DRAGONMOUNT

February has started and it’s time for yet another Weekly Roundup.   The Debates and Discussions board has a new thread on U.S. Politics. Have you ever donated to a political party? What are your opinions of donations to political parties?   In the Arena, the Band of the Red Hand has a snowball game planned for the month of February. Sign-ups are in progress.   In Shayol Ghul, the factions are at war. Each faction will choose a character, play the “Who’s in the Cookpot” game (where the Social Group members are put in the cookpot), dress your character, and participate in a faction raid.   The Wolfkin February discussion is about online and offline personalities. Is your online personality different from your offline personality?   And finally, our Facebook update:     Remember, you can get daily updates on Dragonmount and other fantasy-related news on Dragonmount’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

<!-- isHtml:1 --><!-- isHtml:1 --><p>Happy Friday, fan art fans!</p> <p></p> <p>Last week, I posted my own personal favorites, and amongst them was a painting of Egwene by the artist Jieroque. His real name is Benjamin Roque, and he is from the Philippines. Well, I wanted to show you guys the rest of this amazing artists' gallery! So no use waiting, let's dig in shall we?</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/med_gallery_22324_353_204964.jpg" alt="med_gallery_22324_353_204964.jpg"></p> <p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' Meladhrin</a><br><br> Say what you will about Cadsuane, there is no denying she is bad-ass, and this is a great painting of her. This is set during the cleansing of the taint, when she is protecting Rand and Nynaeve. The bright light in the background is the huge beacon of <em>saidar</em>. I like that the artist hasn’t tried to make her look pretty; she looks strong and capable, and a little bit mean, just like Cadsuane should. The way he’s painted her hair ornaments is very interesting, especially that one of them glows, to show that it’s activated. The details of the embroidery on her belt and the texture on her cloak adds so much to her otherwise simple clothes. A painting I could stare at for hours!</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/med_gallery_22324_353_10494.jpg" alt="med_gallery_22324_353_10494.jpg"><br><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' Sanche</a><br><br> From the scene in <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.dragonmount.com/Books/Great_Hunt'><em>The Great Hunt</em></a>, where Siuan gives Egwene and Nynaeve a lesson in <em>saidar</em>. Tear, where Siuan is from, is highly influenced by 15-1600ish Spain, and the artist has incorporated that into the image beautifully, giving Siuan a slight Hispanic cast to her features, and in the details of the clothes (the lace, the high neck). A compelling portrait of a very interesting moment.</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/med_gallery_22324_353_118960.jpg" alt="med_gallery_22324_353_118960.jpg"><br><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' Harking and Kiruna Nachiman</a><br><br> An action scene from Dumai’s Wells, depicting the two Greens Kiruna and Bera together. I think this picture does such a great job at showing the chaos of the battle; it’s an unusual composition, with Kiruna almost a bit out of focus, the <em>saidar</em>-streams going everywhere, the fire, and the blurry Aiel in the background. And I love the Shienaran warrior!</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/med_gallery_22324_353_148366.jpg" alt="med_gallery_22324_353_148366.jpg"></p> <p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' A study of a small scene in <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.dragonmount.com/Books/Towers_of_Midnight'><em>Towers of Midnight</em></a>; Egwene conferring with Seaine, Yukiri and Saerin on top of the White Tower. This is a high-impact image for me personally. Egwene, looking so young, and with the whole weight of the world on her shoulders. And some of the very, very few women she knows she can trust. The details are amazing; all three women have earrings that showns their nationality (eagle wings for Egwene for Manetheren), the three Aes Sedai in the background all have their serpent ring on different fingers, and the clothes…! I really like the sense of impending drama the blowing banners and the gathering clouds give.</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/med_gallery_22324_353_73012.jpg" alt="med_gallery_22324_353_73012.jpg"></p> <p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' Mathwin in Emond’s Field</a></p> <p></p> <p> This one has been featured here on FAF before, but I wanted to include it so you could see the full span of this amazing artist’s work. And there is never enough Verin artwork! It’s so nice to see Verin’s kickass-side. This is the artists first digital painting after ten years of not painting, can you believe it? The details in it is amazing. The Trollocs are amongst the scariest I’ve seen, and I really like the little glimpse of Emond’s Field in the background, looking quite peaceful against the action-filled foreground.</p> <p></p> <p>Check out the artist's <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://jieroque.blogspot.no/'>blog</a> for works in progress and to get to know this talented artist better!<br>  </p> <p>That's it for this week! Use that commentary field to let me know what you think, and if you have a DeviantArt account, maybe stop by and give the artist a favorite and a follow?</p> <p></p> <p>Have a nice weekend everyone!</p>

Welcome to another edition of Dragonmount's Fantasy Review.   Spoilers will follow.   Thirteen Orphans: Breaking the Wall By Jane Lindskold   The Synopsis: College sophomore, Brenda Morris, is taken by her father to meet an old family friend in northern California.  When the man, Albert Yu, shows up with an obviously altered personality, Brenda's father calls for help from Pearl Bright, a famous, but aging, movie actress.    With Auntie Pearl in the picture, Brenda is finally told the truth about her heritage.  Her father comes from a line of magicians who were exiled from a different world: the Lands Born from Fire and Sacrifice.  He is the Rat of the Chinese zodiac, and is able to perform all sorts of spells.  Brenda is her father's successor, and will inherit all his skills when he dies.  Auntie Pearl is the Tiger—the oldest of the Orphans, and unofficial leader of the group.  Their ancestors fled from the Lands with the child Emperor to keep him from being assassinated—Albert Yu is the descendent of the Emperor, the Cat of the Zodiac.   Brenda is thrust into the middle of struggle between the Orphans on Earth, and their counterparts back in the Lands.  Their foes are stealing memories of the Orphans, as well as their magical powers.  When Brenda's father's memories are stolen, she must step up into her role of the Rat, whether she's ready or not.   The Pros: The magic system of this novel is based on the symbols and combinations used in Mahjong.  I loved how new it was—not the same old magic systems.  Even with little knowledge of the game, I was able to follow along well enough with what the characters were doing to invoke this magic.   The character development is interesting.  The story is split between two character point-of-views, Brenda's and Pearl Bright's.  This gave great contrast to the situations they encountered—Brenda seeing everything as a young woman who knows nothing of the Orphans or their powers, and Pearl who is the oldest of the Orphans and has the most power and understanding.   Brenda also begins to develop feelings for one of the members of the rival group.  Despite the typical Romeo and Juliet parallel, Brenda's feelings offer insight to her character, as well as those of Foster—the rival Tiger.    And most of all, I love how Brenda's relationship with her father changes over the course of the story.  When his memories are stolen, he cannot help against the enemies.  Brenda is left alone to try and use the Rat's powers.  At the end, when his memories are restored, he begins to resent her newfound ability.  It brings an interesting dynamic into the story for the next book in the series.  I really enjoyed how Brenda's abilities added to the confusion instead of solving the problems. The Cons: The writing style was a bit sloppy, in my opinion.  The flow wasn't as good as it could have been.  I also wish more of the Thirteen Orphans could have been worked into the story—we are only introduced to a few of them.  Also the magic system, while interesting, could have been explained a bit more.   Conclusion: The concept of this story appealed to me so much; it made reading it a cinch.  I didn't get bored or disinterested at all through the novel.  The characters intrigued me, and their different personalities really made their interactions believable.  I will definitely read the next book.  The second in the series is Nine Gates; the third is Five Odd Honors.   My rating: 4/5 stars   If you're interested in giving this book a try, you can buy it DRM-free, here, from Dragonmount's eBook store!

There are some jobs that are just plain old stressful, stuff like air traffic controller, senior nuclear reactor plant operator, medical surgeon, and last but not least, customer service. Now imagine if they had customer service in the land of Rand and his friends (and Bela).     (Source)

Welcome back to another edition of "WoT If?", Dragonmount's weekly theory blog.  We are going to continue our reread of The Eye of the World, chapters 17 - 18.    Before we start, I do want to say that there will still be SPOILERS!  With the ending in sight, much of what I point out could allude to things that happen in A Memory of Light, so keep that in mind as you read.  Don't continue if you don't want to be spoiled.   Synopsis: Chapter 17, "Watchers and Hunters"   After speaking with Nynaeve, Rand heads to the common room to listen to Thom perform.  He sits beside Mat and Perrin, listening to stories of The Great Hunt of the Horn.  After a few stories, Thom plays his harp, and everyone dances.  While dancing, Rand notices a man with a scar starring at him from across the room.  He tries to forget the man, and succeeds when Nynaeve spins into his arms as his next partner.  He stumbles over the steps, nervous to be dancing with the Wisdom.  She laughs at him good-naturedly, then goes to her next partner.  Moiraine appears next and Rand dances worse with her than with Nynaeve.  Moiraine gives him a sympathetic smile which makes him feel worse.  He recovers some dignity when he dances with Egwene, since he's used to dancing with her.  She looks on the point of saying something, but doesn't.  He refuses to be the person to speak first.   After the dance, Rand sits to let Mat have a turn.  Perrin asks if Rand danced with Nynaeve.  Rand says he did, and with Moiraine too.  Perrin wonders why Nynaeve never danced at home; Rand wonders what the Women's Circle would say if the Wisdom did dance.   Around midnight, they go to their rooms.  On the way up, Rand decides he'd like a glass of milk before bed.  Lan warns him to be careful, since something is wrong.  In the deserted hallway, a Fade appears and tells Rand he will let him live, if he will tell where the others are.  Rand is unable to speak and backs up against the wall.  The Halfman pulls his sword and begins to swing it at Rand, but then stops.  He says Rand belongs to the Dark One, then he disappears.  Lan arrives with his sword out, and Rand tells him the Fade just left.  They rush upstairs to collect their belongings.  Rand is surprised that Nynaeve is coming too.  He realizes Min was right, that Nynaeve is a part of it.   Moiraine tells Master Fitch, the innkeeper, to cooperate with anyone asking about them, but he refuses.  In the stableyard, Rand sees that Egwene is really frightened.  He apologizes to her, and she squeezes his hand.  They leave the inn and head for the Caemlyn Gate.    The Watchmen at the gate refuse to open the way.  Lan tells them that it isn't against the rules to let people out after dark, only to let them in.  They begin to open the gate when five Whitecloaks appear.  The wonder who would want to leave in the night, and Lan tells them to mind their own business.  Rand recognizes the man speaking as Bornhald, the Whitecloak he had confronted earlier.  Bornhald recognizes Rand and accuses him of being a Darkfriend.    Moiraine uses the Power to make herself grow taller.  Bornhald attacks her with a sword.  She meets it with her staff, and his sword is bent at an angle from the impact.  Lan leads the group through the gate, and before it closes, Moiraine's huge form steps over the wall.  On the other side, she's normal sized again. They begin to ride east, when they notice smoke rising above Baerlon.  Moiraine knows that it is the Stag and Lion.  She warned Master Fitch but he did not listen.  However, she points out that if the Shadow's attention was on the inn, their escape may have gone unnoticed.  Nynaeve accuses the Aes Sedai of the harm that came to Master Fitch and the inn, and Moiraine calmly explains it was the only option.  She says she will send him aid that can't be linked to Tar Valon—anything more would only bring him danger.    They make camp off the side of the road for an hour.  Perrin insists that Moiraine should have done something to help.  Just before dawn, they pack up and head down the road.   Chapter 18, "The Caemlyn Road"   The group travels the Caemlyn Road without incident for three days.  On the third day, they hear horns no more than ten miles behind them.  Lan goes to scout their pursuers—Moiraine whispers as he leaves, "The Light go with you, last Lord of the Seven Towers"—and then she leads the group forwards.  The Emond's Fielders wonder why they don't run, and the Aes Sedai tells them the horns are meant to frighten them and make them rush into a trap.    Lan returns and tells them that there are three or five fists of Trollocs behind them, each with a Halfman.  They continue forward, then hear horns from ahead and behind.  They head north, off the road.  Lan suggests they go someplace Trollocs won't look, but Moiraine refuses.    They set a hard pace north, but they are unable to outrun the Trolloc scouts.  Lan has them stop and face the group that is following.  Lan attacks the Fade, shouting out a Malkieri warcry, and the Emond's Fielders do likewise, raising calls of Manetheren, and charge at the Trollocs.  Moiraine lashes out with the One Power, and Nynaeve and Egwene have belt knives.   Rand, Mat, and Perrin fight the Trollocs until Lan kills the Fade.  This kills the Trollocs as well, since they were linked to the Myrddraal.  This buys them a few moments, so they quickly continue heading north.  The next wave of Shadowspawn catches up to them, and Moiraine uses her angreal to use waves of Earth and a wall of Fire to slow them down.  This drained much of her energy.  The group races off again.   Nynaeve gives Moiraine a packet of herbs, and helps to hold the Aes Sedai steady in her saddle.  Further away, Lan calls a halt, and he and Moiraine go off to talk alone.  As they argue, Egwene asks what Mat had shouted when they charged the Trollocs.  Moiraine says he spoke the ancient battle cry of Manetheren, and its last king.  For a moment, Rand thinks that would mean Mat is the one the Dark One wants; he immediately feels guilty for this thought.   Moiraine uses one last weave to send their scent and tracks in a different direction.  They ride north until they come to the ruins of a city.  Moiraine tells them it was once Aridhol, but now it is known as Shadar Logoth.   My take: For just two chapters, there's a lot that happens.  First, this starts the long and grueling rivalry between Moiraine and Nynaeve.  It's very petty—even though I love Nynaeve as a character.  Although, from her point of view, she's used to being in charge of everyone and everything in the Two Rivers, so obviously she would see Moiraine as a threat to her position.  Still, that doesn't make her right, as we quickly learn as the series progresses.   I think it's funny that Nynaeve and Moiraine join in the dancing in the common room.  Our experience with Aes Sedai later in the story shows us that Aes Sedai are women—especially the Greens—and are capable of enjoying things like dancing.  However, it must have been a shock for our ta'veren.  And it's also kind of sad how Nynaeve wouldn't be able to join in festivals back home.  She knows how to dance—she's not the one fumbling the steps—so that must mean she would have liked to do it, but it would be scandalous if she did.  Nynaeve has a lot of responsibility in the Two Rivers, but she is still just a young woman.  Look at how much she missed out.  If she never left, she wouldn't have married, for one thing.  I think this is a theme that reoccurs within the series, one that talks about the price you pay, or the sacrifices you give, when you are in charge.   This is nothing new, but I still want to point it out.  When Rand sees the Fade in the hallway, the Fade smiles.  We know that Fade's don't smile.  So, this is a clear indication that this Fade is Shaidar Haran.  Robert Jordan did confirm this in an interview (the Week 23 Question).  Or at least, an early version of Shaidar Haran.   The point I want to make about the smiling Myrddraal is this: why did he give away his presence?  He showed himself, revealing to Lan that the Shadow knew their whereabouts, causing the group to flee the city and escape the Shadow's clutches.  Again.  Before A Memory of Light came out, I was a big advocate of Moridin being a double agent.  Why?  Because of stuff like this.  The Shadow's agents bungle their own plans so spectacularly that it seems they are working for the Light.   Along those same lines, I have a slight tangent to go off on.  Before Winter Break, a colleague of mine saw me reading my copy of The Eye of the World—I've been carrying it around with me everywhere to sneak in reading whenever I can.  She hadn't heard of it, and was looking for something to read over the break.  She said she'd get it.  For the past month and a half, she's been enjoying The Eye of the World.  Whenever I pass her, she always says things like, "Rand and Mat just got on a boat," or "Perrin was able to meet up with Egwene," or "They just got captured by the Whitecloaks."  It's so exciting to see someone reading the series for the first time.  And she's very perceptive about picking up a lot of the foreshadowing.   But, there was one thing she missed completely, which is why I'm brining it up now.  When the group escaped from Baerlon, she confided in me that either Moiraine or Nynaeve was evil and letting the Shadow know their whereabouts.  And I thought about it for a moment, and realized how easy it is to come to that conclusion.  As I've said before, it's hard for me to recall what I thought on my first read through.  But I'm sure I thought something likewise.    Robert Jordan once again shows his masterful storytelling skills.  If Nynaeve hadn't arrived at the Stag and Lion, we would have pondered about who else could have led the Shadowspawn to their location.  We would have known instantly that it was Fain.  But with Nynaeve serving as a decoy to distract us, Fain's participation in Shadow's deeds goes unnoticed.  At least for now.  Just thinking about that, and the intricacy needed to fool the reader so completely, leaves me in awe of Mr. Jordan once again.   And back on track.  With Shaidar Haran in the hallway, why didn't the Myrddraal kill Rand?  He drew back his sword, but stopped.  Is it an elaborate act to scare the farmboy?  The Shadow doesn't know that Rand is the one yet.  Or, at least Ba'alzamon doesn't know which is which.  Would Shaidar Haran—the Dark One's avatar in the world—be able to tell?  He doesn't seem to.  In fact, he's more interested in the others than in Rand.  But why almost kill the boy, then stop?  For dramatic flair?  Perhaps.  Most likely, I think the Dark One is unsure about the three boys.  Since it doesn't know who is who, it could be a huge mistake to kill one of them.  And despite his boasting, I don't think the Dark One could have them in death.   Another point to emphasis in this section is how naive the Two Rivers folk are.  When Nynaeve accuses Moiraine of bringing harm to the innkeeper, she's completely off base.  And the fact that the others agree—Perrin insists that Moiraine should have done something—shows how soft and trusting they are.  It's good that the characters start out this way.  These wholesome roots are what allow Rand to come back from the edge of the abyss.  And it's what makes the characters' growth so appealing.  They are so innocent!  And the world around them eats them up and spits them out by the end of the first book, let alone the end of the series.  Look how far each of them has come since these humble beginnings.  And seeing the transformation first hand lets us, the readers, feel so much closer to them.   In Chapter 18, we have Mat's first use of the Old Tongue.  And notice that only Egwene feels like she should understand the words.  I've always thought Nynaeve might be Eldrene reborn, so it would make sense if she understood.  But why Egwene?  And it's easy to see why Mat was the one to start spouting it in the first place.  We will see as our reread continues that Mat's past memories appear before his trip to the Eelfinn, so there is a strong possibility that one of Mat's former lives resurfaced here too.   And speaking of Mat, there's a brief foreshadowing of his hanging in this chapter.  After fighting the Trollocs, Mat was the only rider to get pulled off his horse.  Afterwards, he "tossed a noose away from him with a shudder, gathered his bow, and scrambled into his saddle unaided, though rubbing at his throat."  Later, I'll point out the foreshadowing of him losing his eye.  It's incredible how much future information we can gather off this first book!   That's all I've got for this week.  Let me know if there's something I missed, or something we need to discuss further.  Join us next time for a trip into Shadar Logoth.  Thanks for reading!

Hello there, Dragonmount! January has sped by, the Groundhog has searched for his shadow, and February is upon us. That means one thing: time for another stunning edition of Dragonmount’s Weekly Roundup!   First of all, voting for the Empys is now open! Go check out the finalists and vote!   Now that the ban on Spoilers for A Memory of Light has been lifted, there are several fascinating threads open on the General Wheel of Time discussion board, including  The Bodyswap Theory and a discussion of Padan Fain’s ending.   Do you want to get to know the ACW Tuathan’an better? Join them at Chaelca’s campfire!   At the Black Tower, there are all kind of things going on: Mafia Memes, a laboratory, and a discussion on dumb ways to die. Check these threads out for more entertaining and amusing threads.   February at the Kin is all about love! Join the discussions, and share loving warm thoughts with the wonderful people at the Kin.   Mafia is back in Shayol Ghul! Sign ups are going on now for Once Upon a Time Mafia. Mafia experts or novices can all join in on the fun!   Finally, an update from Dragonmount’s Twitter feed:     Remember, you can get daily updates on Dragonmount and Wheel of Time fandom by following Dragonmount’s Facebook and Twitter feeds.

It's Friday, and that means Fan Art!   You might notice it's a new person writing this blog... I'm Misheru, or Mish as most people call me, and I'll be your resident fan art blogger from now on! I'm in my mid twenties, from Norway, and here on Dragonmount I'm an avid mafia player, and I tend to hang out in the White Tower Social Group, where I'm a member of the Green Ajah. I love Wheel of Time (d'uh!) and my absolute favorite thing to geek out about, is the fashion and clothing. I love how detailed Robert Jordan was in making each country and culture have such distinctly different styles, and it's something I'll explore a bit with you guys.   I thought I would kick this off with showing you some of my own personal favorite pieces of fan art!       Elayne Trakand, by floorsteinz   Well here comes the fashion-geek straight out of the box! Andor is heavily influenced by Tudor-era England, and the clothing in this painting is a strong nod to that. I really like how Elayne both looks regal and capable, while still looking like a young woman. It looks like a royal portrait commissioned to hang in the halls of a grand castle. To me, the placing of the hands look a little like she's used to holding a sword, which is a fine nod to Elayne being of the Green Ajah, and being ready to be a general and leader in Tarmon Gai'don.   The artist says in the description she's hoping to make a series of character portraits, I do hope so, I'd love to see more from her!       Matrim Cauthon, Wheel of Time comission, by RinTheYordle   The artist said this is a commission from her boyfriend. I really like the colors, the ambiance and the format of the picture. The slightly cartoon-ish proportions fit Mat very well. It's got all the things a Mat portrait should include; the hat, the dice, the asharandei. The red hand-symbol gives the image a powerful contrast; the painting itself is very serene, but the hand reminds us that it's rarely Mat gets a serene, quiet moment... And makes him look like he's ready to leap into action even though he's just sitting there lounging right now.    ¨   Moiraine Sedai, by tinazz   I can't post my favorites without including an image of Moiraine, since she is my all time favorite character. I think this depiction by tinazz is fantastic! The border and patterned background remind me of Cairhien (the pattern on the border looks like a strong nod to the rising sun of Cairhien, no?). The composition with the flowing cape gives the image a sense of drama and action. Her face is great; a perfect representation of the Aes Sedai "ageless" look. I do find it a bit funny that her hand is making the gesture that is described as the Seanchan gesture of warding off evil.       The Flame of Tar Valon, by jieroque   You can say what you will about Egwene--love her, hate her--but you can't argue that this painting is amazing. It's so strong, and depicting one of the most exciting scenes in the books, in my personal opinion. It's a strong and fierce composition, the dynamic pose, the debris flying in the air, the lightning bolt, and the raken plummeting towards the ground in the background. The artist has chosen to use a rather limited color palette, which enhances the dramatic feeling. Lovely!     Moridin, by laenare   ....Hmmm? Oh, right, you're probably waiting for some commentary from me. I got temporarily distracted by those eyes... *clears throat* Anyway! The painting style is amazing; by far my favorite depiction of any of the Forsaken. The background with it's dark colors and smoke gives it a suitable menacing ambiance, and the facial expression is strong, a bit arrogant, and I at least see a bit of his insanity. I'm just waiting for the saa to swim over his eyes. I'd love to see the artist do a similar portrait of Rand; she has a portrait of rand but I'd love to see a "twin" of this portrait here, same composition and crop, with Rand's face. I think it's so interesting that Moridin doesn't look downright evil here; the artist has managed to capture that duality that makes Moridin so interesting.     So, that's some of my all-time favorites! Which one do you like the best of them?

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!   A noteworthy news item I spotted this week was the release of a still image of Peter Capaldi's Doctor Who costume. Capaldi will play the 12th incarnation of the Doctor and much has been made about the style he will bring to it--one perhaps more direct, action-oriented, and intimidating than his recent predecessors, David Tennant and Matt Smith. This week, the image below was the first to be leaked of the 12th Doctor all over the internet:   In light of this, I decided to look for a couple of other interesting Doctor themed internet items and came up with the following table of the first and last lines of each Doctor thus far.     And I also found on tumblr a collection of Tim Burton styled animated pictures of each Doctor.   I hope you are excited to see the new Doctor hit the screens, which is scheduled for Autumn this year.   That's all for now! Have fun!   Until next time, friends!

Being a celebrity in Randland wasn't just fun and games (or in Mat's case women and gambling). Here's an example of Mat's first radio experience.  

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!   Just a quick one because I am on vacation in a forest and Internet is somewhat sketchy! This week my mind is focused on a film that comes out at the end of the week here in the UK which I'm looking forward to seeing: Shadow Recruit, the origins story of Jack Ryan, a character created by Tom Clancy in a great series of novels.   The character is portrayed by rising star Chris Pine, probably best known as James T. Kirk from the Star Trek reboot movies, and it looks to have a strong supporting role from Kevin Costner.   What's interesting about the character Jack Ryan is he is not a Jason Bourne style all-action hero--he is a highly intelligent analyst, usually desk bound, who gets thrust into the middle of a field operation. I'm hoping they play this up and have him think his way around situations.   Of course there are a lot of other films coming out this year too--Robocop, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, a new 300 that looks epic, and many more.   That's all for now! Have fun!   Until next time, friends!   [Editor's note: Shadow Recruit opened in the US January 17th, and is set to open in the UK January 24th.]