The Wheel of Time Reread: Book 14 - A Memory of Light
*SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THIS AND OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES*
Find the full list of posts in my full re-read of the series HERE
And we're finally here. We've reached book fourteen (of an originally planned six) and the end of the epic saga of The Wheel of Time. The Last Battle, Tarmon Gai'don, has arrived. There is no more time for posturing or positioning. The fate of time itself rests in the balance. And while Mat and Perrin lead the forces of the Light against the Trolloc invasion, Rand must finally face his destiny and confront the Dark One himself.
The Last Battle
As I originally made my way through this series, I (and, I assume, many other readers) spent a lot of time wondering what form the "Last Battle" would take. Was it metaphorical, with the Last Battle being a collective phrase for the conflict played out in this series? Or would it be an actual climatic battle at the end of the final book?
What I never expected, nor would I have thought anyone could pull off, was the Last Battle being a single battle that took up the entire length of a 908-page novel.
I have to highlight the pure skill of Brandon Sanderson's writing. Can you think of any writer who could write an entire novel that covered a single battle? One that moves and twists and changes, yes, but is still the same fight. It's an achievement very few writers could pull off.
What makes it work so well is not only the masterful depiction of the action but how well all the characters are woven into the telling. Every main character has their place and at least one significant set piece. All the secondary characters have moments that illustrate their role. Even some tiny characters we haven't seen since the first few books (Hurin is a great example) make appearances.
Surprises, Revelations, and Resolutions
Other than the deft weaving of characters, another reason this book works so well is the skill with which Sanderson handles the twists and reveals. All of these, in the hands of a lesser writer, could have easily either fallen flat or felt like a clumsy deux ex machina.
First, we have the Samma N'sei, the dark Aiel. I love this because it's something we could have worked out. We've been told that Aiel men who discover they can channel run to the Blight to die fighting the Dark One. And we've been told that any channeller can be turned evil against their will. We simply didn't think about the possibility of these two facts being put together. Why wouldn't the Dark One use these powerful fighters in this way?
Then we have Damandred and the Sharans. Damandred's location has been the final mystery of the Forsaken. All of the others we knew about, but where was he hiding? Of course, we all assumed he must be somewhere near Rand, pulling strings and manipulating people. But no, he was somewhere else completely. Rather than trying to outmanoeuvre or manipulate Rand, he was building a weapon to bring out at the last moment. Again, it's something that fits perfectly with the world and the characters and so doesn't feel forced.
But the biggest reveal, at least in my opinion, is the corruption of the Great Captains. This is handled so incredibly well, and I didn't see it coming at all in my original read-through. Re-reading the series, though, I can see all the crumbs Sanderson leaves, cluing the reader in for what is happening. The little mistakes. The incorrect assumptions. The people around them giving them the benefit of the doubt, assuming everything must be an intentional stroke of genius.
Privilege and Power
Something I didn't notice when I originally read The Wheel of Time is its subtle criticism of privilege and power.
When you look at the story and the backstory, there are two things that stand out. The first is why the Aes Sedai in the Age of Legends couldn't defeat the Dark One. They were at the peak of science and magic, with knowledge, technology, and abilities beyond the dreams of Rand and his contemporaries. The second is why the Forsaken, who also have the same knowledge and abilities, don't easily take over the world when they wake in the Third Age.
Now I see that the answer is privilege.
Rand actually makes this clear. The old Aes Sedai were used to having everything they needed. They had no idea how to work together to defeat a true danger. Their downfall was growing up in a world with no true conflicts. It's the same with the Forsaken. When they escaped from the Bore, they might have knowledge and skills, but without the resources and technology, they found themselves unable to truly understand the world around them.
We also see this with the present-day Aes Sedai. They, as an organisation, are so used to being in power they automatically equate being Aes Sedai with being right. They can't see how they might ever be wrong about anything or might need to change. Only Nynaeve seems to see the truth, mainly because she spends less time with the others and avoids indoctrination.
The Final Confrontation
We can't talk about the end of this series without discussing Rand's final confrontation with the Dark One.
This is such a great conclusion to the story because it takes a traditional "Light vs Dark" story and makes it grey. We've had thirteen books of people talking about the Dark One being something that must be defeated and locked away. But that's a human attitude. In truth, the Dark One is part of the world. The ideas people have of what the world would look like if the Forsaken win come from human minds. But the Dark One isn't human.
In facing him, Rand realises that the Dark One needs to be part of the Pattern, as a world without darkness cannot have light. The world needs conflict, and losing light or dark would leave the world empty and hollow.
What Comes Next
I talked about this in my last post, but now the story is over, it's interesting to take a look at the world as it's left and think about where the story goes next.
For a start, Mat and Perrin are kings. Nynaeve a Queen, if only in name. Without the Blight, the world of the Borderlanders will change completely. Seanchan is in complete chaos. The Sharans are now in play and must be contended with. Male channellers are now free from the Taint and have become a major power in a very short amount of time.
Then there is Aviendha's second viewing from Rhuidean. Are these true visions of the future, designed to show what might happen if people make the wrong decisions? Or just possible visions of the future to warn of possible futures?
We'll never know what happens next, of course. And that's half the fun. Jordan has created a world so incredibly real, with characters so engaging, that the story will never truly end. Fans can discuss what comes next for years. They can create their own head cannons.
And there we are. My re-read of The Wheel of Time is complete. It's been more than three years since I decided to revisit this series. The last time I read the whole thing from start to finish, it took me six months. But that was reading one book after the other without a break. This time, I paced myself.
Do I still love the series as much as I used to? Yes. More, possibly. Sure, it has its flaws. There is the Bloat from books 8 to 11. One or two of the characters are pretty unbearable. Of course, there are the issues Robert Jordan has with relationships and gender dynamics. And maybe the first couple of the books follow a few too many genre tropes. But these issues are completely overtaken by the positives. The masterful use of foreshadowing. The complex characters. The subtle undercurrents that I've only really noticed in this, my third time through the series. The world-building that exceeds anything I've seen in any other series, full stop (with the possible exception of Sanderson's own The Stormlight Archive).
The Wheel of Time is a true masterpiece and remains my favourite fantasy series. Robert Jordan created a world that pulls in the reader and demonstrated his almost unique ability to tell a story that stretched over three thousand years. He was truly a master of his craft. It's a great shame he never got to see his work completed in his lifetime, but in a way, it became a beautiful way of handing the torch on to his successor.