Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.45 AVERAGE
4.45 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great, but not as good as its predecessors and Successor
‘Towers of Midnight’, number 13 in the ‘Wheel of Time’ series, is a fast-paced thriller! Really! If you, gentle reader, have made it this far in the WOT series, I bet your eyebrows have just struck the hairline on your forehead. No, I have not lost my senses. The pace of events in ‘Towers’ are at a jog, even a run!
Ok, I admit that many of us fans have wished the action picked up a bit earlier than number 12, the book previous to this one, and especially in book 7 to book 11, but it appears that after all, for those of us who have stuck with this fantasy through the decades and the 900 pages of each book, our faith that there will be a Big Finish is now being rewarded.
Many of you already know I suffer from a condition described as ‘loves the sound of her own voice’ even without anything new to say, or more simply put, being conversationally ‘dull but she seems nice’ (or, to be fair in airing criticism, ‘effing over-educated mouthy leftist bitch’ by my detractors), when it comes to my reviews; however, in the case of ‘Towers of Midnight’, I cannot really describe anything about the plot without revealing the awesome conclusions of many of the threads each of the characters have been unspooling throughout the books.
I will say I am crossing my fingers in hope that most of the characters will survive the Final Battle, and I am also going to state a few thoughts about the differences between the women and men in heroic acts in the series:
Perrin Aybara’s journey has been almost a literary one of the Everyman - growing up, facing unexpected challenges and truths, learning to accept what he must change and what he can’t as well as what society expects, learning to love himself despite discovering unpleasant, even hateful, attributes within himself. Perrin represents the serious, if unimaginative, type of man who does not reflect much on society or politics. He is more about tradition and the continuity of small-town community life and values - or he would have been, if it were not for the Last Battle. Although he carries around a magical hammer, metafictionally presenting echoes of Thor-like and Greek god myths, he is still the most down-to-earth ordinary character. I can see that he would have embraced the life of a farmer or blacksmith happily, without complaint, if not for the WOT forcing him out of his comfort zone. Instead of forging swords, he must forge ordinary men into armies. I must admit to having a difficult time seeing him as a leader in this series, but there you are. I can only assume he has amazing charisma. I suspect, though, if I had met Perrin in real life my first impression would have been of an uneducated mouth-breather. Instead, he is an inarticulate one-dimensional family guy, with a secret wild-wolf alter, who has been pushed into saving the world.
Matrim Cauthon is a lovable scamp, the kind of attractive hero often amplified by certain devil-may-care movie characters. He would rather be gambling, drinking, womanizing and fighting than saving the world. Ordinarily, he would never be important to World Peace. Most women inevitably have dated someone like him (she would be crazy to have children with such a one, though). In ordinary times, a man like Mat either would have ended up murdered in a lonely alley or in a married woman’s bed, if not killed in a stupid if daring escapade. Today, he would be climbing mountains and base-jumping off of cliffs, as well as making illegal jumps from the tops of buildings or bridges, putting up videos on websites in gleeful hilarity. In WOT, he is my favorite person. I suspect I will be grieving for him for some reason by the end. (Full disclosure - I have dated such men, and I STILL am pining for some of them.) I already regret on his behalf the inevitable losses he has suffered. Don’t judge me.
Rand al-Thor is The Big Picture Hero - mirroring mythic characters such as Jesus, Buddha, and King Arthur, or even real-life tainted heroes such as Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Franklin D. Roosevelt (to some) - all inevitably mythologized by many into having sacrificed to save Man from Evil (often Man’s self-created evil) - or they are the Unifying Principle, the Ultimate Good, the Bridge to Mankind’s Future Survival and/or Uplift. If Rand is still breathing by the end of the next book, I will be truly surprised.
Heroes who live this huge, as in this series, almost always die LARGE, all used up in the service of Mankind, mostly against their wished-for desires. But after all, what else is there but death for such personages? They are born on the Altar of Sacrifice, never able to escape their Destiny. The angst and rage of Rand, Perrin and Mat - all of whom feel helplessly doomed by their destinies - is truly touchingly pathetic, and damn it all, appealing to the instincts of most human beings, including myself. Don’t judge me.
On the other hand, every primary and heroic woman in the WOT books embrace their fate with joy. They are not as torn up from losing the life they expected, or from being forced from small leadership positions into larger roles. As a result, I am not writing individual paragraphs musing about them in this review because, damn it all, they are simply not as important to me.
For the heroic women of WOT, Tarmon Gai’don is an opportunity for fulfillment, service and advancement. Oh, pain and grief are present for them as secondary issues, even if deemed by them as worthy sacrifices and sufferings if the world is saved from The Dark One. Both the women as well as the men recognize sacrifices must be made. However, the fight has elevated the women into places in society and in their self-esteem which easily makes up for their losses. The men, however, wish often that some other man had been elevated into the position of Sacrifice for the Benefit of Mankind.
I know the women are important to the Cause and are heroes. Some of them have killed Forsaken, as well as have saved millions of lives in the course of these 14 novels. Without the intervention of some of these female characters, Rand/Perrin/Mat would not be ready for Tarmon Gai’don, and all three men would have been dead many times over if it were not for the courage, affection and support of Egwene, Elayne, Nynaeve, Min, Moiraine, and Siuan, among many others. However, none of the females are angsty or sad about how things turned out. Instead, they feel a glorious satisfaction at the part they have played in saving Mankind from Evil. Only Birgette is what I would consider mythically heroic, on the same level as Rand/Mat/Perrin, and she is the only woman who has angsty sorrow at having been torn out of time and place. However, despite the possibilities she, and many of the other main female protagonists, had to be presented as a huge angsty sacrificial myth, she has been shoved into a back seat by the requirements of the plot. She is a description of an interesting idea, that's all.
I suppose this essay/review about the WOT man/woman heroism is revealing Too Much Feminist Grouch Information about me and my opinions for some gentle readers. Like it or not, I do not find the women of WOT nearly as fascinating as the men. The male authors, whether unconsciously or consciously, have set up the female characters on a different plane which is inferior, in my opinion, to that of the men in this series, no matter how important to the survival of Mankind that the contributions of the women were. To me, the WOT women were often in more of a support role, as in the pillars of a stage; but Rand/Perrin/Mat have been the actors on the stages supported by the pillars. Obviously, that was the writers’ intent, and I have been responding to the characters as I was intended, but not without regrets. I kinda wish a Buffy the Vampire Slayer had been included in this Grand Opera. The women certainly are ready to sacrifice themselves if necessary, but on the whole, they are planning on helping people survive after Tarmon Gai’don. Our three male heroes, on the other hand, ‘know’ (gee whiz, there is that pang in my heart again) none of them will live past the final Battle with the Dark One, as far as they know, especially Rand.
Well. On to the final installment in the WOT series - ‘A Memory of Light’.
Ok, I admit that many of us fans have wished the action picked up a bit earlier than number 12, the book previous to this one, and especially in book 7 to book 11, but it appears that after all, for those of us who have stuck with this fantasy through the decades and the 900 pages of each book, our faith that there will be a Big Finish is now being rewarded.
Many of you already know I suffer from a condition described as ‘loves the sound of her own voice’ even without anything new to say, or more simply put, being conversationally ‘dull but she seems nice’ (or, to be fair in airing criticism, ‘effing over-educated mouthy leftist bitch’ by my detractors), when it comes to my reviews; however, in the case of ‘Towers of Midnight’, I cannot really describe anything about the plot without revealing the awesome conclusions of many of the threads each of the characters have been unspooling throughout the books.
I will say I am crossing my fingers in hope that most of the characters will survive the Final Battle, and I am also going to state a few thoughts about the differences between the women and men in heroic acts in the series:
Perrin Aybara’s journey has been almost a literary one of the Everyman - growing up, facing unexpected challenges and truths, learning to accept what he must change and what he can’t as well as what society expects, learning to love himself despite discovering unpleasant, even hateful, attributes within himself. Perrin represents the serious, if unimaginative, type of man who does not reflect much on society or politics. He is more about tradition and the continuity of small-town community life and values - or he would have been, if it were not for the Last Battle. Although he carries around a magical hammer, metafictionally presenting echoes of Thor-like and Greek god myths, he is still the most down-to-earth ordinary character. I can see that he would have embraced the life of a farmer or blacksmith happily, without complaint, if not for the WOT forcing him out of his comfort zone. Instead of forging swords, he must forge ordinary men into armies. I must admit to having a difficult time seeing him as a leader in this series, but there you are. I can only assume he has amazing charisma. I suspect, though, if I had met Perrin in real life my first impression would have been of an uneducated mouth-breather. Instead, he is an inarticulate one-dimensional family guy, with a secret wild-wolf alter, who has been pushed into saving the world.
Matrim Cauthon is a lovable scamp, the kind of attractive hero often amplified by certain devil-may-care movie characters. He would rather be gambling, drinking, womanizing and fighting than saving the world. Ordinarily, he would never be important to World Peace. Most women inevitably have dated someone like him (she would be crazy to have children with such a one, though). In ordinary times, a man like Mat either would have ended up murdered in a lonely alley or in a married woman’s bed, if not killed in a stupid if daring escapade. Today, he would be climbing mountains and base-jumping off of cliffs, as well as making illegal jumps from the tops of buildings or bridges, putting up videos on websites in gleeful hilarity. In WOT, he is my favorite person. I suspect I will be grieving for him for some reason by the end. (Full disclosure - I have dated such men, and I STILL am pining for some of them.) I already regret on his behalf the inevitable losses he has suffered. Don’t judge me.
Rand al-Thor is The Big Picture Hero - mirroring mythic characters such as Jesus, Buddha, and King Arthur, or even real-life tainted heroes such as Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Franklin D. Roosevelt (to some) - all inevitably mythologized by many into having sacrificed to save Man from Evil (often Man’s self-created evil) - or they are the Unifying Principle, the Ultimate Good, the Bridge to Mankind’s Future Survival and/or Uplift. If Rand is still breathing by the end of the next book, I will be truly surprised.
Heroes who live this huge, as in this series, almost always die LARGE, all used up in the service of Mankind, mostly against their wished-for desires. But after all, what else is there but death for such personages? They are born on the Altar of Sacrifice, never able to escape their Destiny. The angst and rage of Rand, Perrin and Mat - all of whom feel helplessly doomed by their destinies - is truly touchingly pathetic, and damn it all, appealing to the instincts of most human beings, including myself. Don’t judge me.
On the other hand, every primary and heroic woman in the WOT books embrace their fate with joy. They are not as torn up from losing the life they expected, or from being forced from small leadership positions into larger roles. As a result, I am not writing individual paragraphs musing about them in this review because, damn it all, they are simply not as important to me.
For the heroic women of WOT, Tarmon Gai’don is an opportunity for fulfillment, service and advancement. Oh, pain and grief are present for them as secondary issues, even if deemed by them as worthy sacrifices and sufferings if the world is saved from The Dark One. Both the women as well as the men recognize sacrifices must be made. However, the fight has elevated the women into places in society and in their self-esteem which easily makes up for their losses. The men, however, wish often that some other man had been elevated into the position of Sacrifice for the Benefit of Mankind.
I know the women are important to the Cause and are heroes. Some of them have killed Forsaken, as well as have saved millions of lives in the course of these 14 novels. Without the intervention of some of these female characters, Rand/Perrin/Mat would not be ready for Tarmon Gai’don, and all three men would have been dead many times over if it were not for the courage, affection and support of Egwene, Elayne, Nynaeve, Min, Moiraine, and Siuan, among many others. However, none of the females are angsty or sad about how things turned out. Instead, they feel a glorious satisfaction at the part they have played in saving Mankind from Evil. Only Birgette is what I would consider mythically heroic, on the same level as Rand/Mat/Perrin, and she is the only woman who has angsty sorrow at having been torn out of time and place. However, despite the possibilities she, and many of the other main female protagonists, had to be presented as a huge angsty sacrificial myth, she has been shoved into a back seat by the requirements of the plot. She is a description of an interesting idea, that's all.
I suppose this essay/review about the WOT man/woman heroism is revealing Too Much Feminist Grouch Information about me and my opinions for some gentle readers. Like it or not, I do not find the women of WOT nearly as fascinating as the men. The male authors, whether unconsciously or consciously, have set up the female characters on a different plane which is inferior, in my opinion, to that of the men in this series, no matter how important to the survival of Mankind that the contributions of the women were. To me, the WOT women were often in more of a support role, as in the pillars of a stage; but Rand/Perrin/Mat have been the actors on the stages supported by the pillars. Obviously, that was the writers’ intent, and I have been responding to the characters as I was intended, but not without regrets. I kinda wish a Buffy the Vampire Slayer had been included in this Grand Opera. The women certainly are ready to sacrifice themselves if necessary, but on the whole, they are planning on helping people survive after Tarmon Gai’don. Our three male heroes, on the other hand, ‘know’ (gee whiz, there is that pang in my heart again) none of them will live past the final Battle with the Dark One, as far as they know, especially Rand.
Well. On to the final installment in the WOT series - ‘A Memory of Light’.
Thank you, Robert Jordan, for entrusting this beloved world to someone who could finish telling the tale for you after your passing. I've been reading this series since before my first child was born and feel the climax that is building. Can't wait for the next/last one!
adventurous
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Finally getting some plot threads wrapping up. Lovely. Very satisfying
It's hard to believe I've finally come to this point, having finished the penultimate entry into the longest series I'll likely ever read. Towers of Midnight was everything I hoped it would be and more. It's not just a mere setup for the Last Battle. No, this book has a number of long-standing character arcs and plot threads come together that I have been hoping for. Since I prefer to do spoiler-free reviews, it will be difficult to talk about some of them in any sort of detail. Let's just say, Towers of Midnight is full of plenty of payoffs that make the long journey here worth it.
My favorite character arc of the book is Mat and he remains my favorite character of the series. Fortunately, after Sanderson struggled and bumbled about in finding Mat's voice in The Gathering Storm, he got it together in time for some of the most important moments in his arc. I've loved every interaction, to this point, between Mat and the gholam and seeing Mat's prowess with tactics has been a joy. His interactions with Elayne are equally enjoyable as his complete disregard for authority, especially Aes Sedai and nobility, make him a wonderful foil to Elayne's propriety and haughtiness. All the while, his sense of duty and being honorable to his word when he makes a promise is admirable. I loved every chapter and the promise made at the end of the last book pays off in a satisfying way, even if it takes most all of the book to get there.
It's hard to pick a favorite moment from Towers of Midnight as I can think of at least 3 here that would easily be in my top 10. Mat has one of them that I won't mention for fear of spoilers. Perrin gets another one with his "It's only a weave" moment that had me gleefully laughing as he blew the minds of everyone. Perrin's chapters were the hardest to get through with a few exceptions being the fight & battle scenes. Fortunately, his 13 book streak of inferiority complex and self doubt appear to come to a thunderous end as he finally has some proper development. That being said, note to self and all authors in the future, we don't want to read about any trials, ever, at all, never again. The pacing slammed on the brakes so hard I went through the windshield with a seatbelt on.
My other favorite moment, which may be in the top 3 for the series, is Rand's big Neo moment. It's no secret that he would have some big, powerful scenes as the series winds down and this was masterpiece writing by Sanderson with some of the best prose he's done. Everything from the setting, scene, use of the One power, all of it was beautiful. The entire scene was the perfect snapshot of just how far he's grown since The Eye of the World. That is why I read fantasy and have fallen in love with it so much. I am big on journey before destination (hehe), anticipation drives us forward, but it's the sheer magnitude of the destination that makes it all worth it. Rand has become a favorite character again and I love how he literally turns everyone's world upside down when he comes in contact with them. No matter how powerful, how sure of themselves they are, they won't be the same.
Overall, I felt the pacing and plot in Towers of Midnight was tight and continued the rapid pace set by Jordan in Knife of Dreams. I've always enjoyed Forsaken chapters and other point of view characters when they show other events we wouldn't otherwise know and this book has some of the most intriguing. Blessedly, Gawyn finally gets some proper character development and becomes slightly less useless. And, of course, Lan is the man. Many questions are answered here in the 13th book, and yet so many more are raised. It is hard to imagine how everything will be resolved. I don't know that I've ever had as much faith in a series or any set of authors to pull through in the final book as I do here. Judging by other reviews, my hope is not misplaced.
I also feel like I need to mention something I reflected on as I read this book. I started this series over a decade after Robert Jordan passed so I never truly felt the pain of his loss. This was just an epic fantasy series I embarked on because of the impending TV show and my love for Brandon Sanderson as an author. It wasn't until Chapters 48 & 49 where I felt his loss in a very real way. I can't say much without giving a big spoiler so I'll just say this: Robert Jordan left this world too soon and these chapters left me wondering what could have been if he were still alive and writing. Would he still write in the Wheel of Time universe? What stories or prequels would he have written? The material in these chapters got the wheels (hehe) turning and then immediately saddened at the fact we'll never get new stories again in this world. That leaves me feeling excited and a bit down as I go into the final book, A Memory of Light. It's the end of a journey, the end of a great author's world, but there will finally be closure. This I can say of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, I go into the final book knowing there will be plenty of satisfying payoffs and, while every question may not be explicitly answered, it will have all been worth it in the end.
The Wheel of Time
The Eye of the World - 8/10
The Great Hunt - 9.5/10
The Dragon Reborn - 8.5/10
The Shadow Rising - 10/10
The Fires of Heaven - 10/10
Lord of Chaos - 10/10
A Crown of Swords - 9.5/10
The Path of Daggers - 10/10
Winter's Heart - 10/10
Crossroads of Twilight - 7/10
Knife of Dreams - 10/10
The Gathering Storm - 10/10
Towers of Midnight - 10/10
A Memory of Light - 10/10
My favorite character arc of the book is Mat and he remains my favorite character of the series. Fortunately, after Sanderson struggled and bumbled about in finding Mat's voice in The Gathering Storm, he got it together in time for some of the most important moments in his arc. I've loved every interaction, to this point, between Mat and the gholam and seeing Mat's prowess with tactics has been a joy. His interactions with Elayne are equally enjoyable as his complete disregard for authority, especially Aes Sedai and nobility, make him a wonderful foil to Elayne's propriety and haughtiness. All the while, his sense of duty and being honorable to his word when he makes a promise is admirable. I loved every chapter and the promise made at the end of the last book pays off in a satisfying way, even if it takes most all of the book to get there.
It's hard to pick a favorite moment from Towers of Midnight as I can think of at least 3 here that would easily be in my top 10. Mat has one of them that I won't mention for fear of spoilers. Perrin gets another one with his "It's only a weave" moment that had me gleefully laughing as he blew the minds of everyone. Perrin's chapters were the hardest to get through with a few exceptions being the fight & battle scenes. Fortunately, his 13 book streak of inferiority complex and self doubt appear to come to a thunderous end as he finally has some proper development. That being said, note to self and all authors in the future, we don't want to read about any trials, ever, at all, never again. The pacing slammed on the brakes so hard I went through the windshield with a seatbelt on.
My other favorite moment, which may be in the top 3 for the series, is Rand's big Neo moment. It's no secret that he would have some big, powerful scenes as the series winds down and this was masterpiece writing by Sanderson with some of the best prose he's done. Everything from the setting, scene, use of the One power, all of it was beautiful. The entire scene was the perfect snapshot of just how far he's grown since The Eye of the World. That is why I read fantasy and have fallen in love with it so much. I am big on journey before destination (hehe), anticipation drives us forward, but it's the sheer magnitude of the destination that makes it all worth it. Rand has become a favorite character again and I love how he literally turns everyone's world upside down when he comes in contact with them. No matter how powerful, how sure of themselves they are, they won't be the same.
Overall, I felt the pacing and plot in Towers of Midnight was tight and continued the rapid pace set by Jordan in Knife of Dreams. I've always enjoyed Forsaken chapters and other point of view characters when they show other events we wouldn't otherwise know and this book has some of the most intriguing. Blessedly, Gawyn finally gets some proper character development and becomes slightly less useless. And, of course, Lan is the man. Many questions are answered here in the 13th book, and yet so many more are raised. It is hard to imagine how everything will be resolved. I don't know that I've ever had as much faith in a series or any set of authors to pull through in the final book as I do here. Judging by other reviews, my hope is not misplaced.
I also feel like I need to mention something I reflected on as I read this book. I started this series over a decade after Robert Jordan passed so I never truly felt the pain of his loss. This was just an epic fantasy series I embarked on because of the impending TV show and my love for Brandon Sanderson as an author. It wasn't until Chapters 48 & 49 where I felt his loss in a very real way. I can't say much without giving a big spoiler so I'll just say this: Robert Jordan left this world too soon and these chapters left me wondering what could have been if he were still alive and writing. Would he still write in the Wheel of Time universe? What stories or prequels would he have written? The material in these chapters got the wheels (hehe) turning and then immediately saddened at the fact we'll never get new stories again in this world. That leaves me feeling excited and a bit down as I go into the final book, A Memory of Light. It's the end of a journey, the end of a great author's world, but there will finally be closure. This I can say of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, I go into the final book knowing there will be plenty of satisfying payoffs and, while every question may not be explicitly answered, it will have all been worth it in the end.
The Wheel of Time
The Eye of the World - 8/10
The Great Hunt - 9.5/10
The Dragon Reborn - 8.5/10
The Shadow Rising - 10/10
The Fires of Heaven - 10/10
Lord of Chaos - 10/10
A Crown of Swords - 9.5/10
The Path of Daggers - 10/10
Winter's Heart - 10/10
Crossroads of Twilight - 7/10
Knife of Dreams - 10/10
The Gathering Storm - 10/10
Towers of Midnight - 10/10
A Memory of Light - 10/10
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm so pleased, and so shook. Can't wait for the final book but also sad about nearly finishing a series that has been my life for the past year.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Let’s. Fucking. Go. So much badassery in this book. Sanderson has done such an incredible job with the penultimate novel in this series. Here we go to book 14 😢