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A review by kimberlyroses
A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson
3.0
😭😭😭
Yes, this series has many issues. No, I do not care. I would read the word "bosomy" another 50 times to experience reading this series for the first time again. Robert Jordan has some weird thoughts on gender, but the Aes Sedai are some of the most complex, dynamic female characters I've ever read.
My Favorite Things:
• I love Nynaeve, Moiraine, and Siuan so much. These 3 are some of my top characters of all time. I love women with flaws, but Nynaeve can do no wrong. I will never forgive Moiraine (and neither should he) for what she did to Lan, but I still love her. Siuan's pre-Sanderson journey is the best in the series. Honorable mentions for Verin!!! and Elayne. Can't wait to reread Verin's everything. Stick Elayne with anyone and I will not be able to put the book down. Even her useless brother.
•The exploration of perspective and culture differences in this series is unmatched. I could not stand the Aiel in the beginning of Shadow Rising, but I started crying when the wise ones came back in Gathering Storm. I know people hated the Perrin/Faile storylin,e but I will take the same cultural differences/I don't understand why you're mad at me fight and be confused for 300 pages every time Robert Jordan gives it to us.
•I don't know how I ended up loving Rand and Mat? They were my least favorites of the squad but by the end Mat is one of my favorites?? How did Mat become charming? Genuinely don't know where my opinion of him flipped, it's so subtle. And Rand, the chosen one, the character I have never liked in any book, is so sweet and innocent? I even liked loyal, honorable Perrin, typically my least favorite archetype.
•The secondary characters in this series are all so fleshed out. Every single named character could have gotten their own 700 page book and it would not have been out of place.
•I love Robert Jordan's long descriptions. This series could have been 20 books and the world still would have felt vast with unanswered questions and unexplored peoples. The slog is a lie. I will read any and all Aes Sedai scheming, no matter how mundane. Verin's big scene would have lost something if we were not skimming and half listening to descriptions of clothing like Egwene.
•I love that all the characters ended up paired up. Why wouldn't they? They've all been traveling with ta'veren (yes, even Thom and Moiraine). Top ships: Lan/Nynaeve, Moiraine/Siuan, Elayne/Aviendha, Mat/Tuon, Galad/Berelain.
•I have spent my entire life begging for *real* enemies to lovers where the villain is truly evil. I've also always wanted the enemy to be a woman. Robert Jordan delivered and I still don't know how to feel about it. The way I was charmed by their games to have Tuon remind us who she is. Absolutely brilliant writing; the Seanchan scared the shit out of me. Had to remove my blue nail polish in the early Seanchan chapters because I felt so icky. Outriggers would've been fantastic.
Best Parts of the Series:
•Moiraine and Siuan as accepted
•Nynaeve goes through the 3 arches
•Valan Luca's Grand Traveling Show and Magnificent Display of Marvelous Wonders
•Moiraine in Fires of Heaven
•Siuan's stilling & healing
•Avienda and Brigitte force Nynaeve and Elayne to thank Mat
•A Visit From Verin Sedai
•Mat/Thom/Noal save Moiraine
•The Golden Crane flies for Tarmon Gai'don!
As for this book, finishing up such a well-loved and complicated series is difficult. I think Sanderson did the best that could have been done. Some parts of the books I loved, but unfortunately Sanderson's writing strengths are very different than Jordan's so it was clear where partials were used and where Sanderson was filling in. Some of my favorite characters were lost to characters whose stories needed to be wrapped up quickly or to the fighting characters needed for the last battle. The technicalities of the last battle were fantastic, but the thing I always loved about this series is how battle scenes weren't glorified (Brigitte beheaded?! Why are we threatening to cut out Elayne's children?!). In previous battle scenes I came out feeling confused and exhausted and felt the characters trauma. If Robert Jordan had written these we would've had an entire book of Lan realizing they weren't going to be able to hold the gap.
Sanderson prefers fun, fast-paced battles and prioritized that over some of the human moments (like a Rand/Elayne/Aviendha/Min moment, Lan and Moiraine fight, Emonds Fielders reunion, or a Mat and his father reunion). I love this series, but I don't think I'll ever be able to move past Mat just rolling over and letting Tuon keep the damane captive after he rescued the Aes Sedai and Seafolk in Altara. Similarly, Siuan's death felt like a checklist item. With so many perspectives in this series, we needed to see more people's fates (i.e. Leane, Myrelle, Caraline). We needed more of the Seafolk and the Kin in general at the end. 200 pages in Path of Daggers was spend finding the bowl for it to be used as a big player once? No male channelers involved?
Sanderson did a great job with Perrin; I loved Faile's story line wrapping up with the horn (but did not love her getting sidelined in battle, she's a borderlander!). Egwene was great in the last few books, but it did ultimately feel like she was missing something. Gwayne is annoying, but I love to see him and Galad failing where Lan succeeded. We really see why Moirainne would not let him go, truly the best warder. Lan's battle prowess in this book was fantastic, love *the moment* we've been waiting for with him since his advice to Rand in Great Hunt. Don't understand why he flipped so quickly on holding the gap after we spent 12 books (and a prequel!) watching him stay consistent, but things needed to be wrapped up.
•The exploration of perspective and culture differences in this series is unmatched. I could not stand the Aiel in the beginning of Shadow Rising, but I started crying when the wise ones came back in Gathering Storm. I know people hated the Perrin/Faile storylin,e but I will take the same cultural differences/I don't understand why you're mad at me fight and be confused for 300 pages every time Robert Jordan gives it to us.
•I don't know how I ended up loving Rand and Mat? They were my least favorites of the squad but by the end Mat is one of my favorites?? How did Mat become charming? Genuinely don't know where my opinion of him flipped, it's so subtle. And Rand, the chosen one, the character I have never liked in any book, is so sweet and innocent? I even liked loyal, honorable Perrin, typically my least favorite archetype.
•The secondary characters in this series are all so fleshed out. Every single named character could have gotten their own 700 page book and it would not have been out of place.
•I love Robert Jordan's long descriptions. This series could have been 20 books and the world still would have felt vast with unanswered questions and unexplored peoples. The slog is a lie. I will read any and all Aes Sedai scheming, no matter how mundane. Verin's big scene would have lost something if we were not skimming and half listening to descriptions of clothing like Egwene.
•I love that all the characters ended up paired up. Why wouldn't they? They've all been traveling with ta'veren (yes, even Thom and Moiraine). Top ships: Lan/Nynaeve, Moiraine/Siuan, Elayne/Aviendha, Mat/Tuon, Galad/Berelain.
•I have spent my entire life begging for *real* enemies to lovers where the villain is truly evil. I've also always wanted the enemy to be a woman. Robert Jordan delivered and I still don't know how to feel about it. The way I was charmed by their games to have Tuon remind us who she is. Absolutely brilliant writing; the Seanchan scared the shit out of me. Had to remove my blue nail polish in the early Seanchan chapters because I felt so icky. Outriggers would've been fantastic.
Best Parts of the Series:
•Moiraine and Siuan as accepted
•Nynaeve goes through the 3 arches
•Valan Luca's Grand Traveling Show and Magnificent Display of Marvelous Wonders
•Moiraine in Fires of Heaven
•Siuan's stilling & healing
•Avienda and Brigitte force Nynaeve and Elayne to thank Mat
•A Visit From Verin Sedai
•Mat/Thom/Noal save Moiraine
•The Golden Crane flies for Tarmon Gai'don!
As for this book, finishing up such a well-loved and complicated series is difficult. I think Sanderson did the best that could have been done. Some parts of the books I loved, but unfortunately Sanderson's writing strengths are very different than Jordan's so it was clear where partials were used and where Sanderson was filling in. Some of my favorite characters were lost to characters whose stories needed to be wrapped up quickly or to the fighting characters needed for the last battle. The technicalities of the last battle were fantastic, but the thing I always loved about this series is how battle scenes weren't glorified (Brigitte beheaded?! Why are we threatening to cut out Elayne's children?!). In previous battle scenes I came out feeling confused and exhausted and felt the characters trauma. If Robert Jordan had written these we would've had an entire book of Lan realizing they weren't going to be able to hold the gap.
Sanderson prefers fun, fast-paced battles and prioritized that over some of the human moments (like a Rand/Elayne/Aviendha/Min moment, Lan and Moiraine fight, Emonds Fielders reunion, or a Mat and his father reunion). I love this series, but I don't think I'll ever be able to move past Mat just rolling over and letting Tuon keep the damane captive after he rescued the Aes Sedai and Seafolk in Altara. Similarly, Siuan's death felt like a checklist item. With so many perspectives in this series, we needed to see more people's fates (i.e. Leane, Myrelle, Caraline). We needed more of the Seafolk and the Kin in general at the end. 200 pages in Path of Daggers was spend finding the bowl for it to be used as a big player once? No male channelers involved?
Sanderson did a great job with Perrin; I loved Faile's story line wrapping up with the horn (but did not love her getting sidelined in battle, she's a borderlander!). Egwene was great in the last few books, but it did ultimately feel like she was missing something. Gwayne is annoying, but I love to see him and Galad failing where Lan succeeded. We really see why Moirainne would not let him go, truly the best warder. Lan's battle prowess in this book was fantastic, love *the moment* we've been waiting for with him since his advice to Rand in Great Hunt. Don't understand why he flipped so quickly on holding the gap after we spent 12 books (and a prequel!) watching him stay consistent, but things needed to be wrapped up.
Can't wait to reread my favorite parts a million times. I can feel this series become my adult Twilight. The wheel turns and ages come and pass :(
Final Ranking of the series (will probably change upon reread):
1. The Fires of Heaven
2. The Shadow Rising
3. The Dragon Reborn
4. A Crown of Swords
5. The Eye of the World
6. New Spring
7. The Great Hunt
8. Knife of Dreams
9. Winter's Heart
10. Lord of Chaos
11. The Gathering Storm
12. Crossroads of Twilight
13. Path of Daggers
14. Towers of Midnight
15. A Memory of Light
Final Ranking of the series (will probably change upon reread):
1. The Fires of Heaven
2. The Shadow Rising
3. The Dragon Reborn
4. A Crown of Swords
5. The Eye of the World
6. New Spring
7. The Great Hunt
8. Knife of Dreams
9. Winter's Heart
10. Lord of Chaos
11. The Gathering Storm
12. Crossroads of Twilight
13. Path of Daggers
14. Towers of Midnight
15. A Memory of Light