Pay Attention to the Main Page--Sweets Unfinished Cover

[yoniy0]

Oh no, just not observant enough. I saw it after posting here (I missed it yesterday because, well, it's the weekend, I guess). Cool stuff, will be waiting for whatever videos make their way on youtube.

[aidan]

I thought some of you might be interested in this:

 

[Terez]

Did you just photoshop the title onto it? In any case, good job.

[Water_Weaver]

I have really always enjoyed Sweet's covers. I think they really conveyed that the book you were picking up was a fantasy book and it is a shame that he was unable to finish the cover. His cover for Eye of the World is easily my favourite cover for a fantasy work.

 

Regarding the cover itself though, it has been pointed out that Min's hair is too long and this made me wonder if the three women we are looking at are indeed Min, Elayne and Aviendha. Could it possibly be that the three women are actually Moghedien, Cyndane and Graendal?

 

Water

[Luckers]

Interesting thought.

[aidan]

Did you just photoshop the title onto it? In any case, good job.

 

Yep. I took the original painting and created all of the other cover elements from scratch (the font for the WOT books is 'Americana Extra Bold Condensed,' if anyone is interested), giving us an idea of what might have been. It was a fun little project and I hope fans will appreciate it.

 

I have really always enjoyed Sweet's covers. I think they really conveyed that the book you were picking up was a fantasy book and it is a shame that he was unable to finish the cover. His cover for Eye of the World is easily my favourite cover for a fantasy work.

 

Regarding the cover itself though, it has been pointed out that Min's hair is too long and this made me wonder if the three women we are looking at are indeed Min, Elayne and Aviendha. Could it possibly be that the three women are actually Moghedien, Cyndane and Graendal?

 

Water

 

It's an interesting idea. Lots of vulnerability in those women on the cover, which isn't something I'd attribute to Moghedien, Cyndane and Graendal. A reader mentioned on my original blog post that this painting won't be used because of continuity concerns, one of which is likely Min's appearance.

[Southpaw89]

It still blows my mind that some people call this picture a spoiler. We've only known that Rand was going to die since book 1

[TootThatHorn]

to me it would make sense for it to be rand up there, but i agree, min is the one that when looking at the 3 girls, i just dont see her being there, where is the short hair? and it does look like there is blood running down what i assume are rocks, but shayol ghul rock is black right? and why would he be bleeding on the rocs during his funeral? also there are remnants of a battle with soldiers, and i dont get the impression that regular people will be battling anywhere near where rand will be fighting his last battle. It doesnt look like blight around there to me, and the one major mountain in the background to me screams of dragonmount. Maybe there are just tons of different concepts completely slammed in to one pic, cause as far as im concerned, the cover art rarely depicts scenes very well. so it is probably rand up there, i mean, why wouldnt it be, but there are certain things that make me think it doesnt have to be. ive never bought in to the idea that rand was going to survive, but when i saw this i will say that it hit me hard the realization that he probably wont, and it was pretty sad. rands body however is hurting and who knows how he is going to fair through his battle, so to me it seems appropriate that he should be ALLOWED to be laid to rest after its all said and done.

 

those are my random thoughts on the situation

[Terez]

If you guys look at the original Tor post, you'll see that the three women are officially identified as Min, Aviendha, and Elayne.

[Terez]

It still blows my mind that some people call this picture a spoiler. We've only known that Rand was going to die since book 1

Book 2 actually. Twice and Twice is the first prophecy that explicitly mentions his death. It gets more explicit in LOC, with the Aelfinn's words and Nicola's Foretelling. Then in WH we get Alivia.

[Water_Weaver]

If you guys look at the original Tor post, you'll see that the three women are officially identified as Min, Aviendha, and Elayne.

 

Well there goes that theory. It will be interesting to see which scene will be done for the replacement cover.

 

Water

[Terez]

Luckers got Brandon to confirm for the record in Australia that it's a different scene, another of the three Brandon originally gave to DKS to choose from.

[Randommer]

Well, I think we can all safely agree that that cover closes whatever debate there was about the 'will Rand die and be resurrected' thing. The answer is clearly yes, since as others have said, they wouldn't have put that scene on the cover if it was at the end. I have to say, it will make Rand's 'death' kind of anticlimactic now. But then, I suppose it was always gonna be pretty clear that if Rand dies in the middle of the book, he's gonna be brought back somehow.

 

Still get all 'OMG, Rand's DEAD!' every time I see that cover though. I'm just not gonna be able to read AMoL in public.

[Terez]

Well, I think we can all safely agree that that cover closes whatever debate there was about the 'will Rand die and be resurrected' thing.

 

Oh, you'd be surprised. This was actually discussed a great deal at JordanCon. Now, I definitely believe that Rand will die and be resurrected, and I've been arguing for a long time that he was going to die midway through the book or even close to the beginning maybe. I originally thought he would die at the end of TOM. But I have also argued that the body on the pyre is not actually his body, because I think that he has to be balefired, and the weakness of the Illusion weave is touch, which would explain why the body falls apart when Egwene touches it in her dream. At the Last Theory Panel Ever, Jeff Daniels from Ta'veren Tees said he thought it would be Taim's body MoM'd to look like Rand's body. I think it's most likely to be Gawyn's, if anyone's. Maybe Galad's, but Gawyn seems more appropriate, for several reasons, some of them Arthurian.

 

I have to say, it will make Rand's 'death' kind of anticlimactic now. But then, I suppose it was always gonna be pretty clear that if Rand dies in the middle of the book, he's gonna be brought back somehow.

 

I don't believe it will be anticlimactic. I think that part of the literary reason for having Rand die before he's fulfilled all the prophecies is to wake the people up to their part in the Last Battle. The prologues have been drilling the fact that the smallfolk get it—they know how important it is to go north—but a lot of people just seem to expect Rand to take care of everything for them. One bit I always love to quote in that context, from Mat: "'Always leave a way out, unless you really want to find out how hard a man can fight when he's nothing to lose.'" And Elaida: "Well, that troublesome young man would be wrapped in swaddling and kept safe as an infant in his mother’s arms until time to take him to Shayol Ghul. After that, if he survived...Elaida’s lips pursed. The Prophecies of the Dragon seemed to say he would not, which undeniably would be for the best." And Rand: "'I am the Dragon Reborn,' he whispered at the walls sometimes, and sometimes shouted at them. 'I am the Dragon Reborn!' Silently and aloud he raged at those who opposed him, the blind fools who could not see and those who refused to see, for ambition or avarice or fear. He was the Dragon Reborn, the only hope of the world against the Dark One. And the Light help the world for it."

 

Still get all 'OMG, Rand's DEAD!' every time I see that cover though. I'm just not gonna be able to read AMoL in public.

 

lol, yeah I know what you mean. It's nice to have a few more details too, even though we can't really place too much stock in their accuracy.

[FarShainMael]

..the weakness of the Illusion weave is touch, which would explain why the body falls apart when Egwene touches it in her dream.

 

The trouble is that the body (whoever's it is) will have to be touched, in the process of wrapping it in a shroud and putting it on that bier. The OP could theoretically be used, but I can't see Rand's trio not taking a last chance to caress him. This will dispel any Illusion. If it turns out to be someone else's body, that stops the show completely.

[yoniy0]

I think she was suggesting that the trio did it on purpose, not that they were oblivious.

[Vinny]

Wow, really gives a visual to "Blood on the rocks":

 

 

Dunno, looks finished enough to use. But I'm not Tor.

[Jemlin]

No matter how rough it was, this piece is very moving. It's very visually striking, and seeing the three women surrounding the funeral pyre is just, well, tear jerking.

 

It just brings to mind the thought that I am not quite ready for it to end. =[

[Ouranou]

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.

 

 

Striking :)