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The Eye of the World: Book One of The Wheel of Time
Unavailable
The Eye of the World: Book One of The Wheel of Time
Unavailable
The Eye of the World: Book One of The Wheel of Time
Ebook1,112 pages20 hours

The Eye of the World: Book One of The Wheel of Time

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this ebook

The Wheel of Time ® is a PBS Great American Read Selection! Now in development for TV!

Since its debut in 1990, The Wheel of Time® by Robert Jordan has captivated millions of readers around the globe with its scope, originality, and compelling characters.

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

When The Two Rivers is attacked by Trollocs—a savage tribe of half-men, half-beasts— five villagers flee that night into a world they barely imagined, with new dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light.

TV series update: "Sony will produce along with Red Eagle Entertainment and Radar Pictures. Rafe Judkins is attached to write and executive produce. Judkins previously worked on shows such as ABC’s “Agents of SHIELD,” the Netflix series “Hemlock Grove,” and the NBC series “Chuck.” Red Eagle partners Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon will executive produce along with Radar’s Ted Field and Mike Weber. Darren Lemke will also executive produce, with Jordan’s widow Harriet McDougal serving as consulting producer." —Variety

The Wheel of Time®
New Spring: The Novel
#1 The Eye of the World
#2 The Great Hunt
#3 The Dragon Reborn
#4 The Shadow Rising
#5 The Fires of Heaven
#6 Lord of Chaos
#7 A Crown of Swords
#8 The Path of Daggers
#9 Winter's Heart
#10 Crossroads of Twilight
#11 Knife of Dreams

By Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
#12 The Gathering Storm
#13 Towers of Midnight
#14 A Memory of Light

By Robert Jordan and Teresa Patterson
The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

By Robert Jordan, Harriet McDougal, Alan Romanczuk, and Maria Simons
The Wheel of Time Companion

By Robert Jordan and Amy Romanczuk
Patterns of the Wheel: Coloring Art Based on Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 15, 2000
ISBN9781429959810
Unavailable
The Eye of the World: Book One of The Wheel of Time
Author

Robert Jordan

ROBERT JORDAN (1948-2007) is best known for his internationally bestselling epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time®, which has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and is currently being adapted for the screen. A native of Charleston, Jordan graduated from The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, with a degree in physics. He served two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Army and received multiple decorations for his service.

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Reviews for The Eye of the World

Rating: 4.0424714060228455 out of 5 stars
4/5

4,815 ratings207 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    My brother has been wanting me to read this series. After reading New Spring I was excited to start book 1. The story did not disappoint! It was long but it didn't lag and kept me interested.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When Emond’s Field, a small farming village in the Two Rivers region, is invaded by Trollocs and Myrddraal, agents of the Dark One, it is fortunate that an Aes Sedai and a Warder are staying in the village. Moiraine, the Aes Sedai, a woman who can channel the One Power, and Lan, her Warder, help save Emond’s Field and encourage friends Rand, Mat, and Perrin to accompany them to Tar Valon for their protection as Moiraine suspects that the friends are hunted by the Dark One. Egwene, who is training to be the town’s Wisdom, yearns for adventure and refuses to be left behind, and Thom, a gleeman, also join the group as they leave Two Rivers. Nynaeve, the town’s Wisdom, finds them at an inn in the first town they stop in, completing the group. As they travel, it becomes clear to Moiraine that one of the boys is the Dragon Reborn, and that they must save the Eye of the World from the Dark One.The Eye of the World contains many references to The Lord of the Rings and Arthurian legend. Jordan had stated that he started in a style reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings to make the books familiar to readers before putting his own spin on the story. I didn’t find the book as readable as The Lord of the Rings, and I felt that Jordan didn’t do enough to invest me in the characters, whether by design or not. Although the characters were threatened many times, the threats didn’t seem serious enough to give me concern that the characters were in any significant danger. I also felt that there were a few minor plot holes, and the ending was very abrupt and unanticipated. I found it odd that although questions remained at the end of the book, it didn’t end on the cliffhanger I had expected for a 14 book series. However, the story interested me enough that I will keep reading the series, which is loved by so many.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is probably reread 4 or 5 for this book. The middle of this book lagged (much like this whole series does), I got stuck for almost a week in there. There isn't much I can say about this that will make an impact, it's solidified it's place in SFF Lit culture at this point. I can see why younger me was mad after this series though. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who just wants to read or try Fantasy, there are so many better and more approachable books in the genre. Robert Jordan had such a long winded and over the top style that a lot of people, won't get on with it at first and I don't think it's indicative of the Fantasy books as a whole anymore.Perrin is still my favorite of the three 'farm boys', I'm pleased that that has not changed.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Finally getting around to reading this series, motivated by the upcoming TV adaptation. This was a cool start to an epic fantasy, even with a somewhat cliché beginning. The world feels enormous, and I want to see more of it. Jordan uses straightforward good vs. evil storytelling, so if you prefer more nuance this might not be your book. That said, the protagonists do have their failings. Whether it's cowardice, greed, or fear of their own power, the heroes do have some growing to do.The villains haven't been given much time, but so far have been standard fantasy bad guys. I do like the different monsters we have seen so far, who add different forms of threat. The Draghkar fly overhead, making it hard to avoid been found. The halfmen can (mostly) blend in with people so cities don't always offer safety. And of course the Trollocs, the enemy rank and file. I also like the darkfriends, people who willing work for the Dark One and live amongst the rest of society, awaiting orders. The magic, what we have seen of it so far, seems interesting. The One Power, as it is called, has male and female parts that have different strengths. However the male half is currently corrupted, so only women can access the power while maintaining their sanity.The end of the first book left some loose ends that draw me to the second, especially the cursed dagger Mat found.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I can see how the world-building could suck you in, but I may be too old to let the writing style not bother me. Many of the names seem derived from Arthurian legend, creatures from Tolkien. It was long and arduous, the journey... I may try listening to the second one and see if it flows better that way.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Members of the 2017 Worldcon in Helsinki, which I attended, were given an ebook copy of all fourteen volumes of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series as it had been shortlisted for the Best Series Hugo Award. I’d previously read up to book ten or eleven, I forget which, and had the next volume in the series sitting unread on the bookshelves. I distinctly remember reading the first six or so books. I’d seen them in Books Gallery in the Liwa Centre in Abu Dhabi, and bought them because I wanted to know what it was that had made them such massive sellers. I read them in quick succession. And to this day, I’ve no idea why they sold so many copies. They were badly-written, bloated and derivative. But now that I have my Kindle, I thought it might be time to time finish off the series. Which meant starting from the beginning. So I reread The Eye of the World. I thought it might prove an interesting exercise, seeing what I thought to it now, twenty-five years or so after my previous read. And, well, my opinion of the book has not substantially changed. The writing still struck me as poor, the characterisation is simplistic at best, and a lot of the world-building consists of over-used tropes and borrowings. What I hadn’t noticed previously was how badly-structured the novel is, with the entire story pretty much wrapped up in the final chapter, after long chapters of travelogue that barely advanced the plot. On the other hand, knowing how the story pans out (well, most of it) and seeing the story hooks here (even if many of them weren’t actually planted) was just enough to keep me from throwing the book (well, Kindle) at the wall or gouging my eyes out. And in the series’ favour, it’s not grimdark, so it’s not gratuitously violent, rapist or sexist. Which is not to say it doesn’t feature all three – but not to grimdark’s offensive levels, nor, like grimdark, does it try to make a virtue of their inclusion. The reread wasn’t entirely painless, and I think it might take me longer to work my way through all fourteen books that I had initially expected… but I’m still going to try and do it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I listened to the audiobook version, read by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading (What an awesome name for a audiobook narrator).

    For the first few chapters, I was not very impressed. It just ticked all the fantasy cliché boxes (which is only natural, since this series is one of the foundations of modern fantasy, so you can't really hold it against the book. It's 23 years old, after all), it was in large parts predictable, and I was annoyed at the lack of "realism" (if you can say that about a book). What I mean with that: Why can a sheepherder from a town far away from everything read? How can every family have their own little library of books?

    After suspending my annoyance long enough for the book to begin picking up the pace, I really enjoyed it. The story flow was better and it wasn't completely predictable (but surprising events usually had a good explanation afterwards).

    A note about the audiobook version: It took me about two chapters to adjust to the voice of the narrator, but I can safely say that the audiobook version has probably improved the book for me. There were so many fantasy names of which I would have no idea how to pronounce them, and the characters all had very fitting voices, in my opinion.

    If you like audiobooks (and / or fantasy), and have a year or so to spare for reading a 14 part series, I would recommend this book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    i feel like i've been reading this for 500 years but its finally done !!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Finally. This book has been on my shelf for over ten years, patiently waiting for me to pick it up.First the bad things, well, not really bad, but the things I noticed, that I wouldn't praise. The typical trope is of course right in the middle of the story: young boy finds himself to be chosen. Jordan without a doubt used Tolkien as inspiration and in parts blatantly copied him. The characters travel. A lot. And if they don't travel they are running away. To the point where I thought: please get somewhere?The good things are plenty though. A very detailed world. Jordan is the master of detail. The descriptions are wonderful, not too many, but enough to paint a vivid world and great characters. I loved the small stories within the story, the tales some of the characters tell. I loved the boys, even though I wanted to strangle Mat at times. The Eye of the World is truly epic fantasy at its best and I can't wait to read the remaining books.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a pretty good series. It flows, the characters are fluid and ever changing. The world is intriguing. I honestly do not like the artwork though. All of the artwork associated with these books is so childish and overly cartoonish. I know that is part of the marketing. But the stories are really good. Could be a little more adult. Even Jordan's Conan books suffer from the watering down process.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I only started reading this series because a guy I was dtaing enjoyed them so much. They were pretty good but the series just dragged on and never ended. By the 5th or 6th book I had lost interest.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A fantastic novel - too bad the series spiralled into boredom.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This was the first time I've attempted any Robert Jordan even though it has been suggested to me many times. Now I know why I've stayed away.This book was all over the place. I felt that the author really didn't have a clear objective and kept adding irrelevant details while he anguished himself to the end. I was tempted several times to just set it down as it was difficult to wade through the many deliberately slow passages filled with 1000 years of back story, but I kept plodding to the end hoping it might get better.The characters were just plain annoying especially Egwene and Mat. I would be happy if those two were killed off somehow. However, I don't think I will ever know, if this is the best in the series as most people have indicated, I don't think I can suffer through any more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this book. I remember avoiding it because of the absolutely silly looking cover, but then decided in a moment of desperation that I would give it a shot. I was hooked. This book is a very good introduction, and even though the there is a chunk in the middle books that just...stinks, I'm really excited for the ending coming up this fall.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A fascinating introduction to a fantasy world with many complex layers and cultures. Darkness is gathering in this world, and while a cast of characters is introduced, the book leaves you wanting to know more about the fate of these characters and others. Many fantasy elements are involved here, a central character who all too soon has the weight of the whole world thrust on his shoulders, seemingly normal farmers and tradesmen who develop unusual talents and beautiful women, integral to any fantasy story. The villains are obvious at first, but layers of intrigue intwined in the story reveal that all is not what is seems in the the world of the Wheel of Time.Reading others reviews of this book has opened up other remberances about the story. Yes, the women tend to think themselves much worthier than the men, but in a world that was almost destroyed due to the madness of men, this seems to fit. It is interesting the interplay and relationship between the sexes, which becomes more apparant in future books. Future books develop the story more, though after book 5, a reader can get very bored and frustrated very very quickly. It picks up again at book nine though, so if you're hooked, keep plodding on. I have read that Robert Jordan is trying very hard to finish while he fights a rather nasty medical condition. Lets hope he does, it would be good to get some completion to some of these stories!!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked the book, maybe because it was the first fantasy epic I ever read. It is absorbing and manages to cut you off reality while reading it. I've read it in different places and under different weather conditions,everything from heavy snow to burning sun, and all I can recall is the urge to browse further to the next page. The language is full of descriptions of characters, landscape, cities and objects, but I missed the quality of a classical epic novel which strikes to the core of the things with fewer sentences. It was also puzzling that some maxims were repeated several times, f.ex , one that I remember :"The world is full of fools who can't stay where they belong" (or something similar). It sounded like the author had forgotten this one was already mentioned before.Even though the book revolves primarily around characters, we know little about their true nature( the most unambiguous of them is surely Nynaeve) at the end of the book, always considering its length. Maybe because the goal of this saga is to follow their journey whose aim is as much the defeat of the evil and the salvation of the Light, as the discovery of who they are, what they are capable of and of the war between light and shadow, certainty and the unknown which is played in them?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Three young men from a backwater village are caught up in the pattern woven as the Wheel of Time turns. Guided by a sorceress and a warrior, they begin an epic quest that will take them through unimaginable dangers. The fate of the world is in their hands.This was good, but so very Tolkien-like that I couldn't help noticing the parallels. Or perhaps it's just Campbell's Hero that I'm noticing. No, there were definite details that reminded me of certain bits of LotR, and also some touches of Arthurian legend thrown in for seasoning. I'm told by those who have read further that things get changed up in later books. I'm not carrying on with the series just now, but I would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a sweeping fantasy epic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book was absolutely amazing. I'm not usually a big fan of fantasy (unless it's sci-fi) but this had me engrossed. I loved the world building, the characters and the story. Truly amazing. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Despite a friend warning me that I should not read these books, and that I would find an author that seems to be discovering himself for the first time, I worked through it, and I thought it was great.

    Immediately, the book felt very much like a Lord of the Rings, in that we have a rag-tag "fellowship" out to save the world from "The Dark One". There is a master witch, capable of wielding the One Power, much like Gandolf. There are 3 boys from a backwards country that aren't exactly the brightest bulb in the bunch, nor the most skilled. Lan the Warder, could have been a king, but decided to stray away from that path to fight the Dark One. So much of it seems so heavily influenced by the J.R.R. Tolkien.

    However, there were fantastic differences. The different ajah of the Aes Sedai order (I guess this could be similar enough to Radagast the Brown, Gandalf the Gray, and Saruman the White), but the fact that they are human, female, many per ajah, and generally feared instead of respected was enough to set them apart. Of course, instead of taking a ring to destruction, they are out to pick a fight and save the world. Perrin, one of the 3 country boys (like a hobbit) learns that he has the capability to telepathically communicate with wolves. Rand carries a "heron marked blade", which has some exceptional history with blademasters, and Mat rides the razor's edge of becoming a Darkfriend with carrying a tainted dagger.

    I found the magic system to be thoroughly thought through, the character development very well done with several characters, and the world building intriguing (especially with the Green Man). The pacing could use some work though, and that's what really is hard to get through. Some chapters really kept me hooked, while others I kept falling asleep to. As a whole, the story did run long, and really that's what is keeping it from being 5 stars for me.

    I can see why people enjoy this series, however. It's a great read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It was many years ago that someone pointed me to this Wheel Of Time series. At first sight, I have to admit I didn't like the series. But that might have to do to the fact those were all cheap paperbacks I've got. So, they ended up somewhere in my MTR.
    A few weeks back, when I had nothing at all to read, I found this serie again, and decided to give it a try. Should have done that long ago. Almost from the start I liked the books.

    It was a great read, and almost from the start I was *IN* Edmond's field, and traveled with the Edmond Fielders to wherever they went with Morainne.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Not my thing.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It's the start of the series, so you are getting introduced to the characters.It's a good start.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Re-read in March 2017 for my 2017 goal to read and complete the entire series. Just as good as I remember it being the first time I read it in 1990. A rollicking good beginning to an epic fantasy series. The only thing that kept it being a 5-star read was that I was starting to get a bit irritated with some of the behaviors of the teenagers in the book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was my favourite series throughout my teenage years. Have probably read this one upward of 5 times.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When I saw that this book had about 700 pages with 13 other books in the series of a similar size I knew I had to read it and I was not disappointed. The book is pretty slow to get going and has a lot of similarities to The Lord of the Rings. However as it progresses it begins to work with things The Lord of the Rings never did. Most of the characters were really interesting and many matured a lot through out the story. There were some that I wish had been grown a bit more, but there are thirteen other books for them to do so. The three main male characters are fairly similar in the beginning, but towards the end they are established as very different people with different skills and abilities. Also in this book there are several strong female main characters (something that The Lord of the Rings lacked). Overall I really liked this book and plan on getting the second. Assuming the rest of the books in the series are just as good I will read them all.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Loved this book written in letters
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I was introduced to this series by a friend over a decade ago when I was in high school. I hadn't read much fantasy before this beyond The Lord of the Rings trilogy. This completely opened my eyes to what is now my favorite genre. I absolutely loved the characters of this book. The world building was on point and while the story may seem like your typical battle between good and evil, it is so much more than that.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A solid epic fantasy work. Jordan skillfully uses rather rich yet somewhat reserved language to describe his world. The rendering of the final battles and confrontations by the narrators of the audiobook version was quite emotional and exciting. I can see how it could be a compelling entry point into the rest of Jordan's massive Wheel of Time series. Though, the country folk among the dramatis personae have been somewhat dull as characters so far.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Everything is expertly written and leaves you wanting more. Keeps you questioning what is going on but not in a lost sort of way.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Likable and believable characters, engaging plot, enjoyable story. I’m off to download book 2 of the series.