Awesome picture of Brandon and Harriet, at the midnight release I presume. Congratulations to everyone at Team Jordan!

I finished the book last night around midnight. I had a mix of feelings, mostly good, and a strong impulse to immediately begin reading The Eye of the World from the start. Instead I slept hoping to find the wolf dream; perhaps meeting Mr. Jordan there and thanking him for his story. Thank you Brandon and Team Jordan. Very well done.

Very grateful that Mr. Sweet's concept for the new cover will see the light of day. I hope it makes it on the book somewhere. Perhaps on the inside of the dust jacket or on the back cover. His artwork has been so recognizable on the shelves of bookstores over the years.

I wish I could go to meet Harriet as well. Hearing a reading from the last book by her will be very special.

@Philip, I like that idea and I was thinking alone the same lines.

It would follow the theme of cyclical time if Logain and Taim were foes in their previous lives as well. Is there any mention that Quaire Amalasen had a nemesis? (sorry, dont have the books in front of me, so I can't spell Logains past alter ego correctly)

I really don't get all the negativity about the date. Since when was RJ ever on time with a deadline. I know some others have already said this but I wanted to remind everyone that we are lucky that this series is getting completed at all, so lets keep some perspective. If the editing process is talking longer than usual (which I don't know that it is)it could be because this is the final volume of an epic marathon of a story and there are so many ends to tie up and there are so many ways that Brandon could have contradicted previous elements of the story without even realizing it. The editing team needs needs to go over the book with a fine tooth comb to ensure there are no issues and the ending is as perfect as can be. There will be no more opportunities to include a story element if it is forgotten this time around.

I work in marketing. I am telling you now, TOR is not doing this to "milk the franchise". Of course they are working on ebooks and graphic novels and it's within their right to do those things and I think that is great. However, this release date makes no sense from a financial standpoint. I suspect it has every thing to do with the back end of the writting process and wanting to give themselves plenty of time to do it right.

I've been reading this seriese since I was 17. I am now almost 30. This is the last time I get to anticipate the release of a WoT book. I'm going to savor it. I just got the entire series on audio book and I'm going to take 2012 to enjoy having some great voice actors read my favorite books to me while I wait for the finale.

I am in The Shadow Rising right now in my most recent re-read. I wonder what kind of relationship Slayer has with the aelfinn and the eelfinn that would allow him to enter and leave the tower of Ghenjei so freely. They are not evil per se, but Birgitte claims that entering the tower from the world of dreams is even more dangerous than doing so in the waking world.

I also did not see the whole Thom and Moiraine thing coming BUT, as I do my reread I see so many hints and even dead give-aways I realize I should have seen it coming all along! In The Shadow Risingthere is a scene where Moiraine says to the other girls that she knows better than any of them who her husband would be. After she goes through the Ter'angreal to get her true answers she talks to Thom and guarantees him that he will not die if he goes with the other girls to watch their backs in Abu Dar. I never put those to things together until I did my most recent reread, but that alone should have been enough to give it away. Because face it; WE ALL KNEW MOIRAINE WOULD BE BACK!

Another thought I had late last night; I wonder if it won't be Rand that confronts Fain but what if it's Gawyn? Gawyn hates Rand and it would be sweetly ironic if Gawyn if forced to save Rand from Fain who also hates him. I have nothing to support this, but it would be interesting. Gawyn might have a chance against Fain with those fancy rings he picked up recently.

When was the last time we got a POV from Fain? I think he will probably be even more evil and twisted then when we saw him last. Fain was able to admit to himself that he was insane all the way back in 'The Great Hunt' so I just wonder about his mental condition all these years later. He has such a singular focus; which is a hallmark if mental illness, and it makes me think that you are right that he will do some thing, perhaps very illogical, maybe even be the one who spills Rand's blood on the rocks ect... in the last battle regardless if that action ends up killing or imprisoning him and the D.O.

I foresee Fain showing up at the worst possible moment from Rand's point of view and acting as the foil for his master plan only to doom himself in the end.

Wow, really enjoyed this article and all the comments. Very fun one to kick off the year. I would say this; I think Lanfear is not going to make it simply because I cannot imagine what she would be doing or where she fits into the world after the last battle. I also don't buy the concept that Rand's death already occurred when he "died to himself" on dragon mount. That's a cop out and it does not explain how Alivia will help him die as Min foresaw.

Its been really fun to seen things that were hinted 10 or 12 books ago start to get wrapped up and the conclusion should be epic!

The Eye of the World cover is just plane iconic. I will never forget seeing it for the first time when a friend of mine was reading it in our school library. RIP Mr. Sweet. You did a wonderful service to WOT fans and to Robert Jordan himself. I would not have read the WOT with out your work.

I'm really looking forward to how things work out with Rand and Tuon. If they had faced off in the Gathering Storm, Rand would have lost it and probably killed her. Now with Rand making peace with himself and finally acting the the Dragon Reborn ought to have been acting all along (imo) it very well may turn out that Rand does bow to Tuon like the Seanchan prophecies say. I don't see him sitting in her throne now. That's a punk move that the old Rand would have tried.

I'm not convinced that Rand sitting in the chair in TAR is not the Lion Throne. The timing of the dream and when Rand sat on the throne was pretty spot on if my memory is correct. Also, the fact the Aes Sedai will bow to him and so forth could be a simple reference to the Aes Sedai sycophants that Rand already has following him.

The most interesting thing to me is Elaida's foretelling that "The Black Tower will be rent in blood and fire, and sisters will walk its grounds." The conflict at the Black Tower seems like it will come down to Logain's followers and Mazrim Tiem's brood of Ashaman. I feel like Rand wont be the one leading the black tower after the last battle. Every thing seems to be pointing to Logain being the future leader of the male channelers. Hence Min's reading of his future majesty.

I kinda always assumed that the palace that Elaida was building would eventually become the new black tower. That was my very first thought when I first was reading the books and I've always had that premise in my mind.

The first 3 Mistborne books were great! I'm glad the series will continue. I remember reading a while ago that Sanderson plans 9 books total for this series. 3 set in a past age, 3 in a near modern age, and 3 in a futuristic age. Fun concept if true :)

Enjoyed reading this weeks post. Any talk about what Aviendha saw in the pillars gets me stoked for the last book!!!