Series: Wheel of Time (Book 13)
Audio CD
Publisher: Macmillan Audio; Unabridged edition (November 2, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1427210225
ISBN-13: 978-1427210227
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 2.8 x 5.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1,206 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #574,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #9 in Books > Books on CD > Authors, A-Z > ( J ) > Jordan, Robert #252 in Books > Books on CD > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction #312 in Books > Books on CD > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy
If you've been waiting on this series to *finish* for as long as I have, this book is for you.It's the next-to final volume in Robert Jordan's twenty-years-in-the-making Wheel of Time series, not the ending itself, but -- well, I'll explain below. If you're familiar with the series at all, you know that Jordan passed away before he could finish writing the final volumes, and you know that Brandon Sanderson, an expert writer in his own right, has been brought on to finish the final three books -- The Gathering Storm, released last year, this volume, Towers of Midnight, and a final volume, _A Memory of Light_, which seems likely to be released around March 2012.Of those three volumes, this is the "Two Towers" equivalent: there's a heck of a lot of action and movement, but ultimately, this book is about things *finally* falling into position for the final confrontations -- if The Gathering Storm put the key in the ignition, this one turns it, and now all that's left is to watch the last volume put the pedal to the metal. There's a real sense throughout the book that the many, many characters and plots are all locking into place, falling towards their final intersections.Sanderson's writing is excellent, and in some ways significantly improved since the last volume.
I've had a love/hate relationship with Wheel of Time for years, a litany of loathing, forgiveness, despair, and faltering hope that's far too extensive to go into just now. Suffice it to say that this series and I have history. I was cautiously optimistic when I heard that Sanderson was taking over from Mister Jordan: speaking plainly, there were a lot of poorer choices out there. I'm trying to keep that constructive attitude in mind two books on.The good news: the book is great. Better than Gathering Storm. Sanderson is settling in, as it were, and I think that writing with one successful installment behind him gave him the confidence to improve the novel with a few of his own signature touches. At the same time, he's obviously improved on some characterizations: Mat in particular feels closer to the character we know from Jordan than he did in Gathering Storm. Towers of Midnight also manages to get things done. Sanderson has really pulled out all the stops on his pacing, and the contrast between this installment and something like, say, Crossroads of Twilight is absolutely stunning. From molasses in midwinter, we've gone in the course of two books to driving a sports car down a steep incline...with the sensation that we're seconds away from free fall. This gives the series a much-needed kick in the rear: Tarmon Gai'don, at long, long last, actually feels imminent.My problems with the book, if they can be said to be problems, are minimal and actually make me suspicious of their origin. This is because they're basically all centered around the fact that it is Sanderson, and not Jordan, who is writing the book. But I still don't feel quite honest giving the novel five stars.
After twelve books of slow-moving, intricate plotting (and a hefty dose of filler), the Last Battle against the Dark One is here.So is "Towers of Midnight" good? Oh yeah. Brandon Sanderson and the late Robert Jordan came up with a solid penultimate volume, sprinkled with solid characterization, epic moments, and the occasional discovery that will probably have you bouncing and screaming with joy. It's a rich, fast-moving experience that will leave you on edge for the grand finale.And yes, thanks for asking -- it IS hard to review this without spoiling too much.While the previous book was more centered on Rand and his inner turmoil, this one centers on Mat and Perrin -- there are countless intertwined subplots in this one, but the important ones rest on those two. Specifically, Mat has to grapple with the gholam at long last, and Perrin has to work out his issues as well as his wolfish other side.Tarmon Gai'don is coming, and Jordan and Sanderson really hammer it home that this will not be an easy or quick battle. "Towers of Midnight" has a lot riding on it: not only does it have to build up to an epic grand finale in the next book, but it has to start wrapping up all the important storylines. Does it deliver?For the most part, yes -- Sanderson doesn't quite capture a few of the characters' personalities (such as Mat), but overall this is a smashing book. Sanderson's vibrant juggernaut prose actually meshes very well with Jordan's intricate, slow-moving storylines, and it feels much sleeker and less bogged down in minutiae.And despite Tarmon Gai'don looming over the characters' heads, there are actually some funny moments (mostly from Mat) and some powerful, riveting ones that seem to leap out from the pages.
Towers of Midnight: Wheel of Time, Book 13 Towers of Midnight (Wheel of Time) Dancing with the Wheel: The Medicine Wheel Workbook Sugar Skulls at Midnight Adult Coloring Book : Volume 2 Animals & Aliens: A Unique Midnight Edition Black Background Paper Adult Coloring Book For Men ... Relaxation Stress Relief & Art Color Therapy) Sugar Skulls at Midnight Adult Coloring Book: A Unique Midnight Edition Black Background Paper Adult Coloring Book For Men Women & Teens With Day Of ... Stress Relief & Art Color Therapy) (Volume 1) Fuck That Stress: Midnight Edition: Swear Word Coloring Book for Relaxation and Stress Relief (Midnight Coloring Books) (Volume 2) Midnight Crossroad: A Novel of Midnight Texas Secret Window, Secret Garden: Two Past Midnight (Four Past Midnight) The Time Garden Note Cards: Color-In Note Cards from the Creator of The Time Garden and The Time Chamber (Time Adult Coloring Books) The Wheel Of Time: The Shamans Of Mexico Their Thoughts About Life Death And The Universe The Eye of the World: Book One of The Wheel of Time evo: Supercars: Behind the wheel of the greatest cars of all time The Great Hunt: Book Two of The Wheel Of Time The Shadow Rising: Book Four of The Wheel of Time The Fires of Heaven: Book Five of The Wheel of Time The Dragon Reborn: Book Three of The Wheel of Time Winter's Heart: Wheel of Time, Book 9 Path of Daggers: Book Eight of The Wheel of Time A Memory of Light: Wheel of Time, Book 14 A Crown of Swords: Book Seven of The Wheel of Time