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Warning! Spoilers ahead!
One of the great things about the Wheel of Time series is that there is so much history behind the main tale, so many stories yet to be told. 'New Spring' is the story of how Moiraine and Lan met, and what circumstances brought them to the point of bonding. I hope that when the series is finished, Jordan spends some time writing more short stories like this, fleshing out earlier details of the narrative, because he's really good at it. 'New Spring' doesn't overstay its welcome, it packs a lot into a small number of pages, and it tells a great story. Along the way, we learn more than a few interesting tidbits, including the revelation that Moiraine believes Cadsuane to be Black Ajah. I wonder what she would think of Cadsuane's current position with Rand, don't you? A bonus is the chance to get to know Moiraine and Lan in their youth, which is an opportunity not to be missed.
Well, let's begin breaking down New Spring:
Plotting - There is basically one plot thread, of course, and the short story reads very much like a single chapter in any of Jordan's books. It opens with some mystery and closes with a promise of things to come.
Characterization - The revelation here is that the young Moiraine shares a great deal of personality traits with Nynaeve: headstrong, almost suicidally courageous, and resolute in the belief that she knows more than she really does. We are spared the braid-pulling, thankfully. :) The young Lan already has the strong sense of duty that he is well-known for, but you can also see similarities to Rand, and how the responsibilities he must bear can seem too heavy at times.
Pacing - The narrative moves along swiftly, as Jordan recognizes the limitations of the short story format and doesn't fight them (in other words, he doesn't go off on a dozen tangents).
Best Scene - WOT fans all know about Moiraine dumping an entire pond on Lan, and when the scene arrives, it is as hilarious as we all imagined it would be. My, but those young Aes Sedai have a quicksilver temper, don't they?
Best Quote - "You are a cool one, Aes Sedai," Lan said flatly. "As cool as I must be," she told him. Diryk's scream rang in her ears. Iselle's face dwindled below her. "It seems Ryne was wrong as well as a Darkfriend. You were better than he." Lan shook his head slightly. "He was better. But he thought I was finished, with only one arm. He never understood. You surrender after you're dead." Moiraine nodded. Surrender after you are dead. Yes.
Most Screen Time - Moiraine and Lan split points-of-view, with the Aes Sedai getting most of the screen time. It must have been tempting for Jordan to get Siuan's take on Moiraine and Lan's new relationship, but he wisely refrained from doing so.
Overall - 'New Spring' does what it's supposed to do: entertain WOT fans while giving them new insights into beloved characters and the series in general. It's unfortunate that this story was partly responsible for the delay of Path of Daggers' publication, but perhaps Jordan will wait until the series is over before attempting another short story. 5 out of 5 angreals.
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