Book Review: Robert Jordan - The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, Book 1)

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan is the first book in the epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time. Consisting of 15 volumes in total, this massive series ranks among the absolute best in fantasy literature. In this post, I will share my honest review of the first step in the series, The Eye of the World, and provide a detailed analysis of the book's plot, the fantasy world crafted by the author, and its characters.

Robert Jordan - The Eye of the World Book Review

Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time fantasy series had always been on my reading list. I kept seeing highly positive reviews about it, with everyone emphasizing that it is one of the greatest fantasy series ever written. Because of this, my expectations were incredibly high. I had especially high expectations for the fantasy world established here. However, once I started reading, the beginning and the middle of the book progressed very slowly. After reading about 300 to 400 pages, barely anything had happened. A village gets attacked, a group sets out from there, and for a long time, events just unfold on the road. It felt very ordinary, and the plot wasn’t quite meeting those sky-high expectations.

There are perhaps two reasons for this. First, it is just the first book in the series, and the story is only beginning. Second, my personal expectations for the book were exceptionally high. But let me be clear: Is The Eye of the World a bad book? No, it isn't. It's just that when considering those massive expectations, it naturally creates a bit of a disappointment. Nevertheless, it still gives us clues about the world of The Wheel of Time—without spilling everything at once—and successfully sparks curiosity in the reader for the sequels. I am definitely planning to read the next books.

Finally, I cannot wrap up my thoughts on The Eye of the World without mentioning this: after a certain point, the plot began to heavily remind me of The Lord of the Rings. A group of people sets out from a village. Among them are a few youths, a type of wizard, and a warrior (who happens to be of royal descent). Furthermore, after a while, the group splits up, and the final events take place in lands dominated by evil forces. On top of that, an imprisoned evil power and his minions roam the world, working toward their malicious goals, and so on. It overlaps with the core plot of The Lord of the Rings in many ways. 

See also: 30 Best Fantasy Books & Series of All Time

The Plot of The Eye of the World

The story begins in a secluded village called Emond's Field. While the village is busy preparing for a festival, a sudden night attack by Trollocs and their faceless leaders, the Myrddraal (Fades), devastates the village and the surrounding farms. Rand, one of the main characters of the story, survives the onslaught but his father is grievously wounded. After pulling his father from their farm back to the village, Rand encounters a similar scene of destruction. Soon after, Moiraine—an Aes Sedai who had recently arrived in the village—and her Warder, Lan, reveal to three young village men that the Trollocs were specifically hunting only them:

• Rand al’Thor
• Perrin Aybara
• Matrim (Mat) Cauthon

Ultimately, in order to discover why the Trollocs are after them and to protect their village from further attacks, they decide to leave as a small group. Rand, Perrin, and Mat flee the village under the guidance and protection of Moiraine and Lan. They are also joined by Egwene al’Vere and Thom Merrilin, a traveling gleeman. Nynaeve al’Meara, the village Wisdom, later tracks them down and joins the party on the road.

The objective of this group is to reach Tar Valon, the island stronghold and headquarters of the Aes Sedai, an organization of women who channel the One Power. Here, they hope to find some definitive answers as to why the Trollocs and Fades attacked their village and why these three specific youths are being hunted. However, things do not go as planned. The party is forced to split into three groups, with each faction facing its own distinct adventures and deadly perils. Constantly pursued by Fades and Trollocs, the three young men are also relentlessly hunted in their dreams by Ba’alzamon, the Dark One and master of the Shadow.

The Fantastic World of The Wheel of Time

Now, let’s look at the kind of world author Robert Jordan has built in this fantastic Wheel of Time series. First, let's explore why the series is titled "The Wheel of Time." The Wheel of Time here is a cosmic phenomenon that creates the ages and the events to be lived—or, as the book puts it, it weaves the structure of the ages. In a sense, it is a mechanism that determines what will happen and how. The author, through a character's explanation in the novel, describes the Wheel of Time like this:

“The Wheel of Time weaves the Pattern of the Ages, and the threads it uses are lives. It is not fixed, the Pattern, not always. If a man tries to change the direction of his life and the Pattern has room for it, the Wheel just weaves on and takes it in. There is always room for small changes, but sometimes the Pattern simply won't accept a big change, no matter how hard you try."

“ But sometimes the change chooses you, or the Wheel chooses it for you. And sometimes the Wheel bends a life-thread, or several threads, in such a way that all the surrounding threads are forced to swirl around it, and those force other threads, and those still others, and on and on. That first bending to make the Web, that is ta'veren, and there is nothing you can do to change it, not until the Pattern itself changes. The Web — ta'maral'ailen, it's called — can last for weeks, or for years. It can take in a town, or even the whole Pattern.”

We learn that the three main characters in the novel—Rand, Perrin, and Mat—are each a ta'veren. This means that these three will pave the way for how events unfold. The world will be shaped by the steps they take. At the end of this book, we clearly see how Rand takes a step that steers the course of history.

Aside from this, there is a dark power in this fantasy world, known as the Dark One, Ba’alzamon, or sometimes by other names. Standing against this dark force are humans fighting for survival, led by the channeling women known as the Aes Sedai. We also learn that a powerful leader once known as the Dragon, along with his companions, closed the breach in the Dark One's prison and sealed him away again, along with the cataclysms that occurred during this process. In truth, this first book of the series offers only fragments regarding the monumental events of the past. Yet, these quotes about past events and the fantasy world-building of The Wheel of Time whisper a great deal to us:

“I will tell you of the end of the Age of Legends, of the Dragon, and his attempt to free the Dark One into the world of men. I will tell of the Time of Madness, when Aes Sedai shattered the world; of the Trolloc Wars, when men battled Trollocs for rule of the earth; of the War of the Hundred Years, when men battled men and the nations of our day were wrought.”

“Sometimes, ...stories make things larger than truth. Believe me, the truth is big enough with a Halfman. Halfman, Lurk, Fade, Shadowman; the name depends on the land you're in, but they all mean Myrddraal. Fades are Trolloc spawn, throwbacks almost to the human stock the Dreadlords used to make the Trollocs. Almost. But if the human strain is made stronger, so is the taint that twists the Trollocs. Halfmen havepowers of a kind, the sort that stem from the Dark One. Only the weakest Aes Sedai would fail to be a match for a Fade, one against one, but many a good man and true has fallen to them. Since the wars that ended the Age of Legends, since the Forsaken were bound, they have been the brain that tells the Trolloc fists where to strike. In the days of the Trolloc Wars, Halfmen led the Trollocs in battle, under the Dreadlords.”

Magic, Channelers, and the Source of Power

In Jordan’s fantasy world, there is a core concept known as the "One Power." The channelers, namely the Aes Sedai, derive their abilities directly from here. Although the Aes Sedai currently consist entirely of women, men could also be Aes Sedai in the past (during the Age of Legends), and the monumental cataclysms experienced in that era were the direct result of those male Aes Sedai losing their minds. Moiraine, the primary channeling character of the novel, explains what the "One Power" and its components are as follows:

“The One Power,” Moiraine was saying, “comes from the True Source, the driving force of Creation, the force the Creator made to turn the Wheel of Time.”

“Saidin, the male half of the True Source, and saidar, the female half, work against each other and at the same time together to provide that force. Saidin” — she lifted one hand, then let it drop —“is fouled by the touch of the Dark One, like water with a thin slick of rancid oil floating on top. The water is still pure, but it cannot be touched without touching the foulness. Only saidar is still safe to be used.”

“Men who have the ability to touch saidin born in them die, of course, if the Red Ajah does not find them and gentle them...”

The Red Ajah mentioned here is a distinct branch of the Aes Sedai. They are divided into different political factions with names like the Red and Blue Ajah. Although we do not yet fully see the deep political intrigues within the Aes Sedai and the friction between the Ajahs in this first book, we are strongly left with the impression that they possess incredible political power.

The Main Characters of The Eye of the World

Now, let’s take a brief look at the most important characters who drive the narrative and hold the fate of the Wheel of Time in their hands:

• Rand al’Thor: An honest, protective, and strong-willed youth whose quiet farming life in the Two Rivers is turned upside down overnight. As he is swept far away from his homeland, he is forced to confront shattering truths about his own past and destiny.
• Perrin Aybara: The village's strong, burly, yet remarkably calm and thoughtful blacksmith's apprentice. A mystical ability that awakens inside him during the journey allows him to forge a mental bond with wolves, pulling him toward a wilder nature.
• Matrim (Mat) Cauthon: The village's uncontainable scamp who loves gambling, playing pranks, and escaping responsibilities. An ancient dagger he unearths during their travels begins to consume his mind and body with a dark curse.
• Moiraine Damodred: A wise and mysterious Aes Sedai belonging to the Blue Ajah, an organization that pulls the strings of the world from behind the scenes. She arrives in the Two Rivers to find the youth of prophecy and protect them from the Dark One, drawing the entire group into her wake.
• al’Lan Mandragoran: A legendary Warder bound to Moiraine with unyielding loyalty, who never reveals his emotions. The last uncrowned king of a fallen realm, this master warrior teaches the youths survival and combat lessons throughout the journey.
• Egwene al’Vere: The village mayor's daughter—an ambitious, intelligent young woman eager to explore the world beyond the Two Rivers. Under Moiraine's guidance, she discovers that she possesses the rare ability to channel the One Power, just like an Aes Sedai.
• Nynaeve al’Meara: The young, stubborn, and fierce-tempered healer, or Wisdom, of the Two Rivers village. Setting out after the youths to protect them, Nynaeve harbors an immense channeling potential that unlocks through her anger.
• Thom Merrilin: An elderly gleeman—a traveling bard skilled in storytelling, playing music, and throwing knives—who arrives in the village for a festival. He joins the group to protect the youngsters, guiding them with his deep experience in world politics.
• Loial (Ogier): A member of the peaceful Ogier race, who are much taller than humans, exceptionally long-lived, and deeply connected to nature. Passionate about books and history, Loial's path crosses with our main characters while he is traveling to see the world.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I can say that although I started reading The Eye of the World, the first book of Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series, with high expectations, the novel fell slightly short of that bar. I attribute this to it being merely the first installment of the series. Nevertheless, the work still leaves a strong impression that the plot will reach much greater heights in the sequels.

Robert Jordan

The Eye of the World

First book in The Wheel of Time series

Tor Books

1990

782 pages.