After releasing the prologue to A Memory of Light, By Grace and Banners Fallen, for sale, Tor made a gesture to Jordan’s fans desperate for the latest volume of Robert Jordan’s and Brandon Sanderson‘s the Wheel of Time byputting the first (short) chapter on line a few days ago… (The following is obviously of no interest whatsoever to those who have no read the preceding volumes!)
“Feral dogs hunted through the rubble for meat. They looked up as the wind passed, their eyes hungry.”
The very beginning feels like a prologue, with the traditional image of a wind going across the land and reporting on the desperate prospects facing its inhabitants. Then it turns into the—as well—traditional feature of the main characters taking quick decisions on truly major issues and as suddenly discussing trivial matters. And arguing against one another, as they have been doing for the previous 10,188 pages of the series!
“Pregnant. Pregnant with his children. Light! He had only just learned of it. Why hadn’t she been the one to tell him?”
Maybe the most surprising item in the chapter is the fact that Rand only learns now about Elayne being pregnant. I do not remember anything about this from the previous books, but this late in the pregnancy, this sound inexplicable! Esp. given the Bond existing between them… And the way he reacts to Elayne having not told him is equally subdued. This whole chapter reflects what Leigh Butler called “the Jesusing of Rand”, going from half-mad to philosophical and collected in the previous volume, Towers of Midnight…. Making us feel like facing a new character! Anyway, the whole chapter fits into the style of those previous books, things happening at a reasonable pace but still hindered by unnecessary details and inane conversations. May the Last Battle come as quickly as possible!
Xi'an's Og 