Well it's all over now. More than 20 years and thousands of pages later I now have the full story of the Wheel of Time. The epic fantasy series by Robert Jordan and finished by Brandon Sanderson is the longest continuous narrative I will probably ever read. I have read other series like Robert Adams' The Horseclans novels and the Dresden Files, etc. that already stretch over more books (or eventually will), but those series don't feel like a single story told in 14+ parts.
Often the journey is more satisfying than the destination (or in this case the end). A Memory of Light is a satisfying end to a long complex tale. It isn't the same end that Robert Jordan would have given us in that the pieces are put together in a different way, but the pieces would most-likely have been the same.
A Memory of Light (AMoL), as promised ends the story begun in The Eye of the World but does leave some minor questions for us to ponder regarding the future of this world. One that we will only see in our imaginations after this point. Brandon Sanderson and the team behind this book have done a great job of tying together this long narrative and seem to take special efforts to link in even some of the smallest hints and events in prior books and make them relevant and important to the end of the story.
AMoL is a long book with a staggering number of points of view with many chapters featuring two or more POV. The book has many of the epic moments that has defined The Wheel of Time and many are given quite a bit of space while others come in a single sentence or paragraph leaving you re-reading to make sure you caught what just happened.
Not everything is perfect with the book or the story. Some points are drawn out and tiring to read through while others are rushed and don't feel like they are given enough time or focus. That aside, we get closure - perhaps not in the way we thought it would be or as we hoped but fitting nonetheless.
I recommend AMoL to anyone interested in epic fantasy and contend that the journey is worth investing in the several million words that is the Wheel of Time. It will take a while for it to settle in that the story is now done, but I am happy to have read it. A Memory of Light gets 4 and a half Mick Happies. I hope you take a ride on the winds of time someday (if you haven't already).
My Wheel of Time Collection
P.S. I did get the answer to my RAFO question about Mat and the Deathwatch Guards. (see Towers of Midnight review below for more on that).
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