Finally finished The Gathering Storm

Jason
Thursday
9:16 pm

Remember way back in October when all your heard me speak about was the impending release Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson’s The Gathering Storm, book 12 of the Wheel of Time series?

Remember how I got to be a really cool Storm Leader at a signing shortly after its release? Even Tor Books was nice enough to get me a copy a week early so I could read it and let you know how it was?

Well two nights ago I finally finished it, a cool four and a half months after the fact. I know, I know. Fail.

Its that whole slow reading thing, along with a break I took to read the new George R.R. Martin novella. Then there is the weekly comics as well. And mix in the laziness factor, and well now you know why we are creeping up on five months.

But I will fulfill my promise to let you know what I thought of the book.

First and foremost, even though it is obvious that Robert Jordan did not write most of the book, it is a great return to the world of The Wheel of Time. Sanderson did the series justice in The Gathering Storm, laying the ground work for a great run through the final two books of the series.

Jordan was a master at environment. A two page exposition on the way a field of grass looked and smell would have never surprised me. I love it. But Sanderson’s writing style is different from what WoT fans were used to reading. Not that the writing style is bad, it is just different. And sometimes that difference was evident as I made my way through the book.

The book itself has its ups and downs as well. Whether that was in the exposition, the plot or the writing, some things made me cheer and some others made me grumble under my breath. So what were my ups and downs?

Ups

• It had been four years since I was last able to see what was going on in the Wheel of Time. Loved to be able to finally know what was going on with the characters I had invested so much time with. Well worth the wait if I must say so.
• One of the biggest beefs readers had with the later books in the Wheel of Time series was all the loose threads going on in the world and no idea when, or if, they were going to start wrapping up. Well you know what? They started wrapping up. Egwene al’Vere and the White Tower was resolved, which was a major bonus feather in Sanderson’s cap in the way he wrote that particular story. The whole Siuan Sanche and Gareth Byrne lusting came to a resolution as well. And those pesky rumors about Verin Mathwin finally had some light shed on them. Things are winding down indeed.
• Sanderson writes in a different style yes. However it is not intrusive to the overall book. Matter of fact, the action of the book draws you in so much so that you forget who is writing and you are just in the Wheel of Time.
• We can be pretty certain that I don’t have to wait another four years for the next book. Sanderson has proven to be a workhorse of a writer in his young career and for that I am thankful. And if it all goes truly as he says, we should have the last book within two years.

Downs

• Like I said before, I miss the nature of Jordan’s writing. Man was a genius.
• I wanted more Perrin Aybara and Mat Cauthon, two of the original big three characters.
• Mat was made somewhat of a little whiny bitch. He has the brain of generals past, but is reduced to moaning about this and that.
• Same goes for Rand al’Thor. All dark and moody. Who ordered emo boy to show up?
• While Sanderson nailed the White Tower storyline, the Aiel are an afterthought in this book. Very weird considering how much of a role they have played up to this point. Same to a certain extent with the Seanchan. I am wondering if maybe the high structure of each society was difficult to grasp in such a short time.

But in the end the ups far outweigh the downs. And for that I give two thumbs up to The Gathering Storm, Sanderson, and to Jordan’s legacy intact and going strong.