The Wheel of Time Series
by Robert Jordan
This post will be about the Wheel of Time in general instead of about specific books in the series. Mostly, because they all blur together for me now that I’ve read the series 3(?) times. But I will give special emphasis to the first two books because I think that is what the Amazon series will cover as well.
Before getting started here’s a list of the books in order. Note that the last three were written by Brandon Sanderson from a collection of notes and interviews with Robert Jordan before he passed away.
- The Eye of the World
- The Great Hunt
- The Dragon Reborn
- The Shadow Rising
- The Fires of Heaven
- Lord of Chaos
- A Crown of Swords
- The Path of Daggers
- Winter’s Heart
- Crossroads of Twilight
- Knife of Dreams
- The Gathering Storm
- Towers of Midnight
- A Memory of Light
These books enthralled me when I was a teenager and now that they’re about to release a filmed version on Amazon (trailer here.) I’ve decided to jump into the series again.
And since I found the series in French, the books now also present an opportunity for me to improve my vocabulary.
Two for one!
The “Eye of the World” starts in the sleepy village of Emond’s Field in the Two Rivers region. You are introduced to a handful of villagers on the day before the yearly Bel Tine celebration (more or less spring equinox.) These villagers become the main characters of the series. Everything is idyllic and tranquil, even with the hard winter just ending. And then, suddenly, the lives of everyone are upended by a surprise attack. The villagers’ expected life trajectory is pulled away from them and their stories become much more interesting.
The reader is left wondering why all this is happening to the characters, just as they are demanding the same thing of themselves. Maybe it’s not the best (or most believable) start but Robert Jordan was warming up and I don’t think he knew where he was going in the first few books. Nevertheless, midway through the second book, The Great Hunt, the series gets much better.
In “The Great Hunt,” the reader discovers more of the back-story of the Wheel of Time world as Rand, Perrin, Mat, Egwene, and Nynaeve cross diagonally across a whole continent. One is introduced to an Ogiar Steading, see some Aiel and a parallel universe, meet another of the Forsaken, and discover the Seanchan.
Major Characters
The three main characters are Rand al’Thor, Mat Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara. Each of whom has a different personality and mannerisms that allow you to identify with each in turn. I found myself constantly going back and forth between who was my favorite, especially as the series progresses and they become more mature and powerful.
Joining those three in importance are Egwene al’Vere, and Nynaeve al’Maera. They also come from Emond’s Field and gain power and influence even if they don’t share the same pre-destination as the first three.
Other major characters introduced in the first book are Moraine Sedai, Lan al’Mandragoran, Padan Fain, Elayne Trakand, Min Farshaw, Loial, and Thom Merrilin – they are important, but not as much so as the others.
What I like about the books
What is so compelling about the series?
First off I like not knowing where the story will go. Even after reading the series several times, there are many details that I forget. Each new reading is almost like the first time.
Then there’s the action. Do you like battles, intrigue, politics, magic? They’re all here. It’s nice that a fantasy series building up to the ‘Last Battle’ includes so much that doesn’t include war. The main characters would be happy just to go back home and live a quiet life.
I also like how the first characters you meet climb their way up in the world. There’s a feeling of progress, development, and growth. Like a bildungsroman but with a bunch of characters all at once.
The fantasy world somehow seems more realistic to me than the one of J.R.R. Tolkein. And there’s so much back story from different ages that every little piece you can collect is exciting.
Maybe the fantasy world is more realistic because a lot of real-world customs and cultures peak out in the series and it keeps you constantly guessing who this or that character was based on in our world. The same with the different kingdoms and territories. You can find many parallels in real-world history. At first, it seems easy to untangle, except you’ll find different time periods meshed together. Or there will be places that were never near each other in our world that can be found right next to each other in Jordan’s. It’s like alternative history in some ways. The more you know real-world history, the more you’ll get from the series.
Downsides
There are a lot of things I don’t like about this series too. Clearly, my enjoyment has never been out-balanced by the bad parts, but an honest review should include both sides.
The chief negative is length. This series will turn your thumbs black and will dominate your life until you finish. Maybe that’s your thing, but I do wish it were more condensed.
Then there’s the childish dialogue. The major characters grow up in a very prudish, reserved world that to me resembles pre-industrial England. Our more modern custom of sexual liberty is a big no-no for the folks from the Two Rivers. And, since those characters are very young throughout the books they don’t ever seem to learn how to talk to members of the opposite sex. It seems like all their sexual tensions are expressed as anger or by arguing with one another. I don’t remember ever being like that. At least I hope I wasn’t. In any case, it gets tired real quick.
Jordan describes tumultuous internal emotions by the actions of the characters. This is laudable, but instead of developing new ways to describe the emotions, he settles for repetitive expressions. For example, Nynaeve straightens her skirt or pulls on her braid. Lan has cold eyes and a stony expression (or something similar.)
There’s also definitely something off in the portrayal of the sexes in these books. I do think there are roughly as many female characters as male ones but Jordan’s portrayal of women doesn’t feel right. Has anyone else been able to more fully express what I mean here?
Chapters switch back and forth following one of the main or ancillary characters. This is necessary as they are often separated by great distance or time. And the story needs to be developed from a number of different angles. But it’s an awful feeling to end a chapter on a cliff-hanger and start another that follows a character you don’t like. It’s like running and falling in a soft hole. You aren’t hurt but you have to climb out before you can make any headway.
And lastly, the ending was unsatisfying. I don’t know where it could have ended that would have been any better. But that doesn’t mean it has a good ending.
Think of the last chapter of Harry Potter with all the confusing names and petty domestic life after the once hopeful youths have turned into averaging middle-aged folk. What a let-down! But you can just try to forget, the real content comes before the end in both series.
For further reading see the Wheel of Time wiki. It contains so much information you’ll be able to nerd-out there all day if you want. Plus there’s a section devoted to the upcoming series being created by Amazon.
I’m sure there’ll be a lot more talk about the series soon.
Personally, I’m looking forward to setting up a Prime account just for this show.
Update – I’ve watched the Amazon show and it was a big let-down. I almost didn’t finish the season. The actors did a good job, but there were just too many changes in the storyline to keep me riveted. I even took down my Amazon Wheel of Time post because I do not recommend it.
What do you think about the Wheel of Time? Did you watch it on Amazon Prime as well?