In 2019, a group project was put forward in the JordanCon Costumers Facebook group. The idea--suggested by Christine Wessling--was to create a quilt. Each block of the quilt would represent one of the books with The Wheel of Time, and each block would be created by a different crafter. The idea was quickly embraced by many in the group and the books were snagged! Here are the details from JordanCon: I feel so fortunate that I was able to contribute to this project! I knew I wanted to make my love of Lan and Nynaeve apparent, so I picked Knife of Dreams. There are so many wonderful Lan and Nynaeve moments--when Nynaeve breaks her block, her first confession to him in The Eye of the World, Lan giving her his ring and her Accepted testing in The Great Hunt--but the ultimate has to be Nynaeve's trek through the borderlands gathering her husband an army. "The Golden Crane flies for Tarmon Gai'don!" is the best line of the book. I tried to capture that theme with a golden crane, crown, and lance on a field of blue. I envy the lucky winner of this quilt! It will be an amazing addition to any fan's collection! You can read more from each of the contributors on JordanCon's website.

In this story, Robert Endicott comes from a family gifted with heraldry—a sort of foretelling for people, places, and things. This innate ability gets him noticed as a possible student for the Duchess’s New School, a program that teaches dynamics, a form of magic that derives from shifting probability and the physics of thermodynamics. As Endicott and his classmates get further into their training, they learn that the New School’s not as safe as they thought. The previous year’s trainees suffered fatalities in their studies and the courses this year aim to keep the students from the same mistakes. To make matters worse, rumors of Nimrheal—a mythical figure who outlawed innovation and is credited with killing mathematicians and inventors in the past—begin to circulate and riots break out in his name. The real threat of mishandling the magic and the perceived threat of Nimrheal push Endicott down a road he never intended to take. Some reviews of Lee Hunt’s Dynamicist claim that mathematics is just as important as magic within the world of this trilogy. This idea was so intriguing, and as a math teacher, I knew I had to read this book. While Dynamicist only scratches the surface of this magic system, there is the promise of more to come as the series continues. This view of magic is unique and I enjoyed the tie in to math and science. Endicott is a likeable hero. He struggles to learn the needed academic skills and form bonds with his new classmates. Raised on a farm, Endicott is naïve about the city and his interactions with others. Because of his humble upbringing, he approaches these relationships and situations with an honest sincerity that’s refreshing. He wants to discuss poetry and his emotions. He constantly analyses himself. He realizes he has a weakness for protecting others, and this love drives his character forward. This book was an enjoyable read and a great introduction to a new world and a new magic system. I’m very excited to finish the trilogy and see how fleshed out the math magic can get! The second book in the series, Herald, was released on audiobook earlier this month! I listened to the audiobook for Dynamicist and recommend it. The narration by Craig A. Hart is well done. His emotions come through for each character. To read more on Lee Hunt and the rest of the Dynamicist trilogy, you can visit his website.

The news broke yesterday that Amazon Prime officially renewed The Wheel of Time for a second season! Rafe Judkins, the showrunner, hinted that the writing staff had already begun writing scripts for season two some time ago, but the confirmation was appreciated. The filming of season one wrapped as well, and there’s speculation the release date may be sometime in the fall of this year. Amidst all the celebration, Rafe Judkins hosted a Q&A session on Instagram. You can read the questions and his responses below: Q: What’s the average running time of each episode? A: Amazon is great because each ep doesn’t have to hit an exact time like you do in network TV. And these eps are epic, so we are clocking in between 50-65 minutes each. Q: Congratulations on S1 wrap!! Blink twice if a trailer is coming soon….. A: (A blushing, wide eyed emoji) Q: Do EF5 actors perform stunts on their own or do they have stunt doubles? A: Everyone on the show has a stunt double, but most of our actors are really amazing with the physical stuff and doing their own stunts. I’m the only one who’s always falling. Q: How are you feeling having wrapped S1? A: To be totally honest, it hasn’t fully him me yet. There’s still so much to be done to get the show ready to air and get S2 shooting, that while I was drinking my celebratory champagne on set after the last shot Tuesday, someone grabbed me to tackle three new problems that had come up and I had to leave ha Q: What character that doesn’t appear in S1 & does appear in S2 are you most excited about? A: Starts with an EL Q: Do you have the plot of all the seasons roughly mapped out? A: Yeah, between Season One and Two we made a rough map of how the series could break down into seasons. It can always change obviously, but important to know where we are going and how we are getting there so we build it right if @amazonprimevideo keeps us around for the long haul 🙂 Q: Will we see the actual weaves of just the end result of channeling? A: You’re going to see if all if you’re a woman who can channel Q: Most difficult part of creating TWOT during a global pandemic. A: The human aspect. We’ve built a family here in Prague with cast and crew and keeping everyone safe has been top priority. Everyone’s ability to adapt and meet the stresses of a time like this has been amazing to watch. Q: How far should we get into the books if we don’t want Season 1 to spoil things for us? A: This question is so cleverly worded to trick me that I have to respond to it out of sheer respect Q: How are you balancing the numerous POVs in the book vs focusing on Rand? A: I’ve always said, we are adapting the whole series not just Eye of the World, and I really think this is an ensemble series, so the first season is as well Q: Will we see forsaken in season 1? A: Some people see Forsaken everywhere Q: Will we see Narg? (crossed fingers emoji) A: Yep Q: Did any of the actors end up becoming fans of the book series after getting cast? A: I’m not going to spoil who, but two of the core cast are in a read off right now, and I think one of them may have finished the series Q: How many “brands” or trollocs did you create for the show? A: We leaned into the books and tried to have the trollocs have as much individual character as possible. My favorite is the one we call Betty Q: Will S2 take us to a lot of new locations? How big can the world get? A: Best thing about Wheel of Time is the world keeps getting bigger and deeper. And we’ve gotta deliver on that in the show Q: Please ask Amazon Prime if they’d do a sweepstakes for a fan to be an extra on the show. A: @amazonprimevide and @thewheeloftime (thinking emoji) Q: Loved the first look at the Trollocs! When are we getting more? A: Sadly there hasn’t been a first look at the Trollocs yet. That was some accidently leaked raw footage. We work so hard to make the show it’s always a shame when you guys see stuff outside the way we have it planned. I’ll tell you one thing, when I met with directors for S2 who’d seen the pilot, they all had one thing to say – “THOSE TROLLOCS???” (Small text to the side: Why does Instagram make the text so skinny. This is driving me crazy) Q: Excited to progressively spiral downwards into raving madness? A: It’s so funny that you think I’m not already there Q: Are you planning a book per season or are there adaptations and inclusion from multiple? A: We have to combine. @madeleine_madden and @joshastradowski would be 45 when we finished otherwise. Q: Will Lan’s cook cloak be featured in the show? A: I love Lan’s cloak in the show. But much like Aes Sedai agelessness, if it’s an effect that’s going to cost a fortune every time a character is on screen, it’s a bad use of our money. Unless you want to see all of S1 in the Winespring Inn. Then you can have color changing cloaks 🙂 Q: Who has been the hardest character to write for so far? A: Perrin is the hardest. His interior monologue in the books is the biggest part of his character, so bringing him out in the show is always something we have to build really consciously. Luckily @marcus_rudda just exudes Perrin every minute so it makes our lives a lot easier (text at the bottom: And thank you @sarahenakamura for teaching me about the text slider. Just in time for the last question) Q: Have you started writing S2? A: Yeah! The awesome S2 writers have been working throughout the year and we already have a bunch of great scripts ready to go.

Each year, TarValon.Net awards one recipient with a $500 grant to an accredited college. This year, they will pick two finalists to receive this award. Here is what TarValon.Net has to say about the Robert Jordan Memorial Scholarship: If you'd like to apply, you can use this link. Remember to submit your essay by May 15th!

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!

Good news, everyone! JordanCon announced earlier today they are hosting an in-person convention over the summer! Details are still being solidified, but we can confirm a few things: JordanCon 2021 will be held July 16th through the 18th at the Crown Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta, Georgia. All attendees, staff, guests, and volunteers are required to have the COVID-19 vaccine. Masks will be required during the event and CDC guidelines will be observed. More details are coming soon, but this is an amazing opportunity to see our fandom family and keep JordanCon going strong! To read the rest of the JordanCon 2021 FAQ, you can click here.

JordanCon has been a staple--if not the staple--in the Wheel of Time fandom since its founding in 2009. The outbreak of COVID-19 canceled the event in 2020 and the tentatively scheduled weekend in April 2021, causing the non-profit organization is calling on fans for assistance. A GoFundMe has been set up for JordanCon, a 501c4 charity, to help off set the costs associated with canceling the event and to help with planning any future conventions when it's deemed safe enough for us to congregate. On the GoFundMe site, JordanCon states: "JordanCon is a tax exempt 501c4 non-profit organization that holds a yearly sci-fi and fantasy literature convention to honor the late Robert Jordan by supporting the Mayo Clinic. But we're also so much more than that. JordanCon is a family of incredibly diverse people who come together to celebrate not just their love The Wheel of Time, but also the many lifelong friendships they've made over the years. JordanCon often feels more like a family reunion than a convention, and we wouldn't have it any other way. But Covid-19 stopped us from gathering last year, and we all felt the effects. We weren't just missing an event (though the event itself is fantastic); we were missing each other. JordanCONine allowed us to interact as much as we were able, but we missed the hugs, the high-fives, the dancing, the costumes, the panels, the… the things that make JordanCon so special. We missed being together in one big space, enjoying our favorite weekend of the year as a family. Now 2021 is here and it's clear that Covid-19 is going to continue to cause disruptions for events and organizations moving forward. We already had to postpone our usual weekend in April, and now we're working hard to try and figure out how to continue to bring you the best JordanCon experience we can. But we can't do that alone; we can't do it without our family. So as much as we didn't want to ask, especially since we know many of you are hurting financially during this time, we find ourselves in a situation where our operating costs are much higher than they've ever been. Like many organizations, especially non-profits, we're worried about the future. JordanCon doesn't make money. We've always focused on using the funds we receive to make the convention fantastic, and more importantly, to support charities such as the Mayo Clinic. Because of that, we don't have an emergency fund. And who could have possibly anticipated a global pandemic and the increased operating costs associated with it? If you can't afford to help financially, we completely understand. Times are hard. But if you have some money to share, we would definitely appreciate any help you're able to give. We just want to make sure we can keep hosting this incredible family reunion (that is technically a convention) and donate to charities like the Mayo Clinic for as long as we possibly can." There's a fantastic list of rewards for those who can contribute! If you can, please donate to this cause and help us keep this family get-together going strong!

It's #WoTWednesday and @WoTonPrime didn't disappoint. A new video released today showed us our first look at Mat's ruby-hilted dagger. Here's the clip: We can see some changes in the designs. This is the Museum Replica, approved by Robert Jordan: And the chapter icon looks very similar: Jason's arguments for the changed position of the ruby make logical sense. The thing that gave me chills was the voice of Barney Harris--who plays Mat Cauthon--saying "Alright, let's make a deal." Who is he talking to? Mordeth? If so, he doesn't sound scared. Also, it seems the dagger isn't in the treasure room as it was in the books, and it wasn't grabbed almost by accident when Mordeth blows up. Mat taking the dagger here is more calculated and intentional. And what type of deal is he trying to make? Is he willing to give up something in exchange for the dagger? Does he know the dangers that come from it in this turning of the Wheel? I think I speak for a large portion of the fandom when I say how much Mat grows on the reader. Hearing his voice makes the television show so much more real to me. I will die on the hill of worshiping Daniel Henney--I'm a Lan girl, through and through--but Barney Harris is an incredibly close second. How do you anticipate Mat's taking the dagger will change events of the story? If he knows the cost of the dagger, would he still take it? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Today, @WoTonPrime—the official Twitter handle for the Amazon Prime’s Wheel of Time television show—shared a short video and snippets of concept art. The short video featured Rafe Judkins, the showrunner for the Wheel of Time show, emphasizing the themes in The Eye of the World: “of balance, of gender, and the emotional journey of these characters.” While Judkins talks, several images of concept art flash behind him. Let’s take a closer look! So what can we glean from these images? Fans are already speculating. Here's my take. The first image must be Rand and Mat. Ginger hair on Rand. Mat has a quarterstaff. But which river are they looking at? Thom's not there, and if Thom is not there it has to be after Whitebridge. And if we're deviating from the novel entirely, perhaps this could be the place Rand and Mat glimpse the Tower of Ghenjei. Image number two: Winternight in the Two Rivers. Rafe Judkins already let us know we will get to see the Bel Tine celebration, so perhaps Rand and Tam don't return to their farm that night. The third seems a tame version of the Tuatha'an camp. It fits the description of the wagons, but the colors are all wrong! My first thought on the fourth image was it featured the Two River's folks on the other side of the Taren River. I seem to recall they hid in some dense trees that first night. However, the number count is off. Lan and Moiraine at the front. Rand, Mat, Perrin. Egwene. One more rider makes Nynaeve a member of this group. The only time they all rode together--in The Eye of the World, at least--was traveling to and from the Waygates stationed in Caemlyn and Fal Dara. The forest could be on the Shienar side of the Waygate. And finally, the one that actually gave me chills: Shadar Logoth. The dark atmosphere, the looming buildings, the lurking fog. This is amazing! Sometimes it seems the new information isn't coming fast enough. Other times, we see amazing glimpses into the making of this show and the anticipation it stirs inside will last for several days. The more we see, the more real it becomes. Here's the full video:

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.

Exciting news dropped this past Wednesday: The official @WoTonPrime social media account released the first audio trailer from the Amazon Prime Wheel of Time television show. You can watch/listen to the clip below: audio_trailer_Oct_2020.mp4 There’s already a plethora of speculation about what scene and characters this can be. Madeleine Madden (who plays Egwene al’Vere) confirmed on Instagram that the voices do belong to Egwene and Perrin. But when does the scene take place? The battle noises in the back suggest Winternight (or during Bel Tine as showrunner Rafe Judkins suggested last month). We also know in the novels that Egwene and Perrin spend a large chunk of the book together, so it could be their flight from Shadar Logoth or in the Whitecloak campe. Either way, we'll have to "WAFO" (Watch And Find Out)! For more information on the Wheel of Time show, visit our TV page or follow the links below. Additionally, check out our reaction to the video on this episode of The Wheel of Time Community Show:

As is the trend this year, most conventions are going online. For those of us who don’t have the resources to travel to all these amazing cons, this set up isn’t so bad. Spoilercon—a convention celebrating the podcasts The Wheel of Time Spoilers, Mistborn Spoilers, and Broken Earth Spoilers—is hosting an online even next weekend, October 2nd and 3rd. Registration for this event is free, though pre-registration is required. You can sign up here. Some notable guests for Spoilercon include our own Jason Denzel—Dragonmount’s founder and webmaster—and Thom DeSimone—host of The Wheel of Time Community Show. Maria Simons from Team Jordan will also be making an appearance. And a reoccurring event from last year, Michael Kramer and Kate Reading—who perform the audio books for The Wheel of Time and many other sci-fi/fantasy titles—will be doing a reading. This convention offers a lot across the fandom board! You can check out the complete schedule here. EDITED: In case you missed this event, you can see all the recorded panels, including the reading by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading here!