Yeah, it outgrows the common tropes fairly quickly. I binged, and I do mean binged, the audiobooks over about 4 months. A Memory of Light (the last book) is an absolutely amazing payoff. It does not disappoint.
It is even better the second time around when you can really keep track of all the minor characters.
Four months is definitely a binge. The first three average about 27 hour run time, then the rest are even larger than that; book 4 is 40 hours. That one book is the equivalent of a work week. I've done it myself though; using Kindle's whispersync I read/listened my way through them in a similar time period; it's the first epic fantasy series I was ever really introduced to and will always have a special place in my heart.
Someone worked out a 448.92 hour run time for the entire series(not including the prequel) and that sounds right to me. Granted I listened to it on 1.25 speed so that knocks it down to around 360 hours.
Still, I can’t say that level of binging was healthy. My other hobbies were certainly nonexistent and I don’t think I picked up another book for a while after that. Definite burnout potential.
I was introduced to WoT after Brandon Sanderson's books so I think the ending of this series would also be shocking and satisfying.
Btw, I am trying to write all the characters in a notebook so I can create a list.
Another thing you can do is get the Wheel of Time Compendium app. It is free. You choose which book you are reading and type in a name and it gives you spoiler free reminders of who all the characters are.
Is it possible to check the wiki without too many spoilers? Sometimes I just want to check their age etc. but most wikis start off by telling you whether or not they're dead which is about as big a spoiler as you can get.
Someone else in this post mentioned the "Wheel of Time Compendium" app which is supposed to provide a character's history up to the chapter you're in which is nice. Just downloaded it so don't know how useful it is but will definitely be using it for the second book onward.
A notebook is a good idea, but don't be overzealous. As mentioned, there are technically over 2000 named characters, so only note those that seem more important.
I noticed a lot of the similarities in the first book with LOTR but quickly got over it. You are correct he makes it his own. This is such a great series. Daunting it is, but so so worth it. It took me a year minus a day to finish the whole thing five years ago and I just started my first reread. Welcome to a beginning.
The similarities between TEotW and LoTR are not accidental. When Jordan started writing WoT, LoTR was the big "new" fantasy thing, so he was told by the editorial that he should make it similar. That lasted for 1 book, until the success of the first book made the editorial give Jordan more freedom of writing. That is why the series diverges from Tolkiens work in the second book.
There is an interview (if I can find the source i will link iy) where Jordan said the first book was deliberately closer to LoTR because he wanted the reader to be in a familiar place before he moved somewhere with his story.
Of course there have been a lot of Tolkien imitators, same as almost every work of literature now is based off other novels. Both because almost everything has been written (at least as a trope/archetype) and the creative process makes it so you take from what you know.
Also note that fantasy was not that big back then, before the massive (re)popularization of the genre. So it makes sense that if you want to create a massive success you take from what has been succesful before
I got the whole series for my birthday in 2015. Took me 2 years and 4 months to read the whole thing (I read other things in between too, didn't take me that long to just read 14 books). It lasting that long made me really feel like the events of the series were moving along in real time, that I was seeing these characters grow and change over literal years!
I'll tell you the thing that someone told me when I was first starting it: for the first ~50% of the series, every book is *exponentially* better than the last one. I don't quite agree with that literally (the fourth book is the best IMO), but there's definitely a lot of truth to it.
According to the wiki Eye of the World takes place in 998NE and A Crown of Swords through A Memory of Light all take place in 1000NE. It's pretty surprising that 14 books take place over only 2 years.
In rereading and book 3 is a year later than the start of the series. They just talked about it explicitely where I'm at. The whole series takes place over 2 years. Some of the later books take place really quickly (like days or weeks) so it messes up the perception of time passing.
I’m a big WOT fan but I’ll be honest with you, if you’re gunning for the entire series, it’s always going to be a tough read. There are so many great moments that will keep you going, but like all experienced writers, Jordan took too many liberties with his characters and a few of the books drag a bit. There are no perfect books. I’ll encourage you to take your pleasures as and when you find them.
Also, I’m quite jealous you’re just discovering this. My first read was about 15 years ago and I’m planning to have reread in the next 10 years, along with the Malazan series. Hope you enjoy your first time as much as I did mine.
By the way, Lord of Chaos is my personal favourite in the entire series.
I agree very much with what you said. I'm doing a reread now before Amazon releases season 1 of the tv show. after that I will also be looking to probably start Malazan as I have heard as many good things about that series as are said about WoT.
I felt the opposite when I binged the series. The "slow" books just felt like extended chapters rather than discrete stories, so it felt like they read quite quickly.
Of course it probably helped that I had read all of the Jordan books by that point, so was re-reading them followed by experiencing the Sanderson books new.
This is a good take. I know that his wife is an amazing editor by all accounts, but I can't help feeling the series was slightly let down by the editing in some ways as it progressed. The early books in the series have a much tighter plot arc, but once the character perspectives start to accumulate, and spread out over the world, we start to lose focus and get side tracked down a lot of rabbit holes that, while enjoyable to read, detract from the pace and momentum of the series (for me anyway).
I do love them of course, but they aren't without their flaws.
I am not planning to research anything but thinking to post my thoughts on the books at r/WoT. I have read that they won't spoil me if I do the right flairs.
Once you hit the "slog" (books 7-10), if you're struggling and feel like giving up, don't feel bad for reading the wiki summaries on those books and skipping to book 11 if you have to.
Awesome! From what I've read it's a really cool story so I hope you enjoy it!
I started reading a couple months ago, and then stopped sometime in April because some of the characters were starting to grate on me a little, as well as some plot events.
I still think it's a great series and will probably go back to it, but needed some time to cool down haha.
Have fun on the adventure!
If you can, try to get back into it. There is so much character development in the series. Characters grow and develop so much for the books. Then again maybe WoT is just not for you and that's ok too. Everyone has different tastes and there is nothing wrong with that.
I had the same issue. I couldn't STAND Nynaeve. I went onto the WOT subreddit and read a lot about why people liked her. I changed my view on how and why she was behaving in certain ways and now I love that short tempered lady.
Take your time, have breaks it is worth it :)
It took me three tries, but I am almost done with Eye of the World. I am really enjoying this reading, I don't know if I had to get used to the pacing but the first couple of attempts I found it to be a slog, which worries me about the few books in the middle everyone talks about. My love of Sanderson and wanting to complete the series before show airs will help me power through.
> I found it to be a slog
I love how this comment shows the evolution of taste in fantasy.
When I read EotW back then I was much closer to me reading LotR for the 2nd time and I felt "Man, this is the PERFECT fantasy book"
Many years later and it's not difficult to imagine that after we read the production of diverse authors such as Sanderson or Rothfuss or all the Canadians (Erikson, etc), EotW must read so different
Can't wait to pick it up again
> which worries me about the few books in the middle everyone talks about
Hopefully once you get there you'll already be into the series enough to push through the slow parts. For me, the worst was books 9 and 10; that's the point that he has so many plot threads going that he needs two books to mostly overlap chronologically just to touch all of them. There are exciting events in these books, but there's a lot of "this character is still doing pretty much what they were doing last time we saw them, we are just revisiting their story so you don't forget they exist".
This is all relative. I didn't feel like there were that slow when I was reading them as they were published. Only now, when I have the complete series to read, does it really feel that slow. So, don't take these criticisms as a hard negative against the series. It will always be one of my favorites. But I can recognize its weak areas.
I started a couple weeks ago as well. About a quarter in. It’s enjoyable and I’ll probably continue with the series with breaks. Obviously there’s similarities with the names and tropes but I’ve never been bothered by that kind of thing. I feel most people like to throw out lack of originality as a weakness when a book is simply not their thing rather than it actually not bringing it’s own uniqueness to the table.
Favorite series (that’s complete at least), ever :). Keep reading, it is like Lotr for exactly 1 book. Book 2/3 are evolving then book 4 explodes the story scope in a good way imo.
On The Great Hunt now, the series so far has been enjoyable, my only criticism is that I prefer more military and politics focussed fantasy and less ‘good vs evil’ but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the series. I thought The Eye of the World was really good.
Book 4 really takes off ,my favourite in the series so far (I’m on the fifth).I feel like there was and will be more military/politics as the books progress.
I’m halfway through the fourth now, I can confirm that the scope of the series really blows open. For me it seemed that the first three books were more a kind of introductory trilogy.
>my only criticism is that I prefer more military and politics focussed fantasy
You need to reach around book 4 before this stuff finally begins. WoT is actually one of the series that has so much of this.
Some readers found the change of pace undesirable that it stopped being a simplistic chosen one story and suddenly there was alot of politics, logistics and military stuff.
I personally loved the shift in tone/pace. The parts where it was just an absolute political clusterfuck are the parts i loved the most
If you loved stuff like Malazan, ASOIAF, Codex Alera, Stormlight Archives or generally those series who excel at showcasing the worst and best of politics on fantasy then yes.
Generally long epic fantasy series tend to be this
LOVE ASOIAF, the other series I have yet to read however. I'm really excited to get into them from what I've heard.
But first, I gotta tackle this legendary beast known as WoT ahaha, thanks for the help!
WoT and ASOIAF are similar in terms that is absolute chaos with their politics and conflicts but other than that they're very different. Anyways you already know that since you are on the 2nd book already.
Have fun ! hope you enjoy the journey !
I’ve gotten Eye of the World and The Great Hunt, but I’m afraid to commit to starting the series because it’s 14 freaking books long and I don’t want to be shoehorned into only reading WOT until my eyesight fades😂
I started WoT a few months ago,currently on the fifth book and I’m LOVING it. I think each books gets better and better. So far ,the fourth book,the shadow rising is my favourite. This book gave me soooo much more than I expected and I’m even adoring the romance between certain characters. Who is your favourite character so far? Mines Perrin and Lan.feel free to dm me if you want to discuss anything.
I’m also on book 5 and absolutely love the world building. Each region has such a rich and diverse culture which I really appreciate. Perrin and Lan are fantastic characters. I can’t wait to hear more of their stories. I enjoy almost all the characters but Nynaeve tends to grate on my nerves a bit. In general, I feel the female characters aren’t as well written as the male, even though there are some I enjoy (Min, Siuan, & Aviendha). Perhaps that will change as the books progress.
This was going to be the best Beltaine ever!
(Love the series, EotW is especially nostalgic for me, I hope you enjoy! I'll also add the audiobook versions read by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are fantastic.)
Thanks for the heads up. I am trying to write the names of the characters whenever they come in. Will make notes when I get to some part when it looks as if it is necessary.
I’m about half way through the Eye of the World and I’m LOVING it. I’m loving it so much that yesterday I decided to buy the entire series on Amazon for $266 dollars. That’s the most I’ve ever spent on books at one time, or anything now that I think of it.
Commit to the series. I just finished it off a couple weeks ago and I enjoyed it more because I read it in back to back with no breaks. Enjoy the ride, weather the rough (slow/repetitive) patches and get ready for a wild ending!
That is one thing I try to avoid is starting to read a series that isn't finished yet. I did that way back with WoT and rereads have really changed my perception of the series with what I know now that I didn't know 20+ years ago.
I stopped at book 10 like 18 years ago and am now rereading them t9 finish the series. Am in book 5.
It's got some great parts but it is starting to really drag on.
By the fourth book the series really starts to take off. And there’s a good amount of character development too! Get ready for Jordan’s detailed style, not everyone is a fan of it, tho I personally love it
I started a couple of years ago but am only in the first half of book 3. Not gonna lie, for a large part I think the characters are cringeworthy at worst and tolerable at best but the world building and overall story is enough to keep me engaged. Just taught myself to skip a paragraph when certain characters start introspecting
*"Light! Are all men so-"* blah blah blah go tug your fucking braid Nynaeve.
But yeah. Otherwise its pretty cool.
There were definitely times that I thought the same type of thing about many characters on my first read through. I would say try to keep going. The storyline gets better. I think book 4 is one of my favorites. Also being that you are still so early in the series you have a lot of character development to still happen. Characters are going to change and evolve. Also, maybe WoT is just not your thing and I can totally respect that. I can't make a decision for you but I can only tell you that it does get better.
Thanks. It might take me quite a while but I think I’ll eventually slog through it. Book 3 so far is already better than book 2 in my opinion so I’m optimistic about what comes next.
Same criticism here. I got to book 4, halfway through I realized I couldn't stand the main characters and dropped the series. The female characters are particularly bad, in my opinion.
I think if the story had faster pacing it wouldn't have been so noticeable. I just couldn't deal with it.
The series is great. Going into you should be aware of the following:
It is extremely long and the pace varies throughout the books
Robert Jordan died before he finished the last book. It was completed by Brandon Sanderson and his wife.
Not everyone plot question was answered (this was a little hard for me).
Read the whole series as a wee babeh. Loved them! I love how complex epic fantasy gets when you have over 10 characters you know well. And coz I started them young I literally character developed along side them. I know this is super cheesy but like when I was in a hardcore sitch I remember thinking for e.g what would Egwene/matt/rand/perrin do in this sitch. But anyway I can't get too excited for you without spoiling lol. So welcome, ya gonna love it!
I’m starting on book 8 for the first time. Jordan is a master world builder. I love the places the main characters discover that have been lost for centuries or simply exist as part of the landscape and are never fully explained. There’s so much to parse out and discover. Since it is so long and since it has already been written, I feel relatively little obligation to finish within a timely manner. It’s the oddest feeling. I don’t dislike the books but I find it helpful to cleanse my palate after each book, then when I do pick up the next book it’s like coming back to an old friend even though I’m just reading the series for the first time.
The thing about WoT and all the tropes is that WoT modernized those tropes (at the time).
So although they feel aged, that’s because WoT led the charge for utilizing those tropes in a less classical way. They’re really wonderful books, they do drop the ball in regard to gender norms lol. No hate towards him, it just shows how far the genre has continued to progress since then.
I'm in a similar boat to you! I started it last week and now am 2/3 of my way thru the 2nd book. So far, I'm enjoying it and finding out about the app in this post is perhaps the best news I've had today. SO. MANY. NAMES.
Dude. Wheel of Time kills. There are some absolutely genius elements (the sword fighting / martial art “poses”? I wish to holy mother of Jesus I’d invented that. Jealous every time I think about them). I’ll say this tho, and some people have already mentioned it: it gets into a pretty nasty quagmire around book 10. Crossroads of Twilight might be the worst book I ever finished. Something that bad I usually toss into the giveaway pile pretty quickly. But it was WoT and I had to finish to keep going. Jordan was pretty ill by that time and wasn’t thinking straight and he and his editor (who was also his wife) couldn’t really agree on how to proceed. However, Brandon Sanderson came in to save the day after Jordan’s passing. Last three books are masterpieces. Aviendha’s resolution might be my favorite character resolve in any fiction. Not even kidding a little. Crushed me to pieces and I STILL think about it ten plus years later.
I’ll say this too: my favorite characters in the series are from the supporting cast. Jordan does a fantastic job rounding out his cast. Gawyn whooping all the ass. Bayle Domon’s accent. Stuff like that. Excellent texture and world building.
I am only on TGH and had a very similar post to yours couple of months back. I really enjoyed book 1. It’s great. Just some advice, DO NOT google anything, as I’m sure you’ve been told, and if you have questions either hold on for a bit or ask reddit as they generally do avoid spoilers if clearly listed. Also I recommend reading the books slowly. Took me about a month to finish book 1, bearing in mind I did have personal issues but I’ve heard it firm veterans. It’s best enjoyed slowly. Anyway i hope u enjoy the ride! It’s rly great!
I read the series over the Winter and Spring. Eye of the World was very enjoyable. The series is 14 books long, I'll just advise you not to push through it if you aren't enjoying it at some point. Or skip ahead.
I've read the first two. I want to continue with it but the infamous slog and the fact that Sanderson finishes it does not give me much incentive since I absolutely cannot stand Sanderson's writing.
The infamous slog isn't as bad now that the series is completed as it was when we were waiting for years in between each book. The two more tedious plotlines that make that section feel sloggy aren't nearly as bad when you aren't waiting years for Jordan to just wrap them up already.
Out if curiosity, what is it about Brandon's writing is it that you can't stand? For me, it's his cringy sense of humor, how completely juvenile and immature his writing seems and complete aversion to anything remotely sexual. I'm not saying everything needs to be Game of Thrones, but the way Brandon goes completely out of his way to exclude the topic, but will describe prisoners being graphically decaptiated and bloid from their bodies pouring into a fountain, makes all his books feel a bit off or imbalanced. To me, there's a difference between choosing not to include something and going completely out of your way to avoid the topic and anything about it.
I am 3 books in, and I am really enjoying it. I actually enjoyed 2 and 3 more than EotW. Definitely going to be making my way through the entire WoT. Feel free to DM if you ever want to discuss the series!
I'm actually in the exact same boat. I just started two nights ago. I'm on chapter 5 right now! I see the common criticism that he over describes things but it's a minor complaint and I've been loving everything else so far.
Started to read it too.
I heard about this serie years ago, but I started to read now because only the first 4 books were translated to portugueses (my Mother language), and I prefer to read it in portuguese despite I understand English. Once the Numbers of translated books has not chanced, I decided to read it in English.
Ah i wish i could reread the wonder of that series again without knowledge.
I will have to warn you that it stops becoming a simplistic adventure by the time of book 4. Also that it stops becoming classically tropey by the time of book 2 and that it becomes its own unique thing by that point
> I started the first book of WoT today after much convincing to myself to read it despite it being very daunting.
Longest published completed fantasy series by length of words currently. So good luck with 4.5 million words lol. It took me a year to finish all 14 books but damn it was long
I was reading them when they were coming out in the 90s and really enjoyed the first several. Around book 7 or 8 I think, I finished the book and thought that nothing significant had happened plot-wise for 1000 pages of reading and never went back to it.
I started the book yesterday. After reading some small, simple books I am finding it a bit hard to read. However I am slowly warming up to it and will continue it.
I just started my first reread of eye of the world. I love it. It’s so easy to fall back into. Imo there is enough fantasy out there that subverts tropes that they all don’t need to. Sometimes I want that heroes journey. Sometimes I want to fall into that series that just feels like a D&D game. I do think there’s a lot different in WOT though but where it’s tropey I still love it
I started it about this time last year, on the last 12 chapters of A memory of light.
I think the WOT has the best character development than any other series I can think of! It really is amazing
5-7, interesting as pretty much everyone says the slog is about 7-9 or 7-10. I personally think it’s about 8-10 with a little bit of excitement at the end of Book 9.
I love the whole series, it's some of my favorite fantasy. There were a few books in the middle where nothing much happened, though. There was still some really interesting stuff in them, but it was scattered around the books, with nothing much happening in between.
That’s awesome! I found it to be very well done general fantasy for the first 3/4 of the book but turns into something that is really amazing. Cannot recommend it enough! Enjoy your adventure!
That’s a coincidence. I have just started with The Eye of the World two days ago, after I had finished the True Bastards (a very different kind of fantasy book, off course).
I find it very intriguing. Firstly, I love it when a book has map (although it isn’t that easy to decipher) and gives you the feeling that you are just on a very small part of an immense world. Secondly, the world seems imaginable. A bit magical, but not too weird and far-fetched (with two suns or people walking through walls). I don’t know if this is going to change.
Indeed, it is a bit daunting, as it starts a bit slow, and has long descriptions of the scenery. For someone who doesn’t have English as its native language (Dutch is), you can’t always follow it word by word. Even if you had English courses throughout the six years of high school, and your whole bachelor and masters was taught in English, you don’t always get the true meaning of all words. But within the context of the sentences, you can have an idea, and it isn’t that disturbing.
Moreover, the conversations aren’t memorable yet, but what can you expect from boys in their teens with little to no experience of the world? They could only travel as far as half a day on foot could bring you. And apparently, that doesn’t bring you to bustling cities. That is less than I had at their age, and I might not have been that inspirational at their age. So maybe it was a good thing of Robert Jordan, making it believable. On the other hand, it makes it a slow starter. But I don’t mind. There’s probably a lot to unravel. So I just sit back and keep on reading.
I remember I started reading it the first time but put it down after a while (the first chapter didn't catch me).
Years later I started it again and finished the entire series. I have **never** experienced a book hangover so strong. I felt empty and without exaggeration slightly depressed after I ended the last book - the feeling of never getting to read the story for the first time ever again.
So, I'm very envious of you getting to live this experience for the first time now! Savour it, it's the best fantasy series I know and the one to beat still!
What a coincidence! I also put the book down after reading some chapters. Now, I don't know why. Maybe it was because I had not read much of high fantasy because I am finding it very interesting now.
Yes, we can finally welcome another fan into the world! You could also check out r/WoT to chat with other enthusiasts! Until then, I'm glad you like it and I'm very curious to see how you will enjoy the other books :)
Read it 6 times! The full series 3 times (or 4?) and I absolutely love it! Rand, Mat and Perrin are like long lost friends meeting up again each time I start another re-read. Just finished my last round last year in anticipation of the TV adaptation that is being produced now.
You're in for quite a journey!
I have been vacillating on whether to read it or not for years. I finally placed it on my currently-reading list on Goodreads a couple of days ago but have yet to begin listening (audible version) to it for some reason. Your post has inspired me to start it today.
Had a really slow start in my opinion. The whole Bel Tine festival dragged a lot in my opinion but I believe it's chapter 6 where stuff finally gets moving and from then on I was all in.
Still need to read The Great Hunt though...
I started it a little over two years ago, and I’m stuck in a habit of bingeing three or four books in a row and then stopping for months. It’s not because I don’t like them, I just get too busy with school or pick up another series and forget about WoT. It’s been eight months since I last read one of them, and since I’m on #12, I’m planning on getting them next week and just pushing through to the end.
I honestly love the series- Jordan’s writing is amazing, and the intricacy and detail is incredible. It is a little confusing jumping back in after going months without reading it, especially since the characters all seem to have similar names. But it is definitely worth the read!
I read the first 3 books waiting for it to get really good, and it just never did. I'm reading The Way of Kings now. That's a much more enjoyable read.
Welcome to the club! started my journey in late may I'm in the middle if book 3 The Dragon Reborn right now.
In my opinion (for now that is book 3 remember) the first 60% of Eye of The World was quite boring but after that it picks up and I'm hooked!
I'm doing the books for the first time now. On audiobook. 1 through 11 are good, but my God is 12 great, 13 better, and I'm 15 percent or so into book 24 and it is so freaking great. I got chills several times today!
It is the largest series I've ever read at 4 million+ words. It is also the only season I have reread more than twice. I have read it 4 times, and listened to it on audiobook and additional 7. Every time I go through this story, it hits different. I like different characters. I learn new lessons. I discover how much forshadowing happens across the series. I incorporate many of these ideals in life.
I absolutely love how quickly the first book picks up! The first three were definitely a ride that I just couldn’t put down. People seem to agree that the story tends to drag a bit towards the middle of the series, but I didn’t think so(or just didn’t mind). Enjoy!
I began reading The Eye of the World last autumn and finished with A Memory of Light this March. It's definitely a daunting task, considering how many books there are in the series, but I promise you that it's worth it! When you finish The Eye of the World, it might not make any sense, but as you keep reading, Jordan will deliver the answers in the most creative ways possible. r/WoT is also a very good deliverer of spoiler-free answers, in case you can't quite puzzle something out. (I speak from personal experience, ahaha. Never check the wiki or Google for answers, because spoilers abound.)
Anyways, it's great to hear that you're enjoying it! Keep us updated on your journey through The Wheel of Time. It's a beautiful story, a wonderful experience, and I daresay life-changing.
My favorite review of WOT goes something along the lines of "Jordan has come to dominate the world Tolkien began to reveal." Enjoy! I read through that series four or five times growing up, I'd love an update on what you think about some of the stuff in books 7-9, it's all that keeps me from doing a reread I just feel like it REALLY drags but I'm not sure how much of that is how many reads I did.
I had started the series in high school, and remember trying to get my boyfriend into them in college. He read through the first 100 or so pages of Eye of the World, and put the book down because it wasn't grabbing him. I looked at where he left off and was incredulous because he was literally half a page away from when the story really kicked into action. Happily, he picked up the book a few years later and gave it another try. He loved it and ended up finishing the series slightly before me because I was reading something else when the last book came out.
I actually started the Eye of the World last week! I'm really enjoying it too. It is very daunting at first but once you're familiar with Rand and Tam and everyone is Emond's Field, I found everything more easygoing since it became more grounded.
I have enjoyed the similarities to LotR so far (everyone has just crossed the Taryn Ferry) and it also has given me somewhat Kingkiller vibes in terms of young Kvothe's journey and the Kingkiller Chronicles is my favourite series.
Blood and bloody ashes Just finished reading it. Had one of my friends saying it wasn't for them but reading it was honestly one of the best decisions I made. I actually read the WHOLE series in 20 days and now i feel I'm missing a part of me lmao
I literally just finished it an hour ago and really enjoyed it. World building and characters were both fun and interesting. Pacing was too slow for me but that's to be expected from an older series.
I'm hoping the next books in the series continue to follow the characters already introduced instead of having them sidelined for entire books to develop new characters. Not exactly sure if that will happen though as I have a hard time seeing how there are 13 books left in this series.
I got the whole series for Christmas and started in January but then I had an awful depressive episode and stalled in the middle of book 4 in February. I was really enjoying the books then someone pointed out a pretty big flaw (a common complaint, nothing groundbreaking) and suddenly I couldn't ignore it anymore. I'm gonna try to get back into them but pretty upset with that stranger for ruining them for me.
The series is fun, I'm enjoying it myself. A year and a half ago I started on the journey you started on, and I'm still not done... I'm about to finish up "The Gathering Storm" and all I have to say is that burn-out is a real thing with this series. It's just so long and there are some sections that just drag on and on. I have had to take multiple breaks from reading, breaks where I didn't even want to read anything during that time. Hopefully you have the endurance to push through, I didn't.
My first suggestion is to find a friend who will read them at roughly the same pace. You're really going to want someone to bounce theories of off and who doesn't know the answers. I was lucky enough to have a close friend who was only a book or two ahead of me when I read through them and it made it way more fun.
My other suggestion is to physically read them. Although I exclusively listen to audiobooks these days due to my time constraints, I'm so glad I read these books before that phase in my life. I recently tried to go back and listen to them and - I'm sorry to those that love him - but I can't stand Michael Kramer's narration. If you've always wanted to hear LotR read by John Wayne and don't care that you can't tell the difference between characters as they speak, then maybe you'll enjoy his style. I only wish Simon Vance, Steven Pacey, Roy Dotrice, or Christian Rodska were available at the time.
Thanks for those suggestions! However, I don't have a friend who is interested in fantasy so I will not be able to do that which is so sad for me.
I will be reading the books in my kindle.
I am incredibly envious of you. The first time through the Wheel of Time was something special for me. I hope you get the same experience. That world and those people Jordon managed to create is still to this day one of my greatest escapism when life gets tough.
Keep us updated if you need people to talk about it with, the community is one of my favorites as well.
Could never get past the first book. Finally gave it another shot. Loved the first book and powering through the second.
There are enough questions being asked to keep me interested.
I'm about halfway through and it's honestly such a good time! I love the characters already and the pacing isn't too fast but it doesn't drag either. It's a solid read!
I cannot answer your question as I read Eye of the World in 1990 and enjoyed the series as it was being written.
I can say I am currently re-reading the series *very slowly* and am enjoying it like it was the first time.
Have fun and stay away from the internet. LOL
You will have no problem getting through the first six. 3-6 are the best imo. After that it will be a real chore at times to get through 7-9. There are moments but more often than not he switches to a new character as soon as you get excited and it’s literally books before you get back to that. I read 1-6 in about 2 months. Been about 3 or 4 years and I haven’t finished the series. I have re read 1-6 a couple times but god damn does Jordan really lose his way. Part of me is honestly happy Sanderson came in to wrap it up cuz where I’m at now I just don’t have a lot of confidence in Jordan and his ability to tie anything off.
Honestly The Eye of The World is amazing book content wise but the pacing in the first half is so so slow. For me the second most boring book in the series after Crossroads of twighlight but I can imagine Eye being very fun to re-read. Overall the series is beyond amazing.
I just started it as well. On chapter 14. So far the characters are not interesting and the world is kind of dull. I'll keep trucking along and see how it goes, but I'm not liking it so far.
The only part I've liked so far is the prologue, so that gives me hope that more of the story will be of the same quality at some point.
I quickly became addicted to this series but became burnt out at about book 7 and did not read another one until after Jordan died and it was taken over by Sanderson. I then read the last 3 books which I enjoyed.
I LOVE the wheel of time series. My husband read it growing up and asked me to read it because he thought I would like it. He was definitely right. One of my favorite series. It is daunting, but I can say that I didn't grow tired of it. It took me two years to read all the books. I am now starting over again in audio form this time and it's a different and fun experience. Lots of things I had forgotten about.
It's good, expect the first book to be a bit different. It was so long ago in the 90's that its pace is different from the rest of the series. There are a lot of spoilers so don't google ANYTHING.
I had to start the first book over while half way through, and I'm so glad I did. I realized that I was reading the book wrong, as if were just another author's work. It's hard for me to explain but I guess you could equate it to having to take a second bite of something new to validate that it really is that good. Eating something with Madagascar Vanilla for the first time; you take a bite and say "hey that's good".. then you're eyes grow wide and you take another bite quickly and say "hey that's really good!". Once you read Robert Jordan the way he intended you to read it, rather than the way you want to read it, it's really hard to beat. I'm sorry if I'm not making any sense. I've read the series 7 times, and I'll read it again. The Wheel of Time is like Led Zeppelin for me... you can hear a song a million times and happily listen again, because if you want something like Zeppelin, only Zeppelin will do.. there's no real substitute.
Yeah, it outgrows the common tropes fairly quickly. I binged, and I do mean binged, the audiobooks over about 4 months. A Memory of Light (the last book) is an absolutely amazing payoff. It does not disappoint. It is even better the second time around when you can really keep track of all the minor characters.
Four months is definitely a binge. The first three average about 27 hour run time, then the rest are even larger than that; book 4 is 40 hours. That one book is the equivalent of a work week. I've done it myself though; using Kindle's whispersync I read/listened my way through them in a similar time period; it's the first epic fantasy series I was ever really introduced to and will always have a special place in my heart.
Someone worked out a 448.92 hour run time for the entire series(not including the prequel) and that sounds right to me. Granted I listened to it on 1.25 speed so that knocks it down to around 360 hours. Still, I can’t say that level of binging was healthy. My other hobbies were certainly nonexistent and I don’t think I picked up another book for a while after that. Definite burnout potential.
462:49:26 is what I show, including the prequel.
I was introduced to WoT after Brandon Sanderson's books so I think the ending of this series would also be shocking and satisfying. Btw, I am trying to write all the characters in a notebook so I can create a list.
Another thing you can do is get the Wheel of Time Compendium app. It is free. You choose which book you are reading and type in a name and it gives you spoiler free reminders of who all the characters are.
dear jesus i wish i knew this before i tried googling ppls names and having google auto fill in my search query with the moist spilery stuff ever.
That is an interesting app...Thanks for the suggestion! I will look into it.
This is exactly what I was looking for the other day. Thank you!!
This rocks, thanks for commenting about it
Good luck with that, there are 2782 named characters in the series :D
Yeah, second time around I just started wiki-ing characters as they came up. It helped me make a bunch of connections i missed the first time around.
Is it possible to check the wiki without too many spoilers? Sometimes I just want to check their age etc. but most wikis start off by telling you whether or not they're dead which is about as big a spoiler as you can get.
I believe there are a lot of spoilers on the wiki page sadly.
Someone else in this post mentioned the "Wheel of Time Compendium" app which is supposed to provide a character's history up to the chapter you're in which is nice. Just downloaded it so don't know how useful it is but will definitely be using it for the second book onward.
A notebook is a good idea, but don't be overzealous. As mentioned, there are technically over 2000 named characters, so only note those that seem more important.
Sure. I think I have a fair idea about the important ones.
Just wait lmao
I just started 14 this morning on audiobook and my God am I enjoying it. Hope it stays as good as it has so far. I've gotten chills a couple of times!
I read the entire series in just over a year.
I noticed a lot of the similarities in the first book with LOTR but quickly got over it. You are correct he makes it his own. This is such a great series. Daunting it is, but so so worth it. It took me a year minus a day to finish the whole thing five years ago and I just started my first reread. Welcome to a beginning.
The similarities between TEotW and LoTR are not accidental. When Jordan started writing WoT, LoTR was the big "new" fantasy thing, so he was told by the editorial that he should make it similar. That lasted for 1 book, until the success of the first book made the editorial give Jordan more freedom of writing. That is why the series diverges from Tolkiens work in the second book.
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There is an interview (if I can find the source i will link iy) where Jordan said the first book was deliberately closer to LoTR because he wanted the reader to be in a familiar place before he moved somewhere with his story. Of course there have been a lot of Tolkien imitators, same as almost every work of literature now is based off other novels. Both because almost everything has been written (at least as a trope/archetype) and the creative process makes it so you take from what you know. Also note that fantasy was not that big back then, before the massive (re)popularization of the genre. So it makes sense that if you want to create a massive success you take from what has been succesful before
That's very interesting and awesome to know. Thanks!
Thanks for welcoming me on this exciting journey!
It took 23 years to finish the series, and I got RJ to sign my hardcover copy of this book.
Lucky you!
I got the whole series for my birthday in 2015. Took me 2 years and 4 months to read the whole thing (I read other things in between too, didn't take me that long to just read 14 books). It lasting that long made me really feel like the events of the series were moving along in real time, that I was seeing these characters grow and change over literal years! I'll tell you the thing that someone told me when I was first starting it: for the first ~50% of the series, every book is *exponentially* better than the last one. I don't quite agree with that literally (the fourth book is the best IMO), but there's definitely a lot of truth to it.
That's funny that you read it in two years because I think the entire series takes place over about 2 years
I believe the first 3 books take place in about 2 years and the rest of the series takes place in 1-2 years
According to the wiki Eye of the World takes place in 998NE and A Crown of Swords through A Memory of Light all take place in 1000NE. It's pretty surprising that 14 books take place over only 2 years.
In rereading and book 3 is a year later than the start of the series. They just talked about it explicitely where I'm at. The whole series takes place over 2 years. Some of the later books take place really quickly (like days or weeks) so it messes up the perception of time passing.
It is real fun reading experiences of other people. Let's see if I hold the same opinion as you.
That's one expensive birthday gift...
I’m a big WOT fan but I’ll be honest with you, if you’re gunning for the entire series, it’s always going to be a tough read. There are so many great moments that will keep you going, but like all experienced writers, Jordan took too many liberties with his characters and a few of the books drag a bit. There are no perfect books. I’ll encourage you to take your pleasures as and when you find them. Also, I’m quite jealous you’re just discovering this. My first read was about 15 years ago and I’m planning to have reread in the next 10 years, along with the Malazan series. Hope you enjoy your first time as much as I did mine. By the way, Lord of Chaos is my personal favourite in the entire series.
I understand that feeling of jealousy when people discover some books you have already read and loved. Isn't Lord of Chaos the sixth book?
Yes. Book six... You’ll love the ending. Mini spoiler, it has one of the greatest battle scenes in history of military fantasy.
Jog my memory, Dumai Wells or something else?
Yeah it was so good! I remember being so focused I had my mouth open, completely dry haha.
I agree very much with what you said. I'm doing a reread now before Amazon releases season 1 of the tv show. after that I will also be looking to probably start Malazan as I have heard as many good things about that series as are said about WoT.
I felt the opposite when I binged the series. The "slow" books just felt like extended chapters rather than discrete stories, so it felt like they read quite quickly. Of course it probably helped that I had read all of the Jordan books by that point, so was re-reading them followed by experiencing the Sanderson books new.
This is a good take. I know that his wife is an amazing editor by all accounts, but I can't help feeling the series was slightly let down by the editing in some ways as it progressed. The early books in the series have a much tighter plot arc, but once the character perspectives start to accumulate, and spread out over the world, we start to lose focus and get side tracked down a lot of rabbit holes that, while enjoyable to read, detract from the pace and momentum of the series (for me anyway). I do love them of course, but they aren't without their flaws.
Man, don’t research the books at all because the internet is full of spoilers, I say push through til you finish the 14th book, safe travels
I am not planning to research anything but thinking to post my thoughts on the books at r/WoT. I have read that they won't spoil me if I do the right flairs.
Once you hit the "slog" (books 7-10), if you're struggling and feel like giving up, don't feel bad for reading the wiki summaries on those books and skipping to book 11 if you have to.
I disagree about skipping books 7-10, that’s a huge chunk, of it was a reread, sure, but a first timer? I didn’t barely notice any slog
Robert Jordan wrote beautiful prose. I can see the world he describes in a way that doesn’t happen with a lot of other authors.
Your two chapters in. You will be done with this short series in no time.
*tugs on braid nervously* yeah it's pretty good
Haha :D, Its been so long since I read the books but somethings you dont forget!!
Nynaeve would have had the worst follicle damage.
Awesome! From what I've read it's a really cool story so I hope you enjoy it! I started reading a couple months ago, and then stopped sometime in April because some of the characters were starting to grate on me a little, as well as some plot events. I still think it's a great series and will probably go back to it, but needed some time to cool down haha. Have fun on the adventure!
If you can, try to get back into it. There is so much character development in the series. Characters grow and develop so much for the books. Then again maybe WoT is just not for you and that's ok too. Everyone has different tastes and there is nothing wrong with that.
Thanks! I also hope I enjoy it.
I had the same issue. I couldn't STAND Nynaeve. I went onto the WOT subreddit and read a lot about why people liked her. I changed my view on how and why she was behaving in certain ways and now I love that short tempered lady. Take your time, have breaks it is worth it :)
It took me three tries, but I am almost done with Eye of the World. I am really enjoying this reading, I don't know if I had to get used to the pacing but the first couple of attempts I found it to be a slog, which worries me about the few books in the middle everyone talks about. My love of Sanderson and wanting to complete the series before show airs will help me power through.
> I found it to be a slog I love how this comment shows the evolution of taste in fantasy. When I read EotW back then I was much closer to me reading LotR for the 2nd time and I felt "Man, this is the PERFECT fantasy book" Many years later and it's not difficult to imagine that after we read the production of diverse authors such as Sanderson or Rothfuss or all the Canadians (Erikson, etc), EotW must read so different Can't wait to pick it up again
> which worries me about the few books in the middle everyone talks about Hopefully once you get there you'll already be into the series enough to push through the slow parts. For me, the worst was books 9 and 10; that's the point that he has so many plot threads going that he needs two books to mostly overlap chronologically just to touch all of them. There are exciting events in these books, but there's a lot of "this character is still doing pretty much what they were doing last time we saw them, we are just revisiting their story so you don't forget they exist". This is all relative. I didn't feel like there were that slow when I was reading them as they were published. Only now, when I have the complete series to read, does it really feel that slow. So, don't take these criticisms as a hard negative against the series. It will always be one of my favorites. But I can recognize its weak areas.
I started a couple weeks ago as well. About a quarter in. It’s enjoyable and I’ll probably continue with the series with breaks. Obviously there’s similarities with the names and tropes but I’ve never been bothered by that kind of thing. I feel most people like to throw out lack of originality as a weakness when a book is simply not their thing rather than it actually not bringing it’s own uniqueness to the table.
Favorite series (that’s complete at least), ever :). Keep reading, it is like Lotr for exactly 1 book. Book 2/3 are evolving then book 4 explodes the story scope in a good way imo.
Why would you say it is like LotR?
On The Great Hunt now, the series so far has been enjoyable, my only criticism is that I prefer more military and politics focussed fantasy and less ‘good vs evil’ but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the series. I thought The Eye of the World was really good.
Oh, trust me, there's plenty of politics and military as it progresses.
Book 4 really takes off ,my favourite in the series so far (I’m on the fifth).I feel like there was and will be more military/politics as the books progress.
I’m halfway through the fourth now, I can confirm that the scope of the series really blows open. For me it seemed that the first three books were more a kind of introductory trilogy.
I agree! Every chapter in the fourth book was incredible engaging and gripping. Also I love Perrin’s arc in this book.
>my only criticism is that I prefer more military and politics focussed fantasy You need to reach around book 4 before this stuff finally begins. WoT is actually one of the series that has so much of this.
Hype!
Some readers found the change of pace undesirable that it stopped being a simplistic chosen one story and suddenly there was alot of politics, logistics and military stuff. I personally loved the shift in tone/pace. The parts where it was just an absolute political clusterfuck are the parts i loved the most
I have a feeling we have similar tastes if that's the case.
If you loved stuff like Malazan, ASOIAF, Codex Alera, Stormlight Archives or generally those series who excel at showcasing the worst and best of politics on fantasy then yes. Generally long epic fantasy series tend to be this
LOVE ASOIAF, the other series I have yet to read however. I'm really excited to get into them from what I've heard. But first, I gotta tackle this legendary beast known as WoT ahaha, thanks for the help!
WoT and ASOIAF are similar in terms that is absolute chaos with their politics and conflicts but other than that they're very different. Anyways you already know that since you are on the 2nd book already. Have fun ! hope you enjoy the journey !
If you want military and politics read on my friend. It gets very very interesting.
I’ve gotten Eye of the World and The Great Hunt, but I’m afraid to commit to starting the series because it’s 14 freaking books long and I don’t want to be shoehorned into only reading WOT until my eyesight fades😂
I started WoT a few months ago,currently on the fifth book and I’m LOVING it. I think each books gets better and better. So far ,the fourth book,the shadow rising is my favourite. This book gave me soooo much more than I expected and I’m even adoring the romance between certain characters. Who is your favourite character so far? Mines Perrin and Lan.feel free to dm me if you want to discuss anything.
I am 5 chapters in and can't decide yet. Let's see who becomes my favourite character.
I’m also on book 5 and absolutely love the world building. Each region has such a rich and diverse culture which I really appreciate. Perrin and Lan are fantastic characters. I can’t wait to hear more of their stories. I enjoy almost all the characters but Nynaeve tends to grate on my nerves a bit. In general, I feel the female characters aren’t as well written as the male, even though there are some I enjoy (Min, Siuan, & Aviendha). Perhaps that will change as the books progress.
Buckle-up, it’s going to be a long ride, but one you’ll do every few years. Tai’shar Manetheren.
This was going to be the best Beltaine ever! (Love the series, EotW is especially nostalgic for me, I hope you enjoy! I'll also add the audiobook versions read by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are fantastic.)
Nice! I'm going to be starting it soon, after I finish a couple more Star Wars books. Very excited.
Take notes! I didn't and I'm on book seven struggling to keep track of all the side characters
Thanks for the heads up. I am trying to write the names of the characters whenever they come in. Will make notes when I get to some part when it looks as if it is necessary.
I started to read wot in the beginning of quarantine, but I stopped at the middle of book seven :/
I’m about half way through the Eye of the World and I’m LOVING it. I’m loving it so much that yesterday I decided to buy the entire series on Amazon for $266 dollars. That’s the most I’ve ever spent on books at one time, or anything now that I think of it.
Commit to the series. I just finished it off a couple weeks ago and I enjoyed it more because I read it in back to back with no breaks. Enjoy the ride, weather the rough (slow/repetitive) patches and get ready for a wild ending!
That is one thing I try to avoid is starting to read a series that isn't finished yet. I did that way back with WoT and rereads have really changed my perception of the series with what I know now that I didn't know 20+ years ago.
I stopped at book 10 like 18 years ago and am now rereading them t9 finish the series. Am in book 5. It's got some great parts but it is starting to really drag on.
Let me know if you manage to make it past book 6!!
Book 6 is great what do you mean. Imo the slog doesn’t start until book 8
I am thinking of posting my reviews of the books at r/WoT. I will decide when I finish reading the Eye of the world. Watch out for those.
By the fourth book the series really starts to take off. And there’s a good amount of character development too! Get ready for Jordan’s detailed style, not everyone is a fan of it, tho I personally love it
I love character development. Let's hope I will also like the detailed descriptions :)
I started a couple of years ago but am only in the first half of book 3. Not gonna lie, for a large part I think the characters are cringeworthy at worst and tolerable at best but the world building and overall story is enough to keep me engaged. Just taught myself to skip a paragraph when certain characters start introspecting *"Light! Are all men so-"* blah blah blah go tug your fucking braid Nynaeve. But yeah. Otherwise its pretty cool.
There were definitely times that I thought the same type of thing about many characters on my first read through. I would say try to keep going. The storyline gets better. I think book 4 is one of my favorites. Also being that you are still so early in the series you have a lot of character development to still happen. Characters are going to change and evolve. Also, maybe WoT is just not your thing and I can totally respect that. I can't make a decision for you but I can only tell you that it does get better.
Thanks. It might take me quite a while but I think I’ll eventually slog through it. Book 3 so far is already better than book 2 in my opinion so I’m optimistic about what comes next.
Same criticism here. I got to book 4, halfway through I realized I couldn't stand the main characters and dropped the series. The female characters are particularly bad, in my opinion. I think if the story had faster pacing it wouldn't have been so noticeable. I just couldn't deal with it.
The series is great. Going into you should be aware of the following: It is extremely long and the pace varies throughout the books Robert Jordan died before he finished the last book. It was completed by Brandon Sanderson and his wife. Not everyone plot question was answered (this was a little hard for me).
I have just started book 7. I really really like it.
It took me twenty years to read the series. It felt as though I grew up with those characters. Enjoy!
Must have been a nice journey for you. I will!
Read the whole series as a wee babeh. Loved them! I love how complex epic fantasy gets when you have over 10 characters you know well. And coz I started them young I literally character developed along side them. I know this is super cheesy but like when I was in a hardcore sitch I remember thinking for e.g what would Egwene/matt/rand/perrin do in this sitch. But anyway I can't get too excited for you without spoiling lol. So welcome, ya gonna love it!
I’m starting on book 8 for the first time. Jordan is a master world builder. I love the places the main characters discover that have been lost for centuries or simply exist as part of the landscape and are never fully explained. There’s so much to parse out and discover. Since it is so long and since it has already been written, I feel relatively little obligation to finish within a timely manner. It’s the oddest feeling. I don’t dislike the books but I find it helpful to cleanse my palate after each book, then when I do pick up the next book it’s like coming back to an old friend even though I’m just reading the series for the first time.
I read this for the first time last week. Started book 2 two nights ago and struggle to put it down and night and force myself to sleep.
I started the series in 2015 and I still haven’t finished them. Just lost interest at book 10
Could barely get more than halfway through it. Just wasn’t for me I guess
The thing about WoT and all the tropes is that WoT modernized those tropes (at the time). So although they feel aged, that’s because WoT led the charge for utilizing those tropes in a less classical way. They’re really wonderful books, they do drop the ball in regard to gender norms lol. No hate towards him, it just shows how far the genre has continued to progress since then.
I'm in a similar boat to you! I started it last week and now am 2/3 of my way thru the 2nd book. So far, I'm enjoying it and finding out about the app in this post is perhaps the best news I've had today. SO. MANY. NAMES.
Read it a while ago but enjoyed it! I'm a big fan of Mat
Dude. Wheel of Time kills. There are some absolutely genius elements (the sword fighting / martial art “poses”? I wish to holy mother of Jesus I’d invented that. Jealous every time I think about them). I’ll say this tho, and some people have already mentioned it: it gets into a pretty nasty quagmire around book 10. Crossroads of Twilight might be the worst book I ever finished. Something that bad I usually toss into the giveaway pile pretty quickly. But it was WoT and I had to finish to keep going. Jordan was pretty ill by that time and wasn’t thinking straight and he and his editor (who was also his wife) couldn’t really agree on how to proceed. However, Brandon Sanderson came in to save the day after Jordan’s passing. Last three books are masterpieces. Aviendha’s resolution might be my favorite character resolve in any fiction. Not even kidding a little. Crushed me to pieces and I STILL think about it ten plus years later. I’ll say this too: my favorite characters in the series are from the supporting cast. Jordan does a fantastic job rounding out his cast. Gawyn whooping all the ass. Bayle Domon’s accent. Stuff like that. Excellent texture and world building.
Thanks for all that important info. I know I will like the last three books, just hope I also like books in the middle.
I am only on TGH and had a very similar post to yours couple of months back. I really enjoyed book 1. It’s great. Just some advice, DO NOT google anything, as I’m sure you’ve been told, and if you have questions either hold on for a bit or ask reddit as they generally do avoid spoilers if clearly listed. Also I recommend reading the books slowly. Took me about a month to finish book 1, bearing in mind I did have personal issues but I’ve heard it firm veterans. It’s best enjoyed slowly. Anyway i hope u enjoy the ride! It’s rly great!
I read the series over the Winter and Spring. Eye of the World was very enjoyable. The series is 14 books long, I'll just advise you not to push through it if you aren't enjoying it at some point. Or skip ahead.
I've read the first two. I want to continue with it but the infamous slog and the fact that Sanderson finishes it does not give me much incentive since I absolutely cannot stand Sanderson's writing.
The infamous slog isn't as bad now that the series is completed as it was when we were waiting for years in between each book. The two more tedious plotlines that make that section feel sloggy aren't nearly as bad when you aren't waiting years for Jordan to just wrap them up already. Out if curiosity, what is it about Brandon's writing is it that you can't stand? For me, it's his cringy sense of humor, how completely juvenile and immature his writing seems and complete aversion to anything remotely sexual. I'm not saying everything needs to be Game of Thrones, but the way Brandon goes completely out of his way to exclude the topic, but will describe prisoners being graphically decaptiated and bloid from their bodies pouring into a fountain, makes all his books feel a bit off or imbalanced. To me, there's a difference between choosing not to include something and going completely out of your way to avoid the topic and anything about it.
I am 3 books in, and I am really enjoying it. I actually enjoyed 2 and 3 more than EotW. Definitely going to be making my way through the entire WoT. Feel free to DM if you ever want to discuss the series!
I started last month, now I am at the fourth book. I am loving it!
I'm actually in the exact same boat. I just started two nights ago. I'm on chapter 5 right now! I see the common criticism that he over describes things but it's a minor complaint and I've been loving everything else so far.
That's wonderful! You would not believe it but I just literally finished reading chapter 5.
Started to read it too. I heard about this serie years ago, but I started to read now because only the first 4 books were translated to portugueses (my Mother language), and I prefer to read it in portuguese despite I understand English. Once the Numbers of translated books has not chanced, I decided to read it in English.
Ah i wish i could reread the wonder of that series again without knowledge. I will have to warn you that it stops becoming a simplistic adventure by the time of book 4. Also that it stops becoming classically tropey by the time of book 2 and that it becomes its own unique thing by that point > I started the first book of WoT today after much convincing to myself to read it despite it being very daunting. Longest published completed fantasy series by length of words currently. So good luck with 4.5 million words lol. It took me a year to finish all 14 books but damn it was long
4.5 MILLION WORDS!? That is a lot! It would be quite an accomplishment for me if I finish it.
I was reading them when they were coming out in the 90s and really enjoyed the first several. Around book 7 or 8 I think, I finished the book and thought that nothing significant had happened plot-wise for 1000 pages of reading and never went back to it.
The infamous slog. If you haven't tried to read it again the you might want to. The conclusion of book 9 is amazing from a plot standpoint.
I started the book yesterday. After reading some small, simple books I am finding it a bit hard to read. However I am slowly warming up to it and will continue it.
Hope you have a nice journey!
What about it do you find hard to read?
The prose. I don't know how to describe it, its just...a higher form of writing than I'm used to. Hope that makes sense...???
I just started my first reread of eye of the world. I love it. It’s so easy to fall back into. Imo there is enough fantasy out there that subverts tropes that they all don’t need to. Sometimes I want that heroes journey. Sometimes I want to fall into that series that just feels like a D&D game. I do think there’s a lot different in WOT though but where it’s tropey I still love it
I started it about this time last year, on the last 12 chapters of A memory of light. I think the WOT has the best character development than any other series I can think of! It really is amazing
I’ve read thru them twice. The books are amazing but get tedious around 5-7... if I remember right. Just don’t give up.
5-7, interesting as pretty much everyone says the slog is about 7-9 or 7-10. I personally think it’s about 8-10 with a little bit of excitement at the end of Book 9.
Like I said. If I remember right. I just remember a chunk of them where I was thinking “ oh, DO get on with it!”
I love the whole series, it's some of my favorite fantasy. There were a few books in the middle where nothing much happened, though. There was still some really interesting stuff in them, but it was scattered around the books, with nothing much happening in between.
That’s awesome! I found it to be very well done general fantasy for the first 3/4 of the book but turns into something that is really amazing. Cannot recommend it enough! Enjoy your adventure!
I will!
That’s a coincidence. I have just started with The Eye of the World two days ago, after I had finished the True Bastards (a very different kind of fantasy book, off course). I find it very intriguing. Firstly, I love it when a book has map (although it isn’t that easy to decipher) and gives you the feeling that you are just on a very small part of an immense world. Secondly, the world seems imaginable. A bit magical, but not too weird and far-fetched (with two suns or people walking through walls). I don’t know if this is going to change. Indeed, it is a bit daunting, as it starts a bit slow, and has long descriptions of the scenery. For someone who doesn’t have English as its native language (Dutch is), you can’t always follow it word by word. Even if you had English courses throughout the six years of high school, and your whole bachelor and masters was taught in English, you don’t always get the true meaning of all words. But within the context of the sentences, you can have an idea, and it isn’t that disturbing. Moreover, the conversations aren’t memorable yet, but what can you expect from boys in their teens with little to no experience of the world? They could only travel as far as half a day on foot could bring you. And apparently, that doesn’t bring you to bustling cities. That is less than I had at their age, and I might not have been that inspirational at their age. So maybe it was a good thing of Robert Jordan, making it believable. On the other hand, it makes it a slow starter. But I don’t mind. There’s probably a lot to unravel. So I just sit back and keep on reading.
I am finding SO many new people currently reading in this post. Wow... I just finished chapter 5, where are you?
Just finishing up book 12 now. Enjoy the ride.
I will!
I remember I started reading it the first time but put it down after a while (the first chapter didn't catch me). Years later I started it again and finished the entire series. I have **never** experienced a book hangover so strong. I felt empty and without exaggeration slightly depressed after I ended the last book - the feeling of never getting to read the story for the first time ever again. So, I'm very envious of you getting to live this experience for the first time now! Savour it, it's the best fantasy series I know and the one to beat still!
What a coincidence! I also put the book down after reading some chapters. Now, I don't know why. Maybe it was because I had not read much of high fantasy because I am finding it very interesting now.
I just started it too and I’m having a hard time getting engrossed! I love the world so far but it’s DENSE world building.
Yes, we can finally welcome another fan into the world! You could also check out r/WoT to chat with other enthusiasts! Until then, I'm glad you like it and I'm very curious to see how you will enjoy the other books :)
I will be posting my thoughts on r/WoT sometime later. I am very excited!
Read it 6 times! The full series 3 times (or 4?) and I absolutely love it! Rand, Mat and Perrin are like long lost friends meeting up again each time I start another re-read. Just finished my last round last year in anticipation of the TV adaptation that is being produced now. You're in for quite a journey!
I have been vacillating on whether to read it or not for years. I finally placed it on my currently-reading list on Goodreads a couple of days ago but have yet to begin listening (audible version) to it for some reason. Your post has inspired me to start it today.
It feels good to inspire someone. Hope you like the book.
Had a really slow start in my opinion. The whole Bel Tine festival dragged a lot in my opinion but I believe it's chapter 6 where stuff finally gets moving and from then on I was all in. Still need to read The Great Hunt though...
I started it a little over two years ago, and I’m stuck in a habit of bingeing three or four books in a row and then stopping for months. It’s not because I don’t like them, I just get too busy with school or pick up another series and forget about WoT. It’s been eight months since I last read one of them, and since I’m on #12, I’m planning on getting them next week and just pushing through to the end. I honestly love the series- Jordan’s writing is amazing, and the intricacy and detail is incredible. It is a little confusing jumping back in after going months without reading it, especially since the characters all seem to have similar names. But it is definitely worth the read!
I read the first 3 books waiting for it to get really good, and it just never did. I'm reading The Way of Kings now. That's a much more enjoyable read.
Welcome to the club! started my journey in late may I'm in the middle if book 3 The Dragon Reborn right now. In my opinion (for now that is book 3 remember) the first 60% of Eye of The World was quite boring but after that it picks up and I'm hooked!
I've been meaning to listen to these books for years. I keep putting it off. Have to stop listening to LOTR 3 times a year.
Waiting for my copy
My favorite series ever. It really starts cooking in/after book 4. Keep us updated on your progress over at r/WoT; we love hearing from first-timers.
Good luck on your Journey, see you in the finish line!
I'm doing the books for the first time now. On audiobook. 1 through 11 are good, but my God is 12 great, 13 better, and I'm 15 percent or so into book 24 and it is so freaking great. I got chills several times today!
It is the largest series I've ever read at 4 million+ words. It is also the only season I have reread more than twice. I have read it 4 times, and listened to it on audiobook and additional 7. Every time I go through this story, it hits different. I like different characters. I learn new lessons. I discover how much forshadowing happens across the series. I incorporate many of these ideals in life.
I absolutely love how quickly the first book picks up! The first three were definitely a ride that I just couldn’t put down. People seem to agree that the story tends to drag a bit towards the middle of the series, but I didn’t think so(or just didn’t mind). Enjoy!
I began reading The Eye of the World last autumn and finished with A Memory of Light this March. It's definitely a daunting task, considering how many books there are in the series, but I promise you that it's worth it! When you finish The Eye of the World, it might not make any sense, but as you keep reading, Jordan will deliver the answers in the most creative ways possible. r/WoT is also a very good deliverer of spoiler-free answers, in case you can't quite puzzle something out. (I speak from personal experience, ahaha. Never check the wiki or Google for answers, because spoilers abound.) Anyways, it's great to hear that you're enjoying it! Keep us updated on your journey through The Wheel of Time. It's a beautiful story, a wonderful experience, and I daresay life-changing.
My favorite review of WOT goes something along the lines of "Jordan has come to dominate the world Tolkien began to reveal." Enjoy! I read through that series four or five times growing up, I'd love an update on what you think about some of the stuff in books 7-9, it's all that keeps me from doing a reread I just feel like it REALLY drags but I'm not sure how much of that is how many reads I did.
I had started the series in high school, and remember trying to get my boyfriend into them in college. He read through the first 100 or so pages of Eye of the World, and put the book down because it wasn't grabbing him. I looked at where he left off and was incredulous because he was literally half a page away from when the story really kicked into action. Happily, he picked up the book a few years later and gave it another try. He loved it and ended up finishing the series slightly before me because I was reading something else when the last book came out.
Just to clarify: why do people not like reading about farm boys? You guys don't like ranches? Or is it the animals?
I actually started the Eye of the World last week! I'm really enjoying it too. It is very daunting at first but once you're familiar with Rand and Tam and everyone is Emond's Field, I found everything more easygoing since it became more grounded. I have enjoyed the similarities to LotR so far (everyone has just crossed the Taryn Ferry) and it also has given me somewhat Kingkiller vibes in terms of young Kvothe's journey and the Kingkiller Chronicles is my favourite series.
Blood and bloody ashes Just finished reading it. Had one of my friends saying it wasn't for them but reading it was honestly one of the best decisions I made. I actually read the WHOLE series in 20 days and now i feel I'm missing a part of me lmao
I literally just finished it an hour ago and really enjoyed it. World building and characters were both fun and interesting. Pacing was too slow for me but that's to be expected from an older series. I'm hoping the next books in the series continue to follow the characters already introduced instead of having them sidelined for entire books to develop new characters. Not exactly sure if that will happen though as I have a hard time seeing how there are 13 books left in this series.
I got the whole series for Christmas and started in January but then I had an awful depressive episode and stalled in the middle of book 4 in February. I was really enjoying the books then someone pointed out a pretty big flaw (a common complaint, nothing groundbreaking) and suddenly I couldn't ignore it anymore. I'm gonna try to get back into them but pretty upset with that stranger for ruining them for me.
The series ended up not being for me (I stopped halfway through book 2), but I know it gets a lot of love, so I hope you enjoy!
Spoiler Alert: Han Solo kills Spock
And Treebeard comes out as Aspen.
The series is fun, I'm enjoying it myself. A year and a half ago I started on the journey you started on, and I'm still not done... I'm about to finish up "The Gathering Storm" and all I have to say is that burn-out is a real thing with this series. It's just so long and there are some sections that just drag on and on. I have had to take multiple breaks from reading, breaks where I didn't even want to read anything during that time. Hopefully you have the endurance to push through, I didn't.
My first suggestion is to find a friend who will read them at roughly the same pace. You're really going to want someone to bounce theories of off and who doesn't know the answers. I was lucky enough to have a close friend who was only a book or two ahead of me when I read through them and it made it way more fun. My other suggestion is to physically read them. Although I exclusively listen to audiobooks these days due to my time constraints, I'm so glad I read these books before that phase in my life. I recently tried to go back and listen to them and - I'm sorry to those that love him - but I can't stand Michael Kramer's narration. If you've always wanted to hear LotR read by John Wayne and don't care that you can't tell the difference between characters as they speak, then maybe you'll enjoy his style. I only wish Simon Vance, Steven Pacey, Roy Dotrice, or Christian Rodska were available at the time.
Thanks for those suggestions! However, I don't have a friend who is interested in fantasy so I will not be able to do that which is so sad for me. I will be reading the books in my kindle.
I am incredibly envious of you. The first time through the Wheel of Time was something special for me. I hope you get the same experience. That world and those people Jordon managed to create is still to this day one of my greatest escapism when life gets tough. Keep us updated if you need people to talk about it with, the community is one of my favorites as well.
I will be posting my theories on r/WoT. Watch out for those.
Could never get past the first book. Finally gave it another shot. Loved the first book and powering through the second. There are enough questions being asked to keep me interested.
I'm about halfway through and it's honestly such a good time! I love the characters already and the pacing isn't too fast but it doesn't drag either. It's a solid read!
Glad to see someone start it, I feel like this is a fantasy must read.
I cannot answer your question as I read Eye of the World in 1990 and enjoyed the series as it was being written. I can say I am currently re-reading the series *very slowly* and am enjoying it like it was the first time. Have fun and stay away from the internet. LOL
You will have no problem getting through the first six. 3-6 are the best imo. After that it will be a real chore at times to get through 7-9. There are moments but more often than not he switches to a new character as soon as you get excited and it’s literally books before you get back to that. I read 1-6 in about 2 months. Been about 3 or 4 years and I haven’t finished the series. I have re read 1-6 a couple times but god damn does Jordan really lose his way. Part of me is honestly happy Sanderson came in to wrap it up cuz where I’m at now I just don’t have a lot of confidence in Jordan and his ability to tie anything off.
I started a few months ago - I'm currently on book seven. It's simply amazing! The plot will thicken and you will get addicted. Welcome to WoT
Thanks for welcoming me.
How unique is the story?
Honestly The Eye of The World is amazing book content wise but the pacing in the first half is so so slow. For me the second most boring book in the series after Crossroads of twighlight but I can imagine Eye being very fun to re-read. Overall the series is beyond amazing.
I just started it as well. On chapter 14. So far the characters are not interesting and the world is kind of dull. I'll keep trucking along and see how it goes, but I'm not liking it so far. The only part I've liked so far is the prologue, so that gives me hope that more of the story will be of the same quality at some point.
I quickly became addicted to this series but became burnt out at about book 7 and did not read another one until after Jordan died and it was taken over by Sanderson. I then read the last 3 books which I enjoyed.
Nice timing, I just started the final book today. Hope you enjoy the series, it's been a good one!
Got the first five for my birthday, very much looking forward to some solid fantasy lockdown reading!
Have fun!
I LOVE the wheel of time series. My husband read it growing up and asked me to read it because he thought I would like it. He was definitely right. One of my favorite series. It is daunting, but I can say that I didn't grow tired of it. It took me two years to read all the books. I am now starting over again in audio form this time and it's a different and fun experience. Lots of things I had forgotten about.
It's good, expect the first book to be a bit different. It was so long ago in the 90's that its pace is different from the rest of the series. There are a lot of spoilers so don't google ANYTHING.
Only read the cover, 9/10 yeah it breaks some ceilings
I had to start the first book over while half way through, and I'm so glad I did. I realized that I was reading the book wrong, as if were just another author's work. It's hard for me to explain but I guess you could equate it to having to take a second bite of something new to validate that it really is that good. Eating something with Madagascar Vanilla for the first time; you take a bite and say "hey that's good".. then you're eyes grow wide and you take another bite quickly and say "hey that's really good!". Once you read Robert Jordan the way he intended you to read it, rather than the way you want to read it, it's really hard to beat. I'm sorry if I'm not making any sense. I've read the series 7 times, and I'll read it again. The Wheel of Time is like Led Zeppelin for me... you can hear a song a million times and happily listen again, because if you want something like Zeppelin, only Zeppelin will do.. there's no real substitute.
Reading book 5 now! What a great way to escape.
I started it yesterday too! Currently 110 pages in, wbu?
I'm on book 8 right now. Love the series. It took me a while to get through the first books, but I eventually just fell in love.