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Q: First off, can you introduce yourselves and tell the readers a little bit about yourselves as individuals outside of the podcast?
Hello. I'm Tom--I like drinking, smoking, and watching Megan Rapinoe stick it to Columbians. I hate everyone who didn't like the final episode of Lost. I'm not sure what's wrong with people who don't read Saga. I'll probably end up in prison after I go insane when they cancel Community. My girlfriend’s last name is Bacon, so I'm conflicted about what to do when we get married.
um...Hi, everyone. I'm Joe--I also like drinking and smoking, but only together. I like all my vices wrapped up in one nice package. Tom and I are brothers (just throwing that out there) so a lot of our likes and dislikes are similar excepting the fact that we don't like each other. One of my favorite things to do after recording and drinking is to watch Ocean's 11/12/13 over and over again, and I still play Goldeneye64 on a regular basis.
I'm Jono. I don't actually exist outside of this recording studio. I'm actually an offshoot of Joe's usually rational brain that only comes to fruition after a couple drinks of very cheap vodka. Tom thinks Joe is insane because of me.
In my made up existence, I play soccer as often as I can (frequently trying to injure my knee). I also have a strange but comfortable government job that allows me to do all my reading at work. Really, I do nothing of value in my life. It's pretty sweet. Oh, I also drink and lie to women in a creepy but sometimes erotic manner.
Q: For those who haven't listened to you guys yet, or those who aren't very far into the podcast yet, how did you guys get started on the idea of a podcast for the Wheel of Time?
Tom- It was all my idea. And we were drunk. But Jono and Joe actually pushed to make it happen, and have been dragging me along kicking and screaming the whole time.
Joe- It goes back years before we even started, but it was Tom's idea to do a podcast. I don't know when or how we settled on a tWoT podcast, but it was definitely while all three of us were drinking together one night and just like the three ta'veren in the books, there was originally going to be a fourth member of tWoTcast, but who needs Dav and his badger anyway.
Jono- Well, we got drunk. And talked about books. And then Tom started rambling on about making a podcast and it just somehow snowballed (if you know what I mean) into an actual thing. Joe and I forced him into it at first and then all of the sudden he just gave in to my erotic whisperings and went with it. I have to be honest; the name was my idea. Which means it was a bad idea. And somehow it happened.
Joe- I was against the name. I remember Tom and I had gone out to breakfast and he sat there and spent the entire time convincing me it would be ok.
Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?
Tom- 1992. Damn.
Joe- It was Tom's fault. I hadn't read anything more complicated than Dragonlance at the time, so in 1994, he said "read this" (classic Tom), but it wasn’t until 1995 that I finally got past the first prologue.
Jono- I think 1995. I saw the artwork for Eye of the World and just thought it was awesome. So, Darrell K. Sweet, you win. Nowadays I frequently trash the artwork at the beginning of talking about each book, so that's something.
Q: How many times have you each read all of the books up to Towers of Midnight?
Tom- Probably around ten or so for the first eight books. Somewhere between two and five for the others. These are guesses. Who counts things? Bad Sesame Street joke. Bad Tootsie Pop joke. Hilarious owl sound effect. Laughter. How many licks--never mind.
Joe- I count things. It takes two thousand three hundred and seventeen licks with moderate saliva to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop. Also...about the same as Tom. Around nine or ten for the first six books; books seven and eight drop a bit for me, but book nine comes in around nine times too. I love Winter's Heart. Then books ten through thirteen are three, two, one, and one. We're currently on our Gathering Storm reread and it’s really fun only having read it once unlike everything else so far.
Jono- It should be noted that Joe and I massively disagree on how many licks it really takes, but I have always been able to produce more saliva. It’s work related.
I'm not completely sure of the totals, so I'll guess. I think I've read books 1-7 at least 10 times. I remember I finished book 6 right when book 7 came out, so it's my first hardback. Or was... it's destroyed. For the rest you pretty much countdown one reading per book, so: Path of Daggers 8; Winter’s Heart 7; Crossroads of Twilight 6; Knife of Dreams 5; Gathering Storm 3; Towers of Midnight once about to be twice. And A Memory of Light twice. Don't ask, but it’s good. Like really good.
Q: How many conventions have you gone to with Wheel of Time tracks? Which was your favorite?
Tom- Just Dragon*Con and JordanCon. The first JordanCon was amazing because we got to hear a recording of RJ reading the prologue of book 12. Dragon*Con was ridiculous last year because we had media badges and people thought we were important and we conducted a lot of drunken interviews.
Joe- Most recently LibertyCon, but always JordanCon and Dragon*Con. We've been to all the JordanCons, a source of pride though they are in our backyard, but my favorite was probably JordanCon 4. The LIVE show went off without any technical issues and the audience seemed genuinely entertained, so that's always good.
Jono- I guess we’ve been to six or seven? All four JordanCons, obviously. My most memorable was JordanCon 1 when we heard Robert Jordan read the prologue. Amazing. Also, either Dragon*Con last year or JordanCon earlier this year, as the eminent tWoTcast was LIVE there. And we will be again this year so come to Dragon*Con!
Q: What is the best part of doing a podcast in your opinion? The worst?
Tom- Best- it's a built in excuse to drink with friends and talk about something I love. The same reason people watch sports. Interacting with listeners is a ton of fun, too. Worst- consistent delivery is key. So if you're sick or busy or not in the mood you still have to read and record. That's a minor complaint though. At the end of the day I'm just drinking beer and talking. Joe does all the hard work.
Joe- Best- my favorite part is definitely the stuff that only we get to see, the looks on each other’s faces when someone (Jono) says something waaay over the line or just a really funny comment. Tom makes me laugh a lot but I’ve known him for quite a while and understand his odd sense of humor. Worst- We do try really hard to get a show out every week. The only time we really had a gap over the last year and half or so was last holiday season, I think we took two weeks off. I don't think listeners realize how hard that can get to be that consistent with delivery of the show. But yeah, that's the worst when every once in a million years it becomes a job to get together or to cut the podcast on time.
Jono- We're really good friends getting drunk and talking about books. This literally is what we did before the show started. I mean...it's pretty awesome. And somehow a few people like us despite us being generally [jerks]. Especially Tom. Also, it should be noted that I actually got laid partially because of this podcast. Some chick I knew heard about it and thought it was cool that I was interested enough in some subject to do a show on it. She's on book 2 now. And we're kind of dating. And she'll be at Dragon*Con. So come to Dragon*Con and make fun of her.
The worst is that we live in separate areas and have work the next day. So if we start drinking, then recording and all, it's like 11 before I hit the road. I'm not sure how I haven't gotten pulled over, honestly, so if the show doesn't come out for a bit or I'm not on it, look there. Plus, I feel bad for Joe. We do our best to cover expenses for him, but I have the feeling that unlike me, Joe has things to do besides edit the show.
Q: Can you tell me about the steps you guys take in actually recording/posting the show?
Tom- No. I can't. Joe does it. I show up and drink. A lot.
Joe- Sure. Tom usually chops the books into equal parts for each episode, Jono brings over alcohol and pizza, and then we proceed to get drunk while discussing tWoT. The recording is done on my Mac and edited there too. We use a pretty common host site called Libsyn. A lot of the bigger name podcasts use it as well; it helps us keep track of download numbers and all kinds of other demographic statistics as well as being relatively easy to use. After it's posted, iTunes scans our site and pulls the newest show and adds it to their library at whatever pace they deem necessary.
Jono-Yeah, Tom divides the book into parts. Then we read. Joe and I make notes, Tom looks at us confusedly. We get together, have a couple drinks, then go into the hi-tech studio. From there we just riff off us each other and BS along til it's over. Over the course of the show, Joe and Tom smoke while I keep drinking. It’s all very professional. We do commercials and the very popular Ask the Dark One afterwards while really drunk. It shows. Like Joe said and everyone complains about: it takes between 2 hours and a week for iTunes to put the show up. I have no idea why, but it’s ridiculously annoying.
Q: What's it like meeting people who listen to the show and are fans of the show?
Tom- Awesome and surreal. We're baffled that anyone listens anyway. But I try to stay humble about our immense fame and popularity, so that's all I'll say about how great everyone thinks we are. Knows we are. I mean, we've always known we were amazing, but it's nice to get validation. Not that we need it.
Joe- We definitely started out with the mindset of "let's do this for ourselves" so it's always a little mind blowing when someone asks "are you from tWoTcast?". Lauren and I recently went to LibertyCon and we showed up a little late Friday, and when JordanCon goers realized we were there amongst the room parties, a lot of drunken cheers of "There’s a tWoT in the hallway!" happened. That made me proud.
Jono- It is completely confusing. In fact, I'm answering an interview right now and am kind of confused as to why. Like we've said: this was something thought up just because it would be funny. We assumed we'd get like 20 listeners and it would fade away in a few months. Maybe it will still? I think the first “whoa…we have fans?!” moment was when iTunes didn’t upload our podcast and we got tweets and emails asking about the delay. It was like we had done something wrong. I think we’ve actually posted the podcast late like maybe half a dozen times in nearly 18 months (which is all Joe’s fault!), but this was one of many times that iTunes screwed us over. It was strange…Meeting fans at JordanCon or Dragon*Con is ridiculous. I’m literally just some tool with a microphone and no internal filter. This is beyond bizarre, really. And it’s awesome. tWoT community in general is awesome. No one's really a [jerk] or anything (except us), so there's no one saying your show sucks or whatever. Because, you know, it doesn't. But still, every piece of email we get or iTunes reviews or Twitter interaction is just really cool. We love it!
Q: Is there anything you'd like to share with the people of Dragonmount?
Tom- um. No?
Joe- Shameless plug time? Just listen to the show and that we love the feedback we get. We're pretty responsive on Twitter but listeners can always email us too. Oh! and if you're coming to Dragon*Con definitely come to the LIVE show recording and say hi. Those are always fun.
Jono- I would love to share my life story with them as I am a fascinating character whose experiences are rivaled by no one. Also, I used to love reading Robert Jordan's blog there before he died. Also, I have real issues with Dragonmount's upper management as Jennifer Liang and Jason Denzel are shady characters.
Spoilers start here.
Q: Which book was your favorite, and why?
Tom- Shadow Rising. Love the Perrin story, love the Aiel. Fires of Heaven is a close second.
Joe- Winter's Heart. Rand just becomes this true hardass here and slightly before he starts really going off the deep end. Rand and Lan batmaning across the rooftops of Far Madding is just perfect. Anyway, I could make a horrible Jono-esque joke here about taints and cleansing and I won’t but the climax is awesome. Showdown at Shadar Logoth. Particularly Alivia glassing over that hilltop with Dashiva on it.
Jono- Book one. It's amazing. It's radically different from the rest of the series to a large degree, but the beginning is all there. The prophecies from Min, the seeds of what each ta'veren will be. Plus, Emond's Field feels amazing. There's something about Rand entering with Tam that feels so damn awesome. I don't know...Second is Winter's Heart: It’s not my fault about taint cleansing being so funny. And integral to the book, Joe…Rand killing Kisman like a hardass. Mat's escape from Ebou Dar. Really, it’s an awesome book. I recommend you read it.
Joe- Why did you both list two books? He clearly asked us for one favorite.
Jono- Because I’m an overachiever, Joe. Get off my case…And also because I’m dumb...
Q: Which book was your least favorite, and why?
Tom- Ten. Ugh. You know why.
Joe- The Path of Daggers. Amazing installment but a tWoT book without Matrim Cauthon might as well not exist.
Jono- This is fairly obvious, unless you’re Joe and deliberately don’t answer the question...Crossroads of Twilight. Did anything happen in that book? It's not a bad book at all obviously, but...nothing happens. In a reread it's quite interesting, but when that book came out and then you go back in time with a bunch of characters? That was obnoxious...
Joe- No, seriously, I liked Crossroads. But I also loved Majora's Mask so...
Q: What was the most memorable scene for each of you in the books? Why?
Tom- Anything that actually gets me in a raw emotional way. Perrin meeting his cousin in The Shadow Rising. Nynaeve getting the Malkieri to follow Lan. Semirhage forcing Rand to attack Min. Those are big.
Joe- We're all really big fans of Min, so Rand's hand on her throat almost made me have a Neverending Story book throwing tantrum. Instead I read faster than I ever had to make sure she lived. I do love pretty much any scene of Mat actually leading a battle; there’s a few in Knife of Dreams towards the end. Just awesome.
Jono- Rand cutting the Black Cords in Eye of the World. The entire chapter of "The Grave is No Bar to My Call" in The Great Hunt sent literal shivers up my spine. Mat sneaking into the Stone in The Dragon Reborn. Perrin in the Two Rivers or Rand wrestling Asmodean for the Choedan Kal (cue Tom laughing) in book four. Couladin's head on a stick or that huge balefire Rand throws at Rahvin while Nyneave is burning him always sticks out from Fires of Heaven. Rand escaping the wagons and everything blowing up at the end of Lord of Chaos? Maybe the best single scene in the series. Min and Rand naked; that's why my old hardback was worn down for Crown of Swords. Wait... Rand nearly killing himself with Callandor or Elayne and Nynaeve and Aviendha using the Bowl of Winds takes the cake in Path of Daggers. Mat leaving Ebou Dar and the huge ball of taint over Shadar Logoth is amazing in Winter’s Heart. Crossroads of Twilight...? Reading the last scene from Winter's Heart from other characters' POV...Knife of Dreams has Mat. Prince of Ravens. Oh, and Rand handless. The Gathering Storm: Rand's hands on Min or when he's on Dragonmount. Or Egwene kicking ass at the Tower. For Towers of Midnight it has to be Mat and Company in the Tower of Ghenjei. A Memory of Light has some awesome scenes, but I can’t go into it. There’s a bunch of nudity, though.
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[Editor's note: Jono, Joe, and Tom will be doing a live podcast at Dragon*Con, so be sure to drop by and heckle them. The live tWoTcast will occur this Saturday, September 1st, at 8:30 p.m. in our Wheel of Time track room. The track room will be in Roswell 1-2 at the Westin hotel.]
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Spoiler warning! This will include content from many books in the series, including Towers of Midnight, and speculation about A Memory of Light. Please read at your own risk.
Many fans agree that Rand's trip through the glass column ter'angreal is one of the finest scenes in the series. It's a wonderful display of Robert Jordan's storytelling abilities. It's intriguing, captivating, and gives us a lot of information about life before the series began. Even Brandon Sanderson said, "However, as I consider it, probably my favorite sequence of scenes in the entire series is the one with Rand going through the ter'angreal at Rhuidean."
From Rand's trip inside the ter'angreal, we get a detailed view of what life was like for the Aiel. We see their decline from serving Aes Sedai and practicing the Way of the Leaf to being desert nomads who are constantly at war with the world and each other. This is a tragic fall for their people, losing their purpose as well as their home and native lifestyle.
Rand understands right away that he saw the "lost history of the Aiel's origins" (The Shadow Rising, Chapter 34, "He Who Comes With the Dawn") when he went through the ter'angreal. His assumption is correct; Rhuarc confirms it:
This is important because it shows us that the ter'angreal shows factual events. It shows actual pieces of the Pattern through the person's ancestor's thread. Rand's experiences were seen through the eyes of that ancestor, even knowing their thoughts. It's as if he was transported into their body and mind completely for the duration of the vision. That means the ter'angreal has access to weaves already woven into the Pattern. It can step outside of time and pull out the threads it needs to, in order to show the person their past.
It's not too surprising that a ter'angreal can do this. The one used to test novices shows "what was" (The Great Hunt, Chapter 23, "The Testing"). And it could be argued that Nynaeve's first encounter in this test was in a past life. She did have an experience fighting Aginor in The Eye of the World, but during the test, she knows things she shouldn't. She is able to sense Aginor's channeling and alters his flows of saidin; this doesn’t become possible in the main storyline until Knife of Dreams, Chapter 23, "Call to a Sitting." Nynaeve's knowledge hints that this comes from a past life, not something based off their fight during The Eye of the World.
So, if the glass column ter'angreal can show the factual past, can it show the factual future? I think this is the biggest concern facing our characters. Because, even if the Light wins the Last Battle, the Seanchan empire still rules over everything, eventually. Jason Denzel, in his review of Towers of Midnight, implies that if Aviendha's visions are correct, it leads to a not-so-happy-ending:
With that in mind, I think we can see two different ways of looking at this sequence. The first way is that the ter'angreal is unbiased, showing the facts, not wanting to take any part. With this way of thinking, Aviendha's vision is true, unchangeable, the irrevocable future. The other way is that the ter'angreal is caring, showing a possible future, wanting to lead the viewer in a new direction. If this is what happens, Aviendha's vision is a warning and can be changed.
I think I've already established that the ter'angreal's past visions are accurate, but here's more proof. In an interview, Robert Jordan was asked about the glass columns:
If Robert Jordan says they see "through the eyes" of their ancestors, then it's got to be true. The ter'angreal is accurate, showing the exact past. And because it doesn't lie about the past, why would it lie about the future? I think this is the main proof that what Aviendha sees will come to pass. She thinks so too:
Still, Aviendha decides to try to change the future, whether or not she can:
But, in her last vision, Padra remembers her mother (Aviendha) talking "often" about the challenges the Aiel would face after their part in the Last Battle was done:
To me, this sounds like Aviendha trying to tell her children about the dangers she saw in their future. Trying to instill in them the consequences of going down a path toward war. However, it's Padra's desire to prove herself that makes her agree to the plan of war against the Seanchan. I don't think there's anything Aviendha can do to remove a child's desire to gain "great ji" like her parents.
That makes it seem pretty certain that events will unfold as they have been shown in the ter'angreal, but there is a counter argument. First, as Jason said, it leaves the reader with a sense of unhappiness. Obviously, Robert Jordan's story won't end with "they lived happily ever after," but I think the readers want a sense of peaceful closure. There will be war in the world's future—we know it eventually becomes our own time, which is constantly at war—but I don't think Robert Jordan would leave us with such a sour taste in our mouths.
So, could the ter'angreal be lying? Could it be a warning, not prophecy? It's possible. When Aviendha tries to read the ter'angreal, she senses that it is alive:
After she touches it and takes a step, she sees through the eyes of Malidra. This is important because she steps away from the columns, not into them. The ter'angreal, when it touched her, sensed her need for more answers. Or perhaps Aviendha accidentally flipped a switch, making it show the future rather than the past? If so, is the flip permanent? Will another Aiel see the past now, or the future? Either way, it acted on its own, not waiting for her to enter a second time.
This fact suggests that the ter'angreal is sentient and that the future might be changed. It has a desire to show Aviendha this for a reason. If there was nothing she could do, why would the ter'angreal bother showing her?
Well, one reason could be the fact that the future was difficult for her to see. The whole point of the test was to weed out people unworthy of becoming Wise Ones and Chiefs. Aviendha had no problem seeing the past; in fact, she thinks that "everything she’d seen had been expected. Almost disappointingly so" (Towers of Midnight, Chapter 48, "Near Avendesora"). There's no longer a challenge for them going into the ter'angreal. But seeing the future could kill. Aviendha really struggled with the visions. She is disgusted by what the Aiel have become, sickened that it starts with her line. If they want to continue to test their Chiefs and Wise Ones, this seems a better challenge.
Could the ter'angreal know its purpose? Could it know that it is supposed to test the Aiel? If so, it could understand that the past wasn't enough of a challenge now. It could have changed so its usefulness wouldn't end.
I don't think we will find out the answer to this question in A Memory of Light. I bet this is one of those things Robert Jordan wants left unsaid. I think more evidence points out that it's the actual future and Aviendha can't change it no matter what she does. However, my understanding of the Pattern is that it's not woven yet. So perhaps there is some wiggle room for certain threads.
There won't be a post next week due to Dragon*Con, so I'll keep you guessing about what the topic will be for the week after that. Thanks for reading.
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Which character perspectives (POVs) would you like to see in A Memory of Light? Which perspectives do you not want to see, but think will be in the book anyway? Let us know in this thread from our A Memory of Light Spoiler Discussion forum. Be sure to read these rules before posting in that area of the site.
Calling all empathetic people! The folks in our Movies and Games Discussion forum want to know which movies have made you cry. If you're a movie crier like me, it's interesting to compare your list with the lists of others.
The Band of the Red Hand Social Group has started a new series of monthly discussions. This month, they're talking about why Mat created the Band. Keep an eye on this Social Group, because they are planning several new activities.
The Ogier Social Group is having a discussion that will make you drool...over books. They'd like to know what your ideal bookstore would be like. What would the store look like? What sorts of books would be there?
Last, but not least, we'll be using our Twitter and Facebook accounts to keep you informed of our Dragon*Con shenanigans. Follow us to watch the craziness unfold!
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Lan Mandragoran
I was dying to know more about her approach to digital painting, so I asked her about it. She told me she does all the sketching and painting directly on a graphics tablet. Although she used to do some photomanipulation, she now only uses photographs as references when developing character poses and proportions.
Faile Bashere
She often uses many references for a single piece to ensure the painting has a unique, original quality. She also makes all her own textures and her own special effects brushes, such as those used to create the print on Min's outfit below.
Min Farshaw
Given Ashley's mastery of light and composition, it will probably come as no surprise that she's a professional artist. (In fact, she is a professional face and body painter as well as a professional digital artist! Her art has been shown and sold in galleries and print shops from New York City to Berlin.) What may come as a surprise is that she is self-taught.
Nynaeve al'Meara
Although I love her Wheel of Time art (go here to see more!), her most impressive pieces to my mind are her varied and creative original works. Therefore, I'll end for once with some non-Wheel of Time art. I chose these two pieces because I think they really demonstrate her range as an artist.
The Broken Treaty
Malisha DeWalt
If you're curious to know more about her approach, this YouTube video shows the digital process for her painting The Broken Treaty (shown above), while this one shows her process for Prequel: The Broken Treaty. Watching these videos, I was really impressed by her manipulation of light, color, and composition, as well as her taste in music!
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Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?
A: In 2001, when a co-worker slapped a copy of The Eye of the World on my desk and said, "Read it. You'll like it, I promise."
Q: How did you find out about Dragonmount? How did you become part of the Admin team?
A: I was lurking in 2006 for a site that contained Wheel of Time info, and found Dragonmount. I lurked for a while and then joined. Almost a year and a half ago, Kivam PMed me and asked me if I was interested in becoming an Admin. I thought about it for a few days and then decided I'd go for it and blame whatever mistakes I made on Barm. Working as intended thus far.
Q: Can you tell people a little bit about yourself outside of Dragonmount?
A: My name is Steve, and I'm an accountant. God, that sounds like a bad intro at an AA meeting.... >_> I play a TON of ice hockey, and have done so since I was 3. I also play World of Warcraft. And I'm married with a 3-year-old son.
Q: Where did the Ewok joke come from?
A: Valentine's Day of 2008, lol. The Red Ajah hosted a ball in the White Tower & Warders Social Group, and everybody was "attending" with a pic in their post of what they were wearing. Basically, some light RP going on. After a while, I finally posted with a picture of Wicket from Star Wars--and from there, the Ewok references were born. I was always hanging out in the Blue Ajah, so they named me their official mascot.
Q: If you were in Randland, which faction would you prefer to be in?
A: I'd be one of the Chosen. Evil ftw.
Q: Outside of Dragonmount, are you active in any other parts of the Wheel of Time fandom?
A: No, but that's only because of having a kid. If I didn't, my ass would be showing up at every damn *Con out there! But, saving $$ for his college and not making my wife strangle me in my sleep take priority, heh. She's not a big fan of online fantasy communities...oh, well.
Q: Who is your favorite character in the series?
A: Moghedien. Always loved the Spider.
Q: Most memorable Wheel of Time moment?
A: When Ingtar revealed and Rand gave him the blessing from the Borderlands. First time I ever got shivers up my spine from a book.
Q: Can you share a little bit about the Social Groups?
A: h8themall. Kidding, they are awesome. They function like little families, and people grow really close. Each has their own little quirks, which serve to make them unique compared to the others. Great groups, and great leaders. The best leaders are the ones that don't let Barm in their group. He can post there anyway, but we beat him regularly for that.
Q: Is there anything else you wish to share?
A: I love lamp. That is all.
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Spoiler warning! This will include content from many books in the series, including Towers of Midnight, and speculation about A Memory of Light. Please read at your own risk.
First off, there's something curious about these last few chapters with regards to Moiraine having been to the Eye of the World before.
I think there is a lot of information here. But let's take a step back and try to figure out when Moiraine went to the Eye the first time. We know that she goes up to the Borderlands right after being raised to Aes Sedai.
So, after leaving the Tower, Moiraine has traveled for three months. During this scene, she's in Kandor—which lies between Arafel and Saldaea. The whole second half of the novel takes place in Kandor. It's not very close to the location in the Blight where she takes the Emond's Fielders. However, it's been three months, so that's plenty of time to get up there.
I'm also assuming Moiraine went without Lan. Notice how Agelmar addresses her only. Maybe Lan would keep quiet about it, letting Moiraine hold onto that Aes Sedai secrecy, but when the Green Man first appears, he says:
The Green Man would have included Lan in this statement if he had been with her the first time. Also, note that the Green Man calls her "Sedai," so her visit to him would have been after being raised, but the lack of Lan's presence would suggest that it was before she bonded him. That only leaves the three month window for her to go up to the Blight—alone?—to seek the Eye of the World.
Why would she go there? She heard the Foretelling about Rand's birth, and is one of the few searchers who wasn't killed. Obviously, she's looking for signs that would indicate which child he is, but she's also looking for answers. There are several instances throughout the series when Moiraine disappears to find answers. Would the Green Man have any answers, though? His memory is fading and tattered because of his injury. He remembers enough to recognize Perrin as a Wolfbrother, and he remembers the hair and eye coloring of the Aiel. But, when pressed, he can't recall any specific details about anything.
Also, there's no reference to the Eye of the World in the prophecies of the Dragon. Moiraine doesn't even plan on going there until Perrin, Loial, and Rand all bring it up while staying at The Queen's Blessing (The Eye of the World, Chapter 42, "Remembrance of Dreams"). Was she just desperate, searching any possible place for leads? Her need was great enough to summon the Green Man the first time, so maybe he was able to give her something helpful.
What of Moiraine's statement, "I have something those other seekers have not"? Rand notes that she half-looks at Loial as she says this. Is there something significant about having an Ogier among the group? Loial notes that the Green Man doesn't avoid Ogier the way he avoids humans (The Eye of the World, Chapter 46, "Fal Dara"). So, maybe Loial's presence will help draw the Green Man, but would it be enough that it would counter Moiraine's meeting him already? I think it's more likely that Rand is mistaken and she was actually going to look at him. Since he is the Dragon Reborn—and Moiraine knows that by this point—he would be the best to summon the Green Man and the Eye.
Here's another unanswered question: is there a possibility the Eye could be refilled? I'll admit, with the taint cleansed from saidin, there might not be a need for a second Eye of the World. However, Moiraine puts a lot of emphasis on the fact that both men and women channelers are needed to make a pool of the Power.
This balance between men and women is a reoccurring theme throughout the series. With the addition of Light-aligned Asha'man and fealty-bound Aes Sedai, we are beginning to discover what happens with the combination of saidar and saidin. But why would Moiraine get so wordy about how females alone can't "fill a spoon with the Power"? I'd call this foreshadowing.
What would be the purpose of a second, or refilled, Eye of the World? As discussed two weeks ago, I think it's possible the Eye is a connection to a) the Creator, and b) Rand's past lives. If the Power inside is restored, Rand could hear the ALL CAPS voice again. Either that, or he could allow someone else to be connected to their past lives. Would it be necessary for the Last Battle? Probably not. But it could help the Light side by giving Rand access to the Creator or other channelers' past memories.
Another unanswered question at the end of The Eye of the World revolves around Rand's channeling abilities. He uses many weaves as he fights off the Shadowspawn in Tarwin's Gap, and some when he's fighting Ba'alzamon. There's even the Traveling/Skimming weaves Rand uses to get from one place to the next. How does he make these weaves?
I see two possibilities: either it's Lews Therin's memories Rand's acquired through the Power of the Eye, or it's the instinctual channeling that wilders typically learn. We see examples of Egwene and Nynaeve using weaves instinctually. There is a good example of Egwene doing this, and knowing she's doing this, in The Dragon Reborn.
Because of this, it's easy to see that Rand could be doing all these weaves based on instincts. However, it could also be argued that Egwene and Nynaeve can do so many things without being taught because they are remembering fragments of their past lives too. The Old Blood is strong in both of them, and if they are able to draw on Manetheren's strength, they might be able to draw on Manetheren's memories as well.
I think this is plausible because of the fact that Egwene is aware of this happening. When Nynaeve was channeling by instinct as Wisdom, she didn't know she was using the Power. Moiraine points out how the channeling works as the result of the channeler's will, subconsciously.
This shows that wilders, who don't know they can channel, use the Power instinctively. This is a big difference from Egwene—and Rand—using weaves they haven't learned. I think this is good evidence that Nynaeve and Egwene are important people reborn. Personally, I believe Nynaeve is Eldrene ay Ellan ay Carlan, Queen of Manetheren.
Let's move on to the final mystery: what are those cords that connect to Rand and the Forsaken? Rand first sees the cord attached to Aginor when the Forsaken is drawing on the Eye of the World.
During this scene, the cord transfers from Aginor to Rand. And once Rand has it, he burns from the Power and Light it gives him. Because of this, the cord must be the Power of the Eye. The cord is the metaphysical connection from Rand to the Power. This raises the question of whether it's a specialty of the Eye to have this sort of connection, or if it's Rand's actual connection to saidin. We know there is no physical link between a channeler's body and the Source—Nynaeve muses on this when she Heals stilling. And Rand admits that "it was not there to see." So, what is he actually looking at?
Rand sees a cord connecting to Ba'alzamon too:
Ba'alzamon's seems to be the exact opposite of Rand's, except it doesn't dwindle as the Power is used. The more Rand channels, the smaller his cord gets. Ba'alzamon's doesn't shrink at all. So, if the cord is Rand's connection to the Eye, what is Ba'alzamon's attached to? Could it be that the cord is similar to the "wires" Rand removes from Asmodean in The Shadow Rising?
Rand's assuming that he cut Ba'alzamon off from the Dark One when he severed the black cord at the end of The Eye of the World. Does that mean Ba'alzamon was reconnected later? Or, if not, is it the reason Ishamael uses so much True Power now? And if the black cord/wire is the link to the Dark One, the cord of Light must be the connection to the Creator. This could be more evidence that the ALL CAPS voice is the Creator.
Well, there weren't too many definite answers, and it only led to more questions. That will conclude my ramblings for this week. Next week, we'll take a look at the glass columns ter'angreal and Aviendha's journey through it.
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Most people enjoy talking about couples from The Wheel of Time, and the denizens of our General Wheel of Time Discussion forum are no exception. Which couples make such odd, awkward, or terribly matched pairs that you just want to bang your head against the wall in frustration? Let us know what you think.
It's getting closer and closer to this year's Dragon*Con! If you're going, please stop by this thread in our Meets and Conventions board to let us know. It's nice to get an idea of who is going, and it will give newbies to the Con an idea of who will be around to help if they feel lost or confused.
The Black Tower Social Group has posted a speculative thread where they are musing about what might happen to the Black Tower in and after A Memory of Light. Be forewarned that there will probably be some spoilers in the thread.
It's Book Month at the Kin Social Group! Some of this month's events include discussions about what you like to read, your favorite Wheel of Time books, and urban fantasy. Follow the guide in this thread to keep track of all the events.
There have been some updates to the This Is Some Rescue role play since I last featured it here. It's one of the main plotline role plays, so be sure to check it out if you haven't already.
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Fortunately for Fan Art Friday, there's a fine line between insanity and genius. This week, I asked the Dragonmount staff to share some of their more brilliant Wheel of Time-themed art projects. It turns out I'm not the only staffer that's turned their obsession into a bit of good artistic fun.
I asked everyone to answer the following questions:
1. What is your position on Dragonmount staff?
2. How long have you been on staff?
3. Where are you from? What do you do in real life?
4. Who's your favorite Wheel of Time character?
5. Tell us something random about yourself.
I tried writing up everyone's responses in neat little paragraphs, but the post ended up reading like a page of personal ads for a date to JordanCon. So, I think I'll just let everyone speak for themselves!
Elgee
Staff position? I'm the White Tower and Warders Social Group Leader, White Tower Role Play Group Leader, and White Tower Role Play Red Ajah Head.
Time on staff? At the Role Playing side, I was appointed as Mistress of Novices and Red Ajah Head in 2008. I was eventually appointed as Group Leader in September 2009. At the Social Side, I was appointed as Keeper in October 2009 and then as Amyrlin in February 2011.
How about real life? I'm from Cape Town, South Africa, and I'm a Rental Administrator (we rent out residential properties). I started out my working career as Archivist and Librarian at the largest Church Archives in the Southern Hemisphere.
Favorite character? Oh Lordy, that's hard...I like so many! At the top would probably be Cadsuane, Tarna Feir, Pevara Tazanovni, and of course the complete nutcase Red Ajah Head, Tsutama Rath :P
Something random about yourself? I carry a knife (and know how to use it!) and I used to have a Real Life Warder (a.k.a. bodyguard and good friend). He unfortunately moved to the West Indies, and I miss him terribly, though we do chat online.
Upper left: Moiraine
Upper right: Lan as Warder
Lower left: Elayne as Queen of Andor, with Birgitte as her Captain General
Lower right: Cadsuane
(All these dolls were made using Doll Divine. It's an awesome site and you should definitely check it out. But be warned--it's really addictive!)
Mashiara Sedai
Staff position? Theory Blogger.
Time on staff? A little over 1 month.
How about real life? I'm a native Arizonian. I'm going to school part time to get an English degree, and plan to graduate next year. For my day job, I'm a dog bather at an animal hospital.
Favorite character? Nynaeve was my favorite from the very beginning.
Something random about yourself? My biggest fear is of dinosaurs. Honestly.
Above: Cairhienin flag mosaic
Below: Wheel of Time flags (from top left to bottom right: the Banner of Light, Cairhienin flag, Tairen flag, Illianer flag)
reyler (deviantART, photobucket)
Staff position? Fiddlesticks moderatrix.
Time on staff? A little over a year.
How about real life? Originally the Detroit area, but now residing in Columbus, Ohio. I work at a sign shop.
Favorite character? I...don't think I really have one. Maybe Loial?
Something random about yourself? Besides drawing, I also like building papercraft models.
Upper left: Lanfear
Upper right: Loial
Lower left: Perrin
Lower right: Rand's Trinity
(Her Wheel of Time art is over five years old at this point, but I loved it and wanted to share anyway!)
Nynaeve
Staff position? Children of the Light Role Play Group Leader.
Time on staff? Probably around 8 years, give or take.
How about real life? I'm from Israel and I'm a Vet student. About to transition into my last (clinical) year.
Favorite character? Nynaeve. Closely followed by Lan and Mat.
Something random about yourself? I watch Korean shows because I find them fascinating. And I really hate mint. :P
Above: Fade
Below: Hedgehog! (Hey, there are hedgehogs in the world of the Wheel!)
(Cool fact: Nyn makes signatures on request. Check out her gallery here!)
peregrine (~Alsdale on deviantART)
Staff position? Fan Art Friday blogger!
Time on staff? Four months and sixteen days, but who's counting?
How about real life? I'm from Pittsburgh, PA (read it and weep!). I'm there for doctoral studies in Engineering and Public Policy, which means I spend most of my waking hours banging my head off a computer desk for one reason or another.
Favorite character? I'm obsessed with Mat. Seriously, if he were real I would stalk him. I'm also a fan of Egwene (What? She's got flair.) and Rand.
Something random about yourself? I live on a stress diet of instant coffee and frozen dinners. That, and I've got a peregrine falcon tattoo on my lower back.
Above: Watcher of the Seals
Below: Eldrene (Sketch for a work in progress! Never before seen! Oooh! Aaah!)
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I decided to start with New Spring for my reread articles because it was the first book I read in the series. I had mistaken it for book one when I bought the whole series on a whim; they were missing The Eye of the World when I went in the first time. I had to go back a day later to buy The Eye of the World. For those of you who haven't read New Spring yet, there will be some spoilers in here. I won't be talking about the whole book, but I will be bringing up points that I felt like mentioning for one reason or another.
I wanted to start with the Aiel's salute to Lan. It doesn't really go into detail about why they do this, but their reasons for calling him Aan'allein are explained elsewhere in the series. When I first read this scene, I thought it was just because of the stand those few men made against the Aiel during those moments. I was impressed by the mood of it. This scene is what really got me hooked on the series.
We see a couple of Foretellings in the series, but none as strange as the Foretelling Gitara has. She basically had a mini-convulsion before she started speaking. I am unsure if this is how her Foretellings usually hit her, but it just seemed odd. Afterwards, she falls over dead, presumably because of the stress of this particular Foretelling. I also wanted to touch on a few more things from the Moiraine point of view section. First, Moiraine has an odd fear of being queen. It does explain her fear, but it really is odd how we see later that Elayne is able to be a queen and an Aes Sedai with no problems. I do like that we get a bit of backstory on her family as well, though, during the hunt for the infant section of the days after the Foretelling. I also have one final sidenote from this section. We see a brief view of Elyas sparring with another Warder, and I like how that was slipped in casually. This wraps up the majority of the Moiraine point of view section except that she completely disobeys the Amyrlin.
Let's cut back to Lan and Bukama traveling back towards the Blight. Bukama basically starts a fight entering Canluum; he makes a promise not to draw his sword while in town. At this point, it's obvious there is going to be a fight in town. The innkeeper practically manhandles Bukama into her bedroom, though, so that was pretty funny. We hear that Edeyn Arrel has raised the Golden Crane, though I'm pretty sure Ryne just about lost his head for mentioning her. The following fight scene was pretty awesome, with Lan against six men alone and only taking a few minor wounds. Lan then decides to go to Chachin.
Moiraine is making visits to people on her list as we cut back to her, and she is also currently in Canluum. Moiraine runs into Larelle and Merean at the inn in which she is staying, and also has a surprise meeting with Cadsuane. I don't much like the meeting, so all I'll say on this is Cadsuane forces Larelle and Merean to travel with Moiraine and threatens Moiraine if she leaves without her. Siuan shows up in Canluum and informs Moiraine of the deaths of the hunters. Moiraine sends Siuan to Chachin ahead of her and plans to leave in the morning to meet up with her in Chachin.
After leaving Canluum, Moiraine follows Lan, Bukama, and Ryne. Moiraine tries sneaking up on Lan and gets thrown into a pond. After that, Bukama swears they will escort her to Chachin. Pranks ensue since Moiraine feels wronged. Upon arriving in Chachin, Lan leaves Moiraine as fast as he can and heads towards the palace while Moiraine searches for Siuan. Lan and Edeyn play her "game"; she wants Lan to marry her daughter. Moiraine enters the palace using her real name to reach Lady Ines. Merean arrives in the palace, talks to Moiraine briefly, and Moiraine goes to Lan. Upon asking Lan to have Bukama follow Merean, she also tells Lan of the failing of the Tower to save Malkier. Merean is Black Ajah and is after Brys' son. Upon finding Merean, she kills Diryk and Brys while holding Moiraine at bay. Lan fights Ryne. While Merean goes to kill Iselle, Moiraine kills her with a knife, but fails to save Iselle. Lan kills Ryne and Moiraine removes all traces of Merean from the area. The book ends with Moiraine bonding Lan.
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Somebody go and get a Warder
Chop off their head
Until they are dead
How many slices does it take
1
2
3
4...Etc.
Dragon, Dragon, gets reborn
In the Dark One's side he is a thorn
First he's Therin now he's al'Thor
How many times will he seal the bore
1
2
3
4...Etc.
Asmodean, Asmodean,
Dark One's disgrace
gonna get a
balefired face
by a Forsaken
or an Aes Sedai
or possibly Bela
wanted you to fry
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Spoiler warning! This will include content from many books in the series, including Towers of Midnight, and speculation about A Memory of Light. Please read at your own risk.
Let's start with a look at the quote we'll be examining. Here's just a quick reminder of what's been going on up to this point. Rand and Aginor both tried to draw the Power of the Eye. Aginor, I'd assume, was consumed by the Eye, or perhaps drew too much of the One Power. Either way, Rand took the Power, and Traveled to Tarwin's Gap where Lord Agelmar's men were fighting the assembled Trollocs, Fades, and Draghkar. Rand lashed out at the Shadowspawn with the Power from the Eye. Then:
What the words mean depends on who is speaking. So, let's start with the obvious choice: the Creator.
Many assume it's the Creator because of the similarity to the ALL CAPS way the Dark One talks to the Forsaken. If one Deity speaks that way, it's safe to assume the other half does as well. After all, the Wheel of Time world is based on balance. So, what else makes us think it's the Creator?
First, Rand is filled with Light and Power, which we associate with the Creator, because he is Light. Also, we know that the Dragon Reborn is the Light's Champion (Lord of Chaos, Chapter 6, "Threads Woven of Shadow"), so we know the Creator is on his side.
But, we have a quote from Robert Jordan talking about the contact between Rand and the Creator:
From the sounds of this, the ALL CAPS voice can't possibly be the Creator. But in another interview, the subject comes up again with a kind of different answer:
Is this second statement contradictory? Well, even if the Creator can't influence Randland, it doesn't necessarily mean he's not interested.
Let's assume for a moment that it is the Creator. What the heck does it all mean? The first thing the voice says is, "It is not here." Before that line, Rand says, "This has to end!"; "this" meaning the war between himself and Ba'alzamon, between the Light and the Shadow. So the "it" refers to the same thing, by the laws of English grammar. The voice is telling him the fight won't take place here. That's logical because the next thing that happens is Rand climbing a set of stairs (similar to his Skimming experience chasing Asmodean in The Shadow Rising, Chapter 58, "The Traps of Rhuidean"), which take him to Ba'alzamon.
Next, "I will take no part." This coincides with what Robert Jordan said about the Creator taking no active role. "Only the chosen one can do what must be done, if he wills." The chosen one is Rand; what must be done is fighting the Shadow (maybe even Tarmon Gai'don). The "if he wills" is interesting because that seems to be a major theme within the series. There are times when Rand wants to leave or do something different, but feels like the pattern forces him. Tam points out to him that he still has a choice:
The voice of the Creator, too, seems to imply Rand has a choice.
Who else could the voice be? Well, since the only other place we see ALL CAPS is from the Dark One, is it possible that it's the Dark One?
I know, I know. Why would the Dark One talk to Rand at all? Also, it might not even be possible because Rand's not close enough to the Bore. However, Robert Jordan said Rand and the Creator had no connection, so it might be possible.
If it was the Dark One, what does it mean? Rand's declaration of "This has to end!" can be answered by the Dark One in much the same way. "It is not here," means the battle between the Dark One's Champion and Rand cannot happen here and now. "I will take no part" might be true for the Dark One as well. The Bore into his prison is quite small, to my understanding. Even if the seals all break, he can't just leap out—or else he would have done so during the War of the Shadow. He could only influence small events, and that's mostly because of his ability to communicate with the Forsaken one-on-one. When the seals fail, he still might not be able to take part, leaving his Nae'blis, Moridin, to battle as his Champion. Again, in a world based on balance, it seems likely that it will come down to a fight between the two Champions.
And what of "Only the chosen one…"? It never says which chosen one. It could just as easily be talking about Ishamael—who claimed to be the Champion in past Ages.
There are a few points against this theory. First, Rand's not filled with ecstasy as the voice talks to him. In every scene we see of the Forsaken talking to the Dark One, they are overcome with the pleasure of his voice. That's completely missing from this description. Also, motivation. Why would the Dark One want to talk to Rand at all?
Besides the obvious two, who else could the voice possibly be? Well, what about Lews Therin, or some other past life of Rand's? The Soul of the Dragon, if you will. This one might seem a bit of a stretch, but it could work.
Let's focus on the phrase, "Only the chosen one…". If this was a stream of consciousness—from the Power of the Eye—between Rand and his past/future lives, the chosen one could refer to Rand himself. Why was it Rand, not Lews Therin, or any previous incarnation, who was spun out to fight the Last Battle? Why was it so important for it to be Rand in this situation? We get pretty strong implications that every detail of Rand's life helped shape him into who and what he needs to be to win. It had to be Rand, not Lews Therin. Here's why:
So, out of all the previous/future lives of the Dragon, Rand is the Chosen One. He had to be this version of the Dragon in order to win the Last Battle. It's a combination of Rand and the people around him that will be able to defeat the Dark One during Tarmon Gai'don.
The phrase "I will take no part" makes sense too. Because it can't be Lews Therin, or the next Dragon, it can only be Rand himself. However, if it was the Dragon's Soul talking, why is it in ALL CAPS? When Lews Therin begins to appear in Rand's mind, he doesn't talk in ALL CAPS. Perhaps it's just the Power of the Eye broadcasting the Dragon's Soul's message loud and clear?
Okay, there's one other option I thought of in terms of the voice. I'm sure there's more, and I hope they'll get posted in the comments section. My last idea is that the voice could be a recorded message from the Aes Sedai who made the Eye.
We see only a little bit of detail about the making of the Eye in The Shadow Rising, when Rand goes through the Glass Columns in Rhuidean.
From this, we see that the Aes Sedai—all women—have Callandor and the Dragon's Banner. Because they have those items, I'm assuming they have the Horn of Valere, as well. Which means they are the ones planning on making the Eye. The later quote shows that they are including men in the circle to clean the bit of saidin inside the Eye.
With these Aes Sedai gathering, giving up their life force to cleanse the Eye, is it possible they left behind a message? I think so. The "I will take no part" phrase is very accurate; the voice is there to give a message, a hint, not do anything active with the Power. They would also know "it is not here" because the Eye was given to the Green Man, which is close to the Bore, but not right next to it. "Only the chosen one…" makes sense too. They knew, by Foretelling, that Rand would be born and would need those items.
The only counter I can argue is that the voice refers to itself as "I" not "we." Perhaps the group of Aes Sedai picked one member to leave the message, though.
Hopefully, the question of who the ALL CAPS voice is will be answered in A Memory of Light. I think there's still a few random tidbits to theorize about in regards to the conclusion of The Eye of the World. So, next week, we'll have a third—and final—installment focusing on the Eye.
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Red Eagle intends to fund this first game by running a Kickstarter campaign. This campaign, which goes live today, is seeking to raise $450,000 from fans interested in supporting their cause to produce Wheel of Time video games. Supporters will receive different incentives depending on how much they donate, such as exclusive in-game items, or (for big donators), their name and likeness somewhere in the game itself.
To produce the game, Red Eagle has partnered with Jet Set Games, the creators of the popular Highborn mobile game on iOS and Android.
First Banner of the Rising Sun will take place during the early days of the Aiel War. The player will control characters not seen in the books, but get the chance to fight against the hoards of Aiel invaders.
In the coming years, Red Eagle Games intends to publish a series of other video games for all major platforms.
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Teaser Paragraph:
<p>Red Eagle Games and Jet Set Games are partnering up to produce a Kickstarter campaign. They intend to raise money for an Aiel-themed video game.</p>
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Someone from our General Wheel of Time Discussion forum posted this humorous gem about Egwene and Rand talking to a therapist. Can you imagine Egwene in Rand in therapy together? I think it would be fun to have them as patients.
If you're looking for some entertainment, check out the Band of the Red Hand Social Group's Jak o' the Shadows thread. There are tons of great verses in there, and you can write some of your own if you're so inclined.
It's time for the Black Tower Social Group's latest edition of the Tainted Times! They've got a lot to talk about, so drop in and see what's been happening in their group this month.
Speaking of newsletters, the Wolfkin Social Group also has their August edition up. See what they have to say in their latest version of Pawprints.
Also, speaking of Wolfkin, our role players just started a new story featuring Wolfkin characters. Head over and follow To Break the Silence to see what unfolds.
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Why, you ask? Well, this week, I'm bringing you the oddest (and most oddly funny) Wheel of Time fan art I've seen to date. These are the pieces that shocked me into uncontrollable peals of laughter. Maybe I've just got a crazy sense of humor--I'll let you be the judge!
First, we've got Mat Cauthon on a Velociraptor by ~chocowubbles.
Mat Cauthon is awesome. Velociraptors are awesome. But the combination is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.
Next, we've got a few unconventional crossovers.
I couldn't believe it when I stumbled across a Wheel of Time/My Little Pony crossover (Ta'veren Ponies Colored by ~UWoodward).
Then I found another one (Wheel of Time Ponies by ~Choedan-Kal).
Then I found another one (My Little Wheel of Time by ~Akabi)!
Continuing the theme of baffling crossovers, here's The Wheel of Time and Rock Band (Rockband Ta'veren by jwillis7).
Finally... Break all the seals! Hahahahaha. Enough said. (Art originally from here.)
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I talked to Jennifer Liang about her thoughts on it since she runs the Wheel of Time track. I will also be mentioning a few events before the Q&A with Jennifer. Dragon*Con this year will be running from August 31-September 3.
A few events that will be good to check out include An Evening at the Winespring Inn, tWoTcast's live show, Robert Jordan's Legacy, and the A Memory of Light Preview. The word from Jennifer is that Brandon Sanderson will be attending the Winespring, Legacy, and A Memory of Light events. There will also be other events to check out, like the costume designing panels. There are two: one for the Westlands and one for the Aiel, Seafolk, and Seanchan. Also, there will be several games: Darkfriend, which is essentially a mafia game; Daes Dae'mar, the great game that tests your Wheel of Time knowledge in a team format; and Illian's 8th Annual Trivia Bee. Also, anyone new to the Wheel of Time track at Dragon*Con should attend The Grave Is No Bar to My Call, which is the opening, introductory panel for the track.
Below is the Q&A with Dragonmount's Jennifer Liang.
How did you get started running the Wheel of Time track at Dragon*Con?
In 2000, I went to my first Dragon*Con with my then fiance, brother, and someone that we knew through the forums here at Dragonmount. We didn't spend a whole lot of time there, just walked around for a day. But we had such a great time. Dragon*Con has single topic programming tracks and Jimmy and I both thought that a Wheel of Time track would be so much fun. We really just wanted it as a place to meet the rest of the folks we knew through Dragonmount. So afterwards, I emailed the convention and suggested it. Somehow that email got passed up the chain to Ed Kramer, who was the chair at the time, and he responded very positively.
This was right about when Kramer's legal troubles started, and as was his habit, apparently, he had neglected to tell anyone at the convention that we had been approved. So there were several months of back and forth of me calling and saying "I'm supposed to run your new track! What do I DO???" and them being confused. But Pat Henry, the new chairman, honored Kramer's commitment to us and we were able to move forward. There was a lot of last minute scrambling and flailing around that first year. It was such a stressful experience, I almost called it quits after that first year. I spent a lot of time throwing up in the bathroom and crying during my first few Dragon*Cons. I'm glad I kept doing it, though. Dragon*Con is where I learned how to run a convention. If I hadn't have stayed with it, I never would have developed the skills needed to create JordanCon.
What were your most memorable events from Dragon*Con in the past years?
In 2005, Robert Jordan was the Guest of Honor for the convention. This was right before the release of Knife of Dreams. Dragon*Con does a very large, annual parade through downtown Atlanta. As far as I know, it's the only sci fi convention to do so. Anyways, I asked Jordan if he'd like to march with us. He declined politely, but said he'd come watch. And he did. I remember walking past the Hyatt in formation with the rest of the Wheel of Time group, and there he was, sitting on one of the planters clapping and cheering as we walked past. How many people can say Robert Jordan clapped and cheered for THEM at a convention?
I also have lots of good memories associated with Brandon Sanderson attending. We had him for the first time in 2008. It was the first Dragon*Con since Jordan had passed and Sanderson had just started working on what would become The Gathering Storm. He tells me now that he was terrified of being eaten alive by us that weekend, but we were just as worried about him. After the first Q&A session with him, I think we all felt better. Not only did he have a lot of confidence in his ability to do the job, but he also expressed so much respect for the series and for Jordan. It was very reassuring to have that. It was also the only time he's been able to be just some guy around Wheel of Time fans. The first time I saw him, actually, he was standing in the back of the track room watching us play trivia games and nobody knew who he was. If he tried that now, everyone would be all "Mr. Sanderson! Let me tell you my theories!" I'll always be glad we had that experience.
Do you have anything big planned for the grand finale of the Dragon*Con Wheel of Time track? How do you feel about the track ending at Dragon*Con? Any future plans now that the track is ending?
Our focus this year is the A Memory of Light release. We will do some retrospective on the track itself, but with the final book coming out, we really have too much to look forward to to spend that much time navel gazing. We do have Brandon coming back, so we'll do one last "Tell your secrets!" panel with him and a reading. This is my twelfth and final year as a Director at Dragon*Con, so obviously there is some sadness. There's also some relief. It's not easy to run two major Wheel of Time events every year, so I'll be glad to have some downtime during the year. I am still on very good terms with all of the Senior Directors at Dragon*Con and Pat Henry. Several of them have started attending JordanCon, just to continue supporting us. They've been very clear throughout this that if they had unlimited resources, they would be happy to keep us forever. But this feels like a good time to end it. The series is ending. JordanCon exists now as a gathering place for Wheel of Time fans. Sanderson is moving on to the projects he set aside to work on the Wheel of Time. I'd rather end it now when we are strong than watch it peter out.
I'll be taking my first break from Dragon*Con next year and will attend WorldCon in San Antonio. WorldCon and Dragon*Con are usually on the same dates, so my opportunities to go to that one have been few. Brandon Sanderson is planning to be at that one as well, so it should be lots of fun. I kinda want to see what Dragon*Con is like when I'm just there to hang out like everyone else, but I'd really like to see Jordan nominated for a posthumous Hugo Award, and the Hugos are awarded by WorldCon. So I need to go there and talk Jordan up to the voters. So probably 2014 is the next time you'll see me at Dragon*Con.
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Matrim: So that's one of the Dragons? It's rather small.
Aludra: We could make one large enough to throw a boulder the size of a man over a mile, if we needed to.
(Matrim gets "That Look" on his face)
Matrim: The size of a man?
Elayne: Matrim Bloody Cauthon, I don't know what you're thinking but I don't like it.
Matrim: It'll be fun! I'll go first!
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Mat: Which one is your girlfriend?
Rand: Er, those three.
Perrin: Wait, three? Really?
Rand: Yeah.
(all three pause for thought)
Mat: And you did this willingly?
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Silviana: So, Mother, now that you're in charge...
(hesitates, unsure how to say something)
Egwene: Yes?
Silviana: What're we going to do with that huge construction going on next door?
(silence)
Egwene: (wearily) Oh, Blood and Ashes.
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Spoiler warning! This will include content from many books in the series, including Towers of Midnight, and speculation about A Memory of Light. Please read at your own risk.
First off, what is the Eye of the World? We get a description of what it actually is near the end of the first book. Moiraine says:
From this description, it seems as if the Aes Sedai during the Age of Legends cleansed just this little bit of the Source, the same way Rand cleansed all of it in Winter's Heart. They worked together, and through the taint, to make this pool of pure saidin. But, pay attention to that last sentence. Moiraine believes that the Eye can seal the Bore, or it can break it open. In fact, she says multiple times that the Eye might be able to seal in/break free the Dark One.
Here, Moiraine suggests that the Eye can undo the Dark One's prison. We know that the One Power can't break cuendillar, but Moiraine is saying it can. Rand also has plans to break the remaining seals. But how is this possible? The seals have weakened, yes, but can the Power in the Eye really break cuendillar, no matter how old? Maybe so. Moiraine makes a comment that "four men with hammers" can break the remaining seals and free the Dark One (The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 2, "Rhuidean"). However, they don't know this information during The Eye of the World, so she shouldn't be assuming the Eye, and saidin, can break the Dark One free.
Also, Moiraine and Lord Agelmar have a discussion that hints at the Eye's power.
According to this, Moiraine thinks that Rand using the Eye will seal the Dark One again, solving all their problems. Okay, okay. She does use the word "perhaps," which is Aes Sedai doublespeak. However, she seems to have a lot of confidence that the Eye's power will be glorious. When Rand does use the Eye, he doesn't do anything even close to sealing in the Dark One—he does believe he killed Shai'tan, but Moiraine and others don't believe it. If there was so much potential in the Eye, did Rand waste it? Was it used for a purpose other than for what it was initially intended? We'll speculate on that a bit later.
So, we know the Eye is a pool of saidin, made clean by the sacrifice of male and female Aes Sedai. We know a bit of its presumed power. But that doesn't tell us a thing.
There are several theories about what the Eye actually is, or rather, what it does to Rand. Here's three that might work.
First: the Eye of the World, with its pure Power, is the Creator. That is, the Creator is the One Power.
This seems plausible on the surface. We typically think of channeling and channelers as doing the Creator's work. The True Source is, after all, the power that drives the Wheel of Time and weaves the Pattern. The Creator made the Pattern, so it seems logical that the Creator is the One Power. However, in an interview, a fan asks Robert Jordan something that might say the opposite:
There are two pieces of information here, but let's focus on the Dark One not being purely True Power. If the Dark One isn't the True Power, then I don't think the Creator can be the One Power. It's likely that the One Power comes from the Creator—like True Power comes from the Dark One—but they are two separate forces/energies/beings.
The second part of that answer talks about the ALL CAPS voice Rand hears in his head after he accidently Travels to Tarwin's Gap. We'll get to that in next week's post, so just put it on hold for now.
Second: the Eye of the World is just a pool of saidin intended to hide the Dragon Banner and the Horn of Valere.
Those artifacts are indeed important to the next book. Without both of them, Rand could not have beaten Ishamael in the sky above Falme. Also, the Heroes of the Horn wouldn't have helped Rand unless he had the Dragon Banner too. Artur Hawkwing says:
Hawkwing implies that this was the way the Pattern wanted it. Since the Heroes seem to have quite a bit of knowledge about certain things while they wait in Tel'aran'rhiod, we can be pretty sure he knows what he's talking about. It's also interesting to note that Hawkwing says they will only follow the banner and the Dragon. We had other sources earlier in The Great Hunt say that the Heroes will fight for whichever side blows the Horn. Is this another thing Aes Sedai don't really know the truth about, or is this particular moment in the Pattern something that needs to be specifically set?
So, the Banner and the Horn are terribly important for the forward movement of the characters and the world. But would so many Aes Sedai in the Age of Legends sacrifice themselves for this? Possibly. Rand needed those items, and the world would have died if he didn't have them. Could the Eye be just an elaborate hidey-hole?
If that were true, and the Eye is just an insignificant pool of saidin, why is Aginor so keen on using it? Robert Jordan was asked that very question in an interview:
This quote seems to imply that Aginor only wanted the Eye for the extra bit of Power, and a way to channel unobserved. Makes it sound kind of pointless, huh?
Third: the Eye of the World is a link to Rand's past lives and memories.
Drekka Mort posted on the Dragonmount forums:
This is an interesting theory. One of the main reasons I would believe this is because it takes absolutely no outside source for Rand to remember all his past lives in "Veins of Gold" (The Gathering Storm, Chapter 50). The memories were inside him the whole time; it only took Rand's acceptance to open them all up.
From this, I would say that the Eye stayed with Rand even after all its Power was used up. It's something that went into his skin, into his bones, into his soul. Some evidence that this might be correct comes from an interview with Brandon Sanderson:
From this, we can gather that Rand still has access to the Power of the Eye, since he can still channel Light and Power. In Towers of Midnight, Naeff is the one who notes Rand's incredible abilities:
After accepting his memories in "Veins of Gold," Rand's madness seems to leave him completely. When Nynaeve Delves into Rand's mind she sees something odd:
A liquid Power. Like the Eye? Most likely, I'd say. How did it get there? Probably from when Rand first used the Eye. It could have stayed with him, flowing in him, without him knowing. It laid dormant until he was able to reconcile his present life with his past lives. So, if there's a link still there between himself and the Eye, can the Eye's Power be refilled?
Well, that's a good place to stop for today. Next week we'll delve (no pun intended) a little deeper into who that ALL CAPS voice might be.
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If you love playing mafia games on our Mafia Games forum, you'll probably love the upcoming Operation Domination game. Players can pretend to be various Admins and Staff members from Dragonmount, and the goal is to take over the site. (Fortunately for us, the winners don't really get to take over. I'm sure it's fun pretending, though.) Hurry and sign up while you still can. Make sure to read the rules in the sign-up thread and the forum rules before playing.
The Aiel Social Group is discussing the elderly for the month of August. What is the place of the elderly in your culture?
The Black Tower Social Group will soon begin hosting their own Summer Olympics. All factions from the group will battle against each other in several entertaining contests. More information can be found in this thread.
Speaking of the Olympics, the Wolfkin Social Group has decided to tackle the topic of sports for August. What sports do you like and dislike? Would you rather play them or watch them? These questions and more are addressed in the thread.
Stay tuned for more updates next week!
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Host: Dragonmount is pleased to welcome Saladin Ahmed for a week long author Q&A session. Mr. Ahmed's short fiction has been nominated for the Nebula and Campbell awards, and his debut fantasy novel, Throne of the Crescent Moon, has received rave reviews from outlets ranging from Kirkus to NPR to io9. Mr. Ahmed has also been a guest on Brandon Sanderson's "Writing Excuses" podcast.
And now, he's here to answer your questions! Please post your questions below, and remember to be respectful and follow Dragonmount's Code of Conduct. Help me give Mr. Ahmed a warm welcome!
Mr. Ahmed, thank you for joining us for this event!
QUICK EDIT:
Mr. Ahmed might not be able to start answering questions until Tuesday (the 24th), but please feel free to post your questions now. He will answer all of them!
Ahmed: Hi there, folks! I'm THRILLED to be a guest here at Dragonmount. The early Wheel of Time books (embarrassingly, I'm WAY behind on the series) are some of my all-time favorite fantasy novels, and they've been a profound influence on my own work. (To give an example, Aviendha was one of the inspirations for Zamia Banu Laith Badawi, one of the main characters in my first novel.) So to be given a chance to talk a bit about my writing to this community means a lot to me.
As Mashiara Sedai indicated, I'm on the road right now, so I may be a bit slow with responses. Also, please bear with me as I figure out how the forum works, as I'm a bit of a techno-klutz. (I hope my Thom avatar shows up properly!)
With all of that out of the way, here we go!
Q: I'll start off with the first question. In Throne of the Crescent Moon, how much of the story, characters, myth, and magic are based on actual Middle Eastern culture and traditions? How much is pure imagination? How did you find a balance between the two?
A: Balancing real-world historical and cultural influences with Just Plain Made Up Stuff was one of the big challenges I faced in writing Throne of the Crescent Moon. For example, while the main in-world religion of Throne is very clearly influenced by medieval Islam, there are massive departures as well. Same with the monsters, which are lifted as much from Ray Harryhausen movies as they are from the actual mythology of the Islamic world. Ultimately, this is the reason I wrote a secondary-world fantasy instead of a historical one. You just plain have more freedom in writing the former. So what ended up on the pages of Throne is basically 1/3 genuine Islamic history/culture, 1/3 conventions and tropes from western fantasy novels (incl. WoT!), and 1/3 stuff from my own imagination. It's a Frankenstein's monster of a novel in some ways, but hopefully the stitches don't show.
Q: How difficult is it to juggle professional writing and your personal life? How much writing do you accomplish each day? Do you have a strict word count you have to keep to?
A: As to your second question...I won't jinx myself by talking about word count per se, but I will say that the personal/professional balance is hard, hard, hard. Did I mention it's hard? I'm a father to twin two-year-olds, which makes the already EXTREMELY difficult life of a non-bestselling author that much tougher. Full disclosure: I had a public semibreakdown on the internet a month or so back. One of the most remarkable things that emerged from that post was the flood of email I received from other writers--ranging from unpublished folks to NY Times Bestselling authors--who basically said "I don't admit it in public, but I'm going through/have gone through something very similar." Going kind of crazy trying to strike a balance seems almost to be a sort of occupational hazard. But I keep at it in part because of the inspiration provided by writers like Robert Jordan. The chance to bring the sort of pleasure to other readers that he brought to me...that's a powerful, powerful motivator.
Q: Do you have any tips for kick-starting inspiration? For example, is there a movie you watch, a book you read, or a song you listen to in order to get in a creative mood?
A: I almost never write to music because I find it distracting. One of the things I've had to reconcile myself to as I've gone pro is that I no longer have the luxury to wait on the muses, or even to coax them out of hiding. Once you sell a trilogy, you're on a deadline and need to produce words come hell or high water. So mostly it's all about massive amounts of coffee for me.
Thanks for the questions, guys! Looking forward to more!
Q: How valuable do you find meeting fans in person at either signings or conventions? Is it necessary for a new author to hit the road and meet potential fans, or does the work speak for itself?
A: Meeting fans at cons is extremely gratifying, and the networking with other professionals at cons can be great. More than that, the camaraderie and just-plain-fun is something I'd be miserable without.
But.
Cons cost time and money. I'd never describe them as *necessary*--more like a wonderful indulgence that can *sometimes* yield professional benefits. The best way to approach them is as a sort of working vacation with fellow nerds.
Q: Okay, I have a bit of a complex question...In your writing, how do you get from point A to point B (let's say point A is the beginning and point B is the end)? For example, I have a work, I know how I want it to begin and I know how I want it to end, but everything in between is blank space. How do you fill the blank spaces in your work? Do you have any tricks that help you in this area?
A: Actually *writing* chunks of the last chapter--before the middle of the book has been written--helps me to build a "bridge" between it and the first few chapters. I'm forced to think in detail about everything that needs to be mentioned in a final chapter. Which plot questions are answered, which characters are still there, *where* the last scene takes place, and how the characters got there, etc. By the time I've figured out what exactly I'm going to say in the last chapter, I've done a great deal of thinking about the couple of hundred pages preceding it.
Q: I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I LOVED the Falcon Prince as a character. Is he going to be prominent in the next book?
A: I'm glad you liked him! Yes, the Falcon Prince will be a VERY major character in Book II. The events at the end of Throne will have huge repercussions across the Crescent Moon Kingdoms (and beyond), and Pharaad Az Hammaz will be at the center of the maelstrom.
Q: Hi, Mr. Ahmed! I LOVED the novel! Can't wait to read your next one!
I think the thing that struck me most, trying not to do too many spoilers, was how true to themselves Zamia and Raseed stayed. Was it hard to leave loose ends and kind of forgo the more typical ending?
I also really liked that we joined the story near the end of Adoulla's career. Do you think we will ever see any prequels that tell more of his beginnings?
A: Thanks for reading! Trying to avoid spoilers here, but as far as Z & R go, I'll just say that the nice thing about writing the first book in a series is that it leaves a fair amount of room for loose ends. Zamia and Raseed each have some pretty intense challenges facing them in Book II. I'll give this much away: Zamia will learn more than she ever wanted to know about the djenn (who are mentioned but not seen in Book I), and Raseed will cross swords with a rogue dervish of the Order.
As to your second point: The Crescent Moon Kingdoms was conceived (and sold) as a trilogy. But if I do ever write a fourth book, there's a pretty good chance it would be a prequel.
Q: Do you ever find yourself in a place where you personally want things to go one way but know that the reader would want something else? If so, what do you do in such situations?
A: That's a really interesting question. I think while I'm writing I want things to go pleasantly for my characters, and I want my characters to be completely likable. But as a reader I love biting my nails or getting choked up over a character's tribulations, and I love characters' imperfections. So I try to give those things to my readers.
Q: How do you go about setting up a scene in your head and then transferring it to written word? The same goes for people. I can see the images in my head but I can never find the right words to describe them. Do you ever have these issues?
Have you ever initially created a character that you intended to kill very early on (like chapter 1) and turn around and keep them as a supporting character?
A: Perhaps because I spent many years writing and publishing poetry, I don't tend to have trouble finding the right *words*--cooking up plots is more where I have to work my hardest. Writer's block is less of a problem for me than finding *time* and *energy* to write.
As to question 2: I almost experience the opposite as far as killing characters goes--I *like* my characters, and if left to my own devices I'd probably not do them harm. But sometimes the story calls for what the story calls for, and I have to push myself into it.
Q: Have you ever experienced that a character "takes control" and starts doing things that you hadn't intended him/her to do?
A: Heh. Hearing writers talk about that--and I have many dear friends who experience "characters taking control"--always makes me angry and jealous. Why? Because *I've* never experienced it, and I wish I could, because it seems like it could be very helpful.
Q: Honored to meet you.
What drew you to writing?
A: My father, who--against certain socioeconomic odds--surrounded me with fun books, and encouraged my literary creativity from a young age.
Q: Okay, next question: did you study writing academically, or just start pursuing it as a hobby at first?
A: I've always been an "amateur" writer of some sort, since I was a kid. I did do formal training in creative writing--I have an MFA in Poetry--but being a member of various SF/F workshops & writers' groups has been more directly relevant to my current work.
Q: Have you ever had a thought or a dream that you just had to write down right that minute no matter what?
A: Yes, lots! Don't get to do it as often now that I have kids, though--I need to guard sleep-time more jealously, since it's so rare...
Q: Hey Saladin, I was curious, is there anything that you see writers doing that annoys the hell out of you? For instance Stephen King's comments about overuse of "he said blandly," "she said hotly."
What are the things you think new writers need to avoid?
A: Honestly, I think most "rules" (DON'T USE ADVERBS! DON'T BREAK POV! MAKE YOUR CHARACTER WANT SOMETHING!) are useless in the abstract. Any given work can violate them if it does so well.
Q: What do you look for in a good story?
A: A good story for me TENDS to offer some triangulation of entertainment value, writing skill, and ethos. Have something to say, say it well, and make it enjoyable (or rewarding) to read. YMMV, of course.
Q: Who is your favorite Wheel of Time character and why? Which scene in the series is your favorite?
After you finish the Crescent Moon Kingdoms series, do you have plans for another story/series already in mind?
A: That's tough. Of the "big three" guys, it's probably Perrin. But some of my very favorites are second-string characters. Thom Merrillin, Bayle Domon, Aviendha, Rhuarc, Min. And of course Lan. Lan is like the Wolverine of WoT--who *doesn't* like him?
I think almost all of The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt is just jaw-dropping stuff, honestly. But as far as a single scene, it's hard to top the Die Hard-type ending of Dragon Reborn. I mean, to have transplanted the style of the action thriller into an epic fantasy novel so powerfully--I don't think anyone did it before RJ did, and I don't think anyone's done it better since.
Finally, yes, I have several back-burner projects, some of which may end up getting written simultaneously as the Crescent Moon Kingdoms books.
Q: Do you ever include scenes with references or jokes purely for your own enjoyment? As in that the readers might not get the joke or understand the reference.
A: Yes, I do that a fair amount. But usually by the time I've revised and edited they become unrecognizable as in-jokes.
Q: What books would you for recommend someone to read?
A: That's pretty broad, so here are two random favorite writers I think people should read: Naguib Mahfouz and Fritz Leiber.
THANKS A TON FOR HAVING ME HERE, ALL!
Host: Thank you, Mr. Ahmed, for joining us. We really appreciate you making yourself available for your fans. And as Ireond said, please come back again!
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We've got a lot to cover, so I'll skip the flowery expositions this week and just get down to it.
(Note: A few of these break with canon in small ways, or are merely inspired by The Wheel of Time. Feel free to nitpick about canon in the comments, but please do it nicely!)
Dragonmount and Tar Valon
1. Dragonmount by John Irving (~NuttyMonk)
2. Tar Valon by Mike S. Miller and Andrea Di Vito (from the third volume in the comic book adaptation of New Spring)
3. Tar Valon by Henrik Lehtinen (I believe this is official Wheel of Time art, but I can't determine if this is from the computer game, the card game, or what...does anybody know?)
The Aiel Waste
1. Aiel Waste by Medo Farstrider
2. Three Fold Lands by Tyler Nixon (~Gypson)
3. The Threefold Land by ~TheNonSequitur
4. Craptastic Rhuidean by Tanya Wagemann (*fee-absinthe) (The title makes me laugh--sure, it's sketchy, but I love the colors!)
5. Jangai Pass by *Lupus-deus-est (Myfwnwy on Dragonmount)
Tear
1. Heart of the Stone II by Jared Magneson (~lordstormdragon)
2. Stone of Tear storeroom painting 2 by archedtin
Andor
1. Caemlyn from Tar Valon gate by Joe Trimarchi (*artguyjoe)
2. Winternight in the Westwood by *Lupus-deus-est (She also did the rendering of the Jangai Pass above!)
3. WoT-Westwood by Chase Conley (*saintchase)
4. Tower of Ghenjei by Drew
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Fantasy is a world in which we can lose ourselves and escape from our day to day lives. It's a world full of adventures that keeps us wanting more and prepares us for our next adventure. A fantasy world is a place for mythical creatures and powerful magic, where the unexpected happens constantly. It's a world that we can see through someone else's eyes, and maybe add to it with our own imaginations if so inclined. Basically, it's whatever we want it to be, whether it's sparkly vampires, tainted Power, the struggle of good against evil, or just an epic quest.
We are always looking for that next adventure, that new fix for our addiction of reading. As I post new articles, I'll occasionally post a list of current or future books on my reading list. This list may include books you've already heard of or are already reading, but don't let it discourage your chances of finding new books. I'm always stumbling across new books. I have over 200 books in my dorm room and about as many back home in storage, so my list will constantly be updated.
My current reading list:
The Way of Kings
Mistborn series
The Saga of Recluce
The Wheel of Time (reread)
A Game of Thrones
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"I've reached the end of the journey and set down my burdens. It's wonderful, relaxing, and solemn all at once. I love the Wheel of Time. It's also great to be done."
Brandon has completed and turned in the final major revision of the book to Harriet, Robert Jordan's widow and editor. She and her staff will complete final revisions and copyediting.
The hardcover and audiobook editions are scheduled to be released on January 8, 2013. The eBook will be released on April 9th.
I remember speaking to Brandon almost five years ago by phone. The first time we talked, he sounded excited and a little shell-shocked. He had yet to fly out to Charleston to meet Harriet, so he had no idea what was in store. He'd not read Robert Jordan's ending or other notes. I remember how nervous he was about whether or not Wheel of Time fans would accept him, or support him.
I talked to him again yesterday by phone, and I could hear the relief in his voice. The passion for the final book was still there. He's eager for people to read it, and seemed even more eager to finally be able to share Robert Jordan's final scenes with all of us.
There's no doubt in my mind that all Wheel of Time fans owe an enormous debt of gratidue to Brandon for his hard work in completing the series. Like you, I look forward to reading the book, and look forward to having him be a part of our community for years to come.
Thanks, Brandon.
About A Memory of Light
Dragonmount will feature complete coverage of AMOL. Check back regularly for updates as well as exclusives such as our early review of the book. In the meantime, there's plenty for you to enjoy:
Read the opening portion of the AMOL prologue.
Read the opening portion of Chapter 1.
Visit our complete AMOL info page.
Discuss A Memory of Light on our forums.
Follow us on Twitter or "Like" us on Facebook.
Please consider pre-ordering the book through one of our international Amazon affiliates, and help support our website.
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This month, we will be giving away a copy of Lord of Chaos. Click here for a clip from the audiobook. This month's question is: Who is your favorite Forsaken? You have until Wednesday, August 8th to answer in the comments section. Good luck!
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