A Memory of Light (Wheel of Time Book 14) - Epic Fantasy Novel by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson - Perfect for Fantasy Book Lovers and Wheel of Time Series Collectors

*** NO SPOILERS UNTIL ALERT ***This book is the best of the three that were co-written by Jordan and Sanderson and is one of the best of the series. It is lively, enjoyable, well written and provides a good payoff for the series, which given its enormous size absolutely required a good payoff. A Memory of Light does have some flaws, but those flaws were already written into the series before this book was written. During the series Jordan opened (and failed to close) too many plot points that were not necessary to the finale of the series. Many characters that were primary focuses early on hung around in open plot points but did not have a real role in the Last Battle. This caused a flurry of minor plot line closes that felt artificial and anticlimactic in comparison to the larger and better crafted events of the story. That said, I enjoyed the book immensely and am very glad the series came to a satisfying close.*** SPOILERS ALERT FROM HERE DOWN ***WHAT WORKED--> Lots of action that is very well crafted. The events themselves are exciting, and the writing style conveys that excitement effectively--> Constant shifts between characters, locations and events give the battle an epic and chaotic feel that fits the story perfectly--> Main characters died in meaningful ways (e.g., Egwene's sacrifice). It is always tempting for an author (and readers) to become too attached to favorite characters to allow them to die, but in the Last Battle of an age of the world, this would have been very unrealistic--> The plans made by the Shadow were truly worthy of evil genius. The attacks were multifaceted, subtle and well thought out--> Matt's role and character were fantastic and serve as a great counterpoint to some of the heavier drama of the book--> Lanfear's final gambit to win for the shadow was a master stroke. It was both surprising and very fitting at the same time.WHAT DID NOT WORK--> The biggest flaw of A Memory of Light is more a product of the series than a fault of the book itself. Fundamentally, the biggest problem is that there are a tremendous number of unnecessary plot lines that need to be resolved. Jordan was always much better at opening plot lines than closing them, and that flaw showed clearly in this book. A good example of this is the death of Padin Fain. Padin Fain had been hanging around for no reason for a good part of the series. He serves no purpose in the Last Battle other than as a dangling detail. His death could have been an epic part of an earlier novel. Instead he dies in an abrupt couple of pages that seem more like a footnote than an event. Another example is Moghedien being conveniently made a damane at the end of the story. Clearly this was meant as a just deserts ending for her, but it felt trumped up and too convenient. This was something that would have had much more impact if it occurred earlier in the series rather than wedged in between much bigger and better crafted events--> The recurring theme of needing to grow up and let go of insecurities has been over exploited in the series and really should have been absent this far into the story. After thirteen books of enormous events and character development, I really did not need to read about Perrin finally letting go of his reservations and being the man and wolf he was meant to be. I for one thought he learned this a while ago. Some of Rand's musings also felt more like rehashing old material than something he would think during the finale of the storyTHE BOTTOM LINEWhen reading a series of this size, you want a good payoff at the end. This book delivers a good payoff and is a very engaging read. Was the series really worth all of the reading? It was for me. In the end Jordan created a world that felt real and relatable with very memorable characters. I have enjoyed the Wheel of Time Series and wish it a fond farewell.