At long last, I can end my self-assigned exile from this message board, as I have finished reading The Gathering Storm, and I am happy to say that I my love for this series has been re-kindled most spectacularly. Sanderson did an amazing job with this book, and I am gratified and grateful for it.

The pacing of this book makes the middle bunch seemed mired in molasses in January in comparison, excepting KOD, which did indeed seem like a knife slicing through dreamily hot butter, at the time. But TGS is better; it revives the pacing and excitement of the first few books, stays remarkably true to character, and provides very long awaited closure on some very important-yet-overextended plotlines. I don't miss Masema. Good riddance. Semirhage goes out in literal blaze of not-glory (and my suspicion, shared no doubt by others, is that the DO did in fact betray her, using her as a tool to place Rand in such a position that the only way out was through the using the TP, thus turning Rand's victory of her rather Pyhrric. Or is it Pyrrhic? Oh well.

Most importantly, character discussed things with each other. Now, I'm sure RJ had planned several of these crucial conversations, but Sanderson pulled these off in ways that made me doubt RJ would have done it exactly that way, but the effect was exhilirating. To whit: Perrin asks Faile if she's jealous, she says, 'of course I am, this is why, now can we please move on and have an adult relationship?' And he says, "Mmm..ok." AND THEY DO. Not a whiff (or sniff) of Faile/Berelain angst for the rest of the book, thank the light. We see Min and Aviendha have an angsty conversation that nonetheless manages to advance the plot (for Aviendha, at least). Rand tells Nynaeve that of course he knows that being hard will kill him, and he thanks her for being the only Aes Sedai whom he knows just wants to help him. SOMEONE finally stands up to Cadsuane (other than Rand--but more on Tam later). Gawyn reflects on his own indecisive idiocy with Gareth, and yet he's not about to let Egwene run roughshod over him entirely. Gareth gets Siuan to confess her motives, and they finally get over their will-they-won't-they emotional tension. I was nearly giddy with delight at all the introspection and closure.

I found the Mat sections almost cathartic in their lightness (well, perhaps not the zombie section, but even that made me think that Sanderson was just aching to fit zombies in the story somehow, like an ornament,like the dice hanging from the windshield of the Millenium Falcon...they're just there), compared with the Dark Rand sections. True, RJ's Mat would never say 'saidared'--no RJ character would ever say saidared--but the soul of Mat's character was there, and I actually found him more likeable in this book than ever before. Moreover, it seemed reasonable that Mat's character would grow up slightly over the course of all that has happened to him. He can't remain a lazy waa-why-me hero forever. And Talmanes. Wow. Talmanes. I love that character now, despite his poor choice of hairstyles. He was a cardboard cut-out before, and it bugged me that while Mat seemed like just the fellow to have a 'buddy' to go on adventures with, he nonetheless had no 'friends' in these books once he left Rand. But then Talmanes was given a distinct, hilarious personality, and it all clicked. 'You may get boring.' True, it sounded more like a comment a Mistborn character would say, but I was laughing out loud with delight at the 'background stories' part.

I find this to be one essential distinction bewteen RJ and Sanderson. The former makes revelations through subtle, slow plot developments, which were often very satisfying, but slow in coming. The latter's characters talk to each and think--less complex, but at this stage in the game, gratifying.

Which brings me to the plot twists and revelations. Verin. Still my favorite WoT character. Perhaps even more so now. A wholly satisfying resolution to all her strangeness. The thought of her sister/brother relationship with Tomas was quite touching and effective. I must go back and re-read sections of TGH now, but wow. Thank you RJ for conceiving this great plotline, and thanks Sanderson for the excellent execution. Egwene's final words to her brought chills down my spine.

The revelation of Sheriam. The significance of her bandaged hand at the end. Very well done. I was relieved to find out that Lelaine was not Black. Wouldn't want that to be overdone. She's just a run-of-the-mill power-hungry Aes Sedai. I can now go back to viewing her and Romanda as the Statler and Waldorf of Salidar.

The end of Graendal. All I can say is, finally. She did manage to all but completely destroy Arad Doman, caused all kinds of havoc, but Rand's canary-in-the-coal-mine method of destroying her was nevertheless unexpected. No blaze of glory, no more diaphanous shifts, no dwelling on pretties and pets, and plump cheeks. I didn't expect two Forsaken to go down so swiftly.

Egwene was written fantastically well in this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed her sections, especially her TAKE THAT, RENNA! attitude and picking Silviana as her Keeper. I'm glad that the Red will have a chance at redemption. Only one inconsistency that bugged me. Egwene tells off the BA hunters for making Meidani swear an oath to them, but never reflects on how she made Myrelle and Nisao swear to her (Faolain and Theodrin did it of their own accord, so they don't count). Hypocrisy? Okay, so M and N's oath wasn't on the oath rod, but only a Darkfriend would break it. It was the only non-Rand instance in this book in which a character was so blind about his/her own choices, and Egwene was otherwise very self-critical.

And finally, the meeting bewteen Rand and Tam. I had awaited this moment for a very long time, and it was so completely and utterly twisted from my expectations! Powerful and sad. I really felt Rand's pain when he cries out atop Dragonmount. And even though upon reflection the 'love-is-everything' reveal was a bit insufficiently transcendent, I was moved at the time I read it. Very moved. I doubtquite get why LTT's voice is now gone, but perhaps that will be explained later. And I had expected him to cry, not laugh, due to the prophecy that the Dragon would cry upon his own grave, seeing as LTT had died there, it would have fit, but Rand just laughed. I really wasn't expecting laughter.

What I am furious about, however, is that the Galad/Perrin/Morgase reveal was OFF-CAMERA! Of all the scenes I was most looking forward to, that was it, and I am deeply annoyed that I didn't get to read it. DEEEEEEEEPLY. Like Marianna Trench deep. Perhaps this can be salvaged, in the way we learned that Mat had defeated Couladin and then only afterwards had a flashback to the battle. Sanderson, take note. PLEEEEASE.

Final questions: was Nynaeve compelled to speak so incredibly glowingly of Mat to Tuon because of Rand's taveren-ness? Will Rand literally go blind? How will Tuon react to learning that her omens of victory were false? Except that of course, she did succeed in capturing Elaida, so soon the Seanchan will have Traveling. What is up with the Borderlanders? What will Ituralde do now? Has Verin told Mat about how to get the Horn? Will having the Horn help him rescue Moiraine (his 'cheating the Finn system' by bring an 'instrument of music' with him, or is that just Thom's flute)?

I think I will now need to rent this on audiobook from my library, to savor the experience.