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Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan

Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan, Book Eight of the Wheel of Time series.

Introduction

Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan is the eighth book of The Wheel of Time series. The novel follows four main plot arcs. Elayne, with the help of the Kin and the Sea Folk, seeks to use the Bowl of the Winds to stop the hot weather created by the Forsaken. Perrin and Faile seek to bring the Prophet back to Rand in Cairhein. Egwene seeks to bring her army to Tar Valon. Rand fights the Seanchan near Ebou Dar and talks with Min in Cairhein. When Rand fights the Seanchan, will they defeat him, or will he win across the Path of Daggers?

Summary – Prologue

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

Queen Ethenielle of Kandor is the first viewpoint character in the prologue. She attends a meeting of the four leaders of the Borderland kingdoms. The other leaders are Queen Tenobia of Saldea, King Paitar of Arafel, and King Easar of Shienar. They want to meet the Dragon Reborn and decide if they want to follow him.

Verin Mathwin is the second viewpoint character. She finishes up the plot of the aftermath of what happened at the end of the last book at Dumai Wells.

Moridin of the Forsaken (Chosen by their reckoning) plots against Rand, the Dragon Reborn.

Summary–Groups of characters

Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan has four main plots.

Elayne, Aviendha, and Brigitte are in Ebou Dar. They plan to use the Bowl of the Winds to cancel the heat wave that the Forsaken has unleashed on the land. They have the Kin and the Sea Folk help them. The Seanchan invade Ebou Dar and compromise their escape.

Perrin brings the army Rand has given to him to Ghealdan looking for Masema, the Prophet of the Dragon. The army is made up of the Winged Guards of Mayene, Aiel, and the people of the Two Rivers. Rand wants Perrin to bring Masema back to him in Cairhein. Perrin tries to convince Masema to come with him and Faile has other ideas.

Egwene seeks to bring her army to siege and capture Tar Valon. Her army is in Murandy. She must negotiate with the nobles of Murandy, build up her army’s strength, and find a way through Andor to achieve her objective.

Rand prepares his army in Ilian to stop a potential Seanchan invasion from Ebou Dar. He fights the Seanchan and must live with the aftermath of the battle.

Summary–Best Plot Points

Three Plot Points stand out in Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan.

Chapter 6, Threads is the chapter where the Bowl of the Winds plotline resolves.

Chapter 23, Fog of War, Storm of Battle, and Chapter 24, A Time for Iron detail the battle between Rand’s army and the Seanchan. The multiple viewpoints in these chapters show the complications caused by the fog of war.

Chapter 26, The Extra Bit covers two initiatives of Elaida of the White Tower. First is the effort of a group of Aes Sedai to uncover the Black Ajah at the White Tower. Second is the group sent to defeat The Black Tower, the home of the Asha’man, men who can channel.

Recommendation

Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan has some brilliant scenes but misses conclusions to the plot arcs explored.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140974.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?

Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan

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?

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan

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

Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

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

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

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

Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

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

Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

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

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie

Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie, First Law World Series Book #7

Introduction

Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie has thirteen stories from the World of the First Law. The stories are arranged chronologically by the date the story was set. They are either novel chapter outtakes, scenes set between the novels, or part of the sequence featuring Shev and Carcolf. Six stories were first published in this anthology, four stories were first published in other anthologies, and three stories were published as extras in the author’s novels in this series. Will the protagonists in these thirteen fantasy action stories prevail or fail in their efforts?

Summary

Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie has these thirteen stories from the World of the First Law.

A Beautiful Bastard whose main character is Sand dan Glotka from the main series.
Small Kindness which features the first appearance of Shev the thief.
The Fool Jobs feature Curden Craw and occur in the North.
Skipping Town is another Shev story.
Hell occurs in Dagoska and features Temple the beggar.
Two’s Company is another story about Shev.
Wrong Place, Wrong Time occurs in Styria during the events of the novel named Best Served Cold.
Some Desperado features Shev.
Yesterday, Near a Village Called Barden… is an outtake chapter from the novel named the Heroes.
Three’s a Crowd is about Shev.

Recommendation

Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie fills in the blanks between the six novels of the World of the First Law. The stories are excellent, but I enjoyed two of the stories the most. Yesterday, Near a Village Called Barden… is an outtake chapter of the novel named the Heroes. The story shifts between six POV characters including Colonel Bremer dan Gorst resulting in a surprising ending. Tough Times all over was first published in the Rogues anthology. The story wraps up the Shev and Carcolf story sequence. It has fourteen different Pov characters. I like how both stories are constructed, connected, and build to a satisfying ending. Reading all the stories in this anthology will help the reader to understand the background of the First Law World better. Reading the six novels first will help the reader to put these stories into context.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie, First Law World Series Book #7

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26030742-sharp-ends

This is the link to my Book Review of the Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie, Age of Madness Series Book #3. They defeated the rebellion, but all is not well in the Union. Will the wisdom of crowds start a revolution and bring down the Union once and for all?

Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie

Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi.

Introduction

In Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi, Jaime Gray lost his job and is delivering food now. It’s early in the pandemic and COVID-19 makes Jaime’s job difficult. Jamie’s old friend Tom offers Jamie a job to help the KPS as a grunt. Jaime takes the job and goes through a portal and makes friends with others working for the KPS. Huge creatures called Kaiju live on the land near the portal. Bad people want to use Kaiju for their short-sighted purposes. Will Jaime and their friends save the Kaiju and prevent a catastrophic event from occurring back on Earth?

Summary

In Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi, Jaime Gray goes into a performance review by the boss, Rob Sanders, expecting a great review. Jamie works at a food delivery service in New York City. Jamie is demoted to a delivery person by Sanders, who he calls a deliverator. It’s the middle of COVID-19 so there are limited job opportunities in New York City. With the lockdown food service delivery is Jamie’s only viable job opportunity so Jaime starts delivering food for the boss.

Six months later Sanders sells the business and Jamie is out of a job and prospects. On the last delivery ever, Jamie meets an old friend named Tom Stevens. They talk about Jamie’s situation and Tom offers Jamie a contract job as a grunt. Tom says the job is with an animal rights organization protecting large animals. Tom sends Jamie to an intake interview. But those animals he mentioned are not what Jamie expects and the location isn’t either. It’s the beginning of a wild adventure.

Recommendation

I thought Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi was a great and fun novel. The novel was short and featured Scalzi’s dry brand of humor. I liked how the author featured the pandemic in the novel, but the irreverent humor balanced the seriousness of the subject. I wonder if in the future the pandemic will be less than a footnote in future works. In this novel, it is important to the plot. I thought it was interesting that the author didn’t reveal Jamie’s gender. It is like the Locked-In series, where the author doesn’t reveal Chris’s gender. Scalzi doesn’t make a big deal about this, but it makes the reader think about the reader’s preconceptions coming into the novel. I had a good time reading this novel and look forward to reading more like it.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page for Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57807199-the-kaiju-preservation-society

Redshirts by John Scalzi is a stand-alone novel like KPS, and it features the same type of humor done so well in this novel. I recommend this novel if you liked Redshirts.

Review of Redshirts by John Scalzi, Ensign Andrew Dahl is assigned to the starship Intrepid. Crewmembers on away missions die at an alarming rate, but not the officers. Dahl must discover the unbelievable truth, or he will die like the other Redshirts.

Redshirts by John Scalzi

Sixth Wicked Child by JD Barker

Sixth Wicked Child by JD Barker, 4MK Thriller Book #3.

Introduction

In the Sixth Wicked Child by JD Barker, the hunt for Anson Bishop the Four Monkey Killer heats up. They have implicated suspended Chicago Metro detective Sam Porter in the case and he remains in custody in a Metro interview room. Detective Brian Nash and FBI Special Agent Frank Poole continue the investigation. They quarantined detective Claire Norton in a hospital under a SARS scare. Porter thinks he is the only one who can understand the writer of the diaries. Can Sam Porter find the answers to the 4MK’s motivations in the Diaries and catch the killer?

Summary

The Sixth Wicked Child by JD Barker starts with another murder victim discovered. The four viewpoint characters are affected by the aftermath of the conclusion of the previous novel of the trilogy, The Fifth to Die.

FBI Special Agent Frank Poole entered the case after they discovered the original crime scene in South Carolina. The case took him to New Orleans and now he is back in Chicago after they discovered Porter in a compromising position set up by Bishop. He believes Porter is not telling him something, but can’t get through to him. He seeks Nash’s help because Nash might get through to Porter.

Chicago Metro detective Brian Nash is the lead investigator of the 4MK case for Metro. He interfaces with Poole. Nash thinks Porter is a good cop but is acting differently since he got deep into the 4MK case. He thinks he can get through to Porter. He is worried about Claire and Kloz, who are in quarantine at the hospital.

Summary Continued

Chicago Metro detective Claire Norton is under quarantine in the hospital because of a SARS scare instigated by Bishop. Chicago Metro IT guy Edwin Klozowski (aka Kloz) helps her at the hospital. They gathered all of Bishop’s potential victims at the hospital. Bishop threatens to release more SARS unless they cure his friend Paul Upchurch. Claire must juggle all those balls while facing the potential of getting sick herself.

Suspended Chicago Metro detective Sam Porter is in custody at Metro pending his involvement in a murder at the end of the previous novel. He has been investigating the 4MK case since the beginning and is deeply involved in Anson Bishop’s plots. There is a question of the depth of his involvement. Porter has been reading Bishop’s diaries all along. He thinks he can sort the fact from the fiction and learn the motives and a way to catch Bishop if he reads the last diaries left by Bishop at the crime scene where they found Porter.

Recommendation

The Sixth Wicked Child by JD Barker concludes the 4MK Thriller trilogy. This novel is a surprising and fitting conclusion to the story. The best things about the trilogy are the complicated antagonist Anson Bishop, the deep mysteries contained within the diary chapters, and the flawed protagonist Sam Porter. I’m glad I went on this trip with them. As 4MK says; Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil, and Do no evil.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Sixth Wicked Child by JD Barker, 4MK Thriller Book #3.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49667585-the-sixth-wicked-child

Book Review of the Fifth to Die by JD Barker. Detective Sam Porter searches for the serial killer’s mother, the source of the killer’s deviant behavior.

Fifth to Die by JD Barker

This is the link to my review of The Fourth Monkey by JD Barker, 4MK Thriller Book #1

Detective Sam Porter is on the trail of the Four Monkey Killer. See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil, Do no evil. An eye, an ear, a tongue, and a body. Will he find the killer’s latest victim before it’s too late? Read and find out.

The Fourth Monkey by J. D. Barker

Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin

The Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin, Book #2 of the Broken Earth trilogy

Introduction

The Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin follows three different narratives. It’s set on a continent called the Stillness. It’s a post-apocalyptic world or possibly a second-world fantasy land. Essun rests in a safe underground city. Alabaster asks her to summon an obelisk. She plans to continue to search for her kidnapped daughter after she satisfies Alabaster. Nassun is Essun’s daughter. Her chapters describe what happens to her after her father kidnaps her and takes her south. She has the potential for great orogene power and she might end up going against Essun’s purpose. Guardian Schaffa comes out of the battle at Meov with lost memories and purpose. He senses someone who reminds him of his former charge, Damaya. He goes to her, searching for his lost purpose. These three tales intersect and come to a dramatic conclusion which continues in the concluding novel of the trilogy, The Stone Sky.

The Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin, Book #2 of the Broken Earth trilogy

Summary

The novel follows the stories of Essun, Nassun, and Schaffa. Each chapter has a different viewpoint and the viewpoints intersect eventually. Four Interludes provide important information from characters other than the three main viewpoint characters.

Essun’s story is told in the second person. At the beginning of the first novel, Essun finds out her husband Jija has killed her son and taken her daughter to the South. Essun is an Orogene, someone who can manipulate the energy of the earth to perform magical like acts. In the first novel, she traveled to an underground comm with the help of the mysterious Hoa and Tonkee, a woman without a community. Essun rests in this safe comm named Castrima. Her mentor and former lover Alabaster asks her to summon an obelisk. She plans to continue to search for her kidnapped daughter after she satisfies Alabaster’s request. But first, she must protect Castrima from the people who want its resources since resources are scarce during a Season.

Nassun is Essun’s daughter. Her first chapters describe what happens to her after her father kidnaps her and takes her south. Jija had killed her brother since he was an Orogene. But he didn’t kill Nassun when she exhibited signs of being an Orogene as well. In the South, she might find her destiny. She has the potential for great Orogene power and she might end up going against Essun’s purpose.

Summary Part 2

Guardian Schaffa was hurt at the battle at Meov at the end of the previous novel. He starts this novel with lost memories and purpose. The role of the Guardians is as protectors and controllers of the Orogenes. He senses someone who reminds him of his former charge, Damaya. He travels South to find her, searching for his lost purpose.

The three stories are tied together, and the stage is set for the concluding novel of the trilogy.

Recommendation

The Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin is a challenging novel to read, but it is a great novel. The author expands on themes from the first novel and reveals mysteries. Essun’s chapters are all in the second person and past tense. A narrator, who the author revealed in the first novel, talks to her. Usually, the second-person point of view is difficult to read, but it is easier to read in this novel because it is more familiar, since the author used it in the first novel for Essun’s chapters. Nassun’s and Schaffa’s chapters are in the third person and present tense. I’m looking forward to reading the third novel later this year.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26228034-the-obelisk-gate

The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin is Book #1 of the Broken Earth trilogy

In The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin, Essun, Damaya, and Syenite, all face hard choices in the Broken Earth of the Stillness. Will they survive?

Fifth Season by NK Jemisin

Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle

Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle.

Introduction

Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle is a fantasy novel about a female unicorn’s search for the rest of her kind. She faces an evil carnival owner, a creepy king in a lonely castle, and a scary red bull. Her only help is an incompetent magician, a scullery maid, and a prince with a mysterious past. She learns about yearning and loss. Will her question ever have an answer? Is she the Last Unicorn?

Summary

Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle begins in the glade of a female unicorn. She has lived in the glade for hundreds of years and realizes that she doesn’t remember what happened to the rest of her kind. She is worried that she is the last unicorn and decides to leave her glade to find out what happened to them.

The unicorn is captured and put into Mommy Fortuna’s traveling Midnight Carnival. She escapes the carnival with the help of Schmendrick a magician who doesn’t know how his spells will work once he casts them. Sometimes the spells have better outcomes than he expects but usually, they are worse.

Bandits capture them but they are saved by the wife of the leader of the bandits. Her name is Molly Grue and she joins the group. They continue on their journey.

They learn the unicorns might have been in Hagsgate ruled by King Haggard and his son, Prince Lir. The unicorn takes a human form and goes by the name Lady Amalthea. They follow the clues and find the lair of the red bull. The unicorn finds the answer to her question but the story doesn’t end with: they lived happily ever after.

Recommendation

Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle is a twist on classic fairy tales. I enjoyed the mix of fantasy tropes that the author acknowledges in the text. We see the illusions of the Midnight Carnival, the misguided bandits who fancy themselves alternate Robin Hoods, and the evil king in his dark tower. On top of that are unusual choices that the author takes. Examples are using a unicorn as the lead character, the cryptic butterfly, and the parched skull. It all works well together. This is a great novel.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13124003-the-last-unicorn

This is the Wikipedia link to the 1982 animated fantasy film the Last Unicorn. Rankin/Bass produced the film. It has a stellar voice cast and excellent musical score including songs from the band, America.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Unicorn_(film)

This is a link to the 2011 graphic novel the Last Unicorn from IDW Publishing which is available to view on the viewcomics website. The drawings are great and bring to life the images from the novel.

https://viewcomics.me/the-last-unicorn/issue-tpb/1

A fantasy novel that is similar to Last Unicorn is Eyes of the Dragon.

Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King is a traditional fantasy. King Roland of Delain has two sons. Prince Peter is his heir who is the perfect prince and ready to lead. His younger son is Prince Thomas, who is too young and malleable to Flagg, the court advisor, and magician. Flagg secretly assassinates the King and frames, Peter, for the murder. How will Peter clear his name, defeat the ancient Flagg, and claim his rightful throne?

Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King

Drawing of the Three by Stephen King

Drawing of the Three by Stephen King, Book #2 of The Dark Tower series

Introduction

Drawing of the Three by Stephen King is Book #2 of The Dark Tower series. The previous book, The Gunslinger, left Roland, the last gunslinger, waiting on a beach. Roland begins the second book on that same beach. He must discover what the drawing of the three means. Roland searches through three transporter portals. He finds the junkie Eddie Dean and the wheelchair-bound Odetta Holmes. They must work together to continue their journey to the Dark Tower or face death.

Summary

At end of the Gunslinger, the man in black does a tarot reading for Roland. The three cards he draws are The Prisoner, The Lady of Shadows, and Death. The three sections of The Drawing of the Three each feature a different character. Roland accesses a portal at the beginning of the section. Each of the three portals is connected to New York City in three different time periods. In between each section is a chapter named shuffle where the previous section is reset and leads to the next.

Section one, The Prisoner, features Eddie Dean the junkie. Eddie must bring drugs across the border or the mob will kill him if he doesn’t.

Section two, The Lady of Shadows, features Odetta Holmes. She is black and lived during the civil rights movement. She lost the use of her legs, uses a wheelchair, and has a secret that they soon find out.

Section three, The Pusher, features a character that I’ll leave to the reader to learn about when reading. That character is important in the journey to The Dark Tower for Roland, Eddie, and Odetta.

Recommendation

I enjoyed Drawing of the Three by Stephen King better than the previous book in the series, The Gunslinger. The Gunslinger novel was a series of short stories featuring Roland’s fight with the Man in Black and his search for the Dark Tower. I didn’t feel like the stories came together. I think the Drawing of the Three came together. There were three new POVs in the story corresponding to the three sections in the novel. Eddie Dean, Odetta Holmes, and the third character are all important to Roland’s journey. I liked the perspectives of the new POVs and look forward to continuing to read the series to its end.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Drawing of the Three by Stephen King.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7675050-the-drawing-of-the-three

The Gunslinger by Stephen King, book #1 of The Dark Tower series, seemed to set up for a climax that never happened. What is there is a trippy and metaphysical non-ending.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Leviathan Falls by James SA Corey

Leviathan Falls by James SA Corey (Book #9 of the Expanse Series)

Introduction

Leviathan Falls by James SA Corey is the ninth book of The Expanse series. The crew is back on the Rocinante, Jim, Naomi, Alex, and Amos plus a special additional crew member. They start in the Kronos system looking to remain inconspicuous. They dodge the Laconian ship looking for Teresa Duarte, the daughter of the Laconian leader, High Consul Winston Duarte. The Laconian high command sends colonel Aliana Tanaka on an important secret mission. Elvi studies a mysterious object left by the ring gate builders in the Adro system. These three storylines intersect. Can Jim Holden and his crew discover the secret of the ring gate builders and defeat them before they destroy the universe?

Summary

[Insert Summary Here]

Recommendation

Leviathan Falls by James SA Corey brings the Expanse Series to a fitting and exciting conclusion. Elvi learns what she has been searching for. Alex gets his moment in the sun. Holden gets to have his grandstand experience. Naomi keeps it together because that’s her and she must. And Amos has the last word. They touched all the points on in this last book of the series. It’s been a long and worthwhile ride. I wish the TV show had been around long enough to adapt the last three novels of the series. Maybe someday they will.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Leviathan Falls by James SA Corey.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28335699-leviathan-falls

In Tiamat’s Wrath by James S.A. Corey, James Holden and his crew strike back at the Laconians. Will they succeed or will the Laconians start a thousand-year Empire?

Tiamats Wrath by James SA Corey

In Persepolis Rising by James S.A. Corey, the Laconians plan to take the 1300 worlds. Can Holden and his crew defeat the Laconians? It starts a new trilogy. Great beginning to the Laconian storyline.

Persepolis Rising by James S.A. Corey

In Babylon’s Ashes by James S.A. Corey, the Free Navy is trying to take the 1300 worlds. Can Holden and his crew defeat the Free Navy? Great conclusion to the Free Navy storyline.

Babylon’s Ashes by James S. A. Corey

This is the link to my review of Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey.

Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey

Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan

Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan, Book Seven of the Wheel of Time series.

Introduction

Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan is the seventh book of The Wheel of Time series. The novel follows nine main points of view and many short alternate points of view. The prologue deals with the aftermath of the situation at Dumai Wells from the ending of the previous novel, The Lord of Chaos. Perrin observes Rand at Dumai Wells and accompanies him back to Cairhein and they meet up with Min. Egwene takes her rebel Aes Sedai forces toward Caemlyn on their way to besiege Tar Valon. Nynaeve, Elayne, Aviendha, and Mat search for the Bowl of the Winds in Ebor Dar. Morgase learns more about the situation with the Children of Light. When Rand forces the hand of one of the Forsaken, will the Forsaken defeat him or will he earn a Crown of Swords?

Summary – Prologue

The prologue of the novel covers six different points of view.

Elaida is in Tar Valon. She gets reports about Rand’s situation and the situation in Ebou Dar. She sends Alviarin to enact her plan to deal with the Black Tower. Eladia thinks about how she will break Egwene’s army.

Sevanna of the Shaido clan of the Aiel is at Dumai Wells during the events from the end of the previous novel. This is an alternate viewpoint and flashback scene.

Alviaran leaves Elaida in Tar Valon and confers with Mesaana, the Forsaken. They talk about the Black Tower plan’s likelihood of success.

Pedran Niall of the Whitecloaks is in Amador with Morgase Trakand. She is trying to get his backing for Andor. Omerna arrives and Morgase leaves.

Eamon Vlada of the Whitecloaks is also in Amador. He puts plans in motion.

Gawyn Trakand is also at Dumai Wells and gives an alternate viewpoint to the White Tower Loyalists. He leads his group of Younglings in the retreat back to Tar Valon.

Summary–Groups of characters

Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan follows five plot arcs.

Perrin comes back from Dumai Wells and goes to Cairhein to meet with Rand and Min. Perrin makes sure that Faile is alright. Rand has a special mission for Perrin.

Egwene brings her army that she wants to use to capture Tar Valon to the border between Altara and Murandy. She must find a way to gain strength and get through Murandy to get to Tar Valon.

Mat was sent to Enou Dar by Rand to get Elayne to go to Andor to take the throne of Andor. He is not very successful in that quest. He agrees to help Elayne and Nynaeve find a cache of powerful artifacts that may help the forces of Light in their battle with the darkness. Meanwhile, Mat must deal with the sexual advances of Queen Tylin of Altara.

Elayne and Nynaeve enlist the aid of the Kin and Matt to find the artifacts hidden in Ebou Dar.

Rand must deal with the situation in Cairhein. He comes up with a way to strike back at the Forsaken.

Summary–Best Plot Points

Three Plot Points stand out in Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan.

In Chapter 31, Mashiara, Lan, and Nynaeve have a long-delayed and important meeting.

Mat showcases his awesomeness in Chapter 38, Six Stories. An important artifact is found and a powerful enemy is encountered.

In the novel’s last chapter, Chapter 41, a Crown of Swords, Rand’s plans come to fruition. It’s worth the effort to get to this point and an iconic image is delivered at the end of the chapter.

Recommendation

Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan ends with a series of climaxes that match the other novels of the series. Three plot points stand out for me. Lan’s meeting with Nynaeve, what Mat finds in addition to the Bowl of the Winds, and Rand’s encounter with a Forsaken. There are two plot points I’m having trouble with. The Morgase subplot is short but takes up valuable space from the other plots. The relationship between Mat and Tylin seems icky at best. Otherwise, this novel fits well with the rest of the series for me.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13890.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?

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan

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

Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

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

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

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

Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

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

Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

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

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold

Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold, Book #6 of the Vorkosigan saga.

Introduction

The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold is the sixth published novel of the Vorkosigan saga. It is also the eighth story of the internal chronology of the saga. Miles Vorkosigan is the protagonist of the novel. Miles suffers from brittle bones because of an assassination attempt on his mother when she was pregnant with him. He graduates from the Service Academy and gets his first assignment as a commissioned ensign. He wanted to get ship duty to follow in his father’s footsteps, but his commander wants him to command ordinary men. The posting is out of the way and boring for him. He gets in trouble anyway and they accuse him of treason. Will Miles play The Vor Game well enough to escape the treason charges made against him and secure the assignment he desires?

Summary

The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold begins when Miles Vorkosigan graduates from the Barayarran Service Academy. He wants a posting in an interstellar spaceship where he can command men. What he gets is an assignment to replace the weatherman at the remote base on Kyril Island. He sees the posting as a boring assignment beneath his dignity. It becomes a test of his resolve and cunning.

Miles ends up charged with treason and imprisoned in IMPSEC. His fortunes are turned, and he gets an assignment to evaluate the Hengan Hub. He discovers Emperor Gregor which changes everything. Miles must deal with a plot instigated at Kyril Island, match wits with a female mercenary leader whom he fancies, and protect Emperor Gregor from himself, meanwhile defeating the approaching Cetagandan fleet.

Mile juggles these impossible tasks in a way only he could succeed through and saves the day.

Recommendation

The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1991. They printed the first six chapters of the novel as the short story, The Weatherman, covering the first part of the story when they stationed Miles at Kyril Island. The rest of the story detailed how Miles helped Emperor Gregor get out of trouble in a manner only Miles would try. I like Miles and want him to succeed. I like he met his match in the mystery mercenary leader, and how she intrigued him. I’m looking forward to reading Miles’s next adventure in my Vorkosigan saga reading project.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68483.The_Vor_Game

In Warriors Apprentice (Book #2 of the Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Miles Vorkosigan gets involved in another planet’s war. Can he escape the mischief he started?

Warriors Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold

In Barrayar (Book#7 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Lady Cordelia Vorkosigan faces assassination and the birth of her son. Will she survive the regency and give birth to her son?

Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold

In Shards of Honor (Book#1 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Barrayaran Captain Aral Vorkosigan takes Betan Commander Cordelia Naismith prisoner. They take a hike in the jungle. What happens when they fall in love?

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

In Falling Free (Book #4 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, space engineer Leo Graf must decide between retiring or risking his life protecting his students. The novel is a fun, self-contained space opera romp.

Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold