If you’ve been waiting for a release date for the final volume of the popular fantasy series, Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time, your waiting has come to an end. Tor Books, the publisher of the series, has revealed that A Memory of Light will be released on January 8, 2013. The last book in the series is written by Brandon Sanderson, working from extensive notes, outlines, and some finished script by original series writer Robert Jordan. This final novel brings the series to an end almost 23 years after the first volume, The Eye of the World, was released on January 15, 1990.

The Wheel of Time is one of the most popular fantasy series of the last quarter century, with thirteen novels and more than 44 million copies sold. The series has spawned a prequel novel, a comic book series, role-playing games, and a host of other merchandise, as well as a rabid fan base who have been waiting for decades to read the end of the saga.

I know many readers feared that the series would never be concluded after the passing of Jordan in September of 2007, but Sanderson has stepped in and done a decent job with the last two books. Now, thanks to his efforts, we will finally see how the story wraps up.

The last word we had on the status of this book came on December 27, 2011 when Sanderson announced that the first draft of the novel had been completed. Sanderson updated his blog last week with his thoughts about the official release date, and said that there is a possibility that the date could be moved up, but it would depend on how quickly the editing process could be finished and stressed how much the editors wanted to make sure that the book was as good as it could possibly be. He also revealed that the first draft came in at roughly 360,000 words (the longest book in the series, The Shadow Rising, came in at over 390,000 words. The average novel comes in at about 100,000 words.) So, there’s at least a little hope that the release date will be moved up, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

So, the countdown is on. If you’re a fan of series you’ve got a little over a year to re-read the series, which should give you plenty of time. Let us know if you’re excited or just relieved to know when you can get your grubby little hands on A Memory of Light.

[Source: Tor]