Submitted by Brett  (Oct 14, 2006)First off, let me comment on where I am coming from. I am an on-and-off Wheel of Time fan who has read (at least most of)all the books in the series.
Now on to the review.
1. The characters. Although not, perhaps, the most well-drawn characters in fantasy, this book is arguably when the major Wheel of Time cast appears at their most sympathetic and realistic. The character Edgwene, for example, comes across as a stubborn girl with some hints of jealousy, but at the same time, it's pretty clear that she is close to the male protagonists, so she doesn't appear idiotic.
The dynamics of the characters have been compared to a Lord of the Rings. That is true, to an extent; Moiraine is similar to Gandalf. However, the interactions amongst the characters while on their journey is far different. There is a stronger degree of distrust between them, and it shows (perhaps not always in the best form; hearing one of the male protagonists think, "Never trust an Aes Sedai" for the fiftieth time can be irritating).
2. The plot. Although is does show strong similarities to Lord of the Rings, and seems a bit drawn out for the length of the novel it occupies, the plot moves fairly quickly, and, more interestingly, it is strongly self-contained. What this means it that this novel really has a distinct end (different from the rest of the novels), and a person who reads the book but is not really gripped by it can comfortably stop at the end of the novel. Although I have read the series already through, to some extent I fall into this category; I own and have re-read Eye of the World several times as a stand-alone novel, without going on to re-read the rest of the series.
3. The world. This is where Robert Jordan really shines. Although not, perhaps done to the sheer detail and meticulousness of Tolkien's worldbuilding, the world in The Wheel of Time series is extraordinarily rich, and for the most part, very life-like. Characters are well-placed into highly developed and sophisticated societies, and move through a complex, life-like world. This was one of the main draws of the series for me; to an extent, I fell in love with the world of A Wheel of Time.
4. Prose. Jordan mostly avoids awkward prose, which means that the novel is not extraordinarily taxing to read. However, it does give off a bit of a feel of 'denseness', which can make the novel hard to read on a first time through.
Overall, I would recommend this book to any reader, particularly fantasy readers, even if I am more ambivalent about recommending the Wheel of Time series.
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