A Crown of Swords had a harder job than some of the earlier books because it’s coming right after one of the biggest moments in the series, and not every storyline feels equally important afterward.
What kept me interested was the characters more than the overall shape of the book.
Mat is probably the best example. He keeps insisting he wants a simple life and wants nothing to do with everybody else’s problems, which is getting more ridiculous by the book because he cannot seem to walk past somebody who needs help without eventually getting involved.
He’ll complain the entire time, swear it isn’t his problem, and somehow still be the guy doing something about it.
That’s a huge part of why I like him.
Nynaeve and Elayne are fun together when their differences actually move the story forward. They’re both capable, stubborn, and convinced they know what they’re doing, which can be entertaining.
It can also get repetitive.
There are definitely stretches where I felt like they were having versions of arguments we had already watched several times before. At some point I just wanted them to stop fighting with each other and get on with it.
Rand is still heading in a direction that worries me. He has legitimate reasons to distrust people, and he has to make decisions nobody else wants responsibility for. But you can also see how easily “I have to make this decision” can start turning into “nobody has the right to question me.”
That line gets thinner the more pressure he’s under.
Mat’s situation in Ebou Dar is also one of the stranger parts of the book. I actually liked some of the sexual tension and the way the power dynamic flips around on him because Mat is usually the one acting like he has everything under control. Here, he very clearly doesn’t.
I don’t think every part of A Crown of Swords works equally well, but I also don’t think it deserves to be written off as one of the weaker books and forgotten. There are plenty of good character moments, especially with Mat, and you can feel the series getting more complicated as everyone’s responsibilities and loyalties keep pulling them in different directions.
Who I’d recommend it to: Anyone already deep into The Wheel of Time, especially if Mat is one of your favorites.
Caution: The pacing is uneven in places, and some of the Nynaeve/Elayne bickering can drag.
Discussion question: At this point in the series, who were you enjoying more—Mat, Rand, or Perrin?
— Cory Lane