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Wheel of Time final book came out

G

glen

Lifer
There are so many ways this thread can, and probably will get off track, so let me try my best to clearly state my question:
If you only read half the series and gave up 5 plus years ago, what is the best way to pick it back up?
A Don't
B Start at book 1
C Start at book 10
D just read the last book
E Other?
 
read the first 4 or so, then just the mat chapters, then the last 3.


and completely ignore that the seanchan could have their massive invasion force defeated and yet still press on. it would have been like the allies being tossed back into the sea at normandy. no way further invasions happen for years.
 
Been a while since I read, Mat is Rand's friend, right?

So did they just push the women not trusting men, men not trusting women, and all the main characters being supermen plot all the way until the last three books? Thats what it seemed to me for what was 4-5 books after 4 before I gave up.
 
Go through 1, 2, 3, and 4, then read some synopses online and skip to where Brandon Sanderson starts writing again, and read from there. Seriously, it's not really worth it reading 5 through 9-10.
 
Kelvrick said:
Been a while since I read, Mat is Rand's friend, right?

So did they just push the women not trusting men, men not trusting women, and all the main characters being supermen plot all the way until the last three books? Thats what it seemed to me for what was 4-5 books after 4 before I gave up.
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the middle 6 books or so are just a bunch of egwene and nynaeve giving rand dirty looks and tugging on their braids while perrin marches around in circles as slow as a snail.
 
About a third of the way through the final book now! So far it's absolutely awesome. Definitely one of the most epic in the entire series 🙂🙂🙂
 
glen said:
There are so many ways this thread can, and probably will get off track, so let me try my best to clearly state my question:
If you only read half the series and gave up 5 plus years ago, what is the best way to pick it back up?
A Don't
B Start at book 1
C Start at book 10
D just read the last book
E Other?
Click to expand...

First answer the question: Why did you give up after only half the series?
too long between books?
didn't like the direction the series was going?
go bored with the story?

If you were enjoying the series but just got tired of waiting, why not just restart from the first book?

If you didn't like the story's direction, maybe check some forums, read some synopsis of the books you didn't read then decide.

If you got bored with the story, then why would you be interested in reading the last book? There is so much you wouldn't be able to follow due to what you haven't read.

IMO, many of the complaints about the books after LOC are mainly because Jordan wasn't progressing the story along at a more "popular" pace. I have honestly enjoyed reading ALL of the books, but will admit some were a bit more "slow" than others (Path of Daggers). But hey, Jordan's story is finally finished. I would still advise anyone to read the whole series rather than some select volumes.
 
So you guys that have read the last one; Brandon Sanderson finished it right?

I'm just wondering what you think of his writing style? I was blown away by the creativity of his own books (minus The Alloy of Law); Mistborn and Elantris being the best fantasy I've read in many years.
 
I just discovered the wheel of time like a year ago. Finished book 13 last month so I lucked out on the finale.

Just waiting for the kindle version to release.
 
ElFenix said:
read the first 4 or so, then just the mat chapters, then the last 3.


and completely ignore that the seanchan could have their massive invasion force defeated and yet still press on. it would have been like the allies being tossed back into the sea at normandy. no way further invasions happen for years.
Click to expand...

what would have happened to WWII if the Allies were repelled at normandy?
ie: Rommel's armored division didnt get tricked to turn back to Germany and instead went to Normandy like Rommel originally wanted
 
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ElFenix said:
and completely ignore that the seanchan could have their massive invasion force defeated and yet still press on. it would have been like the allies being tossed back into the sea at normandy. no way further invasions happen for years.
Click to expand...

JEDI said:
what would have happened to WWII if the Allies were repelled at normandy?
Click to expand...

You do realize that only their advanced scouting group got tossed back into the sea right?

Its more like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieppe_Raid

That didn't seem to have affected Normandy too much now did it?
 
The final book is interesting.

It is a couple hundred pages of wrap and lead-up then 600 pages of pretty much the most epic battle I've ever read about.

It ties up SO many threads from the other books: I think Sanderson went through and created a bullet list of every character that needed some closure and then went through and gave them all a small cameo - and even went so far as to remind the reader where that person fit in the story in a very subtle - not-in-your-face way.

There are some twists you won't see coming. I know I was thinking "no way" a number of times in the book, then later I figured out why something happened.

Some complaints include:

You literally will have to draw a map to choreograph the army movements. It's that complex.

The 'side story' of Rand and what he does is actually a side-story when compared with the main battle. There's just no way to make his part seem as important when all combined it's probably 30 pages sprinkled through the book. I also didn't care for his battle. It felt very much like a "yes I am" "no you're not" argument. (That's not a spoiler, don't worry).

The explanations of the pattern, etc was a nice touch. I could picture that very well in my head.

I was a little disappointed with what happened to many of the main characters. It left me with a bitter taste in my mouth, or just plain unhappy to have come all this way (22+ years with these characters) and have this result. Most of the time they were much too abbreviated. Only a couple of the character wrap-ups were truly epic.

Then again, I didn't particularly like the end of the Lord of the Rings, or Aragorn (Aragorn was far worse, but LoTR was annoying). Not that they are anything like eachother, so no spoilers, they just left me with the same feeling. Perhaps, to me, having a proper ending is impossible. The only ending to a book or a movie that really ever made me go 'hell yeah' was the ending to the Matrix. Especially when Neo flexed in the hallway.

The OP should really put "spoilers" in the title, because this thread is going to go there whether he wants it to or not.
 
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The first book was amazing, after that it just went downhill. I made it to book eight before I just stopped reading or caring. Too many characters, way too much fluff. At some point I'll look up the ending just to see what happens but definitely not reading it.

I actually feel the same about A Song of Ice and Fire. Great beginnings, then it just starts going downhill.
 
waggy said:
ugh. books 1-4 were great. after that they milked it. i have no desire to read the last few.
Click to expand...

I agree whole-heartedly. Once Jordan realized what he had, he strung it out obscenely. However, the books that Sanderson wrote are fast paced and very good. He saved the end to the series and made it worthwhile. Though I still hate the books after #4, right up to 9 or 10.
 
JamesV said:
So you guys that have read the last one; Brandon Sanderson finished it right?

I'm just wondering what you think of his writing style? I was blown away by the creativity of his own books (minus The Alloy of Law); Mistborn and Elantris being the best fantasy I've read in many years.
Click to expand...

He matched Robert Jordans writing style well (not exact, as each writer his own) but it was the WoT series that got Sanderson interested in writting.

Overall I think he did an amazing job, and brought about the end of the series how Jordan had it planned. Sure Brandon added a few of his own things here and there, but it worked really well.

Favorite book series. Last book was definitely my favorite of the series too (finished it in 3 days) with the first book being the 2nd.
 
Pulsar said:
The final book is interesting.

It is a couple hundred pages of wrap and lead-up then 600 pages of pretty much the most epic battle I've ever read about.

It ties up SO many threads from the other books: I think Sanderson went through and created a bullet list of every character that needed some closure and then went through and gave them all a small cameo - and even went so far as to remind the reader where that person fit in the story in a very subtle - not-in-your-face way.

There are some twists you won't see coming. I know I was thinking "no way" a number of times in the book, then later I figured out why something happened.

Some complaints include:

You literally will have to draw a map to choreograph the army movements. It's that complex.

The 'side story' of Rand and what he does is actually a side-story when compared with the main battle. There's just no way to make his part seem as important when all combined it's probably 30 pages sprinkled through the book. I also didn't care for his battle. It felt very much like a "yes I am" "no you're not" argument. (That's not a spoiler, don't worry).

The explanations of the pattern, etc was a nice touch. I could picture that very well in my head.

I was a little disappointed with what happened to many of the main characters. It left me with a bitter taste in my mouth, or just plain unhappy to have come all this way (22+ years with these characters) and have this result. Most of the time they were much too abbreviated. Only a couple of the character wrap-ups were truly epic.

Then again, I didn't particularly like the end of the Lord of the Rings, or Aragorn (Aragorn was far worse, but LoTR was annoying). Not that they are anything like eachother, so no spoilers, they just left me with the same feeling. Perhaps, to me, having a proper ending is impossible. The only ending to a book or a movie that really ever made me go 'hell yeah' was the ending to the Matrix. Especially when Neo flexed in the hallway.

The OP should really put "spoilers" in the title, because this thread is going to go there whether he wants it to or not.
Click to expand...


I think Rand's part worked real well. To prevent spoilers I won't say much on it. But it happened/played out teh way i really felt like it should have.

However to see the people who did die in the end... WHY BELA!? that horse... she was a beast. And they just HAD to kill her off >.> my only gripe with the book

Also before people start trying to say it, most of this book was written by jordan in notes. Sanderson only changed a few things around (such as someone said, giving a nod to many of the characters that had larger roles in earlier books but "dissappeared")

The epilouge however all but one part
The part with Caudsane
was Jordans own words. He wrote that back in book 5/6 and already planned it to end the way it did.

My favorite part?

The bragging match between rand and matt, when they meet for the first time since like book 5 or 6. And how Rand finally goes "Matt? Are you really picking a bragging fight with the dragon reborn? Besides, I cleansed Saidan. I win"
 
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Last book was very solid. The series suffers a lot in the middle books because the main characters spread apart and Jordan has to pick and choose what stories to focus on... I was really wondering how things would be wrapped up in the end with such diversity, but Sanderson did an admirable job.

If the op has time on his hands, then read all the books. If not, then read the first few, try to catch the others through cliff notes, and read the last two books.

Overall, it's a very good series.
 
Pulsar said:
I agree whole-heartedly. Once Jordan realized what he had, he strung it out obscenely. However, the books that Sanderson wrote are fast paced and very good. He saved the end to the series and made it worthwhile. Though I still hate the books after #4, right up to 9 or 10.
Click to expand...

I actually liked the middle books, a lot happened and a lot of foreshadowing is included in each book of future books. (book 1 page 12, has a perfect sentence forshadowing events 5 books later)

But they are slower paced, and it wasn't to milk, but to set up the final confrontation. That is the point behind "epic fantasy" there is so much in the world to set up for the end, it wasn't doable in quick fasion.

And yes when I heard sanderson first taking over the series in the unfortunate death of Jordan, I picked up his other works to see how he was... amazing. Mistborn, Warbreaker, (his own new epic fantasy suppossed to be 10-12 books long) The way of kings. Were all just amazing books. Brandon Sanderson has become my favorite author because of this.
 
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My answer. Don't read it. Read Malazan Book of the Fallen for a story that's way more epic without all the needless side plots. Or 3 pages of describing a chair.
 
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