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New Social Media Team!

A message from the CEO:  
 
When I took over Dragonmount earlier this year, I knew I was in for a challenge. I had been helping founder Jason Denzel for years, but there is something different about being completely in charge!
 
 One of the bigger things I wanted to concentrate on after I got a handle on the day-to-day was to expand and enhance our coverage. Social Media is a huge part of the Wheel of Time community, and I knew we needed to get better at it, but I also wanted to put additional thought and energy into our longer-lasting information. Our news blogs and email newsletters have become very reactionary, and I wanted to get some more opportunities for fuller forms of text that will have a lasting legacy on our history.
 
 In order to do that, I knew I would need some additional help. We have a fantastic team at Dragonmount, full of passionate people, but I knew we would need some people who were concentrating on the writing aspect and knew their stuff when it came to social media as well.
 
 So I started a search. At first, I was worried that no one would be interested. Concerned that if no one applied, we’d be forced to keep going with the team we had and try to make it work. Quickly, the opposite problem began to occur. As each day passed, more and more people applied, and I started realizing that we would have a difficult time picking the right person.
 
 The long, drawn-out process felt like overkill for what is ultimately a passion project, volunteering with a small payment as a cherry on top, but as time went on, I realized how incredible this option was. I had a plethora of absolutely incredible humans to talk to and find the right individuals. Because as I got deeper into the process, I realized I couldn’t pick just one.
 
 And so it is with supreme joy and pride that I announce our new Social Media Team for Dragonmount. Thank you to Erin, Grace, Humberto, Kevin, Michael, and Rita for accepting the offer to come and play with us on the Slopes of Dragonmount. We’re so happy you’ve joined us!
 
Kathy Campbell
 
 
Erin
 

 
 A dedicated consumer of knowledge, Erin DeSimone wears many hats in her life. She holds MBA and PMP credentials, and serves as a Program Manager in her day job, putting her organizational skills (and spreadsheet wizardry) to use. After discovering the Wheel of Time in her college years, Erin became a member of the fandom and has become increasingly involved over time. When she's not immersed in something Wheel of Time related (or at Disney World), she's a Dungeon Master, crafting narratives that might even intrigue Verin Sedai herself.
 
Grace
 

 
 Grace is a licensed mental health counselor who believes in the healing power of found family in fantasy novels and IRL. Also known as Bain & Chiad, Grace has been reading The Wheel of Time since 1998, when she and her high school sweetheart dressed up as Elayne and Rand for Halloween. She fell in love with present-day WoT fandom and was inducted into the Far Dareis Mai in 2019. She is the writer of Maidens’ List and a co-host of The Light’s Work and Three Fold Talk.
 
Kevin
 

 
Kevin is a business analyst with a passion for comedy, analyzing patterns, and The Wheel of Time. Kevin started The Wheel of Time in 2015 on a whim after an unrelated podcast mentioned it a few times, but didn’t find his way fully into the fandom until April 2022. Since then, Kevin has become infamous for his creations using trollocs, looney theories, and probably not being the Tweeter of Chaos. Kevin is also known as KEVIN, when providing comedic relief/discomfort on Twitter (@GradeKangusBeef), chatting with friends on The Kevin Podcast, and more recently, causing trouble as a cohost on Tar Valon After Dark. 
 
Rita
 

 
Rita is a 20-year-old university student from Portugal passionate about fantasy, social sciences, and The Wheel of Time. Her sister introduced Rita to the Wheel of Time books when she was 16. After finishing the last book, Rita joined the fandom in July 2021 with the creation of her Twitter/X account. Currently, Rita, also known as Maiden of the Spear (@maiden_of_spear), shares her passion for the TV show, the books, and her love for Mat Cauthon (The last being what she's most known for in the fandom) with the community on a daily basis.
 
Humberto
 

 
 Humberto Tramujas is a narrative concept developer with a creative vision and storytelling focus. He centers his work on creative writing, narrative, and direction across multiple media. Humberto has been working with a narrative for tabletop RPGs and social media work involving Social Cause Awareness themes and Geek subjects. Humberto started reading Wheel of Time in 2014 when the first books were released in Brazil.
 
Michael
 
  
 
Michael is a geologist and science communicator living in Colorado. He enjoys finding connecting narratives that bring relatively niche subjects to the public interest, whether that is geology or multi-volume fantasy series. Michael first read Wheel of Time in 2002 when the YA targeted From The Two Rivers and To The Blight releases of Eye of the World came out. He found Dragonmount shortly after, via a dial-up Internet connection, when searching for information about the upcoming Crossroads of Twilight. 
 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    After a long search, Dragonmount has finally found its new Social Media Team. Meet them here! 

Kathy Campbell
Kathy Campbell

Season 2 Finale Q&A

The week of The Wheel of Time Season Two's mind-blowing season finale, showrunner Rafe Judkins graced fans with a spoiler-free Instagram Q&A session. This casual tête-à-tête was a much-needed treat, especially since Rafe had been incommunicado during the strike. But fear not, my fellow WoT aficionados, because following a hard-fought agreement, Rafe has made a triumphant return to the heart of the Wheel of Time community.
During this virtual Q&A, Rafe tackled six questions asked by the community posted on the official Wheel of Time Instagram account. His responses danced between behind-the-scenes anecdotes and personal favorites.
Rafe started with some interesting tidbits about Season Two. He discussed the significant risks and rewards, particularly mentioning the beach locations in Morocco ”where no one had shot a TV show or movie before”, He explained the challenge these locations presented and how rewarding it was to see them on screen.
When quizzed about his favorite character introduction in Season Two, Rafe quipped, “I can't decide between Elayne, Aviendha, and Verin”, making us feel like we're all in the same boat with all these fantastic additions to the show.
Rafe even hinted at an Easter egg related to “an incredibly important weave in Episode 7” that allows channelers to travel long distances. We certainly will see more of that in the future!
Halloween is creeping up on us. Rafe couldn't choose a favorite costume from the show, but he confessed, "If I were to go as someone for Halloween, it would probably be High Lady Suroth."
When asked about the outstanding performance of Hopper, Rafe praised Ka Lapinka, the wolf responsible for bringing the pupper to life. “She does something incredibly impressive in Episode 8 that is not CGI”. We know now that he was talking about that heartbreaking death scene. I know wolves are supposed to be scary, but I would love to pet Hopper.
Rafe concluded by hinting at his favorite moment from the Season Two finale but refrained from sharing further details to avoid spoilers. He hinted "a certain moment with Mat Cauthon and a musical instrument."
For the full Q&A experience and more of Rafe's quips and secrets, head to The Wheel of Time's Instagram account.
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    During a Q&A session that followed the Season 2 finale, Showrunner Rafe Judkins openly discussed his favorite moments so far.

Humberto Tramujas
Humberto Tramujas

Rafe Judkins at New York Comic Con 2023

Coming hot on the heels of the epic Season Two finale just over one week ago, The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins made two surprise appearances in NYC this weekend, bringing exciting Season Three news to delighted WoT fans in the Big Apple. 
 
His first appearance was at New York Comic Con 2023 on Saturday afternoon during the Prime Video Presents: The Power of Prime panel. Judkins appeared again on Sunday to introduce a special in-theater screening of the Season Two finale at the Whitby Hotel. The charismatic showrunner also stayed after the screening to participate in a Q&A about Season Two with television critic Sean T. Collins.
 
On Sunday, during the post-screening Q&A, Judkins pleased Ingtar fans everywhere by teasing a Season Two deleted scene revealing that Ingtar is, in fact, a Darkfriend. He also shared that Season Three would be a big one for Rand and Perrin and that the Moghedien scenes are “to die for.” 
 
 
 
 
Judkins confirmed the Aiel Waste as a filming location for Season Three and teased other iconic Book Four locations, including “tropical” Tanchico and the Two Rivers (already lightly hinted at by a screaming Dain Bornhald in Episode 8). Most surprisingly, Judkins shared that Season Three will feature the Sea Folk, who will show viewers “new versions” of channeling in other cultures.
 
At NYCC, Judkins confirmed that Season Three of The Wheel of Time will focus “on one book” (Book Four, The Shadow Rising). He also teased the casting of “a Forsaken you have not seen yet,” noting that he enjoys reading the “very serious commentary online” about which of the Forsaken will appear in the show. 
 
Judkins then promised a visit to Rhuidean and an exploration of Dreamwalking “with the Aiel,” which all but guarantees the appearance of Wise Ones in Season Three. Finally, after praising Kate Fleetwood’s performance, Judkins shared that viewers will find out at the very beginning of Season Three “what Liandrin’s been up to.”
 
The showrunner also spoke about the “magic” of filming The Wheel of Time, describing two favorite moments from Season Two: Rosamund Pike “channeling fire itself” on a Moroccan beach at sunset, and Dónal Finn sharing that he’d learned of his casting as Mat while standing on the very same wall in Essaouira where he blew the Horn of Valere in Episode 8.
 
The conversation with Judkins came at the end of The Wheel of Time portion of the NYCC Prime Video panel, which focused primarily on visual effects in Season Two, opening with a NYCC-exclusive VFX highlight reel for in-person ticket holders. The panelists, moderated by Damian Holbrook of TV Guide Magazine, included executive producer Marigo Kehoe, VFX supervisor Andy Scrase, and VFX producer Brian Shows. 
 
Highlights from the VFX discussion included Scrase’s passionate description of his process for reinventing the look of channeling in Season Two, with the goal of making it look more “organic” and “thread-like,” with specific details woven into each element beyond just the difference in color: sparks when channeling Fire, water droplets for Water, and distorted ripples for Air. Kehoe echoed her appreciation for the meticulous VFX work on channeling, in particular during the “novice kitchen scene.”

Shar from the podcast WOT in Color attended the screening and shared the full Episode 8 discussion with us: 

 
 
Grace is a licensed mental health counselor who believes in the healing power of found family in fantasy novels and IRL. Also known as Bain & Chiad, Grace has been reading The Wheel of Time since 1998, when she and her high school sweetheart dressed up as Elayne and Rand for Halloween. She fell in love with present-day WoT fandom and was inducted into the Far Dareis Mai in 2019. She is the writer of Maidens’ List and a cohost of The Light’s Work and Three Fold Talk.
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    In Two Surprise Appearances, Showrunner Rafe Judkins Teases Deleted Scene, Confirms Sea Folk, Tanchico and More in Season Three of The Wheel of Time


     

Grace Dareis Mai
Grace Dareis Mai

Rafe Judkins AMA on Season Two

Showrunner Rafe Judkins wasted no time after the WGA strike ended before coming back to #TwitterOfTime with the perfect post:
 
 
He then answered a ton of questions for fans. Book consultant Sarah Nakamura also answered some detailed questions.
Let’s start off with Rafe’s general praise for the writers, actor and crew for Season Two. 
 

 

 

 
Rafe addressed the many challenges the team faced between COVID and the writers and actors strikes.
 

 

 
 
Rafe and Sarah answered some questions about the incredible episode 6: Eyes without Pity, and the rest of episodes in Season Two.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
The Wheel of Time story contains thousands of characters and are played by incredible actors in the TV show. Rafe answered quite a few questions about our favorite characters for the light and for the dark.
 
We will never forget “Steve” from Season One, who ended up being left on the cutting room floor, but became a classic meme for the fandom. 

 
 
Questions about characters for the Light:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
And as the Pattern must have balance, so must the light be balanced with dark and we have questions about Forsaken & Dark Friends:
 

 

 

 

 
The next series of questions are deep diving into some of the changes regarding the elaborate magic system: channeling. Lots of book fans have questions about just how channeling works in the TV show since it’s different than in the books. Book consultant & expert Sarah Nakamura took on many of these questions.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
WOT Origins was much praised by fans for Season One, and unfortunately we haven’t seen the last two episodes of the first batch, and there are none for Season Two.  It doesn’t look like we’ll be getting any more.
 

 

 
Finally let’s take a look at questions about Season Three and Beyond:
 

 

 

 

 
That’s a wrap on all the Q&A from Twitter last week! Make sure you tune in this week for the Season Two finale of The Wheel of Time!! What did you all think of Rafe’s answers? Isn’t it nice to have him back!? Let us know what answer most surprised you in the comments below.
 
Also don’t forget to tune into Dragonmount ReWOTch every Monday over on Youtube and Twitch.
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    The Wheel of Time Showrunner returned to Twitter to answer fan questions about Season Two!

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

Happy 25th Birthday Dragonmount!

Dragonmount.com started twenty five years ago on September 19th, 1998 by founder Jason Denzel.
 
So began the gathering place for the Wheel of Time fans around the world. Dragonmount has been a place for fans of The Wheel of Time to theorize, debate, and discuss our favorite book series.
 

Screenshot of Dragonmount in 2005
 
 
Folks have been posting in the forums, watching our Youtube Show, and listening to our TV show podcast.
 
Over the years Dragonmount has also hosted Robert Jordan’s blog.
 
To celebrate Dragonmount’s anniversary, Jason Denzel is hosting an “Ask Me Anything” on social media, including an AMA over on Reddit.
 
He’s also answering questions on Twitter:
 
 
And thank you, Jason, for creating this wonderful community that has been the place for The Wheel of Time news and connections for so many of us fans.
 
We’d love to hear when or how you found Dragonmount and The Wheel of Time community! Let us know in the comments below.
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    Dragonmount has now been on the internet for 25 years.

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

Wheel of Time Season 1 Marathon and Charity Livestream!

With the Second Season of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video just a week away (September first) it’s time to rewatch Season One!
 
Dragonmount is hosting a charity livestream over on Twitch as we re-watch all eight episodes of Season One of The Wheel of Time! 
 
Beginning at 11am EDT, we will be live all day hanging out with some of your favorite content creators, with appearances from the legendary Harriet McDougal & Maria Simons. 
 
We will be raising money for the American Red Cross - Maui Wildfire Disaster Relief. If you can't make the livestream you can donate directly here. 
 
We will also be giving away some awesome prizes if you join us & donate to those effected by the Maui Wildfires. We will be giving away one set of the Eye of the World Graphic Novels for the best Closet Cosplay! Share on to social media and find out more here. 
 
Other prizes include: 
Show Tie-In Novel of The Great Hunt + Robert Jordan Signed book plate 2 Black Tower Podcast shots glasses and a Frosty Drinking mug Other fabulous prizes!   

 
 
Add your Twitch account to your active amazon prime account to join the watch party on Twitch. You can also find the livestream on YouTube. 
 
Don't forget to join us on social media! 
Follow Dragonmount on Twitch
and
Subscribe to Dragonmount on YouTube
 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    Join Team Dragonmount tomorrow August 26th on Twitch as we watch the first season of The Wheel of Time!

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

Aug 26th Livestream Wheel of Time Marathon #reWoTch Closet Cosplay Contest!

Hey there, Wheel of Time fans! It's time to dive into the fun and fabulous Closet Cosplay Contest during our charity stream marathon Aug 26th starting at 11am Eastern on our Twitch. We want you to dig deep and come up with a Wheel of Time themed cosplay. Whether you don an elaborate costume or turn everyday items into an epic ensemble, we can't wait to see your creative genius in action!
 
When to Strut Your Stuff:
The closet cosplay showdown kicks off at 11am EDT with our livestream. It's your chance to get creative and have fun while doing something awesome for charity! 
 
How to Get in on the Action:
Step 1: Stick with us
First things first, show us some serious love! Hit that subscribe button on YouTube and that follow button on Twitch. Why? Because this is where the magic happens—updates, fun moments, and vibes you won't want to miss.
 
Step 2: Strut your stuff
Time to bring your A-game! Strike a pose and snap a photo of your genius creation. Share your masterpiece on Twitter or Instagram. Remember to tag Dragonmount and throw in the hashtag #reWoTch to join the party.  Twitter- @dragonmount & Instagram- @dragonmount_
 
Step 3: Lock in your shot
Here's where it gets real—lock in your shot at the set of Graphic Novels by Macmillan. Donate any amount to our Charity stream. Then, pop an email with the subject line “reWoTch cosplay” over to social@dragonmount.com with your Twitch and YouTube usernames. Don't forget to attach your cosplay pic!
 
Everyone's invited to join in for a seriously good time. But if you're aiming for the prize, you've got to go all in with all three steps. The winner must provide a shipping address within the continental United States for us to ship the prize to. 
 
How We Roll:
The Dragonmount team will pick our top 5 favorite entries. These are the ones that capture the spirit, make us laugh, and have us saying, "Wow, that's pure genius!" Then YOU, your fans, your friends, and fellow Wheel of Time enthusiasts will have the chance to vote in a poll to decide who takes the Closet Cosplay crown. 
 
The Big Giveaway:
We're not fooling around, folks. The winner gets their hands on something epic: the complete set of "The Eye of the World" graphic novels by MacMillan! Yep, that's a whopping 6 issues of pure Wheel of Time goodness.
 
Mark Your Calendar:
The Closet Cosplay Contest starts at 11am EDT at the start of our live stream.
Make sure you've done all 3 steps by 8pm EDT during the marathon.
The winner will be announced on Monday!
 
Get ready to show us your Wheel of Time style, and may the most epic closet cosplayer win! 🌟
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    Get Ready to Rock the Wheel of Time #reWoTch Closet Cosplay Contest!

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

Cast Interviews with Daniel Henney, Madeleine Madden, Marcus Rutherford, Ceara Coveney, and Dónal Finn!

With two weeks to go until the premiere of the second season, we can share Dragonmount’s interview with the cast of the Wheel of Time Season two!
 
Kathy Campbell was lucky enough to get five minutes to chat with Madeleine Madden and Daniel Henney, and then Marcus Rutherford, Dónal Finn, and Ceara Coveney. The cast reveals what they are most excited (and nervous) for book fans to see in Season Two! 
 
The interviews occurred in June 2023, before the SAG-AFTRA strike began.
 
Check out the video over on YouTube:

 
The second season of The Wheel of Time will be released on September 1st. We cannot wait to see our favorite characters on screen again! 
 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    Dragonmount interviewed the cast of The Wheel of Time!

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

Rajiv's Threads In the Pattern: Season Two vs. The Great Hunt

Rajiv Moté is Dragonmount’s book blogger with a lens on the craft of fiction writing. When he’s not directing software engineers, he writes fiction of his own, which can be found cataloged at his website.
 
The trailer for Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time season 2 has arrived at last, and fans of the books are wondering whether their favorite scenes will appear, or if this turning of the Wheel will spin things differently.
 


Dragonmount has a helpful set of summaries if it has been a while since your last re-read. The end of Season 1 left things in a different place than the end of book 1. Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, has set off alone to protect others from the madness that he knows will consume him. He seems more the Rand of the beginning of book 3. Moiraine has been exiled from the Tower by Siuan, shielded from the One Power by “the Dark One,” and her bond with Lan is inaccessible. (It raises the question if this shield has affected other things, like the oaths taken on the Oath Rod, or if it was just “stuck on fuzzed.”) Nynaeve and Egwene are still in Fal Dara with Moiraine and Lan. Perrin is dealing with his pacifism having allowed Padan Fain to escape with the Horn of Valere, seemingly at the cost of Loial’s life. In the biggest departure from the books, Mat stayed behind in Tar Valon, never making the trip through the Ways to Fal Dara.

The prologue of The Great Hunt kicks us off with the “Darkfriend Social,” a gathering of hooded and cloaked Darkfriends from across the land, assembled to take orders from “the Dark One.” The trailer for Season 2 does show us a group of hooded and cloaked individuals gathered around a table (we see even more of this gathering in a bonus scene following the season 1 finale!), and even Liandrin sneaking around Tar Valon with her hood up--although she has plenty of others to meet, and standing business in North Harbor. Speaking of Liandrin, she’s also shown with the Great Serpent Ring forge. In the show, Great Serpent Rings are Ajah-specific, so Novices and Accepted couldn’t pass for Aes Sedai if they were to venture out into the world on secret business. Just saying.

The Great Hunt continues showing that some time has passed following the meetings at the Eye. Lan is training Rand to use his heron-mark sword, an investment that will pay off when Rand faces the Seanchan High Lord Turak. Lan also teaches Rand a warrior’s comportment; how to stand with pride even when facing as imposing a figure as the Amyrlin Seat. In the trailer, Rand does face Siuan Sanche, but given that he has wandered into the Blight/Waste at the beginning of the season, this meeting seems likely for later in the season. Without Rand or the Horn, there isn’t much reason for Siuan to make the trip to Fal Dara.

Padan Fain has already made off with the Horn of Valere, so the inciting incident for the Hunt for the Horn has already happened, and without Rand’s presence, or Mat needing his dagger, the duty falls to Perrin. His stake is the most personal--he let Fain get away--and unless Hurin has been cast, Perrin’s ability to talk to wolves is their only way to track the Horn. Will we see a Fade nailed to a door by Padan Fain? I sure hope so.

In The Great Hunt, Siuan and Moiraine plot to use the Hunt as a way to groom Rand to lead the Shienarans, including supplying him with fancy coats and the Dragon Banner. The trailer also shows Rand swaggering in fancy coats, but this new sequence suggests that someone else is responsible for Rand’s new confidence. Lanfear, rising from what looks like a pool of blood, has been freed, and her first priority is to cozy up to Lews Therin reborn and groom him to stand beside her at the apex of power. Rand appears to be learning how to channel as well, and is even conversing with Logain. How much of this is through Lanfear’s orchestration (in the books, she caught Rand his first male teacher, at the end of book 4) remains to be seen. The Dark is still in pursuit of Rand, and it looks like Rand is learning enough to put a sword of flame through a Fade. By the time Rand reunites with Moiraine, he’s angry, full of his own power, and willing to choke an Aes Sedai. Siuan says he can’t be controlled, though it’s unclear if she’s telling Moiraine and if, despite the Oath, the lovers are reunited outside of a flashback.

There are scenes of Rand bound to a wheel, a rather on-the-nose representation of his fate. These images are likely Lanfear messing with Rand’s dreams, trying to get him to rebel against his destiny. Indeed, when Rand faces the Amyrlin Seat, he tells Siuan that he doesn’t want to be a spoke on the Wheel, and Siuan responds that Rand is the water that turns it.

The trailer confirms that Nynaeve and Egwene reach the White Tower, and are joined by Elayne. Verin is cast, so perhaps she takes them, since Moiraine can’t return to the Tower if her Oath holds. Nynaeve takes her test for Accepted and emerges with wounds. There is a scene in the trailer where Nynaeve is wielding a sword, with two other swordsmen visible. This could reference the book conversation with Siuan, where Nynaeve says that she doesn’t need the Power when a sword would do. It could even be a scenario in her testing. Or maybe she’s just wielding a sword. She killed a Trolloc with one, after all.

There is probably no need for Portal Stone flickering realities, as Rand and Lanfear have already been separated from the Hunt for the Horn, but the trailer does show us a laughing Perrin with a young girl who could be his daughter or a little sister, which may be one of his alternate realities. Or, it could be a Wolf Dream. The trailer shows Perrin coming to terms with talking to wolves, and his eyes turn golden.

There’s no indication from this trailer whether Moiraine visits Adeleas and Vandene (with the Dragkhar attack), Rand encounters the Choeden Kal, or Min reconnects with Nynaeve and Egwene at the White Tower. We know Thom does not appear this season. We know Elayne is at the Tower, and a glimpse of the business end of Mat’s quarterstaff suggests that book 3’s sparring with Gawyn and Galad may occur. The Shadar Logoth dagger is still somehow associated with Mat despite his separation from it last season. There’s a fiery explosion, but whether it’s an accident at the Illuminator chapterhouse or Seanchan damane doing battle is yet to be seen. The trailer doesn’t indicate how much of Cairhien and Barthanes’s cocktail party will be in the adaptation. In the book, it’s Barthanes who tells Rand that Fain is waiting on Toman Head.

Ultimately, the book has everyone converge on Toman Head, and this is reflected in the trailer. Perrin’s party, after fighting Whitecloaks (and being aided by Aviendha and the Aiel), becomes prisoners of the Seanchan High Lord Turak, and the Horn of Valere falls into the invader’s hands. Nynaeve, Egwene, and Elayne come to the rescue (sent along by Liandrin, in the book), and Egwene becomes a prisoner of High Lady Suroth’s sul’dam. She goes down fighting with the Power, in the trailer. We do see High Lord Turak, a blademaster, unsheathe his sword, but it’s uncertain whether the show’s Rand has had sufficient training with Lan to beat him like in the book. Could Lan fill the role of Turak’s slayer? I kind of hope not.

This trailer does not show the Horn of Valere being blown, nor the Heroes of the Horn doing battle with the Seanchan. Season 1’s finale was sufficiently different from The Eye of the World that the show may have its own conclusion planned. Does Mat get bound to the Horn? Or does Perrin? Or does the Horn get blown at all? The press interviews promise us a huge battle this season. Watch and Find Out, I suppose.

If I’m interpreting the trailer correctly, this season is hewing much closer to the outline of the second book than season 1. The major differences are with Mat and Thom. But as a fan of the books, I felt like I was back in familiar territory, among friends. I’m excited for the first three episodes streaming on September 1st.
 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    The trailer for Prime Video's The Wheel of Time season 2 suggests that the show will hew closer to its source material. What follows is a breakdown, with spoilers for The Great Hunt.

MahaRaj
MahaRaj

New featurette on Trollocs and first three episodes on September first!

With the second season of The Wheel of Time just a few weeks away we are getting weekly WOT Wednesday news. 
 
Today was a new trailer with the big news that the first three episodes of the second season will drop on September first. 
 
 
 
The other big drop today was a behind-the-scenes look at the Trollocs the “nightmare fuel” monsters for the dark. 
 
 
 
We hear from Rosamund Pike showrunner Rafe Judkins producers Mark Weber and Justine Juel Gillmer and make-up designer Nick Dudman. 
The trollocs are genetically engineered creatures created through a mix of human and animals like birds boars and bears. The show used a mix of practical and visual effects for the trollocs. We see both the creation of the practical with stilts and horns.
 

 
And the cgi visual effects:
 


The featurette shows how some of the stunts were performed and more behind the scenes of the creation of the Trollocs. 
“They are more than just monsters there is a human piece”
 

 
The humanity of the Trollocs is what makes them horrifying, not knowing how much they understand and think for themselves. It seems the second season will explore the complexity of the dark and hopefully will explore the humanity of the Trollocs. 

We can’t wait! What are you looking forward to seeing in the first three episodes? Let us know in the comments below!
 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    The Wheel of Time will premiere the first three episodes on September first!

Kathy Campbell
Kathy Campbell

Check out the first scene of Season Two of The Wheel of Time!

Our newest WOT Wednesday drop is here and it’s a sneak peek of the first scene in Season Two of The Wheel of Time!! Today started off with a quick video that hinted at our new drop - that the first scene of Season Two will play directly after the finale of Season One.
 
It’s a scene many of us fans have been hoping to see, and we get to see it a month early! 
 
Head over to the Prime Video app, and at the end of Seasons One, episode 8, the new sneak peek will play. The scene will be familiar to fans of the books of a scene in The Great Hunt that starts off from the perspective from a new character, a dark friend who calls himself “Bors” who attends what fans endearingly call “the dark friend social.”
 
The sneak peek scene starts off with a young child playing outside, who sees monstrous trollocs appear out of the mist. She runs into to a gathering of figures robed in black. The Man/the Dark One/ Ishamael (played by Fares Fares) pops his head down to let her know she’s interrupting their meeting.
 
A meeting of who appear to be dark friends!! We see: a Seanchan with long fingernails, an Aes Sedai with their stone colored black, a warrior with a hawk sigil, and the child’s mother. We also see Padan Fain pull down his hood and grin at the child. The main theory is that the girl and her mother are tinkers, but there’s a suggestion that they might be from Falme.
 
Ishamael discusses a man, not yet the dragon reborn, called Rand Al’thor. The scene ends with an intriguing and very creepy chat between Ishamael and the child about hungry trollocs and who we consider to be monsters.
 

 
It’s not an exact recreation of the book scene, but it is a gathering of dark friends where the name Rand Al’thor is revealed. There are more figures around the table, maybe fans will dissect the scene until we figure out who’s there, or maybe we will have to wait until we see the whole of Season Two!
 
If you want to see thoughts from Thom at Dragonmount, go check out the livestream he did all about the sneak peek!
 

 
 
 
Today we also got a (previously recorded) video featuring Rosamund Pike, Josha Stradowski, Marcus Rutherford, Dónal Finn, and Ceara Coveney explaining five things to remember about Season One of the Wheel of Time.
 
 
 
 
Season Two of the Wheel of Time will release on September 1st 2023 on Prime Video.
 
What do you guys think of our preview? It’s so creepy and gives us lots to theorize about! 
 
 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    Head over to the Prime Video app to watch the first scene of The Wheel of Time Season Two play right after the finale of episode eight. 

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

Season Two Costume Sketches

With the second season of The Wheel of Time just around the corner, we are starting to see weekly WOT Wednesday posts. This last week, on Wednesday July 26th, was all about Season Two costume design from Sharon Gilham. As part of the drop The Nerdist interviewed Sharon Gilham. She had some interesting things to say so lets see what costumes might mean for the storyline of Season Two!
 
Sharon is the new costumer designer for season two, having previously designed for The Stranger and Jamestown. She’s also quite active over on instagram, so make sure you follow her over there! 
 
Let's take a closer look at the new sketches! First up is the Amyrlin Seat herself: Siuan Sanche played by Sophie Okonedo. Similarly to how we see her in Season One, Siuan is wearing ornate gold gowns in her official role as leader of the White Tower. 
 

 
 
It's very interesting how the costume design has chosen to not include a very visible striped stole like described in the book. Both seasons have had a more subdued inclusion of all the Ajahs on the Amyrlin's clothes. I hope we see a few good shots in the show of the back of her cape! In the photo they released, we only see the front of her outfit. Siuan dresses like the most powerful person in the world with the richness of her gown and robes and headdress. For all of Robert Jordan's elaborate descriptions I don't remember ever reading about a headdress for the Amyrlin. It definitely makes her stand out in a crowd! 
 

 
 
Next up we have Moiraine Sedai, played by Rosamund Pike. 
 

 
 
The final look went for more solid coloring for Moiraine. I'm a little bummed that we don't see her in something with pattern, even though the solid colors seem to suit Moiraine better. I think the pattern would have shown how she's outside her element being back in Cairhien. It appears that's where a good part of the story for Season Two takes place in Cairhien. Moiraine wasn't in Cairhien with the rest of the characters in book two, The Great Hunt, but with her history (and the fact that she's a Damodred, part of the royal house of Cairhien) it feels realistic for her to be there. The photo of Moiraine of the final costume is (annoyingly) cut off, so we can't see if she is wearing a shorter skirt here like in the sketch. The Japanese influences are quite clear in the top of the dress, sleeves and belt.  
 

 
 
Next we move over to a whole other continent, a whole other culture - the Seanchan! This civilization from across the sea has a different history and culture than the ones we've been introduced to so far. Robert Jordans descriptions are so vivid of insect like helmets etc. First up we have High Lady Suroth. The actor for this role has not been officially announced yet, so some speculation continues! 
 


 
Okay there's so much that's so cool about this costume! First let's look at what costume designer Sharon said about Lady Suroth: 
 
 
The Seanchan are obsessed with status, and their clothes must reflect that. Lady Suroth's elaborate headpiece hides her head (which sounds like there's more under the mask than we might expect). Yet there's so much that is from Robert Jordan's descriptions - the long nails, the pleated robes. I can't wait to be absolutely terrified by this group. There's always different reasons for changes from the book descriptions, what it okay in written word doesn't always translate to television. Sometimes there's practical considerations. And sometimes you have to go all out like 12 in long fingernails. Yes, they are not lacquered. But they are soooo long as we can see in the photo of the final costume. 
 

 
The last group has the lowest social status of the Seanchan empire - those who can channel, or Damane. We don't have any official announcements for the actors playing damane in Season two. 
 

 

 
In the books the damane are collared and leashed to the Sul'dam, those who control their channeling. In the show, it appears the collar is more of a chest brace than dog collar. The Sul'dam have a bracer or arm cuff rather than a bracelet. 
 
 

 
Part of Seanchan hierarchy is about who is allowed to speak. This is a very visible way of communicating that the Damane don't have a voice or any control over their own lives. The mouthpiece is also similar in shape to a device used during the eras of Slavery in the United States to prevent the enslaved from eating. One other interesting thing to note is that Sharon says the collars can be removed when a damane dies. That has interesting implications for the story line of season two. We will have to see how the characters handle that bit of information. Seeing these costumes (and some of the shots from the trailer) make me very nervous for one my favorite characters. It's hard to read about the treatment of the damane, seeing their lives on TV will be absolutely heartbreaking. 
 
 
That a wrap on WOT Wednesday costumes! Can't wait for what we will see next week. What do you guys think of the costume sketches? Let us know in the comments below! 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    The latest WOT Wednesday drop are drawings for some of the amazing costumes! 

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

Dragonmount is hiring a social media manager!

Over the past 25 years, Dragonmount has grown and changed so much. The purpose and goals of the community have adjusted to move with the times, and now, with the changing of the guard, it’s time to ramp up even more.
 
In order to make sure the community receives the best access, we are looking for someone to manage our social media and other external communications. This role will receive monetary compensation! 
 
We strongly welcome applications from members of minority groups, and we do not discriminate on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, religion, disabilities, etc.
 

What will this entail?
 
Social Media - providing news/updates/engagement across all of our social media platforms: Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Discord, etc
Patreon - sending updates for Patreons with information collected from our different branches, other goodies, and plans just for our Patreon members.
Newsletter - sending at least monthly newsletters to our list with updates across the company, including featuring merch, social media campaigns, videos, etc
Extras - You’ll be a part of the team, and that means you’ll get to be involved in some of the great things we’re lucky enough to participate in (in-person screenings, red carpet, interviews, etc.) This means we’ll want to use your help to make Dragonmount amazing! 
Time Expected - Will be different depending on the news cycle and your engagement plans, but less than 5 hours a week if efficient.
 
 
Who are we looking for?
 
You are passionate about The Wheel of Time and the community as a whole.
You want to contribute to one of the oldest Wheel of Time communities.
Knowledge of social media platforms, ideas on how to leverage it to grow the community and engagement, and a desire to make Dragonmount become even more amazing!
You have the time in your day to be able to quickly prep and share new information when Prime Video sends out announcements (sometimes last minute…sometimes we get advanced notice).
We are looking for someone behind the scenes to spearhead our ever-growing social media presence.
You will not be required to be in front of the camera.
 
 
Is this you?
 
To apply, please fill out this Google Form
If you have any questions, feel free to send an email to kathy@dragonmount.com.
 
 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    Join the Dragonmount team!

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

The Wheel of Time Season Two Trailer

This morning we have the first official trailer for Season Two of The Wheel of Time. 
 
The Wheel of Time will premier on September 1st 2023. The second season covers content from books two: The Great Hunt and parts of book three: The Dragon Reborn. 
 
There's also news about WOTwednesdays, which is returning! 
 
 
 
If you have the availability to support industry folks impacted by the WGA & SAG-AFTRA strike, please consider contributing to the entertainment community fund.
 
 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    The first trailer is here! 

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

Wheel of Time Season Two Trailer will drop tomorrow!

The Wheel of Time social media accounts have announced that we will see the trailer tomorrow morning, July 18th at 6am pacific.
Today we've also seen a few more photos from season two including Rand, Nynaeve and the Seanchan. 
Last week we saw the official poster for season 2 featuring all our favorite main characters: 
It's been nearly two years since we saw the the trailer for Season One of the Wheel of Time. It was such a fun time reacting to the trailer and sharing the experience together over on YouTube.
 
If you have the availability to support industry folks impacted by the WGA & SAG-AFTRA strike, please consider contributing to the entertainment community fund.
 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    The trailer drops at 6am PT on July 19th 2023. 

     

     

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

An update on our Wheel of Time coverage

Starting today, Dragonmount will be resuming our coverage of Season Two of The Wheel of Time.
 
We fully support WGA & SAG-AFTRA strike. After consulting with people connected to the show and the union directly, we’ll cover the show itself, but no specific companies or any other struck work
 
Even though The Wheel of Time show is not a SAG project, the actors and writers cannot promote it themselves at this time. We fully support them on this incredible project and want to see it succeed.
 
If you have the availability to support industry folks impacted by the strike, please consider contributing to the entertainment community fund.
 
Stay tuned to Dragonmount for some exciting news! 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    We are resuming coverage of Season Two!

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

The Wheel of Time Season Two is coming September 1st, 2023

The Wheel of Time is returning on September 1st, 2023 to Prime Video! 
 
Entertainment Weekly also published first look photos of season two. The photos include a good look at the Seanchan with the Fares Fares as the Dark One and Hammed Animashaun as Loial,  Dónal Finn as Mat Cauthon, and the rest of the main cast, including Rosamund Pike as Moiraine, Madeleine Madden as Egwene, Daniel Henney as Lan,  Zoë Robbins as Nynaeve, Josha Stradowski as Rand, Marcus Rutherford as Perrin, and Aoolya Smart as Aviendha. 
 
 
 
We've previously seen some behind the scenes content about Season Two including a sizzle reel during San Diego Comic Con, a sneak peek during New York Comic Con and an interview and casting announcement during JordanCon. 
 
The Wheel of Time Twitter account also posted this clip from Josha Stradowski responding to twitter user "Default Rand" who has been asking the official account everyday for the release date. Day 449 is the one! 
 
Less than 100 days until release! Who's planning a watch party? Let us know in the comments below. 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    We have our release date plus first-look photos! 

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

Meera Syal is confirmed as Verin Sedai

After years of speculation we have confirmation from the Nerdist that Meera Syal is Verin Mathwin, Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah, in season two of the Wheel of Time on Prime Video. The Nerdist article suggested to not google Verin to avoid spoilers, and we'd like to reenforce that recommendation! Brown Ajah are pursuers of knowledge and devote themselves to study and research. Verin is first introduced in book two, The Great Hunt, so it makes sense we will see her in season two. 
Meera was first announced as joining the cast in October 2021. We've wondered and guessed who she could be playing, and then a couple weeks ago showrunner Rafe Judkins teased fans with a WOT Wednesday post that nearly, but not quite, revealed Meera's role. The following week during JordanCon 2023 we had four new casting announcements, and Meera was not included much to our disappointment! Today's announcement was a Nerdist exclusive and we are so excited to finally know this casting!  
 
Welcome again Meera, and we can't wait to see you play Verin! 

 
 
 
 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    Meera Syal is our favorite Brown sister!

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

New Casting Announcements at JordanCon 2023

Happy JordanCon 2023! Wheel of Time Fans from across the world have gathered for the 15th annual JordanCon in Atlanta, Georgia.
 
To celebrate, the cast and crew of The Wheel of Time television show on Prime Video put together a short video for fans (link & embed relevant tweet?).
 

 
As part of the video we learned about four new casting announcements for Season 2, including:
 
Maja Simonsen as “Chiad” Ragga Ragnars as “Bain” Jay Duffy as “Dain Bornhald” Rima Te Wiata as “Sheriam Bayanar”  




 
Welcome to the Wheel of Time Family Maja, Ragga, Jay, and Rima! We can’t wait to see you in your roles!
 
Earlier this week, Showrunner Rafe Judkins teased fans with the return of WOT Wednesday, where he plans to post more behind-the-scenes tidbits. This week he teased the casting of Meera Syal without revealing her role. She was not revealed today, so the mystery of her role will continue!
There’s still no official word on when we will see Season 2, however, Rafe announced that Season 3 has begun filming!
 
Are you at JordanCon this weekend? Tag Dragonmount and we will share your photos! Let us know what you think about the new casting in the comments below.
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    We have our Bain, Chiad, Dain and Sheriam!

Dragonmount.com
Dragonmount.com

Rosamund Pike wins 2023 Audie award for Best Female Narrator

The Wheel of Time actress, Rosamund Pike, a fan favorite known for playing Moiraine on the Prime Video TV series, has won an Audie award for Best Female Narrator for her recording of The Eye of the World. 
The Audies are awarded for the best audiobooks by the Audio Publishers Association (APA). The Eye of the World was released in November 2021 by Macmillan Audio. During her acceptance speech Rosamund acknowledged the narrators of the previous versions of the audiobooks, Michael Kramer and Kate Reading.
 
 
Rosamund also mentioned that her mother, Caroline Friend, was the director of the audio book, and that the third audiobook, (The Dragon Reborn) will be released in June 2023. 
 
Have you had a chance to listen to Rosamund's version of The Eye of the World? You can find it on Audible, Amazon, Google. Let us know what you think in the comments below! 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    Rosamund Pike wins an Audie award for her narration of The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

Rajiv's Threads In the Pattern: Wired Thinks World Building Is Mormon

Rajiv Moté is Dragonmount’s book blogger with a lens on the craft of fiction writing. When he’s not directing software engineers, he writes fiction of his own, which can be found catalogued at his website.
 
There is an ongoing moment in the literary world (see “Cat Person” and “Bad Art Friend”) where fiction is seen as a puzzle-box for readers to decipher truths about the authors and the lit scene. The events in these stories are fictional, but if you sleuth enough, you’ll find the scandalous truths about the author and their acquaintances, showing that it’s all just veiled biography.

When I read Jason Kehe’s attempted exposé of author Brandon Sanderson in Wired Magazine, “Brandon Sanderson Is Your God,” the best (and maybe most charitable) reason I could infer for the article’s existence was that Kehe wanted to reveal the hidden-and-problematic truth of Sanderson’s popularity. Then he got mad that he couldn’t.

Kehe enters Sanderson’s world like a Royal Academy ethnographer coming to study a primitive culture, or maybe a New York columnist who has a layover in the midwest and decides to write about it. He sneers at the prose (“At the sentence level, he is no great gift to English prose”), Sanderson’s writing process (“Sanderson has said: “I detest rewriting,” “I write for endings,” and “I write to relax.” It shows. He writes, by one metric, at a sixth-grade reading level”), Utah restaurants (“at that first dinner, over flopsy Utah Chinese”), his friends and family (“Sanderson’s assistant is his wife’s sister. As I orient myself within the Cosmere House, I keep running into his nearest and dearest. His doppelgänger brother. Multiple siblings-in-law. Neighbors. People’s children”), their topics of conversation (“Sanderson gives feedback with half his brain, the other half occupied with autographing books. It’s only afterward that the real talk happens, such as Star Wars debates”), his fans (“As is typically the case at these things, there’s a general air—warmish, body-odored—of unselfconsciousness. By my rough count, some three-quarters of the attendees are men, boys, menboys, blurring together in a mass of pale, fleshy nerdery in Sanderson-appropriate graphic tees”), his religion (“it’s no secret: Mormonism is the fantasy of religion. ‘The science-fiction edition of Christianity,’ I’ve heard it called, with its angels and alternative histories, embodied gods, visions and plates made of gold”), and even actor Hugh Jackman (“When Hugh, lame Hugh, opens his mouth to sing, I can’t help it. I burst into tears”).

But these jabs aren’t the point of the article. Kehe is searching for something. A thesis. Yes, it seems to offend him that Sanderson rakes in money, has legions of fans, but isn’t a public discussion topic in the way George R. R. Martin or J.K. Rowling are. But Kehe seems to be looking for a way to tie who Brandon Sanderson is with the books he cranks out, and reveal that his fans are embracing something that’s at best misguided, and at worse, wrong by the standards of Wired’s sophistication.

 

The angle Kehe choses is Mormonism. There are legitimate criticisms arising from Mormon beliefs. Both Sanderson and science fiction author Orson Scott Card (the other “weirdo Mormon” Kehe mentions) have gone on record condemning homosexuality as sinful, as their religion instructs, and the “love the sinner, hate the sin” stance they take is no less problematic. But Kehe doesn’t even mention that. He traces the well-worn fantasy tropes of invented gods, rule-based magic, and heroic apotheosis to Mormonism, and Brandon agrees. Kehe thinks Sanderson walked into the trap with his eyes open, and concludes, “The surprise is that it was Sanderson’s ending all along, the ending of his best books. A character becomes a god, and the god beholds his planet below. If Sanderson is a writer, that is all he is doing. He is living his fantasy of godhead on Earth.”

Is that all? Even Tolkien, whom Kehe (justifiably) venerates and thinks that some Sanderson fans will eventually “graduate” to reading, wrote stories in a Christian moral frame with Biblical themes, if not so blatantly as his friend C.S. Lewis. But this is where Jason Kehe wraps up his own Hero’s Journey. It’s in the article’s title, subtitle, and concluding paragraphs. Brandon Sanderson is a Mormon, his stories share ideas with Mormonism, and he builds worlds like a self-styled God.

Big deal. 

As if world-building was a “Mormon” thing and not a “fiction” thing.

Sanderson wrote a response to the Wired article on Reddit. It was classy, perhaps over-charitable, and it upsets the apple cart on Kehe’s starting premise. Sometimes, the author isn’t the story. Sometimes, like in this case, the author is just someone doing what he loves and found a substantial audience who loves the result, even if it’s simply low entertainment and not High Art. And that’s okay.
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    Wired Magazine sought to write an exposé on fantasy author Brandon Sanderson, but couldn’t get the facts to fit the framing. They published it anyway.

MahaRaj
MahaRaj

New Deleted Scene from Season One

Last summer at the first WoTCoN, fans saw two deleted scenes from Season One of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video. The first scene, featuring Egwene, was released on social media soon afterwards. The second scene was not, until now. 
 
This week, The Wheel of Time social media accounts released the deleted scene featuring Michael McElhatton as Tam al'Thor and Madeleine Madden as Egwene al'Vere. The scene provides more context about The Two Rivers history, Tam's late wife, and his relationship with Rand. 
 
 
Let us know what you think of the deleted scene in the comments below! 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    The Wheel of Time has released a deleted scene featuring our favorite Dad,  Tam al'Thor!

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

Hype Train for Season Two!

A few weeks ago Rob from Malkier Talks tagged us in a Hype Train with eleven questions to get us excited for the eventual return of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video. 
 
 
Here's the questions Rob proposed: 
 
Questions
1 - What is your favourite episode from season one?
2 - Who is your favourite character from season one?
3 - What is your favourite piece of dialogue from season one?
4 - Which character did you end up loving that you didn't expect to love so much?
5 - Who had the best outfit in season one?
6 - Who portrayed their character the best and why?
7 - Tell us about a moment that unexpectedly made you laugh or cry in season one?
8 - What moment was the best homage to the books?
9 - Aside from Blood Snow, what was your favourite Cold Open?
10 - What was the best moment in the BTS footage of season two?
11 - Which new actor are you most excited to see on screen? Ceara, Donal, or Ayoola?
 
 
We responded with our own video over on YouTube. Check it out to find out how Thom, Kathy and Kitty answered Robs' questions!
 

 
 
Let's keep the hype train going! 
 
Let us know your answers to Malkier Talks questions in the comments below! 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    Thom, Kathy, and Kitty share their favorite moments from Season One and get hyped for Season Two of The Wheel of Time. 

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

Ten Year Anniversary of A Memory of Light

Katy is a news contributor for Dragonmount. You can follow her as she shares her thoughts on The Wheel of Time TV Show on Instagram and Twitter @KatySedai
 

This story contains spoilers for the entire Wheel of Time series, until the very end of A Memory of Light. Please proceed with caution if you haven’t finished the book!
 

Brandon Sanderson and Harriet McDougal hold copies of A Memory of Light in January 2013. 
 
It has been ten years since A Memory of Light, the final volume of The Wheel of Time was released. Since then fans have read and reread the books. New fans have found their way to the books, and have finished the series. Most of the mysteries from the series are tied up, but not all of them.
 
For ten years, author Brandon Sanderson has been holding onto one final secret, which he revealed during a recent interview with Matt Hatch on The Dusty Wheel YouTube channel.  
 

 
 
Brandon talked with Team Jordan, and the plan was to always reveal this final secret after ten years. Matt and Brandon also discussed other secrets that have been haunting fans for the last ten years. They divided the conversation into three parts, the first, are secrets that are perhaps resolved, and have been discussed before. The middle is the big new reveal, and the final section is a Q&A from fans.
 
There are number of existing fan theories from the end of A Memory of Light that Brandon and Matt covered during their conversation.
First is “the pipe”. Rand lights a pipe in the Epilogue, and Brandon confirms it is one of the last mysteries of the series. We will forever be able to debate and theorize about it because Robert Jordan left no answers. Brandon believes that Rand was close to the pattern, and therefore able to affect objects In the real world. Harriet believes it’s Jordan’s way of showing us that the 4th age will be as different from the 3rd as the 3rd was from the 2nd. Matt Hatch said his favorite theory is his friend Mary’s - it’s a ter’angreal. The next mystery is the identity of Nakomi, the aiel woman who visits first Aviendha and then Rand at the end of the books. Robert Jordan included a woman at the bore after Rand had walked out of Shayol Ghul, but left no details and no one from Team Jordan knew who she was. Brandon added the scene with Aviendha to foreshadow this mystery woman. He said it’s canon that Aviendha is asleep, but the details of Nakomi’s identity is Brandon’s theory more than anything.  All the details about Nakomi are revealed in Origins of the Wheel of Time by Michael Livingston. Brandon and Matt also discussed the body swap theory from the end of the books. There was a thread on reddit in 2019 where someone correctly outlined how the body swap worked, with the two men being linked by balefire streams crossing. Brandon confirmed this theory, and confirmed the answer comes from Robert Jordan via Harriet. Brandon sees this as a chance for Rand to lay down the weight and go live a life.   
Then we come to the big “final” secret. 
At the very end of A Memory of Light, the forsaken, Lanfear, is alive. She faked her death! Matt and Brandon give some background on this from way back when Matt was a beta reader. Matt found the foreshadowing too obvious in A Memory of Light, but time has proven Brandon correct that sometimes foreshadowing needs to be a little bit more heavy handed - not many people picked up on the subtle game Lanfear played with Perrin during the final book. Brandon frames the thought process this way - Lanfear was in a no-win situation where no solution would work. She needed a credible witness to confirm her death so the good guys wouldn’t come after her, and she needed the good guys to win so the dark one wouldn’t punish her in the end. She helps Perrin and manipulates Perrin into thinking he cannot be affected by compulsion. And in the end, she lives with everyone believing she is dead. Brandon confirms that this is canon, Lanfear is alive at the end of a Memory of Light. The discussion of the Lanfear Lives secret begins here: https://youtu.be/nTifdnXH4lg?t=1217  
The rest of the interview involve a few other points about the ending of the books, including Egwene’s story line, and who decided her fate (Team Jordan), whether Rand would raise his children (yes!), and that we will see the Bridal Wreath scene (eventually, someday). The final section of the interview are some fun and interesting Q&A from fans. Brandon reveals some fun tidbits: like Harriet wrote most of the chapter titles for Robert Jordan and for Brandon; Brandon would remove some the spanking scenes in hindsight; and he’d have his team help with the timelines now knowing there are three books. Brandon would add more Padan Fain, but keep the ending with Mat. Brandon had many calls from fans for a Narg cameo, but in the end, he didn’t include a talking trolloc.
 
The release of A Memory of Light was the end of the book series, and yet in the 10 years since then we’ve continued to have some new material, in the companion book, in Origins of the Wheel of Time, and from interviews with Brandon, Harriet and Team Jordan. And now, it seems, we know everything that we ever will know. The rest is speculation and theorizing.
 
There are no endings to the Wheel of Time, but it was an ending.
 
 
 
When did you read A Memory of Light for the first time? Was it January 2013, or more recently? Let us know in the comments below!
 
Back in 2012, Jason Denzel, founder of Dragonmount, wrote a letter to Robert Jordan in response to reading A Memory of Light. Read it here.
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    Brandon Sanderson reveals some final secrets on The Dusty Wheel. 

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai

Dragonmount Interview with Rafe Judkins

The Wheel of Time Showrunner, Rafe Judkins, joined Dragonmount producer Kathy and community show host Thom for a live interview. 
 
If you missed the interview check it out over on YouTube. 
 

 
Here's some of the major points from the conversation: 
Season 3 writers room is finished! Season 2 is coming 2023, but don't expect it in early 2023. They still have quite a bit they are working on wrapping up.  Rafe will be also showrunning God of War, and about show running multiple projects he said -   
 
There's fun new technology for season 2 & 3. Season 2 will also have some longer episodes. Changing the story more to get through the story more effectively. Wheel of Time has about 200 pages episode, versus Game of Thrones had about 50 pages an episode. There's more remixing to deliver the story overall.  When asked about the diversity of the writers room - Rafe said he also focuses on diversity of thought. For example, Celine Song has a family belief of reincarnation and would share with the writers of season one how that belief filters into their daily life. This allows the writers to incorporate those thoughts into the characters. There's no organized religion in the books, but strong cultural practices, so they tried to add to the world building in the show with little "ritual stories." For example Stepin, burning incense for the forsaken.   
 
 Rafe also said that the Wheel of Time fandom is statistically the best fandom. They do statistics on big fandoms, and ours is the best in terms of being kind and positive, the most welcoming. I think a lot of us have felt this, so to hear it backed by numbers feels great!   
For more fun details, including what other media Rafe is watching and his favorite Wheel of Time curse word, check out the full interview!
 
 
  • Teaser Paragraph:

    Check out our live interview with The Wheel of Time Showrunner - Rafe Judkins!

Katy Sedai
Katy Sedai