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The Wheel of Time #14.5
River of Souls
17 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2013
12 people are currently reading
2960 people want to read
About the author
Robert Jordan
664 books17.3k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.
Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to 1970) with the United States Army as a helicopter gunner. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. After returning from Vietnam he attended The Citadel where he received an undergraduate degree in physics. After graduating he was employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer. He began writing in 1977. He was a history buff and enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting.
He described himself as a "High Church" Episcopalian and received communion more than once a week. He lived with his wife Harriet McDougal, who works as a book editor (currently with Tor Books; she was also Jordan's editor) in a house built in 1797.
Responding to queries on the similarity of some of the concepts in his Wheel of Time books with Freemasonry concepts, Jordan admitted that he was a Freemason. However, "like his father and grandfather," he preferred not to advertise, possibly because of the negative propaganda against Freemasonry. In his own words, "no man in this country should feel in danger because of his beliefs."
On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed in a statement that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, and that with treatment, his median life expectancy was four years, though he said he intended to beat the statistics. He later posted on his Dragonmount blog to encourage his fans not to worry about him and that he intended to have a long and fully creative life.
He began chemotherapy treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in early April 2006. Jordan was enrolled in a study using the drug Revlimid just approved for multiple myeloma but not yet tested on primary amyloidosis.
Jordan died at approximately 2:45 p.m. EDT on September 16, 2007, and a funeral service was held for him on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Jordan was cremated and his ashes buried in the churchyard of St. James Church in Goose Creek, outside Charleston.
Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.
Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to 1970) with the United States Army as a helicopter gunner. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. After returning from Vietnam he attended The Citadel where he received an undergraduate degree in physics. After graduating he was employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer. He began writing in 1977. He was a history buff and enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting.
He described himself as a "High Church" Episcopalian and received communion more than once a week. He lived with his wife Harriet McDougal, who works as a book editor (currently with Tor Books; she was also Jordan's editor) in a house built in 1797.
Responding to queries on the similarity of some of the concepts in his Wheel of Time books with Freemasonry concepts, Jordan admitted that he was a Freemason. However, "like his father and grandfather," he preferred not to advertise, possibly because of the negative propaganda against Freemasonry. In his own words, "no man in this country should feel in danger because of his beliefs."
On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed in a statement that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, and that with treatment, his median life expectancy was four years, though he said he intended to beat the statistics. He later posted on his Dragonmount blog to encourage his fans not to worry about him and that he intended to have a long and fully creative life.
He began chemotherapy treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in early April 2006. Jordan was enrolled in a study using the drug Revlimid just approved for multiple myeloma but not yet tested on primary amyloidosis.
Jordan died at approximately 2:45 p.m. EDT on September 16, 2007, and a funeral service was held for him on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Jordan was cremated and his ashes buried in the churchyard of St. James Church in Goose Creek, outside Charleston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
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May 26, 2024
This deleted scene from A Memory of Light (Wheel of Time) can be found in the Unfettered anthology, which was meant to raise money for cancer treatments for author Shawn Speakman. I only wish I had known about it in 2013 when I could have helped. As it is, the anthology, which also features authors like Patrick Rothfuss, Michael J. Sullivan, Peter V. Brett, Mark Lawrence, Naomi Novik, and Terry Brooks, was ridiculously cheap: only €2!
As for the deleted scene itself, I was glad it didn’t have a place in the final WoT book; as much as I enjoyed returning to one of my favorite series, it simply would have been too distracting from the main events. It features Bao, who intends to kill the Dragon Reborn; however, you only find out about who he really is at the end. Know that the worldbuilding is not canon as the action takes place in Shara. I actually would have preferred to know who Bao is at the beginning because I had a hard time caring about that character. (If you choose to read Brandon’s foreword beforehand, you will find out who he is.) All in all, a welcome, albeit short, 13-page return to WoT.
As for the deleted scene itself, I was glad it didn’t have a place in the final WoT book; as much as I enjoyed returning to one of my favorite series, it simply would have been too distracting from the main events. It features Bao, who intends to kill the Dragon Reborn; however, you only find out about who he really is at the end. Know that the worldbuilding is not canon as the action takes place in Shara. I actually would have preferred to know who Bao is at the beginning because I had a hard time caring about that character. (If you choose to read Brandon’s foreword beforehand, you will find out who he is.) All in all, a welcome, albeit short, 13-page return to WoT.
November 1, 2022
This is one of two stories that never made it into the Wheel of Time series.
A very short story, this one tells of Bao Wyld, a man who intends to kill the Dragon Reborn by fulfilling a prophecy of the Sharans. I presume we find out who he is and what he does in the final volume.
The tone of the story was as good as in the other writing and the implications were interesting, but it couldn't draw me in fully. Maybe because I knew it isn't canon?
A very short story, this one tells of Bao Wyld, a man who intends to kill the Dragon Reborn by fulfilling a prophecy of the Sharans. I presume we find out who he is and what he does in the final volume.
The tone of the story was as good as in the other writing and the implications were interesting, but it couldn't draw me in fully. Maybe because I knew it isn't canon?
November 1, 2022
A super short glimpse into Demandred that got cut from the final copy of Memory of Light.
I liked it, but it isn't complete without the weight of everything else.
I liked it, but it isn't complete without the weight of everything else.
January 31, 2025
i would read anything in this world
also incredibly shocking that demandred pretty much only shows up as an adversary in the final book and he still leaves such an insane impact
also incredibly shocking that demandred pretty much only shows up as an adversary in the final book and he still leaves such an insane impact
February 10, 2022
Mildly entertaining but by no means a must read or a necessary addition to the main series.
October 11, 2019
Non-canon short story that explains (A Memory of Light Spoiler) that's a quick read fun stuff interesting worldbuilding. It's super short compared to what you've just read.
Would recommend reading it AFTER A Memory of Light on your first readthrough, on rereads you can read it after Towers of Midnight or probably even earlier.
Would recommend reading it AFTER A Memory of Light on your first readthrough, on rereads you can read it after Towers of Midnight or probably even earlier.
Read
February 21, 2021Jordan/Sanderson, of all the names why choose Bao the Wyld??
December 29, 2021
This Sanderson short story about Bao Wyld and the Sharans takes place before events in A Memory of Light and was meant to be part of that story. However the creative team felt it took too much away from what was happening and so it was decided these scenes would be cut from the final book in Robert Jordan's acclaimed and famous The Wheel of Time. It was instead released as a stand alone short story in Unfettered, along with a forward by Sanderson explaining why these parts were cut.
The story starts with Bao meeting Mintel, his father, a true believer who expects to see the fulfillment of prophecy - the coming of angor'lot, the True Destiny. He has undertaken great personal risks to attend the crowning of the Wyld.
“If I survive this day,” Bao said, holding up his hand, “I will do with my power things that some will call evil.”
Anyone who has read A Memory of Light and knows who Bao Wyld really is, must be thinking the same thing as me.
The story might be short but the world created is pretty breath-taking. There's a whole people, a culture waiting to be discovered, with slaves that were freed by Berid Bal, who happens to unwittingly also fulfill almost everything in their ancient prophecy. All he has to do is undergo one last quest ... a trial ... by killing something, recovering a cup and drinking from the river of souls. I got chills considering how closely this mirrors shades of the holy grail quest. Intentional? Probably. The grail myth is, after all, quite famous.
Of course, the real reason for everything is finally revealed at the end of the story. It should have been more of a surprise, but any veteran D&D player will let you know that most have, at one time or another, succumbed to this very common malady. I am of course, referring to
The story starts with Bao meeting Mintel, his father, a true believer who expects to see the fulfillment of prophecy - the coming of angor'lot, the True Destiny. He has undertaken great personal risks to attend the crowning of the Wyld.
“If I survive this day,” Bao said, holding up his hand, “I will do with my power things that some will call evil.”
Anyone who has read A Memory of Light and knows who Bao Wyld really is, must be thinking the same thing as me.
The story might be short but the world created is pretty breath-taking. There's a whole people, a culture waiting to be discovered, with slaves that were freed by Berid Bal, who happens to unwittingly also fulfill almost everything in their ancient prophecy. All he has to do is undergo one last quest ... a trial ... by killing something, recovering a cup and drinking from the river of souls. I got chills considering how closely this mirrors shades of the holy grail quest. Intentional? Probably. The grail myth is, after all, quite famous.
Of course, the real reason for everything is finally revealed at the end of the story. It should have been more of a surprise, but any veteran D&D player will let you know that most have, at one time or another, succumbed to this very common malady. I am of course, referring to
April 23, 2025
3/5
Fun short story about one of the forsaken was a cut Chapter from a memory of light
Fun short story about one of the forsaken was a cut Chapter from a memory of light
September 30, 2025
***
Bao takes the final step to become the Wyld of the Sharans, and becoming an important and powerful component of the Last Battle.
This short story was cut from A Memory of Light, and that's really a shame. For as short as this is, it's an interesting sequence that gives a tantalizing glimpse of the Sharans (something I would've liked to have seen more of.) This snippet also would've helped some of the tedium in reading about the hundreds of battle scenes that make up A Memory of Light.
Personal history: I already owned the first Unfettered collection this appears in. For the physical version- ISBN: 978-1944145224
The Wheel of Time:
1. The Eye of the World
2. The Great Hunt
3. The Dragon Reborn
4. The Shadow Rising
5. The Fires of Heaven
6. Lord of Chaos
7. A Crown of Swords
8. The Strike at Shayol Ghul (Prequel short story)
9. The Path of Daggers
10. Winter's Heart
11. Ravens (Prequel short story)
12. Crossroads of Twilight
13. New Spring (Prequel)
14. Knife of Dreams
15. The Gathering Storm
16. Towers of Midnight
17. A Memory of Light
19. A Fire Within the Ways (Short story)
Bao takes the final step to become the Wyld of the Sharans, and becoming an important and powerful component of the Last Battle.
This short story was cut from A Memory of Light, and that's really a shame. For as short as this is, it's an interesting sequence that gives a tantalizing glimpse of the Sharans (something I would've liked to have seen more of.) This snippet also would've helped some of the tedium in reading about the hundreds of battle scenes that make up A Memory of Light.
Personal history: I already owned the first Unfettered collection this appears in. For the physical version- ISBN: 978-1944145224
The Wheel of Time:
1. The Eye of the World
2. The Great Hunt
3. The Dragon Reborn
4. The Shadow Rising
5. The Fires of Heaven
6. Lord of Chaos
7. A Crown of Swords
8. The Strike at Shayol Ghul (Prequel short story)
9. The Path of Daggers
10. Winter's Heart
11. Ravens (Prequel short story)
12. Crossroads of Twilight
13. New Spring (Prequel)
14. Knife of Dreams
15. The Gathering Storm
16. Towers of Midnight
17. A Memory of Light
19. A Fire Within the Ways (Short story)
February 11, 2024
I wanted to read River of Souls as soon as I finished A Memory of Light, and I'm glad I did.
The introduction Sanderson wrote says something that immediately resonated with how I felt about A Memory of Light - that some things were left unexplored in an unsatisfactory manner because they were introduced too late in the series. Namely, . The following quote, from the introduction of River of Souls, could've been said about :
"Harriet (...) felt that the scenes' evocation of an entire untold series of books was too overwhelming. (...) If this had been book eight, that would be wonderful - the scenes would add variety to the series. In book fourteen, however, they offered a taste of something that would never be sated, and served only to make promises we could not fulfill."
I just wish Jordan had thought this way when he was writing TWOT, instead of actually planning a whole new series just for the Seanchan - and what about the Aiel?
That aside, River of Souls was a pleasant addition that can be considered cannon. Villains like Demandred are a little more interesting than, say, Semirhage, so it was a nice read. The little sample of Shara was also cool.
The introduction Sanderson wrote says something that immediately resonated with how I felt about A Memory of Light - that some things were left unexplored in an unsatisfactory manner because they were introduced too late in the series. Namely, . The following quote, from the introduction of River of Souls, could've been said about :
"Harriet (...) felt that the scenes' evocation of an entire untold series of books was too overwhelming. (...) If this had been book eight, that would be wonderful - the scenes would add variety to the series. In book fourteen, however, they offered a taste of something that would never be sated, and served only to make promises we could not fulfill."
I just wish Jordan had thought this way when he was writing TWOT, instead of actually planning a whole new series just for the Seanchan - and what about the Aiel?
That aside, River of Souls was a pleasant addition that can be considered cannon. Villains like Demandred are a little more interesting than, say, Semirhage, so it was a nice read. The little sample of Shara was also cool.
July 10, 2022
I read the foreword after the short story and I have to agree that the story doesn’t fit in the book A Memory of Light, but it fits quite well as a Demandred backstory of how he became Sharan Bao the Wyld we suddenly see arrive at the final battle.
Canonically it feels like it would have been most impactful to be read before the 14th book, but on the other hand, it would be almost spoilery. So I am happy that I read it after the last book.
And it is actually a two-part reason, the second being that I have finished the series for more than a week now and I am still very much not over it. I need more content and today I discovered the Unfettered anthology (and I’m seriously unhappy that I can’t get a physical copy to finish off my WoT shelf).
Canonically it feels like it would have been most impactful to be read before the 14th book, but on the other hand, it would be almost spoilery. So I am happy that I read it after the last book.
And it is actually a two-part reason, the second being that I have finished the series for more than a week now and I am still very much not over it. I need more content and today I discovered the Unfettered anthology (and I’m seriously unhappy that I can’t get a physical copy to finish off my WoT shelf).
August 14, 2022
ENGLISH REVIEW BELOW
Ik heb geluisterd naar de audioversie van dit boek, als het een boek genoemd kan worden. Het was meer een kort verhaal, die toegevoegd had kunnen zijn aan het laatste boek, maar dan zou het een grote twist hebben verraden. Het was een interessant verhaal, leuk genoeg, en het was leuk om de wereld van het Rad des Tijds nog verder uitgebreid te zien worden. Alles bij elkaar een leuke ervaring.
ENGLISH REVIEW
I listened to the audio version of this book, if it could be called a book. It was more of a short story, which could have been added to the last book, except it would have given away a twist there. It was an interesting read, entertaining enough, and it was nice to see the world of the Wheel of Time further explored. All in all an enjoyable experience.
Ik heb geluisterd naar de audioversie van dit boek, als het een boek genoemd kan worden. Het was meer een kort verhaal, die toegevoegd had kunnen zijn aan het laatste boek, maar dan zou het een grote twist hebben verraden. Het was een interessant verhaal, leuk genoeg, en het was leuk om de wereld van het Rad des Tijds nog verder uitgebreid te zien worden. Alles bij elkaar een leuke ervaring.
ENGLISH REVIEW
I listened to the audio version of this book, if it could be called a book. It was more of a short story, which could have been added to the last book, except it would have given away a twist there. It was an interesting read, entertaining enough, and it was nice to see the world of the Wheel of Time further explored. All in all an enjoyable experience.
January 23, 2023
It is interesting to see what Demandred was up to during the entire Wheel of Time series. Arguably, he is the only one whose initial plan succeeded and the consequences during the Final Battle were devastating. Even though this was a very interesting sequence, as it gave us insight into Demandred's character and motives and showed us the culture in Shara, I agree with the decision to cut it in the final book. The emergence of the Sharans and Demandred during the Final Battle was shocking and a real game changer. Adding this sequence would have lessened the most bone-chilling reveal of the last book for me. I am very happy to read it in this format.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2025
I really like how this turned out. After reading the Wheel of Time, I wished for a taste of Seanchan or Shara. Later I decided a story from one of those nations would ruin them. Any story would make them less mysterious and alien, both of which I think are good traits. The way this novella was constructed gave some more background on these nations yet didn’t ruin their alien feel, while also giving some important info on Demandred.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2021
قصة لطيفة قصيرة عن ديماندريد وكيف وجد السبتر قبل الحرب الأخيرة. أعتقد انها ككل القصص القصيرة الي مالها مكان في رواياتها الأساسية، تسد حفرة وتلقي ضوء على جوانب تغفلها الرواية الرئيسية. في نفس الوقت تفتقر للجودة والقوة، والمشكلة ليست في انها قصرة قصيرة في حد ذاتها، لكن انها في أغلب الأحيان تكتبت بصفر جهد وشغف.
September 17, 2025
Demandred's handling and oversized impact despite it is quite interesting.
i would have loved to have something like this, to have more from the forsaken, earlier in the books.
as it stands, it's just a nice, almost fanfiction, expansion of the lore, but a very representative presentation of the character and his motivations.
i would have loved to have something like this, to have more from the forsaken, earlier in the books.
as it stands, it's just a nice, almost fanfiction, expansion of the lore, but a very representative presentation of the character and his motivations.
October 28, 2023
Ha estado bien ver la historia de Demandred en Shara, sigue cayéndome terrible pero le da más profundidad al personaje. Me hubiera gustado ver más cosas del continente de Shara pero ya se ve que Jordan no lo tenía planeado :(
July 1, 2019
I can see why this was left out of A Memory of Light. Though interesting, if it had been included I think I would have wanted more details. It's about the rise of a certain mysterious character.
July 9, 2019
I wouldn’t read this. It’s non-canon and a weird alternate universe setting.
September 29, 2020
Short story. Nothing but influx of a character. I don't think it will come to anything at all.
November 22, 2020
Little nice short story that took me a while to understand it was about Demandrod and his beginning.
Read
December 16, 20200 h 30m
January 22, 2021
Pretty interesting short story about Demandred becoming the Wyld.
March 29, 2021
Answers questions about the Wyld.
April 30, 2021
I could have skipped this short story without regret. There's not enough to get your teeth into and none of our favorite old characters. Still, more Wheel of Time... that's not a bad thing.
July 5, 2021
3.5. This was interesting in that it provided a glimpse of Shara, and also fleshed out Demandred's story, but it felt rushed and incomplete as a "stand-alone" short story.
August 1, 2021
A great little piece which adds depth to an established antagonist.
August 10, 2021
As I have read none of The Wheel of Time (yes I know, shame on me), it is difficult to review this short story (a deleted part of book 14 in the series). However, as a stand alone, I enjoyed it.
January 5, 2022
A lost story from the Wheel of Time, salvaged from the cutting room floor. A tale of Bao the Wyld, also known as Demondred among a people who follow the Tapestry, a mirror image of the Pattern.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews