Tarmon Gaidon, the Last Battle, looms. And mankind is not ready.The final volume of the Wheel of Time, A Memory of Light, was partially written by Robert Jordan before his untimely passing in 2007. Brandon Sanderson, New York Times bestselling author of the Mistborn books, was chosen by Jordans editor---his wife, Harriet McDougal---to complete the final book. The scope and size of the volume was such that it could not be contained in a single book, and so Tor proudly presents The Gathering Storm as the first of three novels that will make up A Memory of Light. This short sequence will complete the struggle against the Shadow, bringing to a close a journey begun almost twenty years ago and marking the conclusion of the Wheel of Time, the preeminent fantasy epic of our era.In this epic novel, Robert Jordans international bestselling series begins its dramatic conclusion. Rand alThor, the Dragon Reborn, struggles “The narration of this work is truly miraculous. Kate Reading and Michael Kramer breathe emotion and veracity into a varied cast of characters, deftly teasing out their complex ambitions and motivations...Both narrators bring intensity and passion to this much-loved series, giving nuanced performances even to minor characters.” ― AudioFile ROBERT JORDAN (1948-2007) is best known for his internationally bestselling epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time®, which has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and is currently being adapted for the screen. A native of Charleston, Jordan graduated from The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, with a degree in physics. He served two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Army and received multiple decorations for his service. Brandon Sanderson grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. He lives in Utah with his wife and children and teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University. His bestsellers have sold 45 million copies worldwide and include the Mistborn saga; the Stormlight Archive novels; and other novels, including Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Rithmatist , Steelheart, and Skyward . He won a Hugo Award for The Emperor's Soul , a novella set in the world of his acclaimed first novel, Elantris . Additionally, he completed Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time®. Visit his website for behind-the-scenes information on all his books. Michael Kramer has narrated over 100 audiobooks for many bestselling authors. He read all of Robert Jordan’s epic Wheel of Time fantasy-adventure series as well as Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive series. He received AudioFile magazine's Earphones Award for the Kent Family series by John Jakes and for Alan Fulsom's The Day After Tomorrow . Known for his “spot-on character portraits and accents, and his resonant, well-tempered voice” ( AudioFile ), his work includes recording books for the Library of Congress’s Talking Books program for the blind and physically handicapped. Kramer also works as an actor in the Washington, D.C. area, where he lives with his wife, Jennifer Mendenhall (a.k.a. Kate Reading), and their two children. He has appeared as Lord Rivers in Richard III at The Shakespeare Theatre, Howie/Merlin in The Kennedy Center’s production of The Light of Excalibur , Sam Riggs and Frederick Savage in Woody Allen’s Central Park West/Riverside Drive , and Dr. Qari Shah in Tony Kushner’s Homebody/Kabul at Theatre J. Kate Reading is the recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and has been named by AudioFile magazine as a “Voice of the Century,” as well as the Best Voice in Science Fiction & Fantasy in 2008 and 2009 and Best Voice in Biography & Culture in 2010. She has narrated works by such authors as Jane Austen, Robert Jordan, Edith Wharton, and Sophie Kinsella. Reading has performed at numerous theaters in Washington D.C. and received a Helen Hayes Award for her performance in Aunt Dan and Lemon . AudioFile magazine reports that, "With subtle control of characters and sense of pacing, Kate’s performances are a consistent pleasure." The narration of this work is truly miraculous. Kate Reading and Michael Kramer breathe emotion and veracity into a varied cast of characters, deftly teasing out their complex ambitions and motivations. When author Robert Jordan died before finishing his Wheel of Time series, fans despaired. Happily, he left behind much of the conclusion in passages and notes, so Brandon Sanderson was hired to finish the series. In the first of the three final books, the mood has turned decidedly dark as the Last Battle looms and hero Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, struggles to control the madness growing within him. Both narrators bring intensity and passion to this much-loved series, giving nuanced performances even to minor characters. D.G. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine Used Book in Good Condition