Helpful Score: 2
The fear to read the awaited book can be let go. Most the time I could completely forget Brandon's involvement. Oddly, the biggest miss was someone "put the message away" instead of "tucked into [his] belt." (For some reason, I miss the references to hitching, draping, wrapping shawls.) There are some little things missing or different, but they are small are not distracting. The charactors, their relationships, and the world in general is consistant. RJ must have left excellent notes and pieces, it was a smooth transition.
Helpful Score: 1
I have been waiting for this book to be written since the last book was published in 2005. I don't know why I have been so addicted to this series since my attention span for books usually doesn't expand beyond a few thousand pages. But I love it and therefore I read it. I even got most of the Melot family hooked on them as well ... MuHA ha haha ha ha ha ha! cough cough cough. (darn asthma reeks havoc on evil laughing.) Ahem! ...Anyway, this here is my review and some thoughts and feelings, on Wheel of Time Book 12: The Gathering Storm.
I finished reading this book last night. around 9:30 pm. I have been reading it since 10/29/09 off and on in the evenings and a little during my lunch breaks. It wasn't terribly hard to set down and go do something else until I hit the Egwene chapters.
As a whole, this book was pretty good. I do have some complaints about it, mainly the over use of metaphors. I think it averaged out to about one per page for the 766 pages of the novel. Oh, and SO MANY sentences that were formed as questions that I personally felt that it didn't need. It drove me crazy... this is like that. That is like this. what are the heroes to do?
Please, Please, Please find some other way to describe something other then the usage of metaphors, similes and leading questions! I can, and I'm not even a professional writer! ugh!
There was also a lot of redundancies, one paragraph would say the exact same thing as the one above it just worded differently. Once you state the point of what you're saying, move on, it doesn't need to be repeated six times. The people reading the WOT series are smart enough to get it on the first run through.
Another thing I also hated, but can get over, is that the author re-introduced all the characters giving a brief back story to all of them taking up so much time that could have been spent furthering the plot.... but on the other hand out of the 11 previous books there were times when it became annoying when characters would appear again after 3 or 4 books of not being on screen and you have to stop and say "wait, am I supposed to know this person??" Robert Jordan believed that his readers were smart enough to figure it out, and Brandon Sanderson seems to be dumbing it all down a little too much.
For the most part I did enjoy the book. I was enthralled by White Tower plot line and the things that were revealed. This story arc above all others in all the novels has kept my attention the most. I desperately wanted the struggles to be resolved and the way it happened (finally!) was pretty good and I was satisfied. There were some nice ends to some smaller plot lines that fit into the White Tower arc, and a revelation about a certain Aes Sedai that I had pretty much put together for myself over the years.
There were some characters in the book that were a little off from how Robert Jordan had written them. Aviendha was a bit whinny for me. Perrin seemed too dismissive. Rand is just a plain ol' jerk (that's nothing new, just a different perspective of it) Thom was too broody... and even though there was ample room to let some other minor characters shine they were just kind of glazed over. I have heard a lot of complaints about Mat's character, but for the most part I found him to still be okay for the most part. But I have always thought that Mat was well written because that is the character that maybe Robert Jordan had based on himself, so having someone else come in and take over a character that was someone else's personal image in writing it is bound to make the character different. Thus it is for all of the WOT people. They are being written by someone else so they're different because that's how Brandon Sanderson has written them.
I found the end of the book hard to read. It really lost my attention at some points and I found myself reading the same pages more then once because I just couldn't focus. I guess I just didn't really care what happened to the character at that point after all the build up and all the stupid that I read throughout the entire book. Really!?! that's it? Grr.
But like I said. As a WHOLE, I did enjoy the book. I cried a little, I laughed a little and I spent too many nights up way past the time I should have been asleep. I'm still looking forward to reading the Towers of Midnight a year from now, hopefully by the time it comes out they'll have edited out all the useless writing flaws and have a great penultimate book for us fans to read... I'm waiting.
I finished reading this book last night. around 9:30 pm. I have been reading it since 10/29/09 off and on in the evenings and a little during my lunch breaks. It wasn't terribly hard to set down and go do something else until I hit the Egwene chapters.
As a whole, this book was pretty good. I do have some complaints about it, mainly the over use of metaphors. I think it averaged out to about one per page for the 766 pages of the novel. Oh, and SO MANY sentences that were formed as questions that I personally felt that it didn't need. It drove me crazy... this is like that. That is like this. what are the heroes to do?
Please, Please, Please find some other way to describe something other then the usage of metaphors, similes and leading questions! I can, and I'm not even a professional writer! ugh!
There was also a lot of redundancies, one paragraph would say the exact same thing as the one above it just worded differently. Once you state the point of what you're saying, move on, it doesn't need to be repeated six times. The people reading the WOT series are smart enough to get it on the first run through.
Another thing I also hated, but can get over, is that the author re-introduced all the characters giving a brief back story to all of them taking up so much time that could have been spent furthering the plot.... but on the other hand out of the 11 previous books there were times when it became annoying when characters would appear again after 3 or 4 books of not being on screen and you have to stop and say "wait, am I supposed to know this person??" Robert Jordan believed that his readers were smart enough to figure it out, and Brandon Sanderson seems to be dumbing it all down a little too much.
For the most part I did enjoy the book. I was enthralled by White Tower plot line and the things that were revealed. This story arc above all others in all the novels has kept my attention the most. I desperately wanted the struggles to be resolved and the way it happened (finally!) was pretty good and I was satisfied. There were some nice ends to some smaller plot lines that fit into the White Tower arc, and a revelation about a certain Aes Sedai that I had pretty much put together for myself over the years.
There were some characters in the book that were a little off from how Robert Jordan had written them. Aviendha was a bit whinny for me. Perrin seemed too dismissive. Rand is just a plain ol' jerk (that's nothing new, just a different perspective of it) Thom was too broody... and even though there was ample room to let some other minor characters shine they were just kind of glazed over. I have heard a lot of complaints about Mat's character, but for the most part I found him to still be okay for the most part. But I have always thought that Mat was well written because that is the character that maybe Robert Jordan had based on himself, so having someone else come in and take over a character that was someone else's personal image in writing it is bound to make the character different. Thus it is for all of the WOT people. They are being written by someone else so they're different because that's how Brandon Sanderson has written them.
I found the end of the book hard to read. It really lost my attention at some points and I found myself reading the same pages more then once because I just couldn't focus. I guess I just didn't really care what happened to the character at that point after all the build up and all the stupid that I read throughout the entire book. Really!?! that's it? Grr.
But like I said. As a WHOLE, I did enjoy the book. I cried a little, I laughed a little and I spent too many nights up way past the time I should have been asleep. I'm still looking forward to reading the Towers of Midnight a year from now, hopefully by the time it comes out they'll have edited out all the useless writing flaws and have a great penultimate book for us fans to read... I'm waiting.
Helpful Score: 1
I'll admit it--it took me weeks to read this book. For me it was slow to start, and this is really not my favorite series. . . but I stuck with it, and I'm glad! First of all, if you've made it this far (like me) you pretty much HAVE to keep reading. Second of all, although I really respect Robert Jordan's ideas and the mythology he created in the Wheel of Time, but I greatly prefer the writing style of Brandon Sanderson. As you go along, you may notice that the exposition is less plodding, and the characters less cartoonish and idiosyncratic than Jordan typically portrayed them. I mean really--does Nynaeve have any mannerisms other than yanking her braid? Enough. Kudos to Sanderson.
"The Gathering Storm", 700+ page book is the first THIRD of the final volume of the WoT called "A Memory of Light." In it, Egwene is stoically enduring her continued punishment by the White Tower, maintaining her assertion of being the true Amyrlin, and steadily gaining support against Elaida. We also spend a bit of time with Aviendha and her frustrating attempt to earn her place among the Wise Ones. But most of the story revolves around Rand and his rather depressing view that Tarmon Guidon is coming soon, as he prepares to fight the final battle and die in the process. He attempts to unify all the nations, and ally with the Seanchan armies (we see a bit of Tuon) to provide a united front against the Dark Lord. He finds a new level of power--and a deep coldness within himself along with a mistrust of everyone as his mental stability deteriorates. Gawyn, Perrin, and Mat have brief, almost cameo, appearances. Sanderson does well in "reminding" you who everyone is, so rereading the preceding eleven books is not necessary! Dig in and hold on for the long-anticipated conclusion.
"The Gathering Storm", 700+ page book is the first THIRD of the final volume of the WoT called "A Memory of Light." In it, Egwene is stoically enduring her continued punishment by the White Tower, maintaining her assertion of being the true Amyrlin, and steadily gaining support against Elaida. We also spend a bit of time with Aviendha and her frustrating attempt to earn her place among the Wise Ones. But most of the story revolves around Rand and his rather depressing view that Tarmon Guidon is coming soon, as he prepares to fight the final battle and die in the process. He attempts to unify all the nations, and ally with the Seanchan armies (we see a bit of Tuon) to provide a united front against the Dark Lord. He finds a new level of power--and a deep coldness within himself along with a mistrust of everyone as his mental stability deteriorates. Gawyn, Perrin, and Mat have brief, almost cameo, appearances. Sanderson does well in "reminding" you who everyone is, so rereading the preceding eleven books is not necessary! Dig in and hold on for the long-anticipated conclusion.
Helpful Score: 1
Sanderson's style is not Jordan's, but that's not all bad. His prose is easier to read. And the story progresses as it should, faster than it probably would have, had Jordan actually shepherded it to completion. The whole gang's here and in the general moods and with the same personal affectations and traits as Jordan imbued them with all those years ago. Nynaeve is still cranky and easily angered., and determioned to help Lan keep from sacrificing his life to no purpose. Egwene is still determined but vulnerable. Lan is still the Clint Eastwood/John Wayne tough guy, but perhaps a little more emotive than previously. Without giving away the story line.....I mean you've waited years for it to continue...Rand's tiptoe around insanity continues...as the Two Rivers folk worry more and more about him...and his emotional withdrawal from people.
And the Seanchan are up to no-good in their opposition to every existing country and even the White Tower itself. Can Egwene al'Vere hold the Aes Sedai together? And what's this about the possible return of Morraine ...and her love? for Thom Merrilyn. Some answered. Some not. But it's fun reading. Recommendation...if you've got the time, and assuming you've already read the previous 12 books, go back and read them again....then read this volume. It's much more fun to have everything fresh in your mind...when this book opens. But you can read it as a stand alone story...it only hooks you for the final two books coming out this year and next, provided Sanderson's creative juices continue to flow A good start toward a conclusion, with still more plot twists and characters that made the series so popular. Bravo Brandon.
And the Seanchan are up to no-good in their opposition to every existing country and even the White Tower itself. Can Egwene al'Vere hold the Aes Sedai together? And what's this about the possible return of Morraine ...and her love? for Thom Merrilyn. Some answered. Some not. But it's fun reading. Recommendation...if you've got the time, and assuming you've already read the previous 12 books, go back and read them again....then read this volume. It's much more fun to have everything fresh in your mind...when this book opens. But you can read it as a stand alone story...it only hooks you for the final two books coming out this year and next, provided Sanderson's creative juices continue to flow A good start toward a conclusion, with still more plot twists and characters that made the series so popular. Bravo Brandon.
