Dee Mullingar, Ireland

For a lot of this book I really really liked it. I never quite loved it; but for a while I did really enjoy it. The writing is great. And the premise was interesting. But it just didn’t work in the end. And I think that one of the major problems was that the character who makes this big decision, well, I just didn’t get why she made it. And I really didn’t understand why other characters went along with her. That wasn’t the only problem, it just meant that I was less forgiving of the others.

However there are positives about this book too. Niffenegger has some writing quirks that won’t endear her to everyone. The switching of POVs for example is something I’m sure plenty of people won’t be too happy with. And it did cause me to reread sentences on occasion, just to be sure I knew who’s POV I was reading. What I didn’t like was her habit of having the characters speak and then telling us what they were really thinking in the very next line. It might work if just one character was doing it at a time, but she’ll often have characters having a conversation and both speaking and then translating what they think in the very next line. It annoyed me as much as it worked.

However I did really like the opening third. It was a slow and deliberate build-up of atmosphere. Unfortunately the characters never really came to life for me. I liked Robert, but never understood him all that much. The second third I kept waiting for the plot to kick in. And the final third I disliked because, as I said before, it didn’t really make all that much sense to me.

I suppose you might be waiting for some sort of plot summary, well you was wait away, because I don’t intend to give one. Not because the book is dependent on twists and spoilers, although it does have some, but because by the end of the book I just didn’t feel that the plot mattered. And most of the characters I disliked or was ambivalent about. Robert and Elspeth’s story had changed from one that made you care about them to one that simply made you wonder why they had bothered in the first place.

That all sounds very negative, but to be honest the book is very readable, and parts of it are so well written! So I don’t want to be all “this book sucked” because it didn’t. It just should have been so much better and so, in a way, is a disappointment.

You know, I’ve been reading this series since I was in second year in school. Thats what, 1992? ‘92 or ‘93. Whichever it was, that is a long time to be reading the same story. But I don’t regret a second. Not even the incredible feeling of disappointment after book 10 when I shrieked that “nothing happened”. Because it is a great story, with great characters, and I really do want to get to the end and find out what happens.

And when I heard that RJ was sick a few years back it seemed like that might never happen. And in 2007 he passed away; and although I felt bad for him and his family I really couldn’t help the selfish thought that crept into my mind, that he’d never get to finish WOT. I suppose in a way it is a compliment to his world & character building skills.

Of course RJ had known that this might happen, and even dealing with his own illness and everything that must have entailed for him and his family he still thought about his fans and readers, and he asked his wife, Harriet to find someone to carry on the books and finish the story. Brandon Sanderson was the writer she chose, and I have to say that he has done a pretty good job. He doesn’t try to imitate Jordan’s style, he tells the story in his own way. The biggest difference, imo, is that Jordan comes across as having a much smoother style. Sanderson’s seems rougher, and more repetitive. I distinctly noticed the same point being made a couple of times in the book, and in a very similar manner. Jordan handled things like that very well. He made sure you noticed the important things but never bashed you over the head with them, and that’s what it feels like, on occasion, with this book.

Overall though I did enjoy the book. Loads happens. And at the same time not enough. I stayed up way too late reading it so I could finish it, but once I’d finished I wished that I hadn’t rushed it. Although in saying that maybe too much happens in certain chapters. Certain things seemed to be thrown in to whack you into wtf!-ness and then the book all too quickly moves on. But maybe that’s what has to happen in order to finish the series off. Otherwise we might be here in another 20 years still wondering how the story will end.

The other gripe I have is that some characters feel different. It’s understandable. Sanderson is bringing his understanding of them to life. And while it might feel the same to him there are bits and pieces that just don’t ring true for me. Mat especially I think. He’s almost right, so close, but it just doesn’t seem exactly like him. Of course maybe that is character development ;)

I am tempted to start a reread straight away but I’m not going to. We’ve been promised a book a year, and presumably the pbk version of this will be out in a couple of months. I’ll reread it when I buy my copy.

After the last book, where nothing happened I was a little reluctant to start this. But although not a lot happens, some things do. And we can certainly see a lot of forward momentum and arranging for the next book, which is supposed to be the last in the series.

There is really very little point in reviewing this. If you’ve read the previous 10 book in the series then nothing I say will really impact on your decision to read this. And if you haven’t then you really should not start with book 11 of a series. Are you mad?

So plenty of set up and arranging of the characters in various places and situations, but on the whole not a lot of plot. If you have enjoyed the previous books you will like this. More of the same. However, if it has been a while since you read any of the others in the series I would suggest a rereading, at least of the previous title.

Overall I can’t give away too many details, spoilers people, but I will say that it is a return to the much more readable books. All the major characters get a chapter, although with so many obviously many don’t get much more than this. One issue with the book was Elayne and her mood swings. But she has always been a slightly annoying character so I suppose this is in-character for her.