A humble spoiler request...

[AprilRyan]

I am going to specifically request a major spoiler for the series.

 

I've read the first 3 books now, and I am thoroughly enjoying myself, but I am concerned about the pacing of a major plot arc, and I need to ask about it.

 

What I want to know is: Is there any point in the series where Rand actually does face down the Dark One (or at least Ishamael) and defeat him, leaving a sense of closure?  I confess that I may not want to continue through all extant books if it turns out that it just drags on in a long, evenly woven tapestry of storyline that's never punctuated by some kind of climactic event.

 

I'm not saying that I only like stories that are wrapped up neatly like a birthday present at some point, but I would like to have some sense at some point that the story can go on without me if I choose.

 

I realize that it sounds like I want the story to end, but I don't; I want the story to feel like it has a destination that will be reached, even if many books come after that point.

 

So, how about it?

[Kadere]

If you read the first three books, and I'm assuming you mean that to be TEotW, TGH, and TDR, then the fight Rand just had where he knocked off Ba'alzamon/Ishamael is the closest you're going to get to a final show down between the two. Since it was the final showdown between the two.

 

Now the books get much wider in scope dealing with what the other Forsaken and the DO are doing to rip the world apart, and Rand and his friends separate out to deal with all the problems they're causing.

 

Basically the first three books are like their own trilogy and TDR closes that trilogy by tying up most of the big conflicts from the first book, notably Rand acknowledging that he is the Dragon Reborn, and slaying Ishamael.

 

If you're asking "When will we get to the Last Battle and finish this puppy?" well we're still not there yet 12 books into the series. In book 14 titled "A Memory of Light" is when that will take place.

 

There are numerous climactic events throughout the series, but the ending is yet to be released. I mean you knew going in that this series was 12 going on 14 books long plus a Prologue novel. Therefore you must have known that this thing wasn't complete and that it would take 14 books to do so.

 

If you're asking if this series ends in book 6 and then the rest of the books are just fluffy fun, they're not. All 12 books are a continuing conflict and the climax is book 14. Basically book 3 is the only place in the series where you've wrapped up enough answers that you could drop the series. That's the point where the story can go on without if you choose to drop it.

 

Cause book 4 is much more engaging, much broader is scope, much more detailed, the problems get bigger, the battles get bigger, the bad guys get worse, and the Dark One gets started. So stop now unless you're ready to go to the end.

[AprilRyan]

Yes, to be honest I was actually only at the part of book 3 where he reaches the Stone, meaning that I did not know that Ishamael was going to appear.  I should have read before asking...

 

You've been most helpful!  You've answered in more detail than I could have hoped.

At this point, I am more than willing to read the entire series, and look forward to it, knowing that a book 14 will one day exist, and that it may feel at least a bit like a journey's end.

 

I know that, with all great stories, (at least for me) it's inevitable that no ending, no matter how well-crafted, will feel right.  There never seems to be a way to close things, as with life.  Still, I like to have a semblance of some "and they all rode off into the sunset" moment for whoever survives the series.  Call me old fashioned and sentimental, but there it is :)

 

I still wonder about the style and quality of anything written after Jordan's passing, but that's a topic for another thread, and another day.

[Hallow]

Yes, to be honest I was actually only at the part of book 3 where he reaches the Stone, meaning that I did not know that Ishamael was going to appear.  I should have read before asking...

 

You've been most helpful!  You've answered in more detail than I could have hoped.

At this point, I am more than willing to read the entire series, and look forward to it, knowing that a book 14 will one day exist, and that it may feel at least a bit like a journey's end.

 

I know that, with all great stories, (at least for me) it's inevitable that no ending, no matter how well-crafted, will feel right.  There never seems to be a way to close things, as with life.  Still, I like to have a semblance of some "and they all rode off into the sunset" moment for whoever survives the series.  Call me old fashioned and sentimental, but there it is :)

 

I still wonder about the style and quality of anything written after Jordan's passing, but that's a topic for another thread, and another day.

 

Just thought I'd answer that last one. Personally I think Brandon Sanderson did a magnificent job with The Gathering storm (12th book), while it's different from RJ's style you still feel that it's the same characters and the same world, and while different I'd say the style is no worse than RJ's.