And yes, I’m in my customary corner of Books and Beans…about to get a sandwich but first thought I’d post a few words! Had a pretty good week, albeit feeling a bit battered at work. Anyways, saw Les Mis last night with Tineke and Rosemary and one of Tineke’s friends…a very emotionally powerful movie – I am not usually one for musicals, but this was…hard-hitting and gripping and tragic and beautiful. Not sure if I can see it anytime again soon but…well done, indeed.

Today I will probably go back home and try to clean a bit, maybe make some spaghetti/salad for dinner and have a relaxing Saturday evening. It will be lovely, methinks!

And now – I posted this brief review on another site, but thought I’d put it here as well…most of you won’t have read this, but these are my thoughts on the ultimate book of A Wheel of Time. If you’ve not read this yet plan on it(Particularly looking at you, Laura!!), do not read the below!!

So.

It is done.

I took quite a bit longer to read than I normally do(helped by the fact that I had numerous things going on almost every night for the past two weeks!)…but I finished this past Thursday night, January 17th. When I had about twenty pages left, I got up to make another cup of tea…just because I wanted to delay the end that little bit longer. And oh, it was worth it. My feeling at the end, while one of sadness for “an ending”…was primarily one of…satisfaction.

I feel that any summarization of my thoughts or review of the book as a whole would be a meager reflection of my true thoughts and feelings while reading the book, but I will say that for the week and a half I spent reading, my thoughts have been whirling and my mind has been spinning and I will say the words that most accurately reflected the state of my musings after reading would be “dazed”…”battered”….”emotionally raw”…”euphoric”…”hollow”… indeed, I often felt I’d slipped partway into the emotional mindset of one of the soldiers on the front lines at Merrilor…under the relentless onslaught of the stench of death and the hot blood of thousands upon thousands…constantly wondering when the next betrayal would come or how salvation could possibly be wrought?

So really, I make this less a review of the great tome that is “A Memory of Light” and more of a melody of praises for the work that is “The Wheel of Time”. One of the finest fantasy series I have ever had the privilege of reading, and if not all things were perfect in the execution of this landmark of literature, maybe that accurately reflects the tale that was told – all stories change in the telling and the threads of truth interwoven throughout are beautiful.

I could talk about the forces of evil and the powers of darkness that descended upon the earth – Demandred and his armies(I can even now hear him shouting “Lews Therin! Face me and fight!” as he strides through the battlefield)…Taim and his dreadlords(what a fitting end did he have – destroyed by the Amyrlin – Egwene, that paragon of Light!)…Padan Fain and his fitting end as the worm he was…Graendal and Moghedien and their fate to survive in the world that is re-shaped without their influence…Lanfear and her ignominious death to Perrin – that gentle blacksmith who finally learned to do what must be done. I could discuss the failures of the powers of darkness and their weaknesses and flaws…their utter pride and slavery to the Dark…but this was not their story.

I could discuss the battle between Rand and the Dark One…their philosophical debate to span the ages…their weave and counter-weaves of worlds shaped to serve their own desires…but as some have mentioned, I feel this resolution of Rand letting the Dark One – that worthless mite, yea that evil void, the darkness unseen – go on existing was not as could have been. Indeed, as has been postulated above, choice – to live one’s own life as one will – does not depend on the existence of a Dark One, especially not one that was proven as insignificant and tragically pitiful as the Dark One was shown to be when Rand dragged It out squirming into the Pattern. I feel – although I could tell from the framing of Rand’s declaration to kill the Dark One that it was not to be – that the story would have been better served if Rand had truly killed the Dark One and crushed his head underneath his heel, as is ever fitting for evil. In the end though, I must again remember, this is a great work of literature in a fantastical world and cannot expect it to reflect perfectly these lives of ours in this universe of ours.

But no, what I instead choose to think on is the choices of the men and women in this world – those who fought and died for the forces of the Light, those who bled and suffered in the Last Battle because it was what had to be done. The villagers of the Two Rivers and the shining forces of the Tairens and Ghealdanians and the valiant soliders fighting under the banner of Andor – those men and women of the Borderlands who gave their last gasping breath to hold the Shadow at bay – those brave men like Hurin who had no great strength or mighty magic, but did what they knew to be right. Olver, crying in the shadows and being clawed at by the hands of evil and feeling abandonded by all…calling forth the forces of the Horn of Valere and realizing that he had not been abandonded. Someone came back for him and rescued him from the heart of darkness…oh Light be praised! And yes, there were many mighty heroes performing great deads on the battlefield – oh to see Lan Mandragoran riding on his mighty steed through the Trolloc hordes to reach the champion of evil – Demandred himself – and then sheathe the sword in order to crush the life from the mighty general of the Dark. I loved reading the exploits of these great heroes…Mat, Egwene, Elayne, Galad, Tam al’Thor, Perrin, Aviendha, Thom Merrillin…but in the end, the most thrilling and heart-swelling moments for me were reading of the ordinary men and women who were not valiant warriors or great heroes or wielders of great Power…those who fought and died for the Light. Androl, weakest of the weak – and yea, he fought. Talmanes, dying from the poison of a Thakan’dar wrought blade – and yea, he fought. Aviendha, crippled and dying and moments from death – and yea, she fought. The men of the Two Rivers, without arrows and with little hope of survival – charged the enemy just to salvage what hope there was left. The Dragonsworn who stood before Darkhounds at the very Pit of Doom in order to protect the last hope of the Light…

I feel I’ve already gone on to long, but reading of the great struggle of the Light versus the Dark and seeing the fight of the ordinary men and women in the Last Battle struck me powerfully and I wanted to share that with y’all. I’m looking forward to reading these again someday, but now, I will take a little more time simply to reflect and enjoy the memories this series has left me with. Light, but it’s been a good run, my friends!!

And a few more words…it is good indeed to read fun books like the Wheel of Time – truly, some of my favorite books I’ve ever read, and I can forsee they’re ones I will read often over again these next few years – and it is good to see the hope and the light that is in these works – pale reflections of the true Light of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, but light nonetheless! Just remember that we serve a real God, one who is mighty and sovereign and the true Creator…and One who loves us. Peace, my friends.

Light and peace and that
gorgeous brilliant
gleam of hope,
Kiss your brothers
and your mother
and your father
as we go dancing onward to that
final home.

Rest in peace and
live in light and
look to the hopeful
stars above
and be e’er embraced
by Jesus
our Lord
our Love.