This volume has the awkward job of following a major rupture while keeping several distant stories moving. I am less taken with its overall shape than with particular pairings. Mat's attempts to keep his life uncomplicated become increasingly implausible, and his instinct to help remains more revealing than his complaints.
Nynaeve and Elayne bring clashing temperaments to a shared task. At their best, their scenes let competence and insecurity coexist; at their worst, the bickering returns to ground the series has already covered. Rand's thread continues to show how quickly a necessary act of authority can harden into an assumption that nobody else should question him.
There is also a coercive sexual dynamic involving Mat that the narrative too often treats lightly. That tonal choice deserves criticism. The book has satisfying developments, but I cannot separate my response from the moments where its humor works against the seriousness of what is happening. This is a mixed installment, not a disposable one.
— Cory Lane