The Fires of Heaven  - Robert Jordan

I haven't finished this yet. I will, and the whole damned saga too, for that matter. The overarching saga is interesting enough to listen. My issue, and the part that needs wait no more pages to review, is characterisation.

 

I'm fucking tired of this cast.

 

Of the female side, Nynaeve seems the embodiment of it: angry, unable to admit fault, deeply contemptuous of men. For bonus points, women can add vindictive and manipulative to their qualities. Exceptions are the besotted fools (because every woman that is not totally, completely, dedicatedly in love with a man is little better a shrew). They all unjustly fault men with the breaking of the world.

 

Men, when not complete monsters, are rascalls, hard-headed fools or lovable fools. They think there is no further possible understanding a women than a pet. Such unfathomable creatures.

 

Jordan subscribed to the Venus/Mars "philosophy" (and wrote on a serious Martian bent). I reckon that would be why pages upon endless pages of plot hinge on "poor communication kills", but I'm calling bullshit. This saga is full of it.