Brand
Molten Core Raider
- 1,159
- 313
As time goes by since finishing, I'm starting to realize how much I didn't like the ending. I still enjoyed the book, but RJ's section at the end clearly felt unfinished, and I just didn't like how it wrapped up.
Rand should have died. That's the only thing that would have made sense, and I don't like the unexplained body swap with Moridin. He should have died, freeing his three women to go and live their lives.
As it is, Rand can't actually be happy. His father, his best friends, and the three women he loves (at least one, probably two of which are pregnant) must now be left behind, and he gets to live with knowing that they're still out there. There is absolutely no way for him to reinvolve himself in their lives without bringing suspicion on himself. He rides off thinking "I'll go and see new places, just be a normal guy", but that assumes that you can just choose to be normal. He's not, and never will be. He'll always be Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, no matter what face or name he takes. Being a "normal guy" who can't ever return to his loved ones is going to suck hard. He might be thinking some of them will follow him, but his women aren't the kind of people to just abandon their posts and shack up with a wanderer. Elayne is a queen for god's sake, and an Aes Sedai to boot. He'll never be a part of his children's life while remaining anonymous. Min and Aviendha also have leadership positions in other society's that would not allow them to walk away, nor him to simply become a part of their lives.
It's a foolish dream, and an anti-climactic way for him to go. The Dark One should have *tempted* him with a normal life, letting him step down from being the Creator's champion in exchange for keeping his life. It should have been one way for the Pattern to weave, but his duty was to die. He should have had to choose death willingly so that his loved ones could go on without him.
This, along with Padan Fain's total fizzle after 14 books, has me downgrading my initial rating of the book from an A- to a B+. Ironically enough, it was RJ from the grave who couldn't stick the landing.
I don't think it is ironic at all. Since it was what I had come to expect. The quality of his writing was plummeting...The first 4 books were great and clearly well edited. Once he gained more standing and sway...I can only assume he was telling the editors to F themselves...Or maybe he switched editors and the new one was afraid to make the right suggestions(or incapable of making good ones.)