The Eye of the World: Book One of The Wheel of Time

The Review is for this item/edition of the book: Tor Books: January 15, 1990, edition: "First Edition" (but it is not first printing), with Amazon listing the ISBN numbers as: ISBN-10 : 0312850093 and ISBN-13 : 978-0312850098 Hardcover 688 pages. The print size is decent, not small, but would have preferred slightly larger. And line spacing is good, not too close together at all. This book (series) has an almost "Tolkien-like" start, but as the book (and series) progresses, I realized that those familiar elements were really just "the hook". Character development doesn't exactly happen at a break neck pace, in fact this nearly 700 page book is basically just the introduction to the plot, the characters and the vast world that they inhabit. Character development does happen much more noticeably in subsequent books. Character's you may dislike in one book of the series, may become a favorite in another. That's not to say that nothing happens in this book, in fact quite a lot happens in this first installment. Robert Jordan's world building is top notch, seriously top notch, but he might be overly wordy/overly descriptive for some. It took me awhile to begin to appreciate that kind of writing, but that really didn't come into full fruition until I realized that the author was sometimes sneaking in important bits of info into those overly worded descripts. Sneaky. Overall, the book is enjoyable, but if your going to read this be prepared for a 14 book series. At first, I had been put off by so many books to read for a series, but by the time I read the fourth book, I was enjoying it so much that I looked forward to the next installment. That being said, there is a slower part later in the book series which was written around the time that the author was dealing with cardiac amyloidosis. Stick with it though, because the 3 book conclusion of the series more than made up for it. If you are purchasing a "current" edition of this book, it should be mentioned that the bonus prologue chapter entitled "Earlier: Ravens" was not part of the original published work, and you might find the it interrupts the "flow of the narrative" or feels awkward or out of place. "Earlier: Ravens" was written for the Young Adult version of "The Eye of the World", a version that was divided into two books and with "Earlier: Ravens" added to one of them (it also appears in the graphic novel series). I recommend reading the book as the late author originally had published, and skipping "Earlier: Ravens" entirely, or holding off on reading that bonus prologue chapter until much later (perhaps after chapter 20 or 21?). The book is a really good first book in the series, very enjoyable to read. And great news, this book series has already been written and completed to its already published end. In other words don't worry, you wont have to wait until your 5 year old gets his/her degree, before a "6th book" gets published.

i apologize in advance for the length of my review, but given the length of the book, it is warranted. and besides that, this reading was for a challenge, so i think i took on a much more scholarly approach to the write up. i picked this book up without having ever heard of it, which i guess makes me a bad bookish person. next to J.R.R. Tolkien, these are apparently THE books to read if you are a fan of fantasy, which, to my defense, i am generally not. i have read The Lord of the Ri...more i apologize in advance for the length of my review, but given the length of the book, it is warranted. and besides that, this reading was for a challenge, so i think i took on a much more scholarly approach to the write up. i picked this book up without having ever heard of it, which i guess makes me a bad bookish person. next to J.R.R. Tolkien, these are apparently THE books to read if you are a fan of fantasy, which, to my defense, i am generally not. i have read The Lord of the Rings trilogy (good stuff) and the first two books of the Eragon series (not so good), but that's about it. so, i guess my point is, i'm not well versed in this genre and probably never will be. regardless, i eagerly joined into a 2010 challenge hosted by Book Love Affair to read the entire series at the rate of one book per month. given that the books are pretty epic in size and in scope, it is a challenge in every sense of the word. but, if The Eye of the World is any indication of what is to come, i'm sure that i won't be disappointed. the storyline is very Tolkien-esque, about a quaint farming town which is disrupted by something unknown, but very Dark. this brings together the cast and leads them on a cross country journey to, you guessed it, The Eye of the World. the writing style is exquisitely clean and straight forward, with no frills, and it suits the story just right. jordan is able to elaborately and adequately describe a situation, scene, or person without becoming overzealous with his words. he is clearly a master of the written word and it is a real pleasure to read. in this aspect of the writing, i dare say that i prefer jordan to tolkien. every scene just has a zest to it that leaves you breathless. "The mare ran, and the other was more than happy to follow. Anywhere, so long as they could escape the fire from the sky that killed the night." if you love character development, then this is a book that you will just eat up. the characters, despite being overwhelming in number, are genuine and well developed, and wow, can jordan develop a female protagonist?!? before i get to that, let me start with the men, though. jordan constructs strong men, but according to lore, men of this world were at fault for the original sin and therefore, unlike the most powerful women, are unable to touch the One True Source for power. from the strong-willed (i.e. stubborn) farming community women, to the magical Aes Sedai, the women bring a wonderful balance to the story in a way i've never seen. and, regardless of their sex/roles, all of the characters are masterfully woven into the story, making the reading a real delight. in particular, i loved the character development of Perrin, and Rand to a lesser degree. Perrin's stint with the wolf-man and his self-discovery was probably my favorite segment of the book altogether. of the women, i'm particularly drawn to Moiraine, not just for her power, but for her often subdued character and immense strength of will. i can tell that Nynaeve will grow into a character that i'm going to really enjoy. Lan, in one of the most unexpected and revealing scenes in the book, says this of her: "You are a remarkable woman, as beautiful as the sunrise, as fierce as a warrior. You are a lioness, Wisdom." although there is some immaturity in the characters, specifically Mat and Egwene, i think that this will make for some excellent opportunities for character development and maturity in the subsequent books. i'm really looking forward to it. even some of the less mentioned characters had me wrapped around their fingers, notably Tam, Rand's father (maybe) and Elayne, the would-be Queen, who i'm guessing makes a more prominent appearance in later books, though i could be wrong (just a hunch). the scene where Rand falls into the Royal Garden and meets Elayne is one of the most memorable, for me, though i can't really pinpoint why. i could go on and on about the characters, because there were so many and they were so great, but i'll leave it at that. in addition to the richness that is presented in the characters, there is a deeply rooted philosophical framework to the entire world that jordan has built. "The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills" is frequently stated, formed to depict the intricate Pattern that has brought the characters together and the story to life. the Pattern of Ages and the lacing of the threads speak of fate and the ever changing intricacies of the World, something that we can all probably relate to on some level. the other philosophical theme that was present was that of the Flame and the Void, which Rand frequently returns to for self-preservation. "Concentrate on a single flame and feed all your passions into it - fear, hate, anger - until your mind became empty. Become one with the void and you could do anything." one thing that i absolutely loved about the book was the foreshadowing. jordan obviously knew what he was doing far in advance for, i'm guessing, the entire series. there are so many moments when something happens or someone says something that just screams important, but all i could do was tuck it away in a safe place in my brain to remember for later, which of course i couldn't keep up because it happened so often. i found myself flipping pages like a madwoman sometimes, searching for a phrase or a name that had been idly dropped hundreds of pages earlier that now fit into the puzzle. the most obvious of these was Min's predictions early in the groups travels. there were so many little things that i'm sure a re-read of these books would be well worth the effort (maybe a 2011 book challenge?). despite the length (about 700 pages), i never found myself bored with the story, although it did take about 70-80 pages for the storyline to develop to any real plot changers. if you tried and gave up in the first 50 pages, try again! it is very much worth the wait and i would highly recommend it to anyone.

Upon finishing Gorge RR Martins "A Song of Ice and Fire" a friend recommended that I read one of the all-time classics of the fantasy genera, The Wheel of Time. Upon reading up on the series, and looking up the reviews for the first book, I was very much intrigued. By all accounts it seemed to take what were obviously omissions in the world Tolkien created and create a world that focused on these topics (such as industry, farming, technology, etc) to a much greater degree. However, upon reading the first book I can't help but think that Robert Jordan just copied and pasted the first half of the Fellowship of the Ring and transplanted that into the first quarter of The Eye of the World. Though written in a unique style and very well paced, this book and Fellowship read eerily similar for about the first quarter. Let me elaborate. Rand (Frodo) is a simple farm boy living in an isolated town of Edmond's Field (Hobbiton) in an isolated region known as the Two Rivers (The Shire) far away from the troubles of the world. While the forces of the Dark Lord do battle with the kingdoms of earth far away, in Edmonds field it is a time to celebrate the coming of spring with a huge party, very reminiscent of the birthday thrown for Bilbo Baggins. But the party is cut short as the town comes under attack by legions of Trollocs (Orcs on steroids) led by... God, really? Ringwraiths? He had to steal the Ringwraiths too? Okay, they're called Fades here, but seriously except for them being ten times weaker and 100 times less menacing, these Fades might as well be Ringwraiths. They even suffer from a fear of water, good God did Jordan not think we would put two and two together? Even the ferry scene from Fellowship is in this book. Needless to say, as a huge Lord of the Rings fan, I wasn't too fond of seeing Tolkiens work in Jordans story. The first quarter of this book is a re-hash of plots and themes from Fellowship. It's not until the party gets separated in Moria (I'm sorry, Shadar Logoth) that this story really comes into its own. From that point the Lord of the Rings clone disappears, and a uniquely fun story starts to take its place. It's during this time, when the members of the "Fellowship" are forced to survive without the help of the immensely powerful wizard Moiraine and her... Aragon look alike companion Lan, that the real tension starts to build. While in the company of Moiraine and Lan I never felt like the other characters were in any danger, as these two could easily take on hundreds of Trollocs and dozens of Fades without seeming to break a sweat. So when Rand and his best friend Mat encounter Darkfriends (servants of the Dark Lord) on their own there was real tension there. Before you start thinking I didn't like the book, let me says this. The Eye of the World is an extremely well written, well-paced tale with mostly good characters, a few really impressive moments, and a massive world that I'm dying to learn more about in the next... dear god, TWELVE books? And I was complaining that Martins series goes on forever, seems I'm in for the long hall in this one. The male characters are all written very well and likable. They written more in the Tolkien style without being straight up copies (mostly) as opposed to the way Martin writes. Rand is your typical young "chosen one" who has responsibility thrust upon him he doesn't want or understand, and yet must rise to meet the challenges of, what else, saving the world. It's not terribly original, but it is done very well which makes up for that. Mat and Perrin, his best friends, are also important but in what way will only be make clear in the following books. Mat is a smart ass, always playing tricks on people, never taking anything really seriously, and for this everyone seems to underestimate him. In a pinch though, Mat can be just as strong as any of the others. I think he was my favorite character overall as his humor and light hardheartedness gave me a welcome break from the dark and dreary of the rest of the story. Perrin, likewise is very likable, and plays as a counterweight to Mat's playfulness. Always stern and serious, Perrin serves as the voice of reason for the Edmond Fielders throughout the series. Overall, yes, I really liked the male characters. But wait, the male characters? Aren't there any female characters here? Well yes, very prominent ones in fact, the problem is that almost every single one of them is a real bitch. I don't know if Jordan doesn't like women, or doesn't get women, or styled all the women in this book after one he knew in real life, but they all have that snotty "I'm better and smarter then you" attitude towards their male counterparts. They are self-righteous, arrogant, snobby little wenches and I couldn't stand a one of them. On occasion we'll get a glimpse of weakness from them or a break from the arrogance they are always excreting, but it's not nearly enough to make up for just how unlikeable they are. And don't tell me I didn't like them because they didn't fall into set gender roles, or because they are strong women in a genera dominated by men. Don't give me that nonsense. No, it's because they are badly written characters, and that's it. Overall Jordan has a very good story going here with strong male characters, an engrossing world, and a style that drew me in very quickly and made me feel right at home. I very much enjoyed reading most parts of this book despite my criticisms, and though I don't think this is anywhere near the level of consistent quality I receive from Tolkien or Martin, it is still a fine read and I look forward to reading more.

(WARNING THE FOLLOWING IS LONG) Got a book to pass the time while I wait for power to return to Puerto Rico. This is the first book I ever read for pleasure. (No, i don't mean this is literally the first time I've read for pleasure.) I've read the entire 14 book series and 1 encyclopedia. I've read this book three times, going on fourth. The first in the series. It's like The Hobbit but much more adult and dark. I think the writing is better too. (I'm not really a Tolkien fan too much. Good story. Bad writing. #shotsfired) Funny story: I never intended to read this book. I wanted money from my great grandma Deeder (Great Deeder we called her). For a toy or something, I forget. But she didn't want to give it to me. So me binge a sly kid I thought, "ok, an educational gift the: a book." And I'd return it later for the cash and buy whatever I wanted. So I went into Barnes and Noble and picked a book up totally at random, checking only that the price was about the amount of cash I had wanted. She paid for the book. I went home and it sat on a shelf for months. Later on, I got really sick and stayed home from school. I decided to read it because I had nothing else to do and was on the toilet a lot. When I picked it up, the cover was literally was covered in thick dust. Disgusting. I cleaned it up and started reading. ...and reading. And four hours later I stopped. I remember it was four hours because I was shocked that it was 5PM and dinner and I was a little hungry. I couldn't put it down. I loved it. And the lessons it taught me and it's new ways of thinking molded who I became as a person. "Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain," became my motto for how to soldier and lead. And so many others. I loved the characters. I literally cried for them in moments of pain or death. Even minor characters are people you know. And I laughed out loud at jokes. Got excited in moments of lust or chase. Even felt genuine fear. Robert Jordan (James Oliver Rigney, Jr.) was an amazing man too. A taste for the fine old things. Pipes. Hats. Chess. History. He was also a military school guy (like me) at Virginia Military Institute (VMI). And part of the reason I went to military college (NMMI) myself and why I excelled in JROTC in high school. Even into my Regular Army career as Combat Medic (68W) and how I approached medicine and bedside manner (thanks Yellow Ajah and the Band of the Red Hand). Not just his example, but the examples of his characters that inspired me to lead and to be uncompromising in my self discipline, especially honor. Tragically Jordan died before he finished the books and the last three (or four) were written by his chosen successor Brandon Sanderson (who I had never heard of). And in fact Sanderson was surprised that Jordan wanted him to be his ghost writer. What a huge responsibility to finish the story that fans had been reading literally for more than a decade. I eagerly awaited each new book and when I first started reading there were only four or five, I think. I convinced my brother to read it too and he also became addicted. We would talk about the different theories and ask questions. It was exciting! Sanderson did an incredible job. I could not even tell that the writer's voice had changed. He used very detailed notes and talks with Jordan's wife, Harriet (for whom the first book is dedicated). Fans are waiting for the movies to be made. But that's been passed around for years to different studios and directors. It can't be done cheaply or wrong (like the Wizard's First Rule tv series for instance that sucked but the books were amazing by Terry Goodkind). Better no film than a bad one. Anyway, I got it again to pass the time. It's fun to revisit it from a more adult mindset and with the full knowledge of the 14 novel series. Things I overlooked or seemed unimportant now jump off the page. That sly devil, I think. He knew all along! And there are still unsolved mysteries that are debatable and interesting fan theories and even beautiful fan art. I could not more strongly recommend this book and the entire Wheel of Time series. I'm not being hysterical when I say it made me who I am. I feel like Jordan and his characters were some of my most important mentors. I perhaps never would have learned to love reading without this book. Any other Jordan fans out there? Tell me about your story.

"The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time." While this short description gives you an idea of what the series as a whole is about, I feel like if you haven’t heard about this series or know what it involves it may be a little too vague. So, as a little bit more information about the first book, we start in a little village where we meet our characters Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, and Nynaeve who are from the village, and Moiraine and Lan, who are outsiders. I know it sounds like a lot of characters, but trust me. The way that this flows from each perspective is so seamless and you can instantly tell which character you are reading from. On a seemingly normal day, Trollocs (strange, evil, human/animal hybrids) attack their village and our group is faced with the fact that the forces of the Dark One are not just scary stories told to keep children in line. Our naïve villagers then have the (first) shock of their lives when they discover that Moiraine is an Aes Sedai and Lan is her Warder. In this world, Aes Sedai are wielders of the One Power and are seen as the reason everything goes wrong in the world, and Warders are their warrior companions. Moiraine then whisks the three boys (Rand, Mat and Perrin) away from the village to protect the village from the Trollocs as she believes that they are after the three of them. What follows is an adventure of epic proportions. I know from listening to many videos and podcasts surrounding this world that Robert Jordan has created that he meant for this first book to be heavily inspired by Lord of the Rings, and while reading that you can clearly see the influences. For me that wasn’t a bad thing as I ADORE Lord of the Rings, but keep that in mind going into this book. I think that Jordan still added in enough original ideas that makes this such a compelling read. Don’t hold it’s similarities to LOTR against it, because this book is SO MUCH MORE than that. However, even though there are tons of similarities between the two series, I think the way that this book was done still made it stand out and made me eager to read more. The writing style is easy to grasp and even though these are some fairly long books, they go by so quickly. I am a HUGE fan of details and descriptions, and this book has all of that. In that aspect, I think it is similar to Game of Thrones, but in a more exciting way. Both series gives incredible detail, foreshadowing and nuances, but while some of the descriptions in GOT can be a little dry, that isn’t what happens with The Eye of the World. And a nice thing about the book is that there is a glossary in the back of the book to help keep all the names and descriptions straight, which is super helpful but doesn’t give away anything that you don’t already know from reading. And if you start this book and the prologue seems confusing (which it definitely can, if you aren’t expecting it) just keep going and everything is explained and you realize just how important that prologue is, and how much more important it will become in later books. Other than everything I’ve already mentioned, the one other thing that made me want to devour this book was the way that everything is revealed over the course of the entire book. You just want to keep reading to learn more about this amazing world that Robert Jordan has created, and for once, I don’t think 14 books in a series intimidates me because I just want to know everything about this series and these characters. Like, this puts my obsession with LOTR and GOT to shame. If you are one of those people who obsessively Googles everything about either of those series, you will want to do the same with this one. There is a reason this book and series is almost always included in the top 5 of any fantasy series list, and has sold millions of copies. It really is that good. So basically, if you like any combination of the following, this book is definitely for you: •complex friendships and character development •the “Chosen One” but you don’t know which character is the Chosen One •complex magic systems that have a specific source, and some people are born with innate abilities to use this magic •Background and details, details, details •Diverse races and characters •Bonding with animals •Epic quests (think Bilbo Baggins going on an adventure out of his element) •Vast world building •Game of Thrones but MORE •Lord of the Rings but MORE •Anything by Brandon Sanderson (who is a huge fan and wrote the last three books in this series after Robert Jordan passed away) •Fantasy •Books •Breathing See more reviews at meltingpages.wordpress.com

I've always wanted to read this series but have been putting it off for a very long time it feels. Part of it is I like to read books in one go. This book series is known to be very long at times for longer than average at least. But I enjoy such works and have wanted to have a block of time to truly enjoy it. Recently I begin truck driving again and decided that since I've already purchased The E books I might as well listen to it as well. The audible version is voice by 2 great voice actors who I recognized from Brandon Sanderson's series The Way of Kings. He was introduced to them when he finished up the last 2 books of this Epic fantasy series because of the passing of Robert Jordan. One thing I am grateful for is that Robert Jordan Knew he was not going to be alive perhaps to finish the series so he planned it out in such a way that his vision of the story would be complete nonetheless. The 1st book, like the entire series, is told from a third-person point of view. Here in book 1 the cast of characters is relatively small, but the story is expensive though out and exciting. I know later on in the series that many characters are introduced But you're given time with each book to get to know the characters and become familiar with them as the story grows. Or at least that is the feel of it here. There are many plotlines in which you are never quite sure exactly what the full truth of the situation is. I cannot wait to see what book 2 has in store. For this, there is plenty of action exciting, and scary moments for the characters, as well as some bittersweet romance at times. It has humor and even some uncomfortable moments as you get to know characters and care for them And have to worry about whether or not they can make it or stay true to themselves. The language is clean,with made up in world curse words or phrases that add instead of subtract. Overall I think young adults and above can easily read it as well as preteens But there are some scary moments that may be too much for children. Overall this series has been known by meaning and I've delayed for far too long to read it. At least with my job truck driving at the moment, I will be able to listen to it as the miles go by. With the tremendous voice acting, I cannot deny that there were times in which I felt chills As the story progressed. (Edit, A few months have passed, and am I deep in the series. If it was not for the job i have i would have burned through it already. As is I am more than half through with a covid vacation ahead of me so plenty of time to read. I want to say that the series has remained strong to a point but does suffer from too many characters. In the early books, the author moves the focus away from some characters while majors changes happen to them and in them. When we next meet up with the character pov he does not feel like that same character at all. Truthfully what I mean to say is that this fantasy series if fun and interesting but it is not the typical hero's journeys story. We keep the same characters with some good additions and get to vast story that is caste throughout the land. In a Space opera, we see a story cast through worlds, in then it is a Epic Fantasy Opra set in one vast world with unique kingdoms, cities, and histories. There is a lot but it is worth for the diligent reader. )

Robert Jordan’s The Eye of the World is the opening movement in what would become one of fantasy literature’s most ambitious symphonies: The Wheel of Time. Epic, in every sense of the word, this first book lays the groundwork for a series that, while not perfect in its parts, ascends to greatness in its whole. Many critics over the years have lazily dismissed Jordan as derivative—claiming he borrowed heavily from Tolkien or echoed familiar fantasy tropes. But that was often the surface-level reading of someone who hadn’t actually engaged with the material. Jordan didn’t borrow so much as he built—layer by layer, word upon word, and world upon world—until his vision stood on foundations entirely his own. If he borrowed from anywhere, it wasn’t Middle-earth, but the cadence and color of Southern idioms, turns of phrase, and speech patterns. And that wasn’t theft. It was texture. The real originality lay deeper: in his intricate sociopolitical dynamics, the mythic architecture of his magic system, and the grand thematic resonance of the Pattern itself. Tropes? Of course. They’re nearly inescapable in genre fiction. But Jordan reshaped them into something distinctly his own. That said, The Eye of the World is not without its failings. My three primary criticisms—ones that echo through this first installment more loudly than in later books—are Jordan’s tendency toward overindulgent exposition, erratic pacing, and uneven characterization. At times, the prose buckles under the weight of its own worldbuilding, and the narrative slows to a crawl. Then, just as suddenly, it lurches forward with barely enough time to catch your breath. Some of the female characters walk the line between archetype and caricature, often coming across as domineering or inscrutably perfect—early examples of the “strong female lead” pushed to implausibility. But Jordan, to his credit, was ahead of his time in writing powerful women into central roles long before it became trend or controversy. Power fantasy, after all, has its place—until it doesn’t. And here, it occasionally overstays its welcome. There’s also a strange distance in how romance is handled—an emotional undercurrent that never quite crests, teetering on the edge of meaningful connection but never fully realized. It isn’t quite a flaw, but rather a curiosity: one wonders why such a skilled builder of worlds struggled to convincingly connect the hearts within them. Male characters, especially early on, often read as reactive and naïve—a feature that, without later context, could be mistaken for weakness. I believe this portrayal was partly responsible for Amazon’s radical reinterpretation in their adaptation—an effort I consider more reinvention than homage. And yet, despite all of this, I cannot dismiss this book—nor would I want to. Because for every plodding page, there is one that soars. For every clumsy metaphor or overlong description, there is a line, a moment, a revelation that reminds you why you turned the page to begin with. Jordan’s vision was sprawling and patient. This isn’t fast food fantasy. It’s a slow-cooked meal. And sometimes, it takes a while before the flavors settle in. Reading it again now—almost two decades after I first encountered it as a wide-eyed graduate—I see the seams more clearly. The awkward phrasing. The places where grammar slipped through the cracks. The indulgent repetition. But I also see something rarer: a literary voice unafraid to stretch itself over hundreds of pages, trusting the reader to walk beside it, not sprint ahead. The prologue alone, even after all these years, still gives me chills. That timeless, mythic tone—layered with dread, grandeur, and inevitability—is the kind of writing that stays with you long after you close the book. It’s the kind of tone most modern fantasy doesn’t even attempt to reach anymore. So yes, I critique. But I also admire. And more importantly—I recommend. Not because the first book is flawless. It isn’t. But because it leads somewhere worth going. And if you gave Jordan the time, he rewarded your patience. Like a seasoned preacher laying out his gospel, Jordan drew you in—not with cheap thrills or shallow tricks—but with the steady rhythm of a storyteller who understood that some truths take time. In the end, I rate The Eye of the World a 4 out of 5. Not because it stands as a perfect novel on its own, but because it began something greater. The Wheel of Time series as a whole absolutely belongs in the same breath as Tolkien and Martin—not for its polish, but for its sheer scope, its heart, and its refusal to compromise. Fair warning: this is a slow burn. But not all fires are meant to blaze quickly. Some are meant to smolder—quietly, deliberately—until they catch and consume. And this one? It burns in its own Time.

It's hard for me to review this book, and only this book, objectively, b/c: 1. WoT is my favorite high fantasy series. Ever. 2. I've read the first eight books seven or eight times, maybe more (*whispers* I honestly don't know how many times I've read them). DON'T JUDGE. The first time, I was nineteen. Ish. I read all of the available books, back-to-back, schoolwork be damned. Then I read them again. YES, really. And I loved them even more the second time. I thrive on detail, you see. And Robert Jordan was a master of details. I caught so many previously missed foreshadowings, clevernesses, nuances, etc. that had flown right over my head the first time. It was spectacular. Like when Thom, Mat, and Rand jumped aboard Bayle Domon's ship, and Thom spun a tale for the captain, explaining how they happened to come upon his ship with Trollocs (nasty man-beast things) on their heels: "Now it just so happened that he had earlier learned the location of Aridhol from a map given him many years ago by a dying friend in Illian whose life he had once saved . . . " B/c didn't know it at the time, but Domon is an . . . wait for it . . . Illianer. *tips hat* The whole series is FULL of things like that. Rand al'Thor, Mat Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara are three young men on the cusp of adulthood. They live in Emond's Field, where they have small village concerns and small village lives. But when the previously mentioned Trollocs: [image of Trollocs] attack their village, it forces them to accept that such creatures of the Dark One are not mere stories made up to scare children. And when the two strangers who arrived just prior to the attack turn out to be an Aes Sedai (wielder of the One Power) and her Warder (warrior/protector), the manboys learn that a small village life is not in the cards for them (HA!) and are forced to leave their homes to protect their families from the Great Lord of the Dark's minions, who won't stop until all three are in their master's grasp. Jordan does an excellent job of keeping you guessing: which manboy is the Dark One after and why? Is it really just the one, or is it all of them? If it is all of them, are they all equally important, or do the degrees vary? WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?! B/c this is not a simple story. And one thing we do know is that Rand, Perrin, and Mat are ta'veren, and as such they unwittingly pull others into their quest: a so-much-more-than-a-simple gleeman whose past regrets dictate his future actions, a young Ogier whose curiosity and wanderlust led him to leave his peaceful stedding home to see the things he's spent his life reading about, Rand's sweetheart who refuses to be left behind and longs to become an Aes Sedai herself, and the village Wisdom who feels compelled to both protect the young people from Aes Sedai machinations and also to break through the Warder's walls. Among many others. Each and every one of them vital in their own way. Also vital are the multitudes of seemingly random observations and commentary that in reality are the foundations of awesomeness to come. THESE BOOKS . . . layers and layers and still more layers. It's truly incredible. And despite having read The Eye of the World so many times that I practically have it memorized, I have yet to grow immune to the very real and heartbreaking struggles that many of the characters face. Whether it's Rand's terrible journey from his farm in the Westwood to Emond's Field, dragging his injured father to safety, Loial's treesong to preserve a small part of his Treebrother's sanctuary in the Blight, or Nynaeve's yearning for a man bound to a never-ending battle that he cannot win . . . I still feel it. *rubs fist over heart* Deeply. And if you are unaffected by Moiraine's tale of the long fallen Manetheren: "But some did not flee. First in a trickle, then a river, then a flood, men went, not to safety, but to join the army fighting for their land. Shepherds with bows, and farmers with pitchforks, and woodsmen with axes. Women went, too, shouldering what weapons they could find and marching side by side with their men. No one made that journey who did not know they would never return. But it was their land. It had been their fathers', and it would be their children's, and they went to pay the price for it. Not a step of ground was given up until it was soaked with blood." then you have only a black, shriveled thing in your chest cavity. SO. As daunting as this series may be (and I will never deny that it is daunting) . . . if you are a lover of fantasy, and you haven't read Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, you are doing yourself a major disservice. The Eye of the World has the best prologue I've ever read IN MY LIFE, so I challenge you to read it. It's just a prologue. And if you don't feel the need to see what happens next, then hey . . . all you're out is the 15 minutes it took you to read it. ALSO, no one is holding a gun to your head. There's no law that says once you start, you can't stop until THE END. Take your time. Enjoy it. Or don't. Whatever. But my recommendation is that you do. These are the books that spawned my love of reading fantastical things as a adult.

I've never made contact with big fantasy series like "The Lord of the Rings", so this book was my first of a big series. And after months of reading, I conclude that it was completely worth it to take the time and strength to read it. Robert Jordan's style is very detailed in my opinion, which can make it hard for some people, but this was what I really liked about it. The characters and lore of this world are very, very good, and all just work with one another. This is by far the best book I've ever read.

Étant donné le retard plus qu’agaçant du tome 6 de Game of Thrones et étant orienté SF/Fantasy, j'ai pu découvrir la roue du temps (Wheel of Time) par hasard. Suite au visionnage de quelques chroniques et lecture d'avis sur le net je me suis donc lancé dans l'achat non pas du 1er tome "The Eye of the World" mais bien des 14 tomes de la saga! petit craquage? et bien non. Ayant plutôt une lecture lente, je me suis surpris en lisant les presque 800 pages en 3 semaines, littéralement absorbé par l'histoire. Robert Jordan propose dans ce premier tome un univers assez similaire à la Communauté de l'anneau de JRR Tolkien: un groupe constitué du héro Rand al'Thor, simple berger qui va devenir le centre de l'intrigue. Entouré de Mat, Perrin, Nynaeve, Egwene ainsi que d'un binôme composé de l'Aes Sedai Moiraine et de son gardien Lan, celui-ci va devoir poursuivre une quête afin d'éviter le retour du Dark One "Ba'alzamon". Sur son chemin, hordes de Trollocs guidées par des "Fades" et "Myrddraal", passage dans des lieux mystiques ou règne le mal... chaque personnage à son utilité. Fan de la saga "A Song of Ice and Fire" de GRR Martin, j'ai trouvé ici un univers potentiellement beaucoup plus étendu que celui de Westeros avec une écriture parfois littéralement plus impregnante, mais aussi parfois trop détaillée. 5 étoiles sur 5 pour ce premier tome sans hésiter.

The Wheel of Time turns and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes once again . . . so begins one of the most famous book series of all time, not just in the fantasy genre. It is a truly epic story written by one of the masters. Inspiring many modern day fantasy writers including Patrick Rothfuss and the man who would finish off Robert Jordan’s masterpiece due to the King’s untimely demise, Brandon Sanderson, it is a remarkable tale that built upon the fantasy elements that already existed within the genre, created mainly by the likes of Tolkien and his friend C S Lewis, a long with the old Viking and mythological myths that had existed for many centuries before Robert Jordan took up his pen to write his magnum opus, his masterpiece. The first book in the series, The Eye of the World, is a splendid tale that draws the reader in right from the get go. Starting out with a history of about 3000 years, once the prologue has wet the readers appetite with the creation of Dragonmount, the fall of the last Dragon, the last male Aes Sedai, Lews Therin Telamon, at the hands of the Dark One, we fast forward to the beginning of our story which takes place in a small village called Two Rivers, where our heroes our slowly introduced: the main protagonist Rand Al Thor, his friends, the cheeky Mat Cauthon, the tall, brooding Perrin, the girl he is supposed to marry, Egwene and the Wisdom, a young woman sort of representing a medicine woman, Nynaeve. What I love so much about this series right away is how fantastic and real the characters are. When I have read fantasy in the past (barring the Lord of the Rings), I have always felt that you had the main character and the rest were just filler; Robert Jordan doesn’t treat any of the characters as if they are just there to fill in the pieces – each character is as important as the next and as we get on with the novel, you feel like you get to know them a little bit more and they then become like your friends. This is a hard task to pull off but Robert Jordan does it with such panache that you feel like you are in the hands of not just a master storyteller but also a master writer. When the novel begins, you get from the very get go that there is a sense of something being very wrong. A mysterious figure follows the three boys, a dark figure who’s cloak does not blow in the wind. This adds a real sense of mystery to the plot, the reader not only wondering who the dark figure is, but as the figure appears to the three boys, the reader is left wondering who the main protagonist is going to be. Not only does a dark figure appear but also a Peddlar named Padan Fain, a funny little creature who goes on to be someone to watch out for, a Gleeman (a teller of stories named Thom who is one of my favourite characters) and an Aes Sedai (Moraine) and her warder (Lan). As the village prepares for Winternight, one of the most exciting nights of the year, they are attacked by hellish creatures known as Trollics, and their horrific masters the Myrdrall. This is what sets off the main story, our main characters having to leave the village and head off towards Tar Valon, the Aes Sedai’s Kingdom so they might escape the Dark One and stop him from breaking from his prison where has been trapped for centuries. Many adventures take place and things happen that not only surprise our characters, but the reader. It is a magnificent story that sets up the rest of the series very nicely. One of the things I really loved about this book was the reality of it. Yes, it is set in a fantasy world, but I felt as if everything in this novel could be really happening. It is like a story that took place a very long time ago, a lost world that we are only just discovering now. Another thing I really liked was the vastness of the world and how different each character and culture was. There is a story going round that says Robert Jordan had a room full of notes, detailing every single character that appears in the Wheel of Time, knowing their entire backstory and feelings, their world and who they really were, even if that character only appears in one line. After having read just the first novel in the series, I can very well believe that. I feel like I am in the hands of a writer who knows this world like the back of his hand, that if I were to ask him any question, he would be able to answer in great detail. Another thing I really like is that the characters have so many flaws, like real human beings. I have read a few fantasy novels and I hate it when characters are all perfect and they do everything right. That is so boring. The reason these characters are so real and you fall in love with them is that Robert Jordan has made them real people. They do things half the time where you start to think, why are you doing this? What is wrong with you? When you take the time to sit there and think about it, you start to realise that if you were in that situation, you’d probably do the same thing as well. Another reason Robert Jordan is a genius is because rather than taking an entire novel to write from the point of view of just one character, there are different chapters that are told from the point of view of so many characters. For example, one chapter would be told from Rand’s perspective, and the next one from Perrin’s. This book was written about six years before George RR Martin did the same thing with his A Song of Ice and Fire novels. I’m glad that he just didn’t stick with one character’s perspective because if you do that, you never see the vastness and detail of the world. As Brandon Sanderson once said, “one character will look at a river that is different from how another character would look at a river which would be different from how a third character would look at a river.” This only makes the novel seem more real and enjoyable to read. A lot of emphasis has been written on the comparisons with Tolkien. I am a major fan of the Lord of the Rings but I feel like I am reading a completely different book. Robert Jordan once said that he created Two Rivers to be like the Shire. Okay, they are both small villages where innocent, out-of-the-way people live that don’t know of the real danger that lurks out in the big world, but as far as I am concerned that’s where that comparison ends. Yes, it does include a large set of characters going on a long journey, but the characters and journey are so different that Tolkien doesn’t even come to my mind as I am reading it. There is a great quote that says “With the Wheel of Time, Jordan has come to dominate the world Tolkien began to unveil”. I take that as meaning that the themes and greatness that Tolkien began in the fantasy genre has been taken even further and modernised with Jordan’s “Wheel of Time series” After hearing what this series was about, I was very interested in sitting down to read it, but the length of the series did, I admit, put me off just a bit. It needn’t of done. Robert Jordan doesn’t spend about two hundred pages before getting to the story – you are gripped right from the get go. You want to find out what happens next, you want to keep following your new friends and family on their travels and experience everything with them. I usually take awhile reading fantasy novels, but I flew through this one. I could not put it down and every time a chapter ended, I just thought “oh maybe one more”. What better praise can be given to a book of this scope? I finished the “Eye of the World” last night and it blew me away. I cannot wait to start reading the next entry in the series, “The Great Hunt”. I would highly recommend this series to fantasy fans and those who want to start reading fantasy. It is an enjoyable tale that never stops and keeps you guessing at every turn. It has got the most wonderful set of characters I have ever read and it has now become one of my favourite series of all time. It will take me a while to finish the series, but it’ll be worth it and if they are just as good as this novel then I am in for a fantastic ride. The Wheel of Time will continue to turn and so will the pages of my books as I endure Robert Jordan’s great genius.

Not review for.the book. The cover was bent out of shape. Very disappointed

Es un libro bellísimo llegó en perfectas condiciones