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DRAGONMOUNT

A WHEEL OF TIME COMMUNITY

Tor Books announced today that "By Grace and Banners Fallen", the prologue to A Memory of Light, will be available as an eBook for purchase and download on October 2nd. “By Grace and Banners Fallen” is available as a pre-order $2.99 as either an ebook or audio download. The DRM-free eBook version is directly available on our website for purchase now. After pre-ordering, your eBook will become available for download on October 2nd. A man who loves the hunt begins a new pursuit, red veils appear, and one of the Forsaken stands newly revealed. The forces of the Shadow swell in triumph as the world unravels. By grace and banners fallen, the Last Battle has come. The full prologue is a lengthy, action-packed chapter that has intense scenes and some great surprises. "By Grace and Banners Fallen" is the final Wheel of Time prologue. There's no doubt that Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson left some great surprises for us. If you intend to buy the eBook prologue, please consider doing so from our website. You'll get DRM-Free versions for both the Kindle and ePub. You'll also be helping to support this website. It has been a tradition of the series since Winter's Heart (released in 2000) where the prologue was released as an eBook several months in advance of the actual novel. The prologues tend to be about 40,000 words; or the length of a short novel. For many fans, paying $2.99 is worth getting that much content, especially when it is released 3 months before the full book. We certainly think so, especially when "...one of the Forsaken stands newly revealed!" About A Memory of Light Dragonmount features complete coverage of AMOL. Check back regularly for updates as well as exclusives such as our early review of the book. In the meantime, there's plenty for you to enjoy: Purchase the prologue and support our website Read the opening portion of the AMOL prologue for free. Read the opening portion of Chapter 1 for free. Read the opening portion of Chapter 11 for free. Visit our complete AMOL info page. Discuss A Memory of Light on our forums. Follow us on Twitter or "Like" us on Facebook. Please consider pre-ordering the full book through one of our international Amazon affiliates, and help support our website.       

By Jason Denzel, in A Memory of Light,

This week, I'd like to take some time away from my normal ramblings and share an Admin Q&A sesion with you. Barmacral is our Discussions Admin and oversees the discussion forums, including the Mafia forum. Remember to laugh at any jokes he might say. We don't want him to realize he's not as funny as he thinks...I kid, I kid! Here is the Q&A we had.       Q: When did you start reading The Wheel of Time?   A: Back in high school, I think around the time CoT came out? Not sure. Any number of years ago anyways, and I've read the series more than a dozen times since.     Q: How did you get involved with Dragonmount and the Admin position?   A: I stopped playing World of Warcraft and needed something to pass the time, and since I was on one of my many re-reads, I came to Dragonmount looking for a place to discuss the books. As for being an Admin, we'd had some technology changes on the site, and they needed somebody who could dedicate some time to making sure all the users could see the appropriate boards. About the time this position was no longer needed, the Discussion Admin role came open and I was offered the chance to shift my responsibilities. As I've been very active in the past in many of the discussion boards, I took the chance.     Q: Can you share a little bit about yourself with the readers?   A: I am 25, Canadian (gloriously so), and I love to partake in historical re-enacting, specifically the War of 1812, where I portray an American soldier of the US 25th infantry regiment. I read a huge amount of sci-fi and fantasy, and am a casual gamer with a love for novelty board games. Just recently, I had the opportunity to try the Order of the Stick adventure game, and it was a lot of fun.     Q: People seem to think you have jokes. Do you have any jokes offhand you'd like to share?   A: None that are safe for the front page of Dragonmount...The actual running gag is that I am not funny, as a number of years ago I won the Empy award for funniest member of the site, and Emperor, a former Admin, started teasing me that I clearly wasn't funny and that he should have won the award himself.     Q: Where do you picture yourself as far as groups or factions in Randland if you lived there?   A: Probably Andoran, as they have the least alien culture to my own.     Q: Are you a part of the Wheel of Time community outside of Dragonmount?   A: I am lightly active over at TarValon.Net.     Q: Do you have a favorite character in the series? If so, who is it?   A: No, I pretty much like all the characters, even the ones most people tend to dislike. I've never agreed with the hatred for Egwene, Elayne, Faile, and the others. Though I'm totally happy to hate on Elaida.     Q: What is the most memorable moment for you in The Wheel of Time?   A: Dumai's Wells when Taim gives the order, "Asha'man, kill." Very chilling. Very cool.     Q: You are the Discussions Admin; have there been any great discussions during your time in this position?   A: There's been lots of great discussions. General Discussion usually has some awesome reviews by Werthead and others about various books, Debates and Discussions is great for political and other hot button topics, there's always a few discussions I'm following in the Entertainment section of the site, and every once in a while I do love to stop in at the Mafia board for a good mafia game.     Q: Is there anything else you wish to share?   A: I think it bears mentioning that I am awesome. Well, not that it needed to be mentioned, as I am sure most people figured it out from the rest of the interview. I am awesome.

By Gabriel Kross, in Rotating Features,

For Sale:   Marble palace located on island next to exclusive club. Previous tenant relocated before complete. Great opportunity for Handyman to style to own needs. 30 bed, 12 bath. Room for pool. Serious offers only.     20 acres of lake front property for sale along Borderlands. Exotic plant life sure to make any gardener happy. Majestic ruins near a romantic backdrop for building the home of your choice. Plenty of local wildlife sure to make your nights interesting. Please inquire to Lan Mandragoran, White Tower.     Recent demolition opens up great opportunity. Located in pristine countryside, this 200 acre lot is brimming with history. Guaranteed free of any former infestations. Bowl-shaped excavation allows for large basement or lake. Invest today!     Farm for sale. Due to recent change in government, must relocate. Close to major seaport, while still being secluded. Fully furnished, along with gorgeous hand knit decorations. Perfect for an older person or group to relax away from the politics. Low asking price means it won't last long. Channelers should not apply.

By Ireond, in Humor Blog,

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to "WoT If?". Sorry to keep you in suspense for a week over what topic we would be discussing. This time, I want to look at one specific scene in The Shadow Rising and examine why Perrin finds it so difficult to leave the Stone of Tear. As always:   Spoiler warning! This will include content from many books in the series, including Towers of Midnight, and speculation about A Memory of Light. Please read at your own risk.   We all know that the Pattern swirls around our three ta'veren, but it's also true that the Pattern forces them to do its bidding. Loial is the one who brings this up the most:       And even Hawkwing himself speaks of the Pattern's demands:     So, if the Pattern—or more specifically, the Wheel—is deciding who goes where and who does what, why does Perrin have trouble leaving the Stone of Tear? We know he had to go back home, to become Lord of the Two Rivers, to marry Faile, etc. Why is there this conflict of interest? Let's look at the scene in The Shadow Rising.     Perrin assumes he is unable to leave because of the pull of Rand, ta'veren to ta'veren. But how does he come to this conclusion? When it is time for Mat to leave—after the victory in Cairhien—he does so with no problem. Also, after Perrin is reunited with Rand and leaves again, there is no resistance.   This seems to be an isolated incident. There's no doubt the ta'veren are drawn to one another, especially when one of them is in need. For example:     After things settle in the Two Rivers, Perrin feels the tugging. He knows Rand needs him, and he does. Right after they reunite, Rand is kidnapped by the Tower Aes Sedai and Perrin is the one who leads the rescue mission.   However, this tugging is not the same one Perrin felt at the Stone. At the Stone, the pull seemed almost violent. Perrin physically struggled to get away from its grasp. In the Two Rivers, it's calmer, a sensation of nagging, a slight tickle. Notice Perrin doesn't jump on his horse in quick motions and run as fast as he can, as he did in Tear. His voice is "sad" rather than frantic.   To me, this shows that the tugging in Tear was something of an anomaly, and that makes me wonder why. I can only see two different reasons why there is such a pull.   First, Perrin believes in it. He assumes it is the pull of ta'veren, but that doesn't mean it's true. The whole thing could be in his head, due to his strong sense of duty. He, unlike Mat, recognizes his role in Rand's life, but still wants to go home to save his family, if he can. When he and Mat discuss going home, Perrin acknowledges that he is straying from his duty to Rand:     Notice how Mat isn't able to say he'd go. If Perrin can plan, and Mat cannot, it seems the Pattern is okay with Perrin making the trip, or else he'd be in the same boat as Mat. So, the Pattern is fine with it, Rand's thread is fine with it, and it's only Perrin's disappointment in running that holds him back.   The second reason, which is a stretch, I'll admit, is interference by the Dark One or the Forsaken. We know Lanfear was wandering around the Stone the previous night. We know she visited Perrin in his dreams (The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 4, "Shadows Sleeping"). It's possible that she used Compulsion on him, to make him stay. Mat does hear from the Aelfinn that he will be killed by "those who do not want that fate fulfilled" (The Shadow Rising, Chapter 15, "Into the Doorway") if he doesn't go to Rhuidean. Perhaps Perrin would suffer the same fate if he didn't go back to Emond's Field? And at this point, the Dark One does want all of them dead.   On a side note, after Perrin being tugged to Rand during Lord of Chaos, I can only recall two times when the ta'veren pull comes into play. And both of them are in regards to Mat pulling someone he needs. First is Talmanes:     And later, in The Gathering Storm, the Pattern forces Verin into Mat's path:     All this ta'veren tugging seems random and inconsistent, to me. Why is the pull so strong in Tear? Why does the sensation get milder as the series continues? Perhaps their urgency to be together decreases with the ability to see what the others are doing? There is a spike in the swirling colors in the last few books, so maybe.   That's all for this week. I'd really love comments about things I've missed or overlooked in relation to the ta'veren tug. Next week, as Metal Head requested, we'll take a closer look at Padan Fain and his role in the rest of the series.

By Mashiara Sedai, in Theory Blog,

If you're looking for a way to dress up your Facebook page and show your love for The Wheel of Time, Tor.com is here to help! Each day this week, they will post a different banner featuring art from the eBooks. Here's their press release:   Prepare for the Last Battle with Wheel of Time Facebook Banners   To prepare for release of A Memory of Light, the final volume of The Wheel of Time, Tor.com will be releasing special Facebook Timeline banners this week! Click the image to see it full size, drag it to your desktop, or Save Image As to post it on your Facebook profile.   Five characters in total will be depicted as they gear up for The Last Battle, beginning with the Prince of Ravens himself, Mat Cauthon. (What can we say? It's a Mat kind of Monday.) Visit Tor.com or the A Memory of Light index each morning for a new reveal!   We'll also be posting links to the images right here in this article as they are released.   Monday: Mat Cauthon   Tuesday: Moiraine Sedai   Wednesday: Perrin Aybara   Thursday: Rand al’Thor     Friday: Egwene al’Vere

By Dwynwen, in Community & Events,

We're back! If you haven't seen my recap of Dragon*Con yet, look here. Those who attended had a wonderful time.   Speaking of Dragon*Con, we've got plenty of people offering opinions about Chapter 11 from A Memory of Light in our A Memory of Light Spoiler Discussion forum. Go here if you want to participate.   It's time for the next season of Doctor Who! Have you seen the first episode of the season yet? Come flail excitedly with us like a fanboy or fangirl in our TV Show & Sports Discussion forum.   The Crafters from our Artists, Crafters, and Writers Guild have a unique challenge this month. Using electricity as a modern day substitute for the One Power, can you either craft something with it or make a tutorial explaining how a gadget using it might work? See this thread for more details on how to play.   The Aiel Social Group has tackled another hot button topic this month--race/gender preferences at universities. Should such restrictions exist? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this admission method?   It's an Ogier role play! I haven't seen one of these in awhile. Follow a young Ogier's first trip outside his Stedding in The Yellow Brick Road.

By Dwynwen, in DM Website news,

This year marked the end of a dedicated Wheel of Time fan track at Dragon*Con. As we know, this wasn't the ending of Wheel of Time programming at Dragon*Con, but an ending. If there is enough interest from fans, there will be some future Wheel of Time panels in the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Literature track. I will give more information about that at the end of this article. For now, let's celebrate, because we had a blast at Dragon*Con this year! Here are pictures highlighting some of my favorite moments.     Although Friday was filled with great panels and trivia games, things started getting truly insane once the Saturday morning parade began. Since this was the last year of our track, we wanted to go out in style. Check out the swagger on these three ta'veren!       We even made signs! Here's Uno holding one of them:       Our shenanigans on Saturday night began with the raunchy frolic through the books that only tWoTcast can provide. As of this posting, they haven't put up that podcast on their site yet, but watch this space so you don't miss it when they do. The night culminated in one of our best Winespring Inn parties ever. Brandon Sanderson was in a playful mood during this event. When he wasn't being protected from a Lanfear attack by a gallant Asha'man...       ...he sang karaoke with us!       Our most popular event was Sunday's preview of A Memory of Light. Brandon treated us to a reading of Chapter 11, followed by a Q&A session. Don't fret if you missed this, because you can read it and watch it online. Some of you know that two of the most well-known Wheel of Time fans have cameos in this chapter. They're none other than track director Jennifer Liang and her husband, James Liang! I loved watching the expressions on Jenn's face as she listened to Brandon read about her character.       People were in high spirits as they headed from the reading to the Wheel of Time costume contest. We had many wonderful entries this year. One of the favorites was Graendal with her "entourage":       Another favorite, and the winner of the contest, was a frighteningly realistic Trolloc. Can you tell that it's really artist Paul Bielaczyc under there?       Monday was bittersweet. We wallowed in nostalgia and told stories about our track through the years. Even though it's sad to say goodbye to the track, we're glad that it's been such a success. Also, remember that this is only an ending. If you have Wheel of Time panel ideas or simply want to support such programming in the future, you can contact the director of the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Literature track, Sue Phillips, at scififantasylit@dragoncon.org.   Before I sign off, I'd like to thank Jennifer Liang for all the blood, sweat, and tears she has put into our Wheel of Time track at Dragon*Con. Without her, we wouldn't have had the track or the fond memories associated with it. Thanks for being awesome, Jenn!

By Dwynwen, in DragonCon,

I mentioned in an earlier post that Egwene is one of my favorite characters. Now, I'm well aware that a lot of Wheel of Time fans love to hate on Egwene. And all of you who hate her have a point. Yes, she tends to criticize others and not herself. Yes, she can be entitled and overbearing.   But here's why I love her anyway. In a fantasy setting that sometimes feels a little too black-and-white (compare Robert Jordan's approach to good and evil to the complex morality of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire), Egwene's role as Rand's opposition on the side of the Light is a refreshing twist on an age-old tale.   That's not to say their tense relationship doesn't have grounding in some age-old themes itself. In the ancient symbol of the Aes Sedai, he is the Dragon's Fang and she is the White Flame. Where Rand brings chaos, Egwene brings order. The obvious origin of this symbolism is of course the yin-yang, which symbolizes the interdependence of opposing forces (oh, just go read the wikipedia article).       It's no coincidence that Rand and Egwene develop the ability to channel at approximately the same time, and it's no coincidence that Rand resists his fate with as much passion as Egwene pursues hers. Even though the series is full-to-bursting with characters and events, their relationship is a key thread in the Pattern Robert Jordan wove. It's appropriate, then, that Egwene and Rand are the two characters that get prologues in The Eye of the World--even if Rand (at least, his soul) first appears as the four-hundred-year-old Dragon and Egwene first appears as the nine-year-old water carrier (note that Egwene's prologue was written for the young adult edition released by Starscape Books in 2002).   Egwene and the Raven by Charles Vess       Part of the reason I'm so fond of Egwene is that she goes after her goals with great gusto. Of all the Two Rivers folk, she alone chose their adventure, pursuing it with a bright-eyed innocence that I both admire and pity.   Left: Egwene al'Vere by ~Forbis Right: Egwene al'Vere by *fee-absinthe (Tanya Wagemann)       Unlike many of the other characters, she never falters in her convictions. She has a genuine (if occasionally overwrought) love of the One Power and the White Tower, as well as a deep-rooted passion for understanding both.   Tel'aran'rhiod by ~Mizutori       She and Rand have both suffered manipulation and subjugation. Unlike Rand, however, she has truly thrived in these situations. The path she took to reunite the Tower under her rule (first as the Salidar "puppet," then as Elaida's prisoner) is a perfect example of this.   Above: Egwene in Salidar by ~Snunad (Egwene being raised on a platform of air as she is declared Amyrlin of the Salidar faction, Lord of Chaos Chapter 36, "The Amyrlin is Raised") Below: WoT Scene by *RoseMuse       Although as readers our immediate response to the tension between Egwene and Rand is to pick a side, I prefer to view their relationship as a tenuous balance. Both the Amyrlin and the Dragon have an essential role to play in the fight against the Shadow.   Left: Egwene al'Vere, the Amyrlin Seat by Liz Stephanoff (faerLinden on Dragonmount) Right: WoT card teaser--Egwene by ~ReddEra (Ariel Burgess)  

By peregrine, in Fan Art Friday,

I was at the book store a little while back and happened across the manga version of 5 Centimeters Per Second. I flipped through it a bit because I had never heard of it, and it seemed pretty interesting.This week's article is going to be about the touching story that it told.   The story begins in Tokyo. Akari is a new transfer student in Takaki's class. The two start talking in the library and realize they have a lot in common. Besides moving around a lot, they like the same books and the same places. Naturally, the two start to fall for each other, but Akari's family moves away shortly afterwards. They start writing to each other so that they will stay in touch, then Takaki's family has to move farther away, so he takes a train to go see Akari. Despite several delays, he finds her waiting for him at the designated meeting point. They share an unforgettable evening together just staying beside one another. After moving, Takaki meets a girl named Kanae who falls for him and is too shy to tell him. She always feels that he is looking far off and not seeing the things right in front of him.Takaki had cut himself off from others waiting for Akari, so he wasn't able to connect with the world around him. In the end, after he graduates, he moves back to Tokyo, gets a job, and meets a woman named Risa. In an attempt to move on with his life, he dates Risa for three years. The relationship never progresses; she would try to get close, but he was disconnected from the world. Takaki and Risa break up and he quits his job. Akari had moved on with her life and was engaged. Kanae tries to move on but has regrets, and decides to head to Tokyo for one last attempt to talk to Takaki. Takaki himself was alone, filled with loneliness, but resolved to accept the distance he put between himself and the world so that he could open up to someone in the future. This is essentially how the story ends.   I liked the story; my only issue is there is no real closure for Takaki. You follow his story throughout the entirety of the manga, but finish out in Kanae's, and are left to assume that the guy who just walked by her was Takaki. The story just makes you want to sympathize with Takaki, putting everything on hold for a love that would never be. I almost cried at a few points in this story, and recommend that everyone give it a read or watch the animated movie if they have the time.

By Gabriel Kross, in Rotating Features,

It's time for another audiobook giveaway! Here are the rules again for those who aren't familiar with our giveaways:           This month, we will be giving away a copy of A Crown of Swords. Click here for a clip from the audiobook.   This month's question is: If you could bond someone from the Wheel of Time series as your Warder or Aes Sedai, who would it be and why? You have until Wednesday, September 12th to answer in the comments section. Good luck!

By Dwynwen, in Audio Books,

It's time for more wallpaper from Tor.com! This time, the featured eBook wallpaper is for Crossroads of Twilight. The artwork is by Greg Ruth. Here is the image:     Go here to download different sizes of the wallpaper and to read more about how this art was created. How do you like the art for this eBook?

By Dwynwen, in Community & Events,

Macmillan Audio is giving away free iPhone cases to the first 2,000 people who notify them of their pre-order for the A Memory of Light audiobook. To be elligible, you'll need to send them a scanned version of your pre-order receipt, or a copy of your confirmation email from an online vendor.   The promotion is happening until December 7th. It's valid for US residents only.   The AMOL audiobook will be released along with the hardcover on January 8, 2013.   Contest details can be found here.   Those 2,000 cases are likely to go quick. So get your pre-order in quickly. Here are some links to order via Amazon, and help support Dragonmount   About A Memory of Light   Dragonmount will feature complete coverage of AMOL. Check back regularly for updates as well as exclusives such as our early review of the book. In the meantime, there's plenty for you to enjoy:   Read the opening portion of the AMOL prologue. Read the opening portion of Chapter 1. Read the opening portion of Chapter 11.(New!) Visit our complete AMOL info page. Discuss A Memory of Light on our forums.  Follow us on Twitter or "Like" us on Facebook.     Please consider pre-ordering the book through one of our international Amazon affiliates, and help support our website.       

By Jason Denzel, in A Memory of Light,

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