Top 10 Fantasy Books of ALL Time (THE Definitive List)

My updated Top 10 Fantasy Books of ALL Time and since I've read ALL the books of ALL time, you know there's nothing left off this list whatsoever even though it's 10 books total. Just to be clear...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMkIRnlSYF4

Please visit the channel, leave a like, subscribe if this is something you would like to keep watching or even if you want to support the channel. Thanks!

Mid Year Freakout Tag - I Answer a Bunch of Questions Book-related

I'm a booktuber now, so I do booktuber tags...even when no one tags me! Here I answer a bunch of questions a bunch of people have already answered. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuY7xjzIAig&t=21s

Please like, subscribe, feel free to watch the video even! Thanks!

Centering the Shelf - Weekly Update: Deals, Anticipated Books and Releases, Movie/TV, Channel Update

I like doing these updates to continue to take a look at how things are going and how I can improve and to keep a conversation going.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZZiaq0T-bA&t=129s

So...I was messing around making faces at the calendar and this was just looked funny to me and I kept it. Excuse my cheesiness. Please like, subscribe, maybe even watch, you do you!

My Top 10 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books for the First Half of 2021 (ish)

Here's the video for my top 10 books I've read this year so far. Almost got it at the right time, but like usual, not quite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFblcLg8Juo&t=1s

Thanks for checking it out. Please like, subscribe, and don't hold back! Like, why is your title so long and stupid? I'm wondering the same!

Kindle and Audiobook Deals for July 28, 2021 - Sandman 1 (Neil Gaiman) is Free, 5 Wheel of Time Books 1/2 price

My video description has a list of links. Yep, that's how I get you, one more click away, sorry to be that way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Mqg_-JW9g&t=1s

Please visit, like, subscribe, tell me to stop making you click multiple links to get to the deals.

Review - Knife of Dreams (Wheel of Time #11) by Robert Jordan

Wow, what a breath of fresh air. It's like I was wearing a mask for months and it was finally taken off. (apropos of the current time?)

Not the cover mind you, that's still one of my least favorite. Perrin always comes off a bit funky in these covers amiright?

Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan (and not anyone else) really did feel like I was reading one of the first 6 books of the series. The first 6 are so good, good enough, at least for me, to get me through the slog that was books 7-10. Which is insane to think that there were 4 books, 600+ to 800+ pages each that you have to "get through" to get to the really good stuff. But here we are.

Now don't get me wrong. Lots of what makes KoD so good is all that 4 book set up. It's almost as if the complete lack of climax in the previous book was made up for by having like 7 climaxes in this one. 

But I didn't just feel a new energy in this book at the end of KoD, it was right off the bat as well. That could have been my previous knowledge from reviews I shouldn't have read, but I felt that energy right away ... in the prologue of all places!

And I've been complaining about these long prologues with the best of them!

Seriously, this made that all worth it. I do have to keep reminding myself of the realization I had when I first reread the first 6 books because even then I saw some issues. The fact that book 3, The Dragon Reborn, had about 7 pages of "the Dragon" was a huge sign and a frustration in my first read. But upon reread, I realized I grew to love the rest of the characters so much more. I had to remind myself of this quite often during the previous 4 books.

5 out of 5 Stars (Up there with the first 6 books, which says a lot, everything)

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Winner: Epic Wheel of Time Giveaway #1 - Eye of the World

Hope your preparation for the final volume in the Wheel of Time, A Memory of Light, is going well.

We're happy to be able to help out one lucky person's progress in that regard today, but not before we award some extra entries for future giveaways to this deserving snarker:

You ever notice how big Lan's horse is? I wonder if he is trying to compensate for something... (Mark from WA)

While Mark hasn't won our giveaway (sorry), he gets two extra entries in any future giveaway of his choosing.

Now on to the winner...without further ado...the winner of The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan on audiobook is:

Jonathan Kennedy

Congrats to Jonathan!

Thanks to all those who participated and don't worry if you haven't won, we still have 12 more Epic Wheel of Time Giveaways to go.

Guess the Pattern...

I have this bad habit and I think it will become very apparent as you take a look at some of my collection below.

Can you guess when I started reading these series'?

The Wheel of Time:

A closer look:

and:

The Malazan Book of the Fallen:

Another closer look:


and:


A Song of Ice and Fire:

The Long Price (This one doesn't really apply since I was planning on buying all in mass market paperback and then Tor decided not to release The Price of Spring in mmpb):

The Kingkiller Chronicles:

I plan to catch up on the hardbacks once I have money incoming instead of outgoing, but you can also tell I definitely can't wait for the next volume in my series to come out. Must Have Now!

Although for some of these series', like Malazan Book of the Fallen and Wheel of Time, I had started the series and then a mmpb came out and I bought that instead of the hardcover.

(Audiobook) Review - The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (ReRead)

First, I'd like to say if you plan on doing a reread of anything, audiobook is definitely the way to go. Whenever I've reread a book in the past, I can't help that nagging feeling that I should/could be reading something off the insanely-longer-than-it-should-be "To Read" pile.

An Audiobook solves this problem because you can still read whatever you want at the same time.

Then, as much as I love this series, I'm a little worried I'll get too worn out by the time I get to book 6 or 7 or 8. I'm sure you know better than I (as I've only read through book 5)

Next, I'm really glad I'm doing a reread, which I almost skipped, because it turns out my memory has done some tricks on me...sneaky little bugger. I had events all over the place in my mind as far as what book they belong to and now, through the wonderful medium that is the blog, I'll be able to keep track of them. I promise to use appropriate spoiler warnings before I get to that.

Okay, review time, finally I know, for The Eye of the World [US] [UK].

It was definitely a great time to start a reread what with the final volume coming out next year (and Sanderson keeps his promises). I couldn't believe how much I missed this amazingly thought-out world, I really felt like I was along for the journey and that's one of the most amazing things Jordan does...and it was good to see my old friends again.

Yes, things get a bit off toward the middle/end of this series, but I still argue that the quality is the same even though the braid-pulling is more prevalent. I let you know if I still feel this way when I get there.

Also, on audio is was great to listen to an interview, after the telling of the story, with the man himself, especially after his passing. He talks about how he came up with this fandangled series. Plus, he admits he doesn't listen to audiobooks except for his own, which he doesn't read, but only listens to on audio.

As I mentioned before, I will be describing the major events so I can keep track in the future. Feel free to refer back to this limited summary although there are plenty of other, and much more helpful synopses, etc. at these helpful sites: Dragonmount, Tor.com (reread), or just use Google.

***Aye, Spoilers Beware, Ye Mateys (I'll try to keep them only to The Eye of the World)***

In The Eye of the World, we have of course the discovery of the Ta'veren, Rand, Mat, and Perrin. They get whisked away by Moiraine and Lan and begin their adventures with Egwene and Thom who jump in at the last moment.

They finally get to Baerlon, where Nynaeve finds them. They meet Min. All three boys have crazy dreams of dead rats and Ba'alzamon.

Trollocs, Fades, and Dark Friends are constantly on their trail at one point forcing them into Shadar Logoth. The boys go off to explore, run into Mordeth, Mat takes a dagger (bad idea maybe?). Padan Fain follows them in. ** (see the footnote below)

Shadar Logoth splits up our band of travelers, causing 1. Mat, Rand and Thom, 2. Egwene and Perrin, 3. Moiraine, Lan and Nynaeve to travel separately (but in those groupings).

Group 1 finds a boat (Captain - Bayle Domon) to travel down the Arinelle, Thom "pretends" to teach Mat and Rand to be gleemen. They arrive in Whitebridge, end up running into a Myrddraal, Thom saves Mat and Rand, and Group 1 (minus Thom) heads out alone where they make their painfully slow way (although not as bad the second time through) to Caemlyn as they play tunes and juggle for their dinner along the way.

Group 2 lose their way, but end up running into Elyas and the wolves. Perrin discovers he can communicate with them. They run into tinkers/traveling people/Tuath'an, we find out more about them and they tell the story of the Aiel prophecy telling the people to get ready for "He who comes with the dawn." They continue on their way, run into Whitecloaks, bound and taken prisoner after Perrin and some wolves take out (kill) a few.

Group 3 decides to follow Mat and Rand because they're most important. Luckily Moiraine gave them handy dandy tracking coins. They follow to Whitebridge and onwards, finally running into the Whitecloaks. One daring rescue later, Perrin no longer faces death, but has not left a great impression. Groups 2 and 3 are now together.

In Caemlyn, Rand first meets Loial, an Ogier, who he immediately thinks is a Trolloc, but who can blame him (I had this in Book 2 for some reason in my memory along with The Ways). Mat keeps getting crazier and stays in his room the entire time. Rand goes to see the False Dragon, Logaine, and ends up falling off a wall into the royal garden, meets Elayne, Gawyn and Galad for the first time. He's brought to Morgase and Elaida Sedai. They let him go, reluctantly.

Loial mutters something about "ta'veren" as he does in about 95% of his lines.

Finally everyone meets up and immediately help Mat...for a time. They realize they need to get to The Eye of the World immediately, what with the Ogier and Aiel messages about The Dark One and The Eye of the World. They decide to use The Ways despite the presence of the Black Wind. Loial joins the group.

This leads them to the borderlands and more specifically, Fal Dara. Padan Fain still follows. He's now worse than a dark friend. They head straight for The Blight, looking for the Green Man who's in charge of The Eye of the World. They have much need, so they are quick in finding it.

The Green Man takes them to The Eye, made by 100 Aes Sedai (men and women) who died making it and he's in charge of guarding it - although reluctantly. The Eye of the World is a bottomless pool, Moiraine says it is the essence of Saidin.

They leave The Eye of the World and run into two men, Aginor and Balthamel. Lan is torn between Moiraine and Nynaeve. Nothing they do helps much. Rand takes off, followed by Aginor. He sees a cord or light connecting Aginor to something. Rand goes for the cord, Aginor burns. They are transported to a mountain pass where Bordermen and Shadowspawn are fighting. Rand kills (more like decimates) the Shadowspawn.

Rand then goes to Ba'alzamon's dream chamber, they have a pleasant chat, and Rand cuts Ba'alzamon's cord (all the cool kids have one).

Rand doesn't let anyone know he can access Saidin, although all the women know. Rand thinks he's done with Ba'alzamon (we've still got 13 books to go buddy).

They find broken shards of cuendillar, a seal of the Dark One's prison, a banner with the dragon on it, and the Horn of Valere in a fancy chest.

The Bordermen win the battle of Tywin's Gap, the Blight retreats a little, and Rand begins his training with Lan.


**There's obviously tons to say, but I thought Jordan does a great job of showing that Moiraine and Lan, the almost omniscient characters - like the wise wizard Gandalf, are not as clever as they purport to be. They're mixed into a world of people all trying to do the best they can. Did it really pain them to let the boys know they shouldn't go wandering around? To give them a little more information than they tend to. This is a good set up to show that Rand will not only have to, but have the ability to step into the role he must eventually fulfill.

***Yar, No More Spoilers Be Spoilin'***

Why Read The Eye of the World?

Who doesn't have time to read 14 thousand page-long books? But seriously, what a great book. Yes, it has it's flaws. Some parts are a bit too much, like the Rand/Mat traveling to Caemlyn, but what a great introduction to an immensely detailed world that feels like it could easily be real.

5 out of 5 Stars

(I don't reread many books, that should be a sign)

Funny Wheel of Time Review

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and to those who don't celebrate it, hope you've had a great week.

This review of Crossroads of Twilight really had me cracking up and since I'm on vacation right now and have no review of my own, I thought this might work in lieu.

(from sffworld.com)

Author - Tom E.

"Those who can appreciate great setup will really love this book. Personally, I thought the setup in books 8 and 9 were good ... but this was absolutely stupendous. Fans of total plot inertia will be in heaven.

I've grown to hate the character of Rand because whenever he makes an appearance the plot is in danger of moving incrementally forward. Thankfully, Mr. Jordan saves us from any threatening plot developments by keeping Rand almost totally absent from this book. And when he is introduced - briefly - towards the very end, Mr. Jordan quickly whisks him off to the sidelines before anything interesting can happen. Whew! I'm wiping the sweat off my brow because that was a close one.

Have you ever wondered how many stripes should be on the dublet of an important dignitary from Illian? How many shawl twitches are appropriate when Aes Sedai negotiate momentous agreements? What kind of stool the general of an Aes Sedai army sits on, and how stable said stool might be? Well buckle up for a wild ride, amigo, because you're going to learn all that (and more!) by the time you've tediously slogged to the conclusion of this book.

Part of what really makes Mr. Jordan's worlds so unique are the wonderful characters which populate them. I like nothing more than to scratch my head in befuddlement as yet another Aes Sedai is reintroduced into the plot whom I can no longer recall. It gives me an excuse to page to the back of the book and open up the 'Robert Jordan Appendix of Useless and Irrelevant Characters' which is always such a joy. I've created my own drinking game based on this called, [...]
For anyone who wants to play along the rules are simple:

1.) Is the character you're looking up totally irrelevent? Take a drink.
2.) Do you have reason to suspect said character will remain totally irrelevent? Take a drink.
3.) Does the character twitch her shawl? Take two drinks.
4.) Is she looking "cross-eyed" at someone? Take a drink.
5.) Do you know the exact design of the embroidery on the fringe of her shawl? Of course you do - take a drink. For your own sanity, consider taking another.

Towers of Midnight: Chapter II

Chapter II of Towers of Midnight was just released in audiobook format on Tor.com. The chapter is from Perrin's point of view and focuses mostly on the fact that he still doesn't want to be a lord, even though men keep flocking to him. Ominous tidings and bubbles of evil abound. Randland is heading for confrontation and the chapter makes that very clear, setting the stage for the rest of Towers of Midnight.

There is a second part to the chapter, but I won't spoil it for you as it is big news - though some of you might have guessed at it by now. It involves a certain young swordsman who joined an order of religious warriors that wear white cloaks...

I know you are all excited as I am to get yours hands on this bad boy. Strangely enough the wait hasn't seemed all that long given the previous publication lull in the series. Tai'Shar fast writing!

For those who do not obsessively follow Wheel of Time news, you can read two non-spoiler reviews of Towers of Midnight at Dragonmount and Theoryland.

It's News To Me #25

We've got Wheel of Time news, Daniel Abraham news, a charity drive and a new segment. What more could you ask for?

Cover Art


I almost forgot about this awesome cover when it was floating around a little while ago, but here it is again. Plus, Clash of the Geeks is a great project with lots of big names and it's all for charity. The copy is free and then you have the chance to donate as much as you want to benefit lupus...well, to fight lupus through the Lupus Alliance of America. And you can't really get any better than a Unicorn Pegasus Kitten.

Early in 2010, author John Scalzi had a vision. And it was of himself. As an orc. And of actor and writer Wil Wheaton. As a warrior. In a clown sweater. Astride a unicorn pegasus kitten. What did this singular visionmmean? Scalzi didn’t know. But he knew it was clearly too powerful to be ignored.

News

A Dribble of Ink posted this bit of news about one of my new favorite authors, Daniel Abraham (see here). The more of his writing I can get, the better. Here is a bit of blurbage about one of his newest projects called Leviathan Wakes where he will be writing under the name James S.A. Corey.

Humanity has colonized the planets - interstellar travel is still beyond our reach, but the solar system has become a dense network of colonies. But there are tensions - the mineral-rich outer planets resent their dependence on Earth and Mars and the political and military clout they wield over the Belt and beyond.

Now, when Captain Jim Holden's ice miner stumbles across a derelict, abandoned ship, he uncovers a secret that threatens to throw the entire system into war. Attacked by a stealth ship belonging to the Mars fleet, Holden must find a way to uncover the motives behind the attack, stop a war, and find the truth behind a vast conspiracy that threatens the entire human race.

I'm also supremely excited for Abraham's next series, The Dagger and the Coin, starting with The Dragon's Path.

In Daniel’s own words: ‘In the way that The Long Price Quartet was a semi-tragic meditation on the epic scale of an individual life, The Dagger and the Coin is a love letter to fantasy adventure intended to keep the reader from getting enough sleep..’

I promise right now that I will gladly forego any sleep for this series.

Need some Towers of Midnight fix before the actual release date. Well, here's an excerpt called The Seven-Striped Lass (from Brandon Sanderson's Website). Anyone excited? Or just excited that after not too long you won't have to hear about WoT anymore?

Count me in the first category.

Also available is the prologue (for purchase), which sounds to be pretty dang good, at least that's what the buzz is.

There's also a review up already at Tor.com (thanks ChrisW for bringing it to my attention).


Top 5 Reviews of the Week

This is a new segment and it probably goes without saying, which with that preface means it's not going without saying, this is all personal opinion. And even further, this list is pretty arbitrary. Maybe a book catches my fancy and I put a review here, maybe the review is exceptionally well written and I'm completely jealous. Maybe I just like the cover or the review author has rated the book a perfect 5/5 or 10/10. Who knows? Am I supposed to know these things? I also make no promises as to how long this segment will last. :)

Without further ado:

5. Book Worm Blues: Blood Ties by Pamela Freeman- both a 5/5 book and I am planning on reading this trilogy soon.

4. Stephen Sullivan's Goodreads review: Troy:Lord of the Silver Bow by David Gemmell - actually rated 6/5 stars and I'm a David Gemmell fan.

3. The Speculative Scotsman: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - I'll be reading this one soon and of course, The Speculative Scot has a way with words.

2. Mad Hatter's: The Last Page by Anthony Huso - A book I wasn't at all interested in until I read this review. That's when you know you're doing your job right. :)

And the number one book review of the week (yes this is completely "arbitrary and capricious" - especially the fact that this is a countdown) is...

1. Tie:

-Tyson at Speculative Book Review: The Black Prism by Brent Weeks - Having quite the opposite effect of number 2 - after being ever so excited to begin this one, you could say that my spirit's been dampened.

and

-Speculative Horizons: An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham - In what I have to say is at least twice (maybe even 3 to 4 times) as eloquent as I put it, James lays it out nicely.

And those are the top 5 reviews of the week. I'll scour the interwebs for some great reviews that I find as I continue to postpone homework. :)

And that's the news...at least to me.

It's News To Me #23

I was able to find out this past weekend that once you're a parent, vacations are no longer so relaxing. They actually involve much less sleep, much more crying (by children and parents), and lots of irritability. Boy am I getting old.

Cover Art


A problem I have with these e-covers is that I automatically compare them to the Sweet covers and think - Awesome, I love it!

Is it actually true? I genuinely think so, but I still worry that my perception is skewed.

News

The Hugo Award winners are in and surprisingly there was a tie for best novel:

Best Novel: TIE - “The City & The City” by China Miéville (Del Rey; Macmillan UK) & “The Windup Girl” by Paolo Bacigalupi (Night Shade)

Check out the rest of the winners here.

Kamvision's back up and running after Jason Baki took a bit of a hiatus. Looking forward to some great reviews/articles/interviews with his typical focus on horror and dark fantasy.

Everyone's doing it



I haven't actually watched this trailer for Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (yes, I'm still on book 6 - with reread plans for next year), but everyone else is posting it. :)

And that's the news...at least to me.

It's News To Me #22

Is it Wednesday already? Last week felt like it dragged and suddenly this week's flying by. I'll never understand it.

Heading to California this weekend (back home) to see some fam and for my mom's wedding. I apologize in advance for those people on the plane listening to my crying baby. We have some plans to subvert that, but you never know.

Cover Art

I wasn't a huge fan of the new mmpb cover at first, but then Mark Charan Newton mentioned on his blog that that's exactly how he pictured the character. So, who am I to say. Obviously it's spot on.

News


Wheel of Time fans be excited! I'll let the Tor announcement do the talking, just remember this was posted Monday and hasn't gone live yet:

How’s this for a Great Hunt?

Tor Books has just announced that, starting tomorrow, an exclusive secret from the Wheel of Time will go live on Brandon Sanderson’s website!

But it won’t go live without a fight: the page will be completely encrypted. (As of Tuesday morning it's not yet live, sorry.)

To unlock it, fans will have to hunt down the many unique digital codes, printed on the back of Wheel of Time bumper stickers that Brandon will hide inside copies of The Way of Kings along each stop on his tour. (Which kicks off tonight!)

Each bumper sticker/code will unlock a piece of the secret and it will require the work of many fans in many cities to unlock the entire page. The Great Hunt begins!

On a similar note, The Way of Kings is out (like you didn't know) and Sanderson has a great post on his blog that links to all the free chapters in one place.

Blogs

A Fantasy Reader recently did a couple posts comparing the American/UK covers with German cover art. Really interesting stuff, especially with the different translations for the titles. Some are exactly the same while others completely different. I guess it makes sense to a degree - some things wouldn't make sense with a literal translation, but some of the titles are completely different and I wonder why.

Oh and there was this big deal about fantasy being inferior to other literature.

And that's the news...at least to me.

Final Towers of Midnight Cover Released

Dragonmount has just posted the final cover art for Towers of Midnight, including the back of the dust jacket. Enjoy!

What do you think? Personally, I like it much better than, well, most of the previous art...

How the Wheel of Time Wheels Us In [PUN!]

In my review of The Gathering Storm I told you that I felt like an addict finally getting a fix, but without all the negative connotations… reading is good for you, right? Anyway, seeing as how this is Wheel of Time week, I thought I would take a look of how Robert Jordan’s, and now Brandon Sanderson’s, epic series sinks its hooks into us and then refuses to let go. This is my answer, there are many like it, but this one is mine.

The principal, and I might add unique reason the Wheel of Time draws me in so expertly is because of what it omits. Strange you say!? Indeed, Robert Jordan was known for his almost blindingly detailed descriptions, often taking pages to portray the silvered edge of a broom handle. But hidden among, and contrasted with, this amazing profusion of detail is a surprising lack of subjective interpretation. In other words, the precursor to action, generally subjective thought, is almost entirely absent. An obstacle presents itself and the character acts, often leaving the reader to fill the subjective vacuum between obstacle and action. Now, there’s some pop-psychology for you! In short, one cannot help but become attached to Robert Jordan’s characters, for they are us – our motivations, hopes, and dreams become theirs. While this is often the case with good epic fantasy, Robert Jordan’s deliberate and specific literary mechanics push subjective appropriation to the extreme, and thus turn enchanted readers into frenzied word-gobbling addicts. To make my point, did it take any of you more than 12 hours to finish the 700 plus pages that make up The Gathering Storm [US][UK]? I didn’t think so…

There is a second, and more generic aspect of the Wheel of Time that remorselessly sucks us in. I call it the reading shivers. The shivers come over a reader at moments of epic epicness. Not a word, I know, but it captures the feeling adequately. The shivers mark the point where the brain is unable to process the excitement generated by the scene you are reading – it is just that good – and forces your body to react physically. Think Dumai’s Wells or the Fall of Manetheren, probably my two favorite moments of the whole series. Regardless, I have been chasing the dragon since Moiraine first told that fateful story of a doomed people, and have yet to recapture that same high… did I mention I am an addict?

Theses are by no means the only aspects of the Wheel of Time and Robert Jordan’s skill that make the series so compelling, but they are those that jumped out at me when contrasted with The Gathering Storm, for they are elements the latest installment lacked. So, my fellow addict, why do you keep turning the pages?

Review: The Gathering Storm, by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

This review of The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson is aimed at readers who have followed The Wheel of Time but who are by no means experts on the series, or theory junkies for that matter. In short, if you can quote line and verse and have endlessly debated the “who killed Asmodean” question, then I kindly direct you towards Dragonmount and Theoryland, where I am sure you will feel more at home. On the other hand, if you want an uncomplicated and honest take on the novel from someone who has been a silent fan of the Wheel of Time for a surprisingly long time, then you will want to continue reading. I should also mention two very articulate reviews of The Gathering Storm which just came out over at Nethspace and Grasping for the Wind, both of which are well worth your time.


My Take in Brief

As I finished the last page, bleary eyed and sleepy, the only thought that came to mind was “thank you, thank you”. I have been involved with Rand, Mat, and Perrin for longer than I care to think, and finally getting the ball rolling on the end of their epic adventure let me breath a great, and much needed sigh of relief – something akin to a junky finally getting a fix, but without all the negative connotations. In short, that is exactly what The Gathering Storm sought to achieve, to get the ball rolling, to get the story moving, to bring it towards a much-anticipated culmination, and most importantly, to give fans of the Wheel of Time much needed closure. Now ware readers, for the review that follows is steeped in spoilers.

There are two very strong impressions that you will have after finishing The Gathering Storm. The first of these is that Brandon is, admittedly, not Robert Jordan. I won’t argue grammar or syntax to make my point – the simple fact of the matter is that Robert Jordan gave us epic events while Brandon Sanderson gives us epically emotional events – anyone familiar with Brandon’s Mistborn trilogy will know exactly what I am referring to. The contrast is marked by the unprecedented access that we are granted to the thoughts of characters, especially Rand and The Daughter of the Nine Moons. Robert Jordan inferred and hinted, masterfully meshing physicality and dialogue to give his characters unprecedented depth and appeal. Brandon, on the other hand, cuts straight to the chase, removing, in my opinion, that amazing sense of uncertainty that was always characteristic of Jordan’s writing.

The second and slightly less obvious difference between pure Jordan and the Jordan Sanderson hybrid that is The Gathering Storm is the structure of the novel. The characteristic focus on a handful of characters carried on for a number of chapters is abandoned in favor of a panoply of perspectives, numbering somewhere around thirty two points of view, give or take a couple. Now, in my estimation, the last couple installments in the Wheel of Time were somewhat verbose and tended towards stretching out story arcs that would better have been wrapped up in a timelier manner. As such, I can’t imagine the structure of the novel being any different given the need to get the story up to pace and rolling along at a comfortable clip. As much as books are considered static and timeless, unless you have recently reread the whole series (as I am sure a number of you have), the different perspectives are just what the doctor ordered to reboot The Wheel of Time.

All in all, I could not have been more pleased with The Gathering Storm. It wasn’t Robert Jordan, but his hand and that of his team was clear throughout. Brandon dispatched his duty with remarkable skill and an almost reverent understanding of the series and its numerous characters. Those of you at all familiar with the massive pile of notes left by Robert Jordan and all the feedback Brandon was force fed during the writing process from Team Jordan will find the scene where Mat struggles with assigning fictitious roles to his soldiers quite hilarious - I know I did.

So, How Was it?! [SERIOUS SPOILERS BELOW]

It was… eventful. Rand goes to the edge of madness and beyond, which culminates in a long awaited and speculated upon confrontation/heart-to-heart with Tam. We discover the scary depths of the Seachan worldview and witness its brutal personification in a daring assault on the White Tower, followed by the quick and brutal extermination of the Black Ajah thanks to an unexpected yet hinted at traitor from within their ranks, and, finally, a unified White Tower under a single Amyrlin. Mat and Perrin, on the other hand, achieve little in their journey beyond struggling to define their roles as leaders, with maybe a tangential adventure or two thrown in to keep things interesting. That is by no means the extent of what happens in The Gathering Storm; in point of fact there is so much that takes places that any reviewer will find it a challenge to adequately sumarzie the action. To the fans who screamed at there being three books to conclude the series (Towers of Midnight and A Memory of Light) instead of one, well, tell me what you think after finishing The Gathering Storm, because in my estimation there is not a chance in hell the series could have been finished in one book.

Brandon's epically emotional style, which I mentioned before, showcases his formidable use of introspection and brings to the novel a dark sense of foreboding. The physical confrontations which take place throughout take second stage to the battle within Rand himself - his struggle with both his sanity and his destiny. The most shocking scene, by far, is the one in which Rand is collared and forced to strangle Min to death -- paling even in comparison to Rand going off the depend of sanity and coming within a hairsbreadth of destroying the world. Anyone who has made it this far in The Wheel of Time cannot remain unemotional when faced with the events Brandon throws at us... and if you can, well then, my hat is off to you.

All in all, the action packed pace and relative lack of descriptive filler more than make up for, regrettably, loosing Jordan's artistic touch. Battle scenes, for instance, have lost much of their sucking-you-into-the-page luster, but one cannot expect miracles. Neverthless, theroller coaster ride of enjoyment, frustration, love, hate, surprise, and anger is much the same. I can only say "thank you" to everyone involved for continuing the series with the full measure of your devotion.... and if you don't have the next book out within a year, well, ware my wrath.

So, why do you love The Wheel of Time?

Brandon Sanderson Interview On Finishing The Wheel of Time

Brandon recently stopped by Blog Talk Radio for a fairly informal interview to talk about finishing up Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series and to discuss some recent developments in multimedia publishing. I encourage you to listen to the candid interview with Brandon Sanderson, but here are the paraphrased highlights.

When asked to summarize the Wheel of Time for those unfamiliar with the series Brandon laughed a bit and then used RJ's description The series revolves around a central question: "What is it like to be told that you are the one to save the world? That you are a savior doomed to die to protect mankind." I had never tried to summarize the series in a single sentence, but this seems like a pretty good way to do it.

"RJ wrote the last scene before he passed away, and I am just trying to get there". When Brandon arrived at RJ's home after signing the contract for the final three books, he was asked by Harriet if he wanted some soup. He replied honestly, asking instead to read the ending to the series. It was a "reverent and surreal experience" and made him realize just how much he has to do to get from where book 11 ended to that final scene.

Apparently, Brandon would not have undertaken to finish any other series, but he has been following the WoT since the age of 15, and could not say no.

Instead of trying to imitate RJ's style, which would have been impossible, he instead decided to adapt his own style to the series.

There has been every possible reaction by fans to Brandon finishing the Wheel of Time, but he is happy that the only death threats he has received have been "good ones". They are condition in that if he does a good job, he will be spared. He is also surprised that the "hardcore fans" have accepted him so well.

The series is on track to be finished two years from the release of The Gathering Storm, but Brandon doesn't want to even think about the last book just yet, so the schedule is absolutely conditional and might change.

He says that Asmodean was killed by Perrin, who is actually a Darkfriend. Joke.

Reading Chills, That Lovin Feeling

The expression is a fairly common one, but it is also often overused to note a scary or creepy moment. "That gave me the chills" is however, not necessarily a negative. The kind of chill I am talking about in this post is the rare and illusive one, the white whale of chills. It strikes like lightning when the reading is so good your brain has no other way to express its pleasure; when the intensity of the scene demands a physical reaction that you refuse to produce because you don't even want to blink for fear of missing the next word.

Chills, to me, are the ultimate stamp on great writing. I can count the major Chills I have had on one hand, and still remember the scenes I was reading when they occurred. I have googled high and low, and have been unable to find any medical explanation for the phenomenon. My first Chill that I can remember came from reading the story of Manetheren (starts at p. 111) in The Eye of The World, the first book of The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. Even rereading it now brings on secondary chills, like the aftershock of some great earthquake.

Now, I can't even be sure that Chills are a generalized occurrence, they could in all honesty just be some rare chemical reaction that is unique to my physiognomy. They feel like someone strummed a cord in my brain--it starts out sharp and intense, and spreads throughout the body, diminishing in pitch until your are tingling everywhere. That, as best as I can describe it, is the Chill with a capital "C". I obviously know what other physical occurrence this sounds similar to, and it is indeed similar in some respects, but they are worlds apart.

Now, if I am totally off my mark here, I apologize for sharing the peculiar workings of my brain. I am, however, incredibly curious to see if any of you have experienced a Chill before, and if you remember what scene brought it to life. Obviously, a Chill is context specific and, in a lot of cases, highly personal, so don't feel pressured to share if you don't want to. If you are interested though, leave a comment briefly describing the feeling and the scene, or go ahead and share it with your readers on your own blog (but let me know so I can link to it).

Sunday Trivia: Robert Jordan's Pen Name

Digging through the web to see if anyone with insider knowledge had dropped any hints about the next installment in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, The Gathering Storm (US), I fell across an interesting tidbit about the author's pen name. While the brief comment makes reference to "speculation", I have been unable to track it down:

The pen name of Robert Jordan was a subject of speculation throughout his career, with some believing he took it from the main character of Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls. However, he later said that he chose it because the first three letters of “Jordan” matched his real initials.

James Oliver Rigney is Robert Jordan's actual name, hence the Jordan. While this might indeed be true, it doesn't eliminate the other possibility. This brief, insightful paragraph which compares Hemingway and Fitzgerald explains:

Donaldson shows, for instance, how deeply both men believed in the lost cause. In an essay on "For Whom the Bell Tolls," he compares Hemingway's experience in the Spanish Civil War to that of his doomed protagonist, Robert Jordan. For Jordan, war "gave you a part in something that you could believe in wholly and completely." He is not naive: He believes in the Republic while also believing it is doomed.

For those of you familiar with Rand, it isn't a stretch to see the parallel. The real question is whether or not this foreshadows how the series will end -- sadly, only time will tell.