With the upcoming Amazon show coming out, I figured now was as good of a time as any to hop into this series I can not avoid hearing praise about. So without further ado, let’s discuss The Eye of the World, the first installment in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series!
Prior to starting this story, I had literally no clue about what the plot to the series was. Of course I knew enough to know that it was very much like many other classic fantasy stories, and employs many of the same tropes, but thats where my knowledge ended
When I made my way through the first half of the book, I found myself comparing it heavily to Lord of the Rings and other stories like it. While this is not inherently a bad thing, I was craving some new and fresh. I was fearful I’d be let down and that the hype was unearned. The main culprit of this letdown was the fact that all the main characters start as village people who, unbeknownst to them, are full of magical potential and are charged with saving the world. I have read too many stories starting this way, so thats why I think I was put off by the story at first.
Thankfully, near the middle/end of the novel, things get a bit fresher and become less trope filled, which is where my interest was really grabbed. The world became further developed and the larger scope of the setting was hinted at a lot, which made me excited to learn more about it.
Although the plot took a bit of time catch me, the characters of the novel did a great job of getting me invested in them, so let’s focus on them…
By the end of story, my favourite character would have to be Rand. This is probably the predictable choice, as he is arguably the closest thing we get to a man character, so he is the most developed. However, it’s still important to note how relatable and multi-faceted he is, and I’m excited to see how his journey unfolds, especially due to his true nature.
He is, once again, a very typical hero. However, as things get going, his experience with learning about his status as the Dragon Reborn (if the signs are to be believed), makes it easy to get intrigued. It’s always fun for me to see characters struggle with the overwhelming and potentially cataclysmic power they hold within them
If I had to choose a second favourite character, I think Loial would be up there for sure! I’m just a sucker for gentle-giant characters, along with scholarly characters, which are boxes he checks off amazingly. The Ogier as a race are also one of the main things in the world I’m excited to see more of, so hopefully the novels unload a whole plethora of lore about them!
There are a few characters I couldn’t care much less for, but thats mainly because they didn’t get much exciting time in the spotlight. These include Nynaeve, Fain, and a few others in similar positions.
As hinted at earlier, the world building is a thing that took awhile to pull me in, but now I’m super invested and have tons of questions. What is the Eye of the World? How does the True Source function? What are the Aiel like? Most importantly, I’m excited to learn how the Wheel of Time itself plays a role in the world.
There’s a lot I learned to love in this book, and so much more I’m excited to discover
Final Score 8.5/10
Although, this story took awhile to set itself apart from the stereotypical fantasy story, once it picks up steam it becomes a fascinating story of good vs evil.
Overall, I’m very open to see how this series continues, as I’m just now getting a better idea of how things will unfold. Stay tuned for my upcoming review of WoT #2, The Great Hunt!
As always, be sure to stay tuned to my Instagram for more updates on what I’m reading, watching, and everything else!