It has to be so difficult for a fan to pick up where Robert Jordan left off. I'm thankful for Sanderson. I love the Mistborn trilogy. He's done a very admirable job with the last 2 WoT books. I so look forward to the end (or will it be a new beginning?).

Been reading this series since my college days...let's see, about 13 years ago. Wow, been a long, but fun ride. I'll continue to reread these books till they nail my coffin shut.

It's going to be a bittersweet ending for all of us - I can only imagine what it would be like for Brandon who is so much more personally invested than we could be as readers. What a daunting and intimidating task he took on - and thank God, I couldn't have been happier with his writing. He has done the story the justice it deserved. OMG - January is so bloody far away!!! Ahhhhhh!!!

Without spoilers, about the only one that could be considered not a major political power in those four would be Perrin, and even then he's basically in charge of the wolves at the very least. Nynaeve, I'm sure, -is- important, but she's not a world leader. When you say "You and what army?" The other three can say "Mine" Nynaeve, at best, can say "My husband's"

And if Lan dies in the last battle? :)

I see you get the usual pithy Mills & Boonesque finger-down-the-throat-and-retch please awful american cover. Thank the gods for the restraint that the UK/AU/NZ covers from the series shew. As for B.S., I don't know what the fuss is all about. He has fulfilled his job admirably to the point where his style is different enough to not be an ape of Jordan's, yet fits in perfectly to the canon. Marvelous!

Really, reading some of your commentary makes me yank my beard in anger... hmmmph!

"The stories of Mat, Rand, Egwene, and Perrin are now done."

 

Why is Egwene there? and not Nynaeve?

 

Does it imply that Nynaeve dies or is it just to continue the Egwene wonderwoman bullshit?

Rand to clear away the rubble and contest with the Dark One

Egwene to create the material for the new seals (and scold the other two)

Perrin to craft the seals with his groovy new hammer

Matt to kick some trollock ass and keep them off the backs of the other three. Why? Because the readers demand it. The book could not conclude without an epic battle which has been built up over 14 books, but that battle cannot be their hope of success.

Did you really think Nynaeve would fail to appear at Lan's side?

Let's keep in mind that Brandon is not RJ. While he's a big fan of the series, the characters aren't his, nor the storyline or the world. He may not have any innate desire to dabble very much more in the WoT universe at the cost of his own creations, after all.

Personally, I'm quite glad if this book wraps it all up nicely and that is the end of the story, because while it has been a pleasant story, it would be far less so if it just kept going without measure and with contrived ways to keep it going, personally speaking anyway.

I would however say that there are prequels and side stories that could be done as/if needed as the universe is so vast that there's great opportunities to tell more stories if one such comes to mind.

Ok, not on topic with what everyone is saying, but didn't rand lose his right hand to Semirhage? I remember him talking about needing to learn how to use the sword with his left hand but he is holding his sword with his right hand on the cover.

@Ireond If Nynaeve was asked "you and what army?" she could respond "Only the largest amount of Saidar anyone alive can channel unaided." Don't go dissing Nynaeve, girl.

What about Alivia? Also, ins't Lanfear still around?