The Wheel of Time IX: Winter's Heart

While the Dragon Reborn prepares to end an age-old threat, the world around him is shaken to its very foundations… Saidin – the male half of the One Power – has been tainted by the Dark One for thousands of years. Any man who dares to use it is condemned to madness and ruin. But Rand al’Thor will not stand idly by and watch the same fate befall him. He has devised a risky plan that will either cleanse the world of the ancient curse – or tear it apart. Meanwhile, in snowy Caemlyn, Elayne is playing a dangerous political game where the prize is the Andoran Lion Throne of her mother. Desperate Perrin, taming the wolf within, sets out to free his beloved Faile from the clutches of the enemy Aiel. Mat also has his head full of worries as he tries to escape from his imprisonment in Seanchan-controlled Ebou Dar, where he unexpectedly crosses paths with their princess, the Daughter of the Nine Moons. And there is turmoil in Tar Valon, where the White Tower, full of intriguing factions and infiltrated by the Black Ajah, finds itself in complete shock when Egwene and her rebels suddenly appear before it. The ninth instalment of the fantasy saga The Wheel of Time captures one of the most pivotal events of the entire series, one which will completely change the existing balance of power and significantly guide its heroes towards the Last Battle.   “Jordan’s finale is, as is tradition, phenomenal. In this instalment, it is literally explosive and brilliantly described through the eyes of many of its significant participants.” – from reader reviews on Databazeknih.cz “While the first two-thirds of the book are carried by political intrigue and world-building, the end of Winter's Heart is absolutely electrifying.” – SF Reviews “Robert Jordan is a master at spreading the plot across dozens of characters without the reader losing track. In Winter's Heart, the pace sometimes slows down in the storylines with Perrin or Elayne, but everything is redeemed by the absolutely monumental finale at Shadar Logoth. It is the literary equivalent of a huge storm that, after a long, stuffy period, finally brings a cleansing rain.” – Fantasy Book Review “Jordan’s ability to build an epic scope is unparalleled. Winter’s Heart shows heroes who are no longer the frightened villagers from the first book, but people carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. The author’s attention to detail in the realms of culture and magic gives this world an incredible depth that is rarely seen in the fantasy genre.” – Kirkus Reviews Taim entered the chamber as if he owned the palace. He needed no announcement, the sleeves of his black coat encircled by blue-and-gold dragons reaching from elbow to cuff, in imitation of the Dragons Rand had on his own arms. Although she suspected that reminder would not please him. He was nearly as tall as Rand, with a hawkish nose and the dark eyes of a bird of prey. He was a physically powerful man who moved with a dangerous grace, much like the Warders, but shadows seemed to follow him, as if half the lamps in the room had gone out. They were not real shadows, but a hint of impending violence that was almost tangible, sucking the light from the air. Behind him came two more men in black, a bald fellow with a long grey beard and lecherous blue eyes, and a younger man, slender as a snake, with dark hair and the arrogance that younger men often display until they learn better. Both had a silver sword and a red-enamelled dragon on their high collars. Neither, however, had a sword at his waist. They did not need them. Suddenly, the room seemed smaller, somehow crowded. Elayne instinctively embraced saidar and reached for a link. Merilille slipped smoothly into the circle, and surprisingly, so did Renaile. A quick glance at the Windfinder was enough to quell her surprise. Renaile gripped the dagger tucked into her sash so tightly that Elayne could feel the pain in her hand through the link. She had been in Caemlyn long enough to know what Asha'man were. – an excerpt from the book