The Wheel of Time

[Holy Knight]

Since the author has taken so long with each book, I managed to read the entire 12 volumes currently published about five times each, back when I used to frequent high school. And yet, I still enjoyed the series as much each time.

Us fans also dismay he may not finish his series in time, as he had contracted a rare disease. Let's pray for his recovery.

So, any WoT fans? Or have they been driven away from the long-winded nature of the series?

[Soluzar]

This series had four excellent books, three average books, two poor books and then I stopped reading because the tenth volume was unredeemably bloody awful. Shame really, I've seldom enjoyed anything as much as the first few volumes.

These days I turn to George R. R. Martin for something a bit better, but I'm sure his series will jump the shark any day now. If I want to read a series that I find to be consistently good, I look to Leyland E. Modesitt, Jr's Recluce Saga. Interestingly enough a lot of fantasy fans tell me they can't stand his work, but that doesn't matter a whole bunch to me. I've read nine of his fifteen volumes, and I'm sure he can keep up the same pleasant but unspectacular pace until one of us is dead. :lol:

[Holy Knight]

Aw, come now, he did redeem himself a bit with book eleven, even though it was a bit jumbled. And there ain't THAT many baths in the books. :P

Seriously now, if you haven't read it (although you probably have), I recommend you pick up "A New Spring", which is a prequel to the series. It's short and compact, unlike the rest of the series and I found it highly enjoyable. A breeze to read and adds an interesting perspective on old characters.

I do agree about book ten, which took me the longest of all to read and is the only one I have yet to more than twice. I see it as the book introducing "the calm before the storm". Let's hope book 12 "A Memory of Light" can deliver, despite RJ's state.

[Soluzar]

I read A New Spring, and it was great fun. I haven't read book eleven yet, because after three really poor books in a row, I just can't summon the enthusiasm to keep reading a series that probably isn't going to be finished. If the old fellow proves me wrong, and manages to finish off the series, that is the point at which I would pick it up for some closure.

[Anamin]

The Wheel Weaves at the Wheel Wills.

I haven't read through all of them. I'm currently struggling my way through book 9. If I could find a library that had more than one copy of each on audiobook in stock at a time, I might be more inclined to revisit them.

I've read 1-4 twice each, but after that things really start breaking off into different threads for me and becomes a little bit more difficult to keep track of, but I think RJ has some really good concepts.

I found The New Spring on audio for a bargain and bought that. It's an excellent prequal, though I wish it had gone a little more in depth at the end. . .

[Woooh]

Book 10 was so terrible that I almost stopped. I managed to will myself to 11 though which got me back into it. I'm probably gonna reread the series, after I finish the current Tad Williams series I'm reading, in preparation for the final book. Although I don't like the 10 book, it's still my favorite series and probably will be for a long time to come.

[Bradster]

I've long since cooled pretty much on the series (down from keeping separate notes on whatever I thought might be foreshadowing, or the true identies of the Forsaken, etc), especially after the latest few installments of dreck, and haven't read the most recent book yet because I'm waiting for paperback.

I'm just glad somebody got somebody else back, because his moping was beyond annoying.

I swear that Jordan's got a couple dozen hotkeys on his PC so he can toss out a braid-flinging, or a sniffing/snorting, or somebody clasping their hands in front of them-ing, with only a keystroke or two.

Regardless, I also hope he finishes before expiring- I don't want to have to go through the same kind of anxiety I did re: The Dark Tower series when King got hit by the car...

[Soluzar]

I swear that Jordan's got a couple dozen hotkeys on his PC so he can toss out a braid-flinging, or a sniffing/snorting, or somebody clasping their hands in front of them-ing, with only a keystroke or two.
You're forgetting about 500 other examples of copy-and-paste fiction writing. It really only started to become a serious problem in the later volumes. I think most of it is due to the fact that he's not entirely sure, and never has been sure, how to bring the series to a conclusion.

I look at the last three books that I've read in the series and I'm thinking two words. It's a holding pattern. Nothing is moving forwards except by small increments, and that is boring. He's completely stopped advancing the main plot since as long ago as book 7, and now he has so many side plots that he can continue this holding pattern forever.

[Woooh]

You're forgetting about 500 other examples of copy-and-paste fiction writing. It really only started to become a serious problem in the later volumes. I think most of it is due to the fact that he's not entirely sure, and never has been sure, how to bring the series to a conclusion.

I look at the last three books that I've read in the series and I'm thinking two words. It's a holding pattern. Nothing is moving forwards except by small increments, and that is boring. He's completely stopped advancing the main plot since as long ago as book 7, and now he has so many side plots that he can continue this holding pattern forever.

To make it even worse, he has already stated that the final book is to be over 2,500 pages, which is ridiculous in itself, but can also be an indication that it will also move incredibly slowly. At least he didn't just pull some BS conclusion once he started losing fan base though. Sorry to all you Otherland readers in advance, but Tad Williams really pulled some crap out of his *** for the finale of that series.

[Ken-Ohki]

I started back when there were only 5 books. Got passed book 6 and became frustrated by the downward spiral of his stories. Basically now he has too many main characters and too many story arcs but I cannot under any circumstances quit reading them. It gets serious discussions going on other forums which are sometimes fun to browse.

[Bradster]

You're forgetting about 500 other examples of copy-and-paste fiction writing. It really only started to become a serious problem in the later volumes. I think most of it is due to the fact that he's not entirely sure, and never has been sure, how to bring the series to a conclusion.

* Nah, I just don't want a virtual fork stuck in my eye for listing them.
* He's got so much prophecy and Foretelling out there, and so much net discussion on every one of them, there will be hell to pay if he forgets so much as one of them (or ends up with one answer conflicting with another) when he finally decides how to end the series.

Sounds to me like another parallel with King's Dark Tower series, with him mentioning in one of the Author's Notes that he never had any idea how it was going to end because the series wrote itself... He should prohibit the series from collaborating on any future work with him, as I didn't much like the end of that one either.

[Soluzar]

* He's got so much prophecy and Foretelling out there, and so much net discussion on every one of them, there will be hell to pay if he forgets so much as one of them (or ends up with one answer conflicting with another) when he finally decides how to end the series.
The Robert Jordan newsgroup has collected a rather large archive of the things he has said to people at personal appearances, when they have asked him questions. It's notable that he always knows how he is going to resolve the current plot-threads, even if he won't give any more than a cryptic hint.

I think the problem is that he's just never thought that far in advance. it was always supposed to be a long series, and the end was so far distant for so many years that he's just completely ignored it. That would be my theory.

There are also now a few mysteries which I do not believe can be properly resolved. There's so much evidence, counter-evidence, and conflicting details that no single explanation could ever account for all the observed facts in the case of Mazrim Taim, or the case of the death of Asmodean.

[Anamin]

To make it even worse, he has already stated that the final book is to be over 2,500 pages, which is ridiculous in itself, but can also be an indication that it will also move incredibly slowly. At least he didn't just pull some BS conclusion once he started losing fan base though. Sorry to all you Otherland readers in advance, but Tad Williams really pulled some crap out of his *** for the finale of that series.

LOL! Tad Williams. I liked the Dragonbone Chair series. . .I can't remember a word of it, but I remember liking it when I read it.

[Woooh]

LOL! Tad Williams. I liked the Dragonbone Chair series. . .I can't remember a word of it, but I remember liking it when I read it.

I'm on the final book of the final book on that series. Yes, I know what I said.

[Raistlin-sama]

These days I turn to George R. R. Martin for something a bit better, but I'm sure his series will jump the shark any day now.
That's a rather negative outlook, care to elaborate as to why?

I mean sure book 4 wasn't quite up to the level of the first 3, but it was still a very good read and I'm not really seeing anything which indicates that the series will "jump the shark". As a matter of fact I'm fairly positive that book 5 will be better than book 4.

Once I just read any fantasy book I found at the library (and I began getting books home from other libraries later on) regardless of length etc. However I didn't read The Wheel of Time at that point and now I'm not really sure whether I can pull myself together and read all of The Wheel of Time, especially since I keep hearing about how it becomes progressively worse with each book, until it suddenly becomes good again.

So really, I'll properly prioritize other fantasy books over it as it looks right now.

[Anamin]

I'm on the final book of the final book on that series. Yes, I know what I said.

Cool, I hope you enjoy :)

[Woooh]

Cool, I hope you enjoy :)

Thanks :) . I'm really looking forward to how it finishes up.

[Woooh]

EDIT: Wrong thread...

[Soluzar]

That's a rather negative outlook, care to elaborate as to why?
You partly answered the question yourself, but in a more general sense... don't long fantasy series always jump the shark eventually? It's been my experience that it is a rare series indeed that can go beyond the fifth book without losing that which originally made it compelling. It's not unheard of though.

I mean sure book 4 wasn't quite up to the level of the first 3, but it was still a very good read and I'm not really seeing anything which indicates that the series will "jump the shark". As a matter of fact I'm fairly positive that book 5 will be better than book 4.You said it yourself; the fourth book wasn't up to the same standard, and when you take into account that the author has already compromised his own vision for more pragmatic concerns, that does not bode well. I still believe he's written himself into a corner with regards to the events in the far north.

I didn't read The Wheel of Time at that point and now I'm not really sure whether I can pull myself together and read all of The Wheel of Time, especially since I keep hearing about how it becomes progressively worse with each book, until it suddenly becomes good again.
The first few volumes are still a pretty good read. I can't say they are the best fantasy novels I ever read, or that they count as great literature, but they don't suck. In my opinion, a lot of fantasy isn't as good as the first few volumes of the Wheel of Time, such as everything David Eddings wrote after the Belgariad, or everything Terry Brooks wrote other than his first two or three novels. If you've reached the point where those are your choices, I'd choose Jordan.

[Anamin]

a lot of fantasy isn't as good as the first few volumes of the Wheel of Time, such as everything David Eddings wrote after the Belgariad, or everything Terry Brooks wrote other than his first two or three novels. If you've reached the point where those are your choices, I'd choose Jordan.


:O Blasphemy! LOL! I think Terry Brooks did a good job with the Sword of Shannara, but the following novels, I had a hard time keeping up, except the Scion novels.

I liked Eddings, although he could also get wordy. It was a good read if you had the time which I did at the time.

[Soluzar]

:O Blasphemy! LOL! I think Terry Brooks did a good job with the Sword of Shannara, but the following novels, I had a hard time keeping up, except the Scion novels.
His first novel, The Sword of Shannara, was very readable. It wasn't great, but it was good. It was pretty standard fantasy fare, but it ticked most of the right boxes, while not actually doing anything new. The next two in the series, The Elfstones of Shannara and The Wishsong of Shannara, were also pretty decent books, but if you keep reading, you'll notice an awful lot of recycled ideas and characters.

I liked Eddings, although he could also get wordy. It was a good read if you had the time which I did at the time.
Oh please. Eddings rapidly turned into an appalling hack. He wrote one series which wasn't too bad, but not too terrible, and then he proceeded to write it again three more times with only minute changes. The Belgariad alone is an amusing, if unexceptional series. It's best enjoyed when you're a young teen with little experience or expectation of the fantasy genre. His later works just bore the hell out of me. Of course, if you manage to get a kick out of 'em, more power too ya. He's a lot less "wordy" than most fantasy authors, though. In my opinion it is precisely his lack of eloquence which makes the series seem so generic. He tells a good story (over and over again), but with very little detail.

Honestly, I'm pleased you see it as blasphemy. I don't write such things with the intention that everyone will agree with me. I write it precisely because it is an opinion that I hold which I know to be somewhat controversial. I'd be a happy man if more people were moved to go beyond Eddings and Brooks for their fantasy novel fix, because there's a whole ton of other books out there which take some vastly different approaches. They each write such a lot that you could spend your life reading nothing but their combined output, but the field of fantasy fiction is so much richer than that.

[Anamin]

Honestly, I'm pleased you see it as blasphemy. I don't write such things with the intention that everyone will agree with me. I write it precisely because it is an opinion that I hold which I know to be somewhat controversial. I'd be a happy man if more people were moved to go beyond Eddings and Brooks for their fantasy novel fix, because there's a whole ton of other books out there which take some vastly different approaches. They each write such a lot that you could spend your life reading nothing but their combined output, but the field of fantasy fiction is so much richer than that.

It's cool. I remember when I first read the Zelazny Amber novels I thought the concept incredibly cool. Then I re-read them as an adult and it's apparent that his writing style and storylines are pretty crappy, but amusing nonethless.

I haven't picked up Eddings in YEARS, so what you say could possibly be true, but after idolizing him for so long, it's hard to stop now. A re-read may be in order.

[Soluzar]

Robert Jordan recently died, so it is finally clear that this series will never truly be complete.

His former blog is not loading for me, so I have to provide a secondary source.

http://www.care2.com/news/member/334730960/483294

Primary source:

http://www.dragonmount.com/RobertJordan/?p=90

[Anamin]

^ I just found out he died this weekend. Maybe there will be some ghost writers? Damn! I need to know how everything turns out.

[Soluzar]

I just found out he died this weekend. Maybe there will be some ghost writers? Damn! I need to know how everything turns out.
Months ago, Robert Jordan claimed to have left sufficient notes regarding his intentions for the ending that another writer could finish his final book. There is a substantial manuscript for the twelfth volume, A Memory of Light, but it is incomplete.

Personally I don't even care. If the series was still as good as it was when there were only five books, I'd be anxious to read it, but as things stand now, the ending just doesn't matter to me. I do believe that the story could have been wrapped up in eight books, and should have been. There are a lot of plot threads that just don't add that much, and could have been dealt with much more simply.

[Holy Knight]

Oh, you have to be kidding me.

Can't say I didn't anticipate him dying without finishing his work, but to actually have it happen...

Shame, really. I've read some unfinished series before, but this is the first time I've had a writer die while I was anticipating the next volume.

Ah well, at least I read somewhere that he left plenty of material, so maybe we'll get to see the rest of the series writen by someone who could imitate his writing style.

[Anamin]

Oh, you have to be kidding me.

Ah well, at least I read somewhere that he left plenty of material, so maybe we'll get to see the rest of the series writen by someone who could imitate his writing style.


Here's to hopin'. Anyway, no rush to get to his books then.

[Woooh]

Sigh, I was rereading the series in anticipation too. This'll probably put a huge delay on the final book...as if the series wasn't going down hill already...

On a side note, thank you Jordan, you'll be missed.

[Ken-Ohki]

:crybaby:

My friend took me out to KFC last night. While he was driving he said "Oh you know Robert Jordan died?"

I hadn't heard. I told my friend that he ruined my life forever and he CLAIMS that he only brought the news and I was bound to find out sooner or later.

I'm sad. So very sad.

[Brill]

I remember the day when Robert Jordan said he'd burn all his notes and hard rives open his death. I guess being identified with a terminal illnees changes one's perspective on their life's work. I read the first 11 books and unfortunately there is no way in hell to wrap up all the plot thread in one book. While it was a good series, he took too long to write it. I started reading WoT back in college in the early 90's. I still want Gawyn to die though :). Something painful and horrible, Egwene desevers so much better and Elayne deseves a good case of death.

[sreeja]

In the beginning, the Creator made the Wheel of Time, which spins the Pattern of the Ages using the lives of men and women as its threads. The Wheel has seven spokes, each representing an age, and it is rotated by the True Source from which the One Power, a source of energy, is drawn. The One Power is divided into male and female halves, saidin and saidar, which work in opposition and in unison to drive the Wheel; those who can use this power are known as channelers. One organization of channelers is the Aes Sedai, a name meaning "Servants of All" in the Old Tongue.

[drgenestarwind]

i had heard about them from lots of people so i checked the first out from the library, i put it down after five pages and never picked it up again, it was way too Tolkeinesque. I like Tolkien but the WOT lacked the spark of originality.

[Westlo]

I like Tolkien but the WOT lacked the spark of originality.

*reads sig*

Currently watching: Bleach, Naruto,

*laughs*

[DazarGaidin]

Lacked the spark of originality? You are kidding right? lol The only unoriginal part about WoT is that Jordan draws heavily from history/cultures in our world (and its been suggested that the world of WoT is earth in a different Age anyway so thats not so odd).

THey need ot make an anime of this :P

[Garbed]

I just love this series. Just wondering how long will they take to finish the Memory of A Light. I can't wait to get it. ^_^

[Woooh]

I just love this series. Just wondering how long will they take to finish the Memory of A Light. I can't wait to get it. ^_^

Unfortunately, it isn't going to be written by Robert Jordan as you probably know. Hopefully, Bradon Sanderson will be able to emulate his style successfully. It's scheduled release date is Fall 2009.


THey need ot make an anime of this :P

Seriously, there are definitely not enough medieval/magic-style anime and it's like my favorite genre... of everything...

[KZK]

I didn't read The Wheel of Time at that point and now I'm not really sure whether I can pull myself together and read all of The Wheel of Time, especially since I keep hearing about how it becomes progressively worse with each book, until it suddenly becomes good again.

The problem with the last four Wot Books is that they are really only 1/2 of a book. Going by word count Volumes 8-10 are 3/5 of the number of words as _Lord of Chaos_. Volume 11 is about 4/5 the size of _Lord of Chaos_. And they follow the same pattern as earlier books, namely most of the action happens in the second half. Book 8: Little happens. Book 9: Things happen (forsaken dies). Book 10: Nothing happens. Book 11: Things happen. I knew when I first opened _Path of Daggers_ and it only had 30 some chapters (Every previous book had 50+ chapters) that it was only going to be half a book, and I was right.

You partly answered the question yourself, but in a more general sense... don't long fantasy series always jump the shark eventually? It's been my experience that it is a rare series indeed that can go beyond the fifth book without losing that which originally made it compelling. It's not unheard of though.

Steven Brust does a really good job with his Dragaera Novels. 15 Novels in that universe so far (9 (of 18 so far) Vlad Taltos, + 6 other Books in the series). (Speaking of Novels that need to be made into anime, this (starting with Jhereg) would be first on my list..)

[Bradster]

Since I remembered that there was a WoT thread, I figured I'd post this link sent to me from a friend who also wants to see the series completed, if only so she can finally move on:

The Wheel of Time
Book Twelve
A Memory of Light
by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson


http://www.dragonmount.com/Books/Memory_of_Light/

[A Memory of Light] WILL finish the series. I've read the outline, and I am confident that I can do it in a single book. This won't go five more novels. It will end here.

[Soluzar]

It certainly would be interesting to see the series completed, but I do feel that there should be thirteen books if at all possible. Just for the sake of symbolism and stuff.

[Holy Knight]

^ While I'd like to see a thirteenth book for the very same reasons, I don't think that's going to happen now, given that RJ isn't the writer anymore and Brandon will prefer to stick with canon material as much as possible. Ah well.

Anyone check out Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn novel? I have to admit my impression was that he has potential to be pretty good. The novel is fairly detailed and the pacing close to perfect. As his second (?) novel, it's slightly higher than above average as far as fantasy and sci-fi fare goes (compared to other writer's second or even first novels), which at least reassures me he knows what he's doing. What he has in common with RJ is a passion for detail, though he lacks RJ's long-winded descriptive powers.

We'll see how he fares, though my expectations are high at the moment.

[Woooh]

^ While I'd like to see a thirteenth book for the very same reasons, I don't think that's going to happen now, given that RJ isn't the writer anymore and Brandon will prefer to stick with canon material as much as possible. Ah well.

Anyone check out Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn novel? I have to admit my impression was that he has potential to be pretty good. The novel is fairly detailed and the pacing close to perfect. As his second (?) novel, it's slightly higher than above average as far as fantasy and sci-fi fare goes (compared to other writer's second or even first novels), which at least reassures me he knows what he's doing. What he has in common with RJ is a passion for detail, though he lacks RJ's long-winded descriptive powers.

We'll see how he fares, though my expectations are high at the moment.

I plan to check him out after I finish rereading WOT in curiosity of the potential quality of the final book. I've heard that he's a fairly good author so my expectations for the final book will probably remain fairly high.

A couple of weeks ago, I read through some of his blogs about WOT to learn about his style a bit and it seemed as though he was picking out a good amount of Jordan's style that he planned to emulate. He also stated that he was going to write the book without any personal bias to the characters, so the story line should be exactly how Jordan planned it. Hopefully it turns out well.

[Holy Knight]

Skip forward a year later...

Tor has released the first chapter of book 12 free online, and I gave it a read. While it is unmistakably Brandon's prose what with the sometimes odd (in the sense that RJ wouldn't have chosen them) choice of words, it also completely feels like WoT, albeit faster-paced. I must say if the rest of book 12 is like it, we're in for a ride.

For those not in the know, book 12 comes out october 27th. I'd have preferred to purchase a paperback version since my own books 1-9 are like that, but as with books 10 and 11, I just can't wait. Also, the title and cover painting are kind of meh, but I don't care.

An early review is out on Dragonmount.com, and apparently, it's shaping up to be one of the better books in the series. Awesome.

[Bradster]

For those not in the know, book 12 comes out october 27th. I'd have preferred to purchase a paperback version since my own books 1-9 are like that, but as with books 10 and 11, I just can't wait.

I didn't know about the release date, but I'm definitely in the same boat as you in terms of not wanting to wait for the paperback.

[Soluzar]

Ehhh... I'll probably buy it, but I can't remember a damn thing that happened in book 11, and not much of book 10 by now.

[Bradster]

Ehhh... I'll probably buy it, but I can't remember a damn thing that happened in book 11, and not much of book 10 by now.

Me neither, and I'm not sure I want to start over from the beginning and go on a reading jag one last time.

[Holy Knight]

You might find this (http://www.dragonmount.com/Books/Gathering_Storm/WoT_Recap_KoD.pdf) interesting if all you're looking for is a quick summary of book 11.

And if you want to get more in-depth, this is even better (random bit: I found out RJ created nearly 2000 characters over 11 books! Astounding).

But if you're really hardcore like me, just re-read the whole series for the 6th time. http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j64/Holy_Knight1337/eng101.gif

[Soluzar]

And if you want to get more in-depth, this is even better (random bit: I found out RJ created nearly 2000 characters over 11 books! Astounding)/
I'm not surprised at all. Once he started introducing whole armies, and making a substantial number of the officers and men characters with substantial time devoted to them, the cast size got out of control.

[Solid_Snake]

Holy crap! I remember when my friend was roomates with Brandon Sanderson. He was going to BYU. He even talked me into reading Elantris..... Didn't like it, though.

I probably played DnD with him too!

[Holy Knight]

It has finally arrived!

The twelfth book in the series is promising to be epic incarnate with the prologue and first chapter alone. I haven't felt this giddy about a book in a long, long time.

Get your mits on it if you haven't already! I can already tell this is one book you don't want to miss out on if you're a fan of the series. Get crakin'.

[Bradster]

It has finally arrived!

Get your mits on it if you haven't already! I can already tell this is one book you don't want to miss out on if you're a fan of the series. Get crakin'.

I was planning to stop by a bookstore on my way home from work.



waitaminnit. Dust jacket: "The scope and size of the volume was such that it could not be contained in a single book, and so Tor proudly presents The Gathering Storm as the first of three novels that will cover the outline left by Robert Jordan."

God, does this mean this is going to drag on for another 5 or 6 years? Or will we be lucky enough that most of this is finished and they're going to be published in short sequence?

Did anybody have money on Sanderson actually finishing in one volume like was quoted much earlier in this thread?

[Anamin]

ack! Ye Gods. I gave after trying to read book 9. That was it. I've restarted so many times. . .

Mistborn Trilogy FTW for being uh. . .short. There's a concept.

[Soluzar]

Dust jacket: "The scope and size of the volume was such that it could not be contained in a single book, and so Tor proudly presents The Gathering Storm as the first of three novels that will cover the outline left by Robert Jordan."
I can't honestly say I'm surprised. Dissapointed, but not surprised. When the series finally has a conclusion, then I'll pick them all up and read from start to finish, but until then I'll just sit back and watch the shenanigans. :P

[Holy Knight]

waitaminnit. Dust jacket: "The scope and size of the volume was such that it could not be contained in a single book, and so Tor proudly presents The Gathering Storm as the first of three novels that will cover the outline left by Robert Jordan."

God, does this mean this is going to drag on for another 5 or 6 years? Or will we be lucky enough that most of this is finished and they're going to be published in short sequence?

Did anybody have money on Sanderson actually finishing in one volume like was quoted much earlier in this thread?

One book per year is planned, so fall 2011 is WoT's supposed end. RJ wanted to make it one book, but he did state it would have been 2.5k pages or something. Bookstores don't want something that takes up so much shelf space, so we get 3 books.

I never thought we'd get only one book because the amount of stuff left unfinished would have been ridiculous to address in only one novel. I was hoping for 2 novels because of the significance of the number 13 in the story, but 3 is what we're getting. Here's Brandon's reasoning if you haven't read it yet. (http://www.brandonsanderson.com/article/56/Splitting-AMOL)

But personally, I don't care since that means we're getting a proper ending and not some rush job. It'll at least end in a way we can be satisfied with.

[Soluzar]

But personally, I don't care since that means we're getting a proper ending and not some rush job. It'll at least end in a way we can be satisfied with.If he can tie together every last remaining plotline, including:

Mazrim Taim's real motivations, what Demandred has been up to, and the killer of Asmodean's identity.

Then he must be a damn good writer. However, if he managed to miss a few dangling threads in the pattern but still weaves a good ending with sufficient explanation of those three points, I'd be satisfied.

[Holy Knight]

^ Those first two points are already addressed right in the prologue, and one might argue for the third too.

The ending and substantial other bits have already been written by RJ, so no need to fear it will be anything less than adequate. Brandon has stated one reason why he set to write the rest was because he had extensive notes and a great template to work with.

I have also just finished reading TGS, and it is fantastic. For a WoT book, it's pretty fast paced. The beginning events take a bit to get going, but they never drag. Overall, I am very pleased with how it turned out and I'm already quite impatient for Towers of Midnight to come out.

Now, it isn't all pretty. Brandon is a good writer, but even he has said he isn't RJ. He does an admirable job of filling in content, and most of the time it doesn't feel as though you're not reading something RJ did not write. However, sometimes word or name choices stand out, as do dialogues. Minor nitpicking because the book as a whole distracts from it, but it's there. I'd say his most glaring flaw is that he isn't as fluid with nuances in words as was RJ, and as such character interactions sometimes feel just slightly out of place.

That's fairly unimportant though, since the book is a joy to read. Lots of stuff gets done, questions are answered, and I must admit some questions I should have been asking myself about the series have not cropped up until they were printed flat-out because I'd taken them for granted as I've read one too many fantasy series.

The parts I liked most were Mat's and Egwene's, and for good reason. I might chastise brandon for his dialogue, but I think he did pretty good with Mat. Rand's parts dragged a bit, but the event half-way through was an "OH SNAP!" moment that made me care. Hated Gawyn, though. He's a fruit.

And now, spoiler discussion:

- MASEMA IS DEAD! Got-damn. Finally.

- Everything happening with Egwene was delicious. Though I might have to re-read earlier books to see how she came to her current "Amyrlin mentality", because it feels too strong. Otherwise, her ascent feels quite plausible in only the way RJ could have make it happen. Speech at the end was awesome, and she beheads 60 women like she'd drink tea. I like this girl.

- I did NOT expect Gareth to become Siuan's warder, but heartily approve.

- Not enough Mat, and not necessarily because he's my favorite character in the series. I think he's in good hands with Brandon, though. Next book's title seems to be a strong hint he's going to have a big part in it.

- However, Fortuona. Wth kind of name is that? I get the feeling Brandon had to write the stuff pertaining to Tuon's perspective, and it comes off as less solid, but as good as can be, I suppose.

- On the other hand, what about Perrin? He never was one of my favored characters, but I'd have thought he'd get more print time than 2-3 chapters. He's been marginalized for a long time by now. Feels kind of useless next to Mat & Rand.

- Just what is the Dark One? Lots of hints towards the nature of the Bore and what LTT did to seal it 3k years ago, but since we're finally getting mere hints in the twelfth book, I kind of wanted to know more.

- I thought Moridin's and Rand's encounter was a nice touch. One gave up, the other keeps struggling. I like that.

- Lan dying is something I do not want (Min's viewing at the end).

- I thought Sheriam would live. Her death felt kind of abrupt and left things unfinished.

- Verin. Now that was well handled, and a testament to RJ's skill with the pen if it weren't apparent already. I will admit I nearly teared up here.

- Finally, Rand's existentialist struggling was a welcome change from the usual "be harder". The prospect of turning to the shadow is also an unanticipated one. From here, his development is going to be quite interesting.

All in all, Brandon was probably as best a choice as there can be. I'll also admit this is one of the better books in the series, though not as uniformly epic as I'd thought, but the second half makes up for that in many ways. WoT is in good hands, and I'm looking forward to the rest.

[Anamin]

^Huh, interesting. Thanks for the summary :)

[Holy Knight]

Skip forward another year...

Book thirteen is upon us! Put on your chain mail, saddle up, and ride to your closest bookstore this November the 2nd to be one of the first to lay hands on a copy of Towers of Midnight!

Reviews are, so far, glowing. Some already put it among the top 5 best of the series. Awesome.

Personally, picking it right up after an exam on tuesday, then shunning the world for the rest of the day while I get down to business.

[DazarGaidin]

Ive been hording the first of the last 3 books until all the others are released. I did read mistborn trilogy though in the meantime, to see what this guys has. I really enjoyed them even if they are a lot more rudimentary than RJ they had a very cool magic system and very entertaining characters.

I was very sad when i heard RJ had died. He was a cool character. The first time i met him, he threatened to eat me :P (he was late and said they stopped for a sandwich or he woulda ate the first person in line heh). It was cool when he came in wearing his Mat Cauthon hat.

In regards to the naming of characters, brandon auctioned off some character names to fans for charity, so that could be a factor (If you donated, you were a part of a brigade or something of donators in the final battle, if you donated a lot you get a character named after you, and if you won some auction or top donator or something, you get to be a general in the final battle with name and physical attributes, and i think you can choose faction..Aiel, Aes Sedai, Ashaman, etc).

I am planning a final full (13th? :O) reread before taking on the final 3 books.

I dunno if i mentioned this, but my name comes from this series and i been using it since like 96 :headbang:

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/DazarGaidin/wheeloftime/Rand.jpg

[Woooh]

Preordered it. Excited.

[Holy Knight]

Just turned the last page last night. Not the best in the series, but an overall solid entry. It's hard to pin down because it feels more like the bridge between TGS and AMoM than a complete book in itself. I liked it, but it'll never be my favorite.

On to spoilers!

There are couple things that add an interesting twist to the story in this book:

- That last bit at the end where they reveal one of the Shadow's prophecies.
- Mat losing "Half the light of the world".
- Aviendha's future.
- Perrin's supposed coming death.
- The Seanchan's attack on the White Tower in the last book wasn't the last of it.
- Caemlyn's burning.

Otherwise, I was pleased by Mat's parts, they seemed much more in-line with his real personality than in the last book. I liked Perrin's arc, too. Some good moments in there even if some dragged just as bit. And Rand is now a Zen demigod, **** yeah.

My favorite chapter in this book was "A Making". I thought it was an absolutely beautiful piece of writing and perfectly fit Perrin. I especially liked the last sentence to demonstrate his transition into a leader. And unlike other fantasy series, WoT manages to make some great-sounding weapon names. All awesome all around.

I wouldn't say there's anything in the book I didn't like story-wise except that it felt a bit rushed at times. The overall flow of Brandon's and Jordan's writing put together makes for an interesting pace, but it still felt just a tad rushed. You can see this in the many typos in the text, especially near the end. The end chapters also feel just a little bit unfinished, as though Brandon ran out of time and just had to hammer them out for the deadline.

Overall solid entry with a couple good moments, but it's marred by feeling slightly rushed and numerous typos and other factors relating to the writing process. All in all, a good transition to A Memory of Light. Time to buckle up because the Last Battle has arrived!

[Woooh]

I'm like 80 pages in and enjoying it quite a bit so far.