Nine hundred pages. It's not enough. Not nearly. It's an odd thought. To approach a tome of such size with a sense of trepidation. Not borne from some child-like belief that it will be impossible to read such a behemoth, but from the knowledge that these are the final words in a story, a relationship, that has lasted more than half my life and which cannot, will not, ever be enough.

The book is A Memory of Light and these are the final pages in the Wheel of Time series.

Loved and hated by fans ... author Robert Jordan

Over the coming weeks, you can expect to see grown men and women carrying around a fantasy novel. They should be easy to spot. It is hard to conceal a gleaming white book the size of a family tissue box. It is even harder to hide the glow of joy and excitement that an unexpected reunion with your past heroes inspires.

Robert Jordan wrote many fantasy novels, under several pen names, yet it was the release of The Eye of the World in 1990 that began this series and elevated him to superstar status. Since then, he has been loved by millions for the world he created. He has also been hated, the hatred only the most passionate fans can summon. Hated for the sometimes two-year wait between novels. Hated for delivering one massive long-anticipated instalment that only advanced the story 24 hours. Hated for releasing a prequel before finishing the series. In short, hated for never being able to quench an insatiable demand for more information about this world we so loved. We wanted more about Rand, Mat and Perrin. About Nynaeve, Egwene and Moiraine, About Aes Sedai, false dragons and the Chosen. About ogier, trollocs and the Aiel. Jordan's universe was so richly populated, so gloriously engaging and we as fans always wanted more.