# The Wheel of Time is done **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 4, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361 "2012-08-04T00:25:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/1 "2012-08-04T00:25:31Z")
> [@Robert Jordan](#): > > The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings in the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was _a_ beginning. [Brandon Sanderson has sent the final version off to the editors/publishes.](http://www.brandonsanderson.com/blog/1101/Today-I-got-up-and-I-did-not-have-a-Wheel-of-Time-book-to-work-on.) I think even its most ardent fans would agree that the series wandered away from where it really need to be for quite some time… but it’s still been an incredible journey that has had a special place in my heart for around 20 years. And the most recent 3 books (_Knife of Dreams_, the last one Jordan wrote himself, and _The Gathering Storm_ and _The Towers of Midnight_, by Brandon Sanderson), have been, at least in my opinion, a definite return to form. These characters have been close to my heart for over half of my life. I’m thrilled to finally see their truly epic tale come to an end. (The final book, _A Memory of Light_, comes out in January.) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/2 "2012-08-04T00:42:49Z")
Very cool, and I’m also glad that Sanderson can now return to his own series. ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/3 "2012-08-04T01:06:41Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Very cool, and I’m also glad that Sanderson can now return to his own series. Yup. I got tired of WoT around book 9, and never got back to it. But I want the next Stormlight Archive book, dammit! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/4 "2012-08-04T01:35:45Z")
It’s about time. ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/5 "2012-08-04T02:07:51Z")
My brother (Brandon’s assistant) sent us a section where somebody’s fixing a saddle, to have my husband (who does leatherwork) look it over. That was kind of cool. (“Oooh, as-yet-unpublished Wheel of Time!”) ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/6 "2012-08-04T02:18:15Z")
Wow, yeah, I guess I started reading just after college. Haven’t picked up any of the later books - maybe I read Knife of Dreams, that sounds really familiar - I should get back to it. Heck, knowing the series is done, maybe I’ll just start from the beginning. That first book was a very long time ago! ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/7 "2012-08-04T02:24:19Z")
I have a soft spot for Wheel of Time - it was the first epic fantasy series I ever read. I remember sitting in a chair for hours on end, absolutely riveted. The latter half of the series has been a bit of a slog, to put it mildly, but I am still looking forward to reading the last book! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/8 "2012-08-04T04:19:05Z")
Nynaeve can finally stop tugging her braid? Phew. I’m surprised she has any hair left. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/9 "2012-08-04T04:28:03Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Wow, yeah, I guess I started reading just after college. Haven’t picked up any of the later books - maybe I read Knife of Dreams, that sounds really familiar - I should get back to it. Heck, knowing the series is done, maybe I’ll just start from the beginning. That first book was a very long time ago! Some people in clothes with a bunch of stripes fight people whose customs and histories are totally not like theirs. And cross some hills. There, you can skip books four through ten. Of course, since, I also have been waiting 20+ years for this I’ll read it also. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/10 "2012-08-04T04:34:51Z")
> [@G0sp3l](#): > > Some people in clothes with a bunch of stripes fight people whose customs and histories are totally not like theirs. And cross some hills. > > There, you can skip books four through ten. > > Of course, since, I also have been waiting 20+ years for this I’ll read it also. :mad: This is a pretty good summary. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/11 "2012-08-04T10:10:11Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Nynaeve can finally stop tugging her braid? Phew. I’m surprised she has any hair left. That little tic might have been the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. Well, that and the dangling eyebrows. ---
**Author:** ![sohvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sohvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sohvan)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/12 "2012-08-04T10:30:57Z")
I mostly just wanted to finish the series, but I’ve been very pleasantly surprised at what Brandon Sanderson has done with it. I was probably around 10 when I started reading the books almost 20 years ago, and I loved the first 5 or so. The 6th book was ok, and from there it just went downhill rapidly. The last few books have reminded me of what I liked about the series way back then. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/13 "2012-08-04T11:22:45Z")
> [@Helena](#): > > My brother (Brandon’s assistant) sent us a section where somebody’s fixing a saddle, to have my husband (who does leatherwork) look it over. That was kind of cool. (“Oooh, as-yet-unpublished Wheel of Time!”) Did they manage to keep the description under 150 pages? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/14 "2012-08-04T15:46:06Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Did they manage to keep the description under 150 pages? And how detailed were the descriptions of what the people, and the horse, were wearing? ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/15 "2012-08-04T16:13:54Z")
LOL! It was a pretty short section. Mostly conversation about a leather-stitching technique. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/16 "2012-08-05T00:21:26Z")
I read the first eight books on my husband’s (then boyfriend’s) recommendation, and by the end was flipping and muttering and making fun of everything. He gaemly kept on, even though he started MSTing it, but when he picked up and read the Brandon Sanderson books, he said, “These are actually good. I think you’d like them.” So I read them, poised to hate and mock. They were quite good. The characters had character. I no longer wanted to punch everyone all the time. The stories made sense. I’ll read the last one. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/17 "2012-08-05T00:52:45Z")
About six years ago, I gave up at book 9. But I heard last year that Sanderson had picked up the pen and I’m a big fan of his Mistborn/Stormlight Archive work so I decided to give it a shot. While he’s still constrained by the rules and universe Jordan eventually got mired in, it’s a pretty fresh, competent take and it doesn’t feel at all like fan-fiction. (Like I feared.) They turned out to have a significant upward curve, actually, and I’m confident Sanderson will be able to end the series on a high note. And then get back to the Stormlight Archive, because I seriously want those books so bad. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/18 "2012-08-05T04:20:22Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Nynaeve can finally stop tugging her braid? Phew. I’m surprised she has any hair left. You know, Nynaeve probably annoyed me more than anyone else in the series, but Sanderson really saved her…what she does in the penultimate book is seriously wonderful. She finally matures beyond her penchant for bossing people around and does an incredible and selfless thing for Lan. That whole section really moved me. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/19 "2012-08-05T13:54:05Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > And then get back to the Stormlight Archive, because I seriously want those books so bad. Not to hijack, but was the first book really that good? I’m hesitant to begin because it is supposed to be a 10 book series, right? I’ll wait until we are sure he is churning them out at a pretty good pace. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/20 "2012-08-05T15:28:35Z")
Crossroads of Twilight was so goddamn bad I stopped reading the series. The series had dragged to that point, but I didn’t have many series complaint. Then absolutely nothing happened in 800 pages and I was out. I’ve made such a huge time commitment, and people say Sanderson put the series back on the right track, so maybe I’ll finish it off at some point. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361.md?page=2)