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

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Customer Reviews:

The first epic fantasy that I grew up on [Posted on 2008-10-24]
What led me to read "The Wheel of Time" by the late Robert Jordan was when my brother and I bought the "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" DVD. I didn't really like the movie when I saw it in theaters, but then it grew on me when I saw it a few more times on the television and computer screens. I was amazed by the Ringwraiths, the Tower of Isengard, the characters of Arwen and Aragorn, the Mines of Moria, and the beautiful scenery that's seen throughout the entire film (the entire trilogy, in fact). Back then, I wasn't an avid reader, but I have to thank Peter Jackson, and Robert Jordan, for making me a passionate reader that I am today.

I first read "The Eye of the World" back in 2002, and it was pretty complicated (as I said, I didn't read a lot of books before "Fellowship" came out on DVD). I read two chapters for only an average of three days each. But after I finished it, I like it. I knew that the book had lots of sequels, so I went on with "The Great Hunt" and "The Dragon Reborn" and so on.

Then, in December 2007, I reread "The Eye of the World" and I'm still amazed by the author's excessive detail and memorable characters. And I know it uses the typical fantasy formula (ordinary young man in a village leaves home to do some fantastical stuff), but it didn't really matter to me because of how I admired many of the characters so much.

The basic plot involves Rand al'Thor, Mat Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara. Trollocs (anthropomorphic creatures) and Myrddraal (trollock offspring) have attacked their village, and they discover that these beasts are here to kill the three young men. They manage to escape with a couple of companions: Moiraine, Lan, Egwene, Thom, and later on, Nynaeve. During their journey to Tar Valon, home of the Aes Sedai, Moiraine (an Aes Sedai herself) is convinced that Rand is the Dragon Reborn. The Dragon Reborn is the one who has been created to destroy the ultimate evil that seeks to destroy all the lands, from Shienar to Illian to Falme. Rand, of course, denies this, but . . . Well, you, the reader, must find out by reading "The Eye of the World" straight through.

What I love most about this series is the diverse range of characters that are found in the book. Lan, Bayle Domon, Nynaeve, Padan Fain, Min, and many others are given different personalities and motives. But, of course, not all characters will be likable. Nynaeve, in particular, is a pessimist and very annoying at times, but in other times, it was a good thing for her to help others. Ingtar's feelings were a bit forced (and they were forced even more in "The Great Hunt"), while a few folk of Emond's Field won't be a pleasure to read about.

The excessive detail found in this novel are near ideal. I'm not sure if Tolkien's trilogy has this much detail found in Jordan's entire series; I've only read "Return of the King" and bits and pieces of "Fellowship" and "Towers". There are so many things happening here: the journey to many locations like Caemlyn and Shadar Logoth are probably equal to the journey to many Middle Earth locations like Midgewater and Lothlorien. And it grabs my attention when I read "Eye". I couldn't really put the book down.

All in all, I'm sure that this isn't as good as Tolkien's classic trilogy, but I still admire the Wheel of Time series. It's one of my favorite fantasy epics, along with Robin Hobb's "The Farseer Trilogy" and, just recently, Scott Lynch's "Locke Lamora" series. And it's unfortunate that the author passed away back in September, but I, along with countless fans, will still cherish his work. Rest in peace, Mr. Jordan.

A-

Don't Bother Starting This [Posted on 2008-10-26]
My rating for this book actually encompasses the whole series (up through book eleven, the last published so far).

Books one through six (Eye of the World through Lord of Chaos) are an entertaining read, and I would give them three to three-and-a-half stars individually or collectively; however, starting at about book seven (A Crown of Swords), the series takes a turn for the worse. The author indulges in numerous irrelevant, lengthy, and tedious digressions that apparently received no attention whatsoever from an editor. The main story line, meanwhile, is given absurdly short shrift. It is actually rather amazing how many pages are filled with nothing happening. Books eight through ten should have been edited down to a single volume, with material added to assist the reader in seeing how most of the content relates to the story.

The second half of book eleven (Knife of Dreams) gets back to business somewhat, though unfortunately, not enough to justify the labor of getting through the last three-and-a-half books.

If you're looking for an engaging series to dig into, I would say look elsewhere. This one does not reward the effort.

These book are long, but like all great books, they aren't long enough. [Posted on 2008-11-03]
My first real foray into Epic Fantasy (apart from Lord of The Rings), and it remains by far my favorite. The world that Robert Jordan has created is unparalleled.
Most fantasy book draw from the same pool of creatures: Elves, Dwarfs, Trolls etc. You won't find these (or their facsimiles) in Jordan's books. Rather there are Trollocs, Shades, Ogiers etc. And instead of wizards and sorceresses, there are men and women who are born with the ability to tap into the One Power in the universe and Channel (perform magical feats).
The mythology of The Wheel of Time is another unique feature: Time is cyclical rather than linear.
These book are long, but like all great books, they aren't long enough.

Tremendous start to epic fantasy series [Posted on 2008-11-15]
A very solid start to the Wheel of Time series. The group from Emond's Field really provides a lot of entertainment, and is truly a fun adventure from start to finish. The secondary characters that are met in this book prove to play crucial parts later in the series, and no chapter is wasted here.

the eye of the world audio cd book [Posted on 2008-11-20]
I really enjoyed reading while the narrator spoke to me. I got a lot more out of the material since this is the third time reading this series. Using the audio book details I missed previously jumped out and I retained the information much better,

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