Suspense has been building for 23 years, since the first book in
Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series
was published in 1990. For this fantasy-epic’s legion of fans, the release of
the fourteenth and final instalment, Memory
of Light, is bittersweet, the last journey to a magic world, the final spin
of the wheel.
Jordan personally completed eleven volumes, but died unexpectedly in 2007 with his finale unfinished. His widow, Harriet, later chose emerging fantasy writer, Brandon Sanderson, to complete her late husband’s work.
The story follows Rand al’Thor, a farm-boy-come-sorcerer and his
companions as they battle the evil force tearing apart The Pattern of Life.
Only Rand can stop it, but he must bind together warring nations while battling
The Dark One’s minions – The Chosen. The preceding thirteen hefty installments
have all been leading up to this, the final showdown.
The climax of this elaborate fantasy was always going to be a
mammoth undertaking. An entire continent has been galvanised for war and there
are a litany of minor plots to conclude. Stringing together the various fronts
in a battle on this immense scale, while balancing the central confrontation
between Rand and The Dark One, has proved too much for the substitute
author. It is disappointing and is a
gaudy capstone to one of the genres most celebrated titles.
It is disjointed from the previous titles which were credited for
taking the time to shape the everyday complex motivations and emotions of the
main characters. This however is all action; from the very first chapter The
Last Battle rages and continues through the entire 907 page behemoth. However
there is no narrative in chaos of this carnage. The story relentlessly lurches
from one onslaught to another, from catastrophe to peril, and at times is
disorientating.
The 189 page central chapter, 'The Last Battle', hints at a change of
pace or a focus on the heart of the contest, where Rand finally confronts his
advisory. But it is no different to the rest of the book which is arranged in
short passages focusing for short spurts on the multiple clashes. While it
makes the overall read more digestible, it also means there are no extended
action sequences, just snippets of the chaos.
As with any fantasy it all comes down to a face-off between good and
evil, here Rand and The Dark One. The fate of the world for eons to come stand
at the edge of a knife, a powerful ancient evil must be destroyed; but compared
to many of his other fantasy-hero counterparts, Rand doesn’t have that rough a
ride.
And it is quite a let-down; a lot of time has been dedicated to the
drumming up of Rand’s horrific fate, but it was oversold, and underwritten and
the result unfulfilling. And this not the only example of seeming broken
promises: characters, that many readers will have developed expectations around
their implied certainty of glory in battle, take important but passive roles.
In previous books the dedication to the characterisation of the
various protagonists has been lengthy, too much in some cases; but has added a
great deal to their authenticity. But in Memory
of Light the richness and complexity has been diluted. Some fans may like
these new glossy versions of the people they know and love as well as a friend,
and will delight in seeing their coming of age. But after so much dedication to
endowing them with the virtues and vices that made them so real, it seems a
shame that the final products of their development are Disney-esque portraits.
The final farewell to The
Wheel of Time seems hurried and a little too eager to please. In many ways
Sanderson was beholden to the series army of fans, ‘Team Jordan’. They are the
major stakeholders in this series; they are not afraid to remind the author and
publishers who will make or break it. Not all will be happy with their friends’
fates.
The epitaph of this grand saga is most keenly anticipated by those
who have been bewitched form their first venture into Jordan’s world. But, the
series has been optioned by HBO who adapted George RR Martin’s series Song of Ice and Fire in Game of Thrones to much acclaim. A movie
of the first book is also reported to be in pre production. The Wheel of Times
may turn again, and stands poised to become the next fantasy epic to emerge
from the niche to engross new and unsuspecting audiences.
By Niamh Kirk
By Niamh Kirk
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