WoT: The Gathering Storm

[Vendrin]

I don't know if there any other wheel of time fans out there, present or former, but the latest book written by Brandon Sanderson after Robert Jordan's death delivers.

Finally wrapping up resolved plot lines and moving forward in an amazing way. I don't know if it's what Jordan intended, but Sanderson does what Jordan should have done long ago. And with the last two books to be released each fall for the next two years, it will finally be finished.

I highly recommend taking a look if your a past fan, current fan or on the edge.

[danielmn]

I was seriously sad the day Jordan died, as I have always enjoyed his complex plotlines and twists and turns of ten to twenty this way and that then all coming back together....

Looking forward to this.

[dergon darkhelm]

I stalled out at the beginning of book 8 ............maybe I'll try to pick it up again. (alhough I'll probably need a 10 refresher course on characters, subplots and geography to remember all the detail)

[Vendrin]

I'd suggest a complete reread if you need it Dergon, but honestly you should pick up quickly enough just from reading 8 on.

[Rotku]

Complete reread? That's a scary idea. I think I stalled out at the same place as you there Dergon. Just got to the stage where nothing seemed to be happening and no end in sight. I guess now that there finally is an end I might bring myself to finish it... but not any time in the near future.

[Vendrin]

I guess it depends on how fast you read. I'm able to sit down and read a book in the series in about 5 hours. So for me a complete reread takes about 2 weeks.

[dergon darkhelm]

If you ignore any chapter that doesn't with either Rand, Matt or Perrin it goes a lot faster.

Too much "smoothing of skirts" and "tugging on braids" in the XX chromosomal dominant portions.

[Malacand]

I've read the first book in the series and really enjoyed it. Then I heard how each subsequent book seemed to drag the plot on and on and I never decided to continue with the series.

[Brokenbone]

I can't think of any series of books that I've quit once begun, except for WoT. Dergon nailed it with the "tugging of braids" bit, the number of plots was just absolutely out of control, and it's not like they were all interesting either. Quantity over quality type of thing.

If someone's taken up the reins and cleaning stuff up, I don't know, maybe I'd somehow get turned onto it again.

[Vendrin]

Brandon has definitely cleaned things up, some in ways Jordan certainly would have I think, but that's good thing as it happens quickly.

[NickD]

I don't think Jordan liked women very much. All his female characters are either complete bitches or submissives. Or both.

[Vendrin]

I don't think Jordan liked women very much. All his female characters are either complete bitches or submissives. Or both.

I think he liked them to much. Strong women and all, as all the women in the book were supposedly based off women in his real life.

[NickD]

I had trouble getting through the prologue, with the repetition, over-use of metaphors and similies, the repetition, the excessive use of italics and the repetition.

But after that, I found the book a lot more readable.

I found the characters in this book a lot more relatable than I have in previous volumes. I don't know if that's the writing, or if it was intended. My memories of Jordan's writing are a bit hazy, so maybe I'm just not recalling correctly how different or similar the writing is, but things like Rand still being an annoying angsty goth, is nicely countered with passages deliving more into why he is that way and how he is more self aware than the other books made him out to be, and that makes him a bit more of a sympathetic character. The female characters are not as bitchy in this one either. Egwene in particular, I think. And Nynavene is toned down as well.

Of course I could just be remembering wrong... It's been a long time since I read the last book.

As for the negatives... I think Brandon can be as subtle as a blow to the head with a hammer. Spring is supposed to be here. But nothing is growing. Everything is rotting. I get it! You don't have to remind me every few pages! I'm not so sure after the last chapter now... but half way through the book, it really started to look like Rand is being made into a Darth Vader character. There were a number of events in the book that made me think that Rand is really the Dark One, and it is his destiny to kill himself (the himself that became the Dark One during the last turn of the wheel) then seal himself away.

And worst of all, there was not enough focus on Mat. I would be happy with an entire book devoted to Mat.

Overall, a good book and good addition to the series.

[Joos]

I picked it up a couple of weeks ago with a significant amount of trepidation. I haven't yet gotten around to reading it but from what I read in this thread gives me good vibes.

[Arkan Bladesinger]

Read it some time ago and overall I´d say it was pretty great book. Had to refresh my memories by rereading the earlier chapters, but that I did sometime around spring when I expected it to come out even sooner.

Things are finally moving in the plot and there´s a palpable feeling of them reaching the end as well. I think Sanderson has adapted his style to Jordan´s creative work quite well and, while Nick´s example of "subtlety" can be seen in some parts, the text itself rolls forward lots smoother than in previous books.

I´m quite satisfied and looking forward to the last two books.