The Eye of the World is a fantasy novel by American writer Robert Jordan, the first book of The Wheel of Time series. It was published by Tor Books and released on January 15, 1990. The unabridged audiobook is read by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. Upon first publication, The Eye of the World consisted of one prologue and 53 chapters, with an additional prologue authored upon re-release.
The book was a critical, and commercial success. Critics praised the tone, the themes, and the similarity to Lord of the Rings (although some criticized it for that).
On January 2, 2002, The Eye of the World was re-released as two separate books aimed at a young adult market, with larger text and a handful of illustrations. These were From the Two Rivers and To the Blight. The former included an additional prologue entitled "Ravens", focusing on Egwene al'Vere. The American Library …
The Eye of the World is a fantasy novel by American writer Robert Jordan, the first book of The Wheel of Time series. It was published by Tor Books and released on January 15, 1990. The unabridged audiobook is read by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. Upon first publication, The Eye of the World consisted of one prologue and 53 chapters, with an additional prologue authored upon re-release.
The book was a critical, and commercial success. Critics praised the tone, the themes, and the similarity to Lord of the Rings (although some criticized it for that).
On January 2, 2002, The Eye of the World was re-released as two separate books aimed at a young adult market, with larger text and a handful of illustrations. These were From the Two Rivers and To the Blight. The former included an additional prologue entitled "Ravens", focusing on Egwene al'Vere. The American Library Association put The Eye of the World on its 2003 list of Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults.
What a great book. I was a bit reserved after having watched the tv show and wasn’t sure if I should try the book series. I am glad that I did. Much better than the show—somehow I am more drawn into the world than I was when just watching the screen.
I will definitely continue with this series. The mixture of magic, fantasy and medieval-like lands is exactly what I like.
Really excited to see what the next book is about!
I absolutely adore the Wheel of Time. It's by far my favorite series.
But, book one has some problems. Originally, I've always heard, Jordan wasn't sure if he would get to write more than 3 books with his publisher, so he structured the first 2 very differently from the others. He also hadn't fully fleshed out the world yet, so there are some inconsistencies with how magic works in this book compared to the other books. Jordan described EOTW as his homage to the Lord of the Rings, and it very much shows- if you've read LOTR, you'll see a LOT of similarities here. That is not true of the other books after this one.
The best part about this book is the story, but it has some pacing issues IMO. Jordan improved enormously as a writer in book 2, and by book 3 he had really cemented the world, …
I absolutely adore the Wheel of Time. It's by far my favorite series.
But, book one has some problems. Originally, I've always heard, Jordan wasn't sure if he would get to write more than 3 books with his publisher, so he structured the first 2 very differently from the others. He also hadn't fully fleshed out the world yet, so there are some inconsistencies with how magic works in this book compared to the other books. Jordan described EOTW as his homage to the Lord of the Rings, and it very much shows- if you've read LOTR, you'll see a LOT of similarities here. That is not true of the other books after this one.
The best part about this book is the story, but it has some pacing issues IMO. Jordan improved enormously as a writer in book 2, and by book 3 he had really cemented the world, his style, and the characters. The start may be a bit rocky, but it gets so much better!
Review of 'The Wheel of Time, Boxed Set I, Books 1-3: The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
As usual in Wheel of Time novels, all the plot threads that have diverged over the course of the book are conveniently brought together in the last 50 pages or so. The ending, of course, is once again bombastic and kind of deceptive in its own way.
I feel like I got a better understanding of the characters' intentions in this book. Robert Jordan has woven these strands of thought into the story in a way that is at times even Dune-esque. But characterization or not. The amount of braid tugging Nynaeve did in this novel is astonishing. -1 alone for that, geez...
The next book is widely considered the pinnacle of the series. I'm excited to see what's in store.
Jordan's Wheel of Time is a true classic of fantasy literature (and, no offense meant to any authors out there, it's also actually a finished series. ;) ). Eye of the World is the first book in the series, and it's a great read.
The pacing of introducing new facettes of the colorful world and it's (mostly) unique concepts is well done. No bigger lore-dumps, nothing terribly overwhelming, but enough regular reveals to continuously drawing the curtains back more and more (and even at the end of this book the reader hasn't seen nowhere near everything).
There is a certain level of coming-of-age to the story, but it's never overpowering the actual story. Sure, some characters might show behaviour, that's not terribly well explained (Nynaeve, looking at you), but for the biggest part, character motivations make sense (at least in hindsight).
So, if the idea of reading 14 jam-packed books …
Jordan's Wheel of Time is a true classic of fantasy literature (and, no offense meant to any authors out there, it's also actually a finished series. ;) ). Eye of the World is the first book in the series, and it's a great read.
The pacing of introducing new facettes of the colorful world and it's (mostly) unique concepts is well done. No bigger lore-dumps, nothing terribly overwhelming, but enough regular reveals to continuously drawing the curtains back more and more (and even at the end of this book the reader hasn't seen nowhere near everything).
There is a certain level of coming-of-age to the story, but it's never overpowering the actual story. Sure, some characters might show behaviour, that's not terribly well explained (Nynaeve, looking at you), but for the biggest part, character motivations make sense (at least in hindsight).
So, if the idea of reading 14 jam-packed books (600+ pages of small-ish print) filled with a vibrant, magical books, fantastic concepts and colorful characters, Eye of the World is your gateway into the world of The Wheel of Time.
Enjoy the ride.
Re-read after I got annoyed by the first few episodes of the Amazon TV series changing the story so much. Glad I did as I'd forgotten a fair bit of the happenings of this book over the 9 years since I first read it.
Review of 'The Wheel of Time, Boxed Set I, Books 1-3: The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Another great stepping stone in the saga of The Wheel of Time. A plot that starts slow but by the end has you breathless; characters that continue to evolve as they embrace, or try to run from, their destiny; and a setting that grows clearer and more complex, this book has it all. This was a great addition to the series and, in my mind, a sort of capstone book that wraps up the first arc of The Wheel of Time. With the Dragon Reborn fully declared, the series takes on a new direction as the enemies become clearer and the stakes higher.
This book is where it all starts. Even at the onset, you can tell it's going to be a long ride. This book has it all, a fast-paced engaging plot that hints at a grander adventure to come; a unique cast of characters that grow and develop within the book, and for the rest of the series, too; and a setting that captures the imagination, whether it is of the magic, the cultures, or the legends of thousands of years past.
Did not enjoy this one. Read like a teenage boy’s fantasy. Couldn’t identify with the characters. Felt like the entire book they were just being swept along, lacking will or motivation or agency. World didn’t engage me. Magic didn’t engage me. Huge lore dumps, lots of random fantasy names that meant nothing. This series is meant to be a huge deal in fantasy fiction, right? For that reason alone I might give the second book a chance one day, but not anytime soon I think.
Robert Jordan's interminable journey begins. Honestly, it was... fine. I don't feel like I want to pick up the next one though. There's a lot of "ambient literature" here, to draw a comparison to the videos of beaches or quiet libraries you start on YouTube that you leave on in the background.
Review of 'The Wheel of Time, Boxed Set I, Books 1-3: The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
It's been a fun reread so far. If I remember correctly, this is the last of the 'episodic' books in the series, and the last time the Emond's Fielders feel more like country folk swept away by Fate than the quasi-demigods they're becoming. When I first read these books, I was in my early teens, and my interest in the series waned as the characters got more powerful and less relatable. I'm all grown up now, though, so I'm looking forward to better appreciating the series.
It almost seems like the Robert Jordan had a laundry list of things he wanted to happen and characters to introduce, and didn't really know how to make an actual story to fit it all together. Foreshadowing is way too obvious, and nothing in this book comes as a surprise. The ending sneaks up on you, and seems completely disjointed from the rest of the book.
Also, the author is very preoccupied with the amount of saliva in the characters' mouths. Apparently that's very important?
Still, I think there's potential in the series. I imagine Jordan must learn to write better as the series progresses? Right? Worst case, I already know I like Brandon Sanderson's books, so the last few books should be good.
Oh. The female characters. They're awful. Every one seems like a nagging mother-in-law that you expect to end every conversation with a foot stomp and a …
It almost seems like the Robert Jordan had a laundry list of things he wanted to happen and characters to introduce, and didn't really know how to make an actual story to fit it all together. Foreshadowing is way too obvious, and nothing in this book comes as a surprise. The ending sneaks up on you, and seems completely disjointed from the rest of the book.
Also, the author is very preoccupied with the amount of saliva in the characters' mouths. Apparently that's very important?
Still, I think there's potential in the series. I imagine Jordan must learn to write better as the series progresses? Right? Worst case, I already know I like Brandon Sanderson's books, so the last few books should be good.
Oh. The female characters. They're awful. Every one seems like a nagging mother-in-law that you expect to end every conversation with a foot stomp and a "Hmmph! Men!"
Years and years ago this was the first fantasy book I read, it was probably the longest book I had read at that time too. So this has become the book I have judged fantasy books on since, there have not been many I have enjoyed as much. Since reading this I can see that Robert Jordan ripped off many other fantasy novels, you can see parts of LOTR and Thomas Covenant in here, there are even aspects of Frank Herbert's Dune. What RJ has done is take the best parts of those books and put them together with an amazing cast of characters and created this wonderful series.
I only managed the first 5 books in the series before real life took over and I just didn't have the time to read something this big. After reading the mostly-boring Game of thrones book I feel the need to revisit …
Years and years ago this was the first fantasy book I read, it was probably the longest book I had read at that time too. So this has become the book I have judged fantasy books on since, there have not been many I have enjoyed as much. Since reading this I can see that Robert Jordan ripped off many other fantasy novels, you can see parts of LOTR and Thomas Covenant in here, there are even aspects of Frank Herbert's Dune. What RJ has done is take the best parts of those books and put them together with an amazing cast of characters and created this wonderful series.
I only managed the first 5 books in the series before real life took over and I just didn't have the time to read something this big. After reading the mostly-boring Game of thrones book I feel the need to revisit this series and read something entertaining.
Ok, so I've now finished the first book to Robert Jordan's epic series The Wheel of Time. I'm so surprised I didn't read these books earlier. I've got the rest of the series ahead of me now, and quite a good taste of what epic fantasy should be.
Jordan's writing is quite elegant, doing the job of describing just what's going on in his world. I hear that later in the series you get a lot more going on to the point that characters are hard to keep track of, but that didn't seem to be the case here. Rand al'Thor is of course your main character, and most of the other characters are attached to him in some way.
The idea behind magic here as having become a largely feminine art due to the influence of a mysterious "Dark One" is rather interesting. I really like what Jordan did …
Ok, so I've now finished the first book to Robert Jordan's epic series The Wheel of Time. I'm so surprised I didn't read these books earlier. I've got the rest of the series ahead of me now, and quite a good taste of what epic fantasy should be.
Jordan's writing is quite elegant, doing the job of describing just what's going on in his world. I hear that later in the series you get a lot more going on to the point that characters are hard to keep track of, but that didn't seem to be the case here. Rand al'Thor is of course your main character, and most of the other characters are attached to him in some way.
The idea behind magic here as having become a largely feminine art due to the influence of a mysterious "Dark One" is rather interesting. I really like what Jordan did in creating the organization of the Aes Sedai.
Stopping here to avoid plot spoilers as the Wheel of Time series is a superb one which should be read, but put simply Eye of the World was an amazing book which will remain in my library.
Also, just to add a small caveat, I did receive a free copy of the book after I bought my own ebook version, just to be 100% up front. That doesn't change the fact that this book honestly deserves its position as a modern classic though.
