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A Memory of Light (Final Wheel of Time Book)

Ankari

Hero Breaker
Moderator
The final installment of the Wheel of Time series will grace our (digital) shelves on January 8th, 2013 as confirmed by Tor.. With that said, how many of you will be reading it? How many are happy to finally see this epic masterpiece come to a close? Would you want to see other books in the Wheel of time universe?

To answer my own questions. I will read it and I can't believe that something I started reading at the age of 11 is finally ending when I'm 33. Holy friggen crap. I've always wished that Robert Jordan secretly had a series of outlines for the story of Lews Therrin Telamon. I know we get much of the story from the snippets fed to us through Rand's schizophrenic memory, but that story sounded awesome.
 

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
I'm glad the series is being finished one way or another simply because I know how people feel about those books. That said, I'm not one of those people having not read the series. I had a copy of Eye of the World a long time ago and liked what I read of it. However, I never could finish it and only just heard other friends keep saying "Try it again. Believe me." So, now with it being finally completed, I think I will take on the series again from the beginning. I heard that Sanderson has done well by it, so I hope the end is a satisfying one for fans of the series.
 

BWFoster78

Myth Weaver
There's no question that I will buy a hardcopy of it and read it as soon as possible after release. There are very few "can't wait" books for me, but this is one.

I'm glad that the series has reached it's conclusion. If there were to be new books created in the same universe, it would draw my attention, but I'm not clamoring for it.
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
Yeah, I'm going to buy it as well. After stopping the series for a long time, because I felt Jordan's work grew tedious, I've found that Sanderson brings it alive for me once again. For the first time in I don't know how many years I am looking forward to a Wheel of Time release.
 

Konrad

Scribe
I've read the whole series. Easy to criticize, but parts of it were phenomenal, and extremely creative. I'm looking forward to this, if anything just to see how on earth Jordan was planning to bring it all to an end.

K
 
I'll read it as soong as I get to it, but I'm only on Crown of Swords right now. I

I agree with Konrad: it's easy to criticize the first three books as being trite, especially now when their influence has permeated through the genre, but I think the series really finds its fight from The Shadow Rising onwards, with the shift from adventure stories to Rand's internal struggle, and the tragedy of a man who would give his life to save the world but is being asked to give his soul instead.

I'm fascinated to see how such a sprawling saga wraps up.
 

Ankari

Hero Breaker
Moderator
Interesting. I didn't know people criticized the first three books. IMO the first four books were the best.
 
I still consider the first five books to be a classic fantasy series. (C'mon! Rhuidean! Rand's fight against Rahvin!) Six had its moments. Seven through eleven are a boring slog. Twelve and thirteen, thanks to Sanderson, have brought back the excitement and actual plot progress.

I'm looking forward to the last one more now than I think I would have been had Jordan been the one writing it.
 
Do you not find the main characters to be a little bland in the first three? It's only in TSR that they acquire their defining characteristics that carry over into the rest of the series.

The first three have some excellent moments (Rand's vision of all the possible iterations of his life in the portal stone is a masterpiece), but nothing that really separates it from, say, a Shannara novel. The story and writing style both become more mature later.

But of course that's just my opinion, and I can see why you might disagree. Even I think Ba'alzamon was much cooler than Moridin is shaping out to be.
 

Kit

Maester
I'll read it, but I'm not desperate enough to pay money for it. I'll let my housemate buy it, and read it when he's done.
 

Ankari

Hero Breaker
Moderator
Do you not find the main characters to be a little bland in the first three? It's only in TSR that they acquire their defining characteristics that carry over into the rest of the series.

The first three have some excellent moments (Rand's vision of all the possible iterations of his life in the portal stone is a masterpiece), but nothing that really separates it from, say, a Shannara novel. The story and writing style both become more mature later.

The whole self-discovery the three man characters go through are the crowning piece of the series. The Elyas-Perrin relationship, the runaway Rand and the cursed dagger-Mat ordeal are awesome. Even how Moraine is portrayed keeps you guessing. The Shadow Rising, in my opinion, was the most engaging story. Perrin turns out to be a natural leader.

But of course that's just my opinion, and I can see why you might disagree. Even I think Ba'alzamon was much cooler than Moridin is shaping out to be.

Ba'alzamon was the best portrayal of a Forsaken. He felt like an actual character, not just a speed bump in the story. Only Lanfear is as engaging as Ba'alzamon.
 

myrddin173

Maester
I plan on getting it soon after it is released, if not the day of, and finish it within a couple days. I have not yet decided how I feel about the series coming to a close. Part of me is happy that I will finally know how the story ends but the rest is all "I WANT MOAR." While I would love to see more in that world I is extremely unlikely they will ever be written unless Robert Jordan's Editor-Wife changes her mind (he had outlines for a couple more books in the world but she doesn't want to exploit his legacy).

In preparation for the last book I re-read the entire series thus far... Even with my reading pace, it still took two months to get through books 2-13.
 

Konrad

Scribe
Well, personally, I became a big fan of Matt and Avieandra (sp? too lazy to look right now :) as the series went on. And Perrin's wolf world was intriguing...

The series is so big and all encompassing that it's very difficult to crtitique it as you would an ordinary book...

K
 

Ankari

Hero Breaker
Moderator
So, I went to buy the book tonight....only to find out that it won't be in an e-book until April. I don't mind waiting, but I wonder what is the benefit of delaying an e-book version? Is it worth alienating the modern reader through the preferred medium to increase your rankings on the New York Times? Is this the only reason? I don't think it's a price point thing, I would have paid $15 for it, and I suspect it will be $13, which means more profit for the author/publishing company.
 

WyrdMystic

Inkling
So, I went to buy the book tonight....only to find out that it won't be in an e-book until April. I don't mind waiting, but I wonder what is the benefit of delaying an e-book version? Is it worth alienating the modern reader through the preferred medium to increase your rankings on the New York Times? Is this the only reason? I don't think it's a price point thing, I would have paid $15 for it, and I suspect it will be $13, which means more profit for the author/publishing company.

Big publishers have just been penalised for price fixing. I think they delay the e-book now to make the full list price before releasing a discounted version on the net.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
SPOILER HINT - WELL, MAYBE...

I have not read the series, nor do I intend to.

I did see this particular book on the shelves in my area's one and only new bookstore, and idly paged through it. I noticed something towards the end which despite my considerable ignorance, compelled me to ask:

'Is this really the last book?'
 
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