Our very own Jason Denzel joined the hosts Andrew, Daniel, and Josh of Black Tower Podcast to talk about The Wheel of Time, Jason's relationship with Robert Jordan, and hopes for the coming Amazon Prime television show.

You can find out more information on Black Tower Podcast on their website.  Subscribe to their YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on all their shows!

This past #WoTWednesday’s episode of The Dusty Wheel, Innkeeper Matt Hatch hosted our very own Jason Denzel. 

Matt, who started the Wheel of Time fansite Theoryland, and Jason have been integral to the Wheel of Time community for the past 22 years.  Their chat on The Dusty Wheel covered all those years of friendship and ups and downs within the community.  The nostalgia is very intense here.

They also go into all the known details about the Amazon Prime Wheel of Time television show.  Jason does stress that we should be thinking of the show as another turning of the Wheel.  This isn’t the same as the book series, there will be differences.  I think this mentality is the best way to approach the whole situation.  There will be changes we need to accept, and in this turning of the Wheel, the characters made different choices. 

This nearly 90-minute talk was riveting the whole way through.  They covered so many topics, from writing advice, to meeting Brandon Sanderson, to filming the Towers of Midnight book trailer.  If you’ve never heard some of these stories, I recommend tuning in!

You can watch the full episode below.

You can check out other episodes of The Dusty Wheel on their YouTube channel.

Earlier this week, Jason Denzel, Dragonmount’s found and webmaster, hosted an Ask Me Anything panel on Reddit.com . 

The questions ranged all over the board, but there were a few about The Wheel of Time.

And, of course, everyone offered congratulations and praise for Mystic Dragon, released July 17, 2018 from Tor.  Naturally, people had questions about where the inspiration for the Mystic series came from.

You can read the questions and answers in their entirety, here.

Today is the release day for Mystic Dragon, the second novel in Jason Denzel’s Mystic series.  This captivating story is a great addition to the series, expanding the scope of the plotlines, the characters, and the world.  Though I work with Jason as a part of Dragonmount, it's also amazing to see the author side of him.  It can be difficult to judge a friend's work of art, but I strive to point out the positives and the negatives as they appeal to me.  These are my honest thoughts on a well-constructed novel, one I enjoyed immensely!

Slight spoilers will follow.

Synopsis:

The first book, Mystic, showed Pomella AnDone, a commoner, summoned by the High Mystic of Moth to trial for an apprenticeship.  Though Pomella shows strength and courage and cunning, she’s not selected to be the High Mystic’s apprentice.  Instead, she is chosen by Grandmaster Faywong, a man retired from the position of High Mystic of Moth, and becomes his apprentice.

Mystic Dragon picks up the story seven years after the events of Mystic.  Now, Pomella is a full Mystic, using her training, and her reputation as a commoner, to stop a slaver named Shadefox.  Shadefox has been taking the Unclaimed people of Moth and selling them on the Continent.  Her mission is cut short, however, by the celestial event known as Crow Tallin--which takes place once every sixty years.  Pomella is needed on Moth to help control the fay as Treorel, the Mystic Star, momentarily links the human world and Fayun.

However, Shevia, another Mystic, shows signs of going against the traditions of Crow Tallin.  Shevia has been given visions of the future and her intentions for the event counter greatly to what Pomella is instructed to do.  The two women must make some sort of agreement, or it will be a full-out war between them.  And Shevia’s powers are much greater than anything Pomella has ever seen.

Pros:

From start to finish, this story was enthralling.  While the first novel focused on Moth culture, the world is expanded greatly in Mystic Dragon.  We see many of the other cultures of the world which solidifies it in the reader’s mind.  The countries on the Continent are very different from Moth, and they offer a contrast to Pomella’s upbringing.

Though the story takes place seven years later, those years aren’t lost.  Through flashback scenes, we get to see exactly what happened to Sim and Shevia during that time.  These scenes were among my favorite in the book because of how poignant the emotional reactions were.  Much darker than Mystic, this novel dwells on loss and pain, sadness and suffering, loneliness and abuse.  These times where the characters are at their lowest makes them shine so much brighter when we see them try their hardest to overcome what’s kept them suppressed.  

As the time of Crow Tallin approached, I was constantly guessing the direction the book would take. It was completely unpredictable. There were so many ways the events could have played out, so many choices the characters could have made.  One surprise after another kept me in suspense until the very last page.

And Pomella.  I love her as a character.  Though she’s been a Mystic for nearly seven years, she’s never forgotten her commoner heritage.  Though powerful, she never lets that get in the way of her helping people.  She could live a life of luxury, but she insists on being among the commoners.  Her character has stayed true despite being so highly elevated.  She struggles through this book, she grows, and her future is still uncertain.

Cons:
The deaths.  I won’t give away who (or how many) die, but some of them devastated me.  Not to say these deaths were for shock value.  They had a purpose.  I hope the third novel will ease the pain at these losses, though.

Conclusion:

This story was engrossing.  It was difficult to put down because I wanted to see how the events unfolded.  The pace kept the actions going, pulling me along with it, even late into the night.  The themes of loss and survival resonated strongly with me.  I am eagerly awaiting the conclusion to the series, as so many questions were left unanswered at the end of Mystic Dragon.

Rating:

5 out of 5

You can purchase Mystic Dragon from Dragonmount’s DRM-free eBook store.  To find out more about Jason Denzel and the series you can visit his website, or follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

(Though Jason Denzel is the webmaster and founder of Dragonmount, my review is unbiased and honest. 

Wheel of Time Spoilers is a newish podcast (the first episode aired April 2017), so it might be under the radar for many Wheel of Time fans.  The hosts, Seth and Patrick, began with personal stories of how they first started reading the series, then moved onto background information about the world of the Wheel (ie: the Age of Legends, the Breaking), then jumped into a chronological reread/discussion of The Eye of the World.  They are currently on The Great Hunt, but the latest episode is a diversion from their norm; they invited Jason Denzel to talk with them.

Besides sharing stories about Dragonmount's origins, Jason discusses his fan-turned-friend relationship with Robert Jordan, all in a nearly two-hour episode packed full of everything you need to know if you call yourself a Wheel of Time fan.

Fans of Jason's own writing will rejoice too, because there are lots of details about his journey to being a published author.  He talks about how Mystic evolved from an intended screenplay to a full-fledged trilogy, and shares his experiences on working with Tor.

Wheel of Time Spoilers is very focused on interacting with fans of the series.  You can join their Discord channel, follow them on Facebook and Twitter, or even get special content by becoming a Patreon patron.

Our very own Jason Denzel was humbled by an opportunity to speak to Narg the Trolloc, who is in charge of The Daily Trolloc, a website aflutter with all the rumors within The Wheel of Time fandom.  Every current bit of information is squeezed into each edition of The Daily Trolloc, and Jason’s interview is one piece of the latest gossip.

Narg’s questions range from asking about memories of Robert Jordan to more personal topics, such as Jason’s Mystic trilogy—the second due out summer 2018, the third currently being written.  Jason’s account of listening to Jordan read The Path of Daggers sent shivers up my own spine.  (If you haven’t heard Jordan’s voice before, it’s worth listening to this audio clip; you’ll understand what Jason meant.)

My personal favorite of Narg’s questions was an optimistic look at how the Trollocs are regarded:

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Narg: Ok now for something close to Narg's heart. The Creator once said: "A Trolloc, however, bears a twisted, or corrupted soul, and would be reborn as a Trolloc". Nargs question to you is, do you think this is fair? What sort of message does that send little impressionable baby Trollocs who want to grow up to be good like Narg? No matter what Narg or those sweet little trolloclings do, we are doomed! Now Narg doesn't endorse the DO's methods but just maybe the Wheel does need to be broken, How is repeating the same things over and over again and denying Trolloc souls a chance at redemption a good thing?
 

Jason: You cannot argue with the Creator, Narg. But at the same time, I think you’re already doing great things for Trollockind. “Be the Change you want to see in the world,” right?  You have the unique opportunity here to be the start of something special.  There are seven Ages to the turning of the Wheel. Who’s to say that the 5th, 6th, and 7th Ages aren’t filled with peaceful societies of Trollocs? Maybe, in the 7th Age, it is the trollocs who must face the Dark One? 

Hold your muzzle high, brother.

You can keep up with Narg and his adventures by following him on Facebook or Google+.

Mystic Dragon, the second novel in Dragonmount founder Jason Denzel's Mystic Trilogy, will be released July 17, 2018.  Here's a quick blurb about the book, but beware of spoilers!

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Seven Years have passed since Pomella AnDone became the unlikely apprentice to Mystic Grandmaster Faywong. The political balance on the island of Moth is shifting as commoners demand more rights, and Pomella is caught in the middle. When a rare celestial event approaches, Mystics from across the world gather on Moth to prevent the Mystical realm of Fayün from overtaking the mortal world.

As you're waiting for this release next summer, you can read Mystic if you haven't already, you check out Jason's website, and you can follow him on social media for all the newest updates!