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"Kneel, or you will be knelt."
Has there been a more powerful or significant sentence in this series? The seeds of mistrust have been sown in Rand al'Thor, and we have to wonder if the 'Chaos' in the book's title refers to the events that mistrust engenders, or the maelstrom in the Dragon Reborn's mind. Before that moment, we have rooted for Rand, empathized with him... But now we are more aware than ever of the power he wields, and the delicate balance he struggles to maintain between sanity and insanity.
LOC is Jordan's greatest accomplishment to date, a complex, involving book with a dizzying number of subplots, plot twists, and powerful scenes. Take Egwene's character: she admits her lies and meets her toh with an Aiel's courage, then uses Tel'aran'rhiod to get to Salidar, then finds out Sheriam and her buddies want her to be their Amyrlin, then begins manipulating the Aes Sedai with a skill that would make Moiraine proud. Now consider that Egwene was basically a minor character in this book, and you can see how detailed LOC really is. Jordan stuffs a lot into 700 pages, and none of it seems extraneous or indulgent.
Well, let's begin breaking down Lord Of Chaos:
Plotting - So many things happen to advance the main plot that I have to wonder how Jordan keeps track of it all. Does he have a big blackboard at home where he diagrams the whole thing, or what? LOC has enough plot threads to weave a sweater with, and he manages to cover everybody important. The opening prologue is an excellent example of Jordan getting us up to speed on what minor and major characters are doing, and he does the same thing in the epilogue, too.
Characterization - We thought Rand was a hard man before, but after Dumai's Wells... Wow. Talk about your earth-shaking psychological impact. We also see Egwene settling into her role as a forceful, crafty leader, and Perrin as the reluctant hero, while Mat unwittingly becomes a father figure to young Olver.
Pacing - Despite juggling so many plot threads, Jordan never slows the pace, using alternate threads to create an ebb and flow effect. For example, right after Rand gets kidnapped, Jordan jumps back to Ebou Dar to heighten the suspense of the former thread.
Best Scene - It has to be Dumai's Wells. No scene in the series has been more powerful, or more unforgettable. I can still see the Asha'man exploding the Shaido to bits in my mind (I'd like to see them get that by TV censors!).
Best Quote - "The Aiel killed my papa. One of those... Shado. Mama said we were going to Andor. She said we were going to live on a farm. With horses." "Where is she now?" Mat asked softly. "She got sick. I - I buried her where there were some flowers." Suddenly Olver kicked Edorion and began thrashing in his grip. Tears rolled down his face. "You let me go. I can take care of myself. You let me go." That still gets me, even now.
Most Screen Time - This is a tough call. It's probably Rand, but I'd have to count chapters to be sure, because Egwene, Min, Elayne, Mat, and Perrin all get a lot of attention. Then there's all the minor characters, from Pedron Niall and Morgase to Sammael and Graendal, who get paragraphs and chapters.
Overall - For better or for worse, LOC is the book that all future volumes will be compared with, and I know that might be unfair, but... Let me put it this way - I just finished reading it, and I could read it again right away. That's how much I loved reading LOC. 5 out of 5 angreals.
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