Lord of Chaos

While Jordan's prose is sometimes bloated, he rises above his Tolkien-influenced contemporaries (Brooks, Eddings, et al.) with his skill at narrative pacing and his ability to create fully realized characters (though his treatment of sexuality will appeal primarily to adolescents). In this sixth volume in the immensely popular The Wheel of Time series (The Fires of Heaven), Rand al'Thor consolidates his power base and attempts to come to a rapprochement with the Aes Sedai, the female mystics who channel the One Power and whose schism lends tension to his meetings with them. The schism has unexpected consequences for three young women: determined Egwene al' Vere, precocious Elayne Trakand and braid-tugging Nynaeve al'Meara. Centering upon that trio's exploits and discoveries, and on Rand's further adventures, this volume offers several major turns of events while laying the groundwork for future intrigues. It may be be several more volumes before Rand al'Thor confronts the Dark One in Tarmon Gai'don (``the last battle''), yet, as Jordan demonstrates here, he's likely to keep his fans interested throughout the long and winding journey. 250,000 first printing; major ad/promo; author tour. (Nov.)