Sanderson and the Wheel of Time

So I finished The Towers of Midnight which is the 13th book in the Wheel of Time series.  It took me a while to get around to reading The Gathering Storm, though I had been in dreadful anticipation of it since I heard Brandon Sanderson would be taking over the series.  When I finally picked the 12th book up, it was after reading the entire series over again -- probably the 10th time I had done so.

The question I think most WoT fans were asking themselves (when confronted with Jordan's death and the announcement of Sanderson's completion of the WoT series) was something along these lines: who on earth is this guy and how on earth could he ever fill Jordan's shoes??

That was my question, anyway.  So I started on a journey.

I read Elantris a few years ago, and wasn't terribly impressed.  I was struck by some of the more innovative concepts (Jordan's system of magic was nice and consistent with the world he created, and the evil priest system was very intriguing), but a little put off by some of the more juvenile elements: many words appeared to be made up for no reason.  Words like gyorn were used to denote a concept or position which didn't differ from standard stereotypes.  As a result, much of the writing felt a bit muddled and didn't flow very well from start to finish.

Of course, this was his first novel, and his story was very well done.  So, I decided to check out the Mistborn Trillogy.  After all, this was the series which he was best known for.

I cannot describe how awestruck I was after reading through the first Mistborn novel.  From start to finish, Sanderson created a world which felt both tangible and incredible.  His characters developed in a consistent fashion, and moved toward their literary destinies in a plausible fashion.  The overarching plot was fantastic, and his magical system (Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemalurgy) was complex and yet accessible.  The fight scened were epic and the relationships between characters were solid.

In all, it was one of the most wonderful literary experiences I've had in a long time.  And the following two books did not disappoint.  Though the ending of the third novel was a bit different than I had expected, in hindsight, Sanderson drove each character to their conclusion with a narrow line: I don't believe it could have ended any other way.

After this, I was completely won over: if anyone could bring the Wheel of Time to a conclusion, it would be him.

Having just completed The Towers... in record time (for me), I have to say, Sanderson does not disappoint.

It's hard to imagine what the series would look like if Jordan had lived to complete it.  I'm certain Sanderson would have preferred it that way, but in lieu of the circumstances, I don't think a better author could have been picked.

One area where Sanderson shines is this: character introspection and motivation.  Throughout the Mistborn trilogy, we are consistently given insight into why the characters act and do what they do.  We read their thoughts; we see their responses to their circumstances; we watch them interact with each other as they grow and develop.  Though the books aren't perfect, the lasting impression of the trilogy is one of complete understanding: we are never left guessing why a character acted the way they did.

This is something Sanderson brings to the table in the WoT.  From book 7 or 8 (I'm not sure which), there is a steady decline in the series regarding character motivation.  Much happens in the series, but it often felt like I didn't understand why.  People behaved in certain ways, but it felt more and more like I knew them less and less.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not criticizing Jordan's writing, and I certainly don't want to exaggerate.  It's not that there isn't any introspection in the last 5 books; it just feels like the characters are murkier.  Sanderson's writing, in addition to completing so many story arcs, shines a piercing light into the characters hearts and minds, bursting them open for us to comprehend (and thus relate).

I don't want to give away any plot points to the latest 2 books in the series, but let me just say this: if you've been hesitant to read through them because they aren't (sadly) written by the original author, please go out and buy them tonight.  These two books have held some of the best moments in the WoT, and have been a brilliant light shining amidst a genre packed with drivel and meaningless fluff.  Yes, Sanderson's writing is a bit different from Jordan's.  Yes, he's completing his work, and thus the plot developments aren't strictly his own.  But his devotion to the series, as well as the strength of his characterization, make these 2 books absolutely solid contributions to the Wheel of Time.