Brandon Sanderson Will Finish Wheel of Time Series

Posted on December 11, 2007

Tor Books announced today that novelist Brandon Sanderson has been selected to finish the last novel in Robert Jordan's bestselling Wheel of Time fantasy series. Jordan died in September after a long battle with the rare blood disease amyloidosis.

The new novel is called A Memory of Light. It is the twelfth and final book in the epic fantasy series which has sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

Harriet Popham Rigney, Jordan's wife and editor, said of her decision to have Sanderson complete the last book in The Wheel of Time series: "I have chosen Brandon Sanderson to complete Robert Jordan's great work, and I am absolutely delighted that he accepted. I will of course be editing this book as I have all of the other books of The Wheel of Time." The President and Publisher of Tor Books, Tom Doherty, weighed in on the decision saying: "I am delighted that Harriet has chosen Brandon to complete Robert Jordan's magnificent and timeless epic."

Sanderson is thrilled to be chosen by the writer that inspired him for so long. He posted a tribute piece on his blog saying: "Personally, I feel indebted to you. You showed me what it was to have vision and scope in a fantasy series -- you showed me what could be done. I still believe that without your success, many younger authors like myself would never have had a chance at publishing their dreams. You go quietly, but leave us trembling."

Sanderson has written three critically acclaimed fantasy novels: Elantris, Mistborn, and The Well of Ascension, as well as a YA novel, Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians. Sanderson will work with Harriet on the book, which Jordan had already started. Harriet says, "Some scenes were completed by Robert Jordan, and some exist in draft form; he left copious notes and hours of audio recordings."

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