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Brent is Currently Reading

Brent is currently reading

A Memory of Light (The Wheel of Time #14)

by Robert Jordan

bookshelves: epic-fantasy, wheel-of-time, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in March 2021

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Brent said: " What a journey. I started reading The Wheel of Time by starting The Eye of The World almost 1 full year ago. Everyone who takes up this series knows what an undertaking it is whether they decided to read the books all back to back sometimes in only a What a journey. I started reading The Wheel of Time by starting The Eye of The World almost 1 full year ago. Everyone who takes up this series knows what an undertaking it is whether they decided to read the books all back to back sometimes in only a couple of months, or whether they stretch it out over multiple years with breaks and other books in between. Fifteen total books, hundreds and hundreds of named characters, and over 4 million words make it one of the epic epics of fantasy literature. I spent so much time in this world and these characters when you get close to finishing it really is a bitter sweet experience that is not lacking for emotion. I'm not someone that usually feels that way about books or fictional characters, but in this case it was hard not to.

I think the best way to approach this review is to first talk about this book in particular and then some overall series impressions. It may be hard to do without spoilers and specific plot points, but I'm going to try.

First, I will say that I can't really speak from the perspective of someone who was reading the series as the books were released and realized when Robert Jordan passed an ending to the series may not be possible. I think I can say though that considering at one point no end was a distinct possibility, the ending we got maybe wasn't perfect but it was probably better than what anyone thought possible at the time or what we deserved. The ending was satisfying and a nice culmination of everything we have experienced with the characters along the way. The rest of the book was quite exciting if a little chaotic. Even though there is 200 plus page chapter called The Last Battle, the entire book almost reads like a battle or combat. There is very little letup or breathing room. The world is at stake and the book doesn't let you forget that. There was really none of the traditional slow WoT pacing in this book and I was here for it. Others who aren't big fans of combat or battle in books may not like it as much, but if you've read Wheel of Time up to this point but aren't interested in The Last Battle I'm not sure why you're here.

I mostly liked how all of the characters storylines played out and got satisfying conclusions. One of my complaints though is that some things do feel rushed, or maybe some characters don't quite get the payoff that we were hoping for or their storylines seem to kind of just whimper out. It's also true that it seems strange that there were new story elements and worldbuilding elements introduced relatively late in the last book. This didn't allow them to carry the weight that they should. And finally there are some things that feel like loose ends that weren't really tied up at all. Personally, I think that all of those issues (that didn't bother me that much honestly) don't really stem from this book, but stem from the fact that the middle books slowed down and meandered too much and that hurt the later books. The middle books could have used time to introduce or hint at those elements earlier or properly build things up, but instead focused on side plots that didn't matter very much in the end. The result is that there was a lot to cram into the last 3 books and A Memory of Light specifically, and as a result those resolutions felt rushed or didn't work as well as they could have. That said still an incredible reading experience that I won't soon forget.

Now for overall series thoughts. Bottom line, it was worth it. You can probably go back and read these reviews for some of the books (Winter's Heart and Crossroads of Twilight specifically) and it sounds like I wasn't enjoying myself very much. For those books I honestly wasn't. They have the reputation of being a slog, and honestly it's true. However, along with those low lows there are some absolutely incredible highs in this series. In the end those are the things you end up remembering. Also, the character arcs are some of the absolute best in fantasy. It's really a trip once you are finished to think about where those individual characters started. It ads some excellent perspective about everything they went through. If it wasn't for some of those middle books pacing issues, less interesting side plots, and a few too many unimportant characters or groups of characters this would be an all time favorite series for me. As it stands I feel happy to have gotten the full experience, but it doesn't quite make that all-time favorite short list. Even so if you're a fan of fantasy you owe it to yourself to at least give this series a shot. It's worth it. ...more "

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(page 195 of 1008)
— Jun 01, 2026 06:03AM

Mar 31, 2021 12:13PM · see review

Brent’s Notes & Highlights

Book cover for Empire of Dirt (The Echoes Saga, #2)

Empire of Dirt (The Echoes Saga, #2) by Philip C. Quaintrell

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Of course, Asher had no intention of burying his grief or searching for peace. Instead, he was going to find Alidyr Yalathanil and give the elf his blade back.

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Brent’s Quotes

“Beauty cannot stay, nor endure—indeed, that a thing is and is gone next is part of what makes a thing beautiful. The preciousness of any beautiful thing—any good thing—lies in its scarcity. And because all things are scarce when measured against eternity and infinity, all things are beautiful—if seen at the right angle, if captured in the right light.”
― Christopher Ruocchio, Shadows Upon Time

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