I have just finished the latest book in The Wheel of Time series, The Gathering Storm. Here are my reactions. But first a little intro.

I’ve had many attempts on maintaining blogs. It seems that like after half a year or so I use to forget them, or don’t care. I think this is my fifth one. I have every intention on it continual life this time, even if periods is dryer than others. This incarnation has it’s nice subtitle dreams forever. The previous one (not the previous who got one post, but the real prvious one) ;-) has it’s subtitle a memory of light. (Try go to the address memoryoflight.com, and see where you end up.) ;-) I love those four simple words, though they where not my idea. It was, and is, the title of the author Robert Jordan last book in the great Wheel of Time series. So as you might realize I have been looking forward to this book for some time.

But alas, Jordan died two years ago. God grant him rest. As matters have turned out another author, Brandon Sanderson, has been given the task to end the series by Jordan’s wife. That is in itself is a long story. A Memory of Light turned out to be to long to complete in one volume. Therefore we now have gotten the first of the three final books instead; The Gathering Storm. A Memory of Light, which I long for so much, will be out in about two years. That ending is already cherished in my dreams.

Now for a small review of The Gathering Storm. (Spoiler warnings.) The books puts momentum back in the series! Some have complained the series have drawn out to long. And I do agree. This is book twelve, and each is book is about 800-900 pages long. Especially after book six events seemed to drag out unnecessary. Book ten was terrible. Jordan admitted himself it wasn’t the best, and later book 11 was back on track. Clearly heading towards the end, the Last Battle, Tarmon Gai’don. The Gathering Storm steps up that phase even more. Long plot threads are resolved, and events foretold or foreshadowed a long time ago come out in play. And as a good book it is some of those events that we expect are nothing at all how we would and could expect them to be. The real main character in this book goes down a dark path. How and why is well written and well argued. Though I still have a minor complaint in how this was written. We get to see how bad the thoughts and behavior of the character becomes thorough the book and we can feel the pain of him and those who relate to him. But still little of the events that unfolds to have darker consequences. It’s as the author didn’t dare kill any characters, and each times saves them in the last minute.

Another long story arc with one of the most important female characters in the series comes to an end in this book. The journey of this girl through the last three or four books have been amazing when one looks back. She was put in a position that I think most readers agreed she didn’t fit too. Though some embraced her earlier then others. How the author really makes you believe in the character in this book is amazing. No one can doubt her anymore. She just dosen’t prove herself, but it’s how you see into the character the burden she carries and how she handles it all. She is the most natural fictional leader I’ve ever read about. And it all feels realistic, not pushed by the authors, but weaved into the character development of the girl right from the start of the series. This character development is so contradictory to out male lead character’s path. They both have burdens, he might have tougher choices. But it shows two outcomes how how you act upon your burdens. This is not only fiction. This is life wisdom.

The book also stands on it’s own feet much more than the previous ones. Yes there’s still this gigantic overall plot line you must follow. But this book works in the fashion that the prologue and the first chapters introduces what those main plot lines are for this book, and wraps them up as the book comes to an end. Such as not been usual for some time with Wheel of Time books. It’s neither noticeable that there’s two authors for this book. I of course wish that Jordan could finish up his work himself. But Sanderson is the perfect replacement, with his faster style, and bit more action oriented, style as this series come to an end.

On several occasions this book got tears in my eyes. The end was extraordinary and not foreseen by me. I had high hopes when seeing a title for the epilogue, Bathed in Light. Though barely an epilogue, more like a last chapter, the title is very fitting for the end of the book. This book could with that ending rightful be said to be the first part of A Memory of Light. The ending is perhaps a bit forced. But after several book down this path it dosen’t matter. As the character on the dark path is bathed in light remembering why he fight it also directly chime to me as a reader. To the why we live, the why we press on, the why of we read this series. The last two lines of the book makes me smile over and over.