The Wheel of Time Book 12

lemon_sherbert

Finished it last night, thought it was really excellent, we saw some real character development for the first time in a long time, rather than feeling that the story was merely being pushed along.

eVeNtInE

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jebidiah

brilliant, i have to say though the book pulled me along at such pace, that i really didnt notice the style to be "completely different" like someone said, its been a while since something really happened, since characters developed, and i think jordan would have brought this book out with the same pace as sanderson did. theres differences in style alright but i still felt like jordan to me. a number of times i expected to read about smoothed skirts, brokaded silks, and nauseating cloaks, but it just kept going, as if the author new that after 12 or so books, we might get the idea!

brilliant book, really enjoyed it! roll on next year!

JD1763

Just finished it last night and really enjoyed it. Pacing is definitely faster but I feel that it has kind of abruptly accelerated compared to the slow burning of the previous books. Not complaining but the change in pace is definitely noticeable. Just worried it will finish too abruptly and they might miss some loose ends - after this amount of time it would be slightly disappointing if it was rushed in just to finish it.

Morgase

Fantastic stuff. There were a few oops moments, like Sulin being with Rand's gang instead of Perrin's gang, but those oops moments were fairly minor.

Can I just say that Verin is sneaky with a capital "S"?! And Egwene - you are Made Of Awesome.

Roll on next year is right!

ArthurG

Really enjoyed it - plenty of OMG moments. In particular:

LOVED the Verin chapter
Elaida capture - mwahaha (but scary future implications)
Egwene linked sa'angreal pwnage
Semirhage piece was well done I thought
Bit disappointed with Graendal's demise after the lead up to it
Sheriam death shocked me in its description - had to put book down after that
Siuan bonding Bryne (awwww!)

Can't wait till next year now -

roll on Tower of Ghenji!

fitz0

Finished the book and I have to say I'm impressed with the finished product. I wasn't overly enthused by the chapter sequencing, it seemed to jump around a bit too much. The latter half of the book was awesome, plain and simple. Especially the last chapter (not the Epilogue.)

It seemed the whole book was about Rand and his descent into madness. That was very well done, he actually seemed mad to me and I loved the way it happened so gradually in the first few books, became commonplace in the latter few and became centre stage in this book.

I'll give it an 8.5/10 with marks lost for

chapter sequencing and no real development of Mats storyline (which was by far the high point of the last 2 books.) Can't wait for the Tower of Ghenjei!

Morgase

I agree that the chapter sequencing could have been smoother. I felt I was bouncing around from person to person!

I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of Graendal. There was Rand talking about how clever (crafty!) she is and in the next minute he gets rid of her that easily? I just have a funny feeling about it.

Trojan

I agree with you guys on the sequence, could have been improved. Other spoiler comments below.

Graendal death: I was quite happy with it even though it ended as quickly as a David Gemmell story on speed - there was a good finality to it. I'd be surprised if she came back (also very annoyed - I'm getting pissed off with people especially Chosen not being actually dead).

Mat better be done right in the next book. He appeared so little in this one but he'll be crucial next.

I really hate Fortuona (spelling?) as a name.

I think Rand might have passed through the madness, looking forward to seeing him next.

The_Hat

A week on, its still excellent but a few thoughts -

I'm not sure we've seen the last of Verin and Graendal. Not that they'll be resurrected but I'm expecting to see a bit more of Verin and Mat in the next book, hopefully a reason why Verin found herself in a position where she had to give the big book of black to Egwene. Also, such a big deal about Graendal's plotting (and her angreal!!) has to come to more than being 'punched in the face'.

Morgase

The_Hat wrote: »

A week on, its still excellent but a few thoughts -

I'm not sure we've seen the last of Verin and Graendal. Not that they'll be resurrected but I'm expecting to see a bit more of Verin and Mat in the next book, hopefully a reason why Verin found herself in a position where she had to give the big book of black to Egwene. Also, such a big deal about Graendal's plotting (and her angreal!!) has to come to more than being 'punched in the face'.

I am intruiged by

Verin's little letters. I wonder does the one to Mat have anything to do with his impending trip to the Tower of Ghenjei?

coldpaw

Great book, the closest we have got to a fully contained novel since the dragon reborn.

2 major, major storylines are resolved as well as a number of other side plots tied up.

Sanderson's style is very different to robert jordans- this is both a good thing and bad thing.

Good he drives the story forward at a pace that people who struggled though books 8-10 such as myself are delighted with. There is much less smoothing of skirts for 10 pages etc.
He really brings you into Rand's world and indeed Rand is at his best here since book 6


Bad- His prose is not as developed as jordan's. As a younger writer this is not surprising but the difference is clear.
only disappointment in the whole book was Mat. Sanderson does not get to grips with Mat, my favourite character. His style of humour has totally changed and his storyline is basically a mini horror novel with no real movement, although it does set up for next book.

Overall though this is an excellent book up there with the first 6.

Great to see characters story lines being resolved finally.

xoxyx

Oh God - you're all just killing me. Re-reading the series before reading this one and only on book 5 now. Am going to spend the night reading to get a bit further. The spoilers are calling to me!!!!

RomanticIreland

I loved the way the chapters keep jumping from one character to the other I thought it added to the sense of excitement. Then at the end you staid with that character longer.

There wasn't as much detail about body language which was refreshing or indeed the feeling that Jordan was actually talking directly to the reader trying to educate you in the arts of diplomacy

I quite liked the new style(not that I noticed much of a difference) and I'm eagerly awaiting the next instalment!

Mitch Connor

Finished it the other night.

Decided to read a chapter to two before going to bed and finally put it down (having read to the end) 2 hours later.

Really like it. Much better than books 8-10 (10 being the worst imo - did anything happen in that book before the last chapter?)

Disappointed we didn't get any movement on the BlackTower (didn't get much - anything? - in 11)

Really liked the end of 12 with Rand, he's turned a corner. i think he will be Lews al'Thor in the next books. I htink the last few lines related to him directly in the book point to him coming through his madness and he'll be a lot more focused in the next two books.

Book 13 can't come soon enough.

It will be very interesting to see what happens with the Seanchan - I reckon Eliada will find her redemption through her actions in that side of the story. She'll come good(ish) in the end I reckon. She is a mad cow, but she does believe in the White Tower, so I don't think she will turn against it. Though the trial and her punishment may sway her against the tower I suppose.

ArthurG

Here's a thought - spoiler-tastic......

Was thinking about Elaida's capture and the Seanchan having access to those who know how to Travel etc. However isn't it the case that a damane can't channel on their own when collared - they must be directed by a sul'dam. If the sul'dam can't travel they can't make the captured Aes Sedai weave the gateway can they?. Only way would be to open the collar and allow them to do it independantly which would be risky. I could have this wrong but might be interesting in terms of what they can learn.....

Mitch Connor

ArthurG wrote: »

Here's a thought - spoiler-tastic......

Was thinking about Elaida's capture and the Seanchan having access to those who know how to Travel etc. However isn't it the case that a damane can't channel on their own when collared - they must be directed by a sul'dam. If the sul'dam can't travel they can't make the captured Aes Sedai weave the gateway can they?. Only way would be to open the collar and allow them to do it independantly which would be risky. I could have this wrong but might be interesting in terms of what they can learn.....

Sure the Sul'Dam are not 'supposed' to be able to channel anyway (remember there being a revelation about this previously, but can't remember if it was one Sul'Dam or all of them) so the Sul'Dams knowledge has nothing to do with it. they simply 'allow' the damane to channel. If the damane knows how to travel, they can be made to do it, while collared (and will want to do it).