At long last, Rand is finally himself again. We got a glimpse of his character returning to his previous sanity at the very end of The Gathering Storm, but in Towers, we finally get a chance to see him in full Dragon Reborn mode. He finally realized that he is Lews Therin, and that Lews Therin was Rand al’Thor. Now, armed with the memories of his previous life, he is on a level playing field with the Forsaken…only his skill in the Power is far greater.

Matrim Cauthon is his usual amusing self, dodging Gholam or Eelfinn one minute and insulting Queen Elayne the next. The scenes set at the Tower of Ghenjei were good, though a large price was paid in the heroes’ bargain with the Eelfinn and Aelfinn. Mat got his dramatic exit, though, as they fled the tower.

Remember Avienda? The last we saw of her, she was beginning a long journey back to Rhuidean to complete her training as a Wise One. Instead of seeing the usual story about the Aiel people branching off from the Tuatha’an, she sees a glimpse of a possible future after the Last Battle…a possible future that is, shall we say, less than optimal. I assume that her role in A Memory of Light will be fairly major.

Once again, Brandon Sanderson has masterfully executed the latest Wheel of Time novel. The characters are spot on, and the plot moves at a pace that makes it difficult to put the book down for the night. The scenes with Rand, Mat or Avienda are the best ones in the book. Whether it’s finally seeing the real Dragon, the epic battle between Snakes and Foxes and Luck, or a shocking glimpse at a possible future that would best be avoided.

“The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come to pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past…”

Towers of Midnight Review is a post from Fantasy Folder

Towers of Midnight is currently scheduled to be released on November 2nd.

Brandon Sanderson Finishes Final Chapter of “Towers of Midnight” is a post from Fantasy Folder

You can pre-order Towers of Midnight on Amazon.

“Towers of Midnight” Scheduled for Release on October 26th is a post from Fantasy Folder

The Gathering Storm is different, but not in a bad way. It feels like a Wheel of Time book once you get into it, albeit with writing that flows a little quicker. The characters are the same, the story plays out as expected. It’s definitely Wheel of Time. It’s just a little different.

Things happen. Gathering Storm sees long-expected events to completion, and for once focuses more on Rand and Egwene, who had often taken a back seat to other characters’ escapades in previous books. Egwene’s assault on the White Tower makes progress, and Rand goes through a lot of important character development. Matt and Perrin make short appearances, as do many of the other regulars.

Confrontations abound, and the dynamic scenes keep the pages turning. A few subtle clues hint at what’s to come in the next two books, and true to it’s roots, the story builds up speed until it reaches the brilliant finale and ends on a high note.

I don’t want to spoil too much, so I’ll leave it at this: The Gathering Storm is one of the better Wheel of Time novels, and Sanderson has done an amazing job. I honestly can’t wait until Towers of Midnight is released next year.

The Gathering Storm Review is a post from Fantasy Folder

Three lucky Fantasy Folder readers will receive, by random drawing, Robert Jordan’s The Eye of the World and Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn. Here’s how you can enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post. It can be anything; why you want the books, a funny experience you had related to one of the series, whatever you want. Be creative. (Haikus are encouraged!)
2. Please make sure that you leave a valid email address when you comment. We will need it to contact you if you win, as we will need to ask for a shipping address.
3. If you retweet this post on Twitter and leave the perma-link to your tweet in your comment, you will be entered twice into the drawing, giving you an extra chance.

RT @fantasyfolder Win a Copy of “The Eye of the World” and “Mistborn” http://su.pr/6hlB54

You can only enter the contest once. This contest is only open to residents of the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as Tor cannot ship the books elsewhere.

The drawing will be held on October 20, 2009, and the winners will be announced after we forward the shipping addresses to Tor.

Entries are now closed, at 12:00 AM October 21, 2009. Winners will be picked shortly with the help of Random.org.

Win a Copy of “The Eye of the World” and “Mistborn” is a post from Fantasy Folder

The thirteenth book in the Wheel of Time epic will be called Towers of Midnight. The publication date is estimated to be around late 2010, roughly one year after the upcoming The Gathering Storm. The fourteenth and final book will be called A Memory of Light, as the late Robert Jordan originally intended.

For those still confused, there has been a lot happening in the Wheel of Time realm this year. Because of the abundance of material and notes, the twelfth book morphed into three books.

WoT 13 title: “Towers of Midnight” [Dragonmount]

Wheel of Time Book 13 Title Announced is a post from Fantasy Folder

The final book, which is supposed to be released sometime this Fall, possibly in November, is titled A Memory of Light. There have been some rumors flying around the internet of late pertaining to how many volumes the book will be released in.

It was previously assumed that the book would be one volume, released all at once. But rumors speculate that it might be put out in three volumes instead, with the first part, titled “The Gathering Storm,” being released November 2009. The Wheel of Time series has consisted thus far of eleven books ranging from 800-1,000 pages apiece. (Plus a shorter prequel.) A Memory of Light, due to the quantity of material and loose ends to tie-up, has become three books the size of the first eleven.

Mr. Sanderson commented on his LiveJournal blog in late March:

I can’t say much.  Why?  Well, it’s not my right.  I’m loving being part of the Wheel of Time, but it is Harriet’s world, not mine.  And so I feel it right to let her make any announcements at her pace. [...]

A lot of people are wondering on the number of volumes this book will be.  I’ll be honest, this is a big, big project.  I stand by one promise to you, no matter what else happens.  I will NOT artificially inflate the size of this book.  It doesn’t matter to me how many volumes Tor decides to make it; the story is the same to me.  One volume, as Robert Jordan planned it.  Enormous.

If it is split into chunks, I will push Tor to release them as soon as is reasonably possible and I will push hard for an omnibus edition at the end.

Then a few days later, more was revealed. The rumors were confirmed by a Tor Books press release, and Sanderson wrote a lengthy exposé on his website.

So…how big will the gap be? Well, the honest truth is that I don’t know. Tom has been telling other publishers and retailers that November 2009, 2010, 2011 seems like a safe bet. But that’s just an estimate, erring on the side of caution.

I think that brings you all up to speed. The question many of you are probably wondering now is “What did you decide to put in this book, and what did you decide to hold off until the next one?” I can’t answer that yet–perhaps when the time gets closer, I’ll be able to hint at what was included and what was saved. But know that I believe strongly in the place where the cut was made, and I love how the final product has turned out.

Edit: There have been a few changes. The first book, The Gathering Storm is now set to be released on October 27, 2009. Release dates for the last two installments are still unofficial, but the titles announced are now Towers of Midnight and A Memory of Light.

A Memory of Light: Not One, But Three Volumes is a post from Fantasy Folder