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Books, Comics, Conventions

This week in The Wheel of Time

Jason
Thursday
3:26 pm

Looks like it has been a big news week for fans Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series. A couple of big announcements have filtered down the pipeline (thank you to Dragonmount) that solidifies a couple huge decisions for readers. Just wanted to catch you up on what is going on:

  • The huge news is that the planned last book of the series, is now a planned last three books of the series. Yes, A Memory of Light is being broken into three volumes now, with the first volume to be released in November 2009. Brandon Sanderson, who is finishing the series for the now departed Jordan, estimates what was originally conceived as a 250k word novel is now approaching 900k words. Sanderson explained in a recent blog how the decision came about, and justified the decision by explaining it as best for Wheel of Time readers. The first volume will be entitled The Gathering Storm, with the other two volumes estimated to follow each year in 2010 and 2011. Sanderson says any blame is due to himself for wanting to right a quality work both fans and Jordan would be proud of. Stick to your guns Brandon, I am behind you all the way.
  • It seems that Dabel Brothers is ramping up to finally deliver the Wheel of Time comics they have been saying they were working on for the past couple of years. Two items in fact. The first time DB took a shot at the WoT comics, they started with the prequel New Spring. A planned eight issue series only saw five printed and then disappeared. They plan on finishing the final New Spring issues with the sixth issue shipping this month. They also will be putting out a much shorter prequel story to Eye of the World, the first book in the series. That prequel to the graphic adaptation is titled Dragonmount. DB has released some early inked pages from the prequel. It is set to ship in April as well. It will lead into the Eye of the World series.
  • Last is just a small tidbit about JordanCon, a convention dedicated to The Wheel of Time. It seems they have released a full schedule of events that will happen over the convention. Various panels and author signings litter the schedule. For diehards, sounds like a cannot miss.

Got some movement on all this finally, good and bad news. But definately sounds like the good outweighs the bad.

Reader Comments

Ironically, the series started out as three books. *rolls eyes dramatically*

#1 
Written By Amber on April 2nd, 2009 @ 4:45 pm

So, then, I ask you: Is anyone really surprised?

#2 
Written By Amber on April 2nd, 2009 @ 4:48 pm

There is no doubt in my mind that once I have consumed book 12 I’ll be doing back flips of joy knowing I still have two more books to enjoy. It always hurts my soul a little when I read the last word in a long-running fantasy series I’ve been following.

But that said, I have been following Jordan’s series since the day the first book was published. That’s a LONG time. I hate waiting, and I’ve been waiting for each new book to come along for… wait for it…

more than 19 years.

#3 
Written By Amber on April 2nd, 2009 @ 5:22 pm

This makes me a little sad. Not that I’m sad there will be three more books to enjoy, but that the series won’t end with book 13, a very significant number in the Wheel of Time.
As for the comics, not much of a comic girl myself, but seeing my beloved characters thoughtfully and delicately depicted just might make me pick these up. I loved the art for New Spring. The books’ cover art seems so lifeless and bland in comparison.

#4 
Written By Charlotte on April 2nd, 2009 @ 8:21 pm

I feel much like you about the comics, Charlotte. I’m not into such myself, but I’m so not a fan of the art in the “The World of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time” that I might be willing to purchase anything that made the characters look good.

#5 
Written By Amber on April 2nd, 2009 @ 10:50 pm

The Big White Book was pure crap. I should actually use it as toilet paper if I ever run out. The information is awesome, but the art, complete dung. And looking back on it, how smart was it to release this type of book before even ending the series. Perhaps we will see an update to it.

#6 
Written By Jason on April 2nd, 2009 @ 11:12 pm

I’m pretty sure that they are planning on updating it after the final book is released, but I can’t remember where I read that.

Also I’m actually pretty happy with the split, it gives me more time to enjoy my favorite fantasy series.

#7 
Written By Nick Burns on April 3rd, 2009 @ 5:40 am

Darn I forgot to put this in the last one!

Here’s the “supposed” cover art for the first volume “The Gathering Storm”: http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php?topic=41450.0

*vomits*

It looks like Rand’s leg is broken just below the knee…

#8 
Written By Nick Burns on April 3rd, 2009 @ 5:41 am

The only artwork I have liked out of the covers was The Eye of the World. After that it was like they reached into a bag of random fantasy covers and use the first one they pulled out. I really wish they would have invested a bit more there. But its all good, only art I really look at is the spine of the book.

#9 
Written By Jason on April 5th, 2009 @ 10:24 pm

Ditto: “The Eye of the World” is the only one I like as well.

#10 
Written By Amber on April 6th, 2009 @ 9:37 am

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