The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time, Book 12)
by Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Brandon Sanderson, Robert JordanEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-10-27
ISBN: 0765302306
Number of pages: 784
Publisher: Tor Books
Book Reviews of The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time, Book 12)
Book Review: Bringing the WoT Series Back On-Track
Summary: 3 Stars
THE GATHERING STORM. You know what this book is, and you likely had some sort of strong feeling when you found out that Brandon Sanderson would be completing the late Robert Jordan's epic series. Some of you felt as though demon's had taken over Tor and killed Santa, and some of you felt a profound sense of relief just knowing the series would be finished.
Truthfully, I'm not in either camp. Oh I'm glad my buddy Brandon Sanderson is finishing the series--I tend to consider him a great writer--but I wondered if anyone stood a chance at making this series enjoyable again.
Before you get your panties all twisted up, let me explain. This IS going to be a rather long review, so go to the bathroom before continuing.
For me, part of the difficulty in reviewing THE GATHERING STORM was treating it as a separate novel, and not letting my feelings for the prior eleven novels (and a novella) get in the way. I don't care for The Wheel of Time--specifically, anything past LORD OF CHAOS. Yeah, that's half the series ago. I started the WoT back in 1993, and consider it the series that really got me into fantasy. But with book seven began a long list of problems--most of which consist of "Nothing Happens." So when I read THE GATHERING STORM (TGS), I had to wonder if my feelings were real and geared towards TGS, or if they were nothing more than a reaction to the series itself.
In some ways, we can't--and won't--keep them separate. So, we are going to endeavor to give you our honest PoV. We liked some of the novel. We disliked some of it. You want details? Of course you do...especially if you are a "Jordan Fan."
Characters:
TGS mainly follows Rand and Egwene, and honestly, their portions feel pretty spot-on. I don't know which parts of the story Brandon wrote as opposed to the sections Jordan wrote/dictated. Frankly I don't care.
What I will say is that Egwene was easily one of my least favorite characters from the very VERY beginning of the series. However, her sections in TGS were the highlight of the novel, and I found myself coming to the realization that Egwene was no longer a carbon-copy of all the other female characters. She grew into someone stronger. In the scope of this one novel, Egwene goes from being one of the worst characters in the series (In my opinion, mind you. All you Egwene lovers keep your pitchforks stowed away.) to one of the best.
As for Rand? He actually manages to interest me. We see him falling further into madness, and for the most part it is well done. Not to mention, Rand actually LEARNS stuff in this book. No more "Yay! I solved it on accident!" Thank-freaking-goodness. The main issue I had with Rand deals with a certain part of the novel (no spoilers) where you think Jordan and Sanderson are going to change the "danger" aspect of the series...and then they don't. In what should have been a heart-wrenching scene with Rand and Min that turned our stomach, instead I ended up feeling cheated. If you've read the book, you know the scene. If not, you'll know it when you get there.
Let's talk about Mat. It's pretty safe to say that he is most people's favorite character--I include myself in this group. I'm going to be blunt here. Mat's sections are poor. It's not that they are just "off," it's that they feel like filler. Remember when you used to skim other sections just to get back to Mat? Why did I find myself skimming the Mat sections to get to other PoVs--namely Egwene's. In fact, the one section of Mat's--where he is coming up with fake back-stories--feels a lot like he was getting ready for an RPG session. It just feels pointless. It really is disappointing. Seriously, just leave him out of the book. It would have been better than the meaningless sections included in TGS. Perrin managed to stay off screen just fine, why not Mat? Don't include him if there is no cause to. It just ends up serving as needless filler and taints my view on the character.
Other characters? Well, this is really a mixed bag. For many of them, the tone is off. We'll include Elaida here--who went from being slightly unstable to almost laughably bonkers (laughably in a bad way). Cadsuane seems like a waste of a character, and we wish Rand would have executed her. Sheriam? It's no secret that she is losing it due to the strain of being Black Ajah. And yet she goes completely out of character at the end of the novel--it felt rushed. Siuan's sections are painful to read at the beginning due to the insistence that she throw in random sailing/fishing references EVERY SENTENCE. At the end, it isn't as strong, and her character begins to "feel" right. Gawyn is terrible. His dialogue is so forced and contrived, and we really don't get to see the full potential of his conflicted loyalties as we should. Really every other character felt solid (from Nynaeve, to Min, to Perrin, to Silviana), and the problems with the other characters can mostly be overlooked since their sections are relatively short. There was only one character (besides Mat) that was beyond infuriating.
Verin.
Seriously? WTF (What The...err Frak)? Her character is turned into a "magic bullet" so we could get the plot moving? How convenient. Gee, it's a good thing she came along to make reveal herself (Not THAT way. Get your heads out of the gutter). Now, the WoT has made a career of using coincidence and convenience to solve issues and further the plot. Generally, you could over-look it and say, "It's the Pattern!" The section with Verin is beyond that. There may as well have been an annotation saying, "This section was included for the sole purpose of redirecting a meandering plot and forcing the story towards the end without having to get into much detail." If this was the intention of the character all along, then it should have been a big deal early on in the series.
All in all, the main differences here from prior novels are the characters being extremely introspective. In addition, the conversations they have are extremely blunt and to the point. Was this an addition of Brandon's? The introspection suggests him, but I hesitate to point a finger. And you know what, maybe it was a good thing. It certainly freshened up the series for me.
Whew. Onward!
The Story Itself:
It's pretty good, especially the last 150 pages. The beginning it typically slow with a ton of set-up. In this case, it isn't a problem. Remember, this is essentially the first third of a huge novel. We need a little set-up that doesn't go all CROSSROADS OF TWILIGHT on us. TGS does the set-up well, while introducing plot elements (or furthering previously introduced elements) that will be crucial to The End, but won't take too long to wrap up.
I can't really say a lot here--the whole non-spoiler thing--but I will say that epiphanies come like crazy throughout the story. Most of them are good. The final "battle" scene came up a bit short...but maybe that just has to do with me expecting Steven Erikson-like battles at the end of a book. Brandon had to end this novel somewhere, and TGS ending was aptly picked. There should be some serious and immediate consequences--something that has lacked in prior novels of the series.
One thing I did notice: TGS gave me the first REAL feeling that the series was coming to an end, and if felt GOOD. In any other series, this could have been the final book. It really feels like Jordan and Sanderson are seriously wrapping up plot threads. Once again, this is a good thing. A really good thing. We have the movement that we have been lacking for five novels, and a goal in sight. This is what made the novel for me.
There is one thing that bothers me, and it has been a problem for the entire series. At one point in TGS, an Aes Sedai says, "What does it matter, we are going to win anyway right?" This is the same impression that I have had for a while. There is no danger. I don't worry about any of the main characters. I know the good guys are going to win, and at this point I figure it will be all neatly tied with a pink (maybe yellow) bow. I'm praying that this doesn't happen. Please, let it end messily.
Writing:
This was the big concern most people had. Could Brandon fill in the spaces Jordan left open and tell a WoT story? Not only that, but could he tell wrap up the story WELL?
When this whole scenario was first announced after Jordan passed away, I had a nice, long chat with Brandon Sanderson (he's a good friend of mine). Brandon was understandably nervous. He worried that he wouldn't be able to do the series justice. I told him, "Look, it's not like you can do any worse than what happened with the new Dune novels. I'd say you are in good shape." Yeah. That was my idea of a motivational speech. There were no "Huzzahs!" to be found. But really, the principle was sound. I know Brandon, and I knew how serious he was taking this opportunity. He is a great writer, and I knew that if anyone could take a series that was--excuse the WoT reference--floundering like a silverpike on land, and use Jordan's outline to get it back on track, it was Brandon. He is a professional.
And really, all the drama and doubts amounted to nothing in the end. Brandon did fine. In some cases there were word usages that were distinctly un-Jordan. The WoT swearing was off for the entire novel. Oh well. There are worse things that could have happened (once again, see the new Dune novels for a reference on how to destroy a series). I've been reading some other reviews around the internets, and some claim that TGS reads like fan fiction, and that Brandon's writing is terrible. They are idiots. The writing is just fine (not that they really know for sure which parts Brandon wrote and which parts were Jordan's). In fact, some of the subtle (and not so subtle) changes that I did notice were welcome. It pulls WoT a little into the modern style of fantasy.
One last thing: I liked how the annoying "all men are idiots" mentality was all but removed. It was old, repetitive, and added nothing to the plot. In addition, I liked the toned-down description of meaningless objects. There was a lot of repetition in description and dialogue, but nothing too major.
The small writing problems we did see can easily be fixed. I have faith in Brandon, and so should you. These small problems will resolve themselves over the last two books.
Overall Impression:
I thought the book was pretty decent. Not great, but not bad. I'd put it on par with book 5 (coincidentally my 5th favorite--book 2 is my #1), and a far cry better than books 7 through 11.
I didn't just feel book was decent because "stuff happens," because really not a ton does happen(or what does happen is wrapped up in a few pages). Dumai's Wells, the ending wasn't. The book was decent because we have movement. Because actual plot-lines were somewhat wrapped up.
I had two thoughts after finishing the book:
1) Yeah, this makes me look forward to the next novel--especially since it is only a year away.
2) It was a quick read, and now I'm ready to move right on to something else. This wasn't the book that makes me want to read it again as soon as I've finished it.
In short, it seriously felt like the series has taken (or was given) a major course correction. Some of the plot-lines were delicately guided back on course and back into focus, while others were yanked and forced. The end goal is the same in all cases--getting the meandering story back on track, and ready for the final two novels of the series. If this was indeed the preparatory goal of the novel, then it succeeded.
I do want to mention how thoroughly pissed off I am at the UK edition of the novel.
While the UK edition may have the superior cover, it is counter-acted by extremely poor binding - thinly glued instead of stitched. Orbit UK dropped the ball here. By the end of my reading (a very GENTLE reading), I could already see where pages were looser. My friend's, US version didn't have this problem in the least (it was stitched)--it just had the worst cover in the history of fantasy novels (who knew that Rand's lower body looked like Freddie Mercury's, and that he had watched Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn?).
This feels like Orbit UK trying to squeeze every penny out of TGS rather than making something of quality.
The solution for you serious fans? Import the UK edition, buy the US version, then put the UK dust-jacket on the US novel.
The last thing I want to reiterate is that I feel Brandon did an excellent job. He didn't try to be Jordan, which would have been a disaster. Consider what he accomplished. Not only did Brandon finish up this WoT novel, but he also wrote his own HUGE novel, THE WAY OF KINGS in the same year (comes out late next year). Having read THE WAY OF KINGS already (yes, it is awesome), I feel like Brandon grew up a lot while writing TGS. This has really become a win-win situation for readers. WoT readers get to see their fav. series finished up in a competent--if different--way, and Brandon's own writing ability has grown tremendously.
--Elitist Book Reviews--
Summary of The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time, Book 12)
Tarmon Gai?don, the Last Battle, looms. And mankind is not ready.
The final volume of the Wheel of Time, A Memory of Light, was partially written by Robert Jordan before his untimely passing in 2007. Brandon Sanderson, New York Times bestselling author of the Mistborn books, was chosen by Jordan?s editor---his wife, Harriet McDougal---to complete the final book. The scope and size of the volume was such that it could not be contained in a single book, and so Tor proudly presents The Gathering Storm as the first of three novels that will make up A Memory of Light. This short sequence will complete the struggle against the Shadow, bringing to a close a journey begun almost twenty years ago and marking the conclusion of the Wheel of Time, the preeminent fantasy epic of our era.
In this epic novel, Robert Jordan?s international bestselling series begins its dramatic conclusion. 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---wishing he could form at least a temporary truce with the invaders---his allies watch in terror the shadow that seems to be growing within the heart of the Dragon Reborn himself.
Egwene al?Vere, the Amyrlin Seat of the rebel Aes Sedai, is a captive of the White Tower and subject to the whims of their tyrannical leader. As days tick toward the Seanchan attack she knows is imminent, Egwene works to hold together the disparate factions of Aes Sedai while providing leadership in the face of increasing uncertainty and despair. Her fight will prove the mettle of the Aes Sedai, and her conflict will decide the future of the White Tower---and possibly the world itself.
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
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