A review by mattiedancer
Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson

adventurous slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

**SPOILERS**
Writing: 3.75⭐️/5 
The writing is definitely a combination of two authors. While Jordan and Sanderson seem to mesh together decently well, I do think that at other points they fight against each other. Aviendha’s Rhuidean scene had the potential to be really cool, but it was over explained to us in a way that was unnecessary and stole the beauty of the knowledge from us. Similarly, it felt like Perrin’s character could only circle the same themes, refusiing to grow in a new way, making parts of his internal monologue repetitive and clunky. Overall, it was cleaner and easier to read than several previous instalments, but lacked the strength of voice I would have wanted to see in the penultimate book.

Characters: 3.5⭐️/5
On one hand, I appreciate the finesse I think Sanderson has brought to the one-off characters, sparking their characters to life quickly and easily. On the other hand, I really think certain characters have suffered due to his misunderstanding of them. I appreciate the growth we see with Rand, Egwene, Mat, and even Perrin, but at multiple points that growth is repeated so incessantly it’s aggravating. 

Plot: 3.75⭐️/5 
Again, I feel torn on this mark. The first section moved painfully slow as we waited for Perrin to catch up to everyone else’s storyline. Since we already knew where he ended up as well, his section dragged even more than normal as we waited for new information and events. Once we passed the halfway mark, however, the plot picked up, gaining great speed towards Tarmon Gaiden. Several of the sections held up the right speed and pacing, keeping me engaged and intrigued. I did love that Mat and Thom finally went to the Tower, and that whole section moved with clarity and speed. Even Aviendha in Rhuidean held nuggets of beauty. And of course, everything with Rand has moved quickly and cleanly to its height, honestly charging well towards the final. Without the Perrin section dragging it down, this book could have rated much higher.

Who Should Read This Book? 
Those reading the Wheel of Time

Content Warnings? 
Toxic relationships, blood, gore, abuse, domestic abuse, war, sexual assault, rape, toxic friendships, gaslighting, misogyny, sexism, death, murder, injury, injury detail, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, slavery, 

Post-Reading Rating:  3.5⭐️/5
This could have been so much higher but we ended with Graendal’s rape, Morraine losing all her power so she can be happy with a man and the whole Thom and Morraine ickiness. :/

Final Rating: 3.75⭐️/5 (3.625)
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