DRAGONMOUNT

Can you give me an M? And an O? And an I-R-A-I-N-E. Woot! So, as you might guess, Moiraine was the ultimate winner of this year's Suvudu cage match series. It was quite an exciting final match, if I must say so myself. Moiraine was faced with a worthy opponent. Her opponent was Kylar Stern from the Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks.   The Night Angel Trilogy follows the story of a young street-orphan by the name of Azoth/Kylar. Kylar becomes entangled in the schemes of the Sa'kage, the ruling entity of the city's criminal underworld. In an attempt to escape, he apprentices himself to the legendary wetboy Durzo Blint. Now, through his attempts to become a killer aided by magic, Kylar's fate goes along a previously unexplored lane, with the destiny of the world hanging in the balance.   When I heard that I needed to review this book, my initial reaction was: "Yay! Amazing series!" and I fully stand by that opinion. This was one of those series where you couldn't put it down and the pages virtually kept turning themselves. None of the individual books seemed drawn out or lacking, as one often finds in fanasty series; each was as gripping as the one before.   Weeks created extremely three dimensional and real characters. You find yourself captivated by their stories, being carried away in their experiences, and having your emotions influenced by their well-being.   All in all, Moiraine definitely had a worthy opponent, and the Night Angel Trilogy books are definitely worth reading!

Ta'veren Tees has partnered with artist Ariel Burgess to bring you the first ever officially licensed Wheel of Time playing cards.  No release date for the cards has been set yet, but they are coming soon, and we will be here to let you know as soon as they are available.  In the meantime, check out their press release:     I had the opportunity to meet Ariel Burgess at JordanCon this past weekend, as well as to view preview pictures for some of the cards.  She is an incredibly sweet, talented woman, and I am confident that you will be blown away by the art on the cards.

Check out Darrell K. Sweet's unfinished cover art for A Memory of Light.         Most fans are aware of Darrell K. Sweet's artwork, which graces the covers of the original U.S. edition Wheel of Time books. Regardless of what you think of the art itself, Mr. Sweet's imagery has become a recognized style deeply associated with the series.   Unfortunately, Mr. Sweet passed away before completing the book cover for A Memory of Light, the final book in the series. But this weekend at JordanCon 2012, we've been given the opportunity to see his first draft of the painting.   Click here or on the image to the right to see the full version.   In my personal opinion, I think this painting had the potential to be one of the finest in the series. Try and see past the obvious mistakes or omissions. The three women (presumably Elayne, Min, and Aviendha) would need some articulation to distinguish themselves from each other, and the "yin yang" isn't accurate. But those are the kinds of adjustments that Darrell would have made. It's been part of the process since the series began. While the details aren't accurate to the book, per se, this painting invokes some powerful emotions for me. I think we can all guess whose body that is at the top of the funeral bier!   With Mr. Sweet's passing, the final book cover will be painted by renowned artist Michael Whelan. Mr. Whelan is hard at work on the painting at this time. He will not be painting the same scene as Mr. Sweet. Be sure to follow our news, Twitter, or Facebook pages to see when that cover is revealed.   So, what do you think of this unfinished cover? Critical comments are welcome, but please keep things respectful at all times. A Memory of Light will be released in hardcover and audiobook on January 8, 2013. Read the full details here.

Last week, I featured some serious (and seriously amazing) group portraits and sketch dumps. This week, I thought I'd lighten the mood. In accordance with this week's theme (All Together Now, Take Two), here are four group portraits that made me do a double take.     1. Wheel of Time Chars by Sir-Heartsalot Not only is the style flawless and fun, but the interpretations are hilarious (just keep scrollin' -->).     2. WoT Puppet Theatre No. 1 by shorelle What's cuter than the Wheel of Time characters as hand puppets? I feel a meme coming on ...     3. Sparkles by RoseMuse I've read Stephanie Meyers' Twilight series and don't have anything against it (we all need a little romantic fluff now and then), but I still think RoseMuse's crossover of Wheel of Time, Twilight, Sabriel, Pride and Prejudice, and Lord of the Rings is pretty darn funny.     4. Re-Employment by Zorm Another crossover! Maybe that should have been this week's theme ... That poor Myrddraal just wanted a role in My Little Pony.

This week, I've had the pleasure of interviewing another one of the administrators here on Dragonmount. I think he has something to do with the Wheel of Time forums, but hey, we'll all know soon enough! He's one of those who will make you fear for your fingers if he has an opposing opinion from yours in a discussion, since he's that passionate about it all. Without much further ado, I give to you: Luckers!   Q: Who are you and what do you do on Dragonmount?   A: Well, I'm the Wheel of Time Administrator, so my main task is basically seeing that the Wheel of Time boards are all running smoothly. I usually have my fingers in most things Wheel of Time related that run through the website--I wrote most of the book summaries (and the .pdf we released to bring everyone back up to date for the Towers of Midnight release), and had a hand in developing the Tower Guard program for the signing tour for Towers of Midnight. I worked heavily on the update for the Wheel of Time FAQ when we took it over from Leigh Butler. I've also run interviews with most of the major players in Team Jordan, and I was able to do an official showing of Jason Denzel's amazing Towers of Midnight trailer at WorldCon on behalf of the website last year, which was pretty damn awesome.   But yeah, essentially, if it has the Wheel of Time stamp on it, I've had some part of it (even if occasionally it's just Jason and Jenn Liang giving me a heads up that something is coming when the secrecy goes beyond my paygrade.)     Q: How did you get involved on Dragonmount?   A: Umm. I just got picked up as a staff member on Debates and Discussions. Dunno why they decided to make me an offer (I was very young at the time). Then when I lost some of my interest in Debates and Discussions, I quit and offered to take on WoT modding. From there, one day I just decided to develop my own FAQ, and emailed Jenn and Jason saying that I was going to, and they were fine with it. Much the same with the Big Unnoticed Thing Theory Compilation. Somewhere in all this, Jason must have been impressed because then they made the offer for Wheel of Time Admin.   But yeah, it's mostly just a matter of putting yourself out there. If you have ideas, say them.     Q: When and why did you join Dragonmount?   A: I had just turned fourteen, so it would have been late 2002, early 2003. As I recall, it was the Dragonmount Prologue movie that Jason was developing at the time that attracted me here. I stayed for all the cool, insane people.     Q: What got you to read The Wheel of Time?   A: I was given The Eye of the World and A Game of Thrones for my twelfth birthday (I'd just gotten into fantasy through the Belgariad, which is a great gateway fantasy series for the young). I started A Game of Thrones first and found it too confronting (and to be fair to my Mum she had told the clerk at the bookstore to suggest books for her twelve-year-old, so it was all on him). Anyway, I started EotW, and was hooked by the Manetheren story. I've never looked back.     Q: Who is your favorite character?   A: Look, Brandon will roll his eyes at me if he reads this, but Cadsuane. I mean, she gets a bad rep, but when push comes to shove she has always had Rand's back.     Q: If you could be in the skin of one character for a day, who would it be?   A: Moridin.     Q: How do you earn your crust in Real Life?   A: I'm a writer, though I don't really get much money from that. My day job is at a photolab--and yes, we do see dodgy photos.     Q: Married? Kids?   A: Well, I'm gay, so it's currently illegal where I am to be married. One day, if decency prevails.     Q: Do you think Brandon Sanderson has done the series justice so far?   A: Yes and no. I think he has done a very good job with some things, and a not so good job with other things. I've been very open with him about both sides, and in response, he has been quite open about some of what he perceives to be his successes and failures. A lot, I suspect, will depend on A Memory of Light, but for now...yes and no.     Q: How do you feel about the last book finally coming out?   A: I've no idea. It changes from day to day. "Bittersweet" would probably be the closest word I can think of for how I feel...     Q: Favorite nation? And why?   A: The Aiel. Uncompromising honor guided by keen wisdom--they are the most decent people in the series.     Q: If you could choose between going to Randland and any other fantasy world, which would you choose and why?   A: Randland, easy. In part, this is why I love the Wheel of Time so much, because its world is so immersive, so vast, that you literally feel like you could step into it. Besides, with my knowledge of the Wheel, I reckon I could make a decent attempt at conquering the world. *evil grin*     Q: Bow, spear, axe, or sword?   A: I actually fenced for about seven years, so definitely the sword.     Q: Your Wheel of Time crush?   A: Mat. I'd love to take him clubbing in the modern world.     Q: Anything else you'd like to add?   A: Long live Cadsuane? *wink*

It's time for more wallpaper! Remember, during the weeks between Brandon Sanderson's "musings" on each Wheel of Time book, Tor.com will post eBook art wallpaper for each of the books. Sanderson has been a little behind on his musings, but the wallpapers are still coming out on schedule.   This week, the featured eBook wallpaper is for Lord of Chaos. The artwork is by Gregory Manchess. 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 this week?

It's almost time for JordanCon! I can barely contain my excitement. Since I will be at the convention, you won't be seeing a roundup from me next week. If any of you are going, don't be shy about saying hi when you see me.   For those of you who weren't aware yet, we have fantastic news to report: Moiraine has won Suvudu's 2012 Cage Match! She had a formidable opponent in Kylar Stern, but the votes of her loyal fans helped secure her victory. You can see the write-up and fight results here.   Speaking of characters we love, if you can't stop talking about Mat, we have just the thread for you in our Structured Wheel of Time Discussion forum. This forum is one that has rules for posting, so be sure to read them first.   The Aiel Social Group's current monthly discussion theme is cover art. What is some of your favorite cover art? Do you think that the cover art greatly influences whether you buy a book?   The Black Tower Social Group has created an impressive new scavenger hunt called The Search for the Holy Angreal. The game hasn't started yet, so head to the thread I linked if you want to sign up. It looks like it will be lots of fun.   April in the Kin Social Group is all about spring! They have contests, exchanges, discussions, and games for you to enjoy. Use this thread as a guide to the month's festivities.   Wait a second...it looks like the Highest of the Red Ajah and an Asha'man are going on a date! Is this madness? No, it's our role players with another unexpected story called Meh...It's Not REALLY a Date. Check it out to see what unfolds.   See you at JordanCon!

With 2,641 named characters, 13 volumes, 11,308 pages, 44 million copies sold worldwide, and audiobooks that would take 17 days, 11 hours, and 30 minutes to listen to back-to-back from beginning to end (and counting!) [source], the Wheel of Time sets a standard for immersive high fantasy that's hard to beat. In honor of Robert Jordan's prodigious mind and prolific pen, this week's theme is quality in quantity.       1. Wheel of Time Sketch Cards by Adam Masterman (Mahasiddha):   I love this artist's sharp, clean style. I also think the juxtaposition of the first two cards is pretty funny (It's pre-Towers of Midnight "Crazy Rand" and post-Towers of Midnight "Enlightened Rand!").       2. Wheel of Time Character Design 2 by Chase Conley (saintchase):   Dynamite Entertainment acquired the rights to Dabel Brothers Productions' comic book rendition of The Eye of the World in 2009. Chase Conley is one of the amazing artists behind these comics. Here's a sketch dump he did in preparation for his seven-issue run. I recommend checking out the original post to see the characters full-size.       3. Wheel of Time by Niklas Tarpila (Nether83):   This ambitious work was done for fun by a Finnish graphic artist. The characters aren't exactly how I picture them, but I really admire his coloring skill. I can't imagine how long it took to make this.       4. Teeny-Tiny WoT People by Forbis:   Forbis is one of my all-time favorite Wheel of Time fan artists. Her depictions of the Two Rivers folk early on in the series strike a nostalgic cord with me, both because they were just so darn young and innocent back then and because Forbis hasn't been active in the Wheel of Time art community for years.   Here's a sketch dump she did of Rand (the first three rows) and the Aiel (most of the last two rows). Again, you might want to follow the link to see this full-size--and check out the rest of her gallery while you're at it!

Ah! It's that time of the year again, when we can all eagerly anticipate the interesting happenings awaiting us at this year's JordanCon. For those of you who do not know what JordanCon is, let me give you a quick introduction. JordanCon is a yearly convention held in Atlanta, GA. It is a fantasy literature convention run in honor of the late Robert Jordan.   As I mentioned before, there's a lot of fun things happening this year. Rather than list all of them for you, I'll make a short list of the events I'd enjoy attending. On Friday night, they're going to be holding their annual Seanchan Texas Hold'Em Poker Tournament. You pay a $20 entry fee and a $10 buy in. Not only do you get to gamble like the Prince of Ravens, but you also get to participate in donating money to a worthy cause. On Saturday, not only are there fun looking art workshops to participate in during the day, but there are two events I'd definitely participate in later. One of those events is the costume contest. Who could resist taking part in that? You could dress up as an Aiel with spears or an Aes Sedai with her Warder...there's so many possibilities! The other event is "Dance the Spears". Wait, what? More Aiel?! Actually, no, this event is not warlike, unless you consider an auction to be so. It is the annual silent auction held by JordanCon for the benefit of the Mayo Clinic, just like the funds of the Poker Tournament, which also go into the clinic's coffers. Various generous people donate things to be auctioned off; in the past, we've seen Jordan's cane or special Wheel of Time notes under the auctioneer's hammer. Last, but not least, I'd end my JordanCon experience by hanging out in the workshops (again), learning all about costuming in fantasy.   Of course, for those of you who are more into discussing theories and possibilities in fantasy, or even those who would rather have a nice Kaffeeklatsch, there's plenty of oportunities to do that too! Have a look at the Program Panel and prepare yourself for a fantastic weekend!

Ta'veren Tees would like your help deciding on a new shirt design! They have a survey up in which you can vote for one of three potential Aes Sedai shirt designs. The survey also includes questions that will give them feedback on how they are doing and how they can improve in the future. If you take the survey, you will get a coupon for 20% off a purchase. If you haven't done it now, make sure you get that survey filled out by April 14th.