Knife of Dreams (The Wheel of Time Series #11)

by Robert Jordan Narrated by Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

Overview

Now in development for TV!

Since its debut in 1990, The Wheel of Time® by Robert Jordan has captivated millions of readers around the globe with its scope, originality, and compelling characters.

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

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.

Unbeknownst to Rand, Perrin has made his own truce with the Seanchan. It is a deal made with the Dark One, in his eyes, but he will do whatever is needed to rescue his wife, Faile, and destroy the Shaido who captured her. Among the Shaido, Faile works to free herself while hiding a secret that might give her her freedom or cause her destruction. And at a town called Malden, the Two Rivers longbow will be matched against Shaido spears.

Fleeing Ebou Dar through Seanchan-controlled Altara with the kidnapped Daughter of the Nine Moons, Mat attempts to court the woman to whom he is half-married, knowing that she will complete that ceremony eventually. But Tuon coolly leads him on a merry chase as he learns that even a gift can have deep significance among the Seanchan Blood and what he thinks he knows of women is not enough to save him.

In Caemlyn, Elayne fights to gain the Lion Throne while trying to avert what seems a certain civil war should she win the crown...

In the White Tower, Egwene struggles to undermine the sisters loyal to Elaida from within...

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.

TV series update: "Sony will produce along with Red Eagle Entertainment and Radar Pictures. Rafe Judkins is attached to write and executive produce. Judkins previously worked on shows such as ABC's "Agents of SHIELD," the Netflix series "Hemlock Grove," and the NBC series "Chuck." Red Eagle partners Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon will executive produce along with Radar's Ted Field and Mike Weber. Darren Lemke will also executive produce, with Jordan's widow Harriet McDougal serving as consulting producer." -Variety

The Wheel of Time®
New Spring: The Novel
#1 The Eye of the World
#2 The Great Hunt
#3 The Dragon Reborn
#4 The Shadow Rising
#5 The Fires of Heaven
#6 Lord of Chaos
#7 A Crown of Swords
#8 The Path of Daggers
#9 Winter's Heart
#10 Crossroads of Twilight
#11 Knife of Dreams

By Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
#12 The Gathering Storm
#13 Towers of Midnight
#14 A Memory of Light

By Robert Jordan and Teresa Patterson
The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

By Robert Jordan, Harriet McDouga

Editorial Reviews

bn.com

The Barnes & Noble Review
With only one novel left after Knife of Dreams until Robert Jordan's epic Wheel of Time saga concludes, Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, has major obstacles to overcome before he will be ready to do battle against the Dark One in Tarmon Gai'don, the much-prophesized Last Battle that will “break the world.”

As the Seanchan Empire continues its bloody campaign to reclaim ancestral lands, Rand attempts a risky truce with the invaders -- with unforeseen consequences. A desperate Perrin Aybara is also dealing with the treacherous Seanchan, willing to do whatever it takes to finally rescue his wife from slavery. Mat Cauthon, meanwhile, has his hands full with the kidnapped Seanchan princess Tuon, whose ingenious plans have put Mat in a completely unexpected position. And as long-standing traditions and alliances crumble, the Forsaken prepare to compel the world into Shadow…

While few science fiction/fantasy works deserve to be read multiple times -- Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Herbert's Dune sequence, et al. -- Jordan's Wheel of Time cycle is one of those extremely rare sagas that is so dense, so packed with substance, that it's almost essential to read the novels more than once. Colossal, massive, gargantuan: Everything about Wheel of Time is epic -- the dozens of interweaving plotlines, the hundreds of integral characters, the extensive histories of the realm, the vast settings, etc. But after 11 shelf-bending volumes -- as Tarmon Gai'don looms -- fans can find solace in the thought that after the final installment is released, they can go back to the beginning (The Eye of the World) and start this once-in-a-lifetime fantasy masterpiece all over again. After all: “There are neither beginnings nor endings in the Wheel of Time…” Paul Goat Allen

Publishers Weekly

The previous book in Jordan's massive Wheel of Time, Crossroads of Twilight, may have come out in 2003, but don't let that fool you; the 11th tome in this epic fantasy is the one Jordan fans have been eagerly waiting for the better part of a decade. The breakneck pace, lyrical beauty and astonishing scope of the early Wheel of Time volumes established Jordan as one of the top writers in the Tolkien tradition. While more recent entries have maintained that beauty and scope, the pace has slowed to a crawl as the central characters dispersed in six directions. In contrast, the latest explodes with motion, as multiple plot lines either conclude or advance, and the march to Tarmon Gai'don-the climactic last battle between the Dragon Reborn and the Dark One-begins in earnest. Faile's captivity with the Shaido, Mat's pursuit of Tuon and Elayne's war for Caemlyn come to a close, while Egwene's capture brings the Aes Sedai war to the heart of the Tower. Jordan has said that readers will be sweating by the end of the book, and he's probably right. Sweating or not, they'll also be dreading the long year or two before the 12th installment. Agent, Nat Sobel. $750,000 ad/promo; author tour. (Oct.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

The penultimate book in Jordan's sweeping epic fantasy works hard to bring together all the strands of earlier books in preparation for the battle between the Dragon Reborn and the Dark One that will decide the fate of the earth and of the magic that is its essence. As in the previous installments, the author follows many stories, from the progress of Rand al'Thor and his armies to the odd courtship between the roguish Mat and his almost-wife Tuon. From Elayne's struggle to keep the peace in Camlyn to the conflict between the magic-wielding Aes Sedai and their evil counterparts, the scope of Jordan's vision is immense and incisive. One of the major works of the fantasy genre, this novel, along with its predecessors, belongs in all libraries. Highly recommended. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

From the Publisher

Praise for Robert Jordan and The Wheel of Time®

“His huge, ambitious Wheel of Time series helped redefine the genre.” —George R. R. Martin, author of A Game of Thrones

“Anyone who’s writing epic of secondary world fantasy knows Robert Jordan isn’t just a part of the landscape, he’s a monolith within the landscape.” —Patrick Rothfuss, author of the Kingkiller Chronicle series

“The Eye of the World was a turning point in my life. I read, I enjoyed. (Then continued on to write my larger fantasy novels.)” —Robin Hobb, author of the award-winning Realm of the Elderlings series

“Robert Jordan's work has been a formative influence and an inspiration for a generation of fantasy writers.” —Brent Weeks, New York Times bestselling author of The Way of Shadows

“Jordan’s writing is so amazing! The characterization, the attention to detail!” —Clint McElroy, co-creator of the #1 podcast The Adventure Zone

“[Robert Jordan's] impact on the place of fantasy in the culture is colossal... He brought innumerable readers to fantasy. He became the New York Times bestseller list face of fantasy.” —Guy Gavriel Kay, author of A Brightness Long Ago

“Robert Jordan was a giant of fiction whose words helped a whole generation of fantasy writers, including myself, find our true voices. I thanked him then, but I didn’t thank him enough.” —Peter V. Brett, internationally bestselling author of The Demon Cycle series

“I don’t know anybody who’s been as formative in crafting me as a writer as [Robert Jordan], and for that I will be forever grateful.” —Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Riot Baby and War Girls

“I’ve mostly never been involved in any particular fandom, the one exception of course was The Wheel of Time.” —Marie Brennan, author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent series

“I owe Robert Jordan so much. Without him, modern fantasy would be bereft of the expansive, deep worlds and the giant casts which I love so dearly. It's not often I can look at another author and say: that person paved my way. But such is exactly the case with Jordan.” —Jenn Lyons, author of The Ruin of Kings

“You can't talk about epic fantasy without acknowledging the titanic influence Robert Jordan has had on the grenre.” —Jason Denzel, author of Mystic and founder of Dragonmount.com

“Jordan has come to dominate the world Tolkien began to reveal.” —The New York Times

“The Wheel of Time [is] rapidly becoming the definitive American fantasy saga. It is a fantasy tale seldom equaled and still less often surpassed in English.” —Chicago Sun-Times

“Hard to put down for even a moment. A fittingly epic conclusion to a fantasy series that many consider one of the best of all time.” —San Francisco Book Review

“The most ambitious American fantasy saga [may] also be the finest. Rich in detail and his plot is rich in incident. Impressive work, and highly recommended.” —Booklist

“Recalls the work of Tolkien.” —Publishers Weekly

“This richly detailed fantasy presents fully realized, complex adventure. Recommended.” —Library Journal

“Jordan has come to dominate the world that Tolkien began to reveal.” —The New York Times

“Jordan is able to take ... familiar elements and make them his own, in a powerful novel of wide and complex scope. Open religious and political conflicts add a gritty realism, while the cities and courts provide plenty of drama and splendor. Women have a stronger role than in Tolkien.... Each character in this large cast remains distinct.... Their adventures are varied, and exciting.... The Eye of the World stands alone as a fantasy epic.” —Locus

“Robert Jordan has created a fantasy world as tangible and credible as history. He has a fine eye for detail and a vivid sense of drama.” —Morgan Llewelyn

“Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World proves that there's still plenty of life in the ancient tradition of epic fantasy. Jordan has a powerful vision of good and evil— but what strikes me as most pleasurable about The Eye of the World is all the fascinating people moving through a rich and interesting world.” —Orson Scott Card

“Jordan's world is rich in detail and his plot is rich in incident. Impressive work, and highly recommended.” —ALA Booklist

FEB/MAR 06 - AudioFile

The eleventh novel in Jordan's bestselling Wheel of Time series wraps up many loose ends as the series nears its ending. Jordan's graceful style offsets the confusion brought about by a dozen separate plot lines and endless descriptions of minutia. The hero of the saga, Rand al-Thor, doesn't appear until midway through this audiobook. Michael Kramer carries the lion's share of the reading, narrating all the segments of the book told from the perspective of male characters, at times with regal elegance, at others with bitterness, anger, or passion, as the situation demands. Kate Reading is equally adept narrating the parts involving the feminine characters and elements. With its myriad of unusually named characters and equally complicated plot lines, KNIFE OF DREAMS will present a challenge to listeners new to the series but will be a welcome treat to Jordan's patient fans. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169340587
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	10/11/2005
Series:	Wheel of Time Series
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	299,475

Read an Excerpt

 The sun, climbing toward midmorning, stretched Galad's shadow and those of his three armored companions ahead of them as they trotted their mounts down the road that ran straight through the forest, dense with oak and leatherleaf, pine and sourgum, most showing the red of spring growth. He tried to keep his mind empty, still, but small things kept intruding. The day was silent save for the thud of their horses' hooves. No bird sang on a branch, no squirrel chittered. Too quiet for the time of year, as though the forest held its breath. This had been a major trade route once, long before Amadicia and Tarabon came into being, and bits of ancient paving stone sometimes studded the hard-packed surface of yellowish clay. A single farm cart far ahead behind a plodding ox was the only sign of human life now besides themselves. Trade had shifted far north, farms and villages in the region dwindled, and the fabled lost mines of Aelgar remained lost in the tangled mountain ranges that began only a few miles to the south. Dark clouds massing in that direction promised rain by afternoon if their slow advance continued. A red-winged hawk quartered back and forth along the border of the trees, hunting the fringes. As he himself was hunting. But at the heart, not on the fringes.

 The manor house that the Seanchan had given Eamon Valda came into view, and he drew rein, wishing he had a helmet strap to tighten for excuse. Instead he had to be content with re-buckling his sword belt, pretending that it had been sitting wrong. There had been no point to wearing armor. If the morning went as he hoped, he would have had to remove breastplate and mail in any case, and if it went badly, armor would have provided little more protection than his white coat.
 
 Formerly a deep-country lodge of the King of Amadicia, the building was a huge, blue-roofed structure studded with red-painted balconies, a wooden palace with wooden spires at the corners atop a stone foundation like a low, steep-sided hill. The outbuildings, stables and barns, workmen's small houses and craftsfolks' workshops, all hugged the ground in the wide clearing that surrounded the main house, but they were nearly as resplendent in their blue-and-red paint. A handful of men and women moved around them, tiny figures yet at this distance, and children were playing under their elders' eyes. An image of normality where nothing was normal. His companions sat their saddles in their burnished helmets and breastplates, watching him without expression. Their mounts stamped impatiently, the animals' morning freshness not yet worn off by the short ride from the camp.

 "It's understandable if you're having second thoughts, Damodred," Trom said after a time. "It's a harsh accusation, bitter as gall, but--"

 "No second thoughts for me," Galad broke in. His intentions had been fixed since yesterday. He was grateful, though. Trom had given him the opening he needed. They had simply appeared as he rode out, falling in with him without a word spoken. There had seemed no place for words, then. "But what about you three? You're taking a risk coming here with me. A risk you have no need to take. However the day runs, there will be marks against you. This is my business, and I give you leave to go about yours." Too stiffly said, but he could not find words this morning, or loosen his throat.....

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