The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan is the first book in the Wheel of Time series. I found myself being enchanted when I started reading this book. I felt as if I were immersed in an old world full of innkeepers, farmers, smithies, and maidens. Robert Jordan does a fantastic job of creating vivid and authentic scenes. Likewise, I immediately fell in love with the main characters, and each page made me want to read more and more. The antagonistic characters are also “likeable” in their own ways…by that I mean that they play their roles perfectly. You don’t have some kind of wimpy monster chasing around four kids for nothing.
Perhaps my favorite thing about this book is how the characters evolve. In fact, by the end, I am not sure if the main characters could even recognize themselves. That said, I’ve gone on to read many of the other books in this series. (I’m currently on book 10). By book 10, the young and innocent characters are definitely no more.
On that note, I think it prudent to give you a slight warning.
Although I believe this story and series to be mostly good, I also think a few books could have been cut out of the series with some prudent editing. I found myself getting bored by book 7. Sure, there are some interesting things that happen that move the story along, but for me, there is too much information. Why should I care what a small and insignificant character thinks? Why should I read an entire chapter dedicated to a character I barely know and will not see much in the future? Also, as much as I liked the descriptive charm in the first book, I can only take so much. By book 10, I think I know the world a little better than in book 1, so I don’t see a need for paragraphs committed to such detail. I mean, sometimes it’s nice to know that the lace has weaves of gold that create star-like patterns, but at this point, I’m more interested in learning what happens to the main characters.
This series has gotten so slow for me, in fact, that the only reason I continue to read it is because my friends insist that it gets better. Also, I really do want to know what happens at the end. By now, I’ve invested lots of time into these characters, it would be a shame to drop them, despite the trudging pace.
Therefore, be warned. If you love incredibly long series with lots of detail…(information out the wazoo about every single little thing happening within a kingdom or world)…then this series is for you. If you’re not too interested in weeding through side plots, descriptive detail, and unnecessary conversations, then I suggest you move on.
Regardless of how the rest of the series progresses, this first book, The Eye of the World, was entertaining, interesting, and in my opinion…good. It was probably my favorite in the series…but I’m not sure if it will remain that way once I read the last book.
Laura C. Cantu 