DRAGONMOUNT

Since 2011 will not see the release of a Wheel of Time book, many fans are taking this as an opportunity to re-read the series so it will be fresh in their minds for the anticipated 2012 release of A Memory of Light. Some of this was prompted by Brandon Sanderson beginning his own re-read before starting work on A Memory of Light and posting his thoughts on Twitter. We thought we'd compile a list of some of the re-reads going on so you can join in.   Leigh Butler's Re-read is the grand-daddy of all re-reads. It's been going on since January 2009. She posts twice a week and has just completed Crossroads of Twilight.   Ranting Dragon, a fantasy news and review blog began a re-read this year. They just posted their re-read on The Eye of the World.   The Ogier Social Group on Dragonmount also began a re-read last month. You can join in the conversation on our forums.   Brandon Sanderson began re-reading the series in January and posting his thoughts on Twitter. You can see archives of his tweets on his blog. Wheel of Time fan Terez has been following along on her blog and posting her thoughts and theories.   If you are on Twitter, you can join in the re-read conversation by using the #wotrr hashtag.

Instead of a theme this week, I thought I'd just browse through Dragonmount's Gallery and see what's been posted recently. If you don't know, Dragonmount's Gallery is free to use and lets you display your art to an appreciative community of fans. So if you've got Wheel of Time art, consider hosting it here.   src='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/1287131573/gallery_1227_35_837261.jpg' alt='Young Moiraine Keepin it Real' />   This one caught my eye because of the title: "Young Moiraine, Keepin It Real". I don't think it's a particular scene from the books (if it is, it's probably from her testing for Aes Sedai), but I like the idea of an action scene with Moiraine and the composition is very nice. It's a very good sketch overall. You can see more of Liriuchen's art here.   This next image has small spoilers for Towers of Midnight. Nothing that would ruin your enjoyment of the book however. I just feel obligated to give the warning.   src='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/1290330182/gallery_11250_61_411751.jpg' alt='Tarmon Gaidon' />   This one has been making the rounds on Facebook and Twitter since Towers of Midnight was released. It's the details, I think, that make it such an instant classic. You have Perrin with his hammer, Mat with, well, he's just being Mat, and Rand holding Callandor, maimed hand behind his back and green grass growing around his feet. You can see the rest of Demander's gallery here.   src='http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/1295656414/gallery_18049_71_60857.jpg' alt='WOT Perrin' />   This is a scene I don't think I've ever seen illustrated before. It's Perrin verses the Whitecloaks in the stedding. You can see Egwene huddled behind Perrin under Hawkwing's hand and one of the slain wolves (Hopper?) at his feet. The style on this one is interesting. The pen and ink style always looks very old fashioned to me. This is by isamux.   If you're interested in having your art featured on Fan Art Friday, the Artists, Writers and Crafters Group on Dragonmount is doing a challenge this month. The theme for February is "Love", so if you have a piece of Wheel of Time fan art that fits that theme, post it on the forums and I'll choose my favorites to post next month.

This week, rather than focusing on a character, I thought we could look at an artist. If I had to guess, I think I'd say that Seamas Gallagher is one of the most popular Wheel of Time fan artists right now. He has a very distinctive style that's been seen in many places, from this website, to official licensed prints, to comic book covers.     I think part of what makes Seamus so popular is his distinctive style. Rather than the realistic style you see in most Wheel of Time fan art, it's much more stylized. The characters are instantly recognizable by trademark clothing, or expressions.     I think he does a great job of capturing the essential of a character.     According to his website, Seamas is a professional illustrator who has done concept art for video games, like Bioshock 2 and Tomb Raider: Underworld. And as I mentioned before, his artwork graces the covers of the The Eye of the World comic book adaption.     I'm starting to run out of things to say that don't make it sound like I'm slobbering on the dude. So I'll just pick out one more and send you to his website.     Seamas's website   Seamus's Wheel of Time art

JordanCon, a three day fantasy literature convention founded in honor of the late Robert Jordan, just released the progress report for 2011. JordanCon takes place in Atlanta, GA each year and hundreds of Wheel of Time fans from around the world attend it.   A convention progress report is a document distributed a few months before the convention, that gives you important information about traveling and the location, as well as an idea of what kind of activities to expect when you get there.     Pre-registration for JordanCon 2011 is currently open at the discounted rate of $45. Guests this year include authors David B. Coe and Eugie Foster. Our Toastmaster is Tor.com blogger Richard Fife. JordanCon will take place April 15-17, 2011 at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta, Georgia. You can find out more by visiting http://www.ageoflegends.net/. http://www.ageoflegends.net/

I had so much fun last week finding pictures of Moiraine and Lan, I thought I'd do another character themed entry. So here's some art depicting Egwene in the various stages of her development.       This is a nice sketch I found on DeviantArt by *fee-absinthe. I'm assuming that this is meant to be from the beginning of the series, as this looks like the sort of outfit an innkeeper's daughter might wear. There's no hint yet of what's in store for her.     This is a great water color by Helena Zeegers. Helena used to have a very large amount of fan art available online, but it went down with Geocities. I found this on a site that had archived some of her work. Anyone have working contact info for Helena so we can ask her to put her WoT stuff online somewhere?   I like this piece because it shows Egwene pretty early in her story. We know she's headed to the Amyrlin Seat someday, but right now she couldn't be further. And Min is with her. You don't see much of Min and Egwene together in the later books, so it's nice to see this reminder of how deep their friendship goes.     Another picture from DeviantART. This one is by Vulcan82. This one is the closest to how I picture Egwene when I read. It's the stubborn jaw, I think. I love the look of oil pastels that was achieved here. It looks like something that might actually exist in Egwene's world.     Another of Egwene, the Amyrlin. This one is by Richard Boye. Richard was one of the first people to start posting Wheel of Time fan art online and for a long time was considered the gold standard for fan artists. I actually used this as an avatar here at one point, back before I knew you needed permission for that.   And one last piece...     This is by RoseMuse. It needs no commentary.   Are there any depictions of Egwene that I missed? Post em in the comments for everyone to enjoy.

Tor.com sent us this announcement via email yesterday:     To follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Torcom-Wheel-of-Time/193464610666968?v=wall To follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tordotwot   Other noteworthy Wheel of Time Twitter accounts are: [twitter]Dragonmount[/twitter] [twitter]WheelofTimeFans[/twitter] [twitter]Theoryland[/twitter] [twitter]TarValon[/twitter] [twitter]BrandonSandrson[/twitter]

Tor Books has released the cover art for the upcoming ebook release of Towers of Midnight, the thirteenth book in the Wheel of Time series. In most months since October 2009, Tor has released one book in the series in a variety of electronic formats. See below for a full list of links to the released books, as well as a schedule of the remaining upcoming releases.   With each eBook, Tor is including brand new artwork for the "cover". A different artist has been selected for each one, giving the art team at Tor a chance to provide us fans with a variety of styles.   Click the image seen here to enlarge   This month, the artwork is by http://www.raymondswanland.com/" target="news">Raymond Swanland. The ebook will be released on January 31st.   As with the previous covers that were released for the ebooks, Tor Art Director Irene Gallo http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/01/raymond-swanland-and-the-towers-of-midnight-ebook-cover"'>http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/01/raymond-swanland-and-the-towers-of-midnight-ebook-cover" target="news">has done a write up about the process behind creating this image. Be sure to check out the full article. Here's an excerpt: Click to enlarge Wheel of Time eBook News and release schedule Tor Books plans to re-release each one of the Wheel of Time novels as ebooks according to the schedule below. Each will have new cover art, specially commissioned for the eBook format. Each will feature a different artist.   The Eye of the World: Gallery | Tor.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=58151">Tor.com feature | Buy" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002U3CCYM?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002U3CCYM">Buy from Amazon The Great Hunt: Gallery | Tor.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=58188">Tor.com Feature | Buy" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VBV1R2?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002VBV1R2">Buy from Amazon The Dragon Reborn: Gallery | Tor.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=58256">Tor.com Feature | Buy" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030AF5DO?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0030AF5DO">Buy from Amazon The Shadow Rising: Tor.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=58579">Tor.com Feature | Gallery | Buy" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00329UWL8?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00329UWL8">Buy from Amazon The Fires of Heaven:Gallery | Tor.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=58667">Tor.com feature | Buy" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037V18D2?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0037V18D2">Buy from Amazon Lord of Chaos: Gallery | Tor.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=58707">Tor.com feature | Buy" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BQZ80M?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003BQZ80M">Buy from Amazon A Crown of Swords: Gallery | Tor.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=59025">Tor.com Feature | Buy" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003H4I5G2?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003H4I5G2">Buy from Amazon The Path of Daggers: Gallery | Tor.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=59242">Tor.com Feature | Buy" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003H4I44K?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003H4I44K">Buy from Amazon Winter's Heart: Gallery | Tor.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/06/winters-heart-ebook-cover-by-scott-m-fsicher">Tor.com Feature | Buy" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003H3IOKU?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003H3IOKU">Buy from Amazon The Crossroads of Twilight: Gallery | Tor.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/07/crossroads-of-twilight-ebook-cover-by-greg-ruth">Tor.com Feature | Buy" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003K15P9M?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003K15P9M">Buy from Amazon Knife of Dreams: Gallery | Tor.com" rel="external nofollow">http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/08/knife-of-dreams-ebook-cover-by-michael-komarck">Tor.com Feature | Buy" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SEH2NG?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000SEH2NG">Buy from Amazon The Gathering Storm: Gallery | http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/08/the-gathering-storm-ebook-cover-by-todd-lockwood" target="news">Tor.com Feature | Buy" rel="external nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003K15O3E?ie=UTF8&tag=dragonmount&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003K15O3E">Buy from Amazon Towers of Midnight: Gallery | Tor.com Feature | Available for purchase 1/31/2011 New Spring - Date TBD From Two Rivers - Date TBD To The Blight - Date TBD The Hunt Begins - Date TBD New Threads in the Pattern- Date TBD   So what do you think of this new image? Leave your comments below. Remember, we'll have a more detailed report on the overall future of the Wheel of Time print-edition covers at a later time.

Hi folks,   We're launching a new feature on Dragonmount today: Fan Art Friday. Jason and I have always wanted to do more to showcase the wonderful creativity of the Wheel of Time community and this seems like a good way to do that. Some weeks I'll showcase a particular artist. Other weeks I'll focus on different interpretations of characters or scenes. If a post will have Towers of Midnight spoilers, I'll be sure to say so.   This week, since we're running the New Spring giveaway, I thought I'd pick out a few portraits of Moiraine & Lan.     This piece is by Cicely Combs. Long time fans of Dragonmount will recognize a portion of this piece. It was one of the rotating corner icons we used in the previous site design. One of the things I've always liked about this Cicely's art is the way she uses lines. The thick, dark lines give it the feel of a stained glass window to me. Your eye follows them, and it gives a sense of movement. You can almost see the cloaks flapping in the wind. It's a great piece.     This one I found on DeviantART by an artist who goes by "Manweri". This is a really nice, classic interpretation of the two. With Moiraine wielding saidar and Lan hefting that big sword, you get a sense of how dangerous these two are.     Here's a really nice pencil sketch of Lan by himself. The proportions are a bit off, but I really like the way the artist did the color shifting Warder's cloak. You can just barely see the outline of it surrounding Lan. This one was found on Elfwood. It's by Greg Scott.     Check out this stunning portrait of Moiraine by DeviantART user "Westling". One of the nice details I notice is that she has thin stripes of red, white and green, the Damodred House colors in the trim of her bodice. It's a detail that you don't usually see in fan art. The dark blue over gown has an incredible richness to it. The texture looks like velvet. And the lighter colored underskirt looks patterned, like lace. It's an incredibly textured painting and it adds to the realism for me. This looks like a costume you might see at JordanCon or Dragon*Con.   Well, that's all for this week. Did I miss your favorite version of Moiraine and Lan? Feel free to post links in the comments section.

On January 18th, Tor Books plans to release the complete graphic novel, New Spring. New Spring is a prequel to the Wheel of Time series. It was first published as a short story in 1998, then expended to a full novel in 2004. A comic book adaption followed shortly thereafter, though it was plagued with production and delivery issues. The story focuses on Moiraine Damodred, an Accepted in the White Tower and Lan Mandragoran, an officer in the Aiel War.   Tor has given us five copies of the graphic novel to give away here on Dragonmount. To enter just post below with your favorite memory of Lan and/or Moiraine from any book (Towers of Midnight spoilers allowed) by midnight Saturday, January 15th Eastern time. We regret that this contest is only open to fans in the United States.   You can pre-order the book now from Amazon.com or find it at your local bookstore.   http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&nou=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=dragonmount&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=076532380X" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">

The 2011 Hugo Awards nomination period has begun. The Hugos are considered the most prestigious award in science fiction and fantasy literature. Think of them as the Oscars, but for books. Unlike the Oscars, the Hugos are decided by a popular vote of fans from around the world. You can find out more about the awards and their history here.   To be eligible to vote in the Hugos, you need to be a member of the World Science Fiction Society, which is defined by the members of either the previous WorldCon or the upcoming WorldCon. So those of you that attended the WorldCon in Melbourne last year are eligible to vote on this year's Hugos, along with anyone registered for the upcoming WorldCon in Reno. To be eligible to nominate you must be pre-registered (either Supporting or Attending) for the next WorldCon by January 31st. To find out more about how to register for WorldCon and participate in the Hugos, check out their website.   While we certainly wouldn't dream of telling you how to nominate or vote, here are some Wheel of Time related things that are eligible for Hugos that you might consider when filling out your ballot.   Best Novel: Towers of Midnight by Brandon Sanderson & Robert Jordan The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson Alcatraz Verses the Shattered Lens by Brandon Sanderson   (Of these three novels, I personally consider The Way of Kings to be the more Hugo worthy. Your opinion may differ.)   Best Fan Writer: Linda Taglieri Leigh Butler   Best Fanzine: Dragonmount.com   (There is no Hugo for "Best Fan Website", unfortunately. Jason & I think we fit best in the fanzine category because we serve as a Wheel of Time news portal.)   Also, any of the artists who produced work for the Wheel of Time eBooks published in 2010 would be eligible for the "Best Professional Artist" award. You can see their artwork on Tor.com.   Remember, to be able to participate in nominating, you need to be pre-registered for WorldCon by the end of this month.