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(Wheel of Time, Book Twelve)
"Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, struggles to unite a fractured network of kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. As he attempts to halt the Seanchan encroachment northward, his allies watch in terror the shadow that seems to be growing within the heart of the Dragon Reborn himself.
Egwene al'Vere is a captive of the White Tower and subject to the whims of their tyrannical leader. As days tick toward the Seanchan attack, Egwene works to hold together the factions of Aes Sedai and decide the future of the White Tower -- and possibly the world itself." (From the CD container.)
Twelve down, two more to go! The Wheel of Time series can be hot and cold for me. The first three are to this day some of my favorite books I've ever read. After that, the series got dull for me -- too many details without enough action. I re-read all the books before Book Eleven came out a couple of years ago, and once I was finished I wondered if I really cared enough to keep going, especially in light of the passing of the original author, Robert Jordan. But once I had invested that much time and effort it seemed a shame not to continue to the end.
I'm glad I've chosen to do so. With the end in sight, things are coming back together and getting exciting again. I think Brandon Sanderson has done a great job of continuing the series in a recognizable style. My only complaint is that I was hoping he'd stop all the ridiculous spanking that goes on for "punishments". I mean seriously, spanking one of The Forsaken?? And she actually begins to break? Please. That really is taking it beyond too far.
Aside from that, if you're a fan of The Wheel of Time or had been at one time, The Gathering Storm
, while still as wordy as the rest, feels like it is bringing back the excitement I felt when I first began with The Eye of the World
. Nice job, Mr. Sanderson! I'll be awaiting to final two books more anxiously than I thought I would!
5 comments:
The spanking was all RJ - it was in his notes so Sanderson had to put it in, it's not his choice to make really. (I've read/seen a few interviews where it's menitioned - I believe it made him rather uncomfortable, actually.) It did go quite quickly with Semi - but I think if it had gone on longer (even if it was off-camera so to speak) it would have disrupted the timeline.
LRK
LRK ~ Thank you for letting me know! I thought it was probably something like that. But I still had hopes, you know? :-) I've thought the whole spanking issue silly throughout the series and have actually found it annoyingly distracting considering the serious matters the characters are confronted with. But that's just me, and it certainly hasn't stopped me from reading the books.
I admire you. "too many details without enough action"- exactly what I felt (and add in too many characters, as well! I only made it through five books before I gave up. It just felt like too much work, and I wasn't enjoying it anymore.
Sounds like the author is really against spankings- making it such a prominent form of chastisement. I wonder why.
I think you already know how I feel about this book. :) I'm glad to see someone else reviewing it! And like you I'm excited about the final two books - can't wait!
Jeane ~ I ended up listening to most of them via audiobook. I knew I'd never make it otherwise. As far as the spanking, I thought maybe it was just some weird guy fantasy thing, like Rand's multiple relationships. ;-)
Heather ~ I thought of you when I posted this. :-) I really did enjoy this one much more than the last few. It's coming together nicely!
Lezlie
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