The Wheel of Time is complete!

[Dr. Tachyon]

I caved in and got the kindle version of The Gathering Storm. It's actually fun to read some WoT again after all those years but boy is Sanderson's writing bad. I don't think he can butcher WoT worse than Jordan himself did with the "middle books" but I wonder about the whole deal. Jordan used to state in no uncertain terms that this is what he didn't want. Did he really change his mind just before his death or did his wife ignore his wish? Tor obviously wants to maintain WoT as a franchise, so we'll probably get WoT books after memory of Light. Will be interesting to see what spin they put on those. Notes found in a deposit box?

[fionwe1987]

Oh please. Brandon Sanderson put more plot development in the prologue of the Gathering Storm than Robert Jordan put in the entirety of any of the later books except Knife of Dreams.

Except that none of those plot developments were Sanderson's, and much of the prologue was actually written by RJ.

I don't think Sanderson is writing fanfiction, or anything like the OP. I'm greatful for what he's doing. But I think anyone who thinks the events in the last two books are all Sanderson are just kidding themselves. The pace can be attributed to him, but where he used that well in tGS, in ToM, it was choppy and all over the place.

[Dr. Tachyon]

OK, here is my shot at what will happen in the last book. (Haven't read the last Sanderson book yet and only a fraction of the first. This is all based on Jordan's own books.)

Rand has to close the Bore. For that the patch must come off, then the Bore will be unmade, not just patched up. Rand will die in the effort but not be quite dead and somehow be resurrected by his women. He'll then settle the conflicts that divide Randland. I guess the madness will be gone after his resurrection.

Resealing of the Bore also marks the end of the 3rd Age. The balance of power between genders will be readjusted, as will be that between channelers and non-channelers. The political map will probably be redrawn, but as large chunks of the land are uninhabited there's space for everybody, Randlanders, Seanchan Return, and Aiel. Not sure about the White Tower but the prophecies hint at a union with the Ashaman. Or maybe they will both be dissolved... makes more sense, actually.

[Axiomatic]

My own idea is that it turns out Shai'tan is actually the Creator, who is made out of the One Power and the True Power, but the act of Creation leaves the One Power beyond his reach and accessible only to humans, which makes him a thing of the dark True Power only.

Rand reunites the two Powers, thereby destroying Shai'tan and recreating the Creator. The Creator laughs and says, "Well played, Lews Therin - next time, I'll play the Dragon and you'll play Shai'tan."

The wind blew across the slope of Dragonmount and out to the world. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

[Werthead]

I don't think he can butcher WoT worse than Jordan himself did with the "middle books" but I wonder about the whole deal. Jordan used to state in no uncertain terms that this is what he didn't want. Did he really change his mind just before his death or did his wife ignore his wish? Tor obviously wants to maintain WoT as a franchise, so we'll probably get WoT books after memory of Light. Will be interesting to see what spin they put on those. Notes found in a deposit box?

Jordan spent the last two years of his life specifically writing notes and summaries and, when he was too ill to do that, dictating notes and recording audio descriptions of the way the story was supposed to end and everything leading up to that. Whilst he hoped to live long enough to finish the book himself, he also made significant preperations for another writer to take over. Sure, he used to say that wouldn't happen, but faced with his impending mortality whilst he was so close (relatively) to the end made him change his mind.

Sanderson seems to have finally come down on the side of not wanting to work on any more WoT books after A Memory of Light. There are no real outlines or notes for the five books Jordan had planned, so Sanderson would have to write 'real' fanfiction to write them. More practically, Sanderson's solo career has taken off hugely, so it makes more sense for him (from a financial versus fan reception viewpoint) to keep working on his own material using the goodwill and expanded fanbase he's gained from WoT whilst not living out his welcome in the WoT setting. Last time I checked Sanderson had something like 24 books he's got planned to write, so he hasn't really got the time to hang about in the WoT universe anyway.

So I think we'll see the last book, the Harriet-written WoT encyclopedia a year later, and at some point further down the road maybe a book featuring RJ's notes. I hope Tor have enough integrity to leave it at that, but we'll see.

[The Winged Wolf Bran Stark]

And that they don't ask Kevin J. Anderson to milk the cash cow like the Dune series.

[Binadas Sengar]

Sanderson > last several WOT books!

[Wouter]

Jordan spent the last two years of his life specifically writing notes and summaries and, when he was too ill to do that, dictating notes and recording audio descriptions of the way the story was supposed to end and everything leading up to that. Whilst he hoped to live long enough to finish the book himself, he also made significant preperations for another writer to take over. Sure, he used to say that wouldn't happen, but faced with his impending mortality whilst he was so close (relatively) to the end made him change his mind.

Indeed, RJ did use to say he would never want another writer to finish his story (his hard discs and notes would be destroyed if he died, and so on), once he got ill and dying before the finishing became likely he quickly changed his tune and he did everything to see to it that his life's work would get finished.

I think there are some shades of this with GRRM as well; he did say "you"re shit out of luck if I die before finishing", but since HBO decided to use its option on ASOIAF he has shared info with Benioff and Weiss - IIRC from interviews even some of the ending, in broad strokes, is known to them. Should he ever find himself in the same position as RJ was in, I guess he would want the outcome of his story to be known as well (even if he likely wouldn't ever want a solution like WOT got).

I think Brandon Sanderson did an excellent job on his 2 WOT books so far (the "voice" of Mat in TGS excepted - he corrected that nicely in TOM, though) and I'm looking forward, with some trepidation, to the last one. I'm curious to see if RJ's ending will make sense in the end - especially looking for an explanation why the DO needs Rand alive (killing him still seems by far the easier option to win, even after what Rand nearly did at the end of TGS).

[End of Disc One]

Sanderson > last several WOT books!

Indeed. Easily the best WoT books since Lord of Chaos.

[me399]

Oh please. Brandon Sanderson put more plot development in the prologue of the Gathering Storm than Robert Jordan put in the entirety of any of the later books except Knife of Dreams.

I'm really glad to hear this. BS is the only reason I'm gonna undertake this series. I liked the first 4 books but I stopped there. I'm retreading all of them to see how BS finishes the series. I've read 4 of his books now, I really like them. I can see why he was picked to finish the series. It's a total shame Jordan could not finish himself but I'm looking forward to BS take on the series and I really want to see how he handles the ending. I think he finishes his books very strong and his action parts rock. Atleast Jordan outlined the end for him. I could totally see this happening to ASOIAF, I wonder who could finish off that series if anything ever happened to GRRM and he could not finish it himself. Any ideas? I love BS books but he would not make a good fit for ASoIaF, I wonder who would. I don't think anyone could capture grrm's voice for the characters.

[Axiomatic]

If you haven't, I really do advise you to read Jordan's Knife of Dreams. It was written after he learned he had heart problems, and realized he didn't have an infinite number of years to finish his series, so he stops fucking around, the pace picks up considerably, and the book is actually VERY GOOD as a result.

[Galactus]

I'm really glad to hear this. BS is the only reason I'm gonna undertake this series. I liked the first 4 books but I stopped there. I'm retreading all of them to see how BS finishes the series. I've read 4 of his books now, I really like them. I can see why he was picked to finish the series. It's a total shame Jordan could not finish himself but I'm looking forward to BS take on the series and I really want to see how he handles the ending. I think he finishes his books very strong and his action parts rock. Atleast Jordan outlined the end for him. I could totally see this happening to ASOIAF, I wonder who could finish off that series if anything ever happened to GRRM and he could not finish it himself. Any ideas? I love BS books but he would not make a good fit for ASoIaF, I wonder who would. I don't think anyone could capture grrm's voice for the characters.

GRRM has said that if that happens he'll burn his notes :P

[Isalie]

GRRM has said that if that happens he'll burn his notes :P

He's probably just afraid that someone will off him in order to find out how it all ends...

[Werthead]

Discussion of GRRM's mortality is frowned on the forum since his friends and family check in and it's a rather morbid subject, though GRRM himself sometimes broaches it.

GRRM has said that if that happens he'll burn his notes

According to a con report (from WorldCon?) he actually said that if he was the more or less same boat as Jordan - with years of warning and close to the end of the series - he would probably take some steps to ensure the story was completed in some fashion. What those steps might be are unknown, although the fact that he's let Daniel Abraham, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (all novelists themselves) as well as presumably his editors know some of the ending and some of what'll happen to get there, suggests the 'other writer' contingency might not have been ruled out. I think what GRRM objects to is when someone else comes along years after the author's death and makes up some story off the top of their heads in the same setting, like what Anderson has done with Dune or that guy who wrote new Amber books after Zelazny's death. The Jordan/Sanderson situation, where Jordan gave permission for someone to finish his series based on detailed outlines and Sanderson has gone to some considerable lengths to ensure that Jordan's vision was respected, would appear to be acceptable.

I think the point GRRM frequently made in the past is that he had no story notes written down anywhere. They wouldn't be burned because they never existed in the first place ;) That now seems to have changed somewhat with the info he's given HBO and to Daniel Abraham to write the comic books.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

I stopped a third of the way through LoC and then picked up again with TGS. I don't feel like I missed much. I've figured out most of the intervieneing events by context and character discussion of past events.

[Werthead]

I stopped a third of the way through LoC and then picked up again with TGS. I don't feel like I missed much. I've figured out most of the intervieneing events by context and character discussion of past events.

I'd strongly recommend reading to the end of LoC. The last few chapters of LoC are probably the most impressive part of the entire series, with great pacing (after a mostly low-key novel) and a genuinely kick-ass battle at the end. As of the end of ToM, it's still the series highlight.

[Winterfail]

Stop calling it GoT. fucking fl00bs. I'm another who didn't mind the plodding pace. If it really gets to you then just read all the rand, mat and perrin chapters in order. Then It's consistently decent with suprisingly minimal plot gaps. I have a question - the one plot strand i really have an itch about finishing up is the Moraine/Snakes and Foxes thing. I have ToM but i was saving it along with the other Sanderson's to do a reread when the final book comes out. Is ToM worth reading to resolve that plotline and then reading again next year sometime?

Yes. It starts a little slowly, but once it picks up, it is a good read. I honestly think it is among the best books in the series. Jordan wrote the resolution of Moiraine's Snakes/Foxes plotline before his death though, so if you just skip to that chapter, you won't get a feel for Sanderson's style.

[Wouter]

According to a con report (from WorldCon?) he actually said that if he was the more or less same boat as Jordan - with years of warning and close to the end of the series - he would probably take some steps to ensure the story was completed in some fashion. What those steps might be are unknown, although the fact that he's let Daniel Abraham, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (all novelists themselves) as well as presumably his editors know some of the ending and some of what'll happen to get there, suggests the 'other writer' contingency might not have been ruled out.

That's interesting, I thought it was more or less known that GRRM was categorically against another writer finishing his works (in any situation) but the distinction you note with the Anderson/Dune situation on the one hand and the Sanderson/WOT situation on the other hand, makes sense. I think it's normal that an author would want his most prestigious series to be finished as it is part of a writers' legacy (arguably "the Dark tower" is another example of that, with King hurrying to finish it up).

I'd strongly recommend reading to the end of LoC. The last few chapters of LoC are probably the most impressive part of the entire series, with great pacing (after a mostly low-key novel) and a genuinely kick-ass battle at the end. As of the end of ToM, it's still the series highlight.

Seconded. LoC was slow overall but quite a lot of stuff happened in it, and the ending is important for the rest of the series (and actually well written).

[ICE CROW]

Now that the series is finally finished, i think i will start reading it. i have read through everyone's posts, alot of mixed reactions especially around the middle of the series it would seem. But i will commit to this undertaking and for better or worse i will see it to the very end.

[Kosciuszko]

Now that the series is finally finished, i think i will start reading it. i have read through everyone's posts, alot of mixed reactions especially around the middle of the series it would seem. But i will commit to this undertaking and for better or worse i will see it to the very end.

Try posting your reactions as you read here or on Dragonmount. Those types of threads can be pretty fun for fans of the series.