Twenty-three years

Twenty three years ago (approximately), I began a journey. The journey began with a few haunting sentences.

"There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning." 

I joyfully plunged into a world of adventure. A world where women and men could rule, battle, and weave magic. 

I fell in love with Rand, Mat, and Perrin - and watched them fall in love with young women of strength and beauty. My heart was pierced with sadness for Lan and Nynaeve as they danced around their feelings for one another. I revelled in the sisterhood of the Ajahs of magic, and shivered as they uncovered the Black Ajah in their midst. I grew up with a tavern keeper's daughter, a princess who became a queen, and a young warrior who had to leave her spears behind in order to come into her birthright of power. 

My first hardback is in my son's room, as he begins the journey.
The 13th book I read as an ebook, but I'm ordering a hardback
copy soon. I need to have them all.

I passed the books on to my little sister, who was in middle school when she began the series. Years later I discovered that it was these books that ignited her own love for reading. 

We knew it would be years before we knew the ending. We understood that the twelfth book would resolve the remaining questions and lingering doubts. When the author died in 2007, my sister and I commiserated over the fact that we may never know... never get the closure to the story. Thankfully, Robert Jordan left a massive amount of notes and even prewritten pieces of the final battles. A successor was chosen, and Brandon Sanderson jumped into the fray. That last - 12th - book became THREE enormous volumes. 

This month, the final book arrived at my home. I cheered, and smiled...

And yet....

I find myself now strangely reluctant to start the final leg of the journey. Glancing at the enormous volume on my table makes me smile, and I've opened the book a few times since it arrived.













Once I begin this book, I can't ever go back to not knowing. The wait is over, and this Age will end. I just don't know if I'm quite ready yet. And so the book continues to wait for me. Faile, Elayne, Min, Aviendha, Nynaeve, Egwene remain my sisters on the path. I swear, ladies, I'll join you soon.

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