The Gathering Storm holds a peculiar place in the historical record of the Wheel of Time series. This is due, of course, to the fact that the creator and writer of all the books in the series up to that point died before it could be completed. That job was taken over by Brandon Sanderson based on extensive notes by Robert Jordan. The worst possible job for any writer is taking over a series that has been the singular vision of one specific writer and the awful quality of that particular job is only intensified when the circumstances leading to the job result from death. So, let’s just admit human nature right off the bat: whether intentional or not, the reaction to The Gathering Storm is impossibly bound and inextricably linked to Sanderson taking over the reins.
Which is probably why it is so difficult to get a handle on just where this entry in the series truly sits among the most devoted and hardcore Wheel of Time series. Rankings of the series from best to worst have The Gathering Storm all over the place with one notable exception: almost nobody ranks it within the bottom third of this fifteen book series (including one out of sequence prequel). It is just a simple and straightforward fact of life that Sanderson’s debut as author is not considered an abject failure requiring placement of his effort among the least-enjoyed volumes. On the other hand, it is more than possible to find readers who regard it as the pinnacle of the series, placing it above even all the books written solely by Jordan. This ranking represents a fractional viewpoint, to be sure, but even so that it quite an accomplishment for a writer coming into the game in what is essentially the start of the fourth quarter.
Generally speaking, the consensus seems to be that Sanderson’s initial effort should be placed somewhere in the middle of the pack with a slight tilt toward almost making the top five rather than almost making the bottom five. Few things in life are certain, especially when it comes to predicting the legacy of literary works, but for those resolute gamblers out there, the smart money here is that as the decades pass by and the readership of the Wheel of Time becomes comprised more of those who did not even begin reading the series until after Jordan had passed away, The Gathering Storm is going to climb its way out of the middle and land squarely among the top tier. As the legacy of the series becomes more and more intertwined as a collaboration between Jordan and Sanderson and less as one in which Sanderson is merely the hired gun charged with simply getting it finished, the quality of the novel will only continue to be judged more on its contents and less on its backstory.
And the quality of The Gathering Storm simply cannot be denied, which is why it is so difficult to find anyone willing to rank it down among the dross of Crossroads of Twilight. If it is true that Sanderson’s book suffers from the human nature of loyalty to a creator, it can also be said to be true that this unfair judgment is offset by the fact that it follows hard upon what is widely recognized as the most problematic era of the Wheel of Time. The three—and sometimes four—books which preceded it are almost routinely among the books which rank below reader valuation of Sanderson’s debut. The indisputable fact is that Jordan—whether because of ill health which resulted in his death or just old-fashioned boredom—had turned out three (or possibly four) books in a row that simply failed to really capture the imagination of readers. For whatever reason, Jordan had hit a slog and was having trouble reigniting the narrative.
Since Sanderson actually composed the final printed version based on Jordan’s voluminous notes and intricate outlining, one can assume that The Gathering Storm would probably not have turned out significantly different had Jordan completed it himself. Whether that is the case or not, while the book may not have landed as hard among the faithful with that new name on the cover, Sanderson’s secret weapon was that all he really needed to do to avoid completely tanking with readers was simplicity itself: write a book in which something actually important happens.
That is exactly what he did and so what was lost in not being named Robert Jordan was gained back again by doing what is really, ultimately, the only real job any writer has: tell a good story where exciting stuff takes place and you can’t wait to see what happens next.
