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4.44 AVERAGE
4.44 AVERAGE
The Wheel of Time series is finally nearing a conclusion. This next-to-last volume was written by Brandon Sanderson using the notes and drafts left behind by the original creator of the franchise, Robert Jordan.
It never takes me months to finish a book, but this particular volume seemed to contained a number of speed bumps that impeded progress. Following the combined writing of two authors can be difficult but this book seemed to be written by many. The chapters that were mainly about Perrin were very difficult to wade through and were incongruous to the rest. The language was rough and the story line dragged on painfully. Each time I hit one of these chapters, I found myself setting the book aside until I forced myself to continue.
After making it three-quarters through the book, however, the story started speeding along. Suddenly, characters that had been separated for the majority of the preceding 12 volumes, including the Ta’veren, began gathering together. Plots fell in place as kingdoms forged alliances, characters thought dead returned unexpectedly and the armies of the world gathered for The Last Battle.
Everything has been properly aligned for a fulfilling ending with the final volume. However, there were some unusual turn of events that foreshadow that readers of the series may not be getting the expected ending. The mythology of the book has always focused on the Dragon Reborn and Tarmon Gai’don. However, assuming everyone survives, Aviendha’s vision during her second trip through Rhuidean opens the possibility for an entirely new series should another author decide to continue to detail the future of the Aiel and Seanchan.
It never takes me months to finish a book, but this particular volume seemed to contained a number of speed bumps that impeded progress. Following the combined writing of two authors can be difficult but this book seemed to be written by many. The chapters that were mainly about Perrin were very difficult to wade through and were incongruous to the rest. The language was rough and the story line dragged on painfully. Each time I hit one of these chapters, I found myself setting the book aside until I forced myself to continue.
After making it three-quarters through the book, however, the story started speeding along. Suddenly, characters that had been separated for the majority of the preceding 12 volumes, including the Ta’veren, began gathering together. Plots fell in place as kingdoms forged alliances, characters thought dead returned unexpectedly and the armies of the world gathered for The Last Battle.
Everything has been properly aligned for a fulfilling ending with the final volume. However, there were some unusual turn of events that foreshadow that readers of the series may not be getting the expected ending. The mythology of the book has always focused on the Dragon Reborn and Tarmon Gai’don. However, assuming everyone survives, Aviendha’s vision during her second trip through Rhuidean opens the possibility for an entirely new series should another author decide to continue to detail the future of the Aiel and Seanchan.
Really enjoyed when Sanderson took over and you can start to see the end-game idea in this novel.
Things all come to a head here. Lan and Nynaeve are fun, Rand has great moments with Egwene and everyone else he interacts with, Mat has moments, Perrin makes a cool hammer and stands trial for 2 hundred pages, Elayne makes you wanna puke, and Egwene can't fathom Rand. Great dreamspike and battle moments in the dream world with Perrin and Egwene, Gawyn has a purpose, and also the Seanchan attacked last book which was a great scene for Egwene. Good time before the final book.
adventurous
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another very readable offering from Brandon; I raced through this one. There wasn't as much happening in this book as the previous one - it felt like this was one preparing for all the threads to be nearly tied up in a bow in the next book. I'm not sure I like the new Rand - seems a bit too ... Disney for my liking. And I always knew that a certain character was going to return; it was obvious at the time of their disappearance.
In my opinion, Towers of Midnight was just as good as The Gathering Storm. So far Im very impressed with Brandon Sanderson's writing style. These last two books have definitely made up for the previous 3, which all lacked the big climax that epic fantasy and, more specifically, Robert Jordan was known for. Im moving on to the final novel in the Wheel of Time series and I believe this novel was the perfect setup for an amazing, and satisfying, conclusion.
January Read With the Fantasy Fanatics of
Since I started this series people have asked me if it was worth it. I mean there are a lot of books and they are all in the 750-1150 page range. This series is no small undertaking an in the middle when I was reading books 7-10 I really wondered if it was worth it. The worldbuilding is fantastic and complex but it really didn’t seem like anything was happening at all. But then we hit books 11, 12 and now 13 and I can say without a doubt that unless book 14 is a complete and utter disaster then YES!!! THIS SERIES IS WORTH IT. -that assumes you are a fantasy fan and not someone who reads thrillers, YA or any other genre mostly. This is not where you tiptoe into fantasy waters to see if you like it.
FINALLY and I mean finally we have an awesome Rand. A Rand worthy of the title The Dragon Reborn. I have waited for him so long and now we have someone to really root for in the big battle against The Dark One. I adored Rand in this book he has finally come into his hero role and he is finally a man worth following. I’m just going to ignore that whole in love and bonded to 3 women because let’s face it Min is the only woman really in Rand’s life. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I really I just think of him as a sperm donor for that lovely lesbian couple that is Elayne and Avienda.
Nynaeve was fantastic yet again in this book. She and Rand working together towards the last battle and all the groundwork she laid for Lan so that he would not go into Malkier alone just makes me almost giddy. We finally get to see a test to gain the shawl from her perspective (If you read New Spring then you saw Moraine’s but this is the first time in the main series). I actually was hoping that Nynaeve told the Aes Sedea to take their shawl and shove it by the end of that. She is fantastic and most of the Aes Sedea really are petty self-absorbed fools, she is so much better than them.
And that right there is the biggest problem with the Aes Sedea and the White Tower.
Egwene, well she actually drove me nuts in this one. Apparently I really only like her when she is standing up to injustice and being beaten multiple times a day. Now that she has gained footing in the White Tower and that is over I find she has many of the same problems the other Aes Sedea do. Plus I’m completely pissed at her. She grew up with Rand and at one time thought they would marry each other and she can’t trust him or in him even a little It drives me crazy.
Elayne I’ve never been a big fan of and it is no different in this one. The bloody daughter heir is still just as frustrating. At least she has Birgetta.
But the other great thing that happened is that Matt , Thom and Noal finally made their play against the Snakes and Foxes. I won’t say how it all played out but I was both sad and so very happy by the end of that scenario. Now if Matt could just get his wife on the right team and pointed in the right direction.
There was this odd writing thig that happened in this book. Since the last book didn’t involve Perrin and his arc at all for flow reasons there is a time in this book when Perrin’s story is behind time wise with the PoVs from the other characters. They finally all catch up and I totally get why it was done this way. I couldn’t see another way to do it and keep the same level of intensity to the story. One of my favorite moments was when Matt and Perrin finally met back up again. It has been a long journey since they separated and I loved seeing the two boyhood friends together again if even just for a little while. They are so changed from the boys that left the Two Rivers so long ago.
Overall this was an intense and action packed story. In all of the other books of this series it has been easy to keep the few chapters a day pace so that the book last the entire month. But this was the first time that I couldn’t put the book down and I’d read 10 chapters instead of my allotted 2-3. I feel I will fail miserably in the last book and will not savor it until the end of the month but will instead finish it in less than week as the culmination of this very series comes to an end. I’m both so excited and so sad to get to this point. I’m completely ready for the last battle and at the same time I’m afraid of what will happen and I’m not ready to say goodbye.
Since I started this series people have asked me if it was worth it. I mean there are a lot of books and they are all in the 750-1150 page range. This series is no small undertaking an in the middle when I was reading books 7-10 I really wondered if it was worth it. The worldbuilding is fantastic and complex but it really didn’t seem like anything was happening at all. But then we hit books 11, 12 and now 13 and I can say without a doubt that unless book 14 is a complete and utter disaster then YES!!! THIS SERIES IS WORTH IT. -that assumes you are a fantasy fan and not someone who reads thrillers, YA or any other genre mostly. This is not where you tiptoe into fantasy waters to see if you like it.
“If you wish, you may call me Rand Sedai.”
FINALLY and I mean finally we have an awesome Rand. A Rand worthy of the title The Dragon Reborn. I have waited for him so long and now we have someone to really root for in the big battle against The Dark One. I adored Rand in this book he has finally come into his hero role and he is finally a man worth following. I’m just going to ignore that whole in love and bonded to 3 women because let’s face it Min is the only woman really in Rand’s life.
Spoiler
Except for the brief night he had with Elayne to knock her up and will have with Avienda to knock her up too Min is the only one who has been with him every step along the way since book 5 or 6.Nynaeve was fantastic yet again in this book. She and Rand working together towards the last battle and all the groundwork she laid for Lan so that he would not go into Malkier alone just makes me almost giddy. We finally get to see a test to gain the shawl from her perspective (If you read New Spring then you saw Moraine’s but this is the first time in the main series). I actually was hoping that Nynaeve told the Aes Sedea to take their shawl and shove it by the end of that. She is fantastic and most of the Aes Sedea really are petty self-absorbed fools, she is so much better than them.
“I wonder if,” Nynaeve said, “we sometimes put the White Tower —as an institution— before the people we serve. I wonder if we let it become a goal in itself, instead of a means to help us achieve greater goals.”
“Devotion is important, Nynaeve. The White Tower protects and guides the world.”
“And yet, so many of us do it without families,” Nynaeve said. “Without love, without passion beyond our own particular interests. So even while we try to guide the world, we separate ourselves from it. We risk arrogance, Egwene. We always assume we know best, but risk making ourselves unable to fathom the people we claim to serve.”
And that right there is the biggest problem with the Aes Sedea and the White Tower.
Egwene, well she actually drove me nuts in this one. Apparently I really only like her when she is standing up to injustice and being beaten multiple times a day. Now that she has gained footing in the White Tower and that is over I find she has many of the same problems the other Aes Sedea do. Plus I’m completely pissed at her. She grew up with Rand and at one time thought they would marry each other and she can’t trust him or in him even a little It drives me crazy.
Elayne I’ve never been a big fan of and it is no different in this one. The bloody daughter heir is still just as frustrating. At least she has Birgetta.
But the other great thing that happened is that Matt , Thom and Noal finally made their play against the Snakes and Foxes. I won’t say how it all played out but I was both sad and so very happy by the end of that scenario. Now if Matt could just get his wife on the right team and pointed in the right direction.
There was this odd writing thig that happened in this book. Since the last book didn’t involve Perrin and his arc at all for flow reasons there is a time in this book when Perrin’s story is behind time wise with the PoVs from the other characters. They finally all catch up and I totally get why it was done this way. I couldn’t see another way to do it and keep the same level of intensity to the story. One of my favorite moments was when Matt and Perrin finally met back up again. It has been a long journey since they separated and I loved seeing the two boyhood friends together again if even just for a little while. They are so changed from the boys that left the Two Rivers so long ago.
Overall this was an intense and action packed story. In all of the other books of this series it has been easy to keep the few chapters a day pace so that the book last the entire month. But this was the first time that I couldn’t put the book down and I’d read 10 chapters instead of my allotted 2-3. I feel I will fail miserably in the last book and will not savor it until the end of the month but will instead finish it in less than week as the culmination of this very series comes to an end. I’m both so excited and so sad to get to this point. I’m completely ready for the last battle and at the same time I’m afraid of what will happen and I’m not ready to say goodbye.
I'm just so glad that Brandon Sanderson finished this series.
adventurous
challenging
tense
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:
Complicated
I am so close to finishing this mammoth of a series.
Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson is the penultimate book in the Wheel of Time series. The plot is so complex and there are so many characters at this point that I can’t even begin to give a synopsis of this book besides just saying that people get married, everyone has ulterior motives, and there are so many loose ends to tie up in the next book that I don’t know how that’s going to be accomplished. This book sparked the greatest amount of interest in me when compared to the recent books I’ve read in this series, and I’m excited to hopefully finish up this series soon!