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“The breaker of bonds; the forger of chains. The maker of futures; the unshaper of destiny.��

Destiny is a nasty business. Rand al'Thor learns this lesson quickly. He is the Dragon Reborn, the Chosen One who will save the world... and destroy it at the same time. How does somebody, who in the future is bound to succumb to the madness which will lead him to murder all the loved ones, cope with something like that? Rand is embarking on the winding path leading him to become what he is destined to become. One thing is for sure: it is going to be epic.

Classic high fantasy can be a pleasant break from more and more realistic, dark and dirty contemporary fantasy. I have read many (probably too many!) Tolkien-based series and few have been able to enchant me. By copying The Lord of the Rings themes, plots and tropes, Mr Jordan has created what is among the best secondary fantasy on the market because he reworked those into an original vision, maybe not equally well written, but even more epic and delivered with an even greater - in terms of page-count - panache. That alone should be appreciated. And the third volume of his series is a great piece of entertainment, offering everything that we love the genre for.

“Fate can kill you, if it does not do worse.��

Dragon Reborn, as the title suggests, should focus on the main character, Rand al'Thor. Against these expectations, the Author decided on an interesting trick, namely pushing the main protagonist into the margins. Simultaneously, the novel brings us closer to other heroes whom we follow through the pages of the book. It was an excellent idea! I thought it very refreshing to tell a tale about the chosen one without the chosen one in attendance. I also admired how the different paths were intertwined even though half of the protagonists either wished to be elsewhere or actively planned for doing different things. In this respect, Dragon Reborn is largely focused on the changes that occur in them.

Boys and girls become more and more mature, grow up into their assigned roles and face their destiny. It is neither easy nor simple. Rand’s story gives way to �ʱ��������’s plot, also fleeing from his own wolf dreams and the insanity they bring with them, and Mat’s, who turns out to be one of the most interesting characters and who definitely gains in this volume (in the previous volumes he irritated rather than aroused my sympathy). Those POVs are both interesting and addictive, but the plot of Egwene and BFF squad becomes unbearable with time. These girls are too full of themselves and essentially ungrateful wretches, and I shudder to think what is going to happen when the inevitable romance kicks in.

“Everywhere I go, you humans are doing things, hurrying and scurrying, having things happen to you. How can you stand so much excitement?��

As we accompany the heroes more or less consciously race against time, and against each other, it can be frustrating at times. The reader knows far more than the protagonists so s/he can grow exasperated as they flail about blind and unsuspecting, not seeing the larger picture we are privy to. Mr Jordan shows once again how important the dreams are. It is not only an opportunity to predict the future or to confront one’s subconsciousness. The things experienced in dreams have real effects in reality. The dream sequences are superb and rival to the ones in Harry Potter, which I always thought exquisite.

There are more and more strange events and inexplicable phenomena in the world, which clearly indicate that seals are binding Ba’alzamon and his minions are weakening. There are, of course, the ubiquitous conspiracies, plots, more or less particular interests that influence the direction in which the world turns. And it is this world, represented by its wealth of histories, lands, peoples and their customs, that is perhaps the greatest asset of the series. I was especially fascinated by the Aiel, who to my delight play an increasingly important role.

“If events outrun me, they may well trample you, and the rest of the world with you.��

This is definitely the best book in the series so far and it draws the reader in even more than the previous two, which were really good. For me, Dragon Reborn reads much better than The Great Hunt as I am not able to indicate any moment of boredom, and there were those in the previous instalment. And yes, I know people complained that the ending is rushed. But really, that was an Erikson-worthy convergence written even before Erikson learnt what a trope is. There are two things I would like to point out with regard to the grand finale.

Firstly, some of you might know my unholy obsession with the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Malazan, if you have read the series, you will know that, is basically wholly built on the premise of the convergence. This concept has been a backbone of everything that happens in every single book and the whole series as a whole. In Malazan, I have seen some far-fetched and miraculous endings. In comparison, just the fact that the final chapter of Dragon Reborn has a kind of mission impossible, last-minute, perfectly timed sequence is not that galling.

Secondly, it is worth remembering that we are only at the beginning of the road. This book is the culmination of a very extensive introduction. As I was finishing the last page, I basically realised that “This is just the beginning,�� and that there are actually a dozen or so volumes ahead of me. It would be silly to expect an ultimate climax from something that was, in fact, a three-volume long prologue.

And what a prologue it was! Now, to the series proper.

Also in the series:

1. The Eye of the World ★★★★��
2. The Great Hunt ★★★★��
4. The Shadow Rising ★★★★��
5. The Fires of Heaven ★★★★��
6. Lord of Chaos ★★★☆��
7. A Crown of Swords ★★★☆��
8. The Path of Daggers ★★★☆��
9. Winter's Heart ★☆☆☆��
10. Crossroads of Twilight ★★☆☆��
11. Knife of Dreams ★★★★��
12. The Gathering Storm ★★★★��
13. Towers of Midnight ★★★☆��
14. A Memory of Light ★★★☆��