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sleatherface's review against another edition
5.0
Fuck. Jesus. Where do I start.
This is my husband’s favorite book series of all time. He’s read it all the way through many times, and in August of 2020, I asked him if he wanted to do a buddy read of them with me (he incredulously asked if I was sure and warned me that it was quite a commitment, correctly foreseeing my initial reaction to the first few books). We started reading when we were just dating, we were reading it when he proposed to me, we read it all through our engagement, we were on the last book when we got married, and we finished it while we were on our honeymoon. To say this book series has been a big part of our relationship is an understatement, which is wild because I was so NOT a fan when we first started reading.
That’s definitely changed. How could it not? I’ll admit I’m quick to complain about RJ talking endlessly about the jewelry everyone is wearing, or the scenery in a city that I’m definitely going to forget they’re all in, or how hot everybody is all the time, but how can you not be overwhelmed by the clear labor of love that is this series? These books are a love letter to the craft of writing itself, and I cannot fathom the bottomless level of care and devotion he put into them. It’s so obvious how important these books were to Robert Jordan, and that makes them extremely special to so many people. The final three were the nail in the coffin of what I loved about them (I like BSand’s writing more than RJ’s), but it would be ludicrous to pretend Brando Sando did this on his own. I found myself asking my husband, “When did I become such a fan of this series? Should I get a Wheel of Time tattoo??”
I cried for probably the last 300 pages of this book straight. I was so engrossed in this book that I forgot I was in a beautiful island paradise with my adoring partner. I am very sad to leave this world behind. I generally resist re-reading books, but these? Man. I can’t wait to come back.
This is my husband’s favorite book series of all time. He’s read it all the way through many times, and in August of 2020, I asked him if he wanted to do a buddy read of them with me (he incredulously asked if I was sure and warned me that it was quite a commitment, correctly foreseeing my initial reaction to the first few books). We started reading when we were just dating, we were reading it when he proposed to me, we read it all through our engagement, we were on the last book when we got married, and we finished it while we were on our honeymoon. To say this book series has been a big part of our relationship is an understatement, which is wild because I was so NOT a fan when we first started reading.
That’s definitely changed. How could it not? I’ll admit I’m quick to complain about RJ talking endlessly about the jewelry everyone is wearing, or the scenery in a city that I’m definitely going to forget they’re all in, or how hot everybody is all the time, but how can you not be overwhelmed by the clear labor of love that is this series? These books are a love letter to the craft of writing itself, and I cannot fathom the bottomless level of care and devotion he put into them. It’s so obvious how important these books were to Robert Jordan, and that makes them extremely special to so many people. The final three were the nail in the coffin of what I loved about them (I like BSand’s writing more than RJ’s), but it would be ludicrous to pretend Brando Sando did this on his own. I found myself asking my husband, “When did I become such a fan of this series? Should I get a Wheel of Time tattoo??”
I cried for probably the last 300 pages of this book straight. I was so engrossed in this book that I forgot I was in a beautiful island paradise with my adoring partner. I am very sad to leave this world behind. I generally resist re-reading books, but these? Man. I can’t wait to come back.
hasan1117's review against another edition
4.0
This book served as a fitting conclusion to the Wheel of Time Saga. The whole book focused on the Last Battle, giving us insight into all the twists and turns that happened throughout. Sanderson crafted exciting set pieces, full of great imagery, battles, and awesome feats of Channeling. The stakes felt especially high, given the inclusion of some unexpected character deaths. I think the book did a nice job of tying up the threads that have been introduced throughout the rest of the series, and gave a satisfying conclusion. The story's conclusion also left behind a fully realized world that feels alive, and will continue beyond the pages of these books.
thirdsaint's review against another edition
5.0
Masterpiece. This series is a Masterpiece. This book is a Masterpiece. I cannot express how grateful I am that I powered through The Eye of the World after putting it down for four entire months before completing it. I started down this path on August 2nd, 2020 and finished on August 25, 2023. Not counting those 4 months on pause, it essentially took me 2.5 years to finish this epic 14 book + 1 prequel series and I don't regret it one bit. I knew this was a daunting undertaking, and hesitated in starting the series as a result, but the combination of the forthcoming TV show (oof) and my favorite author finishing the series helped me take the plunge. If you love epic fantasy and long series, you'd be doing yourself a great disservice if you skipped Wheel of Time.
The reason why this series is so acclaimed and works so well can be summed up in the phrase "satisfying payoffs". As would be expected throughout a 14-book series, there were hundreds of plot threads, thousands of characters, and a ton of foreshadowing that Brandon Sanderson was tasked to bring together in the last three books. He is known for strong endings and to bring in the expert on finales to close out this epic fantasy series, well, let's just say it was the perfect choice if we couldn't get the man himself. Sanderson knocked it out of the park and the ending was honestly everything I could have hoped for. I was beyond surprised to see how many parts wrapped up, even if it felt like some were missed.
I'm going to break this non-spoiler review up into three parts: Before the Last Battle, the Last Battle, and After the Last Battle. There is just so much going on here, so much that happens, that it's hard to keep it all straight.
Before the Last Battle - The stage has been set and the book starts off with a literal meeting of the minds of every major faction, nation, and player at the Field of Merrilor. Some of my favorite sequences happen in this scene, which is impressive because battle tactic portions can be unbearably boring if done incorrectly. Not the case here and one major plot thread at the end of Towers of Midnight features prominently here to my giddy delight. Everything about it was perfect and well-timed. Immediately on the heels of that is a meeting between Mat and Rand that was wonderfully written. Sanderson seemed to capture both characters and their tendencies so well and the humor filled banter was a stark contrast "calm before the storm" to everything that followed. The one-upping between two old friends rang so true to me.
After all of the preparations are discussed and made, I was surprised to find there's a great deal of fighting and battles that happens before the epic The Last Battle chapter about 60% through the book. Massive battles are raged in four different locations with a number of twists and turns that had my head spinning. One particular revelation had me so disjointed that I made the cardinal sin of going to Google to see how I missed it. Note to readers: Don't ever do this. RJ/BS cover the topic later if you can bear to wait. Fortunately I was only mildly spoiled but all the same, job well done Sanderson. As it is Sanderson's modus operandi, he knocks the battles out of the park in both sheer epic scope and intensity. He was made to finish this as much as we all wish Robert Jordan could have. Old characters show up and call backs come aplenty as things are done with the One Power that you either thought up yourself or had no idea was possible, but they are all believable.
The juxtaposition of the good guys methods and the point-of-views from the bad guys make for a very tense fight. This being the last book too, you just know a lot of characters aren't making it out alive. The stakes would be cheapened if that wasn't the case and, well, Sanderson doesn't pull his punches. There is a lot of death, even before The Last Battle chapter, and a lot of those deaths may shock you. Reading this book literally felt like a very long, fast roller coaster with constant hills and drops.
My biggest gripe with this book isn't too big of an issue, but there's been one Forsaken that has had small minor scenes the whole series hinting at something big brewing. Robert Jordan wasn't lying about that, but to save all of it for the very last book felt quite a bit underwhelming. There was no character depth and how this Forsaken was used just felt unrealistic. Granted, they were a powerful and dreadful presence that provided much of the tension in the book. It just felt like they were very underused and then to bring yet another brand new set of people in the final book killed some of the punch of the reveal. Well, my other gripe is there are a few characters who meet an unceremonious end that didn't match their involvement in the series. The deaths were just merely mentioned and hand-waved away while others were given more attention. Again, small gripes when I realize this was an impossible task, and to give everyone the appropriate time they deserve would lead to a 2000+ page book.
The Last Battle - So... this is a 281 page, 81,200 word behemoth of a chapter that is longer than a lot of novels. It took me the better part of a week to finish as I didn't have the time to read it straight through as I would have liked. It is epic. It is marvelous. Every single word was warranted and appropriate for the conclusion to a 14 book epic fantasy series. The action was fast and furious with some point-of-view sections just being a page long. As is Sanderson's trademark with his Sanderlanches, it reads like the epic finale of a movie where 4 different plot threads are going and the movie jumps from scene to scene seamlessly. For those that haven't read any of Brandon's other material, it's most comparable to the last chapter in Winter's Heart. That is a good, low-key comparison to what you'll encounter here.
Of course, the true Last Battle between Rand and the Dark One, that has literally been talked about since the opening chapters of the first book, features prominently. Peppered in between all of the skirmishes around the world are sections detailing Rand's encounter. How this was done is perfect for the series and the gradual progression to it's ultimate conclusion was done in the only way that it could be and still be satisfying. There's no deus ex machina or cheap tricks. So much of what happens has been foreshadowed and building for the entire series. I would say that the true lasting impression of this series was dependent on RJ and Sanderson pulling this off. They did.
Just be ready for your emotions to be in knots and for you to need to take a breath to calm your heart from pounding out of your chest. If this was a spoiler review there is so much more that I could say. As it is, just know this chapter is everything you wanted and hoped for after slogging through the first 50% of his books when it seemed like nothing was happening and more and more new characters were being introduced. It was all worth it. It all makes sense. Also, chef's kiss to the final part of this chapter where I'm pretty sure I shouted out loud. PAYOFFS!
After the Last Battle - I felt like the after part of the Last Battle actually could've been expanded even more for all the characters in this series. Something along the lines of the closing of Lord of the Rings is what I was expecting, but we don't really get that. Still, plot threads and character arcs for all the ones that matter are concluded to satisfaction. There are even some mysterious questions raised in the end that, yet again, make me wish Robert Jordan were still alive and could've written expansion stories after this.
As you are reading the final pages, you may feel a lot of emotion at the beautiful prose. I have to believe that this is one of the parts that Robert Jordan wrote. It feels like a true coming full circle from the beginning of The Eye of the World in a literary sense and it was, quite honestly, perfect. So much so, that you may feel saddened to leave the world of Randland and want to start the adventure again. I know I will again sometime, as I hear the second read through is even better and that I'll be amazed at all of the foreshadowing going back to The Eye of the World. I thought reading a 14 book series was daunting enough, but it's a testament to Robert Jordan's masterclass at epic fantasy worldbuilding and Sanderson's closing it out that has me confident I'll read it again without trepidation. This series is a must to any fans of Epic Fantasy that love longer series than trilogies. It's all worth it.
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
The reason why this series is so acclaimed and works so well can be summed up in the phrase "satisfying payoffs". As would be expected throughout a 14-book series, there were hundreds of plot threads, thousands of characters, and a ton of foreshadowing that Brandon Sanderson was tasked to bring together in the last three books. He is known for strong endings and to bring in the expert on finales to close out this epic fantasy series, well, let's just say it was the perfect choice if we couldn't get the man himself. Sanderson knocked it out of the park and the ending was honestly everything I could have hoped for. I was beyond surprised to see how many parts wrapped up, even if it felt like some were missed.
I'm going to break this non-spoiler review up into three parts: Before the Last Battle, the Last Battle, and After the Last Battle. There is just so much going on here, so much that happens, that it's hard to keep it all straight.
Before the Last Battle - The stage has been set and the book starts off with a literal meeting of the minds of every major faction, nation, and player at the Field of Merrilor. Some of my favorite sequences happen in this scene, which is impressive because battle tactic portions can be unbearably boring if done incorrectly. Not the case here and one major plot thread at the end of Towers of Midnight features prominently here to my giddy delight. Everything about it was perfect and well-timed. Immediately on the heels of that is a meeting between Mat and Rand that was wonderfully written. Sanderson seemed to capture both characters and their tendencies so well and the humor filled banter was a stark contrast "calm before the storm" to everything that followed. The one-upping between two old friends rang so true to me.
After all of the preparations are discussed and made, I was surprised to find there's a great deal of fighting and battles that happens before the epic The Last Battle chapter about 60% through the book. Massive battles are raged in four different locations with a number of twists and turns that had my head spinning. One particular revelation had me so disjointed that I made the cardinal sin of going to Google to see how I missed it. Note to readers: Don't ever do this. RJ/BS cover the topic later if you can bear to wait. Fortunately I was only mildly spoiled but all the same, job well done Sanderson. As it is Sanderson's modus operandi, he knocks the battles out of the park in both sheer epic scope and intensity. He was made to finish this as much as we all wish Robert Jordan could have. Old characters show up and call backs come aplenty as things are done with the One Power that you either thought up yourself or had no idea was possible, but they are all believable.
The juxtaposition of the good guys methods and the point-of-views from the bad guys make for a very tense fight. This being the last book too, you just know a lot of characters aren't making it out alive. The stakes would be cheapened if that wasn't the case and, well, Sanderson doesn't pull his punches. There is a lot of death, even before The Last Battle chapter, and a lot of those deaths may shock you. Reading this book literally felt like a very long, fast roller coaster with constant hills and drops.
My biggest gripe with this book isn't too big of an issue, but there's been one Forsaken that has had small minor scenes the whole series hinting at something big brewing. Robert Jordan wasn't lying about that, but to save all of it for the very last book felt quite a bit underwhelming. There was no character depth and how this Forsaken was used just felt unrealistic. Granted, they were a powerful and dreadful presence that provided much of the tension in the book. It just felt like they were very underused and then to bring yet another brand new set of people in the final book killed some of the punch of the reveal. Well, my other gripe is there are a few characters who meet an unceremonious end that didn't match their involvement in the series. The deaths were just merely mentioned and hand-waved away while others were given more attention. Again, small gripes when I realize this was an impossible task, and to give everyone the appropriate time they deserve would lead to a 2000+ page book.
The Last Battle - So... this is a 281 page, 81,200 word behemoth of a chapter that is longer than a lot of novels. It took me the better part of a week to finish as I didn't have the time to read it straight through as I would have liked. It is epic. It is marvelous. Every single word was warranted and appropriate for the conclusion to a 14 book epic fantasy series. The action was fast and furious with some point-of-view sections just being a page long. As is Sanderson's trademark with his Sanderlanches, it reads like the epic finale of a movie where 4 different plot threads are going and the movie jumps from scene to scene seamlessly. For those that haven't read any of Brandon's other material, it's most comparable to the last chapter in Winter's Heart. That is a good, low-key comparison to what you'll encounter here.
Of course, the true Last Battle between Rand and the Dark One, that has literally been talked about since the opening chapters of the first book, features prominently. Peppered in between all of the skirmishes around the world are sections detailing Rand's encounter. How this was done is perfect for the series and the gradual progression to it's ultimate conclusion was done in the only way that it could be and still be satisfying. There's no deus ex machina or cheap tricks. So much of what happens has been foreshadowed and building for the entire series. I would say that the true lasting impression of this series was dependent on RJ and Sanderson pulling this off. They did.
Just be ready for your emotions to be in knots and for you to need to take a breath to calm your heart from pounding out of your chest. If this was a spoiler review there is so much more that I could say. As it is, just know this chapter is everything you wanted and hoped for after slogging through the first 50% of his books when it seemed like nothing was happening and more and more new characters were being introduced. It was all worth it. It all makes sense. Also, chef's kiss to the final part of this chapter where I'm pretty sure I shouted out loud. PAYOFFS!
After the Last Battle - I felt like the after part of the Last Battle actually could've been expanded even more for all the characters in this series. Something along the lines of the closing of Lord of the Rings is what I was expecting, but we don't really get that. Still, plot threads and character arcs for all the ones that matter are concluded to satisfaction. There are even some mysterious questions raised in the end that, yet again, make me wish Robert Jordan were still alive and could've written expansion stories after this.
As you are reading the final pages, you may feel a lot of emotion at the beautiful prose. I have to believe that this is one of the parts that Robert Jordan wrote. It feels like a true coming full circle from the beginning of The Eye of the World in a literary sense and it was, quite honestly, perfect. So much so, that you may feel saddened to leave the world of Randland and want to start the adventure again. I know I will again sometime, as I hear the second read through is even better and that I'll be amazed at all of the foreshadowing going back to The Eye of the World. I thought reading a 14 book series was daunting enough, but it's a testament to Robert Jordan's masterclass at epic fantasy worldbuilding and Sanderson's closing it out that has me confident I'll read it again without trepidation. This series is a must to any fans of Epic Fantasy that love longer series than trilogies. It's all worth it.
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
emimillerart's review against another edition
5.0
I can't believe it's over. There is so much to think about - I need to hit the wiki.
fatin's review against another edition
5.0
I can't, I can't.
I hate you, and I love you, Robert.
*sobbing*
I hate you, and I love you, Robert.
*sobbing*
midici's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
~SPOILERS~
IT IS DONE. I cannot believe I've finally reached the end. And what an epic conclusion! Robert Jordan/Branden Sanderson did a great job of really making this feel like a last stand and fight for humanity, where the characters absolutely seemed to be losing at the midway point. I had some small gripes but mostly I'm pretty happy with how it ended. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I almost wish it didn't end so abruptly. I really wanted to see a bit more or how everything came together in the aftermath of this battle.
Overall: the four generals being manipulated so that suddenly all four battles were being lost at the same time was super tense and well done. The battles were well written, so even someone like me could picture the state of the battlefields.
Egwene: Always awesome when she's dealing with her enemies and irritating when dealing with her allies, she really stepped up here. Her sacrifice to defeat M'Hael/Taim and her discovery of how to counteract balefire was incredible. As irritating as she was though, she absolutely could have done better than Gawyn.
Gawyn: useless man. He spends the whole series undecided as to where his loyalties lie, finally decides he will choose Egwene, immediately decides to try and go out in a blaze of glory but doesn't accomplish his goal and dies for nothing. I got more irritated with him the more we got to know him.
Galad: Surprisingly strong character growth! Proud of you for finally bending a little in your solid black and white view.
Logain: For all of Min's foreshadowing of his "glory to come" he didn't accomplish nearly as much as I expected. I thought he would be the hero who freed the Black Tower but that was more Androl than him. I thought maybe he would defeat the Forsaken at the battlefield, Demandred, but nope that went to Lan. He didn't fight anyone of importance at all really, he just broke the seals when the signal went up and that was it.
Lan: Incredible. No notes. Not sure how he survived but eh.
Nynaeve/Moiraine: Didn't have as much to do in this book but they stepped in where it counted and they were great in past books, so it's fine.
Perrin/Faile: An absolute boss! Was great to see these characters focused on something other than each other and getting the job done.
Mat: Still one of my favourite characters. His 'fight' with Padan was a bit of a let down after 12 books of build-up but he was doing a of of other things.
Finally, Rand. Rand's battle with the Dark One was super jarring for me, I could not get over the ALL CAPS OF DOOM. I really wish they hadn't decided that the Dark One spoke in all caps - and sometimes they had Rand speak back in all caps, so it wasn't even consistently just the Dark One! If they had to show his voice as distinct they should have just chosen to go with bold. I think it would have been way less irritating. I liked the time dilation, the fact that the battle sort of took place outside of the pattern, the different ways 'winning' and 'losing' would look for both of them. Rand's realization that the Dark One only has as much power as he's given, especially if he's sealed away, and needing to use Saidain/Saidar and the True Power to craft a proper prison made sense and gave him a distinct edge in the battle that Lews Therin didn't have.
I really wish they had gone more into the connection between Rand and Ishmael/Moridin. We knew they were becoming more mentally connected through their dreamscapes, and physical injuries to one affected the other... but they never said why. And at the end Rand managed to switch his consciousness into his body, which I think is related to this unexplained connection. I'm still not sure I fully understand how he can channel without channeling - it almost seemed as though he could interact with the real world the way Perrin interacts with the Dream World - but it also isn't explained. H deserves to spend some time away from everything but it's bittersweet that he doesn't get a chance to say goodbye or interact with any of the other characters. It's implied the girls can tell he's still alive but we don't even get their reunion.
All in all, I'm a bit surprised only one major character died, though several secondary ones did, and none of Rand's love interests especially. I'm not disappointed with the ending even if I was a bit confused. Feels a bit like the end of an era now that I'm finally done.
IT IS DONE. I cannot believe I've finally reached the end. And what an epic conclusion! Robert Jordan/Branden Sanderson did a great job of really making this feel like a last stand and fight for humanity, where the characters absolutely seemed to be losing at the midway point. I had some small gripes but mostly I'm pretty happy with how it ended. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I almost wish it didn't end so abruptly. I really wanted to see a bit more or how everything came together in the aftermath of this battle.
Overall: the four generals being manipulated so that suddenly all four battles were being lost at the same time was super tense and well done. The battles were well written, so even someone like me could picture the state of the battlefields.
Egwene: Always awesome when she's dealing with her enemies and irritating when dealing with her allies, she really stepped up here. Her sacrifice to defeat M'Hael/Taim and her discovery of how to counteract balefire was incredible. As irritating as she was though, she absolutely could have done better than Gawyn.
Gawyn: useless man. He spends the whole series undecided as to where his loyalties lie, finally decides he will choose Egwene, immediately decides to try and go out in a blaze of glory but doesn't accomplish his goal and dies for nothing. I got more irritated with him the more we got to know him.
Galad: Surprisingly strong character growth! Proud of you for finally bending a little in your solid black and white view.
Logain: For all of Min's foreshadowing of his "glory to come" he didn't accomplish nearly as much as I expected. I thought he would be the hero who freed the Black Tower but that was more Androl than him. I thought maybe he would defeat the Forsaken at the battlefield, Demandred, but nope that went to Lan. He didn't fight anyone of importance at all really, he just broke the seals when the signal went up and that was it.
Lan: Incredible. No notes. Not sure how he survived but eh.
Nynaeve/Moiraine: Didn't have as much to do in this book but they stepped in where it counted and they were great in past books, so it's fine.
Perrin/Faile: An absolute boss! Was great to see these characters focused on something other than each other and getting the job done.
Mat: Still one of my favourite characters. His 'fight' with Padan was a bit of a let down after 12 books of build-up but he was doing a of of other things.
Finally, Rand. Rand's battle with the Dark One was super jarring for me, I could not get over the ALL CAPS OF DOOM. I really wish they hadn't decided that the Dark One spoke in all caps - and sometimes they had Rand speak back in all caps, so it wasn't even consistently just the Dark One! If they had to show his voice as distinct they should have just chosen to go with bold. I think it would have been way less irritating. I liked the time dilation, the fact that the battle sort of took place outside of the pattern, the different ways 'winning' and 'losing' would look for both of them. Rand's realization that the Dark One only has as much power as he's given, especially if he's sealed away, and needing to use Saidain/Saidar and the True Power to craft a proper prison made sense and gave him a distinct edge in the battle that Lews Therin didn't have.
I really wish they had gone more into the connection between Rand and Ishmael/Moridin. We knew they were becoming more mentally connected through their dreamscapes, and physical injuries to one affected the other... but they never said why. And at the end Rand managed to switch his consciousness into his body, which I think is related to this unexplained connection. I'm still not sure I fully understand how he can channel without channeling - it almost seemed as though he could interact with the real world the way Perrin interacts with the Dream World - but it also isn't explained. H deserves to spend some time away from everything but it's bittersweet that he doesn't get a chance to say goodbye or interact with any of the other characters. It's implied the girls can tell he's still alive but we don't even get their reunion.
All in all, I'm a bit surprised only one major character died, though several secondary ones did, and none of Rand's love interests especially. I'm not disappointed with the ending even if I was a bit confused. Feels a bit like the end of an era now that I'm finally done.
bioniclib's review against another edition
5.0
I just finished my second read through of this series. 15 books and probably over 10,000 pages all within a year allowed me to better appreciate the masterful crafting done by the Late Mr. Jordan. The ending was actually pretty damn good. A saga this long runs the risk of not living up to the hype. While were some things I didn't like, overall I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Now for my spoiler-filled notes to self on this book:
Mysterious red-veiled men are cameo’d last epilogue. This prologue they are shown again. They lower, not raise, their veils to do battle. They are later revealed to be the male channelers the Aiel cast out.
“...she was the kind of placid water found one bend away from a furious waterfall. “ (37)
If a Fade’s blade causes a fatal wound, like the ones Talamanes is suffering from, how is Thom still alive? Should he have more than the limp he got during book two?
I just realized that “The Watcher of The Seals” title the Amyrlin has refers to the seals of The Dark One’s Prison. I hope I realized it before and then forgot but y’never know with me!
Caemlyn falls to Trollocs
Pevera bonded Androl. Androl bonded Pevera. Because of this double bond that develop telepathy with one another.
Early on shifting PoVs and short scenes begin early. They were usually saved for that last chapter or so. This means, the entire book acts as the climax for the entire series.
Moiraine helps Rand bring everyone into line and has him give the seals to Egwene, who, she says, will break them.
Perrin tells Rand that the Aiel should be the World’s police, helping settle disputes between nations.
After all the Aiel are a tool and a tool must be used.
Uno reappears
“The bored solder there had a face like an old shovel - it was half covered in dirt and would be better off locked in a shed somewhere.” (240)
The last few books has Bayle always being referred to as large but I don’t remember so much being made of his size when he was first introduced.
The last 3 seals that Egwene has are fakes. Darkfriends stole them at some point.
Galad and Rand are half-brothers.
Perrin, too, refuses to kill a woman. That’s Bingo. Now all Three of the Big 3 have this misguided chivalry.
As he approached Shayol Ghul, Rand winces at the twin wounds. That’s the first time in a few books that they’ve been mentioned. (430)
Rand, Nyneave, and Moiraine see the husk that was Shaidar Haran. He was the vessel through which The Dark One could touch the world. He’s no longer needed as he’s touching it directly now.
“I’ve had trouble with words coming out of my mouth lately. Only the stupid ones seem to make it.” ~Mat (491)
All four of the great captains are under Compulsion and only Ituralde is even aware enough to know something’s wrong and starts to fight it. This puts Morgase’s (who doesn’t appear but briefly in
this book) breaking free of Rhavin in a higher regard.
Faile enters the story as a Hunter for the Horn and at the end of the story she’s the one bringing the horn to the last battle. While she doesn’t make it that far, she does live.
Elayne and Melaine are both pregnant with twins. As far as I can tell they both survive but neither gives birth.
We get what I think is the first Olver PoV chapter.
Vanin appears to attempt to steal The Horn from Faile. It turns out he bought the ruse that it was
Mat’s tabac and wanted to steal that.
Moridin Stabs Alana and leaves her to die in the Pit of Doom. The plan is to have her death drive Rand mad in the height of the battle.
Chapter 37 begins with a quote like the start of each book. And after 36 short-ish chapters, this one is 190 pages and called, appropriately, The Last Battle.
Siuan is the 1st of the major characters to die.
There has been so much Balefire used that when M’Hael used it against Egwene and her Aes Sedai,
its reversing the deaths said Aes Sedai caused wasn’t believable. That particular wrinkle seemed to be used only occasionally.
Gawyne is killed by Damandred.
Galad is nearly killed by him, even though he has The Foxhead Medallion
Egwene weaves the opposite of Balefire, The Flame of Tar Valon, kills M’Hael but over-extends herself in the process. She dies but takes not only M’Hael but all of the Sharan channelers with her.
Not to mention fills in the balefire-caused cracks with crystal.
Lan, with the Foxhead, kills Damandred by “sheathing the sword” of Damandred and then stabbing him in the throat. Lan does survive.
Olver could sound the horn because Mat’s death in an early book was reversed when Rand killed Mat’s killer with Balefire. His death broke his connection to the horn. So that meant anyone could have sounded the horn for most of the series.
Noal saves Olver from the Trollocs because after his death he was bound to the horn.
Mat used the villagers of Hinderstrap to attack the Dam. After they were all killed and lost the first time, at dawn the next day, their curse to always have them wake up in their beds, allowed them to go mad once more and break the dam just when needed. This was a marvelous “Gun on the Wall”
Aviendha killed a Compulsion-filled Rhuarc
Fain, with yet another new name (Shaisam), first appears on 865
Alanna released Rand’s bond before she dies, sparing him the madness.
The sounding of the horn called dead wolf heroes too. I expected Hopper, but dying in The Wolf Dream is permanent
Perrin finally kills Slayer
Mat was immune to the mist that comes with Fain/Mordeth because he’d been healed from the effects of the dagger. So he kills Fain with said dagger.
Min figured out they should use the flaw of Callandor to trick Moridin into grabbing it and thus being controlled by Moiraine and Nyneave. Then Rand links with all of them, feeds Saidar, The True Power, and Saidin into The Dark One.
An unravelled Gateway turned Graendal;s Compulsion back on her and she’s Avhiendha’s.
Logain breaks The Seals
Perrin’s love for Faile frees him from Lanfear’s Compulsion, then he kills her before she can kill
Moiraine and Nyneave, saving The Great Lord.
Rand uses all three powers not to seal the Dark One back in the Bore but to close it so thoroughly that it’s as if it had never been opened.
Moghedien gets leashed by a sul’dam after the battle ends.
I thought we’d meet Birgitte’s Gaidal. We don’t.
Cadsuane becomes the new Amyrlin
Rand’s soul swaps bodies with Moridin.
Cadsuane might know Rand survived by going into Moridin’s body. Most people are suspicious because his three warders don’t go mad.
Rand’s new body can’t touch any of the three powers. But he apparently can’t directly manipulate The Pattern. He did think his pipe alight.
The story ends with a description of wind like the books always begin with one. But this time it’s not “not a beginning” but not “not an ending”.
Now for my spoiler-filled notes to self on this book:
Spoiler
Mysterious red-veiled men are cameo’d last epilogue. This prologue they are shown again. They lower, not raise, their veils to do battle. They are later revealed to be the male channelers the Aiel cast out.
“...she was the kind of placid water found one bend away from a furious waterfall. “ (37)
If a Fade’s blade causes a fatal wound, like the ones Talamanes is suffering from, how is Thom still alive? Should he have more than the limp he got during book two?
I just realized that “The Watcher of The Seals” title the Amyrlin has refers to the seals of The Dark One’s Prison. I hope I realized it before and then forgot but y’never know with me!
Caemlyn falls to Trollocs
Pevera bonded Androl. Androl bonded Pevera. Because of this double bond that develop telepathy with one another.
Early on shifting PoVs and short scenes begin early. They were usually saved for that last chapter or so. This means, the entire book acts as the climax for the entire series.
Moiraine helps Rand bring everyone into line and has him give the seals to Egwene, who, she says, will break them.
Perrin tells Rand that the Aiel should be the World’s police, helping settle disputes between nations.
After all the Aiel are a tool and a tool must be used.
Uno reappears
“The bored solder there had a face like an old shovel - it was half covered in dirt and would be better off locked in a shed somewhere.” (240)
The last few books has Bayle always being referred to as large but I don’t remember so much being made of his size when he was first introduced.
The last 3 seals that Egwene has are fakes. Darkfriends stole them at some point.
Galad and Rand are half-brothers.
Perrin, too, refuses to kill a woman. That’s Bingo. Now all Three of the Big 3 have this misguided chivalry.
As he approached Shayol Ghul, Rand winces at the twin wounds. That’s the first time in a few books that they’ve been mentioned. (430)
Rand, Nyneave, and Moiraine see the husk that was Shaidar Haran. He was the vessel through which The Dark One could touch the world. He’s no longer needed as he’s touching it directly now.
“I’ve had trouble with words coming out of my mouth lately. Only the stupid ones seem to make it.” ~Mat (491)
All four of the great captains are under Compulsion and only Ituralde is even aware enough to know something’s wrong and starts to fight it. This puts Morgase’s (who doesn’t appear but briefly in
this book) breaking free of Rhavin in a higher regard.
Faile enters the story as a Hunter for the Horn and at the end of the story she’s the one bringing the horn to the last battle. While she doesn’t make it that far, she does live.
Elayne and Melaine are both pregnant with twins. As far as I can tell they both survive but neither gives birth.
We get what I think is the first Olver PoV chapter.
Vanin appears to attempt to steal The Horn from Faile. It turns out he bought the ruse that it was
Mat’s tabac and wanted to steal that.
Moridin Stabs Alana and leaves her to die in the Pit of Doom. The plan is to have her death drive Rand mad in the height of the battle.
Chapter 37 begins with a quote like the start of each book. And after 36 short-ish chapters, this one is 190 pages and called, appropriately, The Last Battle.
Siuan is the 1st of the major characters to die.
There has been so much Balefire used that when M’Hael used it against Egwene and her Aes Sedai,
its reversing the deaths said Aes Sedai caused wasn’t believable. That particular wrinkle seemed to be used only occasionally.
Gawyne is killed by Damandred.
Galad is nearly killed by him, even though he has The Foxhead Medallion
Egwene weaves the opposite of Balefire, The Flame of Tar Valon, kills M’Hael but over-extends herself in the process. She dies but takes not only M’Hael but all of the Sharan channelers with her.
Not to mention fills in the balefire-caused cracks with crystal.
Lan, with the Foxhead, kills Damandred by “sheathing the sword” of Damandred and then stabbing him in the throat. Lan does survive.
Olver could sound the horn because Mat’s death in an early book was reversed when Rand killed Mat’s killer with Balefire. His death broke his connection to the horn. So that meant anyone could have sounded the horn for most of the series.
Noal saves Olver from the Trollocs because after his death he was bound to the horn.
Mat used the villagers of Hinderstrap to attack the Dam. After they were all killed and lost the first time, at dawn the next day, their curse to always have them wake up in their beds, allowed them to go mad once more and break the dam just when needed. This was a marvelous “Gun on the Wall”
Aviendha killed a Compulsion-filled Rhuarc
Fain, with yet another new name (Shaisam), first appears on 865
Alanna released Rand’s bond before she dies, sparing him the madness.
The sounding of the horn called dead wolf heroes too. I expected Hopper, but dying in The Wolf Dream is permanent
Perrin finally kills Slayer
Mat was immune to the mist that comes with Fain/Mordeth because he’d been healed from the effects of the dagger. So he kills Fain with said dagger.
Min figured out they should use the flaw of Callandor to trick Moridin into grabbing it and thus being controlled by Moiraine and Nyneave. Then Rand links with all of them, feeds Saidar, The True Power, and Saidin into The Dark One.
An unravelled Gateway turned Graendal;s Compulsion back on her and she’s Avhiendha’s.
Logain breaks The Seals
Perrin’s love for Faile frees him from Lanfear’s Compulsion, then he kills her before she can kill
Moiraine and Nyneave, saving The Great Lord.
Rand uses all three powers not to seal the Dark One back in the Bore but to close it so thoroughly that it’s as if it had never been opened.
Moghedien gets leashed by a sul’dam after the battle ends.
I thought we’d meet Birgitte’s Gaidal. We don’t.
Cadsuane becomes the new Amyrlin
Rand’s soul swaps bodies with Moridin.
Cadsuane might know Rand survived by going into Moridin’s body. Most people are suspicious because his three warders don’t go mad.
Rand’s new body can’t touch any of the three powers. But he apparently can’t directly manipulate The Pattern. He did think his pipe alight.
The story ends with a description of wind like the books always begin with one. But this time it’s not “not a beginning” but not “not an ending”.
chloeshawe's review against another edition
5.0
It’s been a long time since a book hurt as much as this one did