Thread: Wheel of Time

The Wheel of Time (WoT)
For those of you who don't know this is a currently incomplete series written by Robert Jordan (& More recently Brandon Sanderson following RJ's Notes).
I am a sucker for a good story however a truly epic story that is done well is a treasure I seek like a bloodhound. I picked up the first book
of this series my sophomore year in high school. It was earlier that year that I discovered my love for stories.

The librarian recommended Eye of the World, book one of the WoT series, I remember having to read the first page over ten times to get used to the
unique writing style of Robert Jordan. Eventually once I got used to it I was able to understand what was going on though it wasn't until later in the
book that I got drawn into the story line. Everything about this series is long and drawn out however the story is amazing.

If you can get used to the writing style and the sometimes slow pace of the plot especially in books 4-11 the story is worth the read. I am not
one of the many that dislike Robert Jordan's writing style he is so descriptive that the scenes in the book are so brilliant in my mind it's
like an HD movie compared to 240p. I "lol" at myself for that comparison but it is the feeling I get when reading these books. The
extra side plots and over a dozen supporting main characters gives you the details that most stories would never bother showing you.

Each of the main support characters really feels like the center of the story when going down their side plots it's like books within a book.
I think I could write a trilogy three times over just using the personality detail of three of my favorite characters. This series gives
you that "epic" feeling that I love in a story. It is with out a doubt an Epic Fantasy masterpiece.

I can only hope that this brief review gives someone else the same joy in this story that I have had the pleasure of receiving. If not
I hope you all find stories to fall in love with. Everyone has their own tastes.

Man, that thing is long.

I picked it up a few years ago, being a big fan of all things fictional and fantastical, but gave up when nothing seemed to happen for around 100 pages. By the time something interesting was going on, I wasn't able to notice it - my reading had developed a monotony that was hard to escape. Perhaps its just me, but RJ doesn't grab me at all. Not like other authors, like Jonathan Stroud. It might be my attention span, which is reasonable, and variable. He writes well - really well. His narrative is involving and enthralling. It's just so [expletive] long!

i was never into the fantasy genre much at all. i had read tolkien, but who hasn't.
a friend of mine took weeks trying to talk me into starting "the eye of the world".
i finally did, not too enthused at all with the prospect. after i finished it, i was hooked.
i was literally sad every time i got to the last chapter of each book, because i simply
didn't want it to end. still haven't read the last 2 that have come out. gotten into
other projects. i need to get back on the series. i miss it. i may even start over
completely just for the pleasure of it.

I love the wheel of time. I am currently reading book 8 of the series. Though I find the story to be slow moving at times, I love the world building and the characters in this series.

Big fan here, too. In terms of world-building, Jordan has been a major influence on me as a writer, changing what I even conceived to be possible. Later I began to fan out into other works like the Silmarillion and GRRM's epics, but the Wheel of Time is sacred to me.

It is a good series, as shown by how many times I have tried to finish it. However, I always get bogged down as the number of characters and plot lines seems to grow exponentially.

Read and loved the first few books. Followed closely all the characters, subplots, and different places of the world. Then my interest began to wane but I stuck with it. I finally gave up after book 8 or 9 and I've not regretted it. When it's finished I'm sure I'll read a synopsis to see how it ends.

Sounds really interesting. I might give it a reading sometime soon. Thank you for sharing this information.

I have read through the first four books three times now- my last attempt reached the middle of book 6 and I could go no further. The first four books are brilliant- you do have to get used to the slow pace but i found the pace got even slower through book 4. My attention span waned due to the vast amount of characters and the high detail that went into them. The man was a genius but i couldn't help imagining that Jordan started the series when he was young- and then got slower and slower as he grew older and older but maybe its just my imagination...

This is like a mixed feeling if I have ever heard one. Funny because some of you say you read them more then once, but in the next paragraph say they are slow.

Read and loved the first few books. Followed closely all the characters, subplots, and different places of the world. Then my interest began to wane but I stuck with it. I finally gave up after book 8 or 9 and I've not regretted it. When it's finished I'm sure I'll read a synopsis to see how it ends.

Pick up on book 10 or 11 and finish from there. You will miss out on many details but the books Brandon Sanderson writes of this series are very well done and people seem to enjoy more.

This is like a mixed feeling if I have ever heard one. Funny because some of you say you read them more then once, but in the next paragraph say they are slow.

I do not mind the slow pace of the books but I do understand other peoples dislike for it. This is not a personal feeling but more of a warning to people who may begin reading it. In my re-reads I skip over many parts of the books chapters in which I do not wish to read again. I know what is going to happen there. While necessary for the plot it is not something I have to read again. I also skim briefly through descriptions. I already know what people look like and their personalities.

I can read a 900 page book in a three day weekend and still have plenty of other time to myself. I try to re-read the series every time a new book is about to be released. I do this with every series I follow it helps refresh my memory.

Wheel of Time is my favourite book series, and the best Epic Fantasy of all time.

Books 8 until Brandon Sanderson took over aren't great. But books 1-7 and the new ones with Sanderson are great. Nothing even comes close to Wheel of Time when it comes to grandiose scale, epic battles, and original concepts.

I've read the series three times, still absolutely love it. The magic system is the coolest ever, completely original, and the world development is unparalleled. Any serious fantasy writer needs to read this series.

Roll over Tolkien.

I hear the series has deteriorated quite a bit, similar to Sword of Truth. Apparently Crossroads of Twilight is the worst one.

And frankly, I'm not surprised. It seems like the word Twilight has become a curse nowadays, which it rightfully should.