DRAGONMOUNT

Today, September 16th, 2011, marks the four-year anniversary of Robert Jordan's death. He is remembered fondly by those who knew him, and gratefully by those who read his books.   Our warmest regards go out to Harriet, Wilson, and Jordan's entire family during this bittersweet remembrance.   One of our longtime members, Isabel, posted one of his quotes today, which I gladly share with you here:     RIP, Robert Jordan. Your legacy lives on.   If you are interested, here's the written report from Robert Jordan's funeral back in 2007.

Towers of Midnight, book thirteen of The Wheel of Time, will be released in paperback form in the USA on October 4, 2011. It was the second Wheel of Time book published after Robert Jordan's death, and thus the second book in the series featuring the writing of Brandon Sanderson.   Go here to pre-order your copy from Amazon.   Here are some more helpful links about Towers of Midnight: Book Information Read Our Review Watch Our Book Trailer

The last time I brought you information on Wheel of Time fan paraphernalia, it was all about jewelry and accessories. Well, this week, I'm going to bring some Wheel of Time clothing retailers closer to your home.   Despite my intense Internet searches, I only found two places other than Amazon which sell Wheel of Time themed t-shirts. The first and only officially licensed retailer is Ta'veren Tees, which you might recognize from other blog articles on the Dragonmount front page. They are a fledgling retailer, but are steadily increasing the amount of designs that they have for their shirts. There are seven female and six male ones. Whether you're a steadfast supporter of the Band of the Red Hand or Loyal to Loial, I'm sure you'll find a suitable shirt at Ta'veren Tees. If there isn't one to your liking, just keep an eye on their site and you might find new designs that get released or some specials to spice up the designs currently available.   Another place that has some Wheel of Time themed clothing is the TarValon.Net CafePress store. Their products are not aimed at the general Wheel of Time fans, though, but rather members of TarValon.Net. I'd say still give it a look and see if there isn't possibly something to your liking.   So, get out there, buy a shirt, and flaunt your love for the Wheel of Time on a shirt for all to see.

L.E. Modesitt, Jr., the bestselling author of The Saga of Recluce and other popular series, will be visiting Dragonmount! He will be here for an entire week participating in a Q&A session hosted by our Artists, Crafters, and Writers Guild. The Q&A will run from Monday, September 19th through Sunday, September 25th in our General Discussion forum. Anyone may post questions for Mr. Modesitt during this time, and he will answer them throughout the week.   Here is more information about Mr. Modesitt from his website:     Don't miss this exciting opportunity to pick the brain of a famous author!

I made it back from Dragon*Con in one piece and am ready to resume my weekly updates. All of you should consider coming to Dragon*Con sometime. It's a great way to meet fellow Wheel of Time fans.   It looks like plenty of exciting things have happened on the forums since I last was here. One interesting thread you should check out is in our General Wheel of Time Discussion forum, where people are talking about references in the Wheel of Time to real-world pop culture and history. The thread has a very comprehensive list so far.   Who is the best movie director of all time? Visit our Movies Discussion forum and see if you agree with anyone's picks.   The theme for the September Challenge in the Artists, Crafters, and Writers Guild is "Swap." The goal is for everyone to swap their usual creative medium for something new this month.   The Aiel Social Group is discussing holidays and their meanings. What do various holidays mean to you? Do you know the history behind why some holidays are celebrated around the world?   The Wolfkin Social Group is discussing their favorite autumn foods. My mouth is watering just from reading this thread!   Our role players have been hanging around the Blight lately. Check out "Discovery of a Puzzle" to see what adventure unfolds.   If you want to see some of our Twitter updates from Dragon*Con, go here. It looks like we have quite a few pictures from our Wheel of Time costume contest.   That's it for today! I'll see you all next week.

Bonjour, my brilliant boarders of Dragonmount! Welcome back to another weekly installment of "It Works in Theory," Dragonmount's newish theory blog, which just so happens to be entrusted to my hands. I apologize for the extended delay between new entries; as many of you are aware, Dragon*Con was held this past weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, and I had the privilege to go this year for the first time. In short, it was simply a blast, and particularly exquisite because my birthday fell on the last day of the event. It was, in fact, the first convention of any kind that I had ever attended, and it did not fail whatsoever to impress me. I greatly urge any fans of the Wheel of Time series to try and make it out next Labor Day weekend or even this coming spring when JordanCon will be held in the same city. And now, onto our disclaimer:   WARNING!!! Spoiler Alert!!! WARNING!!!   This blog is based on theories that will include facts and material from the latest books in the series, so if you have not read through Towers of Midnight, continue reading at your own risk! This weblog of "It Works in Theory" is copyrighted by Despothera and Dragonmount for the private use and enjoyment of our audience. Any other use of this weblog or any pictures, descriptions, or accounts of the blog without consent from Despothera "signed in triplicate, sent in, sent back, lost, found, queried, subjected to public inquiry, lost again, and finally buried in soft peat for three months and recycled as firelighter" (from Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) is greatly encouraged. To be honest, I don't really think it is copyrighted per se anyway, but just to be on the safe side, maybe just include a link back here or something.   Alright, here's one more thing I wanted to get out of the way that I hope my editor won't mind terribly: I don't believe many of you know this, but in addition to having somewhat of a penchant for writing, I also happen to pretend to have minor musical talent as well. I am in a band that goes by the same name as my handle here on Dragonmount (Despothera). We recently got our website up and running to feature our newly recorded EP, so if anyone would like to check it out and see if you like it, just visit www.despothera.com. We play hard rock and metal, but have a broad spectrum of musical influences so many might be able to enjoy the songs on the site. I'm particularly proud of the song which I wrote, a 9-minute instrumental which I named "Tarmon Gai'don" in reverence of The Wheel of Time. Now that I have finished shamelessly self-promoting my band, let's go ahead and move on to the subject of today's blog.   I thought it fitting today after already bringing up my love of music to go into further detail about a subject I've referenced in earlier blogs: the importance of the Talent of Singing in helping to save the world of Rand and his allies. As I mentioned in my premiere blog entry, we now have a pretty good idea that the "Song" which the Tuatha'an (Tinkers, or Traveling People) have been seeking might not actually be a singularly important song, but rather a longing to return to the happier ways of their people when they were Aiel and used Seed Singing to help promote the health of the land around them. The Tuatha'an practice the Way of the Leaf and have a strong affinity both for nature and music, making them something of an oblique allusion to groups in our own society that dedicate their lives to following peaceful ways and jam bands (any Deadheads out there?). Luckers, one of our own site's admins, has written a very helpful article which talks about this subject in further detail: Demystifying The Song.   Many people, including myself, believe that it might be essential for the Talent of Singing to be rediscovered in order for the forces of Light to have any chance at winning. However, the big question is, how will it be rediscovered? One of the characters who is connected to this mystery most often happens to be my favorite character in the series: Perrin "Goldeneyes" Aybara. We'll get to why so many people believe he will have a central role in rediscovering the lost Talent in a moment, but first, I wanted to examine one of the character parallels that exist in the personage of Perrin.   If you haven't been to The Thirteenth Depository, a Wheel of Time blog headed by Linda Taglieri (who I had the pleasure of meeting this past weekend at Dragon*Con), please take time to visit there at some point. While I have a fantastic time writing my blog and am proud of what I've been able to put out so far, the theories and notions I have presented are a grain of sand on the beach compared to the many musings and thoughts that have been expressed by Linda on her site over the years. I'm particularly impressed by her ability to find the many historical, literary, and mythological references and allusions found in The Wheel of Time; Robert Jordan was simply a master of his trade when it came to selecting various figures and stories throughout the history of mankind and injecting derivatives of them into his tale. One of the connections Linda has made that I particularly enjoy is the parallel between Perrin and the fictional character of the knight Sir Percival from Arthurian Legend and Grail stories (you might have to scroll far down the page to get to that part).   It's my feeling that the story alluded to the most in The Wheel of Time is the story of King Arthur, The Fisher King, and the search for the Holy Grail. We won't get into the plethora of references and allegories to this legend, but it is a good idea to focus on the Perrin/Percival parallels to see how Perrin might end up being involved with the rediscovery of Singing. First of all, it's very easy to notice the similarities in their names. In fact, another name for Percival found in the early writings of Grail legend is Peredur, which is even more phonetically similar to Perrin. Percival was of noble blood but was raised in the forest in a simple upbringing until he was fifteen, when he saw a gallant group of knights that inspired him to become one himself. His genuine interest in doing the right thing is stressed almost to the point of naivete, but it is his purity of heart which singles him out to be the knight who is best equipped to find the grail.   We know about Perrin's modest upbringing in the Two Rivers. Although he wasn't entranced into a life of heroics, he has nonetheless been transformed into a hero, even a lord, by both the nature of him being ta'veren and the circumstances which have surrounded him. In spite of his transformation, he has kept the same noble and modest personality, and the purity of his heart has never come into question. Of the three ta'veren from Edmond's Field, he is easily the most noble; Rand has a constant struggle of internal torment at his role as the Dragon Reborn, and Mat, while very lovable himself, is somewhat of a scoundrel.   In the Grail stories, Percival is plagued by being in constant conflict with temptation in his quest for the grail, as Perrin is plagued by the conflict against succumbing to the wild, violent side of himself represented by the axe he leaves behind in Crossroads of Twilight. Percival was so afflicted with internal struggle in the face of temptation that he wounds himself by piercing his thigh with his own sword rather than lay with a temptress. Perrin is wounded badly in the thigh in one of his confrontations with Slayer in Tel'aran'rhiod in Towers of Midnight. One of the most important congruencies between the two characters, though, is their potential role in saving the health of the land.   We know how Percival helps to save the health of the land; by finding the grail, he is able to rejuvenate the Fisher King and, through him, the land. One of Min's visions gives us a glimpse of how Perrin might be connected to the health of the land:     The wolf image is obvious as Perrin is a wolfbrother. The broken crown is a reference to his connection to the Saldean crown, for which Perrin is now in the line of succession since his wife, Faile, is second in line after her father, Davram Bashere. The trees flowering all around him are a strange viewing for Min to have about Perrin. It would make sense if she saw the image about Rand, since we see in Towers of Midnight that Rand now has an aura about him which instantly brings health and vibrancy to the immediate area around him. Being that the image is around Perrin, though, it's likely that he will end up having an important role in rejuvenating the land even as the Dark One's shadow grows strongest. But how will he end up doing this?   We're now going to venture into a subject that was talked about recently in our 4th Age Podcast: the mystery of Nakomi. Just as a quick refresher, Nakomi was the woman who appeared to Aviendha on her journey to Rhuidean, where she saw the bleak future of her people. Many theories have been raised regarding the identity of this strange figure, but one which I particularly enjoy and find to make the most sense has to do with one particular line in the book right before Nakomi's introduction:     Perhaps Aviendha wasn't awake at all during her encounter, but instead had drifted off to sleep with her mind filled with the problems her people faced. Aviendha has a history of doing things "accidentally," as when she first wove a gateway to get away from Rand to try and hide her shame, so it's possible that she slipped into Tel'aran'rhiod. Another possibility is that she was drawn there somehow in her need to find further clarity. Once in Tel'aran'rhiod, she is visited by Nakomi, who happens to be a Jenn Aiel who is a Hero of the Horn and resides in that dream world. It might be against their precepts to interfere or talk to people from the real world, but we already have a precedent for it and since there is a dire need for Aviendha to gain understanding about her people's predicament, it's probably okay in this circumstance to break the rules.   I also like other ideas about Nakomi, such as how she might be a spirit guide, or even possibly the Creator in person (remember how she has to go "see to nature"?), but let's roll with this idea for now. I don't think it's a stretch to imagine there will be a huge confrontation in Tel'aran'rhiod in the last book, especially if Perrin somehow has to save Rand from the clutches of the Dark One after Rand's death. In such an important encounter, the forces of the Light will use any tool they have to help give them an edge, so I expect to see Dreamwalkers, Wolfbrothers, and Heroes of the Horn, possibly including Nakomi.   Even should Nakomi not be present at the battle in the dream world, what if she still finds the time to make another appearance to Perrin at some point when he's traveling through Tel'aran'rhiod? Perrin is not just a warrior, but a blacksmith, and has the ability to create as well as destroy. The title of this week's blog is actually a direct quote from The Shadow Rising, from the last paragraph of chapter 40, and could be important foreshadowing. The music he hears is from a band of Tuatha'an he meets in the Two Rivers, and it turns out he's familiar with this particular group of Tinkers and their leader, Raen, from when he traveled with them for a time in The Eye of the World. Raen hails Perrin with the customary greeting a Tuatha'an will ask upon meeting someone in the world:     Perrin might not know the Song yet, and this might be a stretch, but perhaps Nakomi helps Perrin discover something else hidden deep inside himself. Perhaps, even as Perrin's hammer, Mah'alleinir, sings its own song of destruction as it carves swathes of death through ranks of Shadowspawn, Perrin Goldeneyes will let his voice resound against the Dark One himself at the sealing of the Bore. Leading a heroic grouping of Aiel, Tuatha'an, and Ogier (and maybe even a Nym), he will Sing the Song which ends up being the Light's salvation.   Wouldn't that be something?

JordanCon is pleased to announce its dates and initial guests for 2012's convention. JordanCon 4, "Car'a'con," will take place April 20-22 at the Doubletree Inn Roswell, just outside of Atlanta, GA.   JordanCon's Author Guest of Honor will be Mary Robinette Kowal, winner of the Campbell Award for Best New Writer and the 2011 Hugo for Best Short Story. Kowal's first novel, Shades of Milk and Honey, is available from Tor Books. Its sequel, Glamour in Glass, is forthcoming in April 2012. Additionally, Kowal is an award winning puppeteer who has worked on the hit TV show Lazytown.   New this year to JordanCon will be the Art Show. In honor of this, JordanCon will be having its first Artist Guest of Honor, Sam Weber. Weber is best known to Wheel of Time fans for his Chesley Award winning painting for the eBook edition of The Shadow Rising. Sam Weber's art, along with that of other fantasy and sci fi artists, will be on display at JordanCon.   Pre-reg for JordanCon 2012 is $45, discounted from $65 for the whole weekend. The host hotel is the Doubletree Inn Roswell, located an easy twenty minute drive from Atlanta, GA. JordanCon will be April 20-22, 2012. For more information, please visit www.jordancon.org

When New Spring: The Graphic Novel became a bestseller, fans clamored for more Wheel of Time books in this format. I am pleased to announce that The Eye of the World, which was made into a comic book series, will soon be released in graphic novel form.   The first volume of the graphic novel is in hardcover and includes issues 1-8 of the comic series. It begins in the Two Rivers and follows the protagonists through their flight on the road to Baerlon. The rest of the story will be continued in future graphic novel volumes.   Chuck Dixon, who was the writer for New Spring: The Graphic Novel, worked closely with Robert Jordan's estate on The Eye of the World: The Graphic Novel. He has written for DC, Marvel, and other major comic publishers. He is perhaps best known for his work on the Batman comics. Chase Conley provided the pencilling and inking in the stunning illustrations for the comics and graphic novel of The Eye of the World.   The Eye of the World: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 will be released on September 13, 2011. You can pre-order the novel from Amazon here.

Hello all! I'm back from Dragon*Con and slightly more together than I have been for the last month. And as promised, I have a special treat to make up for being as flaky as I've been recently.   As previously covered on Dragonmount, Tor Books has been re-releasing the series as eBooks. The original plan was to release all the main series books, along with the prequel novel New Spring AND the young adult editions as eBooks complete with new cover art. For the young adult editions, they also commissioned new interior art.   To catch everyone up who might not know, The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt were each split into two books and marketed as young adult editions. Not only was new cover art painted by Charles Keegan, but interior art was commissioned as well.   Unfortunately, Tor has decided not to publish these editions as eBooks after all. Luckily for us though, Charles Vess and Tor Books have graciously given permission for Dragonmount to host these images in our gallery for fans to enjoy. I've selected a few to highlight for Fan Art Friday this week.     This is what would have been the "cover" of the eBook. It looks like it features all three ta'veren plus Egwene fighting Trollocs. One of the things I like about these images is the very old fashioned fairy-tale illustration quality they have. I'm not sure if it's as good a fit for the tone of the story, but it's very striking and distinctive. I particularly like the contrast between the brightly colored figures in the foreground, and the more drab Trollocs in the background. It makes things really pop.     This one looks like Trollocs attacking Emond's Field or the al'Thor farmhouse. The expression on the Trolloc's face is adorable. "Come back!" he says. "I just want to snuggle!" The detail of shading and line on this is just amazing. I keep stopping to look at it again.     Rand eavesdropping on Moiraine and Egwene. I love how it manages to be detailed and yet ethereal at once.     Ahhh! Moiraine! Scary, spooky Moiraine! This one is my favorite. I love her "This is totally no thing, guys. I do it all the time." half smile.   To see the other images (there are eleven total) please visit our gallery. http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/gallery/album/137-charles-vess-album/

Hello again, everyone!   So, I've been having a great time telling you about various odds and ends in the Wheel of Time fandom. This week, I'm turning back to our home base, Dragonmount. I will be guiding you to a new place on Dragonmount every other week.   There is a lot more to this board than just information about The Wheel of Time. It's a fantastic platform through which fans can meet their fellow fandom members. Dragonmount offers a variety of features with which fans can interact on our forums. There are discussion boards, boards for creative-minded artists, writers, and crafters, and even game boards. Besides those, a large part of the forums is dedicated to Social and Role Playing Groups. Both base their structure on the various organizations that are found in the Wheel of Time books, but the Social Groups--as the name implies--are for social interaction of members. The Role Playing Groups concentrate on exactly that, role playing characters as though they were present in Randland.   This week, I'll bring closer to you a place that is a frequent first stop for new members. The discussion boards are a great place for people to voice their opinions--in a peaceful, non-flaming way, of course. There is a great variety of discussion topics available. We have entire boards for the discussion of individual topics, be it to discuss theories about our favorite series by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson or to discuss other literary works in our General Discussion forum. For those needing a break from book-related matters, we have a Debates and Discussions board on which you do exactly that--debate. We also have Entertainment boards in which you can discuss games, tv shows, movies and sports.   So, next time you have some time on your hands and nothing to do, why don't you pop over and add your voice to the fray?