The Wheel of Time: A High Fantasy Giant

The Wheel of Time is a high fantasy tale of epic proportions.  Written by Robert Jordan, the first book, The Eye Of The World was originally published in 1990.  Jordan continued to write the series until his death in late 2007.  Beginning with the 12th book in the series and using Robert Jordan’s highly detailed notes, Brandon Sanderson is finishing the series, with a scheduled release date for the final book in early 2013.

These books are massive, each one ranging from about 680 pages to 1100 pages.  With the final book coming out, there will be fourteen total.  Together, these books create a story of truly epic proportions.  The sheer volume of this story is absolutely incredible.    It tells the story of three boys from a small village who turn out to be what are known as Ta’veren, people that (without getting too deep into the terminology of the books) bend fate around themselves.  Each of the three go on very different, yet always intersecting journeys.  Of course, the books don’t stop there.  Within the Wheel of Time there are many more characters than the three boys.  I have counted well over 40 characters that the reader meets and needs to know.

If you are thinking about reading these books, wait until the final book comes out!  I was sucked into The Wheel of Time and I read the first 11 books in two and a half months.  Then I realized that the next book hadn’t come out yet and I had to wait.  The problem I encountered was that there is so much information within this story that the books must be read in succession.  By the time the next book came out, I found that I had forgotten many of the places, names, characters, and relationships, not to mention events.  Read the books straight through for the best experience from them.

I would highly recommend these books.  They are well written and contain a great story of a struggle against evil.  There is a bit of something for everyone I think.  There is romance, battles, adventure, and everything in between.  There are few dull moments within the series.  However, do not try to read this if you don’t have the time.  If you’re busy, or find yourself lacking free time, don’t try and pick up this series.  There is simply too much.  When I was reading it, I essentially lost my life to it.  So unless you’re able to do that, don’t try to pick it up.

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