A Memory of Light was everything I hoped it would be. It’s the 14th and final book in the epic Wheel of Time series, and I just finished reading it. This series is set in a world quite different from our own. The basic plot is that a country boy named Rand turns out to be the Dragon Reborn — a prophesied leader who literally can save the world. Rand has two friends, Mat and Perrin, who also have key roles to play in this world’s future.
The series stretched out so long that its original author, Robert Jordan, did not live to finish all the books. But he left behind detailed notes and an outline. Working from this material, author Brandon Sanderson brought the series to a most satisfying close. Others have done good reviews of A Memory of Light (see here and here). For now, I’ll add these few personal notes:
- Part of what appeals to me about the series is the humble origins of the key characters, in the rural Two Rivers area. The Two Rivers remind me a lot of my home, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I like to think that, from among the good people of the Valley, we could raise up some heroes like Rand and Mat and Perrin.
- Another part of what appeals to me is the believability of the Wheel of Time universe. It’s a place where magic works, but apart from that it all seems so right. I have known a Rand, a Perrin and a couple of Matts.
- And finally, I like the authors’ portrayal of good and evil across parallel worlds. In the Wheel of Time world, the ethics of our own world apply: love, loyalty and sacrifice are all good. My favorite characters are all called on to make great sacrifices, and (spoiler alert!) not all of them survive. It reminds me of the greatest sacrifice of all in our own parallel world.