Release Date Announced: Jan. 8, 2013

[Nightstrike]

There is NO real reason for the delay, other than the simple fact Harriet does not like e-books.

Harriet doesn't like e-books. She doesn't like e-book readers. She's vindictive. She wants her revenge on the e-books readers. She delays the e-book release purely out of spite, no matter her personal loss.

[Nightstrike]

But the real question is whether she's reborn or not. What do you think?

[Suttree]

I don't mind paying or getting in line or anything else. If it CAN'T be done that is one thing. Not doing it because you want to take an extra 3 months just because you want perfection, that is another. It will never be perfect no matter how many years you took. But it will be great and a lot of extra effort on their part at this point would be an appropriate way to say thank you to all us fans, supporters and friends of WOT, Robert Jordan, Harriet, et al.

 

There is a huge difference between striving for total perfection and rushing the process so we as readers have to deal with spotty writing and multiple mistakes. TGS and ToM suffered greatly because they went through the process far too fast. The author and Team Jordan have flat out admitted these mistakes, changed their process(both BS's writing and the revision process) to address them and vowed it wouldn't happen with the last book in the series. There is zero reason for them to rush out an inferior product and every reason to get it right in what is ultimately the final work that RJ's life's work will be judged upon.

[ptolemy99]

There are thousands of reasons to do so. They are called RJ's fanbase. I work with deadlines and people all the time. Everything can be rushed while maintaining high standards. And they can too if they were inclined to. You have sipped their drink. That is fine. I disagree. More time does not lead to a direct correlation of better product.

 

There is a certain amount of time needed and they need to figure out how to minimize it. We aren't unreasonable people and support them. But I will not accept this is the best they can do. And neither should you.

[Jon Paul]

I'm very upset about the e-book release date. I'm furious actually. That this great series will be translated to electronic format... it's horrible! E-books must be destroyed and purged for mankind's history. They're the worse thing to happen to humanity since the great flood. As far as I'm concerned if you want to read you do it properly!

[Cybertrolloc]

There are thousands of reasons to do so. It's called RJ's fanbase. I work with deadlines and people all the time. Everything can be rushed while maintaining high standards. And they can too if they were inclined to. You have bought into their drink. That is fine. I disagree. More time does not lead to a direct correlation of better product.

 

There is a certain amount of time needed and they need to figure out how to minimize. We aren't unreasonable people and support them. But I will not accept this is the best they can do. And neither should you.

Was the first paragraph a quote, doesn't seem to fit the second. If so, can you provide an example, all I can think of are contrary ones?

 

Also, that's probably a bad thing to have as an expectation. What you can expect is that it'll be printed excepting something crazy, the only thing you decide is whether you spend money on it or not.

[ptolemy99]

There are thousands of reasons to do so. It's called RJ's fanbase. I work with deadlines and people all the time. Everything can be rushed while maintaining high standards. And they can too if they were inclined to. You have bought into their drink. That is fine. I disagree. More time does not lead to a direct correlation of better product.

 

There is a certain amount of time needed and they need to figure out how to minimize. We aren't unreasonable people and support them. But I will not accept this is the best they can do. And neither should you.

Was the first paragraph a quote, doesn't seem to fit the second. If so, can you provide an example, all I can think of are contrary ones?

 

Also, that's probably a bad thing to have as an expectation. What you can expect is that it'll be printed excepting something crazy, the only thing you decide is whether you spend money on it or not.

 

 

Let's do away with feedback then. Why complain about anything that makes you unhappy since according to your statement the only recourse is to not buy it. Billions of dollars are spent every year by corporations who take their customers feedback and adjust their products and availability accordingly. Staying quiet simply because you are told that this is what you get whether you like it or not doesn't strike me as all right.

 

Recent example of customers being upset and getting a direct response was the netflix fiasco. They still pissed off a lot of customers, but speaking up by their customer base forced the company to reevaluate and adjust.

 

Harriet and her team should do the same for their fans.

[Suttree]

Let's do away with feedback then. Why complain about anything that makes you unhappy since according to your statement the only recourse is to not buy it. Billions of dollars are spent every year by corporations who take their customers feedback and adjust their products and availability accordingly. Staying quiet simply because you are told that this is what you get whether you like it or not doesn't strike me as all right.

 

Recent example of customers being upset and getting a direct response was the netflix fiasco. They still pissed off a lot of customers, but speaking up by their customer base forced the company to reevaluate and adjust.

 

Harriet and her team should do the same for their fans.

 

The facts are both TGS and ToM suffered greatly due to being rushed far too fast through the writing, editing and revision process. With everyone working crazy overtime hours they barely pulled off the previous pace. They have admitted it didn't work and owned up to the major issues with those books. You are essentially saying you want them to continue doing the same thing despite the fact that it hasn't worked. They are taking the proper steps to address those issues which is exactly what they should be doing. Why should Harriet rush the book and put out an inferior product for the extremely small sliver of the fan base that even knows when the release date is. Again making this book the best it can be and protecting RJ's legacy are far more important.

 

Btw the examples you give above have zero to do with the realities of the publishing business. Tor is loosing money by not making the Holiday season deadline they originally set. This is a quality issue, the book is a work of art. They should take all the time possible to get it right. I along with many others don't want a third book in a row that has spotty writing and just about zero re-readability.

 

Edit: For clarity to better express my viewpoint...

[ptolemy99]

 

 

No one is staying quite. The facts are both TGS and ToM suffered greatly due to being rushed far too fast through the writing, editing and revision process. With everyone working crazy overtime hours they barely pulled off the previous pace. They have admitted it didn't work and owned up to the major issues with those books. You are essentially saying you want them to continue doing the same thing despite the fact that it hasn't worked. They are taking the proper steps to address those issues which is exactly what they should be doing. Again making this book the best it can be and protecting RJ's legacy are far more important than rushing the book for the extremely small sliver of the fan base that even knows when the release date is.

 

Which I do not agree with you on. The legacy issue is a non-starter for me. His legacy is set already. Legacy / art. It's the same argument. You consider the steps to be the proper ones. I don't and there have been others who also disagreed. TGS and ToM were a lot better than some of the other books which had more time.

 

Wonder if that is the same sliver that found the writing so bad they could barely reread it.

 

 

 

And there are numerous posts repeatedly saying the holiday season has zero affect on the sales. I have read that over and over in defense of Tor. Now its a sacrifice they are making?

[benny the ball]

I'm very upset about the e-book release date. I'm furious actually. That this great series will be translated to electronic format... it's horrible! E-books must be destroyed and purged for mankind's history. They're the worse thing to happen to humanity since the great flood. As far as I'm concerned if you want to read you do it properly!

 

 

like on the internet

[Jon Paul]

like on the internet

 

Completely different .

[ptolemy99]

I had my say. I doubt I can change your mind and there is no chance that mine will be adjusted.

 

I respectfully say we must agree to heartily disagree on this issue.

 

 

I'll still buy the book, but they know that...

[Suttree]

TGS and ToM were a lot better than some of the other books which had more time.

 

You have got to be joking. The issue is with the quality of writing and lack of polish witch sits squarely on the revision process being rushed. The prose is very blunt and heavy handed, we see poor characterization and the books were riddled with errors/typos. The plot gratification was better than some of the other books but that is just where we are in the story, it would have been the case regardless of who wrote them. What we don't need is another book that relies on plot gratification to carry the narrative. When the author himself has addressed the issues you can't just pretend they don't exist.

 

And there are numerous posts repeatedly saying the holiday season has zero affect on the sales. I have read that over and over in defense of Tor. Now its a sacrifice they are making?

 

Tor is a business, they are supposed to maximize profits. Again I use to work in corporate marketing for Virgin Mega stores and I was there for three Holiday season with our book department. Whoever says Holiday has no effect on sales has zero idea how retail works. So yes they are sacrificing a percentage of sales to ensure the quality is higher based on the wishes of Team Jordan. It sure as hell wasn't Tor's idea to push back. It was even stated that Harriet would have taken more time if she could have.

[ptolemy99]

You're right. The 100 pages about the windfinders and the bowl of winds was worth the wait. It was a polished 100 pages though so that made it worth it.

 

Being polished is useless if something is not enjoyable.

[ptolemy99]

TGS and ToM were a lot better than some of the other books which had more time.

 

You have got to be joking. The issue is with the quality of writing and lack of polish witch sits squarely on the revision process being rushed. The prose is very blunt and heavy handed, we see poor characterization and the books were riddled with errors/typos. The plot gratification was better than some of the other books but that is just where we are in the story, it would have been the case regardless of who wrote them. What we don't need is another book that relies on plot gratification to carry the narrative. When the author himself has addressed the issues you can't just pretend they don't exist.

 

And there are numerous posts repeatedly saying the holiday season has zero affect on the sales. I have read that over and over in defense of Tor. Now its a sacrifice they are making?

 

Tor is a business, they are supposed to maximize profits. Whoever says Holiday has no effect on sales has zero idea how book retail works. So yes they are sacrificing a percentage of sales to ensure the quality is higher based on the wishes of Team Jordan. It sure as hell wasn't Tor's idea to push back. It was even stated that Harriet would have taken more time if she could have.

 

Which leads back to my statements that Harriet needs to move her team into overdrive and work it faster for her fans. You can want what you want. I can want something else. I have ZERO problem with them working longer hours and putting in a herculean effort for us. We have committed ourselves and our money to them for years. Now its time to bring their A+ game to the table on our behalf.

[Bob T Dwarf]

The facts are both TGS and ToM suffered greatly due to being rushed far too fast through the writing, editing and revision process. With everyone working crazy overtime hours they barely pulled off the previous pace. They have admitted it didn't work and owned up to the major issues with those books. You are essentially saying you want them to continue doing the same thing despite the fact that it hasn't worked. They are taking the proper steps to address those issues which is exactly what they should be doing. Why should Harriet rush the book and put out an inferior product for the extremely small sliver of the fan base that even knows when the release date is. Again making this book the best it can be and protecting RJ's legacy are far more important.

 

Btw the examples you give above have zero to do with the realities of the publishing business. Tor is loosing money by not making the Holiday season deadline they originally set. This is a quality issue, the book is a work of art. They should take all the time possible to get it right. I along with many others don't want a third book in a row that has spotty writing and just about zero re-readability.

 

Edit: For clarity to better express my viewpoint...

 

I've looked. Really. I don't see ANY facts in what you expressed. I do see a whole lot of your opinion. Now while your opinion matters, mostly to you, it also matters to some others. But regardless it is still just an opinion like all others. Not a fact.

 

I preordered and read the very same versions of The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight that you and everybody else did. I found them to be remarkably good. Well written. True to the story and the characters as defined by Robert Jordan. Entertaining and timely, besides.

 

And, entertaining and timely are not terms that can be used by any but a masochist about several of the volumes penned by Robert Jordan. And that is mostly Harriet's fault. She abdicated her responsibilities as an editor in favor of her desires as a wife. The series suffered mightily for that. And that is fact. Now, suddenly, she actually cares about the quality of the books? Somebody who is looking to buy a bridge in Brooklyn might believe that but not the rest of us.

[Suttree]

Which leads back to my statements that Harriet needs to move her team into overdrive and work it faster for her fans. You can want what you want. I can want something else. I have ZERO problem with them working longer hours and putting in a herculean effort for us. We have committed ourselves and our money to them for years. Now its time to bring their A+ game to the table on our behalf.

 

I get it and it would be a valid point if it was realistic. But all we have to do is look back at TGS and ToM. They put in a herculean effort to get them done as quick as they did and it didn't work. That is the whole point of pushing the date. They aren't going to keep trying to shove a square peg in a round hole. It goes back to Team Jordan admitting mistakes and changing their process.

 

I admire your tenacity on the topic but unfortunately throughout this thread there have been a number of misconceptions put forth(not by you) on how this entire process works and all it does is muddle the issue. The combination of seeing the posters who have "inside" looks into this industry weigh in on the topic combined with my own experience is more than enough convince me that this is the correct course.

 

The issue to me more so than the extra time is authors making guesses as to when things will be wrapped up. In the last few years we have seen Rothfuss, Martin, etc have long delays and not even come close to reaching their projected release dates. Perhaps they should just hold off on giving them until they have a realistic handle on things and then some fans wouldn't be so disappointed. I agree with Gaiman's "GRR Martin is not your bitch" quote but again, don't even bother to pick a date if you aren't sure. Guess it comes down to personnel preference as I would always sacrifice time for a better quality product. The book is only going to come out once, we are the ones who have years and years to enjoy it if it is done right.

 

I've looked. Really. I don't see ANY facts in what you expressed. I do see a whole lot of your opinion. Now while your opinion matters, mostly to you, it also matters to some others. But regardless it is still just an opinion like all others. Not a fact.

 

What?!?! The facts are in Team Jordan and Brandon admitting the issues with those books. Or is it just their opinion too? You can't disagree when the author himself admits they are there. So yes it is a fact that the books suffered by being rushed through the process. TJ has flat out told us they did. Another fact is in the overtime hours they put in to get those two out, so while some of the specifics I mentioned in previous post may have included opinion, what you responded to where the facts.

 

No one has said the books were not entertaining on first read. I too was excited to have that initial plot gratification. Unfortunately they don't hold up, the poor writing and numerous mistakes become more glaring with each attempted reread.

 

Also somewhat rich you would be calling me out on "facts" in this thread when you have been blatantly wrong on a number of items that have been corrected by other posters. That most certainly hasn't helped us as we attempt to piece everything together in this thread.

[Mr Ares]

The worst part of it, for Harriet and Tor is that by making it such a long gap between the two people WILL look elsewhere for a copy.

I believe that's the point - they want people to look at places that sell physical copies of the books.

 

The fact that GRRM released a Dance with Dragons the same day in e-format and got it still got to #1 on the NYT list proves that simultaneous release DO work, aMoL would still make #1 if it was done in e-format. This is nothing but a vindictive action.

Vindictive? Not really. Annoying for those of you who prefer ebooks, but hardly done out of malice. I'd say at worst it is misguided.

 

There are thousands of reasons to do so. They are called RJ's fanbase. I work with deadlines and people all the time. Everything can be rushed while maintaining high standards. And they can too if they were inclined to. You have sipped their drink. That is fine. I disagree. More time does not lead to a direct correlation of better product.

 

There is a certain amount of time needed and they need to figure out how to minimize it. We aren't unreasonable people and support them. But I will not accept this is the best they can do. And neither should you.

They tried rushing the last ones, and as pointed out it didn't work all that well. Also, it was mentioned earlier in the thread that Harriet required several months to recover from ToM. She put in a lot of long hours. I don't feel so entitled to this book that I want Harriet to work herself to death to get it to me slightly sooner. More time does not directly correlate with a better book, that much is true, but it is important that you take enough time. And given that "enough time" cannot include an insane amount of overtime from Harriet, she'll just have to put in as many man-hours over a longer period. Which means we must wait. Look at the results of various other books in the series not being given enough time - not just the blunt prose and characterisation and numerous typos of the last two books, but also the problems in, for example, CoT. RJ admitted the book had problems. But he didn't realise the extent of the problems until he had already written a significant amount, so it was either press on and make the best of the situation, or go back and rewrite from scratch. He chose the former. GRRM chose the latter. Both lead to a lot of complaints from the fans. Some people will only ever be satisfied with high speed and high quality. We can't have both, not in this instance. Do you want it to be done right or do you want it to be done now?

 

 

And there are numerous posts repeatedly saying the holiday season has zero affect on the sales.

Not one of them from an industry insider. Not one of them backed up by a member of Team Jordan. Not one of them from someone who is using their own experiences of retail as supporting evidence. They just say the same thing: "no-one is going to want to start the series on book 14". The world is not divided into those who aren't currently following the series and those who will buy it on day 1. An awful lot of people will get AMoL for Christmas. True, a lot of people will be buying for themselves asap, but not everyone. Christmas is a big time for selling stuff in retail. January? Not so much (it's why everyone has big sales in January). Before Christmas everyone is spending money, after it no-one has any money left. So if you want something to sell as many copies as possible, do you release when everyone is spending money or when no-one has any money? AMoL will sell well regardless. However, it will sell better if released in November than it will if released in January. So if Team Jordan wanted to maximise sales above all else, they would release in November. By delaying, they miss out on some sales. So why delay if you don't want to make more money?

 

 

And, entertaining and timely are not terms that can be used by any but a masochist about several of the volumes penned by Robert Jordan. And that is mostly Harriet's fault. She abdicated her responsibilities as an editor in favor of her desires as a wife. The series suffered mightily for that. And that is fact. Now, suddenly, she actually cares about the quality of the books? Somebody who is looking to buy a bridge in Brooklyn might believe that but not the rest of us.

Actually, Bob, all of that is opinion. I've looked, and I can't see any actual facts in what you say. And I've been looking at what you say since 2006. The series might have taken a downturn of quality, but how do you know that was due to Harriet? Maybe she tried to trim down RJ's work and he overruled her? And how do you know her "desires as a wife" had a damn thing to do with it?

[Simpleman2012]

Brandon did a great job with book 12 and 13. The pace was great and an exciting read. There was no need for any further character developement as much of it had already been done in the earlier books.

 

If the final book is going to be as convoluted and long drawn on useless irrelevant character issues as book 9,10 and 11 was, to fill pages, then it will be a major disappointment to the loyal RJ fanbase. Worse with this long delay announcement.

 

RJ's style and Brandon's are similar - every page a page turner, filled with just enough information without senseless 'character developement' page fillings like book 9,10 and 11.

 

If the decision makers wishes to live up to RJ's legacy, they should leave Brandon alone and let him have the major say to finish it. Harriet, or any of the other decision makers, ARE NOT Robert Jordan. There can only be one RJ. Reading Brandon's style is akin to reading Robert Jordan's, more so when much of the storyline had already been plotted by RJ.

 

If the final book is to be another convoluted piece of writing such as book 9.10 and 11 was, then the decision makers be assured of total bad reviews all the way.

 

No one can deny money is necessary, more so with this series which earned both the writer and publishing house tons of it over the years. But there is no need for further greed in this case.

 

Many whom are fans will still support any pre or post-Wheel of Time series. However, if the fans are pissed off, no one will hesitate to write off the series as a whole and doom the series for generations to come.

 

May the decision makers think like Rand Al Thor, the Dragon Reborn, and not like petty aes sedai whenches.

[Luckers]

I'm a little drunk, but can I just say I tend to summarily dismiss ANYONE who uses ALL CAPITALS to emphasize the depth of their inner angst over an issue. It's not really that I don't buy your point--in this case I do. I don't agree with Harriet's position on ebooks, but I know there is a great deal more involved than Thom is making out, and that the decision was not vindictive, nor was Harriet ignoring fan need. She was aware of it, but chose otherwise for various more complex issues (which again, I disagree with, but understand)--but yes, when I see people EXCLAIMING their anger, I'm left thinking simply that they're exclaiming their ignorence. That they have no basis for their argument other then their ruffled sense of immediate gratification.

 

So for all that I personally disagree with Harriet's decision Thom, I find myself opposed to you.

[Mats Spare Hat]

I think the idea where Tor stands to lose money on this, by not having a holiday release, needs to be broken down a bit more... I see it as a case where Tor isn't going to lose end users, per say, but that they're going to lose out at the wholesale level - what they would make from venders that order the book, and then sell it to you and I, the reader.

 

Taking that thought a bit further: Booksellers don't sell 1 book at a time, so they would want something driving people into the store, to rope them into picking up something else, beyond what they'd already planned - same store sales; Walmart style, here in the states.

 

Essentially, if you planned to release in time for the winter holiday season, and it was a significant release, venders would be more apt to jump on the order list because they know that'll get boots in the door, and once you're there you might go oh hey, there's that dvd I was thinking about, or hey that looks like a good book too, say, is that a coffee bar? ARE THOSE CRULLERS?? Hell, it's what got me to Wally World the day after American Thanksgiving (half price Batman: Arkham City).

 

What Tor misses out on is that sort of excitement at the retail level, specific to the season - not so much at the level of the end consumer. I feel really comfortable stating that because *plays broken record, Tor has 2 decades of sales data, specific to this series, to predict where they're more than likely to come out once the numbers roll in.

 

Would retailers be more excited for a November release? Absolutely! It would drive those same store sales, get people coming in at a time of year where folks feel driven to spend. Will having a January release have an affect on total sales to end users, readers of this particular book, over time? Not likely at all.

 

In other words, the total sales to end users will be at that predictable level - so it's more of a matter of when those sales occur, or how they're grouped as far as frequency, curve on a graph, that sort of thing, as opposed to the idea that Tor will lose money on a whole. Tor will make the money from AMoL over time, at a predictable level based on solid data from past trends.

 

The sales of this book will happen, and that revenue's going to be spread out over time. Tor isn't going to lose total sales from the end user, they're instead missing out on a season where consumers are driven to buy things by things, outside the realm of what some may call rational decision making. You might say ah ha! They're missing out on new users! But again, 20 years of data can tell you that it's not those brand new users that have a meaningful percentage impact, on your total figures, with regard to a specific volume even in the past 5 years.

 

Is Tor missing out on the season? Yeah. Do they have hard numbers to indicate that it really doesn't matter to them, as far as total sales, for a particular late series volume, over time is concerned? Yup.

 

 

All that, in addition to what we already know with emphatic concerns over quality, legacy, artistry, from both Team J & Tor no less - the idea of missing the pre-holiday sales season honestly, probably doesn't bother many people over at Tor at all.

 

SO, Tor isn't losing money - they're losing "money now", but they will bring in a predictable amount, over a predictable amount over time - and it's obvious they're comfortable with that circumstance. Twenty years of data don't lie.

 

 

....

 

 

I swear though if it pulls a Mass Effect 3 at the end, book. burning.

[NetSlider]

I think the idea where Tor stands to lose money on this, by not having a holiday release, needs to be broken down a bit more... I see it as a case where Tor isn't going to lose end users, per say, but that they're going to lose out at the wholesale level - what they would make from venders that order the book, and then sell it to you and I, the reader.

 

Taking that thought a bit further: Booksellers don't sell 1 book at a time, so they would want something driving people into the store, to rope them into picking up something else, beyond what they'd already planned - same store sales; Walmart style, here in the states.

 

Essentially, if you planned to release in time for the winter holiday season, and it was a significant release, venders would be more apt to jump on the order list because they know that'll get boots in the door, and once you're there you might go oh hey, there's that dvd I was thinking about, or hey that looks like a good book too, say, is that a coffee bar? ARE THOSE CRULLERS?? Hell, it's what got me to Wally World the day after American Thanksgiving (half price Batman: Arkham City).

 

What Tor misses out on is that sort of excitement at the retail level, specific to the season - not so much at the level of the end consumer. I feel really comfortable stating that because *plays broken record, Tor has 2 decades of sales data, specific to this series, to predict where they're more than likely to come out once the numbers roll in.

 

Would retailers be more excited for a November release? Absolutely! It would drive those same store sales, get people coming in at a time of year where folks feel driven to spend. Will having a January release have an affect on total sales to end users, readers of this particular book, over time? Not likely at all.

 

In other words, the total sales to end users will be at that predictable level - so it's more of a matter of when those sales occur, or how they're grouped as far as frequency, curve on a graph, that sort of thing, as opposed to the idea that Tor will lose money on a whole. Tor will make the money from AMoL over time, at a predictable level based on solid data from past trends.

 

The sales of this book will happen, and that revenue's going to be spread out over time. Tor isn't going to lose total sales from the end user, they're instead missing out on a season where consumers are driven to buy things by things, outside the realm of what some may call rational decision making. You might say ah ha! They're missing out on new users! But again, 20 years of data can tell you that it's not those brand new users that have a meaningful percentage impact, on your total figures, with regard to a specific volume even in the past 5 years.

 

Is Tor missing out on the season? Yeah. Do they have hard numbers to indicate that it really doesn't matter to them, as far as total sales, for a particular late series volume, over time is concerned? Yup.

 

 

All that, in addition to what we already know with emphatic concerns over quality, legacy, artistry, from both Team J & Tor no less - the idea of missing the pre-holiday sales season honestly, probably doesn't bother many people over at Tor at all.

 

SO, Tor isn't losing money - they're losing "money now", but they will bring in a predictable amount, over a predictable amount over time - and it's obvious they're comfortable with that circumstance. Twenty years of data don't lie.

 

 

....

 

 

I swear though if it pulls a Mass Effect 3 at the end, book. burning.

 

:) i thought ME3 ending was awesome! U can have him still survive if u played ur cards right ;) though my character died at the end, as a true hero should if the reason is good enough , IMO

[Mats Spare Hat]

!Possible ME3 Spoiler Alert~

 

 

The ME3 ending is great, except the whole Joker running away/how the heck does that happen when those characters are vapor seeing as how they were just with me, and everything explodes, but they had enough time to jump away, except that's out of whack because why the heck would they be running, or moreover how would they have enough time to get there when we see everything happen in that given timeframe. Everybody's at Earth, and then Shepard does the deal, but suddenly Normandy's on the other side of the system, pussyfooting away, already through the relay mid jump?

 

...THAT part's bogus and totally outa whack. If they hadn't included that part, albeit the outcome still bleak in a sense, it would have been better. Or at least have made more coherent sense.

[shadowofomioc]

For a series that has dragged on for as long as this one, I am still in shock that the final book will even be released. What with the death of the author and everything else going on. I would love to see this book released around Christmas time ( which is something TOR and Harriet should really shoot for ) but you know, this is a series that has lasted over a decade now. Waiting a bit more is nothing to be at this point. Just knowing this IS the FINAL book is enough for me.

 

I can certainly understand pure frustration though. I think this is the single longest running single book series in the history of books. What makes the wait worse is that the last 2 books have actually been really good and the stage is set VERY WELL for the final book's events. I'm downright anxious to see what happens with the Seachan, with Rand, with everyone really. I mean this is the last book! It's finally here! Well .. way over there anyway.

 

I seriously expected something to happen like the initial draft bursting into flame or something and them just saying forget it, we'll do without a last book. At this point, I expect things like that with this series. I mean lord, I believe I was 14 or so when I read the first 2 books lol. Think it was 7 years ago when I first read the words " the end is coming, and fast! " or something like that.

 

I wanted a September release or something, but whatever. I'm in pure whatever mode with this last book. I'm excited and anxious, but ... whatever.

 

I just can't wait for them to hit November and say " we need another month " muwahaha ... oh how the Dark One will laugh.

[muddasssir]

OK people you are still at it. Cool! Keep going, there is just one thing that I want to add. I have said before and I am repeating myself, they are just looking for a way to split the book. As for quality of writing . Well, BS is not RJ and that is the end of discussion. they can take five years and it will still not be the same. More polishing they do more the story is going to suffer as non RJ parts will stand out further. BS has done an adequate job of both tGS and ToM . You just cannot expect him to give up his style and become a pretend RJ.