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DRAGONMOUNT

A WHEEL OF TIME COMMUNITY

Release Date for A Memory of Light + eBook


Jason Denzel

Tor Books announced today that A Memory of Light, the fourteenth and final Wheel of Time novel, will be released on January 8, 2013. Update: The eBook will be released on April 9, 2013.

 

Here's the original press release:

The first novel in Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time®, The Eye of the World, was released on January 15, 1990. Now more than twenty years later, Tor Books is thrilled to announce the official publication date for the final novel in the series. A Memory of Light will release on January 8, 2013, in the final month of the Year of the Dragon.

 

A Memory of Light is one of the most important titles that Tor will ever publish. Many of the principal players have been involved with the series since its inception, including Publisher Tom Doherty and Editor Harriet McDougal, who worked with Robert Jordan on all of his books, and who is working with Brandon Sanderson, the writer finishing the series from Robert Jordan’s outline and his notes. This is a landmark publication not just for Tor but for millions of fans of the late Robert Jordan, who eagerly await the conclusion to his epic tale. Everyone involved with the project is committed to making this an ending to remember.

 

Over the next few seasons, Tor will continue to release new Wheel of Time material, including trade paperback editions of the early novels with new art, new graphic novel editions of the The Eye of the World comics, and other material related to A Memory of Light as we get closer to publication date.

 

Update (March 15): The January date listed is for the hardcover and audiobook editions of the book. The eBook will come out a few months later in April. This is consistent with what they did on Towers of Midnight.




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I don't care what your opnion is, no need for that language! Geez.

 

I'm disapointed. How could you not be? This isn't what any of us expected when Brandon was hired to complete the series, and I feel like a lot of the fault lies with Tor milking this thing to death. The one book becomes 3 books, the three books are promised a year apart but aren't, etc; Call me selfish but I DO wish there had been an agreement with the author to finish the WOT ahead of anything else. Brandon's other stuff is ok and I know he has his own fans, but I can't imagine they are anywhere near the size and scope of WOTers.

 

Will I devour the last novel? Of course I will (assuming the Mayans got it wrong and a bus doesn't hit me). I picked up EOTW when I was 16 years old working as a cashier in Kmart waaaay back in 1990. I have waited well over half my life for this series to finish. So by god, it better finish well.

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Just Gary, I removed your comment because the language you used violated our Code of Conduct. Please keep the discussion here civil.

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No one's milking anything. Everything that's gone into the last two books has been necessary to wrap up the billion-and-one plot lines lying around. I'm honestly kind of surprised that there will be enough space in the one remaining book to clear everything up. Perhaps if Perrin's subplot and Elayne's bid for the thrones of Andor and Cairhien had been told more efficiently, the story could have taken one less book, but those problems date back to books 9 and 8, respectively. And while 13 books would have been very symbolically appropriate, ending the series in the last month of the year of the Dragon is at least as appropriate, and is almost painfully meaningful.

 

When I read Brandon's blog about the release date asking everyone to wait before complaining, I was surprised that he felt a need to ask for patience. Very surprised and disappointed to see some of the misplaced outrage here.

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Additional thoughts: the last several volumes have had almost distracting numbers of typos and errors in them, and all so that we can have our story sooner. Are you really going to villainize them for taking their time to get this one right?

 

As TOR said, this is one of the most important, probably the most important, book they will ever publish.

 

If it takes 3 more months to make sure that Rand is bonded to Alanna instead of Manna (check it, Lord of Chaos, when Verin and Alanna are talking right after the bonding; page 288 in the old paperback version), or to make sure that Gawyn's and Galad's names are switched, or to make sure the Shaido Aielsedai aren't rampaging through Cairhien on their way back to the Waste, then all the better.

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Its nice to have a date and all, but I cant be too happy we still have 11 months to go, color me nonplussed.

 

I think trhey should release it in October/November like every other WOT Book since Book Four.

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My problem is not with the release date, but with the e-book date. I've switched to e-books because I can no longer hold hardback books comfortable because of arthritis. If they want to set the e-book price as the same price as the hardback, OK. But not releasing the e-book for several months just seems unfair.

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I am disappointed.

 

Not in how long it will take to finish, edit, and publish the book. Those things happens as they need to happen.

 

But with the fact that there is a 3-month delay in the e-book version. Seems kinda sad that TOR (and whomever else was in on the decision) is more interested in killing lots more trees and adding more pollution than having the e-book available at launch.

 

There was a time, from a financial POV, where this might have made practical and financial sense. But with the increase in e-book sales, the cost of producing physical copies, distributing, and selling them at a POS has increased significantly. By the end of the year, based on current trends, the practicality of printing large books like this will be cost prohibitive to the point of much higher costs to the consumer or eating at publisher and/or retailer's margins.

 

Sure, there are those who want their hardcopy book.

 

Great for them, and I have no issue with those folks. Enjoy adding it to your collection.

 

And those who say it was done that was last time need to understand the drastic changes in the market place the last 18-months. Seems to me TOR (and perhaps Harriet and those advising her) just don't get that.

 

Terribly short-sighted.

 

I will wait for the e-book and buy it, if only because I have invested 20 or so year in the franchise. But unless things change moving forward, I will never buy another publication by TOR (or this franchise, however it moves forward) again.

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lol It sounds so Marketing driven. Very PC of them to make such an announcement. Well, I don't like them for doing it this way and am not at all happy about it. If I knew to whom to write a nasty letter, then I would. Still, it is their product, not mine. They can do what they want. Just as I can complain about it as I want:). You all are greeat though for getting the word out to us! So, thank you those of you who are keeping this site going! it is much appreciated!

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Happy Easter everyone!

 

Fyi,

 

I just checked Amazon's website, and AMOL is now available for pre-order with a list price of $34.99, but discounted to 23.09, which is 34% off.

 

The hardcover page count listed is 864 pages.

 

I checked Amazon for other editions, but at this point, they only have the regular hardcover available for pre-order.

 

I'm surprised, I thought we might have to wait until June or July to pre-order AMOL.

 

Have a good Easter and spring break!

 

Larry Carrigan

Yorba Linda, CA

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I wonder if all this anger is just a bunch of trolls... Or from people who used to love the WoT but no longer do.. Because, if you do truly love this series, your first reaction to this announcement should be excitement, not anger. This is the culmination of decades of work, and 2 months is a VERY SMALL percentage of that time.

 

I also have to wonder, are these fans who are angry readers of other fantasy series? And if so, QUALITY fantasy series? Because if you are, delays in publishing are very COMMON, and usually are delays in many months, if not years. George RR Martin has delayed many of his books by years. And JK Rowling (still fantasy in my mind if it does blur some of the lines) delayed the publishing of a couple of her books by six months to a year. A delay of only two months is SUPERB, and UNCOMMON.

 

Sure, I'd love the final book to be out now, but I also recognize that one of the things that make an Epic Fantasy series TRULY EPIC is QUALITY CONTROL. This means more than just editing for typos. It means REVISING the ENTIRE BOOK MULTIPLE TIMES. It means making sure that the many intricate and detailed plot lines stay consistent with the entire series. It means making sure that things that were foreshadowed in previous books actually come to pass, and aren't accidentally left out or changed.

 

Final thoughts on this: Given the information I've stated above, and knowing that this is being done WITHOUT THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR, I have to say that I am extremely impressed that the final publication date is only two months later than anticipated. I anticipated a delay of at least a year from early publication estimates, as that is what I've become accustomed to in most quality fantasy series that I've read. I would also like to say that I give high praise and thanks to Brandon Sanderson, Harriet and TOR for obviously putting the hard work that is necessary to give this series the quality ending it deserves. Thank you and good night.

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I still find it temendously amazing that people who have been waiting paitently for so long can see a push back of 2 months and utterly flip out.

 

Seriously, people, you already have 2/3rds of the book! Had they done the one complete volume for the last book, we'd still be waiting for even the first part.

 

What is it about people these days that they have to think that because it doesn't fit their preconception of what is a reasonable amount of time, that they have to make it sound like they are being inconvenienced and put out by it?

 

I have been waiting patiently for the last of these books just like everyone else, and to be honest, I don't care how long it takes them, as long as it comes out in my lifetime. Harriet and Brandon are actually going out of their way to make sure you have the ending to a fictional story. They didn't have to finish it, they could have let it die with Robert (and thank God they didn't!), and I would have been completely understanding of that decision. Do you not have anything better to do with your life than to moan about having to wait another two months for a book? Talk about first world problems....

 

Harriet, Brandon, thank you TREMENDOUSLY for taking the time that you have to finish this series. Losing Robert was horrible, including that he wasn't able to complete the work that he devoted so many years and put so much effort into. Knowing that you care enough to honor him with your efforts puts at least myself at ease knowing that I will not be disappointed with this last book!

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I feel bad for the people who worry they will die before this book comes out. And this is their biggest concern. I would feel like I had done something wrong with my life

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all said and written brandon needs space and time to wrap all loose ends.but i do not understand the editorial delay

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all said and written brandon needs space and time to wrap all loose ends.but i do not understand the editorial delay

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Fun fact:

Since the date Brandon S was chosen to finish the series, and with the upcoming release of his next book, 'The Rithmatist' which is supposed to come out THIS YEAR; He will have published 3 of his own books for each WOT book he's published. That's 3:1 folks. Kinda shows where the Wheel of Time sits on his priority list.

In fairness, those were HIS books, so he only had to write them to HIS standards and didn't have to worry about doing a legend justice. Plus, Alloy was more of a short story than a full novel, and he had been working on Way of Kings for a decade before it was released. Plus, he's still cranking out Robert Jordan's unfinished work as fast as Robert Jordan did, while still cranking out his own work and not sacrificing quality.

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I know I'm posting this several months after this article came out, but I just now got the ability to post due to my email being a putz and blocking the validation emails. So I can finally put my 2 cents in for the people who think pushing the release date back was a greed move.

 

You're out of your minds.

 

The reasons they pushed it back are obvious. This is the FINAL book of the series. It is being released in the FINAL month of the year of DRAGON! Remember, the years of "X" animal run a little different from our normal calender year. Final book about the Dragon Reborn, released in the final month of the year of the Dragon. It's all about coming full circle and having a reverent (imo) closing to the series we've loved for so long. It gives it more of a "dramatic send-off" if you will. What better way to show it as much love and respect as you can than timing it that climacticly(sp)? It really is about giving the last book even more of the air of true Finality. The literal weight (and yes wait) of it.

 

So no, I really don't think this was about greed. It was about showing the books and RJ proper respect. If nothing else, RJ, his family, and Brandon Sanderson, have never struck me as greedy. So I truly doubt they would pull a greed move.

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A 2 month push back is nothing. Ive been reading these books for the past 10 years so whats 2 months...really? Lets be honest... even with the small delay i still think there will be loose ends which wont have been tied up, especially if the indicated page count (around 850) is true. Theres still dozens and dozens of minor and major plot lines to finish, not to mention the Last Battle itself from every major characters point of view.

 

So if 2 extra months will help then i for one say take the extra 2 months.

 

I also think some people to remember that this will be a pretty emotional time for all those involved in the production of this book, especially Harriet. This is the final chapter of Robert Jordan's epic life work and i am certain they will do it and him justice.

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When is the book tour and when will they be stopping in Chicago?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!

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