I mean Brandon Sanderson, the one who’s going to complete Robert Jordan’s last book in the Wheel of Time.

On his blog he’s writing down comments about his reading through the entire series before he starts doing the real writing. Quite interesting.

I’ll probably only do one post for the first book, then, which is a tragedy, since it has long been one of my favorites of the series. I also feel that it will be VERY important to writing Book Twelve. The Wheel turns; ages become new again and ideas return. I feel that the last book of the series should have numerous hearkenings back to this first book; that will give a sense of closure to this section of the Pattern and fit with the motif of the Wheel’s turning.

That’s just my gut instinct, and I’m not promising anything specific or even referencing material from the Twelfth Book. I’m only speaking of my general feelings as a writer, but Mr. Jordan’s notes are far more important than any of my instincts.

On this point I disagree. The WOT is also a growth novel. From the point of view of Rand the main theme is about how things escalate and get out of hand. So while he always thought he would become “adult” in his village, he doesn’t return and is rather forced to grow and start seeing everything under a different light. Along with despair and responsibility.

This to say that, imho, the first book should return in the last as a distant memory of childhood. You look back at things with some curiosity and fondness, but, as it happens, also with a sense of estrangement. It’s a weird mix of feelings, and it’s also shared ground between ALL readers. As all of them started reading this series so long ago, and looking back is both familiar and yet very strange.

So more of the sense of “closure”, I would give it a sense of mismatching. Things that won’t return, along with a sense of loss. I think that a complete “happy end” without tradeoffs doesn’t fit well the series.

On the rest he writes I agree, especially on his view on Nynaeve.