⛈ The Gathering Storm *SPOILER CHAT* (Wheel of Time #12) ⛈

Chatting about my thoughts on The Gathering Storm! This was a great reading experience for me!! Please, no spoilers for beyond this book in the comments 😊
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[@peytontrahan2147]

I thought the moment when Tam calls Cadsuane a bully was really funny, because it seemed to really effect her in a way that most other people could not, also i think mat is a super interesting character with his mindset of not wanting to be a hero but constantly does heroic things lol

[@thejohnsanger]

I loved this book too. Not going to lie I teared up a little at then end when Rand was on Dragonmount. I’ve found that parts that make me most emotional in books are when characters have some moment of catharsis that allows them to grow. Seeing Rand come back to himself made me so happy because he’s my favorite character. Sure it’s most interesting watching his descent in each book but I’m glad he was able to fight through all the madness and pain he’s been holding on to. It was very well presented.

[@GraceDionneReads]

Yesss I totally agree! I got a little bit emotional during the various climaxes of this book

[@pathuff7741]

For haters of Egwene, this is not the book for you. Her character is delved into extensively. I’m not a hater. She is one of the most controversial players in the series. If anything, Sanderson was a great collaborator for her alone. He seems to excel at honor story arcs and that fits Egwene perfectly. This was one of my favorite books in the series. Behind fires of heaven and knife of dreams.

[@mcina001]

Great review as always. Your thoughts closely reflect general fandom’s, especially your recognition of Brandon Sanderson doing a masterful job beginning the close to this beloved series, his hiccup with accurately portraying Mat (though some will give a pass given how hard Mat is to write and apologists will say Mat is a changed man after having married-dad jokes, even different swearing tactics, and all), your love for the Rand and Egwene arcs, and your puzzlement at the Egwene-Gawyn relationship. I think you’re going to really enjoy the next two books as well. I can’t remember if you’ve read New Spring yet, but if not I encourage you to pick it up at some point after you finish the series. And if you still want more WoT, you might consider a short story and a novella that Brandon Sanderson wrote that didn’t make the cut for the series. You can find these in the Unfettered and Unfettered III anthology books-but definitely don’t read these until you’ve finished the series proper.

[@GraceDionneReads]

Thank you, I really appreciate that!! I do agree that Mat would be a hard character to write, so I give Sanderson some slack on that. I also have read New Spring, but I had no idea about the short stories and novellas so I will have to check those out 😊

[@kylejohnson3105]

I really feel bad for gawyn. I mean damn man you really got shafted by both Amrlyns

[@dbpx12]

Awesome review. Definitely agree that this was one of the best books of the series so far. Excited to read the last two books!

[@tonynitzke]

I think your thoughts on Mat in this book are pretty universally held.

[@safinan8008]

Hi 👋 great review video!! Happy reading to you!! 🎥📝🎼

[@EhsJaySaunders]

Closing in on the end! As much as this series did drag for me on numerous occasions, I still ultimately felt it was a journey worth taking.

[@GraceDionneReads]

I have a feeling that I will feel the same way 😊

[@robertpatenaude]

Great review! Glad you stuck it out and are back to enjoying the series! Be well, stay safe!

[@GraceDionneReads]

Thank you!! 😄

[@adamtideman4953]

The Gathering Storm is my favorite Wheel of Time book and it was my first introduction to Brandon Sanderson. Tam al'Thors scene with Darth Rand was so heartwrenching, a visit from Verin-Sedai is one of the best chapters in the series and of course Egwenes arc in the White tower was amazing to read through. Oh and Cadsuane spanked Semirhage. That scene alone is worthy of a Nobel prize in litterature.

[@GraceDionneReads]

I completely agree!! And that would be a fantastic introduction to Sanderson 😊

[@justincaldwell8119]

I could tell a difference with Mat and the reason causing Sanderson to take over was very unfortunate, but I think that between KOD and TGS was a good place in the plot line for Mat to change and be less jarring than if it happened elsewhere in the story.

[@GraceDionneReads]

Yeah I agree with where he was at in his character arc!

[@evanmiller4502]

"rand nearly hurt tam" my brother almost wiped bro from the pattern 😭 I just finished this book and he fully weaved the weave for balefire and nearly launched it square at him

[@GraceDionneReads]

hahaha it still would have hurt him though 😂

[@Sarah06294]

I just finished reading The Gathering Storm. I liked it but didn’t love it. It was hard getting through Mat’s chapters because he is my second favourite character and I have loved his journey so far. I didn’t really care for Mat in books 1-4 but in The Fires of Heaven I literally fell in love with him and connected with him on an emotional level. I do miss the way Jordan wrote battles as Sanderson is a bit more conventional and cinematic. During battles Jordan (he was a soldier himself) understood the effectiveness of pauses, of quiet and waiting, and used them so well to create sequences that aren’t action all the time. For example, the grass blowing, sounds of soldiers dying, trees whistling, the colour of the sky, birds chirping, position of the sun and moon etc. Even some sequences that contain almost no on-screen action he still managed to convey the mood and feel of the battle. Also, I miss the way Jordan created tension. He often used alternating thoughts (for example, Perrin when he learns his family is dead). I’ve never came across another author who used this technique. However, I did enjoy the book, especially the parts with Rand, Egwene, and Gawyn. I felt Jordan had neglected Gawyn; Sanderson really did a good job on him in this book. My ranking so far: The Fires of Heaven (Rand, Moraine, Mat, and Galad ❤) The Great Hunt The Dragon Reborn The Shadow Rising (only book which has ever made me cry) Winters Heart (last chapter I had goosebumps) The Eye of the World A Crown of Swords Lord of Chaos Knife of Dreams The Gathering Storm Crossroads of Twilight New Spring Paths of Dagger ( no Mat 😞) Now on to Towers of Midnight!

[@GraceDionneReads]

I really appreciate you sharing that perspective on how Jordan wrote battles, it's not something I've ever thought about! For the most part I agree with your rankings -- I would have the individual books in different slots, but it seems like we generally like the same subset of the books more than the ones you have ranked lower! Good luck with Towers of Midnight 😊

[@bobc538]

Matt is my favorite character, then Ny'neave then Rand, Perrin and finally Egwene.

[@bekananitashvili9221]

You're right about Mat. He's kinda over trying to be what he used to be and later in the book it's getting better. The thing, I think, that justifies his actions is that he has a wife LOL But I loved the chapter when he is giving background stories to his friends. That scene was brilliant, hilarious. And your videos are amazing♥️ You're awesome👍♥️

[@GraceDionneReads]

Yeah I definitely agree with you! And thank you for the kind words 🥰

[@bobc538]

My least favorite part. I found it to be a caricature of how Matt acts and thinks. But no one was going to get that tone exact.

[@WheelUpTime]

"That dress is green" will never not give me chills. One of the best books in the series for sure and it doesnt slow down next either 🤣

[@GraceDionneReads]

110% !!!! And I’m glad it doesn’t slow down 😄

[@beardedbookworm794]

FYI, parts of Towers of Midnight can be a bit confusing as the majority of the book takes place at the same time as the events in The Gathering Storm. The Gathering Storm just focuses more on Rand and Egwene while Towers of Midnight focuses more on Mat and Perrin, but there's many clues throughout to help keep the timelines aligned between the various characters.

[@GraceDionneReads]

Oh that’s very good to know! Similar to what we saw earlier in the series, where Rand and Nynaeve were cleansing the source and we got to see other characters wondering what the heck was happening 😂

[@angelamccollister]

It seems most fans don't like Cadsuane but I do. Like you said, her method wasn't the best course but she really meant well. Verin is, hands-down, my favorite secondary character.

[@GraceDionneReads]

Verin is so amazing! Cadsuane is just so interesting, she has a larger than life presence

[@jackytheripper]

I felt that this book had the best ending that I've read so far in the series. I'm also reading this for the first time and just finished book 12 tonight! I loved every storyline and the way they were written in this book. 5 stars from me

[@GraceDionneReads]

Completely agreed!!! The ending was outstanding 😄

[@dkmoon7543]

Glad the Verin part made you happy. I stream tears every time I read it. The Verin part and Seanchan battle at the Tower are some of my favorite parts of the series. I like the Rand part less, but it is still very good.

[@GraceDionneReads]

Yesss the Verin part made me emotional as well! But definitely in a proud way, and the satisfaction of gaining all that information 😊

[@Dave3Dman]

You hit the nail on the head in regards to Mat. Most people feel the same and even Sanderson himself has admitted that he struggled with writing Mat so our observations are not unfounded.

[@GraceDionneReads]

Ohhh very interesting! I love how Sanderson is so transparent about the writing process like that

[@TallGuyReads]

Great review! This is definitely one of my favorites of the series and Veins of Gold is a Top 3 chapter for me in the entire series…so good! Glad you’re enjoying it this far in! Only 2 more!

[@GraceDionneReads]

I had to look this up because I never remember chapter titles 😂 but what a great name! And we’re in the home stretch now 😄

[@TallGuyReads]

@@GraceDionneReads haha same here! that one has just always stuck with me so much...absolutely! the last 2 are fantastic, you're in for a good time!

[@mndrew1]

Auntie Verin is the true hero of the series.

[@GraceDionneReads]

💯💯

[@grahamsmith2753]

I adore The Wheel of Time book series, for so many reasons, and I think Sanderson did an excellent job in completing the tale. I should state that suspecting he would not live to finish the series, Jordan left copious notes and tapes regarding how the story would progress, and finally reach completion. To a large extent, Sanderson used these to write the final three books. I have read that this was not how Jordan originally intended to leave things. Apparently, he was vehemently opposed to anybody else completing the series, to the point of saying he would have his hard drives destroyed and buried before seeing anybody else finish the tale. Thankfully, his wife Harriet persuaded him to think otherwise. She also edited the books, and I think she realised how many people would have been utterly disappointed, had the series not been properly wrapped up.

[@GraceDionneReads]

Wow I hadn’t heard this!! I did know that his notes were extensive and I’m grateful that he was so dedicated to leaving those plans behind so the series could be finished for us fans 😊