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.
The Eye of the World is the first book in a 14-book series by Robert Jordan, and finished by Brandon Sanderson after the former’s death in 2007. I will be reviewing all of these books on my blog and my Youtube channel as I complete my first read of this epic series.
I finished The Eye of the World about a month ago, and gave it a 4-star rating on Goodreads. Below are my thoughts on the opening novel.
The Prologue
The prologue is set during the Age of Legends, some 3,000 years prior to the events in the series. In the prologue we are introduced to Lews Therin Telamon, The Dragon, commander of the forces of Light and victor in the war against Shai’tan, the Dark One.
A Lord of the Rings Retelling
The first half of this book can accurately be described as a re-telling of the Fellowship of the Ring. We have a group of bumpkins living apart from the rest of the world in a small village called Emond’s Field in the Two Rivers. The opening chapters follow the villagers as they prepare for the Spring Festival while rumors of the happenings in the world are told by the peddler Padan Fain. But the happenings of the world are now encroaching on Emond’s Field and, much like The Fellowship of the Ring, a small group of Emond’s Field villagers must begin a a long and arduous journey across the land to save it from the forces of Darkness.
While leaving the village the party is chased by Jordan’s take on the Black Riders of the LoTR, who are searching for three of the villagers in the group. During this journey, the Fellowship of Emond’s Field meet many characters and we’re introduced to the world through their dialogue. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this first book and didn’t mind the LotR retelling as it was executed nicely, in my opinion. The climax of the book reveals the Dragon Reborn to the readers and sets the stage for Book Two.
Key Takeaways
While this book was largely a re-telling of the LoTR I thought it was executed in a way that gave the story life. While drawing on many of the same elements of the LoTR, Jordan added unique elements that added depth and a feeling of newness to this re-telling. However, while I enjoyed the story and the plotting the pacing left much to be desired. After 150 pages I was ready for the story to move forward, and then became engaged in the story before losing interest again. At some points I felt I had to plod through the book before arriving to the end, which was exceptionally well written. I also disliked most of the characters in this book and was disappointed at how easily they escaped dangerous situations brought upon by their extreme incompetence.
Overall, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in high-fantasy.