Lord of Chaos (The Wheel of Time #6) by Robert Jordan #BookReview

Hey book lovers! I’m here with a book review for Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan. My reviews are usually spoiler-free, but this is the sixth book of The Wheel of Time series, so if you haven’t read the first five books then there will be SPOILERS! I first read the first 9 or 10 books of this series twenty years ago and currently doing a re-read. This post is LONG. I love deep-diving into The Wheel of Time universe. Get your favourite drink, maybe a snack, and let’s dive in…

“The first part of the Great Lord’s message was simple. ‘Let the Lord of Chaos rule.’ His words, exact.” The corners of his mouth twitched, as close to a smile as Mesaana had ever seen from him. Then he told them the rest.
~ Demandred to Graendel, Semirhage and Mesaana

About The Book 📚

Title: Lord of Chaos

Author: Robert Jordan

Publication Date: 2012 (first published 1994)

Publisher: Tor Books

Suggested Reader Age: 14+ (some intense and violent scenes)

Genre: Sci-Fi Fantasy

Pages: 960

The Wheel of Time, 4.4 million words, 11,898 pages.

Synopsis

“In Lord of Chaos, the sixth novel in Robert Jordan’s #1 New York Times bestselling epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time(R), Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, builds his army of Light even as sworn enemies–and supposed allies–move against him.

Now ruling Tear, Andor, and Caemlyn, among other nations, Rand is recruiting all men capable of channeling to be trained as his Asha’man soldiers. The warrior Aiel clans have pledged loyalty to Rand, acknowledging him as their chief of chiefs, even though the Shaido Aiel remain a threat.

Split into two factions, the Aes Sedai of the White Tower and their rebel counterparts both seek to ally themselves with the Dragon Reborn. Rand knows all too well the manipulative nature of the Aes Sedai, no matter which side of their internal war they stand upon. But even he cannot predict just how desperate, cruel, and treacherous they can be.

And in the shadows, the Forsaken and the Dark One are conjuring even more chaos…”

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13539229-lord-of-chaos

About The Author

Born October 17, 1948, in South Carolina. Died September 16, 2007
Robert Jordan is the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr
He also wrote under the pen names Reagan O’Neal and Jackson O’Reilly
He served 2 tours in Vietnam in 1968 and 1970 as a helicopter gunner
awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
attended The Citadel where he received an undergraduate degree in physics
employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer
began writing in 1977
wife Harriet McDougal
was a Freemason
On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed in a statement that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6252.Robert_Jordan

My Review

› Lord of Chaos is my favourite book of the series so far. It has incredible character development, an intriguing plot, fascinating magical objects, and a brutal battle. I wanted to take this opportunity to learn more about The Wheel of Time timeline to try to make sense of a few things.

There are seven Ages which repeat. We don’t know how many turnings of the wheel there have been, nor do we know what happened during the First Age of this current turning. We do know that the portal stones were built.

Second Age (The Age of Legends):
400 years before the Breaking: Lews Therin Telamon is born
110 years before the Breaking: Aes Sedai researching the power accidentally puts a hole into the Dark One’s prison and his evil starts to influence society.
Over the next 100 years, fear grows, the Dark One’s power grows, and some swear allegiance to him becoming dark friends. Some Aes Sedai join him and they become the first Forsaken.

7-10 years before the Breaking: The War of the Shadow is happening. Most technology is lost.

3-7 years before the Breaking: Lews is given the label The Dragon.

1-3 years before the Breaking: The seven seals are made. Lews uses these to imprison the Dark One and the 13 Forsaken, but the Dark One taints the male side of the power Saidin, which makes men lose control of their minds if they use the power.

The Breaking of the World: Chaos ensues. Lews dies by suicide and Dragonmount is formed. An Aes Sedai named Deindre has a vision that the Dragon will be reborn to fight the Dark One. The Breaking lasts hundreds of years. Ogier and humans almost go extinct. The land changes and some parts sink into the seas. The Breaking ends when the last male channeler is killed/gentled.

The Third Age is split into three periods: After Breaking, Free Years, and the New Era.

After Breaking 0-1350 years: Some people go to sea and become Sea Folk. Aiel clans are created, and some become the Tinkers. The Aiel cross the Spine of the World and build the city Rhuidean. Powerful kingdoms are founded. Tar Valon is chosen to be the location to reunite the Aes Sedai. Ishmael awakes, creates the Black Ajah, starts the Trolloc Wars, then fades back into prison. Shadar Logoth is created during the Trolloc Wars. 1200 AB – Manetheren is destroyed. 1350AB Trolloc Wars end.

Free Years 1-1135: 29 Kingdoms exist, false Dragons come and go, the White Tower’s power grows, battles are fought between kingdoms, and many try to translate the prophecies. Artur Hawkwing has many gains and losses.
994 FY The War of a Hundred Years begins.
1021FY: The Children of the Light is founded.
1117 FY: The War of a Hundred Years ends
24 kingdoms left

The New Era:
The Great Blight is still expanding, ruining steddings. Amyrlin Seat, Kings and Queens come and go. The Children of the Light are powerful. Steddings start to be repopulated.
526 NE: the last Aes Sedai dreamer dies.
908 Loail is born
953 Lan is born
956 Moiraine is born
958 Siuan is born
972 Logain and Mazrim are born. Moiraine and Siuan become novices at the White Tower (arrived on the same day)
973 Nynaeve is born
975 Min is born
978 Rand, Mat, and Perrin are born
979 Moiraine meets Lan. Gawyn is born.
980 Aviendha is born
981 Egwene and Elayne are born
984 Thom kills Taringail
989 Min begins to see visions of the future
997 Logain names himself Dragon Reborn
998 The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt
999 The Dragon Reborn, The Shadow Rising, The Fires of Heaven, Lord of Chaos

“The lions sing and the hills take flight.
The moon by day, and the sun by night.
Blind woman, deaf man, jackdaw fool.
Let the Lord of Chaos rule.”
– chant from a children’s game heard in Great Arvalon, the Fourth Age
This chant is from the Age following the one we are currently reading about in The Wheel of Time.

The 79-page prologue begins with Demandred in Shayol Ghul.

“Demandred stepped out onto the black slopes of Shayol Ghul, and the gateway, a hole in reality’s fabric, winked out of existence. Above, roiling gray clouds hid the sky, an inverted sea of sluggish ashen waves crashing around the mountain’s hidden peak. Below, odd lights flashed across the barren valley, washed-out blues and reds, failing to dispel the dusky murk that shrouded their source. Lightning streaked up at the clouds, and slow thunder rolled. Across the slope steam and smoke rose from scattered vents, some holes as small as a man’s hand and some large enough to swallow ten men.”

Demandred tells the Dark One that Rahvin was killed yesterday and Lanfear and Asmodean have vanished. The Dark One asks Demandred to be Nae’blis, second in command.

“What can’t be changed must be endured.”

Nynaeve, Leane and Siun are in Salidar and have Moghedien captured. Nynaeve thinks she can heal Siuan and Leane returning the ability to use the One Power. There are rumours that Rand killed Morgase. Elayne wants to go to Caemlyn to seek the truth and is determined to become Queen and be reunited with Rand. Only Nynaeve knows that Elayne bonded Birgitte as her warder. They send Min to Rand to help him.

Perrin tells Faile he feels like he must go to Rand. (I’m still not on board with their marriage.)

“Duty is heavier than a mountain, death lighter than a feather.”

There’s a heatwave. Lord of Chaos dials up the pace and danger of the series, just as the weather in the book is heating up. The characters are feeling the heat, pressure and chaos build.

Pedron Niall is trying to make deals with Morgase.

Gawyn wants to revenge his mother’s death.

Sevanna is given a magical cube that will help capture Rand.

Rand is in Caemlyn. He still doesn’t trust the Aes Sedai, but he is willing to use the rebel Aes Sedai group that split from the White Tower. Mazrim Taim shows up claiming he will serve Rand. Rand brings him to his farm where he’s training a group of men who can channel. He asks Taim to test them all and help train them for war. The voice in his head, Lews Therin, disagrees with almost every decision Rand makes. Rand is waiting for Mat to give the signal to attack Sammael’s army.

The Forsaken would be unbeatable if they would simply trust each other and work together, yet their hunger for power and immortality clouds their vision. Graendel is disguising herself as Lady Basene. The Dark One has offered more than one Forsaken to be second in command if they help him with his plan. We don’t know what his plan really is, and we don’t know if any of the Forsaken are actually working with the Dark One or if they are working with other Forsaken, or if they are all just out to win it for themselves.

Some of the speaking characters in this book:
Demandred: previously known as Barid Bel Medar. He is arrogant, petty, and jealous of Lews Therin.

Shaidar Haran: taller than a regular Myrddraal, it carries out direct orders from the Dark One. There’s something different about this Myrddraal.

Nynaeve: One of the most powerful living female channelers

Leane: stilled, Aes Sedai green Ajah (was originally blue)

Siuan: stilled, Aes Sedai blue Ajah, formerly Amyrlin Seat

Marigan/Moghedien: one of the Forsaken, the Spider. Formerly known as Lillen

Elayne: daughter heir of Andor. In love with Rand. Made an a’dam to leash Moghedien.

Birgitte: legendary hero, warder to Elayne

Min: can see auras and visions, also in love with Rand

Faile: former Hunter of the Horn, now married to Perrin

Perrin: AKA Goldeneyes, AKA Young Bull, wolfbrother, can manipulate Tel’aran’rhiod, married to Faile, Lord of Two Rivers

Gawyn: Elayne’s brother, Galad’s half-brother, Elaida supporter, training a group called the Younglings

Elaida: former advisor to Queen Morgase, took Amyrlin Seat from Siuan

Jisao: one of Gawyn’s Younglings

Katerine Alruddin: Black Ajah

Sevanna: Shaido Wise One, agrees to help White Tower capture Rand

Morgase: Queen of Andor, escaped Rahvin’s control, fleeing Andor, believed to be dead

Lini: nurse to Elayne and Morgase, has a saying for almost every situation

Pedron Niall: Commander of the Children of the Light

Mesaana: previously known as Saine, Forsaken, disguised as someone in the White Tower

Semirhage: previously known as Nemene, Forsaken

Graendal: previously known as Kamarile, Forsaken

Osan’gar: previously known as Aginor/Ishar (one of the 13 Forsaken trapped at Shayol Ghul). He created the lifeforms known as Shadowspawn. Second in strength to Ishamael.

Aran’gar: reincarnation of Balthamel, Forsaken

Rand: the Dragon Reborn, reincarnation of Lews Therin

Bashere: one of Rand’s most-trusted advisors, Faile’s father

Mazrim Taim: a false Dragon

Aviendha: in love with Rand, training to be a Wise One

Mat: reluctantly accepts what he needs to do, one of Rand’s closest allies, enjoys gambling, drinking, and women

Sammael: Forsaken

“Kneel and swear to the Lord Dragon, or you will be knelt.”

Who is the Lord of Chaos? There is some debate about this. The Dark One says “let the Lord of Chaos rule”, which some readers have said he was talking about himself, but I always felt like he was talking about Rand. Rand is creating chaos, and that’s exactly what the Dark One wants. Other people are paying the price for Rand’s decisions. The Dark One wants to divide the White Tower from Rand – divide and conquer.

However, immediately following the scene where Demandred says the Dark One’s message is “let the Lord of Chaos rule” there is a scene told from Osan’gar’s perspective. Could he be the Lord of Chaos?

In another scene, Graendal says “she would sow chaos till the harvest made Demandred’s lungs explode.” Is Graendal the Lord of Chaos?

In another scene, after Demandred spies Elayne in the dreamer world watching Rand and says, “‘Let the Lord of Chaos rule,’ he told the thrones – though he still wished he knew why it had to be so – and opened a gateway to leave Tel’aran’rhiod.” What did he mean by this? Why does he wish the Lord of Chaos didn’t need to rule?

What do you think?

› I use the CAWPILE method to rate books.
0-3 Really bad
4-6 Mediocre
7-9 Really good
10 Outstanding

› Characters: 10
Nynaeve is one of my favourite characters. She’s the most important channeller in my opinion. And of course, I’m a Perrin stan! Always and forever. I’m feeling frustrated that some characters aren’t talked about at all in some books.

› Atmosphere: 10

› Writing Style: 9.5
Third-person limited perspective. I dislike the amount of re-cap. I realize Jordan did this because there was time in between each book as it was published, but it just feels like way more re-cap than what is necessary.

› Plot: 10

› Intrigue: 10

› Logic: 9
I don’t like Elayne, Min, and Aviendha making this agreement that they will all love Rand, but NO ONE TALKS to Rand about this! Super weird. Why didn’t they tell anyone they had Moghedien. She’s a Forsaken! That felt like a strange choice.

› Enjoyment: 10

Average 9.8

My Rating ★★★★★

Where does this rank in the series for me?
The Eye of the World 9.7
The Great Hunt 9.3
The Dragon Reborn 6.7
The Shadow Rising 9.3
The First of Heaven 7.4
Lord of Chaos 9.8

› Final Thoughts
• The Lord of Chaos is my favourite book of the series so far. A close second behind The Eye of the World. I can’t wait to see the TV adapt the Dumai’s Wells battle. It’s going to be epic.