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Culture War Roundup for the week of October 19, 2026

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It got finished by Brandon Sanderson in case you weren't aware, using Jordan's notes, after being chosen by Jordan’s widow. That was one of the major elements propelling Sanderson to fame.

My understanding is that Sanderson managed to tie up most of the loose ends and get back to the main characters pretty well, though I never finished the series myself. I have a sort of affection for the later books just because with Rand they go into character/political territory that ordinary fantasy (and indeed Dark Fantasy which has its own genre constraints) never actually has to get into, but I have to admit that my rereads usually stop at the end of book 5.

I'm on record as saying that it was mid-book five where I stopped my re-read, specifically the bloody menagerie, and I'm not sad that I stopped there. That said, I can't help but suspect that the middle books would have been more engaging if Jordan hadn't gotten sick, and some of them were pretty good in their own right. My shaky memory says it was pretty much good book bad book right up until the end.

Yes, I'm aware, but I had long lost interest by the time that happened. When I started reading them (shortly after book 9's release, I think), I was under the impression it was supposed to be a 10-book series. Not sure if it was marketed that way, or if I mistakenly assumed it, or what, but that was my belief. When I finished all those (and boy were some of those later ones bad), I was dubious it was going to happen. I read book 10 and saw no end in sight (and hated all the characters by then), so I cut my losses and stopped paying any attention.

Fair.