Title: Towers of Midnight
Author: Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson
Series: The Wheel of Time #13
Narrator: Michael Kramer and Kate Reading
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 38 hours 21 minutes
Published: 2010, MacMillan Audio (originally published 2010)
My Grade: 4 out of 5
Review Summary: The end is nearing and you can definitely tell. One of the more intense in the series.

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

The Last Battle has started. The seals on the Dark One’s prison are crumbling. The Pattern itself is unraveling, and the armies of the Shadow have begun to boil out of the Blight.

The sun has begun to set upon the Third Age.

Perrin Aybara is now hunted by specters from his past: Whitecloaks, a slayer of wolves, and the responsibilities of leadership. All the while, an unseen foe is slowly pulling a noose tight around his neck. To prevail, he must seek answers in Tel’aran’rhiod and find a way–at long last–to master the wolf within him or lose himself to it forever

Meanwhile, Matrim Cauthon prepares for the most difficult challenge of his life. The creatures beyond the stone gateways–the Aelfinn and the Eelfinn–have confused him, taunted him, and left him hanged, his memory stuffed with bits and pieces of other men’s lives. He had hoped that his last confrontation with them would be the end of it, but the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. The time is coming when he will again have to dance with the Snakes and the Foxes, playing a game that cannot be won. The Tower of Ghenjei awaits, and its secrets will reveal the fate of a friend long lost.

Dovie’andi se tovya sagain. It’s time to toss the dice.

MY REVIEW

Book thirteen has been read. This journey is coming to an end.

Mat’s storyline in the Tower of Ghenjei was easily one of the highlights of this book for me. It was so exciting to read, and the big revelation at the end of that section was something I did not see coming AT ALL!

I also really enjoyed Perrin’s arc as he explores his abilities. In earlier books, his powers were somewhat confusing and didn’t quite make too much sense to me initially, but seeing his development here felt much clearer and more satisfying.

Both Rand and Egwene had stories that focused heavily on political alliances and prep work before the final battle. In previous books, whenever Jordan had those long political sections, I’ll admit I just zoned out. But for this installment, I was actually fully involved! I’m not sure if that’s because of Brandon’s writing style or simply because the end of the series is finally so near, but it kept me engaged the whole way through.

Lastly, I’ve previously struggled with the visions in Rhuidean and never quite understood what those earlier visions were showing us. However, the major vision Aviendha receives when she goes back to become a Wise One made perfect sense to me this time. It actually made me regret that I never truly understood the early visions Rand and Moiraine had back in the earlier books.

Overall, it’s a great continuation as everything comes together for the end. This actually gets a 4 out of 5! And I hope this will be even higher once the story concludes in the next book.