I read most of Sanderson's other books so I could familiarize myself with his style before The Gathering Storm came out. I liked what I read very much, but i was still a bit nervous--after all, even though Jordan had left entensive notes, and his widow/editor would undoubtedly ensure the story was told the way he wanted it, there was still this question in my mind--would the twelfth installment of this fantastic epic live up to everything we hoped? I needn't have been disappointed; Sanderson did a wonderful job, and, although I didn't like the direction the book was taking at several points, by the end my whole body was covered in goose bumps, and all I could think was, "Blood and bloody ashes!"