Celebrated fantasy author Brandon Sanderson co-wrote the final books of Cosmere universe includes titles like The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn, both of which have accumulated enormous followings individually, outside the widespread acclaim for the broader story they share. With the sheer total of novels he's published in recent years, it feels like a lifetime ago that he was tasked with finishing The Wheel of Time.
Robert Jordan, the author behind the Wheel of Time book series, ed away in September 2007, with his final book for the series being Knife of Dreams. Later that year, Sanderson and Jordan's shared publisher, TOR Books, announced that the Mistborn author was selected by Jordan's widow, Harriet McDougal, to finish the novels, with her continuing to edit them. Of the material in the final three books, it's unclear how much was Jordan's and how much was supplementary, but the instance created divisive responses.
The Wheel Of Time Season 3's Positive Reviews Are Critical For The Show's Future
The Wheel Of Time Might Go The Distance
The Wheel of Time Amazon Prime show has an enormous budget, and even with the resources of Amazon behind it, nothing is guaranteed in the film industry. Just as Amazon's $1 billion controversy, The Rings of Power, has the chance of being canceled, so does The Wheel of Time if the show doesn't perform as it was expected to. As a fan of the books, I'll it the show's first two seasons didn't do much for me, but season 3 has turned things around in a drastic way that I couldn't possibly have anticipated.
I'm still rooting for this show, and I believe the positive reviews increase its chances of renewal.
The Wheel of Time's season 3 reviews have been astounding. Season 1 scored an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, while season 3 has jumped to a strong 97%. Of course, there are a few dozen fewer critics making up that score this time around, but fans of the novels appear to be in agreement that the show has made impressive strides, improving on its weaknesses, particularly in its production value. I'm still rooting for this show, and I believe the positive reviews increase its chances of renewal.
As of 4/15/25, Amazon has yet to greenlight season 4, with the season finale set to be released this week. It's still unclear what metrics companies are using to determine streaming success, and much of what they're analyzing isn't available to the public. Only time will tell how far the show progresses through the fifteen books, but I'm increasingly curious to see how the shift to Brandon Sanderson material will look if they reach that point in the narrative.
Brandon Sanderson's Wheel Of Time Books Are Divisive
Some Readers Found The Author Shift To Be Jarring
Brandon Sanderson's Wheel of Time books are divisive, but not in the same way that the Game of Thrones ending is, for example. It seems like the majority of readers are grateful to have had the series finished, even if there were notable differences. A Memory of Light's 4.58 score on Goodreads is the highest in the series, and the other two he wrote are also both higher than all of Robert Jordan's novels in The Wheel of Time saga.
A Memory of Light's 4.58 score on Goodreads is the highest in the series, and the other two he wrote are also both higher than all of Robert Jordan's novels in The Wheel of Time saga.
I'll count this as a positive, but I would take Goodreads scores with a mild grain of salt, especially in regard to Sanderson, an author with an unprecedented following. Brandon Sanderson served his purpose in capping off Robert Jordan's story faithfully, but many readers cite the decline in prose quality as a fault in his books. Prose has often been a subject of critique for Sanderson, but there's also something to be said about the accessibility of his work.
The Wheel Of Time Season 3's Surprise Villain Death Happened Too Early
While this Whitecloak’s death has changed greatly in context from the books, it still remains a fitting end for a sadist of his caliber.
Narrative-wise, there are changes that Wheel of Time fans found jarring in the final three volumes, such as the treatment of Mat Cauthon as a character. They're typically cited as being faster-paced and with more action than Jordan's books, which can be a cause for celebration or a detriment, depending on where you stand. Finishing another author's work is a horrifying task, and he was never going to perfectly emulate Jordan's voice, but that doesn't make it unfair to have feelings about the changes.
Brandon Sanderson Has Grown Exponentially In Popularity Since Writing The Wheel Of Time
Perception Of Brandon Sanderson As An Author Has Changed
A Memory of Light was published in 2013, a decade before Brandon Sanderson accomplished an unprecedented literary feat with his Kickstarter campaign, releasing four novels in the same year. Even before that, Sanderson had been picking up steam as one of the century's most prominent speculative fiction voices with The Stormlight Archive, which has impacted how his books are viewed. When an author becomes popular and develops a massive fan base, their previous work generally starts to receive more acclaim.
This Wheel of Time Season 3 Character Was Supposed To Be The Real Villain Of Perrin's Two Rivers Story
As impressive as the Battle of Two Rivers may have been, The Wheel of Time appears to have cut the main villain - with massive implications for Perrin
Now, Brandon Sanderson's best books don't just include his epic fantasy titles but also other books from his career that wouldn't be as popular if not for his hits. The fact that the material the final seasons will be based on is from his work could be beneficial for the show, but it may also spark some curious discussion about the transition.
How Will Brandon Sanderson's Books Affect The TV Adaptation?
Will The Show's Final Seasons Look Any Different?
Image via Prime Video
Of course, the later seasons of The Wheel of Time won't have Brandon Sanderson's stamp as prominently as the books, given that it's all an adaptation anyway. That said, when an adaptation covers events from a book series, the respective books are bound to be brought into question. The Wheel of Time novels can almost be categorized into different "sections," with books 7-10 typically treated as a dip in quality and 12-14 noted for the Sanderson involvement. How the show approaches these varying sections is going to matter.
If The Wheel of Time show runs for eight seasons, these sections are going to be bunched up, and Sanderson's work on The Last Battle will essentially define the show's final run. Of course, the difference in prose isn't going to affect a television adaptation, but the show could accommodate for the differences in Sanderson's books with changes of its own. The discussion will be revitalized in any case, and I'm excited to see what Wheel of Time readers have to say about the Sanderson novels after so long.
Sources: TOR Books
The Wheel of Time
- Release Date
- November 18, 2021
- Network
- Prime Video
- Showrunner
- Rafe Judkins
Cast
Moiraine Damodred
al'Lan Mandragoran
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Sanaa Hamri, Ciaran Donnelly, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Thomas Napper, Maja Vrvilo, Wayne Che Yip
- Writers
- Amanda Kate Shuman, Dave Hill, Rohit Kumar, Justine Juel Gillmer, Celine Song, Rammy Park, The Clarksons Twins, Katherine B. McKenna
- Franchise(s)
- The Wheel of Time
Your comment has not been saved