A Memory of Light by Robert JordanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A Memory of Light brings an ending in The Wheel of Time for the Dragon Reborn, Rand al'Thor, and his adversary The Dark One, along with their collective allies and forces. Throughout the 1148 pages, good and evil vie for an advantage in the lead up to and during ultimate confrontation between all involved whether during The Last Battle or the inside the Pit of Doom itself. But one of the most striking things about the book is that there are two narrative structures in play, the first with the book itself and the other of the entire series.
The conflict between both sides in A Memory of Light literally takes place on the battlefield, which spans over a third of the continent at one point before settling in two locations. In previous books, battles have occurred and were well written, however they pail in comparison with what occurs in A Memory of Light. The apocalyptic Last Battle that has been mentioned since The Eye of the World occurs at the Field of Merrilor, between the forces of Light and Shadow, and within the Pit of Doom, between Rand and the Dark One itself. The majority of it takes place within chapter 37, aptly entitled The Last Battle, take up an eye raising 248 pages and chronicling over 24 hours worth of battle action and strategy. It is truly a worthy battle between good and evil given all the build up.
In the end A Memory of the Light and The Wheel of Time comes down to Rand's confrontation with the Dark One, which is more a mental than physical battle. Foreshadowed events early in the book once again play a role in the climax to help Rand in his destiny, but as the book's climax is one and the same with the series it turns out that its events in the Two Rivers in The Eye of the World do foreshadow the resolution in the Pit of Doom. If this series is about cycles and patterns, then Jordan succeeded in giving one to his entire series.
A Memory of Light is an apt title for the final Wheel of Time book, as from the beginning of the series things have been getting continually darker. The book ends with a lot of the characters just dangling as their stories and lives aren't at an end, however their connections to the appearance, rise, and destiny of the Dragon Reborn is just like the story. Not only as a book, but as the final installment of a series as long as The Wheel of Time, A Memory of Light is excellent and leaves one satisfied once they close the cover for the last time.
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