Robert Jordan's passing was tragic, especially considering that he was unable to complete his WoT series that he loved so much. I must admit, I had lost quite a bit of enthusiasm for the series even before his death - after book 6 things were definitely on a downhill slope. When Sanderson first signed on to finish the series I told myself that I wasn't interested in another author's ending, but after reading Gathering Storm I'm happily hooked again. Sanderson brings a fan's enthusiasm to the series and breaths new life into it. He focused on plot threads we actually care about and is moving the series steadily toward its conclusion.