Showing posts with label Brandon Sanderson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brandon Sanderson. Show all posts

Friday, May 30, 2014

A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

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Title: A Memory of Light 
Author: Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
Series: Wheel of Time (Book #14)
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Length: 909 pages
Published: 2013
Publisher: Tor Books
Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Since 1990, when Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time® burst on the world with its first book, The Eye of the World, readers have been anticipating the final scenes of this extraordinary saga, which has sold over forty million copies in over thirty languages.

When Robert Jordan died in 2007, all feared that these concluding scenes would never be written. But working from notes and partials left by Jordan, established fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson stepped in to complete the masterwork. With The Gathering Storm (Book 12) and Towers of Midnight (Book 13) behind him, both of which were # 1 New York Times hardcover bestsellers, Sanderson now re-creates the vision that Robert Jordan left behind. 

Edited by Jordan’s widow, who edited all of Jordan’s books, A Memory of Light will delight, enthrall, and deeply satisfy all of Jordan’s legions of readers.

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass.
What was, what will be, and what is,
may yet fall under the Shadow.
Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.


My Review:
I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

I have been reading the Wheel of Time since I was in high school. I think this is one of the reasons why it took me so long to get around to reading the final book. I knew I was going to cry at the end when it was over. I knew I was going to feel like there was a hole left. I know this is a series that I will re-read in its entirety again someday. I grew up reading it, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. 

And I really did cry at the end, and in a couple of other spots throughout. This book was an emotional roller-coaster. It is literally one 900 page battle. The Last Battle is here, and the armies of the world are uniting to defeat the waves of Shadowspawn which are coming to destroy them. All of the chapters are short except one: the one where Rand finally steps in to battle with the Dark One. That chapter is nearly 200 pages long and it shows every important character as they struggle throughout the battle. I won't lie: people die. And not just nameless soldiers. I won't name names because I don't want to spoil anything. Just prepare yourself. It's not even obvious as to who dies. 

Probably the only negative thing about this book is that some characters are mentioned briefly during the fight but never mentioned again so you don't know if they survived or not. The Wheel of Time wiki goes under the assumption that unless it's specifically stated that someone has died, they managed to survive the Last Battle. 

The final volume of this series is one edge of your seat battle. I could not stop reading and hated putting it down for even a minute. 

You can purchase A Memory of Light through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read A Memory of LightIf so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

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Title: Towers of Midnight 
Author: Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
Series: Wheel of Time (Book #13)
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Length: 863 pages
Published: 2010
Publisher: Tor Books
Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The end draws near....

The Last Battle has started. The seals on the Dark One’s prison are crumbling. The Pattern itself is unraveling, and the armies of the Shadow have begun to boil out of the Blight.

The sun has begun to set upon the Third Age.

Perrin Aybara is now hunted by specters from his past: Whitecloaks, a slayer of wolves, and the responsibilities of leadership. All the while, an unseen foe is slowly pulling a noose tight around his neck. To prevail, he must seek answers in Tel’aran’rhiod and find a way--at long last--to master the wolf within him or lose himself to it forever.

Meanwhile, Matrim Cauthon prepares for the most difficult challenge of his life. The creatures beyond the stone gateways--the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn--have confused him, taunted him, and left him hanged, his memory stuffed with bits and pieces of other men’s lives. He had hoped that his last confrontation with them would be the end of it, but the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. The time is coming when he will again have to dance with the Snakes and the Foxes, playing a game that cannot be won. The Tower of Ghenjei awaits, and its secrets will reveal the fate of a friend long lost.

This penultimate novel of Robert Jordan’s #1 New York Timesbestselling series--the second of three based on materials he left behind when he died in 2007--brings dramatic and compelling developments to many threads in the Pattern. The end draws near.

Dovie’andi se tovya sagain. It’s time to toss the dice. 

My Review:
I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

There are a few things to note about this book. Much of Perrin's storyline occurs before Tam is gathered up by the Aes Sedai to confront Rand. It's a little confusing at first as Sanderson went through and interjected a lot of stuff with Rand, Mat, Egwene, etc. which happened after the events in the final chapters of The Gathering Storm. Once you realize the fact that Perrin's storyline is a little bit off from the timeline of everything else, things make a lot more sense. 

A LOT happens in this book. As everyone prepares for the Last Battle and plans start coming together, a lot of little storylines start to be closed out. Everyone is gathering on the Fields of Merrilor while Lan gathers an army of Borderlanders and Malkieri at Tarwin's Gap. At the end, it seems the Last Battle has begun.

Next up, the final volume of the Wheel of Time series: A Memory of Light. I have not read this book yet, so I'm anxious to get through it, and also saddened that something I've been reading since high school has finally come to an end. (I'm pretty sure this is why I've waited so long to finally read this book.)

You can purchase Towers of Midnight through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Towers of MidnightIf so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Friday, May 16, 2014

The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

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Title: The Gathering Storm
Author: Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
Series: Wheel of Time (Book #12)
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Length: 783 pages
Published: 2009
Publisher: Tor Books
Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Tarmon Gai’don, the Last Battle, looms. And mankind is not ready.

The final volume of the Wheel of Time, A Memory of Light, was partially written by Robert Jordan before his untimely passing in 2007. Brandon Sanderson, New York Times bestselling author of the Mistborn books, was chosen by Jordan’s editor---his wife, Harriet McDougal---to complete the final book. The scope and size of the volume was such that it could not be contained in a single book, and so Tor proudly presents The Gathering Storm as the first of three novels that will make up A Memory of Light. This short sequence will complete the struggle against the Shadow, bringing to a close a journey begun almost twenty years ago and marking the conclusion of the Wheel of Time, the preeminent fantasy epic of our era. 

In this epic novel, Robert Jordan’s international bestselling series begins its dramatic conclusion. Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, struggles to unite a fractured network of kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. As he attempts to halt the Seanchan encroachment northward---wishing he could form at least a temporary truce with the invaders---his allies watch in terror the shadow that seems to be growing within the heart of the Dragon Reborn himself.

Egwene al’Vere, the Amyrlin Seat of the rebel Aes Sedai, is a captive of the White Tower and subject to the whims of their tyrannical leader. As days tick toward the Seanchan attack she knows is imminent, Egwene works to hold together the disparate factions of Aes Sedai while providing leadership in the face of increasing uncertainty and despair. Her fight will prove the mettle of the Aes Sedai, and her conflict will decide the future of the White Tower---and possibly the world itself.

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

My Review:
I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

After Robert Jordan died in 2007, fans were left wondering if the series would ever be finished. His wife and editor, Harriet, worked with the publisher to find a suitable author to finish out the series. Jordan had provided his wife all of his notes, as well as a complete outline as to how the series ended. The team found Brandon Sanderson - a fantasy author who had a few books already published. Sanderson took Jordan's already finished scenes, notes, and outlines and filled in the gaps. What Jordan had originally promised was one more novel called A Memory of Light. What Sanderson found was too much story to be contained in one volume. Therefore, the book was split into three parts: The Gathering Storm, Towers of Midnight, and A Memory of Light

There are definitely times within this book that you can see Sanderson's writing style, however, it doesn't really detract from the story at all and melds pretty seamlessly with the scenes that had been completed by Jordan before his death. 

A lot happens in this book, which is why it's nearly 800 pages. There was a lot of closure with some events - chiefly major events surrounding Perrin, Egwene, and even Rand. There was also a lot of foreshadowing of events to come. There were a lot of hard decisions that had to be made by everyone. 

The fact that a lot of open events were granted closure, really made this book one of my favorites. 

Next up: Towers of Midnight.

You can purchase The Gathering Storm through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Gathering StormIf so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.