It has been many years since I read the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson after Jordan died). It was likely one of the first contemporary fantasy series I read, as up until then I was mostly into older stuff like the Lord of the Rings. I remember eagerly waiting for new books in the series to come out.
I also remember struggling with the series as it went on. It was long (4.4 million words according to Wikipedia) and I think I might have tired of it round about book six or seven. I think I stopped reading about book ten, which means I missed the end, and everything written by Sanderson.
I wonder if I would be more interested if I went back and read it now? I tend to be a completionist, reading or watching long past the point where something has turned bad. Friends? Big Bang Theory? All the way through, even after both shows turned in some awful last few seasons.
On the other hand, I loved early Walking Dead but stopped watching after about seven seasons (the first five seasons were some of the best television ever, but then it fell off a cliff), and I’ve already talked about waiting for books which might never come out.
So, I don’t know. My capsule review would be: good early but way too long. I think it might suffer from meandering too much without a point. But at least they didn’t get the Game of Thrones guys to wrap it up in a few chapters.
And no, I haven’t seen the show on Amazon so I don’t know if it’s good or not.
What are the books about?
An interesting concept, the Wheel of Time spins and so the world keeps returning to where it was. It does take a lot of maneuvering to get it back to the same place, i.e. death and destruction to kill all the technological advances every time the wheel spins. Once again it has reached that point, where there’s going to be an apocalyptic battle to renew the world (you’d think someone would try and stop it so everyone can advance, but no, since it’s a wheel it will inevitably turn).
The series then falls into the old trope of the Chosen One, the teenage boy who will naturally save the world. It’s been done many times before and it will be done many times again. I am, in all honesty, fighting the desire to make someone that same hero in my own fantasy world (when I say someone, I don’t mean a particular person, but rather that the easy way out of a few things would be to create an all-powerful character to solve every problem).
Then there are all kinds of adventures and treks and attempts to join peoples together to fight the enemy. It is hilarious that the Wikipedia page says “By the sixth novel, it has become clear that the Last Battle [ ] is imminent” because there are still eight more books to go! This is what I mean by meandering.
The Themes of the Wheel of Time
The Eternal Struggle Between Light and Dark
In many ways the series is based on religious concepts of good and evil. Jordan clearly intended to show the choices people make and their consequences in that light. These themes of sacrifice and redemption are shown throughout the series.
The Power of Destiny
Yes, yes, boy grows up to be the most powerful person in the world, yada yada yada. The question the books ask is whether someone is in control of their own fate or if we’re all just part of a bigger plan. I don’t know the answer to that question.
Gender Dynamics
Long before the politics of today, Jordan did something interesting by making magic only possible for women to perform, and thus giving them much of the power in the world. Of course he ruined it by making the most powerful person be a teenage boy. Still, it certainly was an early example of the power switch possible in fantasy to expose reality.
A Character of Great Interest
You thought I was going to talk about Rand here, didn’t you? He would be too easy, I think. Instead I’m going to talk about Moiraine.
Moiraine Damodred is a legendary Aes Sedai, the group of women who can channel the One Power (yes, I am simplifying). She is the leading protagonist of the first few books, at least until Rand takes over. She is, frankly, a far more interesting character than Rand is or ends up being.
Moiraine is a leader, a mentor, the person who finds Rand and guides him through the early stages of the story. She is the magical guide to the world, just as every good fantasy story needs. Essentially she’s the Gandalf of the series.
I’m putting her up against my character Warin, who is appearing to be all these things, except without the magic. If you look at Warin’s actions with both Lassen and Cabac, she appears to be a mentor of sorts to each of them. She gives them advice and guidance to help them understand what is happening at the Kingsmoot, and shows them the relationships between the different leaders.
However, what we don’t yet know is her motive. Is she doing it out of the kindness of her heart, or does she have some hidden agenda? Is she trying to manipulate them for her own ends? I guess you’ll have to keep reading to discover the truth.
Other Series to Read
I guess I’m going to go back and the tried and true stories I’ve already talked about. The Wheel of Time has been a fairly influential series in the fantasy genre.
The Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks: I’m not saying this is the same story, but the idea is certainly similar. Boy raised in the middle of nowhere somehow becomes the great world-saving star of the story.
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin: Like the Wheel of Time we’re looking at a cast of thousands, epic story adventures, intricate world-building and political intrigue.
The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson: And the same for Sanderson, with intricate magic built in.
The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss: Ooh, would I dare recommend this as similar? Yes, although our hero in this series has to earn his fame, not just have it thrust on him (even if it does come too easily).
In Conclusion:
I feel this is one of those series you have to check off to “prove” you’re a fantasy fan. There are those who love it rabidly, but I think there are many more who have used it as a gateway to more and better stories. I used to think that the longer a series is, the better it must be, because otherwise they wouldn’t keep publishing it. Now I’m aware of them milking a cash cow until it dries up.
So what does Wheel of Time bring us? It has interesting themes and fun stories. You can find yourself enveloped in the world. It’s not a bad series to read. Perhaps I’ll even go back and finish it some day. But it’s not in my top ten of fantasy series, perhaps not even in my top twenty.