Harriet McDougal, Jordan’s editor and widow remarked, “that is the Rand I have waited to see for twenty years.” when she saw the image. And while the artwork clearly has all the earmarks of a Whelan painting, it’s theme and coloration make it a fitting heir to Darrell K. Sweet’s series of Wheel of Time covers.

The announcement on Tor.com has pictures of the front and the full two-cover spread, as well as numerous sketches and concepts from Whelan. Head on over there to see them in their full glory.

Cover Art for A Memory of Light Released is a post from Fantasy Folder

Beka, Tunstall and the new guy, a mysterious and wisecracking mage by the name of Farmer, are called in to track down a kidnapped member of Tortall’s royal family. They end up on a long hunt across the realm, led by Beka’s scent hound, during which they uncover a major conspiracy against the Crown. It’s a nice mix between a police procedural and the type of questing often found in fantasy novels, with plenty of mages and knights. (Though, unfortunately, there are really only one or two likeable mages…) The characters’ usage of “ye olde” slang and their unique police jargon add a nice richness to the story as well.

The book is solid overall, though there was an abrupt…shift in one character’s intentions later on in the book. It just struck me as out of character at first, because of how sudden it was. Maybe it was an intended effect, though, since the book is told in the first person.

The epilogue nicely ties the story back into the original Lioness series, with Beka’s descendant, George Cooper, becoming the Rogue and a certain purple-eyed cat watching.

Mastiff by Tamora Pierce is a post from Fantasy Folder

The upcoming RPG video game will feature an original storyline created by Sanderson, set several hundreds of years before the first Mistborn novel, and will focus on a unique combat system that puts Allomancy into the hands of gamers. Players will suit up as Fendin “Fiddle” Fathvell, an arrogant young nobleman who must quickly master his newfound Allomantic abilities before forces at work can destroy his entire family.

Sanderson seems to think highly of the people at Little Orbit, adding that some of them worked on the original Fallout and Baldur’s Gate games.

The current release projection, going by the Little Orbit site, is sometime in the fall of 2013.

Mistborn: Birthright RPG in Preliminary Development is a post from Fantasy Folder

The cover art will be created by Michael Whelan (you may be familiar with his excellent cover for The Way of Kings), since Darrell K. Sweet, who did the previous books, passed away recently.

“I’m flattered to no end to have been asked to work on such a prestigious and popular project. My only regret is that it had to come under such unfortunate circumstances; I never would have accepted had Darrell been here to see the Wheel of Time saga to it’s completion. It will always remain a testament to his career, and I’m humbled to stand in his shadow for the work on the final volume.” — Michael Whelan

A Memory of Light Release Date Bumped, Michael Whelan to Illustrate is a post from Fantasy Folder

Day two of Kvothe the Arcane’s chronicle of his life features his adventures among the Adem mercenaries and the nobility of Vintas when he takes a term off from his studies at the University to lie low after a legal run-in with Ambrose Jakis. He gains some more financial stability, training in the sword and unarmed combat, and his legendary sword Caesura. He, of course, adds much to his heroic reputation along the way.

I really hope that this is going to be a longer series than a mere trilogy, as much is still too much unanswered and the story has far too much potential to simply end it with Kvothe becoming Kote the innkeeper. I would love to see the third book finish the “recap” of Kvothe’s life so far, and then have him return from his faked death.

The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss is a post from Fantasy Folder

The Amazing Spider-Man is an attempt to return to the Spider-Man of the comics, complete with sarcastic quips and homemade web launchers. It bears some resemblance to Nolan’s The Dark Knight, with a city who largely opposes the masked vigilante and the entire NYPD out to stop him.

The Amazing Spider-Man hits theaters July 3rd.

The Amazing Spider-Man Trailer is a post from Fantasy Folder

Kvothe recounts his life story, telling the Chronicler it will take no less than three days for the truth behind the legend to be put to paper. From his childhood growing up with his family’s troupe of performers, to his studies at the University Arcanum, The Name of the Wind tells the first third of Kvoth’s tale.

The book’s story flows well and the characters have a realistic quality that together make it hard to stop reading for the night. I more than once stayed awake reading far longer than I intended.

The Name of the Wind is one of the best epic fantasy novels I’ve read in a long time, and I look forward to reading the second book. (I don’t know what I’m going to do while waiting for the third book in the trilogy…) It’s really a prime example of the genre, and one anyone who considers themselves a “fantasy fan” should definitely read.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is a post from Fantasy Folder

The stakes are high, and there are a couple of plot twists that should catch you off guard. For instance, the identity of the LaGuardia shooters from the previous book is revealed. Hint: “no more coincidences.”

Harbingers is one of the most dramatic and action-packed installments in the series. The primary “fix-it” in this book isn’t just a job. This time, it’s personal.

Harbingers by F. Paul Wilson is a post from Fantasy Folder

Infernal breaks the usual formula of “fix it” jobs with a larger encounter with something related to the Otherness. This book is a bit more personal, dealing with some of Jack’s family, but there’s still plenty of supernatural adversity going on. It sets up a major plot twist for the next book, which is even darker…

If you haven’t read any of the Repairman Jack books, do yourself a favor and start with one of the earlier books. (The Tomb, Legacies or All the Rage are good choices.) Infernal one may be important stepping stone in the series, but you don’t really see Jack at his best.

Infernal by F. Paul Wilson is a post from Fantasy Folder

Whereas the first book introduced the enigmatic Jack and his childhood friends, as well as some of the supernatural oddities of the town he grew up in, Secret Circles and Secret Vengeance show clear signs of his path toward being the vigilante he will become. (Readers who are already familiar with the Repairman Jack series will enjoy the prequels for the references to the other books. Don’t worry about them being “YA” novels; they’re solid stories that just happen to have younger characters.) The third book, especially, has the key elements of a Repairman Jack novel: vengeance, through cunning subtlety, rather than simple violence.

The prequel trilogy is definitely worth reading if you’re already an RJ fan, and it makes a great entry point for younger readers, as it was no doubt intended.

Secret Histories, Secret Circles and Secret Vengeance by F. Paul Wilson is a post from Fantasy Folder