The Wheel Stops

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose.... The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of time. But it was a beginning."

So begins the "Wheel of Time" series by Robert Jordan. Unfortunately, this age's time has ended with the death of the author, one book shy of finishing the series.

This news hit me like a punch in the gut. By all accounts he was a kind and generous man. I may have never known him, but I felt connected to him through his work. I have been enjoying the series for 10 years now and currently reading book 10 of the 11 that have been published.

The first few books were amazing. Book two, The Great Hunt, remains one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. However, there were many that considered the series to have gotten too bloated and stopped reading it. While I agree there were a couple books in which it seemed that he didn't really know how to get to where he was trying to go, I think he really got back on track with the last couple.

I feel sad knowing the world he created has ended prematurely. However, I'm glad I got a chance to read what is available. Books have the power to get inside you and stay there and his did just that.