Any avid reader has at least heard of Conan. No not the ginger headed late night talk show. Conan as in The Barbarian. That is the first series that I had heard of that was done by Robert Jordan. Strangely I had never heard of the Wheel of Time. Once I had I was excited to read the epic series. 

However, I also know that Robert Jordan passed away in 2007 and that 3 books in this series were published after his death. I decided to give it a go anyway and hope that the last 3 lived up to their predecessors. 

Brandon Saunderson wrote a few paragraphs in the beginning explaining how he came to write these last books and his own admiration of Robert Jordan. It was touching and honest in a way that I appreciated. Nevertheless, I was skeptical that the following book would stay true to the personalities and quirks that I had come to love of each protagonist that was created by Robert Jordan. 

Here's what I think now... GREAT JOB MR. SAUNDERSON! While I can see a bit of optimism creeping into the character, Rand, that was missing in the last few books written by Jordan, I feel it was exactly the right time to bring that out and I hope that it was exactly what Robert Jordan had planned for the character.

The jump from one protagonist to another is smooth and easy to follow. I got easily wrapped up in the continuation of their stories and how each one is living out this adventure just as another is living out another. 

Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are all characters whose story I want to follow. Each with their own unique outlook on the struggles and each one with their own brand of honor and devotion. Naturally I have found a favorite, but I won't allow my choice to color anyone elses. 

Suffice it to say, I have enjoyed this series from the beginning. I will continue to the end with a bittersweet emotion. I have enjoyed this Mr. Jordan, I wish you could be hear to know that. Mr. Saunderson, Thank you for continuing the story, I believe you have done RJ proud.

There was an understandable amount of fanfare around the release of 'The Gathering Storm'. Jordan's death in 2007 left many fans wondering if they would ever see the end of the beloved series. The announcement that Brandon Sanderson would finish the series was a relief - though I had never heard of him - and anticipation began building. 'Knife of Dreams' had began the process of moving the many and varied story-lines back towards the single arc of the march towards the Last Battle. 'The Gathering Storm' reaps the benefit of that with two killer story arcs.

Rand has been trapped in his flesh case of emotion ever since his capture and beating at the hands of Elaida's Aes Sedai. He has been moving ever more towards hardness and retreats further from any hope of a life after confronting the Dark One. As he moves into Arad Doman to head off the Seanchan and attempt to repair the kingdom that has arguably suffered the most at the hands of the Forsaken, he is about to be pushed beyond the brink. Cadsuane, Nynaeve, and Min can do little but watch, and Aviendha is dealing with her own problems and avoids Rand, which probably doesn't help his situation. He has an interesting meeting with Tuon, now at the helm of the Seanchan Empire.

Egwene, however, is one hundred percent winning the game all the time. Her imprisonment in the White Tower continues to work to her advantage. Siuan, Gareth Bryne, and, shockingly, Gawyn along with some back-up singer Aes Sedai POVs lead up to a satisfying climax to the divided White Tower story-line. Just imagine me gushing for several paragraphs. I loved every minute of it.

Plain and simple - this is the best overall book since 'The Shadow Rising', a bit ironic seeing as how the breakout star of that book - Mat Cauthon - is the sole liability of 'The Gathering Storm'.

On my first read of the book when it came out I didn't really notice the discrepancy in Mat's character - he had never been a favorite, and there is too much awesome going on elsewhere in these pages - but on this reread with everything being experienced so close together the difference was glaring.

Sanderson does an excellent job of continuing the story that Jordan left behind, but he's not funny and his attempt to conjure Mat's 'wool-headed' conception of women came off as misogyny rather than charmingly naive. That opening diatribe at the opening appearance of his character was almost painful.

But, I never did mind about the little things.

Wrapping up, there is very little Perrin here - he examines some wagons - and Faile takes care of some business. Thom is with Mat and holding on that letter of his....

The Wheel of Time

Next: 'Towers of Midnight'

Previous: 'New Spring'

Working as a gay porn star has brought twenty-two-year-old Hunter Storm fame and fortune, but it’s cost him a lot, too. He’s learned to think of his body as little more than a commodity, and he copes with his loneliness by giving himself to whoever will have him. The job has also put him in the crosshairs of a stalker, a man so deeply disturbed that Hunter and everyone around him is in danger. 

Fortunately, Hunter has allies, including his best friend Christopher and Nana Dombruso, a feisty senior who’s decided he's family. And then there’s Brian Nolan. When Hunter first meets the angry, wheelchair-bound former Marine, it’s hate at first sight. But despite his shattered body and tattered psyche, Brian might turn out to be the best ally of all. 

This gay romance is the fourth book in Alexa Land’s best-selling Firsts and Forever series, but each book in the series is written to stand alone, so jump in anywhere.

Review

Hunter and Brian. 

Brian has more than an anger management problem and Hunter has lost all sense of himself. Really so has Brian. 

This is love story of healing and finding yourself and your value. It has a crazy believable stalker and looks in a fairly balanced way the gay porn industry. 

We have the crazy antics of Nana, a great circle of friends, and really heartwarming love story.

Oh, so much better than the first volume! If still... Sighs. Star Wars has a problem, and it sort of always has, but I've never noticed it the way I have with recent books and other media. And that's the fascination with the "true believer" Imperial. And I'm just not interested in how cool a fucking fascist they are. There's a difference between a good villain, and one I'm supposed to drool over. But the story's moving better, and I like Threepio's involvement, even if he seems a bit out of character.