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Lord of Chaos

Lord of Chaos

Epic FantasyFantasy
Pages
1024
Published
1994
Language
English

Synopsis

The Dragon Reborn rules in fact if not in name, and the powers of the world maneuver to use him. Nations weigh whether to kneel, a rebel assembly of Aes Sedai courts his alliance, and a faction from the White Tower decides he must be controlled by force. Rand presses ahead with plans no cautious man would attempt, founding a school, binding nations to him, and gathering men who can channel into a weapon the world has not seen since the Age of Legends. Across the land, Perrin, Mat, Egwene, and Nynaeve pursue their own threads as the Shadow's grip tightens. The sixth volume of The Wheel of Time builds toward a battle that readers regularly name among the series' finest, where the newly raised Asha'man announce themselves and the balance of power shifts violently. It is a book about the price of being a weapon and a ruler at once, ending on a reversal that redefines Rand's place in the world and the lengths his enemies, and his supposed allies, will go to bend him.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

DarkTenseAdventurousComplex
Chosen OneQuestMultiple POVsBetrayalCourt IntrigueSacrifice

Genres

Epic Fantasy Fantasy High Fantasy

About the author

R
Robert Jordan

Born in Charleston, South Carolina, James Oliver Rigney Jr. (1948-2007) wrote under the pen name Robert Jordan and became best known for the epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time. He served two tours as a U.S. Army helicopter gunner in Vietnam, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star, then took a degree in physics from The Citadel and worked as a nuclear engineer for the Navy. A fall and a long convalescence in the late 1970s turned him toward writing full time. Before fantasy...

Characters

Rand al'ThorProtagonist

Tries to rule, build, and arm himself for the Last Battle while factions scheme to possess him, an ordeal that hardens him.

SammaelAntagonist

A Forsaken entrenched in Illian who maneuvers against Rand from hiding.

Padan FainAntagonist

Pursues his obsessive hatred of Rand by his own twisted means.

Perrin AybaraSupporting

Returns to Rand's side, uneasy about the company the Dragon now keeps.

Mazrim TaimSupporting

A powerful, ambiguous channeler Rand recruits to help train the Asha'man, his loyalties uncertain.

All characters in Lord of Chaos

Frequently asked questions

  • Why is the Battle of Dumai's Wells so celebrated?

    It is the book's explosive climax, where roughly two hundred Asha'man enter open battle for the first time and turn the tide with devastating force, ending with Aes Sedai kneeling to Rand. Readers frequently rank it among the most thrilling set-pieces in the entire series.

  • Who are the Asha'man?

    The Asha'man are men whom Rand gathers and trains to wield the male half of the One Power, despite its madness-inducing taint. They are forged into a military force and become central to the war against the Shadow.

  • What does 'duty is heavier than a mountain, death lighter than a feather' mean?

    It is a Borderlander saying that recurs through the series and closes this book, expressing that one's obligations outweigh even one's own life. It captures the ethos of several characters and the burden Rand carries.

  • What happens to Rand in the box?
  • Is Lord of Chaos a turning point for Rand?

    Yes. The captivity and the battle that frees him push Rand toward a colder, more ruthless outlook that defines much of his later arc. Many readers mark this book as the end of the series' first movement.

  • What does the title 'Lord of Chaos' refer to?

    It draws on a Shadow saying, 'Let the Lord of Chaos rule,' describing a strategy of sowing confusion rather than seeking outright victory. The phrase frames the maneuvering that runs through the book.

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