The Gathering Storm is a fantasy novel by American writers Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, the twelfth book in the series The Wheel of Time. It was incomplete when Jordan died on September 16, 2007, from cardiac amyloidosis. His widow Harriet McDougal and his publisher Tom Doherty chose Sanderson to continue the book.
Jordan originally intended to finish the series in a single volume titled A Memory of Light. However, when Sanderson began writing the book, it became clear that a single volume would be too large to print. The expected final book was split into three volumes: The Gathering Storm, Towers of Midnight, and A Memory of Light. The books would be published a year apart with the first volume, The Gathering Storm, published on October 27, 2009; a week earlier than originally announced. Upon its release, it immediately rose to the No. 1 position on The New York Times hardcover fiction Best Seller list, making it the fifth consecutive Wheel of Time book to achieve this feat.
The three books comprise what can be considered Jordan's final vision of the series. In the foreword, Sanderson states that they can be thought of as "the three volumes of A Memory of Light or as the final three books of The Wheel of Time. Both are correct." He also comments on the differing writing style, suggesting that it could be compared to different film directors directing the same script.Sanderson, "Foreword" The Gathering Storm, pp. 5–6. The Gathering Storm consists of a prologue, 50 chapters, and an epilogue.
Plot summary The series' storyline has been leading up to the "Last Battle" (Tarmon Gai'don)—a fight between the forces of Light and Shadow. According to prophecy in the series the primary protagonist Rand al'Thor, as the Dragon Reborn, will "fight the [battle]", and must be present for the forces of Light to have a chance at winning and stopping the being known as the Dark One, the primary antagonist, from escaping his prison.Jordan, Patterson, The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, p. 60.Jordan, Patterson, The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, pp. 415–417.
The Gathering Storm follows many plot threads but focuses on two characters, Rand al'Thor and Egwene al'Vere. While it follows al'Thor's attempts to unite and rally the world's forces for the Last Battle, it also addresses his struggle with his sanity, caused by the corruption of his mind from the use of the male half of the One Power. The unification of the White Tower, the headquarters of the female users of the One Power known as Aes Sedai, is addressed from al'Vere's perspective, as well as the exposure of the Black Ajah, a secretive and opposing faction within the story.Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm. While the stories of other main characters such as Perrin Aybara and Mat Cauthon are briefly touched upon, they have little bearing on the main plot line. Some main characters such as Elayne Trakand and Lan Mandragoran do not appear at all, but are referred to.
Synopsis
Rand al'Thor As Rand's story begins, he is restoring order in the nation of Arad Doman while searching for Graendal, one of the Dark One's favored servants known as the Forsaken.Jordan, Patterson, The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, pp. 61–62.Jordan, Patterson, The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, pp. 81–82.Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 52–63. The Aes Sedai work with Rand to interrogate Semirhage, another Forsaken captured at the end of Knife of Dreams. After being freed by her allies, Semirhage is given a Domination Band, an item used to control male channelers, and locks it around Rand's neck. She and Black Ajah sister Elza Penfell use it to make him torture and attempt to kill his lover, Min Farshaw. Unable to channel, he reaches out and inexplicably accesses the True Power, a different power normally only granted by the Dark One, using it to free himself and kill Semirhage and Elza. After this, he resolves to make himself harder and emotionless. He banishes his adviser Cadsuane Melaidhrin for not securing the Domination Band, promising to kill her if he sees her face again.Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 338–356.
Rand meets with the Seanchan, a civilization that invaded the continent earlier in the series. Their leader Tuon rejects Rand's offer of a truce after sensing a dark aura that emanated from Rand after he channeled the True Power. Following the meeting, Tuon declares herself Empress and prepares a surprise attack against the White Tower.Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 536–549.
Graendal's hiding place is traced to a remote palace. Confirming her presence, Rand uses the Choedan Kal, a powerful magical artifact, to eliminate the entire building with balefire, a magic that wipes the target from time. This horrifies Min and Nynaeve al'Meara and they turn to Cadsuane for help. Giving up on saving Arad Doman from the Seanchan and starvation, Rand returns to the city of Tear.Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 562–580.Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, p. 657.
Nynaeve, under the instruction of Cadsuane, locates Tam al'Thor, Rand's father, who meets with Rand in an attempt to break his emotional isolation. Rand becomes angry when he learns that Tam was sent by Cadsuane, nearly killing his father before fleeing in horror at what he had almost done. Rand Travels to the Seanchan-held city of Ebou Dar, intending to destroy their entire army, but he becomes reluctant to act after seeing how peaceful the city is. Nearly mad with rage and grief, he Travels to the top of Dragonmount, the location where he killed himself in a past life. Angry at the futility of life bound to the Wheel, he uses the Choedan Kal to draw enough power to destroy the world. Lews Therin, a voice in Rand's head from his past life, suggests that by being reborn one has the opportunity to do things right. Agreeing, Rand turns the power of the Choedan Kal against itself, destroying it. Rand is finally able to laugh again.Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 728–760.
Egwene al'Vere The second main plot thread follows Egwene al'Vere, leader of the rebel faction of Aes Sedai. After her capture by the White Tower in the previous book, Egwene works to undermine Elaida a'Roihan's rule and mend the strife it is causing in the White Tower. She is initially granted freedom of the tower as novice, but after publicly denouncing Elaida, Elaida names her a follower of the Dark One,Jordan, Patterson, The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, pp. 91–93. and orders her imprisonment.Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 272–274. When Elaida fails to prove her accusation, Egwene is released.Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 592–595.
Egwene returns to her room to find Verin Mathwin, who announces that she is of the Black Ajah. Taking advantage of a loophole in the oath Verin had sworn that she could not betray them "until the hour of my death", she fatally poisons herself, allowing her to use her last hour to reveal everything she has learned to Egwene. Verin explains that although she was forced to swear to them or face death, she used the position to research the Ajah. She gives Egwene a journal detailing the group's structure and nearly every member before succumbing to the poison.Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 597–609.
When the Seanchan attack the White Tower, its fractured state prevents an effective defense. Many Aes Sedai are captured or killed until Egwene, leading a group of novices, succeeds in driving them off. Siuan Sanche, Gawyn Trakand, and Gareth Bryne mount a rescue of Egwene. They find her so exhausted that she cannot protest when they extract her against her orders. After awakening in the camp, she argues that they may have ruined her chances to gain credit in the Tower for the defeat of the Seanchan.Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 615–653.
Egwene begins to expose the Black Ajah among the rebels, requiring every sister to re-swear her allegiances. Fifty sisters are exposed and executed, while twenty are able to escape. Taking advantage of the weakened White Tower defenses following the Seanchan raid, the rebels prepare an immediate attack.Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 664–683. Just before the attack is mounted, the Tower Aes Sedai announce that Elaida was captured in the Seanchan raid, and that they would have Egwene as their leader, the Amyrlin Seat. The rebels return and they begin rebuilding the Tower.Jordan, Sanderson, The Gathering Storm, pp. 702–727.
Writing
Jordan's illness and death (2005–2007)
Under the pen name Robert Jordan, James Oliver Rigney, Jr. began writing the intended final book, A Memory of Light, before the release of the previous book Knife of Dreams in 2005. Scheduled for publication by Tor Books in 2009, it was intended to conclude the series, which began in 1990 with The Eye of the World, originally intended as a series of four or five books. According to Forbes, Jordan had intended for it to be the final book "even if it reaches 2,000 pages." After Jordan fell fatally ill in December 2005 from a rare disease, cardiac amyloidosis, he still intended to finish at least A Memory of Light, and thus the main story arc, if the "worse comes to worst." Later he made preparations in case he was not able to finish the book. "I'm getting out notes, so if the worst actually happens, someone could finish A Memory of Light and have it end the way I want it to end." Shortly before his death, Jordan made a performance of the final book in a two and a half hour session to his wife and cousin, Wilson W. Grooms, Jr. Grooms stated in a later blog post "he became the Gleeman and told the bones of it ALL to Harriet and me!"
The book was not completed at the time of Jordan's death on September 16, 2007. His widow Harriet McDougal and his publisher, Tor Books president Tom Doherty made the decision to have the book completed posthumously, with McDougal saying, "I am sad to see the series end. But I would be far more distressed to leave it unfinished, incomplete and dangling forever."
On December 11, 2007, four months after Jordan's death, it was announced that McDougal had chosen Brandon Sanderson to finish the final book in the series, although the decision itself had been made the preceding month. Sanderson had been chosen partly because McDougal had read and liked his novels, and partly because of a eulogy he had written for Jordan. McDougal later expanded on her reasons, saying, "I do think [he] has a natural feeling for the ethical and moral issues of life."
Brandon Sanderson (2007–2009)
Brandon Sanderson was devastated by the news of Jordan's death; he had been a fan of the series since he was 15 years old and he cited Jordan as an inspiration. He was known for the novel Elantris and the Mistborn series at the time he was chosen. He did not want to imitate Jordan's style as he felt it would "turn into parody."
In an interview with Sci Fi Wire, Sanderson stated it was a great honor to be given the chance to complete the series but conceded he was unable to fill Jordan's shoes. Some parts of the book were nearly finished by Jordan, while others had only a couple of paragraphs to describe a twenty-page scene, but he described Jordan's notes as "amazing." He later elaborated that "the amount of material [Jordan] left behind is what makes this book possible." Speaking to The Guardian, he stated that although some people wouldn't like the book, and any failures would be blamed on him, "I say that I win because I get to be part of this." Through February 2008 Sanderson reread the entire series, posting his impressions of each book on his blog. The reread lasted until March 2008, at which point he "began to grasp the daunting nature of this book," with so many plot lines that needed to be resolved.