Wheel of Time...

It's been a little over a year since Robert Jordan died. There was a lot of anxiety in his fan base on whether or not he would finish the series. As of now, the series is still not finished.

There is hope for WoT fans, however because author Brandon Sanderson is hard at work with the final book. It is scheduled for publication in Fall of 2009.

In preparation for the release of the last installment, I have begun rereading the series. I just finished book 2 - the Great Hunt. Even though I remember just about everything about the books, I still find it a great read. My perspective is different now that I've read all 11 books so the first couple of books are a little different.

For example, the first time I read these books, I had no idea what the Emond's Fielders meant when they talked about "false dragons" and "Aes Sedai". Moiraine mentioning "the ways" meant nothing to me the first time either. When Min describes the auras she sees on Rand, Egwene, Matt and Perin, I understand what the auras mean.

I don't normally reread books. In this case, I decided to reread more for proficiency than for enjoyment. I want to be ready for book 12 when it comes out. As it turns out, I am really enjoying this series. Robert Jordan is a great writer. His description of environments and action/battle scenes are detailed and interesting. His characters are fun and memorable.

I can easily see myself rereading this series for a 3rd or 4th time. For those of you who have not read it once, I highly recommend you pick up book 1 - The Eye of the World. Even if you are not an Epic Fantasy reader, you will enjoy this series.

On a side note...

I was supposed to start reading book 3 yesterday. The problem is I'm depending on my buddy to let me borrow it. He keeps forgetting to bring it when we hang out. So instead of reading book 3, I find myself scouring the internet for discussions, articles, and artwork inspired by the Wheel of Time series. I found some gems and I'd like to share.

My two favorite Wheel of Time concept artists host blogs here on blogger.com - Jeremy Saliba and Seamas Gallagher. Check out their artwork when you have the time.