The cover image for The Gathering Storm, the twelfth volume of The Wheel of Time series, has been released by Tor Books. The Gathering Storm, which was to be the series finale, is now the first book in a final trilogy to be finished by author Brandon Sanderson (interviewed here) after Robert Jordan's death in 2007.

Tor has also recently announced a four-book deal with Sanderson, who will pen a new fantasy series called The Way of Kings. The advances for the new series are in the six figures, and with sales-related bonuses, could top out at 2.5 million.