Results tagged “a memory of light”

Can you hear the outrage spreading across the internet(s)?

Boy, I can.

This morning Tor-Forge announced that A Memory of Light, the conclusion volume of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, will begin publishing in November 2009. That’s the good news!

The bad news? A Memory of Light is going to be broken into three separate books released one year apart each, the first of which is titled The Gathering Storm.

Can you hear that? It’s the sound of angry, money-strapped fans.

As the news spreads across the internet(s), the blogs are unanimously saying the same thing. Why three volumes?? Tor and the Estate of Robert Jordan support the decision for three volumes, stating a 750,000 word book cannot possibly be published in a single volume. And their summation I completely agree with. A book that is 750,000 words cannot possibly be held physically in a single binding. But as with most things there is more beneath the surface of their summation.

I say it can be published in two volumes. Easily.

And here are some numbers to prove it.

The image of what appears to be the cover to The Gathering Storm, Book One of Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, has been making the rounds across the internet(s).

But there are some things that set off my warning signals… that this cover isn’t legit.

Or possibly just isn’t finished.

If one looks closely at the cover, which is a small resolution image anyway, you’ll see it reads “Sequel to the #1 New York Times Bestseller Crossroads of Twilight.” As most of you know, book publishers tend to put the title of the last book to be released on the cover. The last book in the Wheel of Time series was not Crossroads of Twilight but Knife of Dreams.

Then there is the artwork itself. I know the quality of Darrell K. Sweet’s artwork has been lessening over the years—just look at his work on Eye of the World compared to Knife of Dreams, but this image seems too choppy even for him.

And one more thing. Information that The Gathering Storm would be published only in trade paperback surfaced alongside this image. Huh? A Memory of Light will be one of the largest cash cows for Tor this year. They wouldn’t release it as a trade paperback and lose that money. The surfacing of this cover and the information surrounding it just makes no sense.

I say don’t believe in this cover until Tor posts it legitimately on their website.

I wrote Brandon Sanderson upon viewing this cover, and he had no information about it. He was actually shocked at it, particularly the hardcover / trade paperback issue. He did confirm though that the first book will come out November 2009 and he will be touring for it!

I love Irene Gallo, the art director at Tor, and she does a fantastic job on the covers she oversees. You’ll see how much I like her in a post this weekend. The several oddities concerning this cover though make me believe this was a mock-up with mock-up art that was accidentally released.

So I warn: Take it with a grain of salt!

Or don’t believe everything you read!

Even this! Ha!