Why you should journey through The Wheel of Time books, starting with The Eye of the World

The Wheel of Time series, created by Robert Jordan, is one of the most ambitious fantasy series ever written. The first book in the series, The Eye of the World, was published in 1990. Jordan wrote the first 11 books and a prequel, and Brandon Sanderson finished the series by writing the last three books after Jordan's untimely death in 2007.

In my humble opinion, The Wheel of Time is the greatest epic fantasy series of all time. There are plenty of incredible fantasy series by some fantastic authors, but none compare in the breadth of vision, depth of plotlines, and character development and advancement.

It may not be as important to the genre as The Lord of the Rings or have the gravitas of the incomplete Song of Fire and Ice, but The Wheel of Tiime tells a story on a scope that may never be matched.

What makes The Eye of the World so special?

If The Wheel of Time is one of the best series ever, it is unsurprising that The Eye of the World is one of the most excellent first books of a fantasy series ever. It pulls the reader in immediately with action and a degree of mystery. Jordan begins building his elaborate world without wasting time. The first 250 pages are as good as any you will ever read, never letting up the pace and continuously building the world layer by layer.

The story has five main characters whom we meet immediately: Egwene, Rand, Perrin, Nynaeve, and Mat. They are all from the same rural, out-of-the-way area, called the Two Rivers, and are at the very center of the series.

The premise of Jordan's world is that it is controled by a wheel of time that repeats itself over and over throughout the eons. Cataclysmic events and world-changing personages will recur through history, with things playing out in similar fashion over and over. This is known as the pattern. In each age, there are a handful of people whose thread appears in the pattern, altering the pattern to force events in a certain direction. The outcomes are mostly set...unless they are not.

It's a classic battle between good and evil. The evil forces are trying to break the wheel of time and bring the world to darkness. The forces for good, for Light, are constantly battling to fend off the darkness. They want to keep the wheel spinning, and the fight against evil will continue indefinitely. There are reluctant heroes and eager ones. There are those who succeed and others who fail.

This first book also introduces another set of characters who are, or will be, primary characters. Readers get their first glimpse of at least eight more characters central to the broader story. At least 10 other characters who play significant roles in different places throughout the series are introduced as well.

The world of The Wheel of Time

Magic is a vital component of the story. Some women, called Aes Sedai, can perform magic, which they channel from an existing source. Very few women can wield this magic with any sort of control. The male half of the source is tainted; men who wield it become mad and lose control of the magic. Therefore, the Aes Sedai must find any man who can channel and cut off his access to the central source.

Jordan does a brilliant job throughout the books building up what is capable with magic. In past ages, the Aes Sedai had more power and could do more with their power, but the knowledge of how to do many things was lost through the ages. Part of the story involves the rediscovery of some of those skills and knowledge. Readers get just a taste of this magic in The Eye of the World, brief glimpses of what might be possible.

The first book is told primarily from Rand's point of view, though there is one section in the middle when readers follow Nynaeve and Perrin. In later books, numerous points of view are explored, but the first book sticks fairly close to Rand.

Another amazing aspect of The Eye of the World is how Jordan subtly lays the groundwork throughout the book for events later in the series. I've read this book six times, and every time I find something new in those first 250 pages that becomes a major focal point later in the story, sometimes five or six books later. The skill and genius to do that are almost beyond comprehension.

The minor flaws in Jordan's writing that emerge in subsequent volumes are not evident in this first book. Jordan tends to get too detailed in his descriptions, but it is all with a purpose. He also tends to lean on tropes such as "men are from Mars and women are from Venus" too much. In that way, the books can feel like a product of their time.

The author does give equal weight to both men and women as far as being heroes and heroines, and villains, and women play a much bigger role than in many other fantasy works. The Eye of the World makes that evident from the very beginning.

The Eye of the World is tightly written and moves quickly, yet the journey the characters must take is not given short shrift. Jordan has plenty of time to develop his world and story while developing the main five characters.

By the time the key to the whole story is revealed, it is no longer a surprise to the reader. They know who the Dragon Reborn is well before the character himself. He doesn't even find out himself until the second book, but Jordan isn't trying to hide the facts from the reader. The mystery is more for the characters than for the reader. He trusts the reader with that information and feels no need to trick his audience.

Despite some minor issues with his writing style, Jordan is one of the most sound, advanced writers you will ever read. After reading his books for a period of time, the next book you pick up will seem like an amateur wrote it. His story and character development are beyond compare. If you ask me, the only other work that comes close in these areas is James Clavel's Noble House, which was just one book, not 15.

From page to screen

The first season of Amazon's The Wheel of Time TV show did a fair job of capturing the feeling of the book. With only eight hours of airtime, the showrunners had to leave out huge chunks of the book and change and condense many things with an eye on future seasons. The show passes muster, but if you are a fan, you do yourself a disservice if you do not read the book.

The commitment to reading this series is a serious one. There are 14 books (15 if you read the prequel), and most of the volumes have some heft to them. Depending on how fast you read, it could take you months to read them straight through. According to Dean Talbot of Words Rated, the series has sold over 100 million copies worldwide, making it one of the most popular series ever. There is a reason for that.

Once you delve in, though, the story will ensnare you. You won't want to let go. The characters will become a part of you and as the series winds down, you will feel a sense of loss and sadness. With Jordan's passing, you know there will be no more adventures for any of these characters regardless of the outcome of the story.

For the record, when the last book was released in 2013, I did not know how the story would end. It was a surpise to me as surely it will be to you. Start your own journey into The Wheel of Time and read The Eye of the World.

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