The wheel of time: looming shadows

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Impending Shadows is the first book in the fantasy cycle The Wheel of Time by the American writer Robert Jordan .

General

"Drohende Schatten" is the first book of the 37-volume German translation of the fantasy cycle "Das Rad der Zeit". It was first published in 1990 in the USA under the title "The Eye of the World" and in 1993 by Heyne Verlag , Germany. However, like all later parts of the series, the original German edition was divided into several books. The first part is entitled “Threatening Shadows”, the second “The Eye of the World”. Since 2004 the whole volumes have been available again from Piper-Verlag , i.e. corresponding to the English original. "Drohende Schatten" is the first part of the volume "The Wheel of Time 1 - The Original: The Search for the Eye of the World". A German translation of the prehistory appeared for the first time in this special edition.

content

prehistory

The story is about nine-year-old Egwene al'Vere, the mayor's daughter. Like the other children her age, she has to bring water from the river to the sweating adults. The men shear sheep, the women sort the wool, and since it is very warm that day, they need water to drink. When she becomes aware of a group of boys, she follows them and hears the story that a worker from the village tells them. It's about Lews Therin , who waged and won the war against the Dark King thousands of years ago . While the story is being told, the group is watched by many ravens, which only Egwene notices.

This prehistory appeared in American 2002 under the title “Ravens” (German: “Raben”) and in German 2004 in the anthology “The Wheel of Time 1 - The Original: The Search for the Eye of the World”.

Main storyline

The story is about Rand al'Thor, who lives with his father Tam in the western forest. One winter Rand and Tam set off for the not far away village of Emondsfelde, because a festival is traditionally celebrated there in winter, to which Rand and Tam want to contribute a few barrels of apple schnapps. On the way to the village, Rand notices a mysterious rider in black, but when he draws his father's attention to the rider, he has suddenly disappeared.

Arriving in the village, the two learn that the preparations are progressing slowly, for example the dealer who was supposed to bring a fireworks display has not yet arrived because of the harsh winter. There Rand also meets his friend Mat, who is known throughout the village for his pranks. Mat also saw the black rider, as he says to Rand. In addition, several strangers have come to the village, which is great news for a small farming village like Emondsfelde. The strangers are the juggler Thom Merrilin and Lady Moiraine and her bodyguard Lan. And again the village is watched by ravens, which only Rand and Mat notice.

Shortly afterwards, a traveling merchant comes into the village, who brings news about a distant war and thus causes a stir in Emondsfelde. The village council is convened immediately and consults with the traveling trader in a tavern closed to the public. Meanwhile the juggler comes out of the tavern, because the council does not want him at the meeting and begins to involve the people in front of the tavern in conversations and perform tricks.

After a while the village council made a decision. Guards will be posted at night and refugees will be taken in, but will not take part in the war.

Since the festival doesn't take place until the next day, Rand and Tam are on their way home again, and Tam reveals to Rand that he believes him about the Black Rider, since the village council meeting revealed that several boys of Rand's age were found saw the rider.

When they get home, they first do their daily work on the farm. But during the night the farm is attacked by Trollocs , animal-like creatures. Tam defends himself with a sword and fends off the first attacks. The two finally manage to escape into the forest, but Tam is seriously injured, has a high fever and finally begins to talk in a delirious state. So he unwittingly tells Rand that this is not his own child at all. Rand tries to take his father to the village, but he can't carry him all the way, so he sneaks back to the house. The Trollocs have disappeared, so he can quickly load everything he needs onto a cart and return to his father. He takes this to Emondsfelde by cart. On the way he is overtaken by Trollocs and the black rider, but they do not notice Rand and Tam. Emondsfelde is also overrun by the Trollocs and partly burned down. However, part of the village still stands, thanks to Moiraine. As it turns out, she is an Aes Sedai , a kind of sorceress who can direct the feminine side of the "One Power". Since the village healer cannot heal Tam's wounds, he asks Moiraine for help. She heals Tam and tells Rand that the ravens are spies of the Dark King and that the black rider is a Myrddraal , also known as a half-man .

For Tam's healing, Moiraine demands a reward: She wants Rand and his two friends Mat and Perrin to come to Tar Valon with her and Lan because she believes the Black Rider and the Trollocs are looking for young men of Rand's age, da Rand and his friends are the same age and only they have seen the black rider.

Before the group starts, Tam wakes up from his fever and Rand tells him about his plans. When night falls, Moiraine, Lan, Rand, Mat, Perrin and Egwene, who is doing an apprenticeship with the village healer, set off for Tar Valon.

As they leave the village, they are immediately followed by ravens, the Dark King's spies. However, they manage to outrun the pursuers by taking a ferry across the Taren River and then destroying it. Without further incident, they reach the city of Baerlon, where the group quartered in an inn. There they meet the village healer Nynaeve, who tries to persuade them to return to the village, which the young men do not, and from now on Nynaeve travels with them. But they are discovered by Myrddraal in Baerlon and have to flee again. As they leave the city, a large Trolloc army follows them. There is also a fight, but again they can escape.

Since the group has to keep east towards Tar Valon, they decide to cross the Manetheren River. So they pass the abandoned ruined city of Aridhol and rest in an abandoned house. Rand, Mat and Perrin want to explore the city and meet a treasure hunter named Mordeth. He wants the young men to help him load found treasures onto horses for transport. As it turns out, the whole thing is a trap; the three manage to return to the rest of the group.

Meanwhile, however, they are pursued again by Trollocs and travel on through the city. There is a strange fog in the city and anyone who touches it dies. The group splits up unintentionally: Rand, Mat and the juggler Thom Merrilin find refuge on a ship, Nynaeve meets Moiraine and Lan, and Perrin meets Egwene.

Web links

credentials

  1. ↑ a b See the imprint of Robert Jordan: Das Rad der Zeit 1 - The original: The search for the eye of the world , Piper-Verlag 2004, p. 4 (imprint).