The Wheel of Time Book 7- A Crown of Swords
Extra helpings of just desserts

// Synopsis: Rand is desperately trying to maintain his sway over conquered nations while struggling to hold on to his sanity. Meanwhile Mat accompanies Elayne and Nynaeve as they search for a way to correct the weather, and Egwene tries to establish herself as more than a puppet in the Amyrlin Seat.

// Review: For the last 6 books Jordan has alternated between finessing or bludgeoning his readers into having the same attitude towards women and especially Aes Sedai: seething contempt. If you've read the prior reviews or have been in a relationship, I have no need to repeat them. It could have been a great big 6000 page set up for this volume. All of the women (except Elaida who gets hers in book 8) get what everyone has been screaming for. Aes Sedai are forced to swear fealty to Rand and serve as groveling apprentices to Wise Ones, Nynaeve and Elayne are humbled by Mat, and Sevanna's Shaido Aiel get crushed. Very satisfying.

/ The book opens with the bloody battle of Dumai Wells once more this time told for the Sevanna's POV. But then the next 400-500 pages slog. The second reading gave me a hard time to even skim them. We are treated to chapter after chapter of the unintriguing intrigues of the Salidar Aes Sedai, Whitecloaks, and Elayne and Nynaeve's jaunt through Ebou Dar. If that wasn't enough, pages are spent of the Knitting Circle and Atha'an Miere who are as compelling as week old leftovers.

/ As lame as this read was becoming, the last couple hundred pages are quite good. Mat is a licentious womanizer who very entertainingly get the tables turned on him as the Queen Tylin plays hawk to his mouse. Min, the ultimate foil to every female character, is quite likable and all of her scenes with Rand arefun to read.

// Wrap up: You will begin to look forward to Mat and Rand chapters and groan at all of the others. But the good stuff is great, and it's worth it to stay the course with the series.

Entertainment rating: 3