Wheel of Time fans?

[gvarsity]

Originally Posted by Kreth

I usually stay on top of things like this better, but I just found out last night while poking around on Wikipedia that the new WoT book, The Gathering Storm, is out tomorrow. Apparently Brandon Sanderson (who took over the series after Robert Jordan passed two years ago) decided that Jordan's plan for one final book was going to be too much, so it's been split into 3 volumes (the others due in late 2010 and 2011). The last volume will bear Jordan's working title for the last book, A Memory of Light.
I got into this series about 10 years ago. My dad gave me most of his sci-fi/fantasy collection when he moved down to Florida, including the first few books of WoT. I usually reread the entire series when a new book comes out (to brush up on Jordan's countless subplots), so I guess I'd best get cracking.
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Wow that is a lot of reading to do if you are going to read all 30k pages or whatever. At this point I just read one of the online summaries before each new book because I just don't have the time to re-read the whole series again.

I got the first book of the WoT in 1993. I traded Jurassic Park for it on the ferry from Patras to Brindisi while traveling in Europe.

I'm not sure I can be considered a fan any more. Overall I like the series and the world in general but it just got out of control length and complexity wise with way to many random diversion and pointless plot lines. Several books felt like they had no overall plot to them and were just updates of where the characters are now. INMHO a couple of books can have been completely eliminated with a couple of key plot points rolled into other books.

I will finish the series considering how much time I have invested but I have been waiting for the series to end for like eight years. Hearing the news that the final book will be three books over another couple of years just makes me groan. I understand it though there are so many characters and plots to bring together I can't imagine how you could bring it together in one book.

Sorry about the rant. Thanks for posting because I am glad that the next one is coming out and I will pick it up in a few weeks when I have finished what I am currently reading.

[bilkay]

I've enjoyed all the books and wasn't frustrated by the length, level of detail, or the breadth of the story.

I'm almost through the new installment. It's a great read and Sanderson did a great job. I wish that Jordan had been able to finish the story himself. He's one of my all-time favorite writers.

Good thing he left the notes necessary to complete the tale.

[blugill]

Originally Posted by kayaker

hmmmm.... In that case, I'll have to figure what books I need to finish off the series. Thanks for the update.

I'd skip Pillars of Creation and head right into Naked Empire.

[PeteSB75]

Working my way through Knife of Dreams, and it's really been a long time since I read this book. I remember some of the bits, but certainly not all of them. Major characters are starting to come back a bit.

[TheTraveler]

Originally Posted by PeteSB75

Working my way through Knife of Dreams, and it's really been a long time since I read this book. I remember some of the bits, but certainly not all of them. Major characters are starting to come back a bit.

Yeah, I re-read the series early this year. I should have timed it better, finished the last book just before the new book came out. Oh well, I'm just happy to be actually enjoying the new book. I felt a little trepidation while waiting on it and I'm glad he didn't bugger it up!

I'm enjoying the story. You can certainly tell a difference between Jordan's style and Sanderson's style but it's not a bad thing in my opinion. Just a slightly different angle looking out the same window.

Although I must say, Mat is much better at cursing than Sanderson allows. However, if that's my only real complaint about the book so far then I don't have much to worry about.

[Kreth]

Overall, I like Sanderson's writing style. I do think his version of Mat reverted a bit to the old joker. Mat had matured quite a bit over the last few books.
Now, whether it's Sanderson's style, or a planned character arc by RJ, I no longer groan when I turn to a new chapter and see Nynaeve's name. She was easily my least favorite character in the last few books.
I've got about 100 pages to go, and one other minor quibble: couldn't we have seen what's going on with Lan? He's the only major character (well, aside from Moiraine, but that's a special case) we didn't see.
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[TheTraveler]

^^^ I'm at pretty much the same point in the book.

I think Sanderson did a good job. Didn't get the cursing right (from my POV) but I'm pretty happy with his work. His work doesn't sound the same or "feel" the same as RJ's but it's certainly not about style in this case, it's about the story and the characters. He's done well. It's like he and RJ were looking out the same window at the same scenery and just describing things from their own POV. Nice.

I was worried before; I'm happy now.

[srduggins]

I just picked up the 1st book and a little over 1/2 way though it. Hopefully, the last book will be written when I am done with the rest.

i much prefer George R. R. Martin (when is his next book coming out?), but am enjoying this read. I enjoyed the Sword of Truth series as well, but the books all seemed to follow the same pattern.

[TheTraveler]

Originally Posted by srduggins

I just picked up the 1st book and a little over 1/2 way though it. Hopefully, the last book will be written when I am done with the rest.

i much prefer George R. R. Martin (when is his next book coming out?), but am enjoying this read. I enjoyed the Sword of Truth series as well, but the books all seemed to follow the same pattern.

Keep going with the WOT series. Books 3, 4 and 5 are the favorites of many people - they're certainly my favorites, not that I think the rest are bad.

[Kreth]

Originally Posted by srduggins

I just picked up the 1st book and a little over 1/2 way though it. Hopefully, the last book will be written when I am done with the rest.

First book written (Eye of the World) or first book chronologically (New Spring). I just started a friend off on WoT a few months ago, and I had him start with New Spring. I like the way it fills in some backstory before you jump into the "current" books.
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[srduggins]

Eye of the World. My son reads all this stuff before me, so I just asked him to get me started on WoT.

[Kreth]

Originally Posted by srduggins

Eye of the World. My son reads all this stuff before me, so I just asked him to get me started on WoT.

New Spring is not essential, but it's a good read. It's set about 20 years before the other books and fleshes out how things got started around the birth of the Dragon Reborn.
As for TGS, I finished a little while ago and I was *shocked* to read that Moridin is Rand's father.

j/k
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[PeteSB75]

Originally Posted by Kreth

New Spring is not essential, but it's a good read. It's set about 20 years before the other books and fleshes out how things got started around the birth of the Dragon Reborn.
As for TGS, I finished a little while ago and I was *shocked* to read that Moridin is Rand's father.

j/k
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Hmm, the Sa'a reminded me of that too...

[TheTraveler]

I was relieved that Sanderson didn't bungle the story.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was a good read. I think they made a good choice in getting Sanderson to finish the series.

I usually look for the larger books when trying to find something to read. I used to bounce between 3 series as these books came out, WoT, Sword of Truth, and I think it was the Order War series (or maybe that was one of the books). WoT did seem to stall out and the story sprawled all over over the place. I eventually got tired of waiting for new books to come out in the series and lost track of them. I plan to pick up all 3 series again and finish them off. I'm glad the last book of the WoT series seems to be good and thanks for the reminder to pick this stuff up again.

Now if only I could smoke my pipe while reading

Happy Reading guys

Chris

[TheTraveler]

Originally Posted by Benwoo

... Now if only I could smoke my pipe while reading

Happy Reading guys

Chris

Now THAT is one of life's pleasures ... smoking a pipe and reading a good book.

I'm very pleased with the end result and happily recommend the book to any fan of the series. Like I said, not exactly the same style (and he can't cuss right !) but still very good.

[PeteSB75]

Yeah, wish I could do that too. In a few more years, when I can sell my condo and buy a house.

[Ashcan Bill]

I have the new one sitting on the bookshelf, but it's going to stay there for a while. I've decided to reread the whole series before tackling any more new installments.

I read the The Eye Of The World when it was first published, what, twenty years ago. I've read most of the following books as they came out, but it's been such a long process I've forgotten too many details.

I'm missing a couple of books in the series, so once I pick them up I'll start over again with The Eye Of The World.

That should occupy a good bit of my reading for 2010.

[Kreth]

Originally Posted by TheTraveler

Now THAT is one of life's pleasures ... smoking a pipe and reading a good book.

As long as it's good Two Rivers tabac.

Originally Posted by Ashcan Bill

I have the new one sitting on the bookshelf, but it's going to stay there for a while. I've decided to reread the whole series before tackling any more new installments.

I did that the last few times. This time around I read the synopses online. I got the major plotlines, and do I really need to reread the probably hundreds of pages on things like the intricacies of Tairen fashion and the in and outs (pun intended) of Domani flirtation?
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[Whynot]

I need to reread as well. It has been several years for me too.