DRAGONMOUNT

JordanCon 2014 has come and gone.  The three days of the convention were packed with so much excitement, it felt much longer.  Or perhaps it was staying up so late to spend just a few more minutes talking about Rand, Mat, and Perrin, that made it seem that way.  Either way, it's over.  But it's not the end, because there is always next year.   Sunday was a bit more laid back than Saturday.  Things were winding down, but there was still a ton of events.  Since I was eliminated on the very first question during last year's trivia contest, I decided I would try even harder this year.  For the "Daes Dae'mar" trivia contest, we were able to be in teams of up to five, and my team was filled with dread because of Terez's mighty knowledge.  Would you believe we nearly tied for first place?  In the end, due to the Tarmon Gai'don round, we wound up losing.  But still, second place is better than being the first one out.     Sunday was also the kaffeeklatsch with Brandon Sanderson.  We were lucky enough to get in to see him.  It was an amazing hour, just talking about anything and everything.  The winner of the costume contest--she had dressed up as Syl from Brandon's Stormlight Archive--was also in attendance and pondered on the nature of a Spren's bond with a human.  Interesting stuff, but I won't go into it here.  My questions tended to focus on The Wheel of Time--like if the very last scene seemed a bit too happy to fit in with the darkness of the rest of the book--and what Ajah Brandon would chose if he were an Aes Sedai--his answer was Blue, surprisingly.   Numerous people wore costumes, and most didn't even enter the costume contest.  This picture of Min was among my favorites costumes.  Though, a cosplaying Lews Therin and Ilyena--whom lay unmoving on the floor while he tired to feed her chips--was probably the funniest.     I completely missed the Blademaster Tournament, but have every intention of seeing it next year.  I'm not even sure who won, but it looked like everyone had a fun time.     Supposedly, during an earlier JordanCon, a cardboard cut out of Rand (the one from A Crown of Swords) disappeared in the night.  Well, by some miracle of the Light, he reappeared this year.  Everyone was pleased to see him, though he was taken to the safety of a locked hotel room during the night.  Here he is, punching my sister.     I honestly had more fun this year than last year.  And that means I'll have an even better time next year.  I cannot wait for JordanCon to come around again.  I want to thank everyone who helped with this event, including the honored Guests, the Directors, the volunteers, and the hotel staff.  Everything went smoothly, everyone was friendly, and the environment was so welcoming.  Wheel of Time fans are the best!   If you want to see more of my photo gallery, please click here.  And if you want to share your pictures, put a link below in the comments!

Here we are, day two of JordanCon. So far, the Con has been a blast, full of activities and events. There's been panels, the Blademaster tournament, vendors, art shows, and costume contests. In short, anything and everything you could hope to experience in relation to The Wheel of Time.   If you're following Dragonmount on Twitter, you've already seen some of the events that have unfolded, as well as pictures of our favorite people--authors, artists, and fans. If you don't follow Dragonmount on Twitter (and you really should), here's a quick update of some of the goings on.   First off, the Toast Masters (who actually ate toast during the opening ceremony) are none other than the tWoT Cast--known for their foul-mouthed antics. Hilarity ensued, complete with an airhorn to make their rants viewable to a wider audience. Our own Jason Denzel, and past JordanCon Toast Masters, Leigh Butler and Richard Fife, were called from the past, to the present, to save JordanCon from the tWoT Cast's grip (a al Back to the Future.     For panels, there are several tracks with a wide veriety of purposes. Writing workshops, Wheel of Time discussions, gaming groups, and even speed friending. Something for everyone. Naturally, I gravitate towwards Wheel of Time related events, but even people who haven't read the series--and there are some here who fit that description--can have fun and enjoy the company of like-minded nerds. Of the Wheel of Time panels I've attended so far, "Loonie Theories" has been the funniest. The winner this year: The Wheel of Time series is a metaphor for childbirth. And a close second, Rand al'Thor is Santa Claus.   Patrick Rothfuss--of The Kingkiller Chronicles fame--is the Author Guest of Honor. It's been incredible seing him around, and seeing his willingness to speak with fans. He even took part in a Q&A session for Waygate Foundation's Write-A-Thon (hosted by Brandon Sanderson. The two greats talked shop, reminisced, and answered questions from audience members and those following along online. Brandon's illustrators, Ben McSweeney and Isaac Stewart also helped out, donating some drawings to help the event raise money.     There's plenty more going on. Currently, a silent auction is being held, and a masquerade ball shortly to follow. There's still one more day left, we we're going to party like it's our last night!

It's Friday, and that means fan art! For all of those going to JordanCon (and those of us deadly jealous we can't go), I've got a real treat. We're taking a look at the artists participating in the art show, and I've also got an interview with one of the artists.     Edsel J. Arnold     Edsel is a dad to three, he lives in Atlanta, and his favorite Disney characters are the blue fairy and Pocahontas. He also makes, really, really awesome art, strongly influenced by Art Nouveau. You've probably seen some of his Wheel of Time art before! How about we look at his awesome art first, and then on to the interview!   Pink Ribbons - Mat and Tylin   Selene   Graendal   Semirhage   The Ecstasy of St. Nynaeve the Healer   I think Edsel's art is so special and precious. The Mucha-inspired style is very unique when it comes to Wheel of Time fanart, and it is a style he truly masters! My personal favorite is the one of Selene, but I find it very, very hard to choose. I'm very much looking forward to following this artist in the future and see what he comes up with next!   Now let's get to know him a little better shall we? Interview time!   1. What is your own personal favorite Wheel of Time fanart artist/piece? There are so many, because I'm such a WOT fan… I love all the e-book covers, especially the New Spring cover by Jason Chan, Moiraine by Dan Dos Santos and the Bowl of Winds by Julie Bell. I also like Seamus Gallagher's character sketch of Faile.   2. What will be your next Wheel of Time project? I plan to finish the Nouveau Female Forsaken… including one wielder of saidin <>. I also have major ideas for Lan, Mat, and Rand.   3. Who's your favorite characters, and moments in the books? Nynaeve and Mat are my favorite of the Fab Five… mostly because I relate to both. Like Nynaeve I come from a small conservative town and strike a balance between keeping my old values while being attracted to the trappings of exotic cultures. Like Mat, I always complain the whole time while I'm doing the right thing! LOL My other favorites are Verin (BIG fan) and Moiraine.   4. How long have you been doing digital painting? Probably about 3 or 4 years.   5. Did you do traditional art before going digital? Yes, I used to paint solely in Watercolor. Pink Ribbons is watercolor which has been scanned and placed on a darker background than the original white paper. However, digital painting works best for me these days because of my scattered available working time between 3 very busy kids and my regular job and my wife working full time, too. I can put it down and pick it up as often as I need to, and nothing's ruined in between!   6. What can those going to JordanCon expect to see from you? Are you bringing prints etc? All the paintings from last year plus 2 new WOT pieces and a new non-WOT piece. I'll be selling pieces in the silent auction and will also try to make a few open edition prints available as a pre-launch to the print page I'm adding to my website around May 1st.   7. If you could go back in time and talk to Robert Jordan, what would you talk about? I want more information on Alanna… was she a dark friend… and especially more information on Verin's letters to see if my guesses are correct. In a general sense, I'd like to talk to him about the Seanchan, who I find fascinating, and also about his personal religious beliefs and how they influenced a world without a specific religion.   8. Is there one thing you've always wanted to paint (WoT or not) that you've never been able to do? I have so many ideas… but some are beyond my current Digital skills. They stay on the list though, and I'll eventually do them as I learn what I need to create them. I have an idea for a Galadriel piece I need to get working on soon.   9. What others books do you like beside Wheel of Time? Lord of the Rings was my first love, I was enthralled with the history book Warriors of God by James Reston, Jr., and Devil in the White City, and Song of Ice and Fire.   10. Do you have any tips for new artists? Practice, practice, practice. No fear in art… experiment. Not necessarily the best advice in life, but certainly the best advice in art and design. If art is really what you want to do, don't give up on it even if life throws you roadblocks… unlike a sports career, you can draw until you die. I'm coming back to it at the end of a successful Architecture career. Honestly look at what's unique about your work and enhance it to strengthen your personal style.     If you have the cash, I'd absolutely recommend buying a print from Edsel! And someone stop by and say hi to him from me!     Let's take a look at some of the other artists showing!     Larry Elmore     The Artist Guest of Honor this year in the art show is Larry Elmore! If you haven't heard the name before, you must be pretty new to the fantasy genre! His art is iconic. I was introduced to his art through the Dragonlance books (shown here, Raistilin and Crysania from the Twins trilogy.). He's made art for Dungeons and Dragons amongst others, and his career is spanning 40 years! You can see more of his art at his website.     Melissa Gay     She works in several mediums; acrylic, oil paint, digital art, pencils, and watercolor. Her art ranges from book covers, to t-shirt illustrations. Her works has been in a roleplaying book for the Dresden Files, among other things. Check her out at her website.   Sam Flegal     A specialist in oil paintings, Flegal has made art for Warhammer, among other things, and he specializes in epic fantasy and graphic horror. His works have been used both as book covers and game art. View more at his website.   Ariel Burgess     Our well known and beloved Wheel of Time artist, the maker of the card deck and the calendar for sale through Ta'veren Tees. Burgess is a natural to find at JordanCon! Among other things, you can buy a poster of the image featured above (The Dragon Reborn)! Here's her website. And for those of us unable to go to JordanCon, the print will be available at Ta'veren Tees after the Con!     Now this is just a small amount of the artists you'll see at the JordanCon art show! So for those that are going, the art show is absolutely worth your time!   So, are you going? Which artist's work are you most looking forward to see? And if you're not, how are you gonna spend your weekend?   Until next week, my darlings!

...unless one has a kick ass map!   Hello, friends! The Wheel has turned all the way around to Thursday again, which means two things: the weekend is not too far away, and it's time for our Rotating Features blog!   This week, all the fandom nerdling rage in fantasy fiction land is of course centered on the return to television of HBO's adaptation of George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones. However, I won't focus on that in this article because not too much happened in in the first episode of Season 4, although it was good, and also because I have written a couple of articles about the series already.   What I did want to bring to your collective attentions, however, is a little project which a certain Frodo Baggins would have found useful on his epic quest on foot across Middle Earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings books, had he had a computer and the internet to use it with, of course... I digress.   There is a website, or a project, rather, which all Lord of the Rings fans should be aware of--simply and aptly named LotrProject. It is a compilation of resources and researches based on Tolkien's masterpiece of fantasy fiction, currently including genealogies, statistics, timelines, and references. But a particularly cool feature is this interactive map of Middle Earth! It shows you, for example, the route taken by the Company of Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit, and you can select a whole host of locations in Middle Earth to get all the pertinent information about that area or city. It's quite fun to have a look at.   The Project is still being worked upon, expanded and updated, I believe, but as well as the fun map there is definitely plenty to check out and have a look at, especially if you are an ardent Tolkien fan. Take a look!   That's all for now! Have fun!   Until next time, friends!

Greetings all! I'm Minnie and I'm your new Humor Blogger! I haven't had much of a Dragonmount presence up until now other than a passive one (reading posts, blogs, etc.), but I am active on Tumblr, from where many of you might know me. On Tumblr I am also known as minnielikes and I run the blog asthewheelturns. My way of interacting with the Wheel of Time community has been primarily to make silly graphic art or doodles which you can find at my deviantart account minniearts (some of my better known ones are the advertisements for Sea Folk Porcelain and Two Rivers Tabac).   Now that introductions are out of the way, on with the show! I want to share with you some "Alternate Universe" posts, and I think this might turn into a monthly feature because there are so many great ones. Alternate Universes, or "AU" as they are more commonly referred to, is the idea of placing a character from one world into another world, or placing them in another version of the same universe--think the flicker-flicker-flicker chapter from The Great Hunt. A popular AU that I've seen in the Wheel of Time community is the "modern" AU: if the characters lived in our current world, what would they do?   Here are a few:   provided by knifeeared and failemyfalcon     Wish I could give credit to whoever this was!     Or another in which Moiraine and Siuan use Snapchat to catch up, also by failemyfalcon. For anyone unfamiliar: Snapchat is an app you can use to send pictures or video to people which then automatically delete themselves after a few seconds. Great for sending top-secret information...like news of the Dragon Reborn perhaps? Or just, you know:   Siuan to Moiraine. *Insert fish metaphor here*   Moiraine to Siuan, looking terrified of some Darkhounds.   You can see more of these Snapchats at karaburrito.tumblr.com, where there are even more Wheel of Time sketches to enjoy (fair warning, one of them contains nudity).   Although today the funnies come from Tumblr, I will also feature things I find from other sources in the future. I've been known to lurk around the Wheel of Time subreddit from time to time. By all means, if you have created something or found something funny that you'd like to share, please send it to me and I will most likely feature it.    I hope you've all enjoyed my first post! I'm looking forward to getting to know the community here on Dragonmount.

Due to the success of the first Write-a-thon with Brandon Sanderson, Waygate Foundation is hosting a second event, live at JordanCon!     Here is the YouTube video:     You can find more information at Waygate's website, or on their Facebook page.  

It's Friday, and that means fan art! I'm excited to introduce you all to our new feature: The first Friday each month, will be focused on fan art of Brandon Sanderson's non-Wheel of Time work. There is so much amazing fan art for his other books out there! I can see why; he creates very special and unique worlds and there is a lot of special imagery in his works, it must be like a candy store to artists.   We'll kick it off with my favorite of his stories: Mistborn. I will try to keep these posts as spoiler-free as possible for those who haven't read them, but it's impossible not to give a single little spoiler. I'll try to keep it at the level you'd expect from a book review though! So kick back and relax, and let's take a look at the kick-ass Vin and her Mistborn-world.       Vin says hello by endoftheline   A nice, cozy welcoming moment in book two! I did say Vin is kick-ass. I love the intensity in this image, and that it's in black and white. The composition is really cool and strong. I highly recommend full-view on the picture (click on it).     Steel inquisitor by JasperSandner   No, those are not glasses. Those are metal spikes driven through his eye sockets. Nasty, right? Inquisitors might be the scariest "bad-guys" I've seen. They have enhanced Allomantic powers, so they can "see" even if they don't have eyes. I think this image is so very, very cool. It's an action shot (and I do love action shots), and it manages to convey that this was once a human being, now distorted and changed. The colors are perfect; the grey mist that's common in this world, with a yellow tint, maybe something is burning in the background? The hint of red coming out of its hand looks like blood; the Inquisitors do have a lot of blood on their hands.... And the inhuman form of its body, with exaggerated muscles. I love these guys, and this image.     Vin by Ihazar   This one you really need to click on to get all the beautiful details! Another action shot, yay! (Mistborn is very action-packed). My only complaint: the buckles on her pants are metal, and an Allomancer would never wear metal on their clothes. But otherwise it's perfect! I like how young and innocent Vin looks; even though she's been through a lot, she's still got a lot of innocence. I like this variant of the Mistcloak very much (that's the strips of cloth coming from her shoulders). The floating coins shows us she's in a fight or duel, it's a subtle thing that really adds depth, and also makes it a good, generic picture; it could be a moment from any of the three books. Lovely!     Mistborn: Sazed by Firnheledien   My favorite character in the Mistborn novels, Sazed. I've always had troubles pictures his clothes, but I don't think I will anymore, because this image is perfect! He is of the Terris people, and they wear robes patterned with colorful stripes. Sazed is a scholarly type, so his seat of books is very fitting. I have found very, very little fan art including Sazed, and of those I've seen, this is absolutely my favorite. as I feel it has completely captured the spirit of the character.     Kredik Shaw by Somnicide   If you ever wondered what the lair of a bad guy looks like, look no further! Kredik Shaw is imposing and scary, and wow, this artist has captured that perfectly. The fiery red from the sunset, ash falling from the sky, and mists creeping in.... It doesn't look like a place you wanna be (although Vin apparently finds it pretty interesting, since she's standing there staring at it). Can someone just make a Mistborn movie already? And hire all these amazing artists for the visual side. Because this building is just begging to be on the big screen!     Vin above Luthadel by mking2008   She isn't flying; an Allomantic ability is to push and pull metal, so you can travel through the air by using metal sources underneath you. It's really cool! I like the peaceful feeling in this one, night has just fallen, the city hasn't yet quite gone to sleep, and Vin is swooping through the air, greeting the mists. Great portrayal of the Mistcloak again, this is probably closest to how I picture it personally.     So, what do you think of this new feature in the Fan Art blog? Have you read Mistborn? As always, tell me in the comments which picture is your favorite! Have a lovely weekend, my dears, and I'll see you next week. I'll give you a little hint; those of you going to JordanCon should really check out next weeks blog!

[EDIT:  The deadline has been extended to April 30th, 2014 for anyone who would like to enter!]   Welcome to this special edition of Dragonmount’s Fantasy Review. This month, I want to take the opportunity to present to you the two books that make up R.A. Salvatore’s latest release: DemonWars: First Heroes. This book is not a new book, but instead encompasses two books: The Highwayman (2004) and The Ancient (2008). The two novels are the beginning of Salvatore’s epic First King series, a prequel to his popular DemonWars Saga.  And to celebrate this new release, Tor Books is giving away one copy to our Dragonmount readers!  Post in the comments section below before April 30th, 2014, and you could win a free copy.  The winner will be randomly selected from all those who leave a comment (unfortunately, only residents within the US or Canada can win).   Or, you can buy these books separately in Dragonmount's DRM-free eBook store: The Highwayman and The Ancient.     Synopsis: The Highwayman   The Highwayman is the origin story of the series’ hero Bransen Garibond. Bransen was born to parents who were members of two vastly different religions. His father, Brother Bran Dynard is a priest of the church of Blessed Abelle; his mother, Sen Wi, is a mystic of Jhesta Tu, a foreign and mysterious philosophy that Brother Dynard set out to study.  Due to circumstances of fate, Bran is killed and Sen dies in childbirth, leaving the boy to be raised by his father’s dearest friend.   Bransen is born with severe birth defects, causing him to be the source of ridicule in his small hometown. As he grew up, he discovered his father’s notes on Jhesta Tu, and began practicing the methods of his mother’s people. After spending several years in a Abellican monastery, he finds a magical gemstone (a powerful piece of the Abellican faith) that allows him to walk, talk, and live the life of the Highwayman.   As the Highwayman, Bransen becomes a local Robin-hood type hero. He robs from rich, helps out the poor, and romances his childhood crush, the woman he later marries.   The world of the Highwayman is dangerous. The Abellican faith is still in its infancy; the church was founded less than a century before the events of the series, and the Abellicans are struggling with other religions. Bransen’s father was ostracized for marrying a Jhesta Tu heathen, and Bransen was later forbidden from studying his mother’s religion.   The background plot of the Highwayman involves a war. Pryd Holding, where the story is set, is at war; there is a prince who is desperate to produce an heir, religious conflict, and the ravages of war on the common folk.   The Ancient   The Ancient picks up shortly after the end of Highwayman. After the events of the first book, Bransen, his wife and mother-in-law must flee Pryd Holding, and are headed south, when Bransen is tricked into traveling to a distant land to help fight in the war. The story gets complicated when Bransen loses his Abellican gem, making it next-to-impossible for him to fight.   The war is more readily evident throughout The Ancient. The Samhaist religion, along with the Ancient Badden, the most powerful of their numbers, wish to destroy the Abellican order that threatens them. A small monastery is built in the shadow of the Ancient Badden’s palace, on a lake near a small, tribal civilization that the Abellicans hope to convert.   War breaks out on all sides: the tribe verses the Abellicans, the tribe verses the powries (a race of dwarves that are fierce and warrior-like), the Abellicans verses the powries, and ultimately, the Ancient Badden verses everyone else.   Pros: I like the exploration of Bransen as a disabled hero, and how he looks back to his parents and their varying faiths to overcome significant birth defects. His wife loves him both as the Highwayman and as his ‘alter ego’ the Stork, showing that this disabled hero loves and is loved, no matter what. The first book sets the stage for the remainder of the Saga of the First Kings and for the later events in the DemonWars Saga.   I also really enjoyed reading the stories of the young Abellican church. In the main DemonWars book, the Abellican church is the most important religion. The years are marked in Corona from the death of St. Abelle. I enjoyed reading of the religious struggles, and of the wars surrounding them.   Cons: I have not read all the DemonWars books, and thus I felt like I was missing out on some of the references within the story. As prequels, I’m certain that the two books contain a few hidden gems of references that long-time readers of the DemonWars will enjoy. I feel like I missed out on something there.   Missing references is a minor complaint, one that can be rectified with a read of the complete DemonWars Saga. The only real big problem I had with either book was in the Ancient. Bransen was tricked to travel away from his wife and mother-in-law, conscripted in a war. I missed the interaction between Bransen and his family. His love and his wife, gave Bransen a reason to struggle, something beyond revenge or money, and away from his wife, I found Bransen to be a little colder, less relatable.   Conclusion: If you’ve read the complete DemonWars Saga, these books (or the special DemonWars: First Heroes edition) will be a great read. If you have not read the DemonWars, the stories are still fascinating, and a good read, but be prepared to possibly miss references to the other works.   My Rating: 4 of 5

Hello, friends! The Wheel has turned all the way around to Thursday again, which means two things: the weekend is not too far away, and it's time for our Rotating Features blog! I really, really want to tell you all about The Elder Scrolls Online, the new massively multiplayer online role playing game from Bethesda Softworks which officially began yesterday, for those who preordered early access, and will be open for general play on Friday. If you are unfamiliar with an MMORPG, they are like computer games that you play online, not just with your friends but with everyone else, in one huge world. Bethesda has previously created some excellent Open Sandbox style games, such as Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim, all of which were truly excellent for developing and playing your own character in an RP style game, and for their great graphics and world settings. We are hoping for similar things in The Elder Scrolls Online. Here is a trailer for it:   <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XH9fCA3dmGc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>   You can create a character, be it a mage, assassin, templar, or fearsome dragonkknight, complete quests, develop your characters skills, meet friends, join guilds, explore a truly gorgeous world (yes, I have the early access and visually, it is great) and generally have tons of fun. If you've never tried an MMO, they're hugely popular, so maybe this will be your first. If you've played them before, then what are you waiting for? Come join the action! That's all for now! Have fun!   Until next time, friends!

Hello! The Wheel has spun, and now, April is almost upon us. With that, there are many exciting changes that are soon to take place in Dragonmount.   One important part of the month of April is JordanCon! To those of you who are lucky enough to go, congratulations! For the rest of us, there is Dragonmount.   Black Tower members have stumbled upon the all-important Secret Diary of Sarumon the White.   There are three new interesting threads up on the Movies and Games Discussion board. The first is about the game Thief. The second is about 300 Rise of an Empire. The third thread is about Divergent. Have you seen any of these movies or played these games? Join the discussion!   And in the TV Show and Sports Discussion board, there is a new thread of interest: Major League Baseball 2014. Are you a baseball fan? Do you have a favorite team, player, or least favorite of either? Here’s the place to talk about it.   And don't forget, today is the last day to submit nominations for the Hugo Awards.  This is the last year Robert Jordan is eligible.  Check out the article here for more details.   Now, an update from Dragonmount’s Twitter feed:     You can get daily updates about The Wheel of Time, Dragonmount, and other related topics by following our Twitter and Facebook profiles!   That wraps it up for March! Remember, as April starts, to sign in at your various Social Groups and have a safe JordanCon to all those are attending. Because of the convention, our regular weekly posts will be suspended for a week, so I'll be talking with you in two weeks.