A Memory of Light

Book Fourteen of The Wheel of Time

By: Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson

Narrated by: Michael Kramer, Kate Reading

The Wheel of Time is now an original series on Prime Video, starring Rosamund Pike as Moiraine!

With Robert Jordan’s untimely passing in 2007, Brandon Sanderson, the New York Times bestselling author of the Mistborn novels and the Stormlight Archive, was chosen by Jordan’s editor—his wife, Harriet McDougal—to complete the final volume in The Wheel of Time®, later expanded to three books.

In A Memory of Light, the fourteenth and concluding novel in Jordan’s #1 New York Times bestselling epic fantasy series, the armies of Light gather to fight in Tarmon Gai’don, the Last Battle, to save the Westland nations from the shadow forces of the Dark One.

Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, is ready to fulfill his destiny. To defeat the enemy that threatens them all, he must convince his reluctant allies that his plan—as foolhardy and dangerous as it appears—is their only chance to stop the Dark One’s ascension and secure a lasting peace. But if Rand’s course of action fails, the world will be engulfed in shadow.

Across the land, Mat, Perrin, and Egwene engage in battle with Shadowspawn, Trollocs, Darkfriends, and other creatures of the Blight. Sacrifices are made, lives are lost, but victory is unassured. For when Rand confronts the Dark One in Shayol Ghul, he is bombarded with conflicting visions of the future that reveal there is more at stake for humanity than winning the war.

Since its debut in 1990, The Wheel of Time® by Robert Jordan has captivated millions of readers around the globe with its scope, originality, and compelling characters. The last six books in series were all instant #1 New York Times bestsellers, and The Eye of the World was named one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read.

The Wheel of Time®
New Spring: The Novel
#1 The Eye of the World
#2 The Great Hunt
#3 The Dragon Reborn
#4 The Shadow Rising
#5 The Fires of Heaven
#6 Lord of Chaos
#7 A Crown of Swords
#8 The Path of Daggers
#9 Winter's Heart
#10 Crossroads of Twilight
#11 Knife of Dreams

By Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
#12 The Gathering Storm
#13 Towers of Midnight
#14 A Memory of Light

By Robert Jordan and Teresa Patterson
The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

By Robert Jordan, Harriet McDougal, Alan Romanczuk, and Maria Simons
The Wheel of Time Companion

By Robert Jordan and Amy Romanczuk
Patterns of the Wheel: Coloring Art Based on Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

Critic reviews

“The battle scenes have the breathless urgency of firsthand experience, and the . . . evil laced into the forces of good, the dangers latent in any promised salvation, the sense of the unavoidable onslaught of unpredictable events bear the marks of American national experience during the last three decades, just as the experience of the First World War and its aftermath gave its imprint to J. R. R. Tolkien's work.” —The New York Times on The Wheel of Time®

“Michael Kramer and Kate Reading have been the masters of the Wheel of Time series from the very first book to this fourteenth, and final, book…They present the unfolding of the many themes with infinite patience and consistent tones of engagement with the characters and events.” —AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner

“The clear, well-paced, and intense performances by Kate Reading and Michael Kramer, who narrated the entire series, provide an excellent delivery of a complex and gargantuan tale.” —Library Journal

“Narrators Kate Readings and Michael Kramer, who narrated previous installments of the series, return for this conclusion, and their deep understanding of these characters and this fictional world shines through every words. Kramer has a deep voice that pulls the reader in, while Reading's tones are more thoughtful and reflective. Both give memorable, nuanced performances that keep readers on the edge of their seats during exciting action scenes and put them in the characters' minds as thoughts are revealed…fans of the series will be well rewarded for their patience in awaiting this final installment.” —Publishers Weekly

The saga that brought 'Epic' back to fantasy

This was a very fitting and satisfying end to a saga that was perhaps the most epic in scope since Tolkien. While the merits of Robert Jordan's style has been hotly debated, and the individual books have been received with varying enthusiasm, the importance of the series cannot be ignored.

In A Memory of Light, fast rising author Brandon Sanderson does an admirable job of pulling together the overwhelming number of plot threads that Jordan wove through his masterwork. From the Dragon Reborn himself to the shaggy pony that accompanied him in the first chapter of the first book, we learn the fates of all the characters that have intrigued us, frustrated us, drawn our sympathy, and pulled us into their lush and complex world. While the story is brought to a close, enough mystery is left to remind the reader that there are truly no endings to the Wheel of Time.

Readers Kate Reading and Michael Kramer, as always, bring life to the characters and light to the rich environs of the novel.

For fans like myself who have literally grown up along with the Wheel of Time and its cast of characters, this book is exciting, heart-rending, and satisfying, though more than a little bittersweet. I salute Brandon Sanderson for the passion and professionalism he brought to this beloved series, and I fondly extend my thanks to Mr. Rigley, whose life work has rendered him truly immortal in literature.

Finally we have closure!

What did you love best about A Memory of Light?

It was good to finish something started so many years ago. Mr. Snaderson does a great job of bringing the series to a satisfying close. A lot of the fanboys may disagree, but I believe Mr. Sanderson did a better job finishing the series than Mr. Jordan would have done. Sanderson is much better at action and this book is non-stop action from page one. I believe the weakest points of the series are the elements of Mr. Jordan's that Sanderson is forced to shoe-horn in. Jordan definitely didn't have this worked out nearly as well as he said he did.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Memory of Light?

There were so many. I think I liked the part where Moiraine makes her return and saves the day.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are so many good scenes I couldn't honestly pick one.,

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

that is physically impossible. This book is LONG. They could easily have made two books out of this but I am glad they did not.

Any additional comments?

The book is long and very dark in points. I had to take a lot of breaks in reading it. Sanderson did a great job and should be commended as the end of the series had been built up so big that no one could have satisfied everyone. He came as close as anyone could have, including Mr. jordan himself. The series tanked for a while but the last three books are much better than what Mr. Jordan was putting out near the end. If you made it this far in the series nothing is going to stop you from finishning anyway. The form didn't ask but the narrators are excellent as well.

And so it comes to an end...

I had so many feelings about this book. Excitement that I was about to begin the last book of the Wheel Of Time. Riveted as the last battle played out. Regret as I grew closer to the end of the book. Sorrow as some of my favorite charterers fell. Joy as others became heroes, and ultimately shock that this is the end.

I have to admit that I am a late comer to the Wheel Of Time. A while back I began this journey attempting to get through every audiobook in the series before this last book came out. I didn't quite make it, but it seems that the characters of the Wheel Of Time have been a part of my life every day for a long time. I have watched them grow from farmers to kings and queens, and from heroes to villains. It will be strange putting on my headphones and listening to something else.

May Robert Jordan rest in peace knowing he brought such a masterpiece to the world, and many thanks to Brandon Sanderson who wrote three of the best books in the series including an awesome ending. A Memory Of Light was everything I hoped it would be.

Thought it would be better

After 13 books to set it up, the final book (?) left too much out, while carrying redundancy to new levels. Many of the characters were just brushed off in this final chapter and the descriptions that were given were so redundant that I wanted to yell at the radio playing it. Michael Kramer does a wonderful job with the story, but alas, Kate Reading once again dragged down the entire performance as she has done from book one. It has been my belief from the first book that Kramer should have done it solo.
I was also amazed that the fight with the "Dark One" which was so setup from book one, turned into almost a nothingness in the total landscape of the book. Some characters were shown to be almost stupid in their actions to try and achieve a story line that was being reached for by Sanderson.
Overall, I expected more from this book, and in the end, saw it as nothing more then a stepping stone for a "follow up" series.

You must get the entire series

What made the experience of listening to A Memory of Light the most enjoyable?

The narrators used good voice inflections for the different characters and the sound track went well

What other book might you compare A Memory of Light to and why?

A gathering storm

What does Michael Kramer and Kate Reading bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The voice inflections and details are not overlooked

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes, but it is impossible and I would not want it shortened