Author:  Robert Jordan (Brandon Sanderson)
ISBN:  978-0-7653-0230-4

Click Here To Purchase The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time)

There comes a time only once or twice in a human being’s life where a series of books comes out that makes time literally stop.  J.K. Rowling, of course, comes to mind.  So should Robert Jordan.  The Gathering Storm is book twelve of The Wheel of Time series and is, in this reviewer’s opinion, one of the absolute best ever produced.  This is also the first of three novels that will bring the series to a stunning conclusion.  I can’t even think about that, seeing as that as far as I’m concerned, this series could and should continue long after I’m gone.

With The Gathering Storm, we begin with Renald Fenwar who is sitting on his porch watching the clouds roll in.  The clouds are black and silver and have never before been seen.  The crops aren’t growing, even though Spring has arrived; and, even the poor man’s pipe has died out.  Suffice to say, as a reader watching the clouds roll in, we are already entranced with what is about to begin.

We soon meet up with Rand al’Thor as he battles, yells, screams and struggles to pull together kingdoms that have broken apart at the seams, in order to prepare for the Last Battle – that’s coming closer like those hideous clouds across the landscape.  Now, the Dragon is doing all in his power to unite the people, yet the darkness that is growing in his own heart and soul is making his allies extremely afraid.  Something is completely wrong with this picture.  Egwene al’Vere is stuck in the White Tower with no hope of escape, yet Egwene is trying like heck to hold together her people (the Aes Sedai), in hopes of saving the world.

In fact, there are so many characters – some new, some we’ve loved since the beginning of time – that you have to sit alone in your room and literally transport yourself into this world.  The Wheel of Time is turning with every page you turn and, with each movement; life is being taken over by the Shadow.

This book needs no heart-stopping, peer review.  This series has always spoken for itself, and it never, EVER, lets the reader down.  If you’re not a fan (which I can’t possibly understand), then pick up the first in this series and become a fan in seconds.  (The first volume is called The Eye of the World, for you people who have been living in a cave all your lives.)

The worst part of all this, however, for the thirty million fans across the globe who love these fantastical works, is that Robert Jordan partially wrote this conclusion before he passed away.  Leaving us in 2007, his wife Harriet McDougal took his notes and chose Brandon Sanderson (a bestselling author, known for the wonderful Mistborn books) to complete this fantastic series and bring it to its rightful conclusion.  Now, don’t get me wrong, Mr. Sanderson has done a drop-dead wonderful job with this material, but my heart truly grieves for Mr. Jordan – who will forever be the King of all he created.

 
Click Here To Purchase The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time)