Yesterday morning I learned that my favorite modern author, Robert Jordan, died of a rare blood disease. He had been battling this disease for quite some time, so this shouldn't have come as a shock. For those of you that are not familiar with his work, he wrote many Conan the Barbarian books before starting a new series around 1990 called "the Wheel of Time". It was reading this series that I have become so attached to Mr. Jordan. There are countless reviews of these works, and all of them spent time on the NYTimes Best Sellers list, so I won't go too deep into the individual books. He brought a full-color look into a world of his creation. From inventing oaths like "blood and ashes" to inventing dice and card games, his attention to detail in daily life aspects was rich. He wrote of an entire political system. He created his own mythology and god/devil concepts.
I think what I appreciated most, though, was how he described battles. His education at the Citadel certainly aided his ability to describe battle formations, but it was the individual combatants' actions that really pulled in the reader. He was able to capture the excitement of a first-time soldier as well as the well experienced. He brought the valor and the raw power of a large battle as well as the carnage while propeling individual story lines. He dealt with food shortages, travel difficulties with armies in pre-mechanized times with great detail.
I clearly love Mr. Jordan's books. Honestly, I haven't finished the series to date, but not from a lack of interest, just a lack of time. His series had/has been a constant across my 20's and 30's unlike anything else. I never knew the author, only his works, but the world will miss all the books that he hadn't been able to write yet, including the conclusion to this series. Thank you, Mr. Jordan, and rest in peace.
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