The Eye of the World

I recommend this book because it is my favorite book series ever. The expansive world-building, the storylines that come full circle throughout the fourteen-book series, and the epic magic system all awed me.

This series was the first time I felt pulled into an in-depth world created by an author. It was like traveling to a new dimension in my mind, and it was a fantastic experience. This recommendation is book one in the series.

When I read this book after my mom gave it to me for Christmas in 7th Grade, I was hooked on the masterful writing of Robert Jordan. It was my first time reading limited third person and how he made each character come alive.

While this is not my favorite book in the series, it hooked me. I waited for each new release, diving into fan forums and theory crafting. I loved his foreshadowing and his world-building. No other author had a greater impact on my writing style than RJ.

In this first installment of the Wheel of Time series, even from the prologue, I was drawn into this world by the masterful descriptions, which I thought was a perfect introduction to the wider world I was soon to discover. I enjoyed the establishment of the threat, which would hover a menacing shadow over the events of the rest of the book. 

Getting deeper into the story, I found the characters believable and relatable, and the struggles they endure well realized and expertly formed. From the descriptions of the geography of the world to the magic system and from the… show more.

From the moment I spied the cover, I knew I had to read this book. 

It featured an armored soldier on horseback leading a group of weary travelers on a dark, foreboding night. It whispered of danger and mystery–two things all good fantasy contains. The group, inspired by prophecy, battles against unworldly creatures, eyeless monsters, and enigmatic foes in their quest to defeat the dark one.

I loved the clear delineation between the creator and the dark one and their contrasting visions for the world.

After many years of avoiding large, thick fantasy books and series due to being a slower reader, I realized if I wanted to continue to read the best fantasy, I would have to break down and pick one up.

At the recommendation of a friend in the early 90s, I bought Eye of the World. I had a hard time getting into it at first, because I was intimidated. Then something happened in the book and I couldn’t put it down after that. I was amazed it read like a smaller book and I was amazed I finished in about… show more.

Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series is the very definition of sprawling epic, the entire story spanning fourteen volumes. While it is steeped in a number of thematic elements that may, from modern perspective, be seen as tropes, the intricate design of the magic system in the books is undeniable. 

The system is described over time through the series with such nuance that the reader can begin to have a very clear notion of what is and is not possible, and feel an understanding of how things are done, almost as if we the readers are versed in the topic.… show more.

The Wheel of Time series has my admiration for its incredible depth. Other fantasy series have set up final, epic, conflicts, but none have done so complete a job of creating a big, interconnected world as Jordan did. And his magic system—the One Power—is given incredible development. It is integral to the religion, history, and even cosmology of his world. There is a historically anchored conflict between men and women in Jordan’s series, and it is exemplified in his magic system, where the men access one side of magic, and the women, the other. This creates a misanthropic rift. How… show more.

Although the first novel in this series was not produced until 1990, it was still unusual and refreshing for me to discover a society where women rather than men wielded power. But these women were as flawed as their male counterparts and the struggle between good and evil continued unabated. Religion is a key theme, and having been brought up in a mixed-religion family, I was curious about different types of religion, particularly the conflict between the beliefs upon which they were based (usually good) versus the destruction and cruelty caused by most of them at some time in history.… show more.

The series is for a dedicated fantasy reader who enjoys an epic, in-depth story full of characters who sit on the side of either the dark or the light, which leads to good versus evil. It contains a multitude of characters who will catch your emotions and carry you through 14 books. The layers of storylines are incredible and the imagination of this author to capture such depth is well worth the time to read his works. Unfortunately, Robert passed unable to complete this series, but with the contribution of another fantasy writer (Brandon Sanderson), chosen by him to end… show more.

Rand is the ultimate unsuspecting hero, ever skeptical of myth and superstition. When presented with an opportunity to make a difference and save the world, he wants no part of it, wishing to simply return to his old life. A sometimes frustrating journey, Rand struggles with a past he doesn’t know, a present that is uncomfortable, and a future that is vastly uncertain, all the while people around him giving their lives for him.