Fantasy book released posthumously satisfies longtime fans of Robert Jordan

The Gathering Storm

By Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Published by Tor Books

The Gathering Storm is the 12th book in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time fantasy series, but unlike the 11 previous novels, it's virtually all payoff. It's a fulfilling read, but only if you've been following the 11 books of buildup.

Unfortunately, The Gathering Storm is also a bittersweet novel. It has a new author at the helm, Brandon Sanderson, who took over for Jordan after his death in 2007. Thankfully, Sanderson loyally follows the notes left behind by the late author, so the question is no longer, “will the series be finished?” but “will it be any good?” The short answer: probably.

The only significant deviation from Jordan's established style is a focus on only two main plots. In The Gathering Storm, Rand is the poor sap known as the Dragon Reborn, the one who is prophesized to fight the final battle against the Dark One when the latter inevitably escapes from his prison. Rand has conquered virtually half the continent and struggles to unite the rest of the continent before the Last Battle.

The second plot follows Rand's childhood friend, Egwene. Though she was once perhaps the most aggravating, self-absorbed character in the previous novels, in this book she's grown into the fierce rebel leader of the Aes Sedai, esteemed female channelers who have been cast from the White Tower. Virtually single-handedly, Egwene instigates the White Tower's fall.

Egwene's newfound badassery marks just one of Sanderson's welcome additions to the series. Robert Jordan's chiefest weaknesses was his curious take on gender politics. In many ways, he seemed to be under the impression that men were hilarious and that women were perpetually abrasive, manipulative, and self important, but, this was somehow justified because at least they were right all of the time. Um, no. Just no.

Sanderson does his best to give the women in the novel some sort of rootability while retaining their essence. They're still irritating, but now they're also more self-aware and capable of empathy. For example, after an Aes Sedai complains about how a man failed to follow their instructions, one of them stunningly points out, “This is what we all get for assuming we can make him do what we want.” No shit.

Simultaneously, Rand gets chest deep in morally muddy waters, making this novel much darker and more visceral than its predecessors. Rand's internal struggle is particularly evocative because he literally has two voices warring inside his head, himself and the madman he was in another life, Lews Therin. In one of the most satisfying chapters of the series, Rand, sounding ever like Lews Therin, toys with destroying the world.

Unfortunately for the uninitiated, The Gathering Storm will be a confusing read. The novel brims with references to continuity as well as characters, and without background, some of the reveals seem insignificant. Plus, both Jordan and Sanderson play fast and loose with fantasy tropes (see: bizarre capitalization of the “Last Battle”), which may not be palatable to all readers. But for those familiar with the series, "satisfying" is the perfect word to describe this novel. It pushes along the plot, answers long-standing questions (for once), and most importantly, slowly integrates the cast together again. For fans of the series, it's a Christmas present and Valentine all in one.