The
      Cadre
      +
     
    
   
   
    
     
      9
      February
      1999
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Arts
      &
      entertainment
      i1
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BY
      MELISSA
      DOUCETTE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      beginning
      of
     
     
      Robert
      Jordan’s
      The
      Wheel
      of
     
     
      Time
      series
      is
      one
      of
      the
      most
     
     
      promising
      fantasy
      series
      to
      be
     
     
      published
      in
      decades.
      The
     
     
      plot
      is
      written
      in
      the
      conven-
     
     
      tion
      of
      such
      epics
      as
     
     
      Tolkien’s
      The
      Lord
      of
      the
     
     
      Rings
      ,
      Edding’s
      The
     
     
      Belgariad,
      and
      Weis
      and
     
     
      Hickman’s
      widely
      popular
     
     
      Dragonlance
      series.
      Basi-
     
     
      cally,
      an
      apocalyptic
      con-
     
     
      frontation
      occurs
      between
     
     
      good
      and
      evil,
      and
      one
      man
     
     
      and/or
      group
      is
      responsible
     
     
      for
      saving
      the
      world.
     
    

    
     
      However,
      it
      is
      in
      the
     
     
      depth
      of
      characterization
     
     
      where
      Jordan
      rises
      above
      his
     
     
      contemporaries.
      Each
      of
      his
     
     
      characters
      has
      a
      distinct
      per-
     
     
      sonality,
      complete
      with
     
     
      quirks
      and
      flaws
      that
      captures
     
     
      and
      compels
      the
      reader’s
      at-
     
     
      tention.
      Also,
      the
      women
     
     
      characters
      have
      particular
     
     
      presence,
      strength,
      and
      im-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      i
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      4:00
      p.m.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Room
      106,
      will
      be
      operating
      on
     
     
      Wednesdays
      between
      4:00
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Path
      of
      Daggers
     
    
   
   
    
     
      portance
      to
      a
      degree
      that
      |
     
     
      have
      rarely
      seen.
      The
      plot
     
     
      was
      originally
      smooth
      and
     
     
      easy
      to
      follow
      —
      a
      difficult
     
     
      task
      in
      a
      series
      that
      spans
      over
     
     
      4000
      pages,
      and
      once
      the
     
     
      story
      snags
      you,
      it
      is
      difficult
     
     
      to
      disengage
      from.
      Unfortu-
     
     
      nately,
      since
      the
      sixth
      book,
     
     
      the
      series
      has
      been
      in
      a
      steady
     
     
      decline,
      and
      The
      Path
      of
     
     
      Daggers
      is
      no
      exception.
      The
     
     
      action
      and
      plot
      are
      meander-
     
     
      ing
      to
      the
      level
      of
      pointless-
     
     
      ness,
      and
      crucial
      details
      are
     
     
      glossed
      over.
      The
      first
      five
     
     
      novels
      ,
      at
      least,
      have
      a
      strong
     
     
      and
      definite
      focus,
      but
      Dag-
     
     
      gers
      is
      too
      diffused.
      It
      tries
     
     
      to
      explore
      too
      many
     
     
      storylines,
      and
      the
      novel’s
     
     
      coherence
      suffers
      as
      a
      result.
     
    

    
     
      The
      formerly
      high
     
     
      level
      of
      characterization
     
     
      demonstrated
      in
      earlier
      nov-
     
     
      els
      is
      also
      lacking.
      The
      three
     
     
      main
      characters
      of
      the
      series
     
     
      are
      barely
      referred
      to,
      and
     
     
      one
      is
      absent
      entirely.
      As
     
     
      well,
      the
      women
      have
      mostly
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Centre
      for
      Writing
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Centre
      for
      Writing,
      located
      in
      Robertson
      Library
      Building,
     
     
      Tuesdays
      between
      1:00
      and
      2:00
      p.m.,
      |:
     
     
      5:30
      p.m.and
      Thursdays
      between
      2:30}
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Students
      from
      the
      Faculty
      of
      Education
      will
      give
      free
      writing
      ad-
     
     
      vice.
      Bring
      your
      papers,
      problems
      and
      queries.
      They
      can
      help!
     
     
      For
      more
      information,
      contact
      Linda
      Meggs
      at
      meggs@upei.ca
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘auwerrFr,r
      «4
      S
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Robert
      Jordan
     
     
      (Tor
      Fantasy)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      become
      flat,
      irritating,
      and
      °
     
     
      predictable,
      having
      lost
      much
     
     
      of
      the
      vivacity
      and
      original-
     
     
      ity
      that
      animated
      them.
      And
     
     
      Rand
      Al’Thor
      —
      the
      central
     
     
      character
      that
      the
      novel
      and
     
     
      its
      world
      hinges
      on
      —
      has
      un-
     
     
      dergone
      a
      complete
      charac-
     
     
      ter
      reversal
      in
      his
      efforts
      to
     
     
      reach
      the
      Last
      Battle.
      He
      has
     
     
      become
      unyielding
      and
      mer-
     
     
      ciless,
      although
      not
      without
     
     
      cause,
      and
      many
      of
      his
      en-
     
     
      dearing
      qualities
      have
      been
     
     
      lost
      along
      the
      way.
      Even
     
     
      though
      this
      change
      is
      alluded
     
     
      to
      by
      some
      of
      the
      other
      char-
     
     
      acters,
      by
      the
      eight
      novel
      it
     
     
      becomes
      more
      difficult
      to
     
     
      sustain
      a
      high
      sense
      of
      com-
     
     
      passion
      for
      him.
     
    

    
     
      Finally,
      Daggers
      is
      re-
     
     
      ally
      a
      book
      for
      hardcore
      fans
     
     
      of
      the
      Wheel
      of
      Time
      series.
      1;
     
     
      would,
      however,
      highly
      rec-
      °
     
     
      ommend
      at
      least
      the
      first
      five
      '
     
     
      books,
      starting
      with
      The
      Eye
     
     
      of
      the
      World.
      At
      around
      $35
     
     
      a
      pop,
      wait
      for
      Daggers
      to
      ,
     
     
      come
      out
      in
      softcover.
      ;
     
     
      :
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      892-1115
     
     
      Charlottetown
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ie
     
    
   
   
    
     
      17
      PIZZA
     
     
      (3
      Toppings)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      17”
      PIZZA
      &
      12”
      GARLIC
      FINGERS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      $10.99
      +
      plus
      tax
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (2
      Donair
      Sauce)
     
     
      $13.99
      +
      plus
      tax
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (3
      Toppings)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “THE
      PIZZA
      FEAST”
     
     
      217
      PIZZA&
      GARLIC
      FINGERS
     
     
      (3
      Toppings)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      $22.99
      +
      plus
      tax