At the End of "The Wheel of Time" (no spoilers)

I don't even know where to begin. I put down my book and felt... speechless. In a good way.

I have loved these people and these books for 15 years. Last January, I started re-reading "The Eye of the World", and was surprised by how much it felt like visiting good friends I hadn't seen in years. Now, all these months later, having finished "A Memory of Light", I am left feeling satisfied, enriched and... oddly, refreshed. (Maybe from all that crying!)

I Think I Know How It Ends

I don't usually voice my predictions. I don't like being wrong, especially publicly. But I think I know how Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson will end "The Wheel of Time". Not scene-wise, but the actual last bit of the book...

WOT Worries Me...

In less than a week, the long-long-looooong awaited release of "A Memory of Light" will be here. And I'm nervous. Tickly-stomach nervous. I've been reading the "Wheel of Time" (or WOT) books for 15 years, since my brother introduced them to me in 1997, and now they are finally, at long last, coming to a close. 

Book Review: The Fires of Heaven

This is not the first time I've read this book, but I still enjoyed it very much. I'm still not sure what the title refers to... sometimes I miss the obvious. And sometimes I think authors toss words into a hat and draw some out to create titles of fantasy fiction novels. 

The climactic scene with Nynaeve and Moghedien is one of my favorite scenes in the entire series. The first time I read it, I SO didn't see what happens coming, and the surprise and cleverness was a thrill to read. I also like the stuff with Rand and Aviendha-- I think she's my favorite of his girlfriends. I did miss Perrin, though. This is the first book where one of our main characters doesn't have a story, I think, and it's too bad.

I also like many of the other scenes, but this time through I was struck by how repetitive some of the characters' inner dialogues feel. Maybe it's because I'm listening to them, so the pace is much slower than when I read the book version, or maybe it's just that Rand is in the early stages of his whiny-depressed-I-gotta-be-hard-as-stone phase. I look forward to the next few books, and hopefully there is less repetition. I've read them so many times that every time the characters describe how the One Power works, or what an Angreal is, I want to pull out my hair. And since I'm listening to the audio versions, I can't just skim through those paragraphs. I'm also thinking that if I had a nickel for every time a woman "folded her arms under her breasts", I'd have many a nickel. ;)

The story does move forward here in book 5, with Rand becoming more and more the leader he wants to be, the Aiel doing some cool stuff, and Siuan & Leane and Nynaeve and Elayne regrouping with the outcast Aes Sedai. I personally don't like the storyline with Morgase, and I almost wish she had been killed, or just faded into the background, because (SEMI-SPOILER) she seems to go nowhere for the remainder of the series, and I don't much care what she does next. And, in spite of all these years of reading and talking about the WOT series, I still don't know who killed a certain Forsaken at the end of this book, even though Robert Jordan said it should be obvious. Obtuse=Me.

Otherwise, though, a good, necessary installment in the series. Now on to book 6!

Booyah!

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Today I finished the 4th book of the "Wheel of Time" series. Have I told you about my undying devotion and affection for this book series? Why yes, I have!

I had forgotten how much I love this book. I was thinking the second or third book was my favorite, but no, it's this one. Perrin and Faile's storyline is incredible. I love Rand's visit to the Aiel Waste and Nynaeve's first run-in with Moghedein. So many wonderful twists in the stories and some wonderful resolutions (Perrin... again. I love Perrin.) Oh, and Mat. Mat's character development is layered and I love how loyal he is to Rand, in spite of wanting to run away and escape the pull of Ta'veren. I hate and love what happens to him in Rhuidian, too. Such a good book!!!

If you haven't read these books, I do recommend them. To everyone I meet. They are clean- no language or graphic naughtiness, and the characters are loveable and authentic and amazing. The way Robert Jordan wove the various stories and characters together was magical.

I have friends who say, "I don't like fantasy" and don't give them a look. That's fine, but I really do recommend them to everyone. They are just that good. And how can you not like fantasy? Did you like Harry Potter? Cinderella? Anything with magic is considered fantasy, but it's not all wand-waving and latin-based hocus-pocus. Anyway, if you've ever liked anything other than romance or westerns, you will probably like these. And if you don't, please don't tell me. My brain might explode from trying to wrap my head around something so impossible. :)