Lord of Chaos (1994)
by Robert Jordan
REVIEW BY JASON HAMILTON
BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Rand faces his greatest threat yet, hundreds of Aes Sedai who want to subdue him and take him to their tower.
PROS: Great buildup and one of the best endings in the series, pivotal character development, Perrin is back.
CONS: Little action before the ending, not much of interest going on outside of Rand's storyline.
BOTTOM LINE: This one can get a bit boring at times, but it is still one of the best books in the series, due primarily to the amazing ending and the build up to it.
I loved this book! It is easily one of the best, although I wouldn't rank it above the first three. I was happy to see Perrin returning after his notable absence in book 5. The part that he plays is very satisfying too, having a pivotal role in the resolution of the story.
Before I get started on the ending, let me just say that although the rest of the book is full of build up, there is very little action that happens. I'm a big fan of there being action in a fantasy book. I know a lot of what fantasy is, is setting up the setting, but this can get tiresome in a 300,000+ word book. However, there are some very interesting developments in Rand's formation of the black tower and training other men who can channel, and this seems to lessen the problem.
The ending for this book is phenomenal! It's a culmination of several storylines that have all been waiting for this specific moment. I'm not going to give anything away, but let's just say that it all comes together. Up to this point, each book has ended with Rand confronting one of the forsaken, which doesn't happen here, but it is still not an ending I would miss. In addition it has a ripple effect that is felt clear through the end of the series.
Overall, the impact of this book is huge, and easily one of the best in the series. Characters and cultures are further developed and the plot moves forward considerably. I loved it.
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