Well, Oct. 27 was the day. Delayed two years by the untimely death of author Robert Jordan, “The Gathering Storm” finally hit bookshelves. “TGS” is book 12 in Jordan’s fantasy series “The Wheel of Time.” This volume was one of the most highly anticipated books in the series, due to its landmark status as “the beginning of the end” and also due to Jordan’s death. Of any book in the series, this one has potentially received the most intense scrutiny from both fans and critics. So here it is: a fan’s perspective.

My viewpoint is without a doubt biased towards the “WoT,” but here’s the thing; I wasn’t necessarily an easy reader to please when it came to “TGS.” Jordan was the best fantasy writer in America, and significant segments of this book were not written by Jordan. Instead, they were written by author Brandon Sanderson. After Jordan died, his widow selected Sanderson to finish the series. In my eyes, Sanderson had some gi-normous shoes to fill.

My reaction when all was said and done? Excellent work, Mr. Sanderson. He approached this project the right way. He knew he couldn’t re-create Jordan’s style, so rather than attempting to do so (which would have resulted in a painful failure) he focused on the story and the characters. Were the characters spot-on? Of course not, but they were as close as anyone else could have hoped to get. And the story? Jordan left extensive notes behind, and Sanderson followed those notes. Twenty years ago, Sanderson was in high school, a fan of the series and nothing more. I think that’s what makes the difference here—because Sanderson loved the “WoT” he approached this project with his heart and soul, and in his own words, the intent to “see it done right.”

Recent volumes in the “WoT”—most notably “The Path of Daggers” and “Crossroads of Twilight”—were under intense fire from critics for being slow and unproductive. Book 11, “Knife of Dreams,” silenced them as Jordan came back and showed them that he knows how to dominate a story. “TGS” picks up where Book 11 left off and moves forward at a pace that will blow your mind to pieces. I was alone in my dorm room when I read the scene involving the Seanchan attack on the White Tower, though if someone had come in they would have found me raising my fists in the air and shouting “Yes!” at every other paragraph.

So here’s the question. Two books remain until the end; will Sanderson be able to deliver? I think so. Though “TGS” was fast-paced, Sanderson didn’t overdo it. The climax of the series must be the climax, dang it, and we aren’t going to have penultimate volumes steal the show (some of us have been waiting on this last scene for two decades). Sanderson focused his power on tying up loose ends and giving us sub-climaxes, but the real showdown is still coming. I absolutely love “Harry Potter”—don’t get me wrong—but this is not going to be some weak-sauce, wand-waving, sparkly battle of Hogwarts. No, this is an atomic bomb on the back of a derailed train headed for Mount St. Helens. When this thing blows, it will blow big.

Sanderson ended the book on a high note—a bit of a surprise given its dark place in the series—but that made it even better. Rand al’Thor stood on his own grave and wept, and if you want to know what that means you’ll have to read it yourself. And so us readers continue to march toward the end of time: a time when the last battle will cover the world, a time when Rand al’Thor will climb the slopes of Shayol Ghul, a time when what was, what will be and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

-- Bill Heinzen