Storm in a Jar

A few weeks ago I finally managed to pick up the pocket edition of the twelfth installment in The Wheel of Time series. The creator and original author, Robert Jordan, has passed away some time ago and Brandon Sanderson was chosen to finish the story. When I first heard that the supposedly last book had turned into three books I feared I would have to plow through another number of boring, dragged out novels. Yes that’s right, that’s what I thought about the few of the last books by Robert Jordan; I didn’t enjoy those much! After devouring The Gathering Storm I am happy to say my fears and worries were unjustified!

It’s amazing what Brandon Sanderson did. All the characters that had previously been annoying and infuriating were, in fact, still, annoying and infuriating. He nailed all the characters absolutely spot on and if I hadn’t known this book was written by someone else than Robert Jordan, I would never have guessed! The best part is that all the story-lines are finally moving forward and going somewhere, instead of feeling dragged out.

I never realised what kind of dark atmosphere surrounded the entire story of The Gathering Storm, until I had read the final chapter of the book. Rand al’Thor on the absolute peak of his insanity demanding answers from the world itself, nearly causing another breaking of the world. The impact of those final pages hit me with a sledge hammer, especially with the Seanchan prophecy on the final page! The moment itself was only slightly spoiled by the screaming child sitting next to me in the train…

At the end of time,
when the many become one.
The last storm shall gather its angry winds
to destroy a land already dying.
And at its center,
the blind man shall stand
upon his own grave.
There he shall see again,
and weep for what has been wrought.

The divided White Tower is reunited under the new Amyrlin Egwene al’Vere, and so the many have become one again.

Only a short distance away, the Dragon Reborn, Rand al’Thor stands on Dragonmount where he died as Lews Therin in the Age of Legends and at the peak of his insanity finally shakes of his madness, and so the blind man stands on his own grave and shall see again. In my opinion Tuon was wrong, Rand doesn’t go physically blind. His madness blinded his thoughts and prevented him from understanding.

The part where Rand realizes he will no longer hear the voice of Lews Therin in his mind solves Min’s viewing: I saw you and another man. I couldn’t make out either face, but I knew one was you. You touched, and seemed to merge into one another, and….one of you dies, and one doesn’t.

I’m also very curious to see if my assumption of the meaning of one the Karaethon Cycle’s prophecies, “He shall hold a blade of light in his hands, and the three shall be one.”, is correct as well. We know this prophecy is about Callandor. We also know that if Rand wants to wield Callandor, he needs to form a circle with two female channelers. I’m guessing Rand will finally see sense and will form a circle with Elayne and Aviendha to use Callandor at the Last Battle.

I wanted to write more, but I’m already having difficulties enough to make this a somewhat comprehensible post. Perhaps I shall leave it at this! However, in conclusion I’d like to add that this book is exactly what I had come to expect from The Wheel of Time! The thirteenth installment, Towers of Midnight, can’t come quick enough!