The Fires of Heaven (Book Review) Book #5 of the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan

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book review, book reviews, books, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, James Oliver Rigney Jr., James Oliver Rigney Jr. Wheel of Time, Literature, Robert Jordan, The Eye of the World, The Fires of Heaven, Wheel of Time, Wheel of Time series, Words, Writer, writers

The Fires of Heaven, the fifth book of the series is one of the greatest books of the series in my opinion. In fact, I love each book in the series myself, but certain ones stick out in my memory more than others. And The Fires of Heaven is one of those books for me.

In this book, we travel along in the lives of the same individuals that are in the other books, with the exception of Perrin. This is the first book of the series to have one of its main characters missing. In all honesty each book of the series is so in depth that it is nearly impossible to write a great review. I always feel as though I am missing so much that I want to share.

In The Fires of Heaven we pick up the story of Rand Al’Thor and his army of Aiel leaving the Aiel Waste. Rand has now been declared the “Car’a’carn”, the Aiel equivalent to the Dragon Reborn. He is following a sect of the Aiel called the Shaido who reject Rand as their prophecied Car’a’carn. He follows their trail of ransacking and pillage, and hopes to catch them before they cross The Spine of the World back into the main population, before they can cause havoc to unsuspecting kingdoms. Rand needs the alliance of each of the nations to fight together in the Last Battle, and is afraid of the Shaido causing damage, and turning the kingdoms against him, suspecting that he sent them to destroy.

Rand has managed to defeat one of the Forsaken, and instead of killing him. The Forsaken, who’s name in this age is Asmodean, is forced into teaching Rand how to use, and control the One Power. Which I think is a marvelous turn of events in the book that Jordan added. Up to this point Rand has not had anyone to teach him how to use the One Power. Unlike women, who can go to Tar Valon to be trained…men on the other hand are doomed to go mad, or be “gentled” therefore cutting off all possible teachers to instruct a man how to channel.

The other Forsaken have entered into an uneasy alliance amongst themselves to lure Rand into a trap, and thus destroy him.

The White Tower has split, and there is a new Amrylin Seat.

Nynaeve and Elayne have claimed victory in Tarabon. However, there is an unsuspecting surprise when one of the Forsaken comes gunning after Nynaeve.

One of the greatest murder mysteries in the series happens in this book. The murder of Asmodean. Who killed Asmodean has been asked by many Wheel of Time fans for many years now. (Yeah, I realized I just gave a huge spoiler, but OH WELL, I am sorry. Truly. To tell you the truth I don’t know who killed him, but I do have one in suspicion. But even that person I am not so sure either. Read the book for yourself, and then you tell me.

Prophecies of the book:

1. With his coming are the dread fires born again. The hills burn, and the land turns sere. The tides of men run out, and the hours dwindle. The wall is pierced, and the veil of parting raised. Storms rumble beyond the horizon, and the fires of heaven purge the earth. There is no salvation without destruction, no hope this side of death.

-fragment from The Prophecies of the Dragon

believed translated by N’Delia Basolaine

First Maid and Swordfast to Raidhen of Hol Cuchone

(circa 400 AB)

2. And the Glory of the Light did shine upon him.

And the Peace of the Light did he give men.

Binding nations to him. Making one many.

Yet the shards of hearts did give wounds.

And what was once did come again

-in fire and in storm

splitting all in twain.

For his peace…