Stone of Tear had not fallen for centuries but does within hours after getting attacked by the Aeil, who show up around the same time as Rand. Mat is also involved; he blows a hole in the wall using fireworks. Having worked through his identity crisis, Rand claims Callandor and becomes the ruler of Tear after the Stone falls.

The Forsaken

The favored minions of the Dark Lord from past ages are a jealous, ambitious bunch vying for dominance in the new world. They all want to bring Rand to the service of their master. Two of the 13 Forsaken are dead by this point. The Green Man killed Balthamel at the Eye of the World at the end of book one, and Rand slew Aginor in the same skirmish.

Two more fall in Tear. Moiraine takes down Be'lal with balefire in the battle for the Stone. He had been posing as a high lord in Tear. During the same fight, Rand kills Ishamael, the same Forsaken who had been dominating the dreams of Rand, Mat and Perrin since they fled Emond's Field. Ishamael and Rand battled in Falme in the previoius book, with Ishamael giving Rand a wound in his side that no one can heal. In The Dragon Reborn, Rand takes down Ishamael for good...mostly.

There are nine Forsaken left, and they are all coming for Rand in their own way. Because she loved Rand in his previous incarnation, the Forsaken Lanfear still considers him her property.

The Dragon Reborn advances the storyline of The Wheel of Time books. While it is somewhat short on action until the end, focusing on characters like Egwene, Mat and Perrin gives it a shot in the arm.

Next up is the fourth book, The Shadow Rising, where the story starts to take off at a rapid pace. Before we get to that, check out the prior stops on our journey:

• The Eye of the World
• The Great Hunt

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.