The Prestige by Christopher Priest (originally published in 1995) Reviewed for Dragonmount by Michael When Tor approached Dragonmount and asked if anyone would be available to read and review The Prestige by Christopher Priest, I jumped at the chance. Well, after my mind went through the inevitable jumps of “wait, like the movie?” and “ok, but that book came out in 1995!” Those are all correct thoughts: the Christopher Nolan film starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman is based upon this book, which was released in 1995. But Tor is re-releasing the book as part of the Tor Essentials collection, and if that is not good enough reason to revisit it, the fact that Christopher Priest passed away in 2024 is. Despite having seen the movie two or three times, I had not read the book before (a reversal of the order I usually prefer to do things). As soon as I had the advance copy in my hands and started reading, I understood why Christopher Nolan had been drawn to this story. The text plays with timing and narrative in the same way that has become a hallmark of Nolan’s films, but with varied elements that are available in the written vs. the visual form. At times, I was stylistically reminded of the way Grey Men are handled in the Wheel of Time—right there on the page, but hidden in plain sight until their presence is revealed and you can revisit that paragraph with knowing eyes. The Prestige is divided into five parts, told from the first-person perspective of four different characters: the two magicians, Alfred Borden and Rupert Angier; two modern-day (or at least, modern as of 1995) descendents of those men, Andrew Wesley (Borden) and Kate Angiers; and, finally, a brief look at the title character. Each perspective is written in a different voice and style, to great effect. The modern contemporaries are presented as a standard first person narratives, as those characters work together to try to understand the overlapping family histories and the dramatic obsession that existed between their great-grandfathers. The accounts of the magicians are as written journals, Borden’s as an adult journal of his work and Angier’s as a diary (begun on his ninth birthday) of his life. Neither are entirely reliable narrators, for reasons that will become more clear upon finishing the book. Beginning as a sort of mystery and becoming a tale of obsession and competition with tragic results, The Prestige ends as a horror. Indeed, the final lines of The Prestige strongly evoke the final lines of another Victorian science-fiction horror: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I found the slow build toward both science-fiction and horror to be highly effective. At the beginning, we are with a modern human, with cell phones and CDs, and with a casual interest in understanding more about his family history. As we learn about the lives of the two magicians, we begin to appreciate the terrible toll that their obsessions—with magic, with each other, with revenge—takes on themselves and their families. By the end, the sins of the past have manifested in the present, and the truly sinister nature of The Prestige is revealed. SPOILERS AHEAD Because the film adaptation was successful, I suspect that I may not be alone in having come to this book having some idea of the plot and foreknowledge of the surprising twists. While the plot is more or less the same, and those twists are still present, the treatment and the nuances of the book The Prestige are significantly different. I do not need to unpack every difference, but there are a few elements of the book that I especially want to make note of, and in many cases these are also instances that diverge from the film. The double life of Borden is handled superbly, as even the character never explicitly admits to the existence of an identical twin. Both contribute to “his” journal as the same person, and only occasionally reference “The Pact” which prevents them from sharing particular details. Only after Angiers discovers their secret, after our time with Borden’s journal has ended, do the final pieces of how his Transported Man illusion is able to work, and why his personal life was conflicted, as if between two personalities. Likewise, Angier is equally cagey about the specifics of his Transported Man. He alludes only vaguely to the unpleasantness of dealing with “the prestige materials” that are generated by his use of the apparatus designed by Tesla. It is left to the descendents of the magicians to truly uncover and understand the terrible price that Angier paid for his magic trick. It is the connection to modern times that produces the most horrifying effect. The movie ends tragically with the deaths of one and a half of the rival magicians, but with a final happy ending scene of “Alfred Borden” being reunited with his daughter and (as per Christopher Nolan’s usual) Michael Caine looking on approvingly. The book ends rather differently, and with a much more menacing emphasis on the title. Ultimately, I highly recommend reading The Prestige by Christopher Priest. Fans of the film will find plenty new and different to appreciate here, and if you have not seen the movie, I am truly jealous that you may get to experience the twists and turns of this story from the page for the first time. And, anyone who has ever driven to Denver by way of Iowa and Nebraska will find some relatably amusing lines on page 232 of this new Tor Essentials edition! Thank you, as always, to Tor Publishing for the advance access to this book.

A Far Better Thing by H.G. Parry Reviewed for Dragonmount by Michael eBook available It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the summer of brat, it was the winter of despair. It is a gilded age of desperation as the wealthy enrich themselves at the expense of the everyperson. . . It feels appropriate to revisit A Tale of Two Cities in the Year of our Lady 2025. Charles Dickens’ classic story set during the French Revolution against the towering backdrop of Le Guillotine, examines the lengths that people will go to for both love and revenge. A Far Better Thing, by H. G. Parry, puts a Fae twist on the story, asking “what if Sydney Carton was Charles Darnay’s fairy changeling?” Now, if either of those names, or the names of the Defarges; Miss Pross; Messers Cruncher, Stryver, Lorry, or Barsad, are unfamiliar to you—even if you have read A Tale of Two Cities at some point in your life—I'm going to suggest that you do what I did, and begin by reading or rereading the original work. (If you're into audiobooks, it's free to listen to on THAT app…) I know that I read the Wishbone version, and the Great Illustrated Classics version, and I think that I also read the full text at one point in my youth. However, it has been a while and I remembered only the broadest strokes: Sydney Carton is a brilliant but troubled lawyer, Madame Defarge is a quietly terrifying menace with her knitting, and the story ends with Carton going to the Guillotine in place of the innocent Charles Darnay. Spoiler alert for the 1859 book, A Tale of Two Cities… Rereading the original was a powerful experience. Dickens is one of the greats for a reason and his prose absolutely flows, barely slowed by the linguistic differences in the style that 150+ years will do. Even though I knew the ending was coming, the last several pages had me in tears as Sydney Carton holds the young girl’s hand and comforts her as they approach their final moments. The machinations of the Defarges as their, and especially Madame’s, need for vengeance cannot be sated and goes from righteous to monstrous; the quiet strength of Lucie Manette as she bears the love of so many; the bottomless self-loathing and destruction of the brilliant Carton all explore complex dimensions of humanity in timeless fashion. The introduction to the audiobook by actor Simon Callow claims that Dickens sacrificed some of his famous character building for the sake of telling a larger story of, well, two cities. Hearing that, I questioned it a bit—Madame Defarge? And Sydney Carton? Iconic characters, at the best and worst of times! While it is true that the characters in A Tale of Two Cities are complex, they are presented essentially as is. We especially do not get a satisfactory explanation as to why Sydney Carton is so miserable in his life. A Far Better Thing fleshes out these characters, exploring motivations and subtleties that are indeed missing from the original text. A Far Better Thing is told from Carton’s perspective, and we quickly discover that he was taken from his cradle as an infant and raised in the Faerie realm to be a servant of the Fae. Returned to the mortal realms, his servitude consists primarily of having to help the Faeries abduct other infants. There are some additional details which are better explored in the pages of the book, but this despicable task alone is sufficient to understand why Carton may have a bit of self-loathing. Reading the premise of A Far Better Thing, which is described as “Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell meets A Tale of Two Cities,” I was curious to see what a fantasy retelling of a classic novel looked like. Would this book replace the events of the original? Was it a close retelling or an “inspired by” situation? The actuality is that the two books can exist as canon simultaneously, for we quickly learn that most mortals—including most of Dickens’ characters—are not aware of the Fae presence. Essentially, A Tale of Two Cities is the “Muggle” telling of the story and A Far Better Thing is the magical side of the story. Our narrator, being intimately connected to both the Faerie and mortal realms, can guide us readers through the intricacies of the overlap. Dickens, for all of the magic behind his pen, did not have these insights and could only relay the mortal version of the story. Reading the two tales back-to-back generated the effect of a detective explaining howandwhodunnit at the end of a good mystery. All of the events that we saw with one set of eyes are now explored with a second set, revealing details that we missed or could not have known. The depth of pain and love in Sydney Carton’s heart is explored in wrenching detail, and his sacrifice at the end strikes the reader even harder as the full scope of his redemption is revealed. The events of A Tale of Two Cities appear almost exactly as they do in the original, but because we are in Carton’s POV, and he is not featured on every page of Dickens’ work, we are treated to some original action and characters that allow Parry’s storytelling and prose to shine. The prose pays homage to Dickens’ writing style, and Parry’s expert familiarity (her PhD is in English literature) with the source material is evident. If I am to find criticism—and I truly have to plumb the depths to do so—I will say that the final moments, the final sentence even, left me wanting to read the titular line. Although I understand that a retelling should be just that, I finished the book wanting to read that iconic last sentence of A Tale of Two Cities: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.” I think it would have hit the same, powerful mark but far deeper after spending so much time with the deeds and misrest of Sydney Carton. There is, also, a slight timeline issue which I only raise as a persnickety editorial type, but at one point Carton’s vision is blurring and he describes the world as looking “like an Impressionist painting.” Beautiful imagery, especially in the setting of Paris, but the Impressionist movement did not begin until the 1860s, and the events surrounding the French Revolution took place in the late 1700s. Overall, A Far Better Thing is a beautiful, fun, and creative read. I enjoyed that it led me to rediscover A Tale of Two Cities (I cannot recommend enough reading the original first), and it more than succeeds in the ambitious undertaking of improving upon a certified classic.

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If you've ever wished you could walk the streets of Emond’s Field, hear the wind howling through Blighted trees, or stand with Rand on Dragonmount and truly feel the weight of the moment—Jordan Rannells is granting more wishes than the ‘finn. His new Kickstarter project, The Soundscape of Time: Part 2, is a beautifully immersive audio experience that pairs synchronized 3D soundscapes with the official Wheel of Time audiobooks. It's not just listening. It's weaving sound directly into the soul of the story. Back the Kickstarter Here KICKSTARTER ENDS MAY 23rd Give it a Listen Aes Sedai-Level Immersion Jordan Rannells, an award-winning sound designer and audio wizard (likely of the Brown Ajah), has been creating soundscapes for epic fantasy worlds for years—but his Wheel of Time work is an epic undertaking that even Verin might raise an eyebrow at. These are no ordinary background tracks. His soundscapes are: Chapter-Specific: Each track is tailored to the specific scenes and emotional tone of a chapter. Synced with the audiobooks: Thanks to a custom-built Soundscape Syncing App, your journey through the Westlands will align perfectly with the narration. Built with original music and layered effects: From bubbling creeks in the Two Rivers to the clash of swords at Fal Dara, it’s all meticulously crafted to tug at your thread of the Pattern. Threads Previously Woven This isn’t Rannells' first time spinning a yarn with immersive sound. His previous projects include: The Eye Collection: For The Eye of the World The Hunt Collection: For The Great Hunt A Long-Expected Soundscape: For Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings The Hedge Collection: For GRRM’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Each collection offers original scores and handcrafted ambiance—no illusions from a Mirror of Mists, just pure talent and clear love for the source material. Behind the White Tower Walls If you're curious about how these soundscapes are woven, Rannells offers fans a peek behind the Warder cloak. His website includes: Composer's Notes and Behind-the-Scenes Videos Ambient Mood Tracks for reading, relaxing, or Tinker-style wandering Chapter Samples for a taste of each world FAQ and App Support to ensure syncing your audiobook experience doesn’t require Aes Sedai assistance And if you’re hunting for gifts (perhaps for Bel Tine?), his shop even includes gift cards and collector-worthy bundles. A Silver Penny’s Worth of Support Here’s the thing—even a pledge of just $1 is a thread that helps strengthen the weave. Every backer contributes to expanding this soundscape beyond the Two Rivers and into the larger world of Randland!. And for those of us who want to listen while re-reading (or re-re-re-re-re-re-listening), The Soundscape of Time is the perfect companion. The Pattern Demands It This Kickstarter isn’t just about audio—it's about honoring a beloved series and making the world of The Wheel of Time more tangible than ever. It's about standing in the Fields of Merrilor and hearing the war horns, or wandering the White Tower with whispers echoing through the halls. Whether you’re Aiel or Andoran, Cairhienin or Seanchan, Blue Ajah or Black Tower—if the Wheel weaves you toward this project, listen. Because the Pattern is calling. And it sounds amazing. Back the Kickstarter Here Watch the Demo Video Explore More at JordanRannells.com

Kathy Campbell: Thom has seen the first three episodes and I’ve seen the entire season. Season Three of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video. And now we’re going to tell you about it. And just so you know, This is going to be a non-spoiler review for the first three episodes from Thom and then I’m also going to provide my thoughts for the whole season. Let’s start with Thom. Thom DeSimone: The lovely folks who work on the Wheel of Time show on Amazon [Prime Video] deemed us worthy for screeners of Season Three and thank the Light because mother's milk in a cup they're amazing. Really. Cut. We can end there, like that's my feelings for this. If you're coming into this wanting it to be negative, you're gonna find negative, but honestly as a twenty-five-year-long Wheel of Time fan; as someone who has a character in the books based off of them, I love this show. And this season is by far the best one yet. First off I want to do the looks of this show.To sum it up in one word, simply gorgeous. Costuming is next level; the variation of color and texture and material. I paused several times just to look at background characters because they were just stunning. So awesome. We all know at this point that we're going to be seeing more of the Aiel in this season. And what lead costume designer Sharon Gilham did with this particular group is just nothing short of Emmy winning. I'm looking at you, Television Academy. They're the ones apparently that vote on who get Emmys or who is nominated. Sharon produced such a unique beauty with this group of people who wear such a limited color palette and are mostly utilitarian in their outfits (except, you know, looking at you, Savannah) that she had me backtracking to re-listen to dialogue. I was just lost in looking at their costumes. When we see some particular favorite characters of the Aiel pop up on screen, I was lost in watching them. Though I really do think that my favorite aspects still, even through Seasons One and Two, is going to be the Aes Sedai, Particularly their costumes, hair, and makeup. The way Sharon Gilham and Davina Lamont capture the Aes Sedai and their uniqueness of culture, personality, and everything within their costumes, hair, and makeup is just, just, like, I love it. It's so great. You can really see how each Aes Sedai comes from a different culture and a different country, different ages, different personalities. It's beautiful. Speaking of Divina Lamont, Davina Lamont is a multi-award winning hair and makeup designer and the lead hair and makeup designer on the Wheel of Time television show, which for the layman's that includes things like the Trollocs and Myrddraal or the practical effects on the Trollocs and Myrddraal like prosthetics and things. Davina and Sharon work a lot together, as you can imagine, more often than not. I had a unique opportunity to speak to both of them together prior to Season Two, and they are absolutely lovely. And the passion they have in their work and the camaraderie they share between the two of them was palpable when I got to speak with them. They spoke at the time about working together to come up with a look for Cairhien and their enjoyment in getting to play with a mashup of 13th century France and feudal Japan was just palpable. Listening to them talk about how they played with hair and makeup and clothing of both cultures and also putting it into a fantasy setting was just so much fun. You could really hear the passion and excitement in their voices. And they got to play with their toys together again in this season with the Aiel. Everything from armor and weapons and hair. It was just absolutely beautiful. The Aiel are so individually unique and beautiful that I just like, I want to go through and grab a screenshot of Aiel that pops up onscreen just to pick out the differences in each one's personal armor and cadin’sor. But according to interviews that both Sharon and Davina did for Season Three, Tanchico is going to be the one that they had the most fun playing. So Davina had to say that one of her favorite designs was the characters of Tanchico, a world and look that we haven't seen on television before, wild and raw bunch of ruthless people. This is where we can really go crazy with our look. And Sharon, on the same thing, said “Tanchico was my favorite, especially because it challenged us to incorporate veils into society in a new and fresh way.” So book readers know that veils are a big thing within Tanchico. Most people wear veils in some form or fashion, regardless of their social standing. So really just be on the lookout for background characters, really, in all of our settings, just at their costumes and hair and makeup. It really encourages watches and rewatches and reWoTches and reWoTches and reWoTches. Still sticking with the looks for a minute. Two men who I lovingly have given the name the Ondřejs, mainly because their names play hell on an English-only speaker with dyslexia. Mouths [me!]. But I'm going to give it a shot saying both of their names. And I'm sorry in advance if I butcher them. Lead production designer, Ondřej Nekvasil and lead special effects coordinator, Ondřej Nierostek. Again, for those keeping track at home, a production designer would be someone that is like leading building and designing the sets. And the special effects coordinator is not, as you might think, anything to do with computer effects, but actual practical effects on the set. So, you know, explosions and things. I also had an opportunity to interview the two of them together, and it was so much fun. I don't know why, but my very first thought seeing the two of them sitting next to each other was just like, that they were cute sitting next to each other. And I'm happy with myself that I got them to laugh when I said that whoever put them together had a sick sense of humor because Ondřej Nekvasil builds the sets, and then Ondřej Nierostek blows them up. They laughed at that, which I, you know, I will continue to think about as a highlight of my life. The beauty that Ondřej and his team brought to life seems just really taken right out of the mind of Robert Jordan himself. It just, in one word, it was stunning. The sets are gorgeous. Every single one of them. I have absolutely no notes on anything. No feelings in the negative at all on any of set design. Absolutely gorgeous And then I was equally as impressed on how Ondřej blew them up, particularly in episode one. Seeing the cold open in episode one had me really excited for posibilities in the future Speaking of episode one and things that happen, we could talk about the story a little bit. And I will again, still be non-spoilery, I promise. There’s a ton to unpack in the first episode let alone the first three. But I’ll try to keep it short, you know. Well this is probably a good time to mention that, if you’re interested in a more spoiler filled review, you can check out Dragonmount’s YouTube where Chrystal and I are taking a deep dive into the first three episodes, screenshots, and clips all over the place. And, if you’re liking our content, make sure to smash that subscribe and share our channel with some friends who you think might enjoy as well. We’re welcoming to all here, even those who don’t really like the show as long as, you know, you can sit around and have discussion about it and not be toxic No need to munch on other peoples' bunch of crunch. Okay, we get taken for quite a ride right off the bat in episode one, both emotionally and physically, with another 17 minute cold open. Yes, 17 minute cold open. Those of you who watched the 11 minute teaser preview will notice the time difference there. I will say that is the cold open just sans a lot of information. So it is still worth watching in its entirety when the episode airs. I will say, steel your hearts and gird your loins, it’s a doozy. We get tossed right into moral dilemmas, tough decisions, and budding new love; as well as some old flames maybe going out. A few notable changes to some character behaviors that was a bit jarring for me at first but after it cooked a little in my brain I really grew to like it and I’m interested to see how they build out on that particular character. . . See if you guys can figure out who i’m talking about. I think it'll be pretty epic. There are some trials that our characters go through that were particularly exciting for me to see on screen, both going into those trials and what our characters actually saw in the trial themselves. Now to harken back to set, costume, hair, and makeup again, damn, those scenes and the actors and crew's creativity really, really just sing through. I absolutely loved it. By the end of episode three, if you're anything like me, you'll end up on your feet cheering and laughing one minute and then wiping tears away from your eyes for a character from the books that you never thought you'd have any emotion other than hatred. And really that's all I can do non-spoilery for those first three episodes. I really can't tap myself any further without divulging more info. I'm sure we'll have so many edits to cut out my accidental spoilers already. Really just watch and rewatch and rewatch and rewatch The Wheel of Time over on Amazon, especially if we want to see a Season Four! Make sure to just leave it playing on all your devices in your home as much as you possibly can. With that, I love all of you awesome nerds. Thanks for hanging out with me. Kathy’s Review Kathy Campbel: Now, first off, the incredible things. Visually, this season is even more of an upgrade than Season Two. Season One was good. Season Two was great. Season Three: a whole other world. I cannot even begin to explain to you how many times I paused the show just to look at the incredible visuals that were on the screen. So many massive wallpaper worthy prints. Just the entire world feels so much bigger than it did before and so much more detailed. I cannot wait for you all to see it. There were so many breathtaking moments with the visual effects, how things were framed and the scenery ,how the One Power was done. Everything was just incredible. For costuming especially, Sharon Gilham has outdone herself. Her and her team have done some incredible, incredible work this season. There is one particular character that shows up that I actually had to stop because I, like, I audibly gasped out loud with how incredible this costume was. It was , I know I'm, listen I'm gonna say incredible a lot okay because this season was incredible I can't wait for you folks to see this because it truly is just awe-inspiring, just like with Season Two hair and makeup. All of that is another step up, like it just looks so real. There's so many more battles, so many more, let's say arguments, and moments where the hair and makeup just add an extra little something. It is flawless on the eyes. When people are having altercations with each other, it still looks stunning in the most perfect way. It is flawless. And, of course, let's talk about the casting. The returning cast feels like they've settled even more into their characters than they did before. There's something really comforting about seeing the Two Rivers Five, and Moraine and Lan, and all of these characters that we've grown to love from Season One. It feels like they're even more real but on top of that the new cast, oh my goodness, the number of Zaddies in the world! Let's just say, so many attractive people it should be illegal. Everyone's going to be so impressed with the new cast this season, all of these characters that we know from the books feel amazing. Even the Forsaken that show up, let me just say, y'all are gonna love it. It's so exciting to see this world that we've seen, that we've read, that we've lived with for years, come to life. And this season especially feels like authentically Wheel of Time. As somebody who's been reading the books since, you know, the early2000s ,it's exciting to see new surprises with the Wheel of Time. And that's something that this show does. There's so much packed into this season and yet it still feels like Wheel of Time. There are some scenes that book fans have been waiting for that are here and they are very good. However, there are some things that I know folks are going to be missing. . . There are a few moments that I wish so desperately had been in the show that were not. And you know what? That's okay. Because I know if there had been more time, more episodes, longer episodes, any of this, the thing that gets me through these moments is the fact that I know Rafe tried as hard as he possibly could to get these bits onscreen because these are iconic moments for the books that I know are sad to be missed. So maybe we'll see some behind the scenes, or cuts, or here's stuff we filmed that we couldn't put in the scene, like in the show, because of time or whatever. I really hope that we get to see those because again I know that Rafe loves these bits just as much as we do, but again, there are some moments especially ones that I know people have speculated would not show up they're there get ready to be swept away with an incredible season I feel like this season especially is really going to turn around people that maybe have not read the books you can get friends to watch the other seasons and then watch Season Three they're gonna be hooked they're going to want Season Four. This season shows what the show could be without the pandemic without strikes without all of these things that I know have affected previous seasons. We're finally to the point where I feel like it's spread its wings and it's ready to go. And I think, I really, really hope that we can get more seasons of this show because this story deserves to be told and these people deserve to be the ones to tell it. So, overall, this season is wonderful. It's high fantasy at its best. It's The Wheel of Time at its best. It's the characters that we know and love being their true selves. It is visually stunning. It is something, it's a world that you're going to want to live in. It's a world that you're going to want to hug and embrace and visit over and over and over again. And I cannot wait for you to see Season Three of The Wheel of Time on Prime Video. Goodbye.

Dragonmount (Kathy Campbell): Egwene is a lot of people’s favorite character, and Madeleine Madden brings her to life. I’m so excited for everyone to see how incredible she is this season, especially with the intensity of season two. Which is in fact my first question. So let's get to it. Hi, I’m Kathy with Dragonmount. Madeleine: Hi, How are you? DM: I’m wonderful. You were so kind to Humberto in Brazil, thank you so much for that. M: Oh my God, it was. . . Honestly I still think about that. Brazil is on my mind all the time and how wonderful that experience was. DM: I’m so glad! Well, it was so special for us as well. M: Good! I’m glad I’m glad! DM: So thank you. So season two was incredibly intense for Egwene and the audience. And season three is a very different type of intensity. How did you separate yourself from that mental space after filming last season’s trauma, and then again dealing with the post traumatic healing journey this season. M: It was difficult! To step back into where we left off in season two. Even between seasons, it feels like a lot of time, and sometimes to get back into that mindset and even that physicality, and I mean when I saw in the script it's like “Egwene is back in the cells” and I’m like Goddddd. That’s always a bit of a challenge for me as an actor, and I think for any actor, is just trying to find where you left off. However, for me personally, and I know for the audience, I think it’s really important for us to see how Egwene heals from this experience and moves forward and picks herself back up. And that she is going to be okay, but she is going to need the help of other people in her life to guide her into that path of healing. But you know that’s it’s a challenge! But I feel really blessed to have been able to have such an incredible character and character arc so early on in the series. DM: Many book readers were so excited about the first hints of dreamwalking that were confirmed to be part of the show. And I will say, it does not disappoint, it is incredible. And then as someone of Aboriginal descent, which has a long history of dreaming traditions, what resonated with you in this part of Egwene’s characters and then how you presented it on screen? M: I mean so much of the magic and spirituality and the lore in Wheel of Time has always drawn me to this series. I think that’s what makes the Wheel of Time such a standout in the fantasy genre and Robert Jordan’s writing in his books and his appreciation for all the elements is really special. So for me like you said, and thank you for mentioning my heritage, we carry a lot of spirituality, in our culture as well and also reincarnation. That is a big element in First Nation Australia culture and that’s obvious something that we have in the Wheel of Time, and it’s such a gentle wonderful way of looking at time and lifetimes and cycles and destiny and it's really wonderful. DM: thank you.one last question. Egwene travels to the Aiel waste with Moiraine, Lan, Aviendha, and Rand while the rest of the group scatter throughout the world. Which location or experience do you wish you could have taken part of, especially with the temperatures being apparently 45 degrees Celsius, 113 Fahrenheit in South Africa and all of the challenges that that brings. M: Yeahhh. . . Goodness me, there's I think. . . Goodness, yeah it was SO hot in South Africa but it really helped inform the way our characters moved in where they were at emotionally and energetically. As hard as it was, we were very lucky to be filming on location. The scene that I wish I was involved in… It’s a scene that involves a Forsaken and two of the other actors that were working in this scene with the Forsaken. They had such a fun time and like, I don’t know how I can explain this. . . DM: I think I know what scene you are talking about. . . M: I think you know what scene! And even Rafe was texting the actors and was like “just watch the dailies.” And I’m like DAMNIT I want to have a little laugh and so I would have loved to have even just been a fly on the wall for that scene. DM: Amazing, thank you so much for doing this. I'm so excited for everyone to see your incredible season in just a few days! M: Thank you! Ahh I know! It’s crazy DM: Finally! M: It was lovely to see you again! DM: Lovely to see you! Thank you.

Marcus Rutherford: How are you doing? Dragonmount (Kathy Campbell): It’s so good to see you both again, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. I’m going to start with Dónal. You were absolutely incredible in Hadestown, and thank you for signing my book back in July! Dónal Finn: Ohh big legend! Nice! Thank you! DM: The UK version of Hadestown is unique in its choice to allow the actors to use their native accents. In contrast to that, your Mat Cauthon Two Rivers accent is then you also have to speak that Old Tongue in that accent, so smoothly. The parts of season three that I've seen show so much more extensive use of that balance. What was the hardest part about working with an accent and a completely different language? DF: Do you know what, I feel a little bit kind of liberated when we're working with a character that has an accent because you’re kind of thinking through an internal monologue or something, or your internal thought process, you hear it in a different way. So you kind of hear how they see the world and it’s got to be different than your own voice, so you kind of start to move degrees of separation away from yourself. So I enjoy working in accents and also it’s not really like the accent is born out of necessity, not just placement but with this, when it comes to the Old Tongue. I think what was great about that was we had our dialect coach Naomi Todd. I have a text that's in the old tongue but I worked with her on it. There was nothing left open to a decision or interpretation because it felt at that point like a science, which was amazing given that it's you know, it's this world of fantasy, and that we get to decide these things based on what's there in the books as evidence. But she knew, given the way that it was written what accent within our world it might draw from, you know given what consonants it uses at the start of something, (then) that syllable is going to be stressed, and it's a case, or it might take some kind of a Russian influence or something, or this is where the verb lands within a sentence. So in the flow of a sentence, this is where you might hit that kernel that might be where you stress if you're trying to make this point. And it’s really imaginative work, and I think that really iit was a great exercise and great a great joy as an actor to kind of get stuck into that and to embody it. DM: Yeah. . . Alright Marcus. A lot of book readers are very excited about what's to come in this season, especially with some new cast members including Perrin’s Falcon. She is a very divisive character in the books especially for her treatment of Perrin at times. How have you found that to play out on screen? MF: It's been amazing man. I knew everyone was kind of anticipating Faile as a character that, even as Perrin, I was kind of so excited. To me, I felt like he'd met all these characters along his journey and I felt like they'd all kind of given him something to reflect about himself, whether it be the Tuatha'an, or Elyas, or the Shienarans, or Aviendha But it kind of felt like there was someone who almost going to slap him into shape a little bit and tell him what's right. And yeah, Isabella (Bucceri) is incredible. She's amazing. She brings a new energy to the show which I think is really tricky to do at this stage. I heard some people have thoughts about Faile, and (Isabella) was like, “oh they might not like me,” all this kind of stuff. But she's incredible. She makes her so strong and so fierce, but so affable at the same time. I think people are going to be really really excited about that. There's, you know, this kind of big gentle giant and this little pocket rocket energy that kind of works. When we were doing chemistry test for that character, she just came in and everyone was just like “yeah this just works.” And she’s amazing, I think all those moments from the books and the little things she has with the beard. I dunno there’s so much there that is so sweet and so much fun to play with that’s in The Shadow Rising and the other books that hopefully all the book fans relate to. DM: Oh I’m so very excited. Thank you again so much for this time and I hope you have a great rest of your day.

Dragonmount: Hi Rafe! First off, thank you so much for how kind you were to Humberto at CCXP when they talked to you! Rafe: Oh it was so sweet! We loved spending time with him! DM: Thank you! We appreciate it so very much. R: He was so sweet and so excited. DM: He was so excited. Book readers will recognize from the press release that the two Wise Ones that were just announced (Bair and Melaine) seemed to have swapped abilities to channel versus just dreamwalking. We even got confirmation just to clarify to make sure that it was correct. What would you like to tell the fandom to help them understand the changes that have been made. Other than just Watch and Find Out. R: Yeah, for that one it’s pretty simple, which is that we wanted, we needed, to condense Bair and Amys into one character essentially. So she is really Amys and Bair combined. So it felt important for Amys side of the character that she be able to channel, and I think that relationship with Egwene. But we loved the idea that one of the Wise Ones who was really proficient in dreamwalking couldn’t channel, so that became Melaine’s character trait. So it’s not really. . . It’s a technical change from the books, but it’s more about keeping the Amys character alive in Bair, and keeping alive this idea that one of them can’t channel because I really like that. DM: Yes, well we like that too. We appreciate that, thank you for the clarification so no one will yell as much. Hopefully. Were there specific moments in the books that you felt were essential to highlight in Rosamund (Pike) and Sophie’s (Okonedo) portrayal of Moiraine and Siuan? R: Oh that’s interesting! I think one of the most important scenes that we sort of focused on, especially in the first season, was this scene that they have at the top of the second book (The Great Hunt) where you kind of peel back the curtain suddenly and see, oh these two are working in cahoots with each other, and realize that this Amyrlin Seat that we’ve see as so high up above everything has actually has some relationship with Moiraine that we don’t fully understand. And then I think outside of that, a lot of what we took was from actually their relationship in New Spring which has so much of the richness between them, and their care for each other, and their love for each other. That was really the key places we were pulling from for their relationship and so operating under the idea that maybe their relationship is that close in the books but we don’t hear about it as fully. DM: Yeah, absolutely. What is a question that you’ve been hoping somebody would ask because you have a perfect answer that you know people really want to know? R: Oh that’s really interesting. There’s actually, people have been good today about asking so many questions. I wish that someone had asked exactly which Forsaken we’re going to be put on screen and when, because then I would tell them. . . But no one asked. . . DM: Oh and now I’m out of questions! Dangit Rafe! Both laugh DM: I should've started with that! Well thank you so much for your time and I hope you have a great rest of your day. R: Oh thank you you too it’s so good to see you as always!

Rafe, Josha, and Madeleine: Happy birthday! Happy birthday Dragonmount! Happy birthday, woop! Dragonmount (Humberto): Hello guys my name is Humberto and as I said I work for Dragonmount which is the oldest Wheel of Time website Madeleine: Yeah! Josha: Oh that's sick! Rafe: It's OG Wheel of Time! Josha: I love that DM: Last time we spoke with you, Rafe, you said that the Wheel of Time fandom is statistically the greatest fandom ever. How do you feel? Does it still hold up or do we need some spanking? R: Statistics are statistics! They don't change. M: Statistics don’t lie! R: It's still the greatest fandom statistically. But I think it's, you know, what they found when they were looking at the statistics was that the response to our show is more positive. I know sometimes it doesn't feel like it in the echo chamber of the internet but like actually the response amongst fans is more positive than almost any other adaptations that are out there and that the fans are more welcoming to people outside of the fandom than any other fandoms and so I think that that's always been a nice thing about Wheel of Time. You guys created that with Dragonmount way before the show ever existed, that this was a fandom who wanted to have people come into it instead of wanting to have people stay out of it, and I think that that’s true for the show too now. J: And that’s also nice that we're here. We have you in the room because—we just spoke about it—but over the last years everything has been on Zoom, or we weren't able to do any kind of press This is actually the first time after four or five years that we can engage. That's lovely. R: Yeah, that’s nice, that's nice! DM: Last time, you said that your favorite dinosaur was the pachycephalosaurus? R: (laughs) That's what I said, apparently! All laugh DM: So now I feel obligated to ask the cast of The Wheel of Time: what's your favorite dinosaur? J: I mean, T-Rex! R: That’s what the Dragon Reborn would say! M: Destruction! There was this one… I worked on a show called The Ark and it was all dinos, dinos, dinos. And there was one, I can't remember the name, but it’s got these spikes on their backs and they can regulate their temperatures through their little spikes and I thought that was really cute. So I love them. The spiky one! DM: And speaking about dinosaurs and creatures and monsters, one of my favorite things about the Wheel of Time is the shadowspawn like the Trollocs and stuff like that. And in the show we've seen the Trollocs, the Fades but there's still one creature that I really like that we haven't seen it yet. And I think in the Shadow Rising there's a scene with Rand and the Draghkar. . . Can we expect to see other creatures in season three or later in the show? R: I will say that, every season… well, not the first, but in both season two and season three the Draghkar has been scripted as happening in the show, and then eventually gets removed when we talk to the VFX department and they’re like Rafe, Rafe Rafe, we can’t do this for one scene. DM: So, not yet. . . R: We would like to get it in there! And the Draghkar has a real, I don't know if I should say this, but in the writer's room we always joke about the Draghkar being like a car full of drag queens, so when the Draghkar arrives it's just like beep beep motherfuckers! M: Get in, bitches! J: But there will be other creatures, right? R: Yeah! We have a new shadowspawn this season. . . DM: Nice! So I had lots of questions prepared for you guys, and then I saw the trailer and I had to scrap everything to just talk about what I saw! There's Rhuidean, and there's the Car’a’carn and the Aiel Waste and so many cool things for the book fans. And I would like to ask which scene was the easiest to adapt from the book and not have to say: ‘oh we have to change this and we have to change that.’ Just look at the book and say: ‘ah we can pretty much do this as it is.’ R: I think one scene that was really easy to do this season—and I've been really excited to get to it for a while because I think it's such a beautiful scene—is a scene with Matt and Siuan Sanche and, you know, we don't often get to because we're compressing so much from the books and we have to change little things along the way so we don't often get to have exactly the group of characters, and exactly the place that they were in the books, saying exactly the words that they said in the books. We don't get all three of those things very often and that scene is pretty much exactly the characters, exactly where they were, and saying very close to exactly the words. So it was easy to write that because you just type it up! M: Copy and paste! DM: And I want to talk about Egwene a little bit. On the previous seasons Egwene was this character that had a lot of the world building and the concepts about the show and the book being shown through her eyes like the Seanchan and the damane and I believe in the next season we have the World of Dreams and Tel’aran’rhiod. I don’t know if you can talk about it, but how is it to play this character that so much of the world building and core concepts that have to be shown to the audience goes through your eyes? M: Oh, It's amazing because I get the privilege of you know exploring these different worlds through her eyes and you know we've traveled to some amazing locations like on this show and you know I wouldn't be able to do that if I wasn't playing her. And exploring the different cultures and meeting the people that exist in those worlds has been really wonderful to learn more about the world and her, and who she is, and what her abilities are. You know, I think even with season two in the damane cells you know you're never actually like in there with her? She's telling Min what has happened when that's happening. . . R: . . .In the books, yeah. . . M: . . .and so to be able to have a whole episode just to like deep dive into it has been fantastic and it's the same sort of thing with the dream walking (in season three). DM: That’s perfect. And I think, I don’t know, this is my first time doing this! But it’s just that one minute left. . . R: Oh no that’s ok! One minute left! M: Yeah, yeah! DM: (to Josha) I know this is not your first time in Brazil. J: It’s not, no DM: And what about you guys? M and R: First time! DM: Please come film here! All laugh M: We’re so down! R: We would love to! You call us and let us know about a government rebate and we’re here! All laugh DM: It was great talking to you!

Dragonmount, near Tar Valon—Good things come (with the dawn!) to those who wait, and this week we have been treated to some long-awaited information about the upcoming third season of the Wheel of Time on Prime Video. First, like a banner rising above the fog of war, we got a season three poster. Fans, like those of us here at Dragonmount, immediately jumped on the image of Rand (Josha Stradowski) carrying a battered Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) through a barren and spear-studded landscape—are those dragons coiling around Rand’s forearms? Are his footsteps keeping pace with the sunrise, AKA the DAWN? And, as the image strongly implies a visit to Rhuidean in the Three-fold Land, what aspects of The Shadow Rising will we get to experience in the third season? Most importantly, WHEN are we going to see season three on our screens? We did not have long to wait for the answer to the most important of these questions. Saturday, at CCXP in São Paulo, Brazil, showrunner Rafe Judkins, along with Stradowski and Madeleine Madden (Egwene), participated in a panel discussion where they revealed that season 3 of the Wheel of Time will premiere on March 13, 2025. That is fewer than 100 days from now! Set your countdowns! Tell your friends! Even more exciting, although it doesn’t answer questions so much as pose a thousand new ones, the CCXP panel included the unveiling of our first teaser trailer for season three. The teaser reveals a world of heightened stakes: Moiraine confronts the incredible challenges of her mission to guide and protect the Dragon Reborn; Ishamael may be defeated, but the remaining Forsaken plot and scheme; the Black Ajah are ascendent; and the dark taint on Rand’s corrupted power continues to grow. Failure is not an option, for any of our heroes. To throw a spanner into the works of would-be detectives, we have good reason to believe that at least part of what we see in the teaser represents visions that Moiraine, and possibly others, experience. Most likely, these are related to their visits to Rhuidean, but they could also reflect journeys by portal stone or the test to become Accepted of the White Tower. This means that just because we saw something happen, doesn’t mean that it actually has happened in this turning of the Wheel… The Wheel of Time stars Rosamund Pike (Saltburn, Gone Girl) as Moiraine Damodred, Daniel Henney (Criminal Minds) as al’Lan Mandragoran, Josha Stradowski (Gran Turismo) as Rand al’Thor, Zoë Robins (Power Rangers Ninja Steel) as Nynaeve al'Meara, Madeleine Madden (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Egwene al'Vere, Marcus Rutherford (Obey) as Perrin Aybara, Dónal Finn (Rogue Heroes) as Mat Cauthon, Ceara Coveney (Young Wallander) as Elayne Trakand, Kate Fleetwood (Harlots) as Leandrin Guirale, Natasha O’Keeffe (Peaky Blinders) as Lanfear, Ayoola Smart (Killing Eve) as Aviendha, and Kae Alexander (Game of Thrones) as Min Farshaw. The Wheel of Time was adapted for television by executive producer and showrunner Rafe Judkins (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hemlock Grove). Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon of iwot productions (Winter Dragon), Ted Field of Radar Pictures (Jumanji: The Next Level, Winter Dragon), Mike Weber (Jumanji: The Next Level, Beirut), Marigo Kehoe (Outlander, The Crown), Ciaran Donnelly (Kin), Justine Juel Gillmer (The Survivor, Halo), Dave Hill (Game of Thrones) and Rosamund Pike (Saltburn, Gone Girl) also serve as executive producers. The Wheel of Time is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios. All episodes of the first two seasons of The Wheel of Time are now available on Prime Video.