Brandon Sanderson, I salute you

When I discovered the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan 9 books had already been published.

It follows a core cast of characters from a small village and, over successive novels, exposes them to the world Jordan created & their crucial roles in it. It deliberately evokes The Lord of the Rings and has become enormously popular, mainly because of Jordan's writing and the scope of what he tried to do.

I devoured the first 6 novels, marvelling at the scale of ambition, the adrenaline fuelled action sequences and the jolting plot twists and mysteries that the author handled with ease.

So far so good, but, for me, things went downhill from there with each successive book. Jordan seemed allergic to resolving plot strands, and addicted to introducing new, obscure characters at the expense of his core cast. There were less 'big' moments and more focus on the intricacies and mundanities of the world Jordan had created. It felt like a stronger, more focused editor was needed, and that Jordan could have finished the series much quicker, had he so chosen.

I stuck with it because my affection for the characters and early books was so great, and I was desperate to see the plot to its resolution. But by books 10 and11 the plot was so complex and unwieldy that I had to re-read thewhole series to remember what had  happened. This simply reminded me how good the writing had been, and how much of a trawl it had become. After Book 12, I reluctantly decided to give up.

Robert Jordan died last year, something that saddened me greatly. He passed away after a long fight against illness with immense dignity and strength. He was very generous to his community of readers and was a man of great vision and talent and, whatever my frustrations with his later writing, he deserved the outpouring of grief from family and fans that he received.

And then, at Christmas, my parents gave me this:

Brandon Sanderson is another successful fantasy writer and Jordan's wife and publishers asked him to complete the series from Jordan's notes.

I was completely blown away.

It is absolutely brilliant, a stunning return to form and a joy to read.

The Gathering Storm has real energy throughout, and brings back the pace and sparkle of the earlier books. Sanderson writes in a style evocative of Jordan, but unmistakably his own. He very skillfully resolves a number of minor plot lines that had dragged on for several books  - some within the first few pages, others throughout the novel. He handles the Verin Sedai sub-plot with aplomb, layering it through several chapters and using it to close two or three other long running sequences.

One of the main reasons for the book's success is that Sanderson chooses to keep his focus on just two main narrative voices - Egwene al'Vere and  Rand al'Thor. This means that he can deliver real plot and character development, culminating in a lovely juxtaposition in the final chapter. Rand is the heart of the series who had been sadly absent from recent novels, and his journey in the books is incredibly satisfying.

I've read some criticism of Sanderson treats Mat Cauthon, the fans' favourite character. It is true that the narrative voice in the Mat chapters is less like Jordan's than other parts, and the wryness of Mat's sense of humour is diluted. 

But the Mat chapters are good fun, and there are relatively few of them, so Sanderson doesn't get the extensive run at them of the kind he has had with Rand. We know from Jordan's extensive foreshadowing that huge events are heading Mat's way, and I now await them with bated breath.

So, to conclude - Brandon Sanderson, thank you. You have given me back my love for the series and I can't wait to see where you take us next. The Gathering Storm is a worthy addition to Robert Jordan's legacy and (whisper it) is probably a much better book for your involvement.