I'm in "the slog" of the Wheel of Time, and making my way through book 9, Winter's Heart. I took a break and read some other books in the meantime, finished the Licanius trilogy by James Islington and a few others, and was inspired to read New Spring and quite enjoyed it. Now I'm back in winter, but it doesn't feel quite a slow as 8 so far. Fingers crossed I'll sail through the next portion of the series as it "picks back up".