Башни Полуночи

The Wheel of Time #13

by Robert Jordan, Роберт Джордан, Brandon Sanderson

Мир на грани Последней битвы. Знамения, явленные глазам людей, странности, происходящие повсеместно, — все говорит о том, что совсем недалек тот день, когда Ранду ал’Тору, Дракону Возрожденному, предстоит напрямую сразиться с Темным, рвущимся из своего узилища в Шайол Гул.

На Пограничные земли уже обрушились орды троллоков — злобных тварей, ударных отрядов Темного. Троллоков ведут мурддраалы, их командиры, рядом с ними Повелители ужаса, те, кто выбрал сторону Тьмы, — люди, способные направлять Силу.

Пали дозорные крепости, города и селения Порубежья находятся под ударом. Едва не пала столица Салдэйи. В Белой Башне орудуют таинственные убийцы…
Ранд, в тревоге за будущее планеты, отправляет армии верных ему союзников на Поле Меррилор — там, судя по всем приметам, и произойдет Последняя битва…

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Audiobook, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Epic

960 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 2010

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reilly.

Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to 1970) with the United States Army as a helicopter gunner. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. After returning from Vietnam he attended The Citadel where he received an undergraduate degree in physics. After graduating he was employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer. He began writing in 1977. He was a history buff and enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting.

He described himself as a "High Church" Episcopalian and received communion more than once a week. He lived with his wife Harriet McDougal, who works as a book editor (currently with Tor Books; she was also Jordan's editor) in a house built in 1797.

Responding to queries on the similarity of some of the concepts in his Wheel of Time books with Freemasonry concepts, Jordan admitted that he was a Freemason. However, "like his father and grandfather," he preferred not to advertise, possibly because of the negative propaganda against Freemasonry. In his own words, "no man in this country should feel in danger because of his beliefs."

On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed in a statement that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, and that with treatment, his median life expectancy was four years, though he said he intended to beat the statistics. He later posted on his Dragonmount blog to encourage his fans not to worry about him and that he intended to have a long and fully creative life.

He began chemotherapy treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in early April 2006. Jordan was enrolled in a study using the drug Revlimid just approved for multiple myeloma but not yet tested on primary amyloidosis.

Jordan died at approximately 2:45 p.m. EDT on September 16, 2007, and a funeral service was held for him on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Jordan was cremated and his ashes buried in the churchyard of St. James Church in Goose Creek, outside Charleston.

Reviews

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ta'veren Tavern
A one-act play by Zach

(The Ta'veren Tavern, a passably nice watering hole with very few patrons. The architecture of the room, indeed of reality itself, seems to bend and warp to center on the three young men, RAND, MAT, and PERRIN, sitting at the bar.)

RAND
Well, you two have to at least admit that Towers of Midnight is the most action-packed book in the whole series.

MAT
No question there.

PERRIN
I won't argue the point. You're talking to the guy who spent four consecutive books smelling emotions and shopping for barley. It's certainly nice to kick some ass again. But Rand, you have to admit...

RAND
Quit trying to smell me and spit it out, wolf boy.

PERRIN
Well, it's just that you got a bit... Jesus-y. Don't you think? I mean, blood and ashes, the clouds part wherever you go, the plants beneath your feet grow again, and you're even wearing peasant's clothing!

MAT
Can we stop with the "blood and ashes" and "mother's milk in a cup" already, Perrin? Nobody thinks that counts as fucking swearing. You would think the change in author would have put a stop to that flaming idiocy. Fucking hell, I just did it again. He does have a point, though, Rand.

RAND
Well excuse me for being the savior of all humankind. I'm not the one who decided to make the "Dark One's touch upon the world" and "bubbles of evil" a thing way back in book four. They had to tie up that loose end at some point.

MAT
Take it easy, Messiah.

RAND
Like you're one to talk anyway, Mat! You and your stupid dice rattling in your skull -- that has to be the worst foreshadowing gimmick in the history of literature. Explain to me again how the luckiest man alive gets so anxious every time he hears dice, anyway. And you, Perrin, with your man / beast duality getting crammed down our throats in every paragraph! I had better see a shitload of wolves at the Last Battle or you have some serious explaining to do.

PERRIN
Hey, at least my character has the capacity for interesting growth and introspection! We can't all just climb a mountain named after us and have a mystical revelation.

(Suddenly, the door slams open. EGWENE, NYNAEVE, ELAYNE, AVIENDHA, and MIN enter, trailed by a coterie of MONARCHS AND OTHER MINOR CHARACTERS.)

MAT
Hey, no girls allowed in the Ta'veren Tavern!

RAND
I'm afraid he's right, my loves. Girls don't get to be ta'veren.

NYNAEVE
Rand, you wool-headed goat! The women accomplish at least as much as you men folk do. I healed stilling, for the Light's sake! Even Aes Sedai of the Age of Legends couldn't do that. And have you already forgotten how I helped you cleanse the taint from saidin?

MAT
Tell us again about how you "cleansed the taint," Nynaeve. (High-fives PERRIN.)

EGWENE
She's right, you know. I single-handedly held together the world's entire collection of female channelers and fought off an attack by the Seanchan. And my subplot was the only consistently interesting one during those four or five books where Mat and Perrin were basically killing time or traveling somewhere.

PERRIN
(Finishes his drink.) Tell me about it.

MIN
I'm doing all this historical research and having visions of the light-blasted future all the time, but do I get any credit? No! Aviendha is leading her entire people to the last battle, but does she get to be ta'veren? No!

AVIENDHA
I am one of the most powerful channelers in this Age, Min Farren. You have toh.

EGWENE
Aviendha, can it with the Aiel stuff for once. The point is, we're contributing more to this story than you boys most of the time, and we want recognition for it.

ELAYNE
(Goes wall-eyed, spittle dribbling down her chin.) Min says I'm invincible until I give birth!

EGWENE
... Most of us, at any rate.

RAND
I wish I could help you ladies, I really do. Especially my three beautiful sister-wives.

AVIENDHA
I can't believe I actually call us that.

RAND
Unfortunately, the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. It's the Pattern that says you don't get to be ta'veren. My hands, er, hand is tied.

NYNAEVE
What a bunch of addle-brained sheep dung!

MAT
For fuck's sake, just say bullshit.

NYNAEVE
Mat Cauthon, I ought to paddle your backside! Now you listen to me, you three puffed up set pieces. We are not going anywhere until we get membership to this tavern, and that is final.

PERRIN
I think you're forgetting that we basically control fate and everyone's actions.

RAND
Perrin's right. Incidentally, don't all of you have somewhere to be?

WOMEN AND COTERIE OF MONARCHS AND MINOR CHARACTERS
Oh, would you look at the time? We are late for our lessons in translating English cliches into colorful fantasy adages.

SIUAN
It's trickier than swimming with a school of silverpike.

(They leave the Tavern as if drawn out against their will.)

RAND
Works every time. (Toasts MAT and PERRIN.)

PERRIN
Ok, so there are some laughable parts. But at least this series is good again, right?

MAT
Too right. And even better, it's almost fucking over.

RAND
I'll drink to that.

(They finish their drinks. Curtain.)

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my YouTube channel where I show my instant reactions upon finishing reading fantasy books.

A amazing entry into this series that is exciting from start to finish

This is the second book written by Brandon Sanderson in this series, and is perhaps the best Wheel of Time book thus far. This was fast-paced, and with so much buildup for what is undoubtedly going to be a stunning finale to this story, it makes these finals moments all the better.

The main characters are all getting setup to where they are meant to be, Lan has finally got his act together and has fully become the amazing leader that he has been inching towards for a long time now, and a major surprise (that isn't much of a surprise if you are a fan of fantasy books) has finally been revealed. And even though this surprise is no all that surprising, it's great that it finally happened so we can close out this series in an even better fashion.

The second half of this book really explodes with action is an incredible way - and in true Brandon Sanderson form. Robert Jordan had a tendency to spend his 800+ pages setting up a single incredible moment. But Brandon Sanderson has spent his time with this book setting them up so they hit like dominos one after another.

Many questions have finally been answered, and while some new ones have been asked, the answers are almost all here. We are nearly at the end of this epic journey. And though I fear its end, I am nonetheless extremely excited to read it.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of these books are like best friends to me

Happy Reading!

Mel 🖤🐾🐺

[Em Lost In Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penultimate book of Wheel of Time, Sanderson took the things several notch up and tied many of the loose ends in a grand way. How can things be any different? After all, Mr. Sanderson is a master of making everything grand and epic. This series has been epic right from the start, so Sanderson giving it the finishing touch was icing on the cake. Talking about the plot will mean giving away spoilers, so I will just ramble about my favorite characters.

This book marks the return of Perrin Aybara as the warrior who has grown so much stronger and confident in his powers. I had lost all my hopes of seeing Perrin to his full potential. We saw only a glimpse of that power of his in Shadow Rising, which book #4, and his story arc has been going downward ever since. All his days started with worrying about Faile and ended with trying to convince her that she's his one and only. Eight books of this, and yeah, it bored me to death. But Sanderson resurrected him for the battle in Tel'aran'rhiod and boy, it was AWESOME! And yes, he had my respect and my faith restored in him by the time I turned the last page of this book.

I didn't like Mat from the very start. When people who have read the series said that Mat was one of their favorite character, I used to think, "What is that I am missing? He don't deserve all that love. He is a coward.". But he has come a long way from the first book. Somewhere after book 5 he started growing on me and he just got better. And here he outshine himself. The things he did in this book, I never thought he was capable of those sacrifices. Let's be honest, he is a selfish man and always put his interests first, so him acting so selflessly stumped me. Oh, and he rescued a beloved character, and I think I fell under his spell a little more.

Third person who mattered in this book was Egwene. From a village girl to one of the fiercest Aes Sedai, her journey was spectacular (yup, I have forgiven her thoughts of where she thought of boxing boys' ears or teaching someone a lesson will change the world). Seriously, she has been the star of the last few books, and this book too was hers in more than one way. She is stubborn but she knows what she's doing. We all make mistakes but learning from them and moving forward not repeating those mistakes is what makes Egwene such a charismatic character.

Excellent writing, and a fast pace made this book a pleasure to read. With such a huge cast and an epic story to tell, I think Sanderson did a fantastic job here.

[Choko · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 5+ ***

A buddy read with my WoT family @ BB&B!!! So close to the end...

This was soooooo good! I am left with no words which I have not used before, to praise this series, world, magic, characters, plot, writing, and pure genius of the author and the series creator! I love it so much!!! Anything I attempt to say would only be useless fan-girling, so I am just going to repeat one thing - to all Fantasy fans, you have to read this series!!! It is the one I consider as the standard all other series have to live up to! But don't listen to me, check it out for yourself!

I wish you all Happy Reading and many wonderful books to come!!!

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 5 out of 5]

You want to re-live Towers of Midnight? In that case, you are cordially invited to join me on my journey through another epic WoT novel. In this format, I’m again using the percentage points of the kindle edition to note down thoughts and quotations. Apparently, some people had fun when I did this for TGS, so here goes.

0% So I checked the statistics: there is no chapter in Rand’s PoV. None. I can’t imagine, though, that he is a no-show this late in the series. Can it be that he will be exclusively seen through the eyes of others? As someone who likes indirect characterization, this thought thrills me. And apparently we’ll see a lot of Perrin – not sure how I feel about that. Hopefully he continues the positive development we saw glimpses of in TGS.

1% I have goosebumps already. Finally seeing an excerpt of Loial’s book is the perfect start and gives the events described even more weight; this is how the Dragon Reborn will be remembered in this eponymous book!

SPOILERS BELOW!






********
PoV: Lan

1% “Mandarb’s hooves beat a familiar rhythm on broken ground as Lan Mandragoran rode toward his death.” What a way to begin the prologue. More goosebumps.
*******
PoV: Graendal

2% There’s that command from TGS again, “He must know pain... he must know frustration… he must know anguish.” The suspense is killing me. What else will the Forsaken do to Rand?

3% I knew it. That bitch Graendal escaped Rand’s trap. At least we’re still down one Forsaken.

*******
PoV: Galad

4% Those damn fanatic Questioners are so infuriating! (*Biting my fist, silently screaming.*) Good on you, Galad, to outargue them.

*******
PoV: Almen Blunt in the apple orchard

6% So we get our first glimpse at Rand through the eyes of someone else, just as I’d hoped. How wonderful to see Rand literally walk in the light; his gaze no longer radiating cold but calm and a sense of peace; his mere presence seeming to hold the Shadow at bay. “I’m not lost. Finally. It feels like a great long time since I’ve understood the path before me.”

*******
PoV: Galad

7% Turns out the Children of the Light can be sensible. Who knew. How satisfying to see Asunawa dead and the Children with a capable Lord Captain Commander in Galad – and it didn’t take long at all after he had given himself up to the Questioners.

*******
PoV: Egwene

8% Do the thirteen towers Egwene dreams about symbolize the Forsaken? Towers fall, one reforms and grows taller (Ishamael then Moridin) and six remain (Moridin, Graendal, Mesaana, Cyndane, Moghedien, Demandred). This could also be linked to the title. Just a theory.

*******
PoV: Siuan

8% What?! Rand goes to the White Tower – alone??? Rand 3.0 has come far.

8% I like this new Rand we see through Siuan’s eyes. In control but not controlling, self-assured but not arrogant, calm but not cold.

*******
PoV: Galad

11% So it looks like Galad’s and Perrin’s armies are about to meet. Oh how I hope that this also means Galad and Morgase will soon be reunited!

<15% The Whitecloaks and their misrepresentation of facts never fail to make my blood boil. I really want to see Bornhald and Byar get their just desserts.

*******
PoV: Mat

17% Open Verin’s flaming letter already, Mat!

18% “He would never wish Joline upon someone he liked. In fact, he was too gentlemanly to wish her on most of his enemies.” You just have to love Mat.

18% “Fen’s tilted eyes were hard. He always seemed to be looking for someone to murder; each conversation with him was an interview to see if you fit the criteria.” Is it me or does Mat feel more like Mat in this book?

*******
PoV: Perrin

18% Aha! Here is the statue Rand saw in his mind when thinking of Perrin in the previous book. I know I asked what Perrin was doing with Galad, but now I’d rather not know. This Perrin-Galad plotline is not my favorite.

19% Just want to stop for a moment and appreciate what cleansing saidin has done for the Asha’man. “I always had a reason to fight. But now I’ve got a reason to live, too.”

*******
PoV: Min

22% Still getting used to Rand talking about himself and Lews Therin as one. Though it was about time.

22% Despite being skeptical that Rand is not a viewpoint character in this book, I must admit seeing him solely through the eyes of others adds to the air of mystery this new and improved Rand exudes.

22% Now THAT is an awesome superpower! Identifying Darkfriends. So basically Rand is like the sun and people bound to the Shadow can’t bear to look at him. Very handy, that!

22% And the father-of-the-year award goes to Tam Al’Thor. “Nobody walks a difficult path without stumbling now and again. It didn’t break you when you fell. That’s the important part.”

*******
PoV: Faile

26% I see what you’re doing, Brandon. Much like you’ve done with Perrin, you’re trying to make Faile‘s character more likeable by showing she actually feels remorse for some questionable behavior/actions. It’s working.

*******
PoV: Mat

32% “Onward, then, to meet the Queen of Andor.” (This quote is for you, Aaron.) Finally! I was so looking forward to Mat and Elayne reuniting.

33% Mat has a bad influence on me. He notes how Birgitte has not changed, “with that golden braid and high boobs.” I mean otherwise I would not have misread “boots” as “boobs.” Obviously.

33% I really wish Mat would finally share that he has those memories of other lives lived.

33% Mat, why are you giving Elayne your foxhead medaillon for three whole days (!!!) when the gholam is after you specifically?? How about telling Elayne that?

******
PoV: Nynaeve

35% This test to earn the right to be called Aes Sedai makes no sense. Being able to dedicate yourself to a “greater task” – my foot. This teaches abandoning all empathy, turning away from people in need – such an admirable quality which obviously must be honed. 🙄

35% Nynaeve reminds me of Harry Potter during the task at the lake in Goblet of Fire – rescuing people who don’t need rescuing.

35% Oh how I want to strangle those bitches. They want to fail Nynaeve because she didn’t show "proper decorum?” Right.

36% “I realized that if I had to choose between becoming an Aes Sedai and going with Lan, I’d choose Lan. What people call me doesn’t change anything inside of me. Lan, however … he is more than a title. I can still channel – I can still be me – if I never become Aes Sedai. But I would never be myself again if I abandoned him.” Girl’s got her priorities straight. Impressive.

36% It was about time! I’ve been bloody waiting for bloody Myrelle to pass on Lan’s bond for bloody ages.

*******
PoV: Perrin

37% Poor Morgase. Finding out she’s been used by a Forsaken? Brutal. I’m still waiting for that reunion with Galad, though!

37% Perrin to the Whitecloaks: Listen, so we want to take you up on your offer to battle each other. Would you kindly pick a place that is convenient for you? Does tomorrow work for you? Then we can proceed to kill one another.

*******
PoV: Rodel Ituralde (Domani general)

38% This battle against the Shadowspan is a disaster. What if Rand had sent the Saldaeans instead of the Domani? Would the Saldaean army in Maradon have helped their countrymen from the start and thus prevented this from turning so ugly?
[Note at 58%: Probably not, as the Maradon Lord turns out to be a Darkfriend.]

*******
PoV: Elayne

43% Elayne, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! Of all the idiotic things! Flying solo when confronting Darkfriends has gotta be up there on the “stupid list.”

43% So that creep Mellar escapes. Awesome. At least they got Mat’s medallion back; though I wonder what the Shadow will be able to do with the copy. That’s probably gonna come back to bite them.

*******
PoV: Gawyn

44% I was wondering why people don’t drop in to see one another more frequently, what with the possibility of portals. So I’m glad that Gawyn finally plans to visit Elayne. Maybe finding out Rand is her baby daddy means he’ll discard his plan to murder him – finding out his mother is alive would be even better.

*******
PoV: Min

47% Rand and Min converse: “You could be a queen, if you wished it.” “All I wish for is you, stupid looby.” You just have to love Min.

*******
PoV: Galad

49% So… Galad and Berelain are going to become an item, methinks. Insta-lust between two beautiful people. Just look at all that blushing. 😂

49% Yay! Finally, a reunion between Galad and Morgase. (It only took 38% of waiting.) Does that mean there won’t be a battle after all? I sure hope so.

*******
PoV: Egwene

50% While I dislike Egwene seemingly subverting Rand’s plans to break the seals, watching her outfox the foxes is very satisfying.

*******
PoV: Perrin

55% I’m a bit confused about the timeline. Tam is only now leaving Perrin’s camp to meet with Dark Rand, but before this, Rand has already been walking in the light.

56% Question: If the wolf dream reflects a tempest because something important is happening in the waking world, does that also mean that when Nynaeve is sensing a storm, that storm is not a metaphor but her sensing the literal storm in Tel’aran’rhiod?

*******
PoV: Rodel Ituralde

58% Whoa. Rand unleashed is indeed “a storm of Light.” Seeing him through other people’s eyes and reactions, seeing the awe and wonder, was the most impressive way to experience this battle/slaughter of Shadowspawn, this “terrible, destructive, wonderful masterwork.” And it is just so cool that more people know what he’s truly capable of.

*******
PoV: Min

59% Rand: “In Maradon, I saw what had been done to men who followed me. I saw Light in them, Min. Defying the Dark One no matter the length of his shadow. We will live, that defiance said. We will live and we will hope.”

59% Who is the friend that left him a secret? Egwene? Verin?

*******
PoV: Perrin

64% That trial was torture.

68% Really, Egwene? You’re still tying Perrin up in Tel‘aran‘rhiod – in the middle of a deadly fight with Black Sisters, theoretically rendering him helpless? And he couldn’t possibly be about something important?

*******
PoV: Gawyn

68% Wow. Competence all around and it’s so much fun: Egwene, Queen of Politics. Perrin, King of Tel’aran’rhiod. Gawyn, Master of Swords. (Defeating three Bloodknives, no less.)

******
PoV: Perrin

72% I really don’t know why but I had tears in my eyes when Perrin finally accepted who he is. Just a beautiful epiphany. "He had thought that responsibility would be another weight upon him. And yet, now that he had accepted it, he actually felt lighter.“

*******
PoV: Galad

72% Groan. Are we back to seeing Darkfriends everywhere? Galad had better not fuck up what is presumably a rescue mission.

*******
PoV: Faile

73% Dick move, Perrin. Dick move. What are you thinking, not telling anyone you’re planning to help the Whitecloaks, having everyone worried.

*******
PoV: Galad

73% Byar, you witless zealot. Why would Perrin bring in Shadowspawn and then proceed to kill them? It’s a sad day when Bornhald is the voice of reason.

73% Another epiphany, long overdue. “The Children of the Light were not protected by their goodness; they were falling in swaths, like grain before the scythe.”

74% Bornhald to Perrin‘s rescue? Who would have thought.

74% Galad did not fuck it up.

*******
PoV: Lan

75% “My plan was to ride alone.” “Of course. I would like to ride with you. May I?”

*******
PoV: Perrin

77% Those were some truly beautiful wedding vows Morgase and Tallanvor made. And a great, albeit brief ceremony.

77% Yay! Mat and Perrin finally meet again! I can’t even recall when they last saw each other.

******
Pov: Elayne

78% So Elayne and Morgase finally meet and upon seeing her mother is not dead, Elayne’s first reaction is to fear for her throne? Seems rather callous. At least they hug it out later.

*******
PoV: Faile

82% I’m unreasonably angry at Elayne for her attitude towards Perrin, threatening him with execution no less. It’s so rich of Elayne to claim the Two Rivers as hers only when it suits her; expecting loyalty when the Crown has ignored it all this time.

*******
PoV: Fortuona

82% I can’t deny how gratifying it is to see Elaida as damane. Offering 20 Aes Sedai in her stead is just one more reason she deserves everything that’s coming to her.

82% Shit, I hadn’t considered that Elaida would give the Seanchan Traveling. That could turn out really badly.

82% Being Seanchan sounds so exhausting. “What would it be like, to have a Prince of the Ravens whom she did not have to plot against? It seemed almost a fantasy.”

*******
PoV: Mat

82% OPEN VERIN'S FUCKING LETTER, MAT!!

******
PoV: Aviendha

84% That’s the Aiel‘s future? The Aiel’s arrogant, belligerent, manipulative ways resulting in an arguably unnecessary war with the Seanchan, which in turn leads to the Aiel being close to eradicated? How sad that they have no identity beyond fighting someone. Hopefully having foreknowledge will help change the Aiel’s fate. Aviendha is not the only one to cry over all this. (What is this book doing to me?)

86% Hold up, in Padra’s vision, the most recent battle had been 17 years before? Was that the Last Battle? If so, it appears Rand and Aviendha, her parents, are both dead already. That sucks.

*******
PoV: Min

87% The Borderlander monarchs are slapping him? What the hell.

*******
PoV: Elayne

89% The image of Birgittte plopping herself on the Cairhienin throne in front of the entire court, wriggling around and pronouncing it ”not very comfortable“ is priceless.

*******
PoV: Mat

93% WHAT ABOUT THE SNAKES, Mat?!

93% Half the light of the world to save the world. Oh, Mat. That prophecy makes horrible sense now. You really are a hero.

94% I bloody knew it. Of course, the Aelfinn are attacking.

95% Couldn’t cut it any closer, huh, Mat?

96% Like Mat, I never thought I would miss Moiraine and be happy to have her back. And Mat is not the only one who missed the love connection between Thom and her. Maybe I just don’t remember?

97% HOLY SHIT! That is happening in the Epilogue??? MAT, I TOLD YOU! YOU SHOULD HAVE OPENED THAT FUCKING LETTER!

*******
PoV: Lan

98% “The end had come. They would meet it with swords raised.” I AM NOT READY!!

*******
100% Deep breath. Looks like the final book will be one gigantic fight against the Shadow, presumably with heavy casualties all around. Did I mention I’m not ready?

ONWARD!

[Books with Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright, BS! Let’s see whatcha do with the finale 😬

[Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book on a train ride from St. Pancras to Gatwick, and a flight from there to JFK. 1245 pages. In a 1-hour train ride and a 7-hour flight.

It was difficult to read while opening and eating the meals served on the plane, and equally difficult to concentrate while the flight attendant was asking whether I was aware there was a video screen as well (to which I politely replied "Yes, thank you." while really thinking "Go away, I'm reading."), but I prevailed in the end.

Wheel of Time reviews:
#1 The Eye of the World
#2 The Great Hunt
#3 The Dragon Reborn
#4 The Shadow Rising
#5 The Fires of Heaven
#6 Lord of Chaos
#7 A Crown of Swords
#8 The Path of Daggers
#9 Winter's Heart
#10 Crossroads of Twilight
#11 Knife of Dreams
#12 The Gathering Storm
#13 Towers of Midnight
#14 A Memory of Light

[Alex Nieves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant Wheel of Time book and holy crap, I only have one more left.

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 14th WoT book was another fun one. It is so easy to get caught up in the happenings of this familiar world and its massive cast of characters really do feel like old friends by this stage!

ToM matched Sanderson's first WoT effort, TGS, in terms of quality. He might do a few things differently from Jordan but the one thing he does deliver is a well paced story that has very few dull spots.

The story itself was engaging and interesting as all our favourite characters got themselves and their followers ready for the Last Battle.

The stars of this instalment were Rand and Nynaeve. Both are developing into characters that are easy to love and respect. You just feel that with this pair the forces of the Light actually stand a fighting chance!

So how did it go for the others. Spoilers ahead!

Mat: I still feel like he is the character that suffers most in the change from Jordan to Sanderson. He is more like a proto-Wayne than the Mat of old. That said, I think I'm getting used to the new Mat's flaws in the same way I got used to the old Mat's flaws. His story arc in this one was pretty interesting. We finally got that rescue mission to the Tower of Ghenjei and it did not disappoint.

Perrin: His story arc was a real mixed bag. It had some really good moments mixed in with some really dull ones. On the plus side this book was massive in terms of character development for Perrin. It finally feels like the guy is becoming someone I could grow to like again.

Egwene: Her story arc was pretty good and she even managed a few impressive achievements in this one. The negative is that she was far more irritating than she has been in the last few books. She is adopting some of that infuriating Aes Sedai arrogance.

Elayne: She was completely ignored by Sanderson in his first WoT book but did feature fairly prominently in this one. Her story arc was pretty interesting with her consolidating her power in Andor and trying to claim the Sun Throne. The downside is that as a character this was by far Elayne's worst book. I feel like Sanderson misread her in much the same way he did with Mat. She was used as a comedy relief character, which did provide some amusing moments, but that was definitely to her detriment.

The stand-out secondary characters were Galad, Berelain, Morgase, and the Asha'man newcomer Androl.

Most annoying/infuriating character of this WoT instalment was a close fight between Gawyn and Lan. Gawyn was his usual idiotic self. I'm not even feeling his romance with Egwene. Which is a pity as I was feeling it in the early books. Now I feel like it is even worse than the equally disturbing Perrin/Faile relationship. What to say about Lan? The guy is the second most depressing fantasy character of all time (Fitz from Hobb's Farseer books ranks first on that list!). He is suicidal and constantly miserable. What did poor Nynaeve do to get stuck with this fool as a husband?

The WoT villains had a weirdly quiet book. Only Greandal seen much action and managed to seem threatening.

Random thoughts:
1. It is weird that Rand's best book since the very early books was one where we did not get any Rand POV's except from a tiny late one in the epilogue!
2. The Wolf Dreams need to go. They have become a bit of a bore.
3. We got two more WoT couples that decided to pair up instantly in this one. Instalove is a real thing in Randland!
4. I think Tuon is actually scarier than the Dark One and the Forsaken combined!

All in all this was another very enjoyable WoT book. I'm just sad we only have one more book to go as I feel like this world still has another 20 books worth of great stories in it!

Rating: 4.5 stars. I'm rounding up to 5 as this was a really easy book to enjoy.

Audio Note: It goes without saying that Krammer and Reading were awesome.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 5 out of 5]

January Read With the Fantasy Fanatics of



Since I started this series people have asked me if it was worth it. I mean there are a lot of books and they are all in the 750-1150 page range. This series is no small undertaking an in the middle when I was reading books 7-10 I really wondered if it was worth it. The worldbuilding is fantastic and complex but it really didn’t seem like anything was happening at all. But then we hit books 11, 12 and now 13 and I can say without a doubt that unless book 14 is a complete and utter disaster then YES!!! THIS SERIES IS WORTH IT. -that assumes you are a fantasy fan and not someone who reads thrillers, YA or any other genre mostly. This is not where you tiptoe into fantasy waters to see if you like it.

“If you wish, you may call me Rand Sedai.”

FINALLY and I mean finally we have an awesome Rand. A Rand worthy of the title The Dragon Reborn. I have waited for him so long and now we have someone to really root for in the big battle against The Dark One. I adored Rand in this book he has finally come into his hero role and he is finally a man worth following. I’m just going to ignore that whole in love and bonded to 3 women because let’s face it Min is the only woman really in Rand’s life. Except for the brief night he had with Elayne to knock her up and will have with Avienda to knock her up too Min is the only one who has been with him every step along the way since book 5 or 6. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I really I just think of him as a sperm donor for that lovely lesbian couple that is Elayne and Avienda.

Nynaeve was fantastic yet again in this book. She and Rand working together towards the last battle and all the groundwork she laid for Lan so that he would not go into Malkier alone just makes me almost giddy. We finally get to see a test to gain the shawl from her perspective (If you read New Spring then you saw Moraine’s but this is the first time in the main series). I actually was hoping that Nynaeve told the Aes Sedea to take their shawl and shove it by the end of that. She is fantastic and most of the Aes Sedea really are petty self-absorbed fools, she is so much better than them.

“I wonder if,” Nynaeve said, “we sometimes put the White Tower —as an institution— before the people we serve. I wonder if we let it become a goal in itself, instead of a means to help us achieve greater goals.”
“Devotion is important, Nynaeve. The White Tower protects and guides the world.”
“And yet, so many of us do it without families,” Nynaeve said. “Without love, without passion beyond our own particular interests. So even while we try to guide the world, we separate ourselves from it. We risk arrogance, Egwene. We always assume we know best, but risk making ourselves unable to fathom the people we claim to serve.”

And that right there is the biggest problem with the Aes Sedea and the White Tower.

Egwene, well she actually drove me nuts in this one. Apparently I really only like her when she is standing up to injustice and being beaten multiple times a day. Now that she has gained footing in the White Tower and that is over I find she has many of the same problems the other Aes Sedea do. Plus I’m completely pissed at her. She grew up with Rand and at one time thought they would marry each other and she can’t trust him or in him even a little It drives me crazy.

Elayne I’ve never been a big fan of and it is no different in this one. The bloody daughter heir is still just as frustrating. At least she has Birgetta.

But the other great thing that happened is that Matt , Thom and Noal finally made their play against the Snakes and Foxes. I won’t say how it all played out but I was both sad and so very happy by the end of that scenario. Now if Matt could just get his wife on the right team and pointed in the right direction.

There was this odd writing thig that happened in this book. Since the last book didn’t involve Perrin and his arc at all for flow reasons there is a time in this book when Perrin’s story is behind time wise with the PoVs from the other characters. They finally all catch up and I totally get why it was done this way. I couldn’t see another way to do it and keep the same level of intensity to the story. One of my favorite moments was when Matt and Perrin finally met back up again. It has been a long journey since they separated and I loved seeing the two boyhood friends together again if even just for a little while. They are so changed from the boys that left the Two Rivers so long ago.

Overall this was an intense and action packed story. In all of the other books of this series it has been easy to keep the few chapters a day pace so that the book last the entire month. But this was the first time that I couldn’t put the book down and I’d read 10 chapters instead of my allotted 2-3. I feel I will fail miserably in the last book and will not savor it until the end of the month but will instead finish it in less than week as the culmination of this very series comes to an end. I’m both so excited and so sad to get to this point. I’m completely ready for the last battle and at the same time I’m afraid of what will happen and I’m not ready to say goodbye.

[Shreyas Deshpande · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a book. So many plot threads get resolved in preparation for the Last Battle. Not as much action as the previous book, but there was a lot of great necessary build-up, and it had several great character moments.

Full RTC

Ratings:-⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Maddie Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING BREAKDOWN
Characters: 4⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 4⭐️
Themes: 4⭐️
Emotional Impact: 4⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 4⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 4.25⭐️

The penultimate book in the series! There were aspects that felt so epic and others that felt a little late coming, but I still enjoyed. Aviendah is on a solo journey in this book, which I loved, but it felt underwhelming this late in the story. Perin and Gawyn have a confrontation that makes for great conflict and twists because of a certain forsaken, but inter-relationally feels a bit blown out of proportion, and again, out of place this late in the story. In the white tower, Egwayne's dance with another forsaken is pretty cool, especially with some Perin crossover. The civil war in the black tower is one of the epic and tension-filled threads in this one, as well as the conclusion featuring a grand rescue mission by Mat. There are some tender character interactions/reunions that help ground the readers in the journey they've taken, reminding them how far the characters have come since the beginning.

Ultimately, good character moments and satisfying setup for the finale, with some chaos and shenanigans featuring the forsaken. I was very impatient for the climax of this book, so parts of it felt like a side plot or distraction, but I am glad each character got the closure they did in this book.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 3 out of 5]

****** Prelude to the actual review and doesn't need to be read before the body of the review ********* : originally reviewed Nov.2010. Updated Dec. 2014.

I'm about a third of the way through this book and I've got to say that while there are some wonderful moments, Sanderson is carrying on Jordan's tradition of beating a subject or plot point not only to death but till it falls apart and starts to stink!

I am heartily sick to death of Perrin's self flagellation and flat refusal to accept ANY reality...after 10,000 pages don't you think we can please, please stop going over and over and over the same ground! Just give the character a cat o' nine tails and let him actually beat his back bloody and get it over with. When I got into the first section of this repeated crap I considered heaving the book across the room, but as it weighs a ton and might knock out a wall, I desisted. I finally got through that scene and here I am only a bit later and Perrin is whining about "not being a Lord", "not being a leader", "not wanting the Wolf Banner up"...we've been over this a thousand times!

Okay...rant over, for a while, but I really, really, hope this thing pulls itself together and STOPS GOING OVER WHAT'S BEEN COVERED AD NAUSEUM!



**** REVIEW ****

Well, here we go. This is the 13th book in the Wheel of Time, that's book THIRTEEN...not counting New Spring of course as it's book "0" a prequel. If you've read my reviews of the previous volumes you know that I've become quite dissatisfied with this situation. BUT more about that later. If (as I've said) you have read my previous reviews you will recognize that my rating here is actually a step up (from the last few volumes). While still unable to say I truly "like" the book it is a step forward. And about time as unless the ax falls and more volumes are announced (an eventuality that wouldn't actually surprise me) this is the next to the last volume.

First...the good. Mr Sanderson is an excellent writer and it occasionally shows. There are some wonderful moments in this book. I found some passages very moving and what was exceptionally good was that at least a few are moving in more than one way. First they are genuinely emotional scenes and second they move the story along. The advancement of this story has been exceptionally slow up to now. So there were some moments of actual enjoyment for me here.

Second...the neutral. As mentioned Mr. Sanderson is a good writer and he manages to capture the story, the characters, and the types that Mr. Jordan has established. These things will hit different people different ways, some will find a lot of positive others a lot of negative. The idiotic battle of the sexes is still here as are the attitudes of each of the characters and groups. The fatalistic are still fatalistic the annoying are still annoying and so on. You will easily recognize what you may have come to like and dislike in the series. All the customs etc. are still with us...Rand accepts his "'toh" at one point and so on.

Third...the bad. The frustratingly bad things are still here to. The long repetitive passages are still here. The re-re-retelling of the same details from every possible point of view still takes place (an event that happened and was discussed ad nausem 500 hundred pages ago is related to a new group (the Aes Sedai, the Aeil, somebody) and it gets discussed again...maybe another 50 pages, who knows. There are also long pointless conversations, by that I refer to the ones that don't have any effect on the story nor tell us anything new. I know it can be argued that they "reinforce characters and character types" but it's been 10,000 pages, don't you think the character types might have been established by now?

There are those who love these books just the way they are and for you I'm happy. I know a couple of people who agree with you. They would be happy to read what the characters had for each meal, what their clothes were made of, and how they slept each night. To you anything that stretches out the experience is great. But, it doesn't improve the "novel", the overall story. It (in my opinion) has turned this series (from about volume 7 A Crown of Swords on) into a soap-opera. This volume is 864 pages, 328,000 words, in audio about 30 hours of listening. I truly believe that in the hands of a good editor the entire series (including the one to come) could be cut down to from 7 to 10 volumes total, and probably closer to 7.

I loved the first 5 books in this series and feel almost the same about the 6th. I believe that it was on the way to becoming one of the greatest High Fantasy Epics in print, but that fell by the wayside long ago. What happened? Why did the story suddenly become a lumbering crippled behemoth of a soap-opera stumbling forward at a glacial pace? Did someone suddenly realize that each book was a best seller and the more volumes that were in the series the more money would be made? Did the editors suddenly stop editing because the books were so popular that they were no longer allowed to edit the writer? Did the story simply start to wander as all possible details began to work their way in about each character and group's thoughts and actions?

I suppose we'll never know. Some of you will totally disagree with me and "feel" this is wonderful and love every second, every word of it. Others like me will be frustrated and disappointed about what could have been. I'm not kidding when I say I'm happy for you who love the way this series is going. To the rest of us...well it is what it is. The blurb on this book says, "the Last Battle has started", well, not so you'll notice. I do plan to get the last volume from the library when it's published, I want to see how it "comes out". But, I think I'll always mourn what this series might have been.

Might have been, could have been, the old refrain.

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buddy read with the Dragonsworn over at BB&B!



Book with a place in the title for the MacHalo Reading Challenge.

I can't believe this is the second to last book! More than an year has passed since I and a bunch of other people embarked on this epic journey. Along the way we became friends, sharing thoughts, ideas and theories. And now I feel so sad that the end is so near. Part of me wants to hurry up and read the last instalment, to see how it all ends and whether the light will win and who will survive. Because the characters have become so dear to me. And yet, I don't want to ever finish this series. I will miss the characters, the banter, the adventures, the silliness, even the moments when I wanted to strangle the idiots. And even though I can always revisit the world it would never be the same as the first time experiencing it.

As with the previous book the plot is fast paced, with no dull moments. There were a few major points: Perrin finally coming to grips with being a wolfbrother and FINALLY starting to act like a leader and a decent human being and kicking ass, Elayne making her bid for the Sun Throne, Rand showing the world that he is indeed the saviour they've been waiting for, Egwene meddling where she shouldn't (typical Aes Sedai!) and maybe the one I liked the most Mat's rescue of Moiraine. If I have to choose a favourite moment it would be the last one. So here's a pic of Mat post-rescue:


A lot happened in this book but there's still a lot that needs to happen before the final showdown of the Last Battle. But our characters are running out of time because Tarmon Gai'don has already began. With only one book left to go and so many unanswered questions I'm extremely excited and more than a bit apprehensive of the end to come.

[Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!* · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay.

It's good.

I hated it.

Here is an awesome scene suggestion for the cover art: Perrin enraged, riding headlong into a horde of Trollocs at night with his eyes and his hammer glowing golden, lightning and fire blasting all around him. What we got instead: three dorks going, “What is triangle?” On the plus side, the cover clearly illustrated a key moment from which the title was drawn. It was an important event, one that Mat and company committed to undertake a mere two and a half books ago, which in WoT parlance is practically immediately.

When I started this book, I hoped my irritation at the mess that Jordan left behind would be overcome by Sanderson finally moving affairs forward. The prior book didn’t get me there. I did reach this point, after only 600 pages that emerged from this thought process:

No one:
Jorderson: More Gawyn and Galad POV chapters!

Then I flipped back to being irritated after 700 pages, then forward again from page 740 onwards. What a ride! I was finally compelled to look for more info about what material was Jordan’s and what Sanderson had to make out of whole cloth, and per some of Sanderson’s blog posts, it’s almost entirely the latter. At this point, I respect Sanderson for what he accomplished and what his goals were in honouring all that Jordan had put in place, but I’m still aghast at all the plot points and characters and themes that harkened back to the earliest books and made me cry, “Whyyyyyyyyyyy… did Jordan leave all of this in such a mess.” The overarching answer is that, per Sanderson, Jordan was a discovery writer (in modern parlance, a ‘pantser’) which seems to me a piss-poor way to write a massive, complex, multi-narrative epic fantasy series. “Ooh, I’ll just write whatever and see what story comes out on its own, I have vague goals in mind but who knows how or when we’ll get there.” Ugh.

Sanderson did an amazing job in re-reading the series and finding all the gaps, holes, and missing motivations, and addressing all those quite well in these final books. Here’s one: Power Stones. Remember those? Remember how amazing and important they were in book 2 and once in book 4? Haven’t been mentioned again, until Sanderson found a way to make them relevant and remembered in book 13? Wonderful.

When I read this, referring to Perrin thinking about all the time he was focused on rescuing Faile from Malden . . .

He found something bothering him. Shouldn’t he have tried something like this [using the wolf dream to scout the city] when Faile was kidnapped? . . . But he’s never tried visiting the place in the wolf dream. Perhaps it would have been useless. But he hadn’t considered the possibility, and that troubled him.

. . . is it wrong to think of this as Sanderson covering for Jordan not having considered this or made it part of the plot of that particular endless multi-book sequence?

Consider the Black Tower. What an intriguing development the institution of the Black Tower was. What great story promise lay there. It was then sorely neglected for most of several books, until Sanderson’s second tome. What little treatment Jordan did give it was frustrating, and I hate how little attention Rand paid to it ever, especially once Logain came to him with basically this conversation:

Logain: “I am telling you, Mazrim Taim is secretly one of the Forsaken and is turning the Asha’man to the Dark Side.”
Rand: “Shut up, you’re not my real father!”

Seriously dude, you can teleport anywhere in the world whenever you want, and you can’t take 15 minutes to check this out? Nope, too busy, I’m sure things are working out fine over there and the most vital component of my forces for the Last Battle will be ready and compliant.

This book finally revisited the Black Tower properly to bring it back into the story, but not until well into its second half. I love Androl, he rocks in the Last Battle, but… brand new pivotal character introduced in the last hundred pages of book 13 of 14? It should never have had to come to that.

But finally, FINALLY, I am ever so slightly beyond the point of “reading just to get to the end”. It took a lot of work, but Sanderson managed to salvage the series, do the characters justice, and build positive anticipation for the final book, even though it took way too much time dwelling with Whitecloaks to get to that point.

I turn to a quote from one of Mat’s POV sections to summarize how I felt all too often while reading this book:

He found himself smiling as Thom related the details of their escape [from Seanchan-occupied Ebou Dar] and the capture of Tuon, followed by their travels with Master Luca’s menagerie. Drawn from the quiver of a storyteller, the tale sounded a whole lot more impressive than it had been to live.

More impressive than it had been to read, too.

[Duffy Pratt · Rating 1 out of 5]

If feels like a different series now. The pace is moving at least three times as fast as the later Jordan books. And that's being charitable. Let's face it. There's a about one hundred pages of Crossroads of Twilight where the sum total of the action was that Elayne took a bath. There are seemingly endless stretches where Jordan would devote a page or two to an Aes Sedai raising an eyebrow -- or worse, almost raising an eyebrow.

On top of that, the emotional range of the characters has expanded greatly. It seemed for about 5 books that the characters experienced a range of emotions varying from seething anger to fury. On top of that, we might get a helping of scorn or condescension, but the rest of the emotional palette was pretty much absent. And now it has returned -- and not just for Rand.

And the biggest news is that the major characters have finally stopped their never-ending state of denial. Instead of simply denying what they have become, Perrin, Mat and Rand are now starting to embrace it. Although I like this shift, it doesn't seem as organic as it should, and I think that largely results from the radical speeding up of the glacial pace of the earlier books. Because these changes happen so fast, they seem a bit forced to me. And they also leave me wondering how cool the series might have been if Jordan had focused on bringing about these changes, instead of either ignoring the issue or having the characters cling to their states of denial.

The last thing that's bothering me about this series as a whole is how generally safe everything appears to be We started out with 5 young villagers leaving their home in a hurry because it was attacked by monsters. They get led by a witch, her bodyguard, and then a minstrel. Later on they run into a gentle giant, a prince and princess, a half brother of theirs, and the Queen. All these people are hunted by unimaginably powerful evil wizards who have been locked up for centuries, and are really pissed off after having had a really sucky millennium. And after maybe 10,000 pages, all of these characters are still thriving.

MINOR SPOILER AHEAD: On top of that, the book has now fully descended into the Red Shirt of Death syndrome. Moraine says three people have to go into the tower to rescue her: Mat, Thom and one other who she does not know. From miles and miles away, you can see it was bad news for the third guy. I was actually a bit surprised that Sanderson didn't dress him in a nice form fitting red shirt in a nod to Star Trek.

One final criticism of the series as a whole. A central idea of the series is that Rand Mat and Perrin are ta'varen. That means that the Pattern (fate?) weaves itself strongly around these three. At the outset I thought this was a pretty cool idea. More and more, it seems like it simply allows the writers to be lazy by having characters do things that are stupid and out of character. Thus, someone does something convenient for a plot resolution but its something that that person would never do in a million years, and there is no drama leading up to the decision. Then someone else says "ta'varen." And that's supposed to explain it all.

[Constantine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: Very Good

Genre: Epic Fantasy

This is the 13th book in the Wheel of Time series and is the second book in the trilogy written by Brandon Sanderson. I loved the previous book more than this one. It does not mean that this is bad. It is not at all. The problem in this book is the pacing. The first half felt slow and not much happening while the second half was fast-paced.

When it comes to the characters Perrin Aybara has the maximum POV in this book. In the first half, his parts were very slow, and hardly anything happening. Sometimes he was getting on my nerves and I was running out of patience. However, in the second half, his POV got better. Galad makes a good appearance. I expected a lot bigger situation when Morgase revealed her identity. It was not an epic situation as I thought it would be.

Rand is hardly in this book. I expect in the final book he will get the maximum amount of footage. Egwene’s part was not huge here but quite effective. Finally, there is a resolution between her and Gawyn. Her fight and search for Mesaana were fantastic. Mat and Thom head to the Tower of Ghenjei to rescue Moiraine. YES! She is back! However, this part comes a lot late in the book around the 800th pages.

Aviendha’s parts since the last couple of books have not been that good and her part continued to be not too interesting. Elayne has grown arrogant since she became a queen! I feel she wants everybody dancing to her own tunes! She was not like that before. I noticed the change more in this book. Was that really a goodbye for Lan? :(

I can’t believe the next book is the finale! So for me to finish the whole series I have one final book and a prequel novella and I will be done with The Wheel of Time series! Towers of Midnight could have been a five-star book if not for the slow pace in the first half. The book could have been shorter and more solid. However, it is still a very good book and quite entertaining.

[James Trevino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing. Perfection!

[Andrei(Drusca) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastica

[Kitty G Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I am drawing ever nearer to the final book of Wheel of Time, which is both baffling and exciting to me. I have been reading these books for such a long time and I have to say that the Sanderson book have certainly made the series sit up and get going again rather than meander around as the Jordan ones did. I love both Jordan and Sanderson as writers, and I am so happy that Sanderson was the one chosen to finish this off because he's incredible when it comes to bringing all of the plotlines back together and making them all fit into place and all the characters begin their final journeys.

This book really felt to me a lot like it was Perrin's book. We get a large amount of focus on Perrin and his adventures in the Wolf dream and also as he leads his people around encountering and fixing problem after problem. I love that Sanderson seemed to have the same thoughts as many of the fans, why did Perrin suddenly go from awesome character to moony and grumpy - let's change that (and he has done so expertly).
Not only do we get to see a massive development with Perrin and his relationships to those who travel with him and surround him but we also understand who he is and what he's trying to do and achieve for the Last Battle a lot more now. We get to follow him inside his dreams and see the way that the Wolf Dream can affect not only his personality, but also events within the waking world and how everything ties together in the end.
I found that by the end of this book I was once more really loving Perrin's character and I enjoyed seeing his battle and inner turmoil and the brave face that he put on in order to face those people who opposed him. He really had a massive amount of character improvement within this particular book and it was well worth Sanderson taking the time to do so.

Another character who's journey I was very much enjoying in this book was Mat's. Whilst I said in book 12 that I thought that Sanderson had not fully captured the essence of mat as Jordan had intended him I think Sanderson put Mat back on the right tracks in this book and made him feel more consistent and genuine here.
Mat's journey over the course of this book is also a pretty crazy one, not so much for his own character development, but more for the adventure that he embarks on. He's as stubborn and feisty as ever but there were a fair few moments where I chuckled along with his jokes and sarcasm and rooted for him to overcome the problems he faced. (I also have to say that the badger-catching reunion was a pretty fabulous moment).

Aviendha's story also took some pretty vital and thought-provoking turns in this book. We've known for a while about Aviendha's ability to see some sort of vision and to have the talent, but in this book we get to see her explore these things further and come to understand who she and her people are and what they will have to do. She's a stoic and tough character but she has heart too, and some of the scenes of her visions were very moving and intimidating - I wouldn't like to be in her place and have to figure it all out!

Finally we saw more of Egwene in her element. She remains the best character in my opinion and I loved getting to see her plotting and scheming in order to make the world and the Tower whole and right again. She has a lot resting on her and yet she always maintains this calm exterior and I admire her greatly as one of the characters. She's a pretty cool lady.

On the whole I felt that there were some very essential truces and agreements made within this book as well as seeing some of our characters as they really progressed. I loved getting to see the differing cultures of the world as they all begin to prepare in ernest for the last battle and the final instalment promises to be a pretty darn good one!

I would have to say that the pacing and direction of the story is really coming together in this instalment and I felt as though I could almost see the way everyone and everything is lining up for the Last Battle - I can't wait to dive into number 14 and see how it all finishes up. Another wonderful 5* book from the Sanderson/Jordan combo!

[Sotiris Karaiskos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shortly before the end, and while the first enemy forces' attacks have already begun, our heroes sort out their last accounts before giving everything to the war against the Dark One. Those who have accepted their leadership role, defeating their doubts, assume their responsibilities and open the way, defying all disagreements. In other cases, it seems that the best way is to understand and accept the help that others want to offer. Nevertheless, it is certain that circumstances require bold, risk-taking decisions that stretch the limits of our hero's luck and bravery. Sometimes this luck is on their side but other times things do not go right.

A book that prepares the reader for the epic last part where the battle of good with evil will be judged. The interest is that this preparation is by no means subdued; on the contrary, the rhythm is overwhelming; the action is continuous, with each chapter offering something in this direction, leading to many exciting moments but also to some of the most moving excerpts of the whole of the series, as through the battle with the dark forces, the most noble emotions are manifested, the willingness to self-sacrifice in the name of duty, friendship, atonement, even love is very strong. These allow our heroes to find that there is no point in any battle if it is only for the sake of battle, unless the purpose for which they have to fight is completely clear. All this are becoming clear and all that remains is to charge into the final battle!

Λίγο πριν από το τέλος και ενώ οι πρώτες επιθέσεις των δυνάμεων του εχθρού έχουν ήδη ξεκινήσει οι ήρωες μας τακτοποιούν τους τελευταίους τους λογαριασμούς πριν τα δώσουν όλα στον πόλεμο ενάντια στον Σκοτεινό. Αυτοί που έχουν αποδεχτεί τον ηγετικό τους ρόλο, νικώντας τις αμφιβολίες τους, αναλαμβάνουν τις ευθύνες τους και ανοίγουν το δρόμο, αψηφώντας όλες τις διαφωνίες. Σε άλλες περιπτώσεις φαίνεται ότι ο καλύτερος δρόμος είναι η συνεννόηση και η αποδοχή της βοήθειας που θέλουν οι άλλοι να προσφέρουν. Όπως και να έχει, όμως, το σίγουρο είναι ότι οι περιστάσεις απαιτούν τολμηρές αποφάσεις που εμπεριέχουν ρίσκο και δοκιμάζουν τα όρια της τύχης και της γενναιότητας των ηρώων μας. Μερικές φορές αυτή η τύχη είναι με το μέρος τους αλλά άλλες φορές τα πράγματα δεν πάνε όπως πρέπει.

Ένα βιβλίο που προετοιμάζει τον αναγνώστη για το επικό τελευταίο μέρος όπου η μάχη του καλού με το κακό θα κριθεί. Το ενδιαφέρον είναι ότι αυτή η προετοιμασία δεν είναι σε καμία περίπτωση υποτονική, αντιθέτως ο ρυθμός είναι καταιγιστικός, η δράση συνεχής, με κάθε κεφάλαιο να προσφέρει κάτι σε αυτή την κατεύθυνση, οδηγώντας σε πολλές συναρπαστικές στιγμές αλλά και σε μερικά από τα πιο συγκινητικά αποσπάσματα ολόκληρης της σειράς καθώς μέσα από τη μάχη με τις σκοτεινές δυνάμεις εκδηλώνονται τα πιο ευγενή συναισθήματα, με την διάθεση για αυτοθυσία στο όνομα του καθήκοντος, της φιλίας, της εξιλέωσης, ακόμα και του έρωτα να είναι πολύ έντονη. Αυτά δίνουν τη δυνατότητα στους ήρωες μας να διαπιστώσουν ότι δεν έχει νόημα καμία μάχη αν γίνεται μόνο για τη μάχη, αν δεν είναι απολύτως ξεκάθαρος ο σκοπός για τον οποίο πρέπει να πολεμήσουν. Όλα αυτά ξεκαθαρίζουν και το μόνο που μένει είναι να ριχτούμε στην τελική μάχη!

[Grace Dionne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly there is so much to unpack here but I greatly, greatly enjoyed this book and based on all the set-up, I cannot wait to close out the series! There were so many great storylines and character moments

I’ll have my spoiler chat video coming soon 😊

[Isk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh god, half of this book must have been devoted to Perrin. Even wishy-washier than ever.
What was up with the ending? Totally random and failed attempt to do something exciting.
Nothing happens in this book. I never really understood when people said that about Jordan before, but it's quite obvious in this one.

The last one by Sanderson was awesome. This one is pure drivel.

The way Egwene defeated Mesaana was pathetic. She barely tried.

The way everyone except Nynaeve and kinda Perrin assumes Rand's plans to break the seals must be stopped was extremely irritating.

Can the Forsaken really do anything terrifying? They all seem PATHETIC.

Thom and Moiraine romance? Uh, what? RANDOM.

What was with the lack of detail? Like Elayne's failed attempt to pretend to be Mesaana or whatever. Um, what? Was it just coincidence that the Black Ajah and that Darkfriend Captain just happened to want to attack at the same time? Or did they somehow know what Elayne was doing? That was idiotically stupid.

Also, we barely get into the minds of any of the Forsaken this time around, except for short random blurbs from Graendal.
Similarly, only one chapter with a non-Egwene Aes Sedai.

Mat's trip to the tower? Half a chapter.

And GOD DAMN IT PERRIN SHUT UP.

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am enjoying this series so much now that I am racing through them. This is the penultimate book in the Wheel of Time and it is excellent. All of the characters are starting to come together for the Last Battle and they are all developing into rational thinking beings at last. This is no small thing as some of them have been quite unbearable in earlier books. (Actually Elayne still is painful but there is hope for her yet.) Brandon Sanderson has done an excellent job here of taking over the writing from Robert Jordan. The style is similar enough for continuity but more exciting and page turning than Jordan's. I don't think I can resist going straight on to the final book.

[Paul Schulzetenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's no question now, after this second book, that Brandon Sanderson has fully taken Robert Jordan's style and done what Jordan himself was having great trouble doing: progressing the story, and yes, even wrapping it up. And this climax is fulfilling all the promise that the series has had during its best moments. Finally, we get the denouement that we've been waiting for. Characters are finally coming into their own, and showing real growth rather than the stale stubbornness that was becoming the hallmark of Jordan's last releases.

It's difficult to write in enough depth about this book to make a good review, because so many of the elements that make this book good are inherently spoilers. I wish I could write all about the major events, and use them as examples to develop a point, but it is, alas, not possible while also leaving the book available for others to discover. Rest assured, however, that I can, once again, heartily recommend Robert Jordan's series without reservations. I no longer have to explain the awkward tailing off of the quality of the series, or the interminability of the later books, or the ever-expanding, wandering plot. These books have saved the series from irrelevance, and have solidified these books, once again, as the sole, unquestioned best epic fantasy series available.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is this, Mr. Sanderson? Are you determined to kill me? Over and over again? Gods, this second-to-last volume was enough to almost make me quit from all the heartbreak!

There are sooo many things happening here!
There is Perrin (am I the only one thinking he looks HOT on the cover of this volume?) meeting and clashing with the Children of the Light (White Cloaks), meaning that Morgase and her step-son, Galad, meet again. Then there's Egwene's plot to apprehend the Forsaken Mesaana, which causes her to have quite the fight with her wanna-be Warder Gawyn. The latter, on the other hand, eventually finds out that the Aes Sedai killed in the White Tower were actually victims of the so-called Blood Knives (Seanchan assassins). Later, Perrin is instructed in how to control his surroundings in the dreamland Tel'aran'rhiod, leading to a very funny and very badass encounter between him, Egwene, some Aes Sedai, Windfinders and Wise Ones there. A tragic loss in Tel'aran'rhiod has Perrin forge his ultimtae weapon (finally ending his struggle with guilt over having used the axe).
And Rand. Oh, Rand. After his little "retreat" on Dragonmount, he announced his intention to break the last seals on the Dark One's prison to commence the Last Battle. Well, actually, he wants to erect a more permanent replacement, but ... yeah. A day and time is set between him and Egwene and the time in between is used to unite nations, save spoilt food (so the people supposed to fight on the side of the light won't starve before they can actually make a difference, maybe) and do some more politicking.
Mat and Elayne also feature in this volume. The latter is still pregnant meaning that her Warder, Brigitta, still may not drink any alcohol - and boy, does she need to. *lol* Mat arrives as he needs information from Brigitta in order to fulfill a very important mission at/in the Tower of Ghenjei - right after giving Andor "dragons" (artillery) and destroying a gholam in a very impressive fight scene. Nobody better make the mistake of underestimating what Mat is actually capable of when he's forced to fight!
While I was pretty annoyed with Elayne and the further politicking we got in her chapters, I also couldn't help but be impressed at just how cunning the young queen is when it comes to securing any and all advantages for her people or how strong in the power she is even know that her connection is lessened by the pregnancy.
Last but most definitely not least there was Aviendah. Believe me when I say that I could have done without her part in this. Not because it was bad. Oh no. It was just so ... heartbreaking ... depressing ... hope-killing.
Oh, and I just lied. Because there is another POV. Well, truth be told, there are many (like the Black Tower) but I'm not gonna recount all of them. But one more that was very important to me: Lan's. Yep. Nynaeve's husband and, yes, finally, Warder! :D In the last book, she planted the seeds for him NOT to have to ride alone fighting for his lost kingdom and, well, those seeds are coming to fruition now. Who could have expected Lan of all people to be the comic relief??? Bwahahahahahahaha! Well, the joke ended up being on me because for all the laughs I had about Lan and his "cursed wife", getting a glimpse at her actual power level and that epilogue ... *shudders*

This is a VERY abbreviated summary giving away next to nothing of what actually happens in this book. The reader is constantly racing from one scene to the next - I was often cursing Sanderson for cutting from the current POV to another because I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS! *lol*
Like I said: A LOT happened. People still needed to come together and talk it out, which they finally did, there were quite a number of battles, too.
So yes, I was constantly at the edge of my seat and extremely invested in what was going on, even by my standards.

Most rewarding was Perrin turning BEAST. Yep, he got his beast-mode on. FINALLY. But not just in the sense that he finally smashes monsters and defeats nightmares - he also showed himself to be a smart leader with a good heart (the latter was never in question but he misunderstood how he could still be tough so I wanted to shake him since the beginning of the series).
But I was also cheering and whooping when Mat and his two companions actually managed to rescue Moraine and make it out of the Finn's realm - almost intact. I have to admit that I was unsure about the price for that even if it actually worked.

Naturally, there are a few people I (still) despise or am at least very annoyed with. Some finally died in this, others are major characters and beloved by some (not me). If they get sacrificed in the Last Battle, so be it (good riddance, in some cases, actually). Others, though. My Gods! Some people I feel so strongly about (in a positive way) that I was almost shouting.

In case anyone was still on the fence about whether or not it was a good idea to let someone other than the original author finish this series or about whether or not Sanderson is a good writer, here is your answer.

I'm dead. Twice over. I feel drained of all energy. In the best of ways. Thankfully, I have the final book scheduled only for next month. I don't think I could read it right now. And we better get a more hopeful future than what we/Aviendah saw (there has to be a trick of some kind)! I can't wait to read the conclusion even though I fully expect to cry (bawl, actually - I did that in this volume already as you can see in my status update(s)).

[⚔️ readerguy ⚔️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ONE. MORE. BOOK. LEFT.

Wheel of Time has been quite the series to read. In this review I’m gonna be talking about only the characters really, since it’s what I have the most notes about and the plot is basically just gearing up for Tarmon Gai’don. The world is changing. Things are changing. Egwene is also ushering in new rules and laws, forging stronger alliances, casting old traditions aside, and laying down the proper groundwork for the Age and the Aes Sedai that will come after her. That’s pretty much it. Anyways.

Mat. I just know that Mat-lovers always get tired of reading one of these reviews because I basically shit on how I don’t like him all the time. But I don’t. He’s aggravating to me. So Mat-lovers just skip over this part. I understand he’s an incredibly important figure in the series, but his sexuality drives me a bit insane. I understand that Mat is a player, he’s a playboy, he’s a ladies’ man, but my God hearing about it is so tiring. It drives me mad. I think I’m the only person on the planet that has a problem with this, but it’s a writing tic and character tic that sticks out like a sore thumb. Also he’s such a weirdo. Consistently leering at women, looking at their breasts, judging their appearances in his head, apparently hitting the backsides of bar maids when they walk past… it’s all too much, too creepy, and a bit too gross for me. Reminds me of those immature and disgusting people at restaurants who hit on the uninterested workers and attendees. There’s even a moment where he finishes fighting the gholam and he thinks how good an Aes Sedai would look on his knee. Are you joking? He literally finished fighting a SHADOWSPAWN and one of the first things he thinks about is how attractive Julanya is. It’s soooo annoying. I get it, he’s a player, he’s a playboy, he has a lot of sex and relationships or whatever, but the constant frat-bro inner monologue drives me up a wall. Mat’s sexual prowess keeps getting shoved down my throat and I’m tired 😭. I get it, I understand, he’s a womanizer but why must this be acknowledged 4/5 times that he has a POV? Trust me I would like Mat a lot more if Jordan, and by extension Sanderson, didn’t keep beating us over the head with it. Mat is cool. He’s so cool. He has an ancient medallion that leaves him unaffected by magic, he has the memories of thousand-year-old generals in his head, he has the luck of the Pattern on his side, he literally saves Moiraine from the Tower of Ghenjei. He’s cool, he’s so awesome at moments. Why though does it seem like Jordan is more focused on establishing (then beating us over the head) Mat’s playboy role rather than the epic stuff he does. Sigh. Ok.

Perrin. I’m going to be honest, Perrin has been a character that I haven’t really been interested in. He’s a simple man, and has been written to be so. He wants his wife, and he wants to be a blacksmith, and he wants peace. That’s understandable, and I can get behind that. His arc is a bit slower and subtler. I still do like him, I think he’s super cool. He’s got the whole Wolfbrother thing going for him, and he has his own version of Mjolnir, which is called Mah'alleinir, which is the first Power-wrought weapon in this entire Age. That’s impeccable. But he doesn’t grip me. And contrary to popular belief, the Faile being kidnapped plot line is not actually that bad, and actually had some of the more interesting moments in Perrin’s arc for me—seeing him become a desperate man willing to do horrible and traumatizing stuff and side with the enemy in order to get his wife created such a compelling and engaging splash of characterization. The grey morality in him burns with greatness. Now though, as his arc is seemingly becoming more pronounced, I am beginning to see the vision and enjoy it more. Perrin is a man who needs to find a balance—he needs the wolf inside him, but he cannot allow it to engulf him; he needs to find a perfect balance that benefits him. That is his struggle and it’s very interesting to see. I also don’t think that the Faile kidnapped plotline was too long. I feel as though it gave a semi-engaging subplot with the Shaido that added much to the story, and made me like Faile, Alliandre and Morgase a lot more. I now thoroughly enjoy whenever I read Faile’s perspective.

Rand. Rando. Randy (??) Rand’s arc in the last book was riveting, but now I’m a bit, sadly, disinterested. He’s become a Messianic character now and it’s incredibly unappealing. He starkly reminds me of a Gary Stu. Wherever he walks the literal clouds break open and the sun shines down on him—everywhere he goes fruits and food ripen and grow (I love the use of pathetic fallacy though!! But he’s still a Gary Stu 3). It rips away most of the faults of his character in my eyes—he’s too smooth, too clean, too perfect. He’s amazing, he can do no wrong, he has no faults, free of weakness. (But this does mean that Rand is mentally stable, healthy, and no longer crumbling at the seams, so good for him, I’m happy and proud of him!) Also! I was a bit annoyed that THIS FAR into the series characters still think that Rand is a False Dragon, so I’m glad when Rand quashed it down by bringing out Callandor in front of Tenobia in Chapter 51.

Min. Now this is incredibly disappointing, since when I was reading the prologues of each of the earlier WOT books and reading some of the chapters a little while back, I noticed that Min had much of a more prominent and important role in the story, one that wasn’t directly tied with Rand, her love interest. She literally helped Siuan and Leane escape in book 4, which was great. But Min has become a bit… lacklustre no offence. She’s faded into the background into relative insignificance. She’s kind of fallen flat and been reduced to a love interest who’s only purpose is to be with Rand, think and talk about Rand, do nothing and wait until Ran comes, and/or follow Rand around. Not to mention that Kate Reading and Michael Kramer are using a very high annoying voice for her in the audiobook and it’s very odd because I don’t remember her voice being like that in the beginning. It strangely infantilizes her. Hopefully she will become stronger in the next book.

Galad and Berelain is definitely not a couple I thought would be together. Very unexpected. But then again Robert Jordan didn’t always have expected relationships. Now that I think about it though, I really like Galad and Berelain together. I don’t really care for Berelain, though I do commend her for her ability to stand tall amidst a shifting political landscape, and not have her little city-state be swallowed in the squabbles and throes of other lands. Now that we’re speaking of Galad, I’m reminded of Elayne, who is another character that I don’t particularly care for. She’s… alright. I think I enjoyed her more in the earlier books? But I have no idea. No hard feelings. I like her much more when she’s with Birgitte and being Queen of Andor, or when she’s with Egwene and Nynaeve. Those are the moments when I feel she stands out the most. Whenever she’s with Rand or thinks about him is when I begin to tune out a little bit. I just don’t care about their relationship. They don’t gel well in my opinion. And she just melts whenever she thinks about him, dear God. It’s not intolerable, just a bit irksome. I also don’t really understand how or why she gets to be Queen of Cairhien—just because Rand said so? That seems unfair. Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like she’s been pregnant forever lol.

So. That was my review of this book. One more left until my relationship with this series is done. Feels a bit like Stockholm Syndrome 😭 but I still really adore this series so it’s fine.


TIER RANKING WOT BOOKS:
Best: The Great Hunt, The Shadow Rising, The Fires of Heaven, The Gathering Storm

Good: The Dragon Reborn, Lord of Chaos, Path of Daggers, Knife of Dreams, Towers of Midnight

Worst: New Spring, The Eye of the World, A Crown of Swords, Winter’s Heart, Crossroads of Twilight

[Henrique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Towers of Midnight
5⭐+❤️


Towers of Midnight is book 13 of the Wheel of Time and also the penultimate book of the entire series and this book was a pleasure to read here Brandon Sanderson left everything prepared for the final battle with each character and their plot defined I thought it had a good development and that everything important that had to happen before the big finale happened here we have our protagonist Rand taking the last steps and gathering the last allies to finally face the Dark One in Shayol Ghul as the prophecies say we also had Mat finally following through on his main mission that was presented in book 11 and man the way it is done in how he accomplishes this is very good of course it is not easy and a great price had to be paid but the way it was built was very epic and now we just have to wait to see what role he will have in the last book and I hope he does not disappoint because he has become one of my favorite characters in the series and speaking of favorite characters we also had more of the plot of Egwene and the White Tower with the Aes Sedai also making their final preparations to meet with the reborn dragon to work together or fight until death death and we only know which of the options in the last book and in this one we didn't have so much of the Seanchan issue here in this book and I hope that Jordan left it in the manuscripts and that he dealt with them in a satisfactory way because their arc was left open in the last book. However, Towers of Midnight is another excellent book from the Wheel of Time and one of my favorites and with everything prepared for the last act of this story I hope that Jordan and also emo Sanderson have delivered an ending worthy of a grand fantasy series and I hope that when I read A Memory of Light I had the feeling that the whole journey was worth it but this book for now gave me hope that we will have a very good ending. Furthermore, it was an excellent book in the series. I really enjoyed the experience of this book.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to postpone writing this review a bit because I couldn't see the screen. I just kept bursting into tears again and again.

Well, I'm back with kleenex and I'm here to say that I died my second death, the final death in Tel'aran'rhiod. I was there too strongly, too.


All right, so, this book is a real killer. Anyone who has read this far in the series is probably going to get ripped to shreds by it. It's not even my first time reading it and it's killing me. That being said, it's one hell of a ride.

There are the obvious reasons, of course, but between the Tower of Ghenji, the Black Tower, the White Tower, all the bloody, blood and ashes towers, I'm in need of a big stiff drink. I'll even dice with Matt and won't care how much I lose.

Perrin finally gets full badass in this novel. He's been problematic in the past and it's mostly Faile's fault, but if we skip everything that happened after he took up all of the Two Rivers and skipped to this book, I'd say he might have one of the VERY BEST stories in the series. A certain hammer and a certain hunt, or rather, hunts, and a certain little dance in Tel'aran'rhiod should be enough for any kind of epic tale. :)

Matt continues to be a pure joy. Some of his bits are just funny, of course, but when he gets SERIOUS, and he gets SERIOUS twice, here, it is an amazing thing to behold. To give up half the light of the world to save the world...

I love Zen Rand. Nuff said.

A side character that really pulled out all the stops was Ituralde. He MADE the whole Battle of Helm's Deep version in this book. What a badass.

Nynaeve is great for an entirely different reason this time. Sure, one little extra cure, a little test, and that's all great, but it's her little humourous combo with Lan that steals the show. I never imagined that Lan would be the comedic relief. But he is, and it's glorious.

There's a reason why this series and these books in particular are some of my absolute favorites. Or rather, a boatload of reasons. Unfortunately, I'd have to write a book on this book to tell them all. :)