(222 ratings) Submit Review / Comment More reviews by author A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

Submitted by Chris 
(Jul 31, 2001)

In this great work of Fantasy Robert Jordan takes us to a fabulous world of magic and mythology. With tons of characters and many subplots, Robert Jordan has taken over the world that was first started by Tolkien. The Eye of the World is the first, but definitely not the best of the Wheel of Time. The best? I'd have to say The Path of Daggers or The Great Hunt.

look honestly I threw the book away half way through. then I kept wuite and gave it to my wife to read, she stooped at the same point I did, laughed and said what crap. the ideas and imagination are great, the characters are fine I guess, but ease up on the feministic crap. men are cowering under trees and running, always stupid never have a bright idea, and women are destroying everything and looking down on men like we are a useless sex. honestly, I understand you have to conform to modern thinking and that fine, we should be equal, but this is femdom in a fantasy noval. the part where I threw t down and was just too much crap for me to handle, were the wisdom Nynaeve is told of her power and then the choice of looking for the boys or Egwene. and she cries. and then Lan is shocked to see a women cry like its never been done before. and she turns and is ashamed of a male seeing her cry. man that was just too much. I might continue it or might not. but I will find out what the other books are like before even considering reading the propaganda CRAP any further. I like a female fighter like the next guy, but a male fighter with so dignity would be nice to read about. I wonder what the feminists would say if this book was written the other way around. hoooooo I can almost hear the crackle of bra's already, or is that males on a spit.

I just threw away "Eye of the World" after slogging through half of it. Don't get me wrong. I love fantasy literature and started it eagerly. However, this is BAD fantasy. Sure, Jordan has invented a sophisticated and complex world and mythology, but his characters are lifeless! I kept wishing they would actually FEEL something, but they never did. It became a chore to wade through another episode of their boring travels, hoping they would all just die or something to liven the story up. I have recently finished reading the entire "Green Angel Tower" series by Tad Williams. It has a similar appeal: the teenage boy coming-of-age in a time of crisis. The world is coming to an end and the heroes have a slim chance of saving it. William's writing, however, is far more convincing. You can actually identify with Simon, and feel genuine apprehension about his escapades. Likewise Pryrates is a genuinely frightening character, Cadrach genuinely pitiable, and Binabik and Tiamak genuinely lovable. I had no such feelings towards Jordan's troupe. BTW, if you haven't yet, you must purchase and read the entire "Song of Fire and Ice" Trilogy by George R.R. Martin. It starts with "A Game of Thrones". This is the BEST fantasy series I have ever read, and deserves a place on the mantle alone with the LoTR. It will change your standards for fantasy literature, and the first things you will throw away are your "Wheel of Time" books. -- Aaron

It's harder to review this book than I thought. I love the series and am on book four at the moment, but this book always irritated me a little. I understand why some people can't stand it, but I tend to overlook these small details. The book starts out well, majestic, prophetic, like all the rest in the series. Not too much setup, that happens over time. The action was very intriguing, although not as developed as could be hoped. There are also some "low" periods. I was scratching my head at some points wondering what the problem was and why the story wasn't going anywhere. I do believe I understand now, however, that it was to immerse me more in the world, but I would've just as well liked to skip a few scores of pages. I have heard Jordan compared to Tolkien in a positive and negative light. I haven't read as much Tolkien as I would like, but I do know a bit about the story, and I must say that the accusation that Jordan is stealing from Tolkien is completely unfounded. One major difference is the element of magic, in Tolkien's world there is almost none, however, in the Wheel of Time, it is a very integral part of it. Another is the way good and evil are represented. From what I have read, Tolkien seems to make his dark characters very easy to spot, most of the time you can tell who's evil and who's not. Jordan makes you look at your own mother cross-eyed, wondering if she might be a cursed Darkfriend. The biggest difference is the feel of the books, Tolkien is light to an annoyance, why is it that no matter where they are, the characters can always find a friendly cottage and have tea, anyway? Jordan is, for the most part, dark and foreboding. His characters encounters with strangers are not usually helpful, and the humor is a bit more situational than witty. Truthfully, if you say Jordan is copying from Tolkien, everyone must be, because he created so many types of characters, you can't possibly make another without having at least some of one of those race's attributes. Both authors, however, draw from the oldest of stories, good vs. evil, not just the evil heroes must face in battle, but the evil the hero must fight inside himself. One thing you must realize in reading this book, indeed all of the Wheel of Time's chapters, is that they are really just that, chapters in one larger book, too large to do in one, so it is divided up, in a grand scale, what may not make a lick of sense right now might turn out to be a major plot point. One must be patient. All in all, a fine book and a wonderful series, I recommend you go find a copy immediately and start on this wonderful series today.

I'd heard a lot about Wheel of Time before finally picking up Eye of the World. I had heard from diehard Jordanites and steadfast Jordan-haters. From the critics and the readers and the publishers. Shit, everyone's got something to say about Jordan. So do I. The shameless lifting from Tolkien's work is in one word, pathetic. Yeah, yeah we know they're all inspired by Tolkien somewhere along the way and how can they not, when he virtually created the genre they're writing in? But the 'inspiration' was blatant. Moiraine is Gandalf. And her sidekick is a lot like a certain Ranger. And the Ogiers!!! They're Ents with a different name. The similarities apart, the book has numerous faults. Jordan is inconsistent in his writing. At times he drags a scene out over 30 pages. At other he rushes through important events in mere paragraphs. Makes it a jolting, halting, speeding, rocky read. Also, there are too many dreams. And yes, too many inns. At the end of the book I still feel I don't know Rand. His thoughts have been rarely focused on by Robert Jordan and wherever they have, the writing is dry and impersonal. As a result Jordan succeeds in making a rather warped enigma of the poor chap. The women all seem like bitter feminists, constantly whining and trying to upstage and run down the men. It's like a lot of exaggerated Gloria Steinems. The plot however, is impressive. the story is well thought out. The cities come alive for you. And the vagueness is not irritating, just intriguing. It must be said that Jordan grows more original in further volumes. How many further volumes there will be-no-one knows. One hopes Jordan will not reach #367 and still be saying, "The end is nowhere in sight." Specially since each book is about 900 pages long. If it was a fantastic series I wouldn't mind numerous volumes. But it takes a great deal of patience to wade through pages and pages of below average fantasy. However, the series is a must read. Makes you appreciate Tolkien all the more.