If you're in the mood for an epic adventure, you've come to the right place. It begins in a quiet, out of the way village, as the best adventures do.
It's a festival day tomorrow, and thrillingly, there will be a gleeman at this year's festival. He tells stories, sings songs, and plays the harp and flute. There is also a rumor of fireworks.
In a year when spring doesn't seem as if it will ever come, these diversions are exceptional.
There are also two strangers in town. They might be an Aes Sedai and her Warder. Unheard of here as well.
The peddler Padan Fain brings news of the outside world. War wages to the south. The standard of The Dragon has been raised, and men are choosing sides. The Mayor and his council want to hear nothing of this today.
We meet Mat, a prankster. Perrin, the apprentice to the town blacksmith. Rand, a sheepherder like his father. Nynaeve, the local Wisdom, or healer. Egwene, daughter of the Mayor who wishes to learn the healing arts.
Amid the excitement of the upcoming festival, Rand, Mat, Perrin, and some other young men of the town have seen a Black Rider watching them from the woods. He says nothing, just observes.
Rand's father, as one of the council, hears this and decides to spend the night back at home. Rand is disappointed, but they return to the farm. Before they can settle in for the night, the door is burst open and trollocs enter. Rand's father tells him to run, while Tam grabs his sword and fights the creatures. Rand and Tam escape to the woods. Rand goes back in for supplies, but one of the trollocs isn't dead, and he says a Fade wants to talk to Rand.
It takes Rand all night to carry his father on an improvised stretcher through the woods, avoiding the roads, desperate to get help for his father.
Reaching town finally, it has been attacked as well, with several homes burned. Many were injured. Only the presence of the Aes Sedai and her Warder saved it from being worse.
Moiraine, the Aes Sedai, tells Rand, Perrin and Mat they must follow her to avoid more attacks on the village. Egwene, seeking adventure and the chance to learn from the Aes Sedai grabs a horse and joins the group. The gleeman, Thom Merrilin, also decides to leave town and travel with the companions.
So begins a perilous journey, hundreds of miles through towns and farmsteads and dead cities. The Fades and trollocs seem to be always just a bit behind, and the Darkfriends, those who want to see the return of the Dark One, seem to be everywhere.
Nynaeve catches up to the group in a city, and wants them returned home. They've already been through too much by then to turn back even if they wanted to.
They become separated, as companions do, with Rand, Mat and Thom Merrilin trying to get east together. Egwene and Perrin keep company with a man who runs with wolves and a group of Tinkers. Moiraine, Lan and Nynaeve travel uncomfortably in each others company.
You feel every step of the journey with these characters. You think about your dinner being cold water from a creek when you're lucky. These common folk are just the companions to keep by your side in an extraordinary world.
I loved this book, and highly recommend it.
