The Gathering Storm

NOW we're talking! Hate to say it, but Robert Jordan's death was the best thing for this series. Sanderson does a phenomenal job breathing new life into a series that was going stale fast. Here's the main contributions that were added:

1) Better Dialogue: The characters are finally having meaningful conversations that move the plot along instead on needless banter about pointless actions that have no impact on the story.

2) Shorter Chapters: One thing Jordan loved was his 70 pages chapters, that seemed to never stop. Now the chapters are much shorter and the story better condensed so that you get a real feel over what's going on with the development.

3) Much needed humor: Jordan was the "last" of the old school of thought that believed humor had little or no use in novels. I don't even remember him writing a humorous part in his novels until Sanderson came along and added it in. It fits in seamlessly with the characters and adds a good laugh that's been lacking in a story so overly depressing.

4) Tie-ins and back story: Maybe it was in Jordan's outline given to Sanderson but I doubt it. Sanderson is a master at tying in old story plot lines together and having them make sense. He also provides excellent recaps so the reader isn't lost when they come back to an old story line. (something Jordan never did)

I gotta admit, this book was an excellent read and felt just like Jordan's first 2 novels, it was written with passion.

Bring on Book 13!