The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time, #1)

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The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time #1)

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 102,733 ratings · 4,077 reviews

Life in Emond’s Field has been pretty boring for Rand Al’Thor and his friends until a strange young woman arrives in their village. Moraine is an Aes Sedai, a magician with the ability to wield the One Power, and she brings warnings of a terrible evil awakening in the world. That very night, the village is attacked by bloodthirsty Trollocs—a fearsome tribe of beast-men tho...more

Kindle Edition, 1st Edition, 753 pages

Published September 15th 2000 by Tor Books (first published January 1st 1990)

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Dec 01, 2007 Keely rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, novel, reviewed, american

The first series that showed it was possible to rewrite Tolkien and make a mint was Shannara. After that the doors were flung wide open, and the next to take advantage was Robert Jordan. Of course, all authors take some inspiration from older works, as Virgil did to Homer, and Milton to Virgil--and as Tolkien himself drew on the Norse Eddas and Welsh myths.

But when Tolkien and Virgil set out to write their great works, they expanded and changed what came before, and made it their own with a uniq...more

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May 09, 2012 Joel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Joel by: Brian Halberg

Shelves: paternity-leave

Paternity leave reading for 3 a.m. crying jags. (Mine and hers.)

---

There, Brian. I read it. Are you happy?

My friend Brian has been telling me to read The Wheel of Time for years. It always went like this:

Brian: You should read The Wheel of Time. It's really good.
Me: I've heard that it gets really, really bad.
B: The first seven books are really outstanding.
M: Yeah, I'm not going to read seven books without an ending.
B: The first one is good but the second one is better.
M: Mmm. I don't know.
B: T...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fantasy lovers

Shelves: personal-favourites, fantasy-challenge, favourite-series, fantasy, fantasy-sci-fi-challenge, popularity-contest, wheel-of-time

A 5 star series, 4 stars for this work

“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 again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, and Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning, there are neither Beginnings nor endings to the turning of The Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.”

This is probably in con...more
A 5 star series, 4 stars for this work

“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 again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, and Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning, there are neither Beginnings nor endings to the turning of The Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.”

This is probably in contention as my favourite book series of all time. I don't re-read many books unless I really love them. But I am in the process of re-reading these. That said this book remains for me as a four star novel purely because it is in my view weaker and less original than the accompanying volumes.

This book can be read on its own and I strongly encourage anyone interested in taking up the long series to give this first novel a go. Chances are if you like or love this you'll be interested in the others. If you only find it somewhat appealing I think you'll like the second book even more because from the second and third books the series really comes into its own. So before I pump up the entire series I'll briefly tell you what this novel is about.

In the usual fantasy manner we start out with a sheepherder whose life is interrupted by the arrival of strangers in his village. These strangers turn out to be a magical user and a master warrior. A peddler and a gleeman (a bard) also decide it would be great to arrive at the same time. And then a bunch of Trollocs led by a Myrddraal decide to arrive and reveal who the mysterious strangers truly are. Our main protagonist Rand al'Thor is given his father's sword and told that he is one of three men who was being hunted by the Dark One's minions. As a result to protect his village he has to leave (and this eventually all leads to he and his friends heading towards the Eye of the World). Compared to the later books this is average fantasy fare and hardly unique. But there are the subtle glimpses of how epic this series will become.

For in my opinion there is no other fantasy series as epic as that of The Wheel of Time. It simply cannot be contained in its scope. Even after it was originally meant to be a trilogy it became six books and then ten. Now it will be fourteen books and has lived beyond the lifespan of its original author. And yet the story has lost little of its overall consistency. It is a sprawling world that forms across thirteen books with hundreds upon hundreds of characters that enter the frame. Indeed if you want memory training why not try reading this sprawling and long series?

The premise of the entire series is only hinted at in this first book. That is that the world as our characters then know it has been created by the nameless Creator, a being of physical good, who bound the Dark One (Shai'tan) in a physical prison on this world, held captive by the turning of the metaphysical Wheel of Time. This Wheel is powered by the One Power. The One Power can be tapped by certain adepts called Aes Sedai and is divided into male and female halves called saidin and saidar. This One Power allows for Aes Sedai to weave Fire, Air, Earth, Water and Spirit to attempt various magical things and in past ages create objects of power. The Aes Sedia in the past released the Dark One partially and then rebound him but not before he tainted the male half of the power driving all male Aes Sedai insane. This destroyed the world and led to women holding the ability to channel. However prophecies exist which talk about the Dark One rising again and when he does the Dragon Reborn (a kind of male saviour) will confront and defeat the Dark One. The idea is suggested that because the Wheel keeps turning heroic characters are reborn or reincarnated and the Dark One keeps one being released and rebound in his prison and so it is the Dark One's aim to stop the Wheel of Time turning and have a kind of final Armageddon battle at last. So that is where the entire story leads towards: a massive final reckoning with good and evil.

Robert Jordan draws upon many other fantasy and mythology references and yet he creates something very unique ultimately. His overall vision is huge and massive and hopefully the conclusion is equally satisfying when at last the final and fourteenth book is released. However to this date the other novels have been incredible and visionary. Not to mention that they introduced me to the works of Brandon Sanderson. Be as cynical about this series as you want there's very little that can convince me that this personally is one of the crowning pillars of epic fantasy that focuses on the conflict of good versus evil. And nothing beats this for scope in my mind.

I encourage anyone who is interested in reading this series to start here and see if you like it. If you don't I'd still encourage you to try the second book as that is where the unique elements start to emerge. The third book is better still and if you make it to book six you'll start to see how wonderful the overall story is I hope. There is also a prequel which may catch your eye called New Spring. However if you're not drawn in by book one or two I'd probably admit defeat and say that this is not your kind of book. Anyway it's my aim to re-read all the books by January so I can be up to date with the final book. And hopefully I shall also be able to own the books in the future.

For anyone interested here's a list of all the characters I found and thought was interesting: http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~karlh/cg...(less)

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Apr 03, 2013 Jocelyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jocelyn by: Eric Allen

Shelves: could-ve-improved, interesting-stuff, 3-point-five-stars, not-bad, reviewed, supersize-monster

3.5 stars

A lot of readers of the Eye of the World seem to be in complete opposition to each other to the point when it’s difficult to meet any mutual understanding. That’s probably what got me interested in this book, more than its concept could have, anyway.

A good example would be these two reviews:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

And this discussion, starting with this comment (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...).

I fall somewhere in the midd...more

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Jocelyn Yasiru wrote: "Err... what about the bit where they're being pursued by Shadowspawn and Darkfriends...without Moiraine's protection?"

You mean after th...more Yasiru wrote: "Err... what about the bit where they're being pursued by Shadowspawn and Darkfriends...without Moiraine's protection?"

You mean after the protagonists are separated and no longer have Moiraine there? If that's what you're referring to- well, what I was complaining about was that Moiraine was a constraint on their agency, so if Moiraine's presence (i.e. the cause of said constraint) is removed, then I have nothing to complain about.

"there's the matter of Moiraine being Aes Sedai and the fear and obsequiousness this naturally suggests through lore despite the Two Rivers not having seen one for quite some time.

Besides what Moiraine designs for them and what they're forced to comply with, the boys are also not worldly and hence are hesitant when it comes to interaction with outsiders and decisions in general.

But several key points in the story depend on them deviating and doing what they're not supposed to..."

I'd actually argue that The Two Rivers didn't fear the Aes Sedai so much as they distrusted her. If I remember, the Two Rivers folks weren't compliant to Moiraine, they wanted to get rid of her. When they did eventually comply, it was only by persuasion on Moiraine's part, not by commanding them.

As for being "hesitant to interaction," forcing characters to make difficult decisions they aren't sure of actually makes it all the more interesting. In almost any world where people have agency, making choices is inevitably forced upon them, so a lack of experience with the world shouldn't be some obstruction that prevents them from making choices. Being thrust into something they are unprepared for increases the stakes and makes the story more unpredictable.

And remember, my problems with the characters' lack of agency only lasted for a portion of the story. I never thought that it was a major fault of Jordan's, mostly because it wasn't enough to ruin the story on the whole, and because I thought the problem was resolved well enough for the rest of the book after the party was separated at Shadar Logoth.

"it can also be uncommon perception from the set of viewpoint characters on what those motives you question may be, as the case is here."

"But a significant point here is that these farmboys have no sense of relation for anything very significant, and their ignorance should not be taken at face value..."

That might be true, but the boys are still given a lot of information that would otherwise be inaccessible to them. Jordan uses several vehicles to divulge information about the history of his world (most notably Moiraine, but there are others as well) that, if they didn't exist, the boys would never have found out, so I see no reason why it would be that difficult to introduce Ba'alzamon better, too. The gulf between the boys' narrower point of view and the unknown forces of Jordan's world is frequently bridged, over and over. Their ignorance is not the sole cause of the vagueness of Ba'alzamon's character.(less)
Apr 07, 2013 04:26pm

Yasiru Yasiru wrote: "... the bit where they're being pursued by Shadowspawn and Darkfriends and have little hope of surviving, much less getting to safety,...more
updated Apr 07, 2013 09:30pm

Sep 16, 2010 Alex Telander rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2006

THE WHEEL OF TIME SERIES BY ROBERT JORDAN: I tried. I gave it over two years of my life and I still couldn't keep going till the end. Of course, the real end will probably be book fifteen or twenty or, heaven forbid, twenty-five and up. I'm talking about Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Currently there are eleven books in the series, the latest, Knife of Dream, came out last October. The first book, Eye of the World, started out really well and I felt like I'd discovered a great new epic fa...more THE WHEEL OF TIME SERIES BY ROBERT JORDAN: I tried. I gave it over two years of my life and I still couldn't keep going till the end. Of course, the real end will probably be book fifteen or twenty or, heaven forbid, twenty-five and up. I'm talking about Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Currently there are eleven books in the series, the latest, Knife of Dream, came out last October. The first book, Eye of the World, started out really well and I felt like I'd discovered a great new epic fantasy series similar to that of Lord of the Rings. The first book proved this and I thought it was great; I was also very excited at the notion of there being so many books in the series, with the story still incomplete. The second book, The Great Hunt, while not as mind-mashingly great as the first book, was still a great read, as was the third, The Dragon Reborn, where we find out that the main character is the guy prophesied to save the world, essentially. Eight books from th ere and the big showdown still hasn't come, while Jordan has continued to drag out into the hundreds and thousands of pages scenes, descriptions, and characters bickering at each other about the same thing while repetitively employing their annoying habits, to the point where I feel like I'm reading a children's nursery rhyme. Then there's the whole deal with the main character, Rand, having his undeniable love for three of the women characters, which he is okay with, and which they are okay with, apparently, and are quite willing to share him amongst themselves. I may have kept sloughing through the series better if there'd been a lot less purple prose and books four to ten had been condensed into say books four to six, which would've made more sense and made the stories move along better. Around book five I began spotting the routine the books go through: a few hundred pages of sitting around talking, explaining and regurgitating what's happened in the past books, bitching at each other; then about four hundred pages of people painstakingly crawling from a starting point to a destination (and bear in mind that these people can "travel" through vortexes real fast), and then the last hundred pages is a big action scene. At book seven, Crown of Thorns, halfway through, I decided I'd wasted enough time on Mr. Jordan and his wordiness, so I employed a slow speed-reading method which got me through them a lot faster. In about three days I reached the end of book nine and decided I'd had it and it just wasn't worth any more of my time. At this point I'd been able to summarize each book into three or four sentences, and I'd decided that if I can do that, maybe it's just not worth it and I should put my reading time to something more important that I'd enjoy reading more.

So here I am Mr. Jordan, signing off on your series that held so much promise and crashed and burned like a planet falling into a sun. Oh, and you know what, I'm not the only one who thinks this way. There are other people I know who've given up earlier than me, and others who've not even bothered to start because they know it's going to end bad.

On the plus side, I get to sell all my Robert Jordan books and make money off him!

Sayonara.

If you liked this review, and would like to read more, go to BookBanter.(less)

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Jan 29, 2013 Allison rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, aficionados-best-fantasy-list, epic, i-ve-read-it-more-than-once, own-it-e-book, own-it-hard-copy, insta-love

It's really difficult for me to write an unbiased review of this because there's a fair bit of nostalgia involved for me. I began reading The Wheel of Time in 1995, and it was the first fantasy series that I really fell in love with. It captured my heart and held my imagination for a long, long time. I re-read the series over the years as new books were released up until Robert Jordan died - it was too heartbreaking that he wasn't able to finish it himself and I've waited until the series is fin...more It's really difficult for me to write an unbiased review of this because there's a fair bit of nostalgia involved for me. I began reading The Wheel of Time in 1995, and it was the first fantasy series that I really fell in love with. It captured my heart and held my imagination for a long, long time. I re-read the series over the years as new books were released up until Robert Jordan died - it was too heartbreaking that he wasn't able to finish it himself and I've waited until the series is finished (and the mourning period is over) to read it again.

Even on my 7th time through this 800 page tome (I know, I'm crazy), it had the power to grab me again. There is so much action, so much danger, and I love the feel it has of a world and history much larger than what we are introduced to here (even though we already get a lot!). Even knowing exactly where it was going, I still wasn't bored.

This has everything you could possibly want in a classic, epic fantasy: humble beginnings; reluctant self-discovery; prophecies; creepy, dark, evil enemies of various types; good guys with unknown motivations; a unique magic system; swords and fighting men (and women); memories and relics of old things; cities; remote places; survival on the run; a vast world with many glimpses of what is to come... I could go on and on. This, to me, is Fantasy at its best. There's not just a country or two, a city or two. There are several countries, cultures, peoples, and races that are each vividly described so that it feels like an entire world. You can get completely absorbed in it if you want to. It is so well-developed as the books progress that I almost believe I've been there. I love the feeling of being in this world, and 14 books gives me that long to soak it in.

Another thing I've always enjoyed about The Wheel of Time is that it has both male and female lead characters, and really great supporting ones as well. The female characters can be annoyingly bossy at times, but they are also often sympathetic (depending on whose point of view you're reading at the time). The women are strong, just as strong as the men, and I especially love following Egwene's story in the future out of those we meet in the first volume. I love the variety of characters, and I can never decide whose point of view I like best.

Many people are afraid to start the series because it's so long. I can see how that would be intimidating, and I'm glad I started when there were only 6 books. I believe it ended up so long mainly because the story has more than the usual one or two protagonists. 5 main characters are introduced in this book, as well as a few minor ones. With that many characters, and more to come, 14 books is what it took to play out all their paths in sufficient depth (although I will agree that some of the later books could have been less detailed). I really don't mind the length, though. I love this world. I love to have plenty of time to live in it. I don't claim that it's perfect, but I do believe it's worth some effort. Now that my memory is stirring, I can't wait to relive the rest of it again.(less)

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Oct 22, 2010 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When it comes to cliche expressions, my favorite may be "life's a journey, not a destination." To be honest, I'm a pretty goal-oriented person, but expressions like "life's a journey" remind me to "seize the day" in a way that "take time to smell the roses" or "getting things done" doesn't.

Journeys and destinations are a big part of the fantasy reader's experience. In my humble opinion, the weaker fantasies draw us towards a destination and the better ones allow us to revel in the moment. I thin...more

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Jun 28, 2007 Trevor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fantasy fans who haven't read Tolkien

I really liked this book when i read it, but at that time i had never read anything by J.R.R. Tolkien, except for the first half of The Hobbit, which i have read four times now and for whatever reason never finished. I guess i just didn't like it all that much. So i had planned to spend the next year or two reading the entirity of The Wheel of Time, and this seemed like a strong start. Then Book 4 (The Shadow Rising) sucked and i stopped, and read Lord of the Rings, and now i just view this as a...more I really liked this book when i read it, but at that time i had never read anything by J.R.R. Tolkien, except for the first half of The Hobbit, which i have read four times now and for whatever reason never finished. I guess i just didn't like it all that much. So i had planned to spend the next year or two reading the entirity of The Wheel of Time, and this seemed like a strong start. Then Book 4 (The Shadow Rising) sucked and i stopped, and read Lord of the Rings, and now i just view this as a huge Tolkien ripoff. The creatures + characters are all the same, just with different names: the orcs + Uruk-Hai became Trollocs, the Witch-king himself became a Draghkar, Saron became Ba'alzamon (or, for further cheesiness, his real name is Shai'tan, a terrible pun), Gandalf got split into two as Thom and Moiraine, Aragorn became Lan, Merry + Pippin became Mat and Perrin, Sam became...well, Perrin again, i think, and so on. The first book has a roughly similar plot, what with Frodo trying to get the ring to Mount Doom and Rand trying to get himself to The Eye of the World, in both cases for the purpose of defeating Sauron/Shai'tan.

At least it was well written. The characters were mostly likable (Thom, in particular) and unique. This is one of the main reasons i hated Book 4 so much: all of Jordan's characters became flat. By the time you finish Book 4, there is one male character and one female character, they just have a number of different faces. The men are ignorant morons and the women are irritating bitches. I hate the way that Robert Jordan writes women.

Eh. I guess i haven't really much else to add; my memory's pretty foggy on what happens in which book. But, Book 1 is well enough written, and if you stop at the end of it, there are no loose ends to worry about. Hell, you could probably do the second book and stop there, if you don't mind ignoring a few unanswered questions. But, and i know a number of people will disagree with me on this, however i personally know at least three that will agree, do not go past the third book. Read Lord of the Rings instead.(less)

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Dec 15, 2012 Yasiru rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've long intended to consolidate all the arguments for and defences of this series I've been obliged to give over the last few years since I came across it into a proper and complete review, but it seems that I'm not up to the task at the moment.

However, somewhat recently I had occasion to reiterate many of the points in favour of the series and this first entry in particular that I've offered over the course of my acquaintance with it in response to Keely's review. (I believe my responses begi...more

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Jul 12, 2007 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fantasy fans

Jordan's Wheel of Time series were the best fantasy books I had ever read*, the best pure stories. I wanted to live in the world he created. His descriptions of simple village life and interaction are so rich and wonderful, not to mention his treatment of city life, magic, technology, politics, romance, history, mystery, comedy, food, the battle of the sexes, military life and tactics, cultures and on and on. Just wonderful. I couldn't wait to get home from work and slip into that world. It was...more Jordan's Wheel of Time series were the best fantasy books I had ever read*, the best pure stories. I wanted to live in the world he created. His descriptions of simple village life and interaction are so rich and wonderful, not to mention his treatment of city life, magic, technology, politics, romance, history, mystery, comedy, food, the battle of the sexes, military life and tactics, cultures and on and on. Just wonderful. I couldn't wait to get home from work and slip into that world. It was anguish waiting all those years for each new book to come out. When they did, I couldn't help devouring them immediately. For a while there, I'd go back and reread all of the existing books again in the run-up to each new release. They were that good. I'm sure I'll do it again at some point - read the books all the way through again. Fifteen years I've invested in these books! Reading them over and over.

I do it an injustice to oversimplify it like this, but it is essentially the "unassuming wholesome farm boy turns out to be the Chosen One and must journey with companions to confront the supernatural evil entity" model of story. But it's just massive. Like Star Wars, it has mythological archetypes buried deep within it. Think Joseph Campbell and the hero's journey idea plus character types and situations faintly reflecting those from various cultures' bodies of myth. That makes it so deep and rich and subconsciously resonating. I remember faintly entertaining the paranoid fear that I sure hoped the author didn't die before finishing the series because I couldn't stand not knowing how it ended**. It was that good.

*But then somewhere around book 6 or 7, the series started going down hill. It lost its way, ran out of gas. There were entire books where the various substories just didn't move much. And this one time, maybe book 9, the paper got thicker, the font got larger AND the pagecount went way down. It's like he was really struggling to advance the story. Slavishly I kept buying them and slogging through them. The writing wasn't any less good, it's just that it got frustrating that the story didn't advance.

Finally on the penultimate book in the series, the last one released, it started to pick back up and get better. And he said the following book would finally be the last (12th) one and he'd wrap it all up, though I don't see how he can do it in a single book. The story just got so huge and there are still so many unexplored and unresolved things, there's no way he can do them all justice in a single book.

**Aaaand now he has some super-rare disease, the meds for which make him so fatigued that he can't write much, and the survival rate for which is about 4 years with treatment. So it's not certain that he will live to finish the last book. Arrrrgh. You can't really be selfish about it - I mean, this is a person's life we're talking about. (But still, kind of, arrrgh.)

UPDATE: And now he's dead. Some other author is going to finish the final book though. He will be working with Jordan's extensive notes and the parts of the book Jordan had already written. I don't know how I feel about that but I'm sure I'll read it.(less)

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Jul 14, 2008 'ro Maina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this entire series (as far as I've read into it, at any rate). But then I read the essay "Quality in Epic Fantasy by Alec Austin in Strange Horizons magazine (http://www.strangehorizons.com/) and I found out why I was so drawn into it...and then I was just kinda sad....

Here is an excerpt (emphasis mine):

I will refer to the two easiest means of extending a fantasy series beyond its natural lifespan as the Jordan method and the Eddings method, though neither method is exclusive to...more

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May 01, 2007 Doc Opp rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

You can't really be an epic fantasy fan if you haven't read Robert Jordan. He's part of the "literary canon" of the genre. And for good reason - his first few books in the "wheel of time" series are very well written. He has a lot of nice twists on the standard fantasy archetypes, and the main characters are believable and memorable.

His world has a tremendous amount of detail. And as the series goes on, he adds more plot lines to chronicle what's going on in different parts of the world. This c...more

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Jul 08, 2007 Jack Rudra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fantasy skeptics

This is the first in the longest but not necessarily greatest fantasy epics of all time.

Robert Jordan embarks on a journey with a handful of farmers that will span over 10,000 pages and raise his pitchfork handling characters to the heights of kings.

This book is a fun, exiting, and wonderfully entertaining adventure that leaves you hungry for more. I must warn any reader who picks up this book that Robert Jordan has been diagnosed with a fatal illness and has one book to go before he finishes th...more

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Apr 16, 2011 David Menzies rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although it was glaringly obvious that many ideas in this book were taken from Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings', Christian (especially) or other religious concepts (which often rang loud religious cliché bells) I found it an enjoyable and entertaining fantasy adventure. The world Jordan created, excuse me, 'adapted' was fun and exciting. What would have made it better, for me, would have been a deeper philosophical dialog; however, as far as 'high fantasy' goes, this is one of the best I've read. T...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Denae rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: make-me-nostalgic, recommended-by-a-friend, read-in-youth, re-read-potential, re-read-in-2012, read-multiple-times, challenge-1010-by-2020, read-in-2012

Oh how I loved this when I first read it. I'm finishing out the series out of nostalgia & completionism, but I adored these when I was young. I was highly active on Dragonmount.com at the time. Woo, forum based roleplay. xD

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Nov 28, 2012 Todd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I read this book quickly, non stop, and with relish. Everything Jordan puts into the story matters - every trait each character possesses, every plot twist, every conversation, backstory, setting, it all comes together to make The Wheel of Time flesh out. I have only read the first book and look forward to the rest. The ideas Jordan works with give a tangible sense of epic fantasy I thirst for. My only complaint is that it's a bit soft - after reading A Song of Ice and Fire I seem to expect more...more

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May 17, 2013 Uncommon Sellsword rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

My opinion on The Eye of the World is polarized. Yet, the infamy of its foundation has little effect on me. I for one think the criticisms concerning his nods, allusions and concepts inspired by The Lord of the Rings are overplayed. These, if anything, animate the story. Giving it a vibrant, and at times, a unique setting.

My strongest opinions stretch beyond these aspects however, as I believe Robert Jordan has a lot more to offer than I came to expect.

I have yet to read, or even hear of a fan...more My opinion on The Eye of the World is polarized. Yet, the infamy of its foundation has little effect on me. I for one think the criticisms concerning his nods, allusions and concepts inspired by The Lord of the Rings are overplayed. These, if anything, animate the story. Giving it a vibrant, and at times, a unique setting.

My strongest opinions stretch beyond these aspects however, as I believe Robert Jordan has a lot more to offer than I came to expect.

I have yet to read, or even hear of a fantasy novel that is predominantly original. Yes, the derivation is a little more obvious than most works but Robert Jordan capitalizes upon his source. His ideas, cultures and settings are dynamic and mysterious. They resonate with the characters organically, but never predictably.

Typically, it isn't necessarily the story's length that gets to me but rather the laborious nature of the novel's bulk. Most of the time these sequences are relevant, but pointlessly drawn out and ridiculously indolent. His weaker efforts are remedied with concept however, often offering some creative brain candy for his ponderous inertness.

This novel isn't simply a Lord of the Rings copy. His themes, tropes and concepts surpass the platitude of Edda lore and explores a more politically-savvy rendition of classic mythology and archaic European lore. And though the journey seems like a conventional bildungsroman, I was enthralled by the nature of his world. The erratic magic, the arbitrary species and the vast political structure coerce aptly to the world.

Whereas the Lord of the Rings was more traditional a fantasy tale, where the politics extended only a little past a typical monarchy, magic was far less systematic and the ilks in Middle-Earth were more categorized and less. Unfortunately, the cognitive works of The Lord of the Rings was scarce in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time.

Robert Jordan's subcreation was more vast, so was his bootless concept of a seemingly unquantifiable number of sentient beings. And unfortunately, they plagued a few chapters. Often stirring up a drawn-out conversation that offered plenty of worldly exposition, but little to progress the story or even alter the outlook of any of the protagonists.

Sadly, this bad habit of his persists. As do the meandering mid-novel chapters, where the young heroes are often faced with moral dilemmas that don't amount to anything later on. And though there is a lot of intriguing chapters that are explored, the novel's length seems in vain most of the time.

His length is not an initial problem, but the content which make up this bulk is suspect. For the majority of great epics I've encountered were only as large as they needed to be, and didn't consist of arbitrary contrivances.

My consensus of the novel is slightly blurred. The Eye of the World is a ponderous, often clumsy work of fantasy. He has plenty of clever ideas to atone. Such as a capricious magic system, intricate fantasy concepts and an interesting history to his world. Albeit his tired tropes and old methods, Robert Jordan weaves a well-wrought story.(less)

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Nov 13, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have held off reviewing these books as I know some people love the series as is. I love the first 6 volumes of the Wheel of Time. From volume 7 on the existing books should (in my opinion) be turned over to a good editor for they'd make one good novel...not 5.

When I read this it struck me as the beginning of what could be one of the most amazing fantasy series of all time. The characters were well crafted, the plot well backed and laid out. The world seemed to be "roughly" laid out based on a...more

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Mar 31, 2009 Kat Hooper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Years ago I read the Wheel of Time series up through book 10. Now it's late 2008, Robert Jordan has passed on, and we're expecting the last Wheel of Time book, A Memory of Light in about one year. Brandon Sanderson will be writing it with the help of notes and taped messages left by Jordan, and in consultation with Harriet, Jordan's widow and confidante.

When I read it the first time, I really enjoyed WOT until it bogged down in the middle of the series. In...more ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Years ago I read the Wheel of Time series up through book 10. Now it's late 2008, Robert Jordan has passed on, and we're expecting the last Wheel of Time book, A Memory of Light in about one year. Brandon Sanderson will be writing it with the help of notes and taped messages left by Jordan, and in consultation with Harriet, Jordan's widow and confidante.

When I read it the first time, I really enjoyed WOT until it bogged down in the middle of the series. In fact, I stopped reading it after Crossroads of Twilight. But the story was interesting and exciting (though excruciatingly slow at times) and now I'm quite curious to see how Brandon Sanderson will bring it to an end. So, because I need a refresher on the story, but mainly because I found these books in audio formats, I've decided to re-read them. I would not have had the patience for actually reading them again in print, but I have much more time for listening than reading (and I don't have anything else to listen to right now). So, here goes:

The Eye of the World was just as fun as I remembered it. I still like long adventures where ordinary folks find out that they've got special talents and destinies and that they have to stop the bad guys from taking over the world. And I still enjoy a bildungsroman [bildungsroman: a kind of novel that follows the development of the hero or heroine from childhood or adolescence into adulthood, through a troubled quest for identity]. If you're the type who rolls your eyes at these types of stories, then skip this series.

The Wheel of Time is truly epic in scope -- there's a huge cast of characters, each with their own (though often over-the-top) personalities. Jordan doesn't tell us everything up front -- we're not sure which side some of the characters are on. He also unfolds the history and magic systems little by little, which helps to avoid weighty info-dumps and makes us slowly realize how rich and well-thought out his world is (though I suspect that there are some inconsistencies.)

Jordan is mostly a smooth writer. His style is slow and very descriptive (for example, he frequently gives us the minute details of each character's garb). He uses the third-person intense narrative voice, giving us the internal thoughts of several of the main characters, which produces good characterization. He's got a few annoying habits, however: sometimes words (especially adverbs) are imprecisely used, and he tends to repeat things: there are way too many sniffing ladies, blushing farmboys, hands scrubbing through hair, smiles that don't touch the eyes, people muttering to themselves, skirts being gathered, and innkeepers wiping their hands on their aprons. And how could we forget that Lan's face is all stony planes and that Aes Sedai never lie but the truth they tell you may not be the truth you hear? These little things continue throughout all the books and start to become annoying to the reader.

But still, I was amazed to find myself looking forward to my commute, or folding laundry, or scrubbing toilets, because then I could turn on my MP3 player and listen to The Eye of the World. Even the second time, the story truly is exciting. So, though it's got faults, I've got to give The Eye of the World high marks just for keeping me thoroughly entertained. The audiobook production is excellent -- Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are some of the best readers available.

By the way, if you need a refresher, but don't want to re-read the books before the last one comes out, you can find a recap of the books, including a glossary of characters and a synopsis of who's alive, who's dead, and who's neither, at Dragonmount.com.
Read more Robert Jordan book reviews at Fantasy literature. (less)

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Mar 23, 2009 Brett rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the best book I have read in a long time. One of the main appeals in this book is that it satisfies our longing to be more than we are. That idea parallels Tolkien’s idea of insignificant hobbits performing deeds that shake the foundations of the earth. Although Jordan openly admitted to a little Tolkien emulation, similarities to the Lord of the Rings in no way detract from the grandeur of The Eye of the World. In the basketball world it is difficult to talk about Kobe Bryant without al...more

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Sep 23, 2008 Mika rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me preface this by saying very clearly that I mean no offense to The Wheel of Time fans. It’s just my opinion, yes? Just my humble opinion.

So. Simply put: I hate this book. Somewhat passionately. The Romgi will attest to the fact that while I was reading I would mutter to myself about how ridiculous the plot was or how much I hated dragging myself through all 800+ pages. But I carried on.

The main character, Rand, was so uninteresting that I honestly didn’t care what happened to him, nor do I...more Let me preface this by saying very clearly that I mean no offense to The Wheel of Time fans. It’s just my opinion, yes? Just my humble opinion.

So. Simply put: I hate this book. Somewhat passionately. The Romgi will attest to the fact that while I was reading I would mutter to myself about how ridiculous the plot was or how much I hated dragging myself through all 800+ pages. But I carried on.

The main character, Rand, was so uninteresting that I honestly didn’t care what happened to him, nor do I have any interest in reading any more books in the series to find out if his story continues. I hope it doesn’t. I hope he dies a gruesome and painful death, leaving the entire Wheel of Time world to decay and be overrun by the forces of evil. Having a flawed main character is sort of necessary, but where were Rand’s strengths? He had a few spots of luck, and happened to be traveling with people significantly more talented than he. When he wasn’t protected by others’ cleverness and skill, he was stuck with Mat, who may possibly be the most idiotic character ever created. Perhaps that’s going a bit far. Mat is almost without a doubt the most idiotic character I have ever had to read about. I hate Mat about as much as I hate this book. His sole purpose as a main character is to screw things up for everyone else while being absolutely necessary to the Quest or Mission or whatever. Gosh I hate him.

Ok, there were some ok parts. Things I enjoyed on some level: Perrin (although couldn’t the author think of a name slightly less similar to Peregrin?) and his wolfness; the Tuatha’an (Gypsies); and Loial, an Ogier (basically a redesigned Ent).

The whole book was just such a patchwork collection of ideas and myths and fantasy cliches, like the author had a hat full of slips of paper with possible elements he could use and randomly pulled them out. To be fair, it appears he put quite a bit of thought into connecting everything once it was out, but seriously - Gypsies and yin-yang in the same story? A little weird, don’t you think? Oh yeah, and then there are obvious copies of Orcs and Ringwraiths, which the author intended to be similar. Not creative! Do not give him credit for that!

I feel I’ve gone on long enough. But just in case you didn’t catch my opinion, The Eye of the World has a horribly contrived plot, uninteresting or downright annoying characters, and too many pieces of stories to be worth the many hours of my life that were sucked away by reading it.

Yuck.

P.S. I think Robert Jordan is a lousy writer. Aside from not having enough of his own ideas, he just doesn’t have the literary genius to make this book worth it. The Eye of the World reads like a cheap fantasy book you’d pick up from the $1 bin at a used bookstore, except it happens to be one of the bestselling books ever. Undeservedly so, I think.(less)

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Nov 24, 2011 Zarakoda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, books-i-own, fantasy

After rereading this book for a third time, I have decided that this review needs a drastic makeover. So here we go. Time to trim the overgrown, shaggy hair on this beast, get it a new wardrobe, and maybe add a touch of mascara for subtle aesthetics. (My original review I kept at the end).

I first picked up the Wheel of Time in the seventh grade when I did not even know what I was reading. Literally. This copy had no cover, and it was only the first half of The Eye of the World (why someone would...more

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May 12, 2009 Jon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone with lots of patience and a deep love of epic fantasy

Shelves: epic-fantasy, fantasy, my-favorites, fiction, read-in-my-20s, favorites

Hard to believe I purchased this book 18 years ago in a grocery store. Back then, since I didn't have such a wonderful website to help me find the next great novel to read, I followed cover artists. If a book had cover art by Michael Whelan or Darrell K. Sweet, and was in the fantasy genre, I would scan the synopsis and usually purchase it. And so starts the love/hate relationship I now have with the Wheel of Time series.

When I first started reading this novel, I had no idea that 18 years later...more

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Nov 16, 2007 Maze Martinez rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who love epic fantasy

Shelves: fantasy

There have been many reviews already done for The Eye of the World, as well as the entire Wheel of Time series. If you have read any of them you will probably notice a lot of people just couldn't hang with the series and I would be hard pressed to blame them. It does drag on, and now that the author is deceased, there is no certainty that the final book will ever be released. But I personally have really enjoyed this series.

The Eye of the World, more than any of the other Wheel of Time books, b...more

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Sep 03, 2007 Anton Gaskell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: lord of the rings fans

Shelves: fantasy

I just re-read the series this year. The series is spectacular and the world that Jordan creates is greatly detailed and absorbing. What really makes this series special is the political intrigues, a history to rival the Simarillion and characters that as you read the books build a certain fondness... Personally I like the idea of the void. Its basically the same concept that professionals in sports such as basketball or target shooting where one enters a state of hyper-concentration and the bal...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Gunner McGrath rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-in-audio, own-in-hardcover

People say this series gets slow around book 6 or 7. After reading book 1, I wonder how much slower it can move. The story was good, but there were no great surprises and the exciting parts were few and far between. I suspect that because this book is so influential, much of it feels cliche by today's standards.

Still, it was a good book, and I will continue the series happily, now that I have finally mustered up the motivation to begin the journey.

EDIT: Having now read the first three books, it'...more

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Jun 23, 2007 Grant Kessler rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: ongoingseries

This review is for the entire Wheel of Time series. It is addicting and good. Really good, actually. Robert Jordan is amazing at getting you involved with his characters. Maybe the only downside is that as the series goes there are soooo many characters. Seriously. But i love it anyway. The first three book are the best because they focus more on my favorite characters. I really can't recommend this series more. it is great. He's even been said to equal or surpass Tolkien. I won't go THAT far b...more

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Aug 03, 2008 Brian rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of tract fantasy

Shelves: r_fiction

This book epitomizes my problem with most fantasy books: Lord of the Rings syndrome. A small band of unlikely companions travels about from place to place, either trying to fetch some mythical object or stop some evil force. Sure, the characters are varied and the places are intricately described, but a story consisting of unrelated sensational happenings quickly becomes boring.

The style was done well in Lord of the Rings, fine. But is it necessary for numerous fantasy books to simply mix thing...more

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Jul 03, 2008 Chandra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, josh-books

I went through quite the fantasy kick in my early twenties. I had a lot of hopes for this series and was pretty disappointed. The first book drew me in from the start and I was very excited about the premise, but it started to unravel pretty quickly. Jordan is way too wordy and says what could be said in one sentence in about 10 pages - it's iritating. It's sad when someone has the genius to create such an interesting world and characters and doesn't have the talent to execute. I give this one t...more

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May 21, 2007 Brittany rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: No one on Earth

Shelves: fantasy

This series lures you in. The author is a passable world builder. But the, at some point (for me the ninth book; I'm slow) you realize 1) All the women are cookie cutter characters 2) The only character you liked spent an entire novel buried under a wall 3) The whole series is one long sexual fantasy and 4) The man has written himself into a corner, has no idea where the story is going and is terrified.
That's when I stopped reading, took all the hardback books (it's an addiction) to a second-han...more

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About Robert Jordan

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reily.

Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names Reagan O'Neal and Jackson O'Reily.

Jordan was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He served two tours in Vietnam (from 1968 to 1970) with the United States Army as a helicopter gunner. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with palm. After returning from Vietnam he attended The Citadel where he received an undergraduate degree in physics. After graduating he was employed by the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer. He began writing in 1977. He was a history buff and enjoyed hunting, fishing, sailing, poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting.

He described himself as a "High Church" Episcopalian and received communion more than once a week.[7] He lived with his wife Harriet McDougal, who works as a book editor (currently with Tor Books; she was also Jordan's editor) in a house built in 1797.

Responding to queries on the similarity of some of the concepts in his Wheel of Time books with Freemasonry concepts, Jordan admitted that he was a Freemason. However, "like his father and grandfather," he preferred not to advertise, possibly because of the negative propaganda against Freemasonry. In his own words, "no man in this country should feel in danger because of his beliefs."

On March 23, 2006, Jordan disclosed in a statement that he had been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, and that with treatment, his median life expectancy was four years, though he said he intended to beat the statistics. He later posted on his Dragonmount blog to encourage his fans not to worry about him and that he intended to have a long and fully creative life.

He began chemotherapy treatment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in early April 2006. Jordan was enrolled in a study using the drug Revlimid just approved for multiple myeloma but not yet tested on primary amyloidosis.

Jordan died at approximately 2:45 p.m. EDT on September 16, 2007, and a funeral service was held for him on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Jordan was cremated and his ashes buried in the churchyard of St. James Church in Goose Creek, outside Charleston.
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The Gathering Storm (Wheel of Time, #12; A Memory of Light, #1)

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“In wars, boy, fools kill other fools for foolish causes” — 251 people liked it

“I will hate the man you choose because he isn't me, and love him if he makes you smile.” — 227 people liked it

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