To me the Wheel of Time is not just another series. It is the series, what fantasy has come to mean to me over the last few years. I have seen no other series that has such well developed characters and world.

When Robert Jordan died in 2007 I, like so many fans, was saddened. What we all feared was coming, had come. Mr. Jordan was far from done writing. He already had planned out other books set in the same world. What was to come of this world we all loved so much? What would happen to Rand and his friends?

Well, obviously they answered these questions. And what a choice, Brandon Sanderson truly understands this world. He loves these characters. There is no other way to put it.

The Gathering Storm easily ranks among the Wheel of Time greats. It isn’t surprising really, it is the beginning of the end. Jordan spent 11 books building up to this point. Some think he went too far in that build-up, but I disagree. It is because of that story that this ending will mean so much to me. I care about each character and want to know what will happen to them, who will survive, and who is secretly allied with the shadow; you’ll find some of all these things in this book.

As for writing, the book is different than Robert Jordan. Sanderson never said that it wouldn’t be. He writes in a more common style today in fantasy. Quickly moving, switching characters faster than Jordan would have. This doesn’t make it less enjoyable, in fact I could see many fans who lost track of the series enjoying this new fast-paced writing style.

My love of this story keeps me from being able to write any sort of critical review. I knew I would love it, and I wasn’t disappointed. I think any writer should read this series, if only to discover how truly deep your characters can be.