Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan, Book Ten of the Wheel of Time series.

Introduction

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan is the tenth book of The Wheel of Time series. The novel follows four main plot arcs. Rand, Mat, Perrin, and Elayne. All four characters face hard choices and must grow so they can complete the challenges put before them in future novels. Will the forces of Light be stopped at the Crossroads of Twilight?

Crossroads of Twilight

Summary – Prologue

The prologue has seven point-of-view characters, and each point of view sets up a plot arc.

Ritel Ituralde is a general of Amon Domain who knows the Seanchan will attack him soon and makes plans to defeat them.

Eamon Valda is a leader of the White Cloaks who face battles with the Seanchan and the Aes Sedai.

Gabrelle is warder-bonded to Logain at the Black Tower. She tries to figure out what move the Ahsa’man will take next.

Yukiki searches for the Black Ajah at the White Tower.

Gawyn oversees the Younglings and wonders what to do next.

Davram Bashere commands a unit in Elayne’s army that is sieging Caemalyn, trying to win her the crown of Andor.

Samitsu is overseeing Cairhien by Cadsuane’s request. She must find out who and why someone attempted to assassinate Dobraine.

Summary–Groups of characters

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan has four main plots.

Rand wants to make a truce with the Seanchan so they can both focus on defeating the forces of the Dark One rather than each other.

Mat leaves Ebou Dar with the cover of the traveling circus to escape to Murandy. He courts Tuon but is clueless about the ways of the Seanchan.

Perrin discovers the Shaido confines Faile in their winter quarters in Malden. The Shaido are too strong to attack. Perrin looks for supplies and faces a difficult decision.

Egwene brought her rebels forces to siege Tar Valon. She faces a set back at the end of the novel which might jeopardize her ability to take Tar Valon.

Summary–Best Plot Points

Three Chapters stand out in Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan.

Traps is Chapter 9 where Faile is punished by the Shaido but is comforted by Rolan.

A Mark is Chapter 21 where Alvarin is worried that she will be found out at the White Tower as part of the Black Ajah.

What must be done is Chapter 31 where Perrin must make a hard choice. Perrin’s conflict in the series has been between the hammer and the axe. For him the hammer means the blacksmith profession and resolving issues by words. The axe means war and battle. Perrin faces a situation where he must choose between the axe and the hammer.

Recommendation

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan has some brilliant scenes, but the plot arcs begun in Winter’s Heart are still not competed in this novel. This novel functions to set up the events resolved in the next novel in the series, Knife of Dreams. This novel didn’t have a big ending like the ones that occurred in most of the other novels of the series. I see Winter’s Heart, Crossroads of Twilight, and Knife of Dreams as a sort of a trilogy set inside the series.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113435.Crossroads_of_Twilight

Winters Heart by Robert Jordan has some brilliant scenes but misses conclusions to the plot arcs explored

Review of Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan. When Rand fights the Seanchan, will they defeat him, or will he win across the Path of Daggers?

This is the link to my review of Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan. When Rand forces the hand of one of the Forsaken, will the Forsaken defeat him or will he earn a Crown of Swords?

This is the link to my review of Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan, Book Six of the Wheel of Time. Chaos reigns in the Westlands. They push Rand to the edge of insanity. Will he survive the box?

This is the link to my review of Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan, Book Five of the Wheel of Time.

This is the link to my review of Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan, Book Four of the Wheel of Time.

This is the link to my review of Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan, Book Three of the Wheel of Time.

This is the link to my review of Great Hunt by Robert Jordan, Book Two of the Wheel of Time.

This is the link to my review of Eye of the World by Robert Jordan, Book one of the Wheel of Time.

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

Introduction

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi is, as he names it in the Author’s Note, a reimagining of the story and events of the novel Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper. Scalzi updates the story to contemporary sensibilities. Jack Holloway is an independent prospector on the planet Zara XXIII. His companion is his bomb-detonating dog named Carl. They find a new mine worth a lot of money for him and Zarathustra Corporation. The problem is when he discovers a new species or better yet when they discover him. If the species he calls Fuzzys proves to be sentient, he and Zara Corp lose the right to exploit the planet. Will Jack choose to get filthy rich or protect the new species?

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

Summary

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi starts with Jack Holloway prospecting on the planet Zara XXIII with his dog named Carl. They cause an ecological disaster which is noticed by Jack’s ZaraCorp contractor rep named Chad Bourne. Chad threatens to end Jack’s contract. Jack finds a valuable mine because of the disaster and will profit greatly but he runs into a problem.

Back at Jack’s tree house in the middle of the jungle, he encounters a being. He can’t decide if it is more like a monkey, dog, or cat. It might be smarter than that. If the being is sentient, then he stands to lose his rich find because the law will give it to the beings which he calls Fuzzys.

Jack enlists the aid of biologist Isobel Wangai and xeno-linguist Dr. Arnold Chen to figure out if the Fuzzys are sentient.

He faces off with the representatives at ZaraCorp and brings the issue of sentience to the planetary court. Jack believes they are sentient while ZaraCorp thinks they are wild animals. The conclusion proceeds from there.

Recommendation

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi is a contemporary retelling of the story found in H. Beam Piper’s novel Little Fuzzy. I have read both novels and I enjoyed the added elements that Scalzi had added. The corporate plot is like the movie Avatar, though Avatar was probably inspired by Little Fuzzy in the first place. This novel reads like a remake of a movie. I’m glad I read it.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9647532-fuzzy-nation

Zoes Tale by John Scalzi is the fourth book in the Old Man’s War series. This novel tells the events from the previous novel, The Last Colony, from the point of view of Zoe Boutin Perry.

Last Colony by John Scalzi is the third book in the Old Man’s War series. John Perry and his family colonized a new planet. Can he protect the colony, or will the colony perish leading to the extermination of humanity?

Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi is the second book in the Old Man’s War series. Jared Dirac is a clone with another man’s memories. He must save humanity from three allied alien races determined to destroy humanity.

Old Man’s War is the first novel in the Old Man’s War series. This is the link to my review.

Writing Progress Report August 2024

Writing Progress Report August 2024.

This is my Writing Progress Report August 2024.

I attended the Confluence Conference near Pittsburgh, PA, on July 26, 2024, to July 28, 2024.

Writing Progress from July 2024.

I wrote three blog posts for my website, garydavidgillen.com. One of the posts was my writing progress report for July 2024, which is linked below.

In July 2024, there was no submission to the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop on a Zoom call. We are taking a break until August 2024.

Writing Progress from July 2024 Continued

I made five posts on my Goodreads account in July 2024.

In the past, I submitted the stories; Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, and Grognard to magazines.

The seven Flash Fiction Stories I submitted in 2020 and 2021 were Space-Dog Confession, Sleeping Sickness, Caliburnus, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, Wormhole Generator, Runs with Scissors, and Principled Rogue.

Magazine submissions for 2021 were 4 unique stories submitted 4 times, with 0 accepted, 0 pending, and 4 rejections. No submissions for 2022. None for 2023.

Events from July 2024.

I attended the Confluence Conference near Pittsburgh, PA, on July 26, 2024, to July 28, 2024. They held the conference at the Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel in Coraopolis, PA. I attended the Confluence in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023.

The link to the Confluence website.

https://confluence-sff.org

Writing Goals for August 2024.

In August 2024, I plan to write five blog posts for garydavidgillen.com including my Writing Progress Report for August 2024.

I plan to work on a story for the Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop on a Zoom call in August 2024.

Eventually, I plan to work on third draft edits for Assassin in New Marl City using comments from the Novel Writing Workshop at Parma, Ohio. I plan to split Chapter 1 into two chapters and add a scene to the new chapter 1.

Submit the stories Space-Dog Confession, Four Humors, Space Station Sunyata, Grognard, LARP Film noir, Sleeping Sickness, Popular Mechanics Re-brewed, and Caliburnus. to other short fiction magazines.

Polish and submit the stories White Bracer, Mage Squad, I Shall Not Return, Prisoner of Tarnal, and Kay-Eye for submission to short fiction magazines.

In August 2024, I plan to make five posts on my Goodreads account.

Planned Events for August 2024.

The next event I plan to attend is the Cleveland Inkubator at the Cleveland Public Library on September 21, 2024. Literary Cleveland sponsors it. It is a one-day writing conference.