The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan: book review

The Bel Tine festival that celebrates the arrival of spring is supposed to be a joyous event; however on the eve of the festival a group of bestial Trollocs led by a fearsome Myrddael target Rand al’Thor, Matrin Cauthon and Perrinn Aybara, under the guise of an attack on the village.

To spare the rest of the village the three young men flee accompanied by Morain Damodred, and Aes Sedai and her Warder al’Lan Mandragon. The Aes Sedai are a powerful and mysterious sect of woman who seem to have powers beyond the norm.

As they try and escape, Egwen al’Vere the innkeepers daughter and the enigmatic Thom Merrilin ( a wandering gleeman or bard) join them in their escape. They are chased to a nearby city where they meet Min Farshaw who has a gift to see people’s past and future. With her prophecies ringing in their ears they set out on a quest that will split the friends apart as their individual destinies draw them into mystery , intrigue and danger….

Many critics have made a direct comparison of Jordan’s work to Tolkien pointing to the many similarities between the two books; furthermore there have been comparisons to Dune with the Aes Sedai and to the Sword of Truth series. While these comparisons are inevitable and obvious it shouldn’t deter you from reading this excellent series.

Obviously if you love Tolkien, then the similarities to the Lord of the Rings will be obvious, but this seems to enhance the story. Jordan has created a detailed world with many races and many mythologies. The intrigue of the Aes Sedai alone is excellent, and as you move through the books you see quite a bit of subterfuge and politics as different factions vie for power.

Jordan has created a world with magic, but for once the use of magic is logical and explained pretty well over time; the link between the past, with the whole mythology of the ‘Dragon’ and the potential for any of the major characters actually being the Dragon reborn is interesting and keeps you guessing for quite a while.

There’s no doubt that the initial chapters in the series are Tolkinesque, and this isn’t a bad thing. While over time this disappears, you do get the same feel of excitement and wonder as you explore the land with the characters and begin to see the characters grow in different ways.

What impresses me most is the attention to detail in everything; the story features amazing characters who each have a part to play, and whose growth through adversity is cleverly done. Each plot element is well thought out and doesn’t seem simply like a random selection of encounters that exist in a lot of fantasy; some of the detail that goes into the background to castles or lands is incredible, and this detail infiltrates the whole plot and series infusing it with drama, excitement and make this whole series far more ‘real’ .

Each book in the series is self contained, with a story that can be read alone; however to get the most out of the series you should read it in the correct order so that you see the whole underlying plot as it is slowly revealed. The depth of the plot is quite staggering when you actually put it all together, and this is a testament to Jordan’s planning - right at the beginning Jordan must have had the major plot lines worked out, because they flow so well from book to book.

There are some flaws in the books, although these are more like annoyances than anything else; some of the books are predictable, and some of the characters are too much like clichés but overall the series is very enjoyable.

It is a fantasy book, but it has elements of adventure, love, romance and political intrigue. It does deal with a few adult themes, but generally it’s not as adult oriented as series such as the Sword of Truth series; it has a similar depth to it as the Magician series by Raymond E Feist has, and it really makes you want to continue reading each chapter and book.

With twelve books in the series (the later book finished by his wife's choice of writer - Brandon Sanderson - as he sadly passed away) you definitely won’t be bored…..