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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
This was a heartbreaking one. This book ended the journey of the one out of three and the most fav female character in the wheel of time so far Moraine
adventurous
slow-paced
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
- 3.2 Stars -
The Fires of Heaven continues Robert Jordan’s epic Wheel of Time series, delivering high-stakes battles, intriguing world-building, and complex character arcs. However, despite the book’s strengths, certain narrative choices left me feeling frustrated and disconnected.
One of the biggest issues is how the story handles major character moments, particularly the sudden loss of Moiraine and the severing of Lan’s bond. These emotionally significant events should have carried more weight, but the narrative rushes past them, giving the characters—and readers—little time to process their impact. Just as I hoped for some space to reflect, the Maidens of the Spear inserted themselves with manipulative demands about their role in battle. Their threat of suicide if Rand refuses to let them fight felt more like emotional coercion than an expression of honor, leaving me questioning whether their actions align with the Aiel code they claim to follow.
Lanfear’s actions exemplify the absurdity of Rand’s moral code. At one point, she murders Hadnan Kadere in a jealous rage, flaying him alive and flying his hollow skin through the air as a gruesome warning to others. This moment perfectly illustrates how comically evil Lanfear is—unhinged, dangerous, and obsessed with controlling Rand. And yet, despite her obvious threat to everyone around him, Rand refuses to harm a hair on her head due to his misguided principle of never hurting women. This rigid moral absolutism becomes increasingly ridiculous when applied to someone as vile as Lanfear. It also makes it harder to sympathize with Rand when his refusal to act decisively only creates more problems, making many of his struggles feel like avoidable burdens.
The absurd behavior of several female characters also detracts from the story, with Nynaeve standing out in particular. Her refusal to kill Moghedien after everything the Forsaken has done—simply because she had her under control with an a’dam—feels more like a contrived plot device to keep the villain alive for future encounters. Nynaeve’s interactions with others, especially men, are exhausting and irrational. Her constant anger, condescension, and lack of self-awareness are meant to reflect her internal struggles with control and growth, but instead, they often come across as frustratingly petty rather than endearing or nuanced.
Similarly, Rand’s refusal to engage Moghedien in the World of Dreams feels like a glaring misstep. After facing the consequences of sparing Lanfear, this moment could have been an opportunity for him to grow—perhaps not abandoning his morals entirely but at least questioning them. Instead, Rand leaves Moghedien without a second thought, which feels negligent and strips the scene of emotional weight. His repeated hesitation to act decisively against women, even those as dangerous as the Forsaken, becomes increasingly absurd as the stakes rise.
While Jordan ambitiously juggles many plotlines, the pacing in The Fires of Heaven often sacrifices emotional depth for plot progression. Key moments are rushed, leaving the story feeling unbalanced and disconnected. The irrational behavior of many female characters, especially Nynaeve, can be exhausting, and Rand’s emotional flatness in critical moments adds to the sense that the story moves forward without fully exploring its themes.
There are other issues as well: Mat’s constant pontificating about leaving and refusing to accept his fate, despite countless instances where his efforts are thwarted; the uneven pacing of the battle with the Shaido; the way women inexplicably fawn over Rand; and the contrived sequence where Rand accidentally gives Aviendha perfect, culturally significant gifts, leading her to shift from hatred to love and fleeing naked into a blizzard (despite having been nude in front of him before and continuing to do so afterward). These issues, though sometimes unintentionally hilarious, are numerous and frustrating.
That said, the world-building remains excellent, and the story offers moments of genuine excitement. However, the imbalance between plot and character development makes this installment weaker than others in the series. I would recommend The Fires of Heaven to those already invested in The Wheel of Time, but new readers may find its narrative repetition, emotional disconnect, and character behaviors difficult to overlook.
The Fires of Heaven continues Robert Jordan’s epic Wheel of Time series, delivering high-stakes battles, intriguing world-building, and complex character arcs. However, despite the book’s strengths, certain narrative choices left me feeling frustrated and disconnected.
One of the biggest issues is how the story handles major character moments, particularly the sudden loss of Moiraine and the severing of Lan’s bond. These emotionally significant events should have carried more weight, but the narrative rushes past them, giving the characters—and readers—little time to process their impact. Just as I hoped for some space to reflect, the Maidens of the Spear inserted themselves with manipulative demands about their role in battle. Their threat of suicide if Rand refuses to let them fight felt more like emotional coercion than an expression of honor, leaving me questioning whether their actions align with the Aiel code they claim to follow.
Lanfear’s actions exemplify the absurdity of Rand’s moral code. At one point, she murders Hadnan Kadere in a jealous rage, flaying him alive and flying his hollow skin through the air as a gruesome warning to others. This moment perfectly illustrates how comically evil Lanfear is—unhinged, dangerous, and obsessed with controlling Rand. And yet, despite her obvious threat to everyone around him, Rand refuses to harm a hair on her head due to his misguided principle of never hurting women. This rigid moral absolutism becomes increasingly ridiculous when applied to someone as vile as Lanfear. It also makes it harder to sympathize with Rand when his refusal to act decisively only creates more problems, making many of his struggles feel like avoidable burdens.
The absurd behavior of several female characters also detracts from the story, with Nynaeve standing out in particular. Her refusal to kill Moghedien after everything the Forsaken has done—simply because she had her under control with an a’dam—feels more like a contrived plot device to keep the villain alive for future encounters. Nynaeve’s interactions with others, especially men, are exhausting and irrational. Her constant anger, condescension, and lack of self-awareness are meant to reflect her internal struggles with control and growth, but instead, they often come across as frustratingly petty rather than endearing or nuanced.
Similarly, Rand’s refusal to engage Moghedien in the World of Dreams feels like a glaring misstep. After facing the consequences of sparing Lanfear, this moment could have been an opportunity for him to grow—perhaps not abandoning his morals entirely but at least questioning them. Instead, Rand leaves Moghedien without a second thought, which feels negligent and strips the scene of emotional weight. His repeated hesitation to act decisively against women, even those as dangerous as the Forsaken, becomes increasingly absurd as the stakes rise.
While Jordan ambitiously juggles many plotlines, the pacing in The Fires of Heaven often sacrifices emotional depth for plot progression. Key moments are rushed, leaving the story feeling unbalanced and disconnected. The irrational behavior of many female characters, especially Nynaeve, can be exhausting, and Rand’s emotional flatness in critical moments adds to the sense that the story moves forward without fully exploring its themes.
There are other issues as well: Mat’s constant pontificating about leaving and refusing to accept his fate, despite countless instances where his efforts are thwarted; the uneven pacing of the battle with the Shaido; the way women inexplicably fawn over Rand; and the contrived sequence where Rand accidentally gives Aviendha perfect, culturally significant gifts, leading her to shift from hatred to love and fleeing naked into a blizzard (despite having been nude in front of him before and continuing to do so afterward). These issues, though sometimes unintentionally hilarious, are numerous and frustrating.
That said, the world-building remains excellent, and the story offers moments of genuine excitement. However, the imbalance between plot and character development makes this installment weaker than others in the series. I would recommend The Fires of Heaven to those already invested in The Wheel of Time, but new readers may find its narrative repetition, emotional disconnect, and character behaviors difficult to overlook.
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes