Michael Whelan to paint the final WHEEL OF TIME cover

A while back it was announced that Michael Whelan would be producing the cover art for the ebook edition of the final Wheel of Time novel, A Memory of Light. Following that, it was sadly announced that Darrell K. Sweet, who'd produced the artwork for the thirteen print editions of the novels (plus the New Spring prequel, the YA editions of the books and the roleplaying game and adventure book), had passed away with the cover art for the final book left incomplete.

Logically, Tor have announced that Whelan's ebook artwork will now also grace the cover of the American print editions of the final novel (the British edition will likely continue to use the Wheel of Time logo against a coloured background, as with the previous few books in the series).

Whelan had this to say about the project:

"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."

A Memory of Light will be released in the UK and USA on 8 January 2013.