Title: Knife of Dreams
Author: Robert Jordan
Series: The Wheel of Time #11
Narrator: Michael Kramer and Kate Reading
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 32 hours 19 minutes
Published: 2005, MacMillan Audio (originally published 2005)
My Grade: 3 out of 5
Review Summary: A long-awaited turning point that finally breaks the “slog” with major character payoffs and a real sense that the Last Battle is finally within reach.

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

The dead are walking, men die impossible deaths, and it seems as though reality itself has become unstable: All are signs of the imminence of Tarmon Gai’don, the Last Battle, when Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, must confront the Dark One as humanity’s only hope. But Rand dares not fight until he possesses all the surviving seals on the Dark One’s prison and has dealt with the Seanchan, who threaten to overrun all nations this side of the Aryth Ocean and increasingly seem too entrenched to be fought off. But his attempt to make a truce with the Seanchan is shadowed by treachery that may cost him everything. Whatever the price, though, he must have that truce. And he faces other dangers.

The winds of time have become a storm, and things that everyone believes are fixed in place forever are changing before their eyes. Even the White Tower itself is no longer a place of safety. Now Rand, Perrin and Mat, Egwene and Elayne, Nynaeve and Lan, and even Loial, must ride those storm winds, or the Dark One will triumph.

MY REVIEW

The story is definitely picking up a little bit and I do find it hard to tag along while the journey is happening. Which is why it’s so satisfying when things actually come to a partial end and conclusion and the story continues in a slightly different direction with other focuses.

Perrin and Egwene had really big story arcs in the eleventh instalment and they are both really finding growing in their roles and characters and I feel like this book has a lot of impacts further down the line. And not just for these two put for everyone. I think this is what most people are discussing when this is finally the turning point of the series. You can feel that the final battle is near (although there are three books left in the series, excluding the prequel).

Reading such a long series over such a long time has been hard. You follow the characters every step, almost literally and it almost feels a bit anticlimactive when it actually happens, because you have anticipated it for so long during some character’s very long journeys, such as Perrin and Elayne.

I really appreciate Egwene and her development and political maneuvering and it was always exciting to continue her story, wherever she was.

It was a slog, but not as much as up until now. Knife of Dreams felt like a turning point and I hope the speed picks up from here. Although, there are still three books left. Still a 3 out of 5 because I am really enjoying the world and the story as a whole.