Is now a good time to get back into The Wheel of Time?

[Skywalker]

I first read The Eye of the World about ten years ago, when I was still in high school. I really loved the book, and bought up the next few (up to The Shadow Rising or The Fires of Heaven, IIRC), but as I delved into the background of the series and started finding other fans online, I quickly learned that the books seemed to start falling off at around Lord of Chaos or so, and that the storyline practically crawled to a halt even though Robert Jordan kept putting out one massive volume after another. So I got discouraged and stopped reading a few chapters into The Dragon Reborn. I haven't picked up a WoT book since.

Unfortunately, Robert Jordan passed away a couple of years ago, leaving the fate of his series in question, until Brandon Sanderson was brought in to complete it. The Gathering Storm, the first part of a trilogy crafted to bring an end to the story, was released last year to (apparently) excellent reviews, and the second book, Towers of Midnight, is due out later this year, with the final book, A Memory of Light, scheduled for next year.

So this is my question: is The Wheel of Time back? Has Sanderson (with the help of Jordan's apparently very extensive notes) managed to put the train back on the track just in time to bring the story to a satisfying close? The positive word-of-mouth for The Gathering Storm has certainly caught my interest, and has started to reawaken my interest in the WoT series.

But I'm still a little hesitant to get back into it. I won't lie that the prospect of reading through fourteen giant books just to see what happens to Rand, Mat, Perrin, etc., is more than a little daunting. So I was wondering if it really would be worth my time to go through all that, or just read all the "good" books and settle with plot summaries for the "bad" books, or something. Thoughts?

 

[Worfmonger]

I always thought things started going "meh" with The Fires of Heaven, and then it really didn't start to pick up again until Crossroads of Twilight, then really hit a lot of good notes in Knife of Dreams.

That said, The Gathering Storm rocks. Sanderson manages to trim away the fat that Jordan had a habit of indulging himself with, and write compelling fantasy. He services the storyline rather than the world. After rereading the entire series (yes, I skipped forward liberally on Books Five through Nine) right before Storm was released, I was paid off with a ton of fun and action.

It's a good read, and worth the work of getting through the middle section, imho, ymmv.

Peace

Worfmonger

 

[jadcox@mindspring.com]

Sanderson's own work is surprisingly original, tight, and appealing. I'd read that.

 

[Skywalker]

Sanderson's own work is surprisingly original, tight, and appealing. I'd read that.

I tried Elantris, but found it kind of boring. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for it at the time.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I agree...Sanderson's work is top notch and has returned the series to it's former glory. I sped through "The Gathering Storm" something I haven't done since I first started reading the saga when I was thirteen. Looking forward to "The Towers of Midnight" in November.

 

[Agenda]

I used to be a disciple of that series until book seven. I gotta ask, is there any fantasy author capable of not surrendering to self-indulgence?

 

[Caliburn24]

NO!

Do not get back into WoT at this time.

Sanderson has made the wait for the next two books horrible because the story is actually moving again and I can't wait to see where it goes.

Wait until the last two books come out, than pick up the series again.

 

[Skywalker]

NO!

Do not get back into WoT at this time.

Sanderson has made the wait for the next two books horrible because the story is actually moving again and I can't wait to see where it goes.

Wait until the last two books come out, than pick up the series again.

To be honest, I highly doubt I'd read through the entire series in one go. I just don't do that. I typically read one or two books in a series at one time, then move on to something different for a bit, to break up the monotony. I don't expect to read A Memory of Light until it comes out in paperback in 2012.