Wheel of Time 9: Winter's Heart

[primeideal]

Okay so, I actually got this for free like five-ish years ago and had it on my shelf at a time when I didn't have most of the others accessible, so I've reread it more than most of the mid-series books. So some of it is clearer in my memory. Particularly the one line about Birgitte and Elayne from the prologue.

I'm having issues copying-and-pasting with the cut, so spoiler warning.

Elayne just offhandedly mentions that oh yeah, her cycle also shifted to match Birgitte's. What on Earth is Birgitte's menstrual cycle?? Was she having periods all the time in Tel'aran'rhiod? And again, this goes back to the "how does channeling affect aging/lifespan," but like, come on, is there no magical cure for period cramps?

 

1. Some dramatic irony with Perrin going "Masema is crazy, I'm even more glad I didn't let Faile come with me."

 

10. Egwene gets wistful thinking about how she'd have to retire as an Aes Sedai in...two or three hundred years :(

 

12. A little self-awareness in "Elayne felt like a foolish woman in a story, losing her head over a man. Well, those books tended to be written by men."

 

Elayne, Aviendha, and Rand are still directly talking about marriage, not just bonding and sexytimes. Why does this matter?

 

-In book 2, Min says that based on her viewings, Elayne will have to share her husband with two other women.

 

-In book 5, it's suggested that she actually knows that from having viewed Rand in book 1. "I saw that you'd fall in love with him. I don't know what he feels for you, only that he's tied to you in some way."

 

If the viewing is just about love and connectedness, then it's been fulfilled as of this chapter. But if it's about marriage, then it has not been fulfilled as of the end of the series, which means Rand will need to meet up with, not only his girlfriends, but with someone who can officiate and will therefore know he's alive. Because platonic relationships matter too, bleepit! (Obligatory selfrec.)

 

Anyway.

 

Heartleaf tea is a thing that exists and is a form of birth control in the Westlands, good. Now modify this to deal with periods, thanks.

 

13. Cadsuane thinks not realizing Moiraine's plan is one of her worst failures.

In the Encyclopedia it mentions, which I skimmed over, that there were previous "Chosen" that the Dark One killed. So despite its numerological and even magical significance, thirteen is not a fixed number. Which sort of explains Taim. Sort of.

 

15. Aludra! I feel like Mat/Aludra was one of my rare ships the first time around, I don't think I really grasped how awful the Tylin situation was but Mat needs a partner who he likes just for herself, not because of prophecy or whatever.

 

18. More Aludra. :) Also, Mat seems to know how old Tuon is now, I thought there was a misunderstanding related to different calendar systems. Maybe that comes later?

 

20. This part is a little confusing. For all the minor character POVs we've had so far, there could have been one between book 4 and now that was about Domon and Egeanin's ship getting boarded, the Seanchan find the male a'dam, Suroth confiscates it, and Egeanin has to take Domon as a slave to defuse the situation. (This answers the questions from here about "was that the same male a'dam we just fought so hard to get rid of"?) In fact, we already had a chapter early on about Domon's cuendillar seal getting confiscated, so he could be like "oh man, not this nonsense again." But no, it has to be infodumped via asides. The irony being that between book 4 and now both men and women discovered Travelling so this could have been so much easier.

 

Bethamin mentions that there were lots of languages before the Consolidation, I assume this has to be on the Seanchan continent rather than the Westlands? There's some "artistic license--linguistics" with everyone from Seanchan to the Aiel Waste speaking basically the same language, except for Illian Auxiliary Verb Vernacular.

 

22. Rand doesn't know if Alivia insisted on tagging along, or if Nynaeve wanted her around. (To keep an eye on her? Because she can blow stuff up?) Min has not had a viewing about her yet, so that's not the reason.

 

"You have too much to do to get killed yet. You must let us help." Alivia to Rand. I assume she meant "help" with the stuff to do, not the killing, but in the context of three chapters from now, I really hope that's a double-entendre.

 

Alivia is kind of a scary character when you think about it. The first time around people were speculating on "well what's she gonna do? Is she evil? Will she mercy-kill Rand? what is her deal" and now knowing that was kind of an anticlimax viewing...She's been damane for four hundred years and hasn't really gotten to emotionally mature or be a person since she was captured around age fourteen. Yikes. I would say she should have a loving romantic partner if she wants one (Min mentions that she's kind of naive about men), but who is there that would be a non-disturbing match for her??

 

23. Not only do the Sea Folk think Aiel are cannibals, they also think Ogier are myths. "Here comes an Ogier to chop off your head!"

 

25. Here's the one where Min views Alivia (offscreen!)

 

26. Elayne and Aviendha share a bed now.

 

27. Elayne, trying to dodge the Three Oaths that she hasn't sworn: "A search in Murandy will be profitable [for someone, maybe not you]." Again, how are the Borderlanders so non-genre-savvy about this? They know what Aes Sedai are like.

 

28. Beslan is a little like Enjolras with his Ebou Dar nationalism. "Oh the people will definitely rise!" *people remain inert*

 

30. The plan to escape gets screwed up because Mat has to come back for his ashanderei at the last minute.

 

32. "I skip the battles when I read histories" --Verin, a relatable Brown Ajah

 

33. Min still talking about marriage (see above).

 

34. The matriarchy city of Far Madding puts Rand in jail and this is bad because evil women have him in a box, sigh.

 

35. POV from an Amayar character (Timna). The Amayar are nuts but in an intriguing way.

Moridin is introduced to Rand/the good guys as the "third man" in Lews Therin's head and Min's visions. But he's introduced to the Forsaken as "some powerful guy who bosses around Moghedien and Cyndane." Moghedien's nemesis is Nynaeve. Cyndane (as Lanfear) went out in a mutual kill with Moiraine. Who does Rand link with at the end to reseal the Bore? Nynaeve and Moiraine, but he has to let them guide the flows! And then Moridin shows up and gets drawn into the flaw. (More here on Reddit, I'm OP, some of the comments are pretty good.)

 

Fic to come: probably Mat/Aludra, Alivia gen. (I don't know if it makes more sense to do it from her emotionally stunted POV or Nynaeve and Min gossiping about her?)