Towers of Midnight continues the final avalanche to the Last Battle, with Lan continuing to gathering followers, the Black Tower continuing to grow more and more corrupt, Perrin confronting the Whitecloaks (it’s about time that storyline wraps up), and the newly healed Rand causing even more chaos than before.

Many people, when asked what they notice most about the change from Jordan’s writing to Sanderson’s mention that Mat is different. Honestly, I didn’t really notice it. I like Mat–Mat in all his guises. Poisoned by the dagger. Helping his friends no matter what. Son of Battle, Prince of the Ravens. He’s one of my favorite characters. If he feels different under Sanderson, it almost feels like growing up. After all:

Bloody ashes, woman. This isn’t a metaphor for anything! It’s just boots.

Aviendha on the other hand, personally I think it was Aviendha that changed the most. Ironically, it wasn’t really that she changed from Jordan to Sanderson, instead I felt that she changed while Jordan was still writing her and Sanderson brought back the Aiel at her heart. It’s abrupt after so many books, but eventually I grow to like this new/old Aviendha. She’s something different from nearly all the other POV characters and that’s an important thing to have.

Towers of Midnight contains my absolutely favorite scene in the entire series, the one chapter I will go back and re-read even without reading the rest of the series. The forging of Mah’alleinir. Despite his bullheaded reaction to his wife’s captivity, I believe Perrin remains my favorite of the three boys from the Two Rivers. And here, here Perrin the Blacksmith gets one final chance to shine.