The Fires of Heaven is a novel by Robert Jordan. The book was published in 1993 and is the fifth installment of The Wheel of Time series. The novel centers around the characters Rand al’Thor, Nynaeve al’Meara, and Egwene al’Vere as they continue their fight against the Dark One and his forces. The novel was well-received by fans and critics alike, with many praising Jordan’s writing and world-building. The book won several awards, including the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel.
The fifth book in my The Wheel of Time series is The Fires of Heaven, written by Robert Jordan and considered to be a fantasy work. In this novel, Rand al’Thor, now known as the Dragon Reborn, plots to attack Illian. He does not realize that he is being lured into a trap by the nine surviving forsaken.
The most prominent of the Darkhounds is Sammael, the lord of Illian. Meanwhile, in the White tower, Rand’s new Amyrlin, the head of Aes Sedai, is coming up with strange new ideas for him. Nothing happens as a result of those schemes in this book, but I’m willing to bet something will happen later as a result of them. In Andor, Siaun Sanche, who was deposed and stilled as Amyrlin, is arrested for barn burning.
The book concludes with Rand’s successful invasion of Illian. The Forsaken are still after him, but he now has an army at his back. This book was very good. I always enjoy Robert Jordan’s writing, and this book was no exception. The characters are well-developed and believable, the plot is fast-paced and exciting, and the world-building is excellent. If you’re looking for a good fantasy series to read, I highly recommend The Wheel of Time.
When Rand is about to launch an assault on Illian and destroy it from the face of the earth, he receives news that Queen Morgase, his girlfriend Elaine’s mother, has been murdered in Caemlyn. Moraine, one of his instructors, succumbs to kamikaze action a few seconds later by blowing up one of the Forsaken who showed up to bother him.
When Rand senses that Caemlyn, the capital city of Andor, is in the hands of the forsaken, he becomes very furious. Because his girlfriend, Elayne, will be Queen and stake a claim to the crown, this will be a major stumbling block. The name of the invader who controls Caemlyn is Rahvin. As a result of these events, Rand decides that his goal to take control of Illian can be put off until later and proceeds to demolish Caemlyn.
Rand’s anger and desire for revenge leads him to commit some pretty atrocities. The people of Caemlyn did not deserve what he did to them, but Rahvin had to be stopped. The novel covers Rand’s journey to Caemlyn and his battle with Rahvin. It is full of action, adventure, and suspense. If you are a fan of Robert Jordan’s work, then you will definitely enjoy this book.
The major struggle in this narrative is man vs. man. Rand’s descent into madness also raises Man vs. self issues for him. It’s pretty clear that when Rand attacks Caemlyn and engages his thousands of Aiel against the army of Rahvin in Caemlyn, he’s fighting man vs. man.
There are only 500 Aiel present, who have a field day with the 10,000 king’s guards in Caemlyn, losing very little of their own property or lives. The kings guard has just over 1,000 captives. Except for the voice of Lews Therin, which interrupts his sanity frequently, Rand retains his sanity well enough to be quite remarkable
The conflict of Man VS. self comes into play, as Lews Therin starts trying to take over Rands body, and Rand is slowly loosing his mind. The other big conflict in this story is The Dark One against Rand. The Dark one is trying to be released from his prison, which was created by the Creator at the very beginning.
The only way for The Dark One to be released is if the seals holding him are broken. The Forsaken, or evil characters that serve The Dark one, are constantly trying to break the seals so that The Dark one can be free again. There are seven seals in total, and five have already been broken by the time this book starts. So The Dark One against Rand is another big conflict in The Fires of Heaven.
What I like about The Fires of Heaven is that it’s one big story. It doesn’t feel like a bunch of little stories put together, which is how some books can feel. The characters are also very well developed, and you really start to care about them. The ending was also very satisfying.
Unlike other dreams, the World of Dreams’ inhabitants are genuine; a wound obtained there will be present upon awakening, and if you die there, you will not wake up at all. In the flesh, Rand goes to that place. However , when you go into that dream world, some aspect of your humanity is lost. Anyway, after being killed by balefire in Tel’aran’rhiod , Rahvin disappears. The farther back in time an individual’s act is erased with balefire, the more powerful it becomes.
The novel ends with Rand, Min, Loial, Aviendha and Nynaeve escaping Tel’aran’rhiod. The women manage to defeat Moghedien using the One Power, but Rand is still greatly injured by Rahvin’s attack. The 5 of them are found by Cadsuane Melaidhrin and her Warders.
Rand al’Thor is the Dragon Reborn, prophesied to save or destroy humankind. The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills, and we are only the thread of the Pattern. Moiraine Damodred
The Fires of Heaven is the fifth book in Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time. First published in 1993, it continues the story of Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, as he attempts to stop the Seanchan invasion of Illian. The novel was well received by critics and fans alike and was nominated for the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel.
The novel picks up where The Shadow Rising left off, with Rand al’Thor and his followers in Cairhien preparing for an assault on Illian. The city is defended by a large Seanchan army, led by the Daughter of the Nine Moons. The assault is successful, but at a heavy cost; many of Rand’s friends and allies are killed, including Asmodean, one of the Forsaken. As the novel progresses, we see Rand grappling with his increasing power and his role in the Pattern.