Synopsis: (from Goodreads) The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

Wow! Where do I start? Reading the Wheel of Time was my goal for 2019. With not even a day to spare, I accomplished that goal.

Looking at the size of this book (1150 pages), I didn’t quite know what to expect. The Last Battle had to be starting soon and, indeed, this volume is pretty much the all the Last Battle. At first, I wondered how that could be. How could 1100 pages be all one battle? Well, it’s not just one battle. It’s a huge battle being fought in various places with nearly every character coming into play in one way or another. Because of how the Pattern is beginning to unravel, the flow of time has changed, so Rand’s battle against the Dark One seems only a short time to them, but in the rest of the world, days, even weeks pass.

It was really difficult for me to put this book down. I actually stayed awake until 6 in the morning because I just had to keep reading. With so much happening to all the different characters, the thought of putting the book aside and going to sleep was barely in my mind. I needed to know how it was all going to end. I was not disappointed. I’ve heard other readers say that getting through some of the middle books with a slower pace is worth. And I  have to agree. If you’re reading this series and you’re near the middle and wonder if you should continue reading, well I really hope you do. The ending is worth it.

I give this book 5/5 stars, which I rarely ever do.

Overall, this series is an amazing one. Robert Jordan created a vastly detailed world. He incorporated a magic system unlike any other that I’ve read about, while also creating various countries of this world with different customs and qualities to the people. Accents, clothing, and hairstyles to name a few things that would distinguish different nationalities.

The thing I disliked the most about this series was the female characters. From the beginning, they all seemed to be extremely haughty and arrogant, especially the Aes Sedai. It annoyed me how they all seemed to think that they knew better than every one else and that they should “guide” the Dragon Reborn. Really what they wanted to do was control him. Their attitude is that because he is a man that he is a complete idiot and will likely get himself killed if left alone. When Egwene starts to adopt this attitude as the Amrilyn Seat, my fondness for her declined. Yes, Rand could be a stubborn person at times, but really, who wants people constantly telling them what to do when you’re supposed to be the savior of the world? Brandon Sanderson managed to salvage a lot of the female characters by having them reflect on their past behavior and learn and grow from it, without losing who they were.

There are questions that I still have that were never answered by the end of the books. I won’t say what those questions are, as i don’t want to provide any spoilers. The questions I still have are little things and not necessarily important. The ending is still satisfactory, although I could see a sequel of some kind being set in the same world had Robert Jordan lived. I don’t think Brandon Sanderson would be the one to tell the stories of future generations in this world. He has his own books to write. While I would read a sequel or spin off, I don’t find that it’s necessary to the overall plot of these 14 books.

Overall, I give this series a rating of 4/5 stars.

Have you read the Wheel of Time? What did you think of it? Do you agree or disagree with anything I’ve said here? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.