Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.59 AVERAGE
4.59 AVERAGE
"Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time."
There are so many things I want to say about this book, yet they all feel insubstantial. I will try my best regardless.
This is easily the greatest finale to a series I've ever read. Full stop. And the circumstances surrounding it make it all the more impressive.
A massive series that was ongoing for over 20 years would be hard enough to finish. But considering that Robert Jordan passed away before it could be finished? The fact that these last 3 books exist at all is a genuine miracle.
Now, onto the book itself!
If you thought The Wheel of Time was too slow or boring, then this is the book for you. Almost the entire thing is battle after battle. Constant clashes between the armies of The Light and the forces of The Shadow. It is truly The Last Battle.
What surprised me the most about this book is the Black Tower subplot. The Black Tower as a whole was disappointingly absent from much of the series. But it is front and center in this book. And Androl and Pevara are absolutely the standout characters here. I love them so much, and honestly, their whole subplot might be my favorite in the series.
One thing about The Wheel of Time that I always thought was interesting was that almost no main characters die. Yet, even still, Robert Jordan was able to keep the stakes high. I knew, however, that there would certainly be some character deaths in this book. And oh boy were there. Bashere, Hurin, Siuan, Bryne, and more. But the one that hurt the most was by far Egwene. Seeing her growth from a simple village girl to a powerful Aes Sedai and The Amyrlin Seat no less was one of the best parts of this series. But seeing her go out in an absolute blaze of glory... there were definitely tears.
Much like Egwene, every one of our main characters gets a moment to shine, and their storylines get solid and satisfying conclusions. Perrin masters the Wolf Dream, and he finally puts an end to Slayer. (I would've liked to learn more about him and his alter ego, Lord Luc) Mat takes control of the armies of The Light and uses the memories the Aelfinn gave him to help win The Last Battle. He also finally gets revenge on Mashadar after so long. That part was satisfying for Mat, but not so satisfying to Padan Fain, as him and Mashadar have essentially become a single entity, but Fain didn't get much play in these last few books. So his death by Mat did just kind of... happen.
And then there's Rand. Rands battle with The Dark One isn't at all what I expected it to be. I thought he would be fighting an actual person and using a variety of Weaves and sword forms to actually fight him. However, the battle was more of one of differing philosophies. Rand and The Dark One both using The Power to create visions of potential futures and argue their cases for why their version of the future should prevail.
It was so unique and unexpected, but I loved it.
As always, there's so much I could say about this book. This whole series. But to I'll just say thay I loved A Memory of Light. It was a joy start to finish, and I have never devoured a book so quickly as I have this one. And the day after I finished it, it was all I could think about. The Wheel of Time is a series that will stick with me for a long time.
Thank you to Robert Jordan, Harriet McDougal, Brandon Sanderson, and everyone else involved with helping bring this world to life.
There are so many things I want to say about this book, yet they all feel insubstantial. I will try my best regardless.
This is easily the greatest finale to a series I've ever read. Full stop. And the circumstances surrounding it make it all the more impressive.
A massive series that was ongoing for over 20 years would be hard enough to finish. But considering that Robert Jordan passed away before it could be finished? The fact that these last 3 books exist at all is a genuine miracle.
Now, onto the book itself!
If you thought The Wheel of Time was too slow or boring, then this is the book for you. Almost the entire thing is battle after battle. Constant clashes between the armies of The Light and the forces of The Shadow. It is truly The Last Battle.
What surprised me the most about this book is the Black Tower subplot. The Black Tower as a whole was disappointingly absent from much of the series. But it is front and center in this book. And Androl and Pevara are absolutely the standout characters here. I love them so much, and honestly, their whole subplot might be my favorite in the series.
One thing about The Wheel of Time that I always thought was interesting was that almost no main characters die. Yet, even still, Robert Jordan was able to keep the stakes high. I knew, however, that there would certainly be some character deaths in this book. And oh boy were there. Bashere, Hurin, Siuan, Bryne, and more. But the one that hurt the most was by far Egwene. Seeing her growth from a simple village girl to a powerful Aes Sedai and The Amyrlin Seat no less was one of the best parts of this series. But seeing her go out in an absolute blaze of glory... there were definitely tears.
Much like Egwene, every one of our main characters gets a moment to shine, and their storylines get solid and satisfying conclusions. Perrin masters the Wolf Dream, and he finally puts an end to Slayer. (I would've liked to learn more about him and his alter ego, Lord Luc) Mat takes control of the armies of The Light and uses the memories the Aelfinn gave him to help win The Last Battle. He also finally gets revenge on Mashadar after so long. That part was satisfying for Mat, but not so satisfying to Padan Fain, as him and Mashadar have essentially become a single entity, but Fain didn't get much play in these last few books. So his death by Mat did just kind of... happen.
And then there's Rand. Rands battle with The Dark One isn't at all what I expected it to be. I thought he would be fighting an actual person and using a variety of Weaves and sword forms to actually fight him. However, the battle was more of one of differing philosophies. Rand and The Dark One both using The Power to create visions of potential futures and argue their cases for why their version of the future should prevail.
It was so unique and unexpected, but I loved it.
As always, there's so much I could say about this book. This whole series. But to I'll just say thay I loved A Memory of Light. It was a joy start to finish, and I have never devoured a book so quickly as I have this one. And the day after I finished it, it was all I could think about. The Wheel of Time is a series that will stick with me for a long time.
Thank you to Robert Jordan, Harriet McDougal, Brandon Sanderson, and everyone else involved with helping bring this world to life.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-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
A very fitting conclusion to the series. It felt climactic and big and resolving. Maybe I missed it, but I didn’t see who or what Asmodium ended up being.
History fades to myth, and myth fades to legend.
But a wind will rise again.
:’)
But a wind will rise again.
:’)
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A great ending. Not much more to say.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-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
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-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
As a summation of the entire series, my actual rating is 597 stars.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Goodbye, Wheel of Time series. It's been 23 years, 15 books (including the prequel novel), and 11,916 pages. And tonight... we've come to an end together. If you like fantasy, and haven't read this series yet, I recommend it as highly as I can recommend a series.