Well, just finished it and before I say anything else it has to be said that I really enjoyed it!
Part of me finds myself viewing these last three books as a connected trilogy, the Jordan/Sanderson books that make up the end of the Wheel of Time, and looking at it like that, as is sometimes the case this middle book is (hopefully) the weakest of the three, not making it bad but just because it is the middle part, everything rotating from the set up in TGS, to the climax in TMOL; all the little pieces being moved into their final places for teh grand conclusion next year.
There were so many little bits I enjoyed, the dream battle, especially the showdown at the end, but also when Perrin ran across Egwene and showed her a thing or two! I felt the forging of Perrin's hammer was exceptionally well done; and so many of the meetings were done so well I found myself smiling as they met - Galad and Morgase -in fact her meeting with all her children; but stealing the show Mat and Perrin (and the badger).
I found myself worrying that there would be no rescue of Moiraine until the last book, but was rather pleased with the way it was accomplished - and did Mat's escape change the rules of the board game, as suddenly Olver won the unwinable? Also enjoyed the confirmed revelation of Noal as Jain Farstrider.
There was so much to enjoy that I'm probably going to forget half of what I wanted to mention or ramble on for far to long!
The characterisations remained strong enough, I like the fact that I get frustrated with some of the characters, just because of what they are doing - and I disagree with it. It makes them more human. I'm not so sure about Egwene determined to stop Rand breaking the last few seals...
I don't know if I missed something, but was there mention of there being someone close to Perrin who was ready to act against him - and did I miss the revelation or is it still to come?
It was kind of amazing how all the random story threads are being woven together. I wonder how much of it was laid out in advance by Jordan and how much is to the credit of Sanderson. It's nice for the books to finally bring us more answers than questions.
From what I recall with some of Jordan's last posts on his website, he had got the conclusion pretty much planned out, with various segments written, including, I think, the last chapter. It makes me wonder whether Sanderson has been completely rewriting it to make it all smooth, or whether there are still some words of Jordan in place. I'd imagine it to be the first. Whatever the case, if RJ did get to write the last chapter part of me would like to see it as he wrote it, so that the man who created the series gets the last word. (No offence to BS who is a magnificent writer in his own right.
Thing will wrap up in A Memory of Light. Before he died, Robert Jordan had planned to finish the series with just one last book. I believe he planned to leave a lot of loose threads hanging.
I'd read this too, Jordan swearing that book 12 would be the last one even if it was a 3000 page monster. I'd have liked to seen it happen like that, just to follow his wishes, that being said it would have been virtually impossible to carry around, especially in hardback form, while the paperback would have just disintegrated! Although breaking it into three could be seen by the publishers to try and get as much money as possible from a series and author that will never publish again, realistically it is the only way it could have been done.
As to the loose threads, again I remember reading that Jordan wanted them left because life goes on after events finish. A war will come to en end, but the lives of the people go on, events for individuals are never as neatly wrapped up in real life as they are in fiction, they carry on with ramifications and escalations despite the driving force of war. Sadly the best example to give is The Wheel of Time itself. RJ's untimely passing left his epic unfinished, and yet it continues...
Anyway, just 11 months to wait now
