Two quick reviews

The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time, Book 12)

Yesterday I finished reading The Gathering Storm, the 12th installment of the Wheel of Time series. Many of you know that author Robert Jordan died before finishing his super-series, but did you know that his editor (and wife) and his publishers found an excellent writer to finish it? Brandon Sanderson has done what many thought impossible — seamlessly meld his own style with a near-perfect emulation of Jordan’s. The Gathering Storm is easily one of the better of the recent volumes. Sanderson handles Jordan’s bloated cast with deft assuredness. Though focusing mainly on events surrounding Rand and Egwene, all of the important characters get a nod. Working from Jordan’s final notes, this first novel of the final three ties up a lot of threads and brings us on an emotionally charged ride with a nice parallel plot that sets Rand’s inner turmoil beside Egwene’s outer struggle. It may be simply because the 11th book is a somewhat distant memory, but it may be that Sanderson’s effort is a better read than the last few volumes. At the least now, the ending seems much closer than the horizon.

Rebecca Mayes Muses

Today I was catching the latest installment of Shamus Young Plays LotRO, when I saw an ad at the bottom for the latest installment of Rebecca Mayes Muses. Curious, I clicked on the link and got sucked in for several hours catching up on old posts. Below is the video that hooked me. Ms. Mayes brings something unique to the game-review industry. Rather than writing clinical reviews of games, she gives us aural discussions of the games she plays. And, this isn’t just some videocast babble. She sings about games and gaming. That’s right. Her songs are to game reviews what haiku are to poetry. She boils down the essence of the “reviewed” games into complex musical essays and sets them to video. Even if you are not a gamer, if you love good music, her videos are worth watching. Go on, give her a try.