Why I'm Excited That Brandon Sanderson Was Chosen For AMoL

AMoL if you don't already know is A Memory of Light, the final book in the Robert Jordan series The Wheel of Time.

Robert Jordan died with his epic series incomplete back in 2007. Young fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson was hand picked by Jordan's widow (who also served as his editor) to complete the series.

As of yet, I have not read any of Sanderson's published works, although three of them are on my bookshelf ready to peruse.

Why then am I glad that he was chosen?

Because I've read his blog.

Let me tell you how much I love The Wheel of Time...

It was far more advanced then anything I had ever read at that point in my life when I finally gave it a chance. I remember clearly the first time that someone gave me a copy of The Eye of the World and said that I should check it out. It was a friend who together we had devoured the words of David Eddings so I trusted him when he said it was much, much better then the Belgariad ever could hope to be. At the time I was probably around 13. I started it and couldn't get through the prologue. At the time I wasn't sure why, I think I just wasn't ready for something so serious yet. At the same point in my life I loved The Hobbit, but couldn't get far into The Lord of the Rings.

About a year later, the same friend told me to just keep reading. Get through the prologue and through the first two chapters and he assured me that I would not be able to put it down. He was right. It was an incredible story that kept getting more interesting as more was revealed. And the characters were all so real. And there were so many of them. The world was just so complete.

After I tore through the Wheel of Time books that were out at that point I went back and read The Lord of the Rings for the first time. (Yes, I didn't read The Lord of the Rings all the way through until I was 14. I'm sorry.) I was actually a little pissed at myself that I hadn't made myself read them earlier.

So, despite the fact that The Lord of the Rings inspired Jordan's Wheel of Time, it was Wheel of Time that got me to read The Lord of the Rings!

When Jordan died, I was devastated. Primarily because one of my favorite authors, a man that I had never met but who meant a lot to me regardless, had passed away, but also because his series might never be completed, and the series meant a lot to me as well.

Shortly thereafter, the news came out that someone was going to finish the last book, and I met that news with some relief as well as some trepidation. Who was this Brandon Sanderson that was getting to finish the Wheel of Time? For quite some time I honestly had no idea the answer to that question.

Then I discovered his blog.

Slowly as I read his updates on A Memory of Light, my trepidation began to slip away and my relief began to grow into excitement. It was clear that this Brandon Sanderson cared as much about the series as I did. And I could see how his work was progressing on the book that I so desperately (along with so many others) wanted to see thanks to the progress bars on his blog.

Yesterday I read the news that A Memory of Light was going to be split into 3 books and I was instantly angry. It was only supposed to be one more volume. I've already waited so long for this book, I didn't want to wait any longer!

Then the most amazing thing happened. Brandon Sanderson explained the situation in his blog. He told his readers exactly how this decision was made and why. He went into excellent detail on why this decision (while still unpleasant) actually was the best decision possible to make.

And I feel better.

How rare is it for an author to be so up front about what is going on with a novel as anticipated as this one is? I for one am extremely thankful that this one is.

Thank you Brandon Sanderson for your dedication to this project and for your dedication to us, the fans. It shows and it is much appreciated.