Rating: 
Summary: A bit of a Tolkien ripoff
Review: A friend of mine has all ten of these books and I've decided to read them. I'm rating them as I read. Frankly, this book does not live up to the hype. That doesn't make it bad or anything -- it's pretty good and enjoyable, if you don't have really high expectations. But the way I heard/read some people, this was supposed to be one of the top two or three fantasy series ever written. It had better improve for that to be the case. There is a lot of stuff blatantly ripped from Tolkien. And not just the fantasy iconography. Look, when you do fantasy, you're dealing with travel stories that ultimately involve a showdown between good and evil, and there's magic/sorcery involved. It's how you make your own story unique that you distinguish yourself as a writer. I don't like how the Two Rivers is basically a copy of the Shire, and how the theme of rural simplicity vs. worldly knowledge so closely parallels the ground already covered by Tolkien. Presumably, this theme will be less important in subsequent books, but in this book, it's annoying to read. Another important similarity is the characters of Lan and Thom. Lan basically *is* Aragorn, both in terms of how he carries himself and his (hidden) regal bloodlines, and Thom may as well be Gandalf, sans sorcery. There's even a Gollum sort of character, although I'll reserve judgement on this because he was introduced as such at the end of the book and subsequent volumes may clarify this some. There are other similarities, but these are the ones that bothered me the most.
The positives are the story, although not necessarily how it's told. This first book sets up *lots* of plotlines, and reveals its secrets slowly. Which is good and bad -- it's nice to see such care taken with the development of the plot and the mythology of the book's world, but 800 pages is very much to ask a reader to wade through while the author is basically just setting things up. Nevertheless, there's always something going on, and the book is well-paced.
The writing is decent, but not great. I'd actually heard Jordan described as the "Dickens" of fantasy, because of the numerous characters that are in his books. I'll reserve judgement on that for now, but it is looking to me that while Jordan may spend lots of time finding things for his characters to *do* he is no master of making the reader care very much for any of them, or of really distinguishing them from each other. Again, maybe more of this comes later, but right now the characterization seems a bit thin, and the female characters seem especially two-dimensional. The final verdict on this is that the series has the potential to be better than average and I'm ready to read the second book.
Rating: 
Summary: Strong beginning for a lengthy series
Review: A naive village boy named Rand flees pursuit by the minions of Darkness in the company of a powerful sorceress, her guardian, and an assortment of fellow villagers, unaware of the reasons for the pursuit and of his true significance in the world. The world that author Robert Jordan has created for them to travel through is richly detailed, perhaps to a fault. For all the book's great length, surprisingly little actually occurs over the course of the story as page after page are given over to explanations of the world's history and the details of daily life. Still, I'm not complaining. The stage he has set is worthy of a great epic; although all of the familiar trapping of heroic fantasy are present, rarely are they realized so fully. The individual characters are well-drawn; their innocence, bewilderment, and growing fear as they realize the scope of the forces arrayed against them are excellently portrayed. I also enjoyed the way that men and women each have their own kinds of magic. One quibble: a story of this type really benefits from detailed maps of the world in which it takes place. I found the map in this book too scanty and hope that this is rectified in later books of the series.
Rating: 
Summary: HAVING MY LITTLE SAY
Review: Goodness, everyone has an opinion on this book and this series. I think I will give a short review on each book as I get to it and pass my own judgement on each individual book, rather than the whole series. Like another reviewer, I have certainly read my share of this genre over the past 45 years and I must admit this book, "The Dragon Reborn," is one of the better ones I have read. It certainly is not my favorite, but I nevertheless enjoyed every page. The author introduces many characters and you do indeed have to pay attention to what you read, and as another reviewer pointed out, I agree that for those who want instant gratification, they should probably go elsewhere. The plot is very complicated, but very, very interesting. I do have to admire the author's story telling ability. The task of writing a major work such as this must have been daunting. Recommend this to anyone interested in the type of fiction. Read it and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: I haven't read the books and don't plan to.
Review: Here's why. One day, I was bored, having bled my library dry, and I was staring at my bookshelf in woe. Then I saw on my shelf an untouched book! It was The Eye of the World, which I'd bought at Chapters years ago. It had been suggested to me by one of their staff. I was doubtful, and had been told by my friend that I should NEVER read the books. Of COURSE I bought it. Being my normal self, I read the first sentence and decided I didn't like it (believe it or not, I think I've got ADD) and I threw it on my 'crappy books', bookshelf.
I was wracked by indecision as I stared at the funny looking girl sitting on a chubby pony on the cover. I knew that I often lost a lot of good books due to my patience deficiency, but then again. . .I turned to my good friend, Amazon.com.
I was not disappointed. I say, chuck the books and just read the reviews. They're FANTASTIC! They've got plot and character developpment and EVERYTHING! Here's how the story goes.
Once upon a time. . .fifteen years ago to be exact, everyone got hooked on Robert Jordan's astoundingly deep stories.
Seven years later. . . Robert Jordan is still writing and readers are still reading, astounded that Robert Jordan can keep up so many storylines and make them all interesting. A fresh batch of people join the Robert Jordan fan club.
Now. . . More readers than ever are still reading, but Robert Jordan ain't writing. He's only regurgitating up the same words he's written a million times. Especially scenes where the women grit their teeth and smooth their bloody skirts (for the twentieth time) And the once time fans, who once had their teeth firmly in their mouths and didn't have to eat more pills than cereal for breakfast are P-I-S-S-E-D. I've never read more scathing reviews. Whew! To quote a few of them and their titles.
'At least I won't need to buy toilet paper for awhile.'
'Why, Lord? Why?'
'THE PLOT IS CONSTIPATED AND NEEDS AN ENEMA!'
'IT'S A WHOLE DAMN BOOK OF NINNIES! ROBERT JORDAN IS PROBABLY A NINNY OR ASSOCIATES HIMSELF WITH NINNIES. STAY AWAY BEFORE YOU BECOME NINNIED AS WELL!.'
'Urgh is not a good reaction'
However, some still hold on steadfastly, trustingly hoping that RJ is just setting up for the grande finale. I can't help but feel sorry for them.
Well anyhow, I'm sorry for the spoiler, for all of those who are going to read the reviews. I do believe I shall call the series of collected works, LAUGHING AT OTHER PEOPLES' MISERY Bwahahahaha! Robert Jordan, you have inadvertantly and quite by accident, made a masterpiece. Thank you for that.
All I can say to those of you who are going to read this series, maybe you should start trusting good old Amazon.com. (the last book got an average of 1 ½ stars)
So, I give 5 stars to LAUGHING AT OTHER PEOPLES' MISERY, and hope that even if you don't listen to me, you'll listen to the 2220 people on the customer reviews of Crossroads of Twilight, and then you give me a good review for saving you years of misery (and me laughing at you)
Rating:
Summary: Worth a read, but with a warning on the rest of the series
Review: I first read The Eye of the World when it was first published about 15 years ago and have since read it several times. As other reviews here, mine starts with a warning. The last several books have dropped drastically in quality, plot, and narrative, and not only that, the series is not finished yet so be warned. To put it into context, when I read book 1, I was a sophomore in high school. By my estimates (if the series goes 12 books - 10 published so far, only 2 left to write), I'll be approximately 33 when I finish the last book. That's a long time to read one story. Anyway, unlike other reviewers, I won't let the lower quality of later books affect my review for The Eye of the World. Sadly, there are way too many 1 and 2 star reviews for this great novel based on the later books.
The book begins (as most other fantasy novels do) in a very Tolkien-esque fashion. A group of village boys are thrust outside of their village, the only world they know, through powers they cannot yet fathom, but they eventually learn they have to fight. Sounds very familiar and to the point of banality, I know, but after the first quarter of the book is done, it takes drastic detours from Tolkien's storyline. Save Tolkien's Middle-Earth, the world these characters run through in the series is perhaps the most fleshed out and detailed world in all of fantasy writing. In fact, a few aspects of the world imagined by Jordan actually surpass Tolkien's creation.
I gave The Eye of the World 5 stars and place it among the top fantasy novels every written, and I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys them, but always with the caveat placed on the later books. Sadly, Jordan has either begun milking his story line for more books and money, or he has created so many loose-ends and characters that he's unsure where to go with it. By Book 10, the handful of main characters from Book 1 have multiplied into literally a hundred that you almost have a difficult time keeping track of. But again, the series started off so fantastically that I still occasionally reread the first 3-4 books. Book 5 is the pivot that marks the downfall for me. You can actually read the first 3 books and they stand alone very well and can feel like a complete trilogy. Book 4 is better than the first three, but it doesn't give you the apparent resolution that book 3 gives so it's not a good book to stop on. Yet, if you're daring, you can move on, but it'll probably be to your own disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Patience is a virtue
Review: I have read all of the WOT books, including the Prequel, and have found that this avid reader's need for detail, complex characters, plot lines and emotional involvement have been fully satisfied. I believe that each time I re-read the books I find something new that I have missed, something that I have forgotten or something that I find delightful to revisit. The WOT series is not for the easily bored, with each book, and the amount of time between the publication of each book, there is a necessary amount of "rehashing" of previous storylines to refresh the minds of those who do not enjoy going back and re-reading the work before the publication of each new book. Many people find this tedious others are grateful, it doesn't really matter, what matters is whether or not Jordan delivers the goods when you pick up that book. His books are like bricks, personally I like that, instead of knocking back one of his books in a day or two it takes me about three to four. Personally I like large portions, once again each person will have their own opinion of the book's size but I care not for the size as much as I do about whether it interests me. Jordan delivers with this series, he commands a cast of hundreds, keeping up with who is who and what they are doing is often a job for pencil and paper, but can be tracked through various fan sites on the web. The plot line is complex but is supported and manipulated by various intricate subplot lines as characters maneuver, manipulate and coerce their way through the stories. This is not an action movie, don't go into the series thinking that it is, instead you will find a book with drama and suspense that leaves you with feelings of "what is going to happen next" and "what will happen if". If you are looking for fight scenes I think that you will need to look elsewhere, like most good leaders Rand goes into his plans to unify his world and defeat his enemies with a hope for minimal bloodshed and loss of life, unlike his nemesis who's whole goal is to conquer through decimation. There are battles, but not battles like you will find in the movies special effects and all. While the final battle sounds like it will be a real knockdown struggle, like in most wars it takes behind the scenes work to bring the two armies to the field. These books are about the drawing up to the final conflict and if you only want to read the final battle scene for "battle gratification" then read the last book and leave it at that. But if you want to see how those lines are drawn in the sand as the combatants take the field and understand how and why the battle was fought and won or lost then invest your time and a little patience in the series and you will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: An HONEST fantasy lover's review
Review: I have to admit that Robert Jordan has become an icon for the entire fantasy genre. His intimately detailed images ranging from the various settings and landscapes, to the actions and ranges of emotions portrayed in the enormous character list. He currently has ten books in the series (eleven if you count the prequel novel) and I have enjoyed every one of them. That being said, I would be remiss if I didn't address some things that I have read in other reviews of this series.
1. "RJ's books are too dry and repetitive from book 7 on." The day you actually create a story this in-depth and have your characters go through so much, is the day you can complain about the story getting dry. So the wasn't a battle or someone dying every four pages. Wah, Wah, Wah. As people like our heroes grow and have more experience, the enemy has to continuously think or more complex and in-depth ways of coercion/ killing or what have you. I'll leave it at that.
2. "The books are too long" Ahhhhhhhhh do we actually have to read something longer than a maxim? Are mad that there are no pictures? Tough. If you don't like it, put this book down and pick up a Maxim, or go back to your religious following of 30 minute sitcom watching acolytes.
3. As for the reviewer James Taylor...Are you out of you F***ing mind!? I guarantee I've read more fantasy than you could hope to achieve in your lifetime and almost all of them (as you stated) starts to devolve into the verbal tripe. Where this series differs is the minimal verbal tripe where as Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series repeats at least forty line form the first book throughout the rest of the series. And if you had read and PAID ATTENTION in the fourth book was one of the biggest series shockers thus far with what Rand found out about the whole civilization. In fact I'm just going to stop here and say that you don't know what you are talking about.
Believe me folks when I say that I know what I'm talking about you could pretty much name every fantasy author over the past 25 years and I've read their work. Jordan is one of the top ten.
Rating:
Summary: How to begin.....
Review: I started this series when it first came out and enjoyed it a great deal. The story was good. The writing was okay. I looked forward to each book as it came out. Maybe it's because I'm 13 years older and more mature, but I'm just reading to find out what happens at this point. I can't be the only person out there who is appalled by most of the characters. I'm tired of hearing their thoughts as they lie to themselves...'I only did that because I wanted to......certainly not because this other person wanted me/coerced me/tricked me into doing it....certainly not!' I'm tired of their arrogance and overbearing pride. It seems that during every exchange one character is trying to abusively prove their superiority over another. How many times can we endure Nynaeve having to swallow her pride and yank her braid? Or endure her terrible treatment of her 'friends'? Or the seafolk insulting everyone with impunity until someone finds a way to do the same to them? Are these characters so stupid that they can't realize that they can walk away from the abuse and refuse to deal with those that treat them poorly? What is Jordan's fetish with this type of character interaction? Does he actually believe that this is how people behave or is he operating under the misconception that we enjoy it? Would anyone really be upset to see Nynaeve killed at this point? Or Elaine? Or Logain? Or the Ashaman? Or Cadsuane? Or the Wave Mistresses? Or all of the Aes Sedai? Rand, Perrin, Mat, Min and Lan are about the only ones I have any caring about at all. The rest have such irritating arrogance that a horrible, painful death would be a relief. I beg you, Mr. Jordan. I want to enjoy the rest of your series. Make us care about your characters again....have them grow and show some common courtesy and respect for each other. Tie up some loose ends. Advance your plotlines. Come to an ending.
Rating:
Summary: The Final Word on the Eye of the World
Review: If you have ever read any of my other reviews, you'll see I give bad and good signs of the book. If you looking for a my bad views on the book, please scroll down. :) First of all, let me thank Robert Jordan damaging my grades in college. :) The book impressed me so much that I neglected my homework a bit. :( Oh well, at least I enjoyed the book. If you get into high detailed fantasy books, you will absolutely love this book. The series isn't your normal run-of-the-mill fantasy book. I've never seen a plot like this one. The entire world he created in this book is quite different from your average Star Wars, basic good vs. evil type books where you can figure out what happens at the end with ease. The story line had so many twists in it, that what you think will happen, probably won't. The book is detailed in such a way that it seems your in the story yourself. You can feel what they feel, taste what they taste, smell what they smell, etc. In addition, I enjoy the fact that the characters who are to save the world are common village people. It kinda makes you believe that there is hope for us common folk after all. :) However, this book isn't for everyone... The details in the book are so elaborate, that it makes for a very long novel. If you like books that just cut to the chase, you'll love to hate this book within the first 100 pages. If you don't like books with multi-level plots and several characters, this book would drive you nuts. It comes with a glossary in the back so that you can look up the characters and objects that you've forgotten their meaning. Also, if you don't like intense fantasy, then don't read this book. Then again, why would you be reading this review? I can't wait to get book 2. Maybe I'll get it AFTER school gets out. :)
Rating:
Summary: Proceed with Caution
Review: In most book series, it would be fair to stipulate that a customer limit his/her review to the book at hand and not make sweeping statements about the entire series. That, however, cannot be done in this case. "The Wheel of Time" is like one long book cut into ten pieces (and counting). One gains nothing by simply reading the first book by itself because it is not a stand-alone work. The adventure concerning the Eye is resolved but the overall struggle between the Light and the Shadow is certainly not over.
I do have a few comments that are specific to the first book: if you can get past the first one hundred pages of the book, which were stilted and poorly written, you'll find yourself with an ejoyable read. Jordan definitely acquires a more deft hand as the book goes along.
Charges have been leveled that Jordan reproduces many elements from other authors' work and I don't think this claim is unfounded. It's true that there are many overlaps in fantasy since a lot of the tropes found in fantasy books come out of collective myths and folklore that no one has a copyright on. There is, though, a marked difference between overlap and directly lifting something from another writer. Jordan is not guilty of echoing only Tolkein. George Lucas, Ursula LeGuin, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and the estate of Frank Herbert should all be discussing lawsuits with their lawyers, and that's just to name a few. Maybe the reason I enjoyed the book was that I read so many of the elements before!
Fortunately, as the series goes on, the world Jordan has created becomes entirely his own. One benefit of the long series is that the reader does begin to recognize the Wheel of Time world as a three dimensional, fully developed place.
I'm not all the way through the series but I don't have any fears about time invested reading an unfinished series. Do I think Jordan should finish it? Yes. Will I lose sleep if I never find out what ultimately happens to Rand al'Thor? Hardly. The books are a good read but not memorable. I take them for what they are and I'm not invested in the characters.
This brings me to my biggest gripe about this book and the series. The sexual dynamics are absolutely horrible. I don't know whether I've ever read anything so insulting. I wonder if Jordan knows any real women or has ever even met one. He has no idea how to write female characters. You do not create strong women by making them bullies and that's exactly what the two main female leads, Egwene and Nynaeve, are. They frequently make comments that men have no brains, aren't good for anything, etc.
Is this supposed to be *funny*? Because it's not. If an author had male characters saying things like that about women, he'd have readers coming after him with torches and pitchforks. It is really not cute just because women are doing it to the guys. Either way you slice it, it's disrespectful and honors neither men nor women. In addition, it makes the male characters seem like fools because they are attracted to these characters despite being reviled by them. Oh wait, I forgot. They're are all pretty. That's why they are tolerated by the men and not told off with the suggestion that they go straight to hell. Of the characters, Min is the only likeable one. It would have been interesting to see a book around her.
So, all criticisms aside, I don't suggest readers avoid this series as long as they don't get too attached.
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