Knife of Dreams

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Title Knife of Dreams

Original cover of Knife of Dreams
Author	Robert Jordan
Cover artist	Darrell K. Sweet
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	The Wheel of Time
Genre(s)	Fantasy
Publisher	Tor Books (U.S.) & Orbit Books (UK)
Released	October 11, 2005
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	784 p. (U.S. & UK hardback edition)
ISBN	ISBN 0-312-87307-7 (U.S. hardback edition) & ISBN 1-84149-163-2 (UK hardback edition)
Preceded by	Crossroads of Twilight
Followed by	A Memory of Light

Knife of Dreams (abbreviated as KoD by fans) is the eleventh book in the fantasy series The Wheel of Time by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books in the U.S. and Orbit in the UK and released on October 11, 2005.

[edit] Pre-publication information

The prologue to Knife of Dreams, entitled "Embers Falling on Dry Grass", was sold by the Scribner imprint of Simon & Schuster as an ebook on July 22, 2005, three months before the publication of the book itself.

Part of the prologue was first made available in the paperback edition of New Spring (released on June 13, 2005); upon the release of the full prologue as an eBook, this partial excerpt was made available online at [1].

Additionally, a promotion at Amazon.com allowed those who preordered Knife of Dreams from August 10 to October 10, 2005 to immediately download at no additional cost the first chapter of the book, entitled "When Last Sounds".

[edit] Plot introduction

Knife of Dreams is 784 pages long, including a glossary. It has a prologue, 37 chapters, and an epilogue. Two of the chapter icons are new in this novel.

The opening epigram of the book is:

"The sweetness of victory and the bitterness of defeat are alike a knife of dreams. — From Fog and Steel by Madoc Comadrin"

[edit] Plot summary

[edit] Short summary

This volume of The Wheel of Time ties up a number of loose ends exposed during the course of the series. Elayne gains the throne of Andor and also manages to root out the Black Ajah sisters in Caemlyn. Egwene, captured by the Tower Aes Sedai and reduced to novice white, begins undermining Elaida's control of the White Tower from within. Rand escapes a trap by the Forsaken Semirhage while at the same time capturing her and losing his left hand. Mat and Tuon get married after their party reaches the edge of Seanchan controlled territory. Tuon then returns to Ebou Dar where she learns about a civil war in the Seanchan empire and the deaths of all of the Imperial family except her, which will make her the new Empress of Seanchan. Perrin defeats the Shaido in Malden with the help of the Seanchan and rescues his wife Faile. Spoiled food, Trolloc attacks and a ripple in the fabric of the world seem to indicate that the last battle is drawing near.

[edit] Prologue

The prologue deals with:

• a confrontation between Galad Damodred, half-brother of Elayne Trakand, and Eamon Valda, Lord Captain Commander of the Whitecloaks and thus obtaining for Galad a Heron-mark sword of the defeated Lord Captain Commander.
• General Rodel Ituralde's campaign in Tarabon and Arad Doman against the Seanchan.
• the High Lady Suroth of the Seanchan
• Aes Sedai plots in the White Tower
• Perrin Aybara's meeting with Black Ajah Aes Sedai Galina Casban and his plan of attack on the Shaido Aiel
• the immediate aftermath of Egwene al'Vere's capture by Aes Sedai loyal to Elaida

[edit] Mat and Tuon

Mat's memories are explained (at least partially), and Thom Merrilin finally reveals to him the contents of the letter Moiraine gave to him. In it she reveals that she is in fact not dead, but alive and in the custody of the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn and requests that Thom, Mat and a person she does not know yet rescue her. Though Mat panics at first, he reveals to Thom, Noal Charin and Olver the memories the Eelfinn gave to him, and despite his reluctance he agrees to help them release Moiraine Damodred from the Tower of Ghenjei.

After he and his group leave Luca's travelling show, they are joined in Altara by Talmanes and about half of the Band of the Red Hand. Mat organizes a campaign of ruthless guerrilla warfare (greatly helped by significant improvements to the crossbow) in Altara, seeking to cause the pullback of an army that is preventing them from leaving Altara and heading north to Murandy. Suroth, in her bid to seize power and after learning of the Imperial Family's fate from Semirhage, announces that an impostor matching Tuon's description is claiming to be the Daughter of the Nine Moons thus making her an outlaw to the Ever Victorious Army.

After Furyk Karede finds the Band's camp, he realizes his mistake in thinking that Thom Merrilin is the one in charge of Tuon's kidnapping. He witnesses as Tuon finishes her half-completed marriage to Mat, apparently a union of political convenience though Mat is in fact in love with her (her feelings towards him are as yet uncertain). Tuon, escorted by Furyk Karede and his Deathwatch Guards, minus a few of them and the Gardeners, makes her way back to Ebou Dar. Her new husband Mat is left to fight an army of ten thousand men who are bent on killing "the imposter" Tuon for the one hundred thousand crowns reward. With his usual genius for battle, Mat and the Band kill the enemy to the last man, in no small part due to Aludra's discoveries which enable them to throw grenades into the enemy's ranks. After the battle is over, Musenge, one of the Deathwatch Guards left behind to aid Mat, reveals that by marrying the Daughter of the Nine Moons Matrim has become the Prince of the Ravens, a high-ranking title. In becoming so, he has inadvertently fulfilled one of Egwene al'Vere's dreams, where she saw ravens digging their talons into Mat's shoulders.

Tuon returns to Ebou Dar with the head of Zared Elbar, which Musenge and Hartha brought to her after the battle. Upon her arrival there, she reveals to the assembled nobles that Elbar was involved in Suroth's attempt to kill her. Suroth is summarily made a da'covale in service of the Deathwatch Guards (in any way they might desire) until her hair grows back enough for her to be sold as a slave. With her most dangerous opponent out of the way, and having removed the veil (thus officially announcing herself as the Daughter of the Nine Moons) Tuon becomes Empress in all but name, a formality that must wait until the mourning is over.

[edit] Rand

When attacked by a Trolloc army of thousands, Rand al'Thor cannot control Lews Therin Telamon, who seizes saidin. Logain Ablar, present at the attack, learns a wide variety of offensive weaves from Lews Therin, including Deathgates (moving gateways that open and close repeatedly, slicing and dicing an enemy army), Blossoms of Fire, and Arrows of Fire. After the conflict, Lews Therin nearly burns out Rand's ability to channel by drawing in too much of the Power. Rand only narrowly avoids this fate by coming to a truce with Lews Therin, agreeing to allow them both to die at Tarmon Gai'don in exchange for Lews Therin's cooperation until that time.

In an attempt to get peace with the Seanchan for the Last Battle, Rand loses his left hand (an event long-predicted by Min's viewings) while capturing Semirhage, who was disguised as Tuon, the Daughter of the Nine Moons (previously having been known as Anath, Tuon's Truthspeaker). This is partly a result of Lews Therin once again trying to take control over saidin. Semirhage reveals to Cadsuane and the others that Rand hears Lews Therin's voice in his head - she knows this because Rand recognized her face without ever having met her before, an identification provided by Lews Therin. Also, when Nynaeve is attempting to heal Rand of the loss of his hand, she notices something wrong with his eyes, something she cannot heal.

In addition, Rand finally begins preparations for the Last Battle, or Tarmon Gai'don, as he notices the drawing near of the event, and musters his forces at Tarwin's Gap to confront the Dark one.

[edit] Perrin

Perrin Aybara disperses the Shaido threat and rescues his wife Faile using an alliance with the Seanchan. To overcome the large number of Shaido Wise Ones he and the Seanchan poison the water supply of the Shaido with Forkroot Tea which prevents them from using the One Power. Rand's father Tam has an appearance when he arrives with reinforcements from the Two Rivers. It is revealed that Tam does not believe in rumors of Rand's messianic role. In the course of the battle, Perrin's long time companion Aram dies while attempting to kill Perrin, having been convinced by Masema that Perrin's golden eyes are a sign of the Shadow. In the process of the rescue the Aiel Rolan is killed by Perrin by mistake, since he and other Shaido Aiel helped Faile and her friends several times during captivity. Sevanna is captured and the Shaido, defeated, return to the Aiel Waste - with the Black Ajah Aes Sedai Galina Casban in tow, who struggled unsuccessfully throughout the book to escape the Wise One's captivity and betrayed both Perrin and Faile in the course of her attempts.

[edit] White Tower Siege

Egwene is captured in the White Tower after last book's attempt to seal off the harbor of Tar Valon. She holds contact with the rebel Aes Sedai using her ability to visit the dream world Tel'aran'rhiod and forbids her rescue from capitivity. Despite harsh disciplining she manages to spread rumors and doubt in the White Tower about Elaida's suitability as Amyrlin and maintain her dignity. Both the rebels and the White Tower send Aes Sedai to the Black Tower to bond Asha'man (the rebels as an offer from Rand to counter the number of Aes Sedai bonded to Asha'man).

[edit] Others

Loial finally gets married and decides that he is going to speak to the Ogier in his stedding that they must fight or perish as the Shadow covers the land. Loial and Elder Haman both take up axes during the Trolloc attack. Elder Haman also agrees to close all of the waygates after Rand asks Loial to do so.

Lan makes a decision to ride to Shienar to fight. Nynaeve tricks him by making him pledge to take on any who wish to ride with him and go to Fal Moran first. She then sends him to Saldaea on the coast of the Aryth Ocean at World's End, so he has to travel hundreds of miles to reach his destination. She then travels to village after village in the Borderlands to find the scattered remnants of Lan's Malkieri countrymen, who then leave to join Lan in the ride to the Blight.

Galad confronts Eamon Valda, the leader of the Whitecloaks, for sexually assaulting his stepmother Queen Morgase of Andor, and kills him in a duel, thus becoming the leader of the Whitecloaks himself. He then decides to pledge his newfound following to the defeat of the Dark One at Tarmon Gai'don, regardless of who they will fight alongside.

Elayne manages to finally become Queen of Andor but only after she overcomes a Black Ajah plot, internal strife and raids from other contenders to the throne.

Mazrim Taim is confirmed to be at the very least a Darkfriend in the last chapter of the book when he quotes what he claims is an old saying, "Let the lord of chaos rule." though the Aes Sedai whom the chapter is told through has never heard such a saying. While this has been suspected for some time, it has strong implications for Rand's continued neglect of the Black Tower.

[edit] Release details

• 2005, U.S., Tor Books ISBN 0-312-87307-7, Pub date 11 October 2005, hardback (First edition)
• 2005, UK, Orbit ISBN 1-84149-163-2, Pub date 11 October 2005, hardback
• 2005, UK, Orbit ISBN 1-84149-228-0, Pub date 5 October 2006, paperback

[edit] External links

• Official Knife of Dreams website
• An excerpt from the Prologue, "Embers Falling on Dry Grass", of Knife of Dreams
• Knife of Dreams website from Tor Books
• Announcement of ebook
• Plot summary and other released information (possible spoilers)