the last two Wheel of Time books do they get better?

[urrutiap]

just finished Gathering Storm last night.  for awhile since last year up to this spring I have been enjoying Wheel of Time books 9 10, 11 and 12. But at the same time its the stuff with Mat and his stupid gambling dice and him hating women every second in every chapter he's been in. 

 

Perrin wasn't so bad with an attitude but Mat the whole time got annoying .While he was gambling and hopping from inn to inn, evil dark magicians and Ajah sisters and Seanchan folk were stirring up trouble left and right against each other. and rand talking to himself with the ghost of Lews which made Rand look like he was crazy in front of Min and other people

[Yamezt]

I can't recall if book 12 had much Mat - I don't think he was featured heavily (though I might be wrong).

 

Book 13 had quite a bit of Mat with a major plot involving him. If you had not already picked up on it in book 12 (if he had appeared) you might notice a shift in tone for Mat's point of view with Brandon Sanderson taking over. It might help you enjoy him more if the tone change land better for you.

 

I remember finding Mat irriting on my first read. Over time in subsequent re-reads, I came to realise that part of what makes Mat's scenes humourous/fun is because he is a deeply unreliable narrator. Even his own thoughts are dishonest. He is dishonest about his motivations or his feelings. He complains about people or events in ways that don't match what he is actually doing. There is a layer of irony to everything that he says or do a as a result

 

Brandon Sanderson's Mat tries very hard to be funny - he wise cracks a lot (from recollection). So the tonal shift might work for you. RJ's Mat wasn't trying to be funny. He was funny because he was so unintentionally ridiculous tripping over his own self image of being the wastrel (and everyone tend to see him a wastrel - and in my first read through, that was how I saw him). 

[Asthereal]

The Gathering Storm is one of my favourites in the series, so my take might be a strange one to some, but I'd say: yes, it gets better.

 

Sanderson gets a better grasp on how to write Mat. He never really nails him, and he was the first to admit that. He struggled a lot to get Mat's voice and unreliable narrator right, and it shows the most in book 12. Books 13 and 14 feel better: Mat takes more responsibility and generally feels like he's grown a lot and is more competent.

[Mailman]

6 hours ago, Yamezt said:

I can't recall if book 12 had much Mat - I don't think he was featured heavily (though I might be wrong).

 

Book 13 had quite a bit of Mat with a major plot involving him. If you had not already picked up on it in book 12 (if he had appeared) you might notice a shift in tone for Mat's point of view with Brandon Sanderson taking over. It might help you enjoy him more if the tone change land better for you.

 

I remember finding Mat irriting on my first read. Over time in subsequent re-reads, I came to realise that part of what makes Mat's scenes humourous/fun is because he is a deeply unreliable narrator. Even his own thoughts are dishonest. He is dishonest about his motivations or his feelings. He complains about people or events in ways that don't match what he is actually doing. There is a layer of irony to everything that he says or do a as a result

 

Brandon Sanderson's Mat tries very hard to be funny - he wise cracks a lot (from recollection). So the tonal shift might work for you. RJ's Mat wasn't trying to be funny. He was funny because he was so unintentionally ridiculous tripping over his own self image of being the wastrel (and everyone tend to see him a wastrel - and in my first read through, that was how I saw him). 

Thats very much how i see Mat he constantly thinks himself not the hero and not the person you should depend on yet he is always there every time.

[urrutiap]

17 hours ago, Yamezt said:

I can't recall if book 12 had much Mat - I don't think he was featured heavily (though I might be wrong).

 

Book 13 had quite a bit of Mat with a major plot involving him. If you had not already picked up on it in book 12 (if he had appeared) you might notice a shift in tone for Mat's point of view with Brandon Sanderson taking over. It might help you enjoy him more if the tone change land better for you.

 

I remember finding Mat irriting on my first read. Over time in subsequent re-reads, I came to realise that part of what makes Mat's scenes humourous/fun is because he is a deeply unreliable narrator. Even his own thoughts are dishonest. He is dishonest about his motivations or his feelings. He complains about people or events in ways that don't match what he is actually doing. There is a layer of irony to everything that he says or do a as a result

 

Brandon Sanderson's Mat tries very hard to be funny - he wise cracks a lot (from recollection). So the tonal shift might work for you. RJ's Mat wasn't trying to be funny. He was funny because he was so unintentionally ridiculous tripping over his own self image of being the wastrel (and everyone tend to see him a wastrel - and in my first read through, that was how I saw him). 

 Gathering storm had too much of Mat where be griped about women and him gambling constantly and them that incident with the inn town where the villagers were somewhat undead where they would die all the time and come back to life the next morning.   That and as usual alot of Egwene being punished etc.  I didn't mind it at first but everything involving Mat was getting on my damn nerves

[Yamezt]

1 minute ago, urrutiap said:

that incident with the inn town

Ah - yes, I know which scene that is. I personally did not like Brandon Sanderson's Mat - I didn't realise it happened in book 12 rather than 13. 

 

Seeing that you've now seen both author's version of Mat, I think it is unlikely you'll ever like Mat in this first read.

[urrutiap]

On 4/14/2025 at 4:32 PM, Yamezt said:

Ah - yes, I know which scene that is. I personally did not like Brandon Sanderson's Mat - I didn't realise it happened in book 12 rather than 13. 

 

Seeing that you've now seen both author's version of Mat, I think it is unlikely you'll ever like Mat in this first read.

all I asked was if the last two books get better?

[EmreY]

On 4/17/2025 at 8:44 PM, urrutiap said:

all I asked was if the last two books get better?

 

It does. 🙂

[Scarloc99]

It’s all about opinion, in my opinion no, the last 2 books are the weakest of the whole series in many ways. But I understand the choices BS made, and can respect him for taking on finishing the story, I just don’t like Brandon Sanderson style of writing (have tried his books really dislike them). 
 

I would say go into the last 3 books happy the story was finished but reading them just to enjoy the ride rather then try and get deep into the story.