It's only been a few days since Prime Video aired the season 3 finale of The Wheel of Time, and we're already missing it. Over the course of eight episodes, the third series of this sweeping fantasy series established itself as the premiere fantasy saga on television, with massive battles, beautiful magic, stunning locations, fantastic writing and acting, and a stellar cast who embody the characters from the book series perfectly. It was as good a season of fantasy TV as any in recent memory.
Now our long wait begins. As of this writing, The Wheel of Time has not yet been renewed by co-producers Amazon and Sony. Star Josha Stradowski previously said he was "confident" the show would get renewed, but without an official announcement, the anxiety remains.
Fortunately, there's a perfect way to bide your time: reading the book series. If you've enjoyed the television show and are curious about the books, now's an ideal moment to dig into them and deepen your understanding of The Wheel of Time world.
There are 15 Wheel of Time books total, including the prequel novel New Spring. That works out to around 4,400,000 words, enough to keep even the most voracious reader occupied for quite a while!
Written by Robert Jordan, The Wheel of Time was one of the premiere fantasy series of the 1990s and early 2000s, and carved out a special place in the hearts of many readers for its long narrative, which gave fans lots of time with characters they grew to love. Jordan passed away in 2007; after that, Mistborn author Brandon Sanderson was selected by Jordan's widow (and editor) to finish off the series. Sanderson wrote the final three volumes.
What's the best reading order for The Wheel of Time?
The Wheel of Time is a completely linear series, so it must be read in order if you want to fully understand what's happening. Here's the best order to read The Wheel of Time:
- The Eye of the World (1990)
- The Great Hunt (1990)
- The Dragon Reborn (1991)
- The Shadow Rising (1992)
- The Fires of Heaven (1993)
- Lord of Chaos (1994)
- A Crown of Swords (1996)
- The Path of Daggers (1998)
- Winter's Heart (2000)
- Crossroads of Twilight (2003)
- New Spring (2004)*
- Knife of Dreams (2005)
- The Gathering Storm (2009)
- Towers of Midnight (2010)
- A Memory of Light (2013)
You may have noticed that the prequel novel New Spring has an asterisk next to it. In the order above, New Spring is slotted in according to the date it was published, between Crossroads of Twilight and Knife of Dreams. In my opinion, that is the ideal time to read the book, because there are characters and plot elements in it which aren't introduced until later in the series. When in doubt, publication order is your friend!
But since New Spring is a prequel, many readers opt to slot it into their reading schedule in other places. Reading it after A Memory of Light can be a nice way to revisit the series with a smaller book after you finish the main tale. If you've already read The Wheel of Time and are contemplating a re-read, then reading New Spring before The Eye of the World isn't a bad option either. But if you're a first-time reader, I would recommend reading New Spring after Book 10, Crossroads of Twilight.
The Wheel of Time book series is very much worth your time, especially if you enjoyed the television series. Since the show only has eight episodes a season and the books are so long, it naturally has to condense and change many elements in order to adapt the story. So even if you think you know how it will all go because of the TV show, rest assured, the books will still hold plenty of surprises.
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