The Eye of the World

And so it begins, the start of one of the greatest sagas in fantasy fiction. The wheel turns and as it does the reader is introduced to a whole host of characters that one cannot but become fond of. The characters jump off the page at you so real is the characterisation, which the author should be wholly commended for. You can understand their motivations, their fears, their reasons for a particular course of action and their manipulations. This book feeds the reader information that is relevant to this book in particular while cautiously dropping little tidbits of information about the world for the reader to wonder about at a later stage. This of course makes the book a joy to experience on a subsequent re-read, where the real value in the Wheel of Time saga exists. It constantly rewards the re-reader as aha!!! moments continue apace.

While this book is the beginning of a 14 book journey, and of course it takes a valiant effort to stay the course, it is totally worth it as this is a very enjoyable introduction to this world. Unlike the other books in the series that cannot be self-contained due to the nature of series', this book completes its own story while laying the groundwork for the rest of the books to continue. So in effect, it can be read on its own and the reader stop there should they choose so. But one must wonder why anyone would do so after such an introduction to the story.

Read the book, meet the characters, discover a world that is undergoing change, experience the horrors that this change brings about and finally, uncover a story that will enthrall you and captivate you as your own personal Age will have come and passed.