Crossroads of Twilight feels less like a book about one huge event and more like a book about the shockwaves from everything that has already happened.
Jordan spends a lot of time showing how different characters react to things they don’t fully understand yet. That’s actually one of the more interesting parts of the book for me. The reader knows more than a lot of the people inside the story, so you’re watching rumors spread, assumptions get made, and different groups try to figure out what the hell just changed.
I think that’s what Jordan was going for with the overlapping timeline. Instead of immediately charging forward, he pulls back and lets you see how big the world has become. Something happens in one place, and people hundreds of miles away are still trying to understand what it means for them.
Perrin’s story is really about how far he’s willing to go for the people he loves. He’s focused almost entirely on getting Faile back, and that changes him. He’s still Perrin, but there’s a harder edge starting to show because protecting somebody can get complicated when patience stops feeling like an option.
Elayne’s storyline is different because hers is about holding power instead of chasing it. There’s politics, alliances, people trying to read each other, and a lot of smaller decisions that matter because she’s trying to actually secure something instead of just surviving another battle.
Egwene is dealing with another version of that same problem. She’s learning that being given authority and actually getting people to follow you are two completely different things. I like watching her become more comfortable using the position she has instead of waiting for everybody else to agree that she deserves it.
That’s probably what I like most about this part of The Wheel of Time. Everybody is dealing with power differently.
Rand has enormous power and increasingly fewer people he trusts.
Perrin doesn’t really want authority but keeps taking responsibility anyway.
Egwene is learning how to use political power.
Elayne is trying to hold onto a throne.
Mat is still Mat and would probably prefer everyone stop involving him in world-changing events, which of course means the exact opposite is going to happen.
There are definitely stretches where the story moves more through reaction and positioning than huge action, but I think that’s part of what Jordan is doing here. The series has gotten big enough that major events don’t just affect the people standing in the room anymore.
Crossroads of Twilight is more about watching all those separate pieces start responding to the same changing world.
Who I’d recommend it to: Anyone already invested in the larger cast and the political side of The Wheel of Time. This one gives you a better sense of how many different people are now trying to shape what happens next.
Caution: It’s more focused on reactions, politics, and characters getting into position than on one massive central conflict.
Discussion question: Which character do you think handles power best at this point in the series—Rand, Perrin, Egwene, Elayne, or Mat?
— Cory Lane