A Memory of Light is the final book in Robert Jordan's series 'The Wheel of Time', and for a certain kind of reader, its release this week is a momentous occasion.
The 14th book, completed by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan's death in 2007, is expected to hit the bestseller lists this week, as most of the previous books did. You can see all 909 pages in the final book (42 hours in the unabridged audio version, according to USA Today) being printed on Tor.com's blog.
However, not all Jordan's fans are happy. As GalleyCat reports, the ebook edition of this huge book doesn't come out until April 9th, leading to, at the time of writing, 165 one-star reviews on Amazon.
"You'd figure that publishers would learn not to give the finger to a large part of their reading audience. But, no. Apperantly, they need to have a ton of negative reviews over this practice and be hit in the pocketbook to get a clue. With bookstores closing, they'd best learn to respect the ebook audience. Until then, one star," writes one.
"Hello? This is 2013. Get with the program," wrote another.
UPDATE: Co-author Brandon Sanderson explains the delay in his blog, saying:
This is not my decision or Tor's decision, but Harriet's [the widow of Robert Jordan]. She is uncomfortable with ebooks. Specifically, she worries about ebooks cutting into the hardcover sales. It isn't about money for her, as the monetary difference between the two is negligible here. It is about a worry that her husband's legacy will be undermined if sales are split between ebooks and hardcovers, preventing the last book of the Wheel of Time from hitting number one on either list.
What do you think? Does it matter when ebooks are released? Would you pay a premium to get it sooner? Let us know in the comments!
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