"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come to pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is forgotten when the age that gave birth to it comes again..."
The second in my book-a-week marathon for 2011 is the penultimate instalment of the epic/bloated fantasy series The Wheel of Time. Despite the fact that creator Robert Jordan slowed his tale down to a near snail like speed toward the centre of the series, the last few books have been a rip roaring read well worth my patience. The book I've just finished is the thirteenth in the series (that doesn't include the short prequel I have also read) so it takes a lot of dedication to get to this point, but I have so much affection for the literally hundreds of characters whose lives I have followed that I must walk with them too the end.
Sadly, Jordan passed away a few years ago with the series incomplete. He did have time to make extensive notes however, so Book 13 or Towers of Midnight was actually written by someone else. Brandon Sanderson is the man who has taken on the unenviable task of finishing a much loved and long anticipated climax to the series. In my opinion he's doing a brilliant job. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It makes for a gripping instalment to the series and I wept not once but three times whilst turning it's pages. As I followed the fortunes of Rand Al'thor, the Dragon Reborn, Perrin 'Golden Eyes' Aybara, the Wolfbrother and Mattrim Cauthan, the Prince of the Ravens & Lord of Luck this book became one I rushed home to read. I enjoyed it so much I even carried it by hand too and from my London office (it wouldn't fit inside my rucksack - it's a bit of a beast) in order to read it on my journey home.
If you're looking for a fantasy series dealing with good and evil and set in a world similar to that of Tolkien's Middle Earth then I heartily recommend this series to you. It is not perfect... but it is compelling.