Rating: 
Summary: A very well done Fantasy re-hash but still a re-hash
Review: For those of you are very intersted in Fantasy books, such as me, Eye of the World is a must. Jordan deserves great credit for superb characterization (Nynaeve is one of the most complex and interesting characters I have ever met in a fantasy series) something usually lost in most Fantasy books. He also manages to create a truly massive world revealing it to us one step at a time. Also, most of the books have excellent subplots and flow together pretty smoothly. Now the bad part. The biggest flaw of the series is it's lack of originality. At it's core, it is still Lord of the Rings and thus has a very Black vs. White, Good vs. Evil feeling that is prevelant throughout the entire series making it just another Fantasy re-hash. A perfect example is the main character Rand. Despite what I said before about Jordan's great characterization, he fails completley to apply it to his main character making him your typical slightly hesitant hero with an inescapable destiny. I found myself hating this whiny loser who was embarassed to talk to girls. A true shame. Also, one of the series' strong points, it's huge world, also leads to its degeneration in later books. Jordan begins to slip as the series continues as his world simply becomes too big for its own good. The reader is expected to remember minute details from previous books, and instead of concentrating on a core group Jordan begins to diverge covering far too many characters. I have just finished the eight book in the series but have no intention on reading anymore because honestly, Jordan has let it get out of hand. Still, no true fantasy enthusiast can pass up reading this book (which I consider the best in the series) but don't expect originality, just the same Fantasy cliche novel done extremely well. If you are looking for originality in your Fantasy books I would suggest reading Glen Cook's Black Company series which leaves the Good vs. Evil Fantasy cliche and never looks back.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fantasy Original
Review: Fantasy Fiction is, I think, a dangerous genre to get caught up in. The genre itself is so rife with cliche, with character archtypes, races, the history of mythology and umpteen fantasy series that have come before. I find that it is an insurmountable task to create truely original fantasy fiction in the mode of swords and sorcery. That said, Jordan, more or less, proves me wrong. Yes, the critics are correct to criticize Jordan for some of his borrowings. The Aes Sedai are remarkably similar to Frank Herbert's Bene Geserit. Our hero is a modest farmboy suddenly embroiled in worldwide and cosmic conflicts. Even the geography of Jordan's world (the placement of the mountains, the perimeter of perilous ranges, etc.) seems to be a mutation of Middle Earth. But the complexity of the political climate, the mythological background, and the eventual fleshing out of the characters makes this work, while grounded or inspired by literary predecessors, a wholly original history. If you want to enjoy the series, you really ought to begin with this first book (although, to a degree, each novel is self-contained). And, as another reviewer noted, this first book is not the best in the series. This book is somewhat stilted and herky-jerky, and it wears it's borrowings as plainly as the patches on a gleeman's cloak. But as you read further in the series, as the history of this world develops, as the characters continue to surprise you. As you discover new realms, lands, peoples, monsters, villains, the series as a whole moves further from what you already know of the fantasy genre. Start here if you are a fan of the fantasy genre, and you will feel that other practictioners (Salvatore, Feist, Eddings, etc.) are awfully dependant on the dull, overused conventions of the genre. Start here with a more than tolerable book, an enjoyable book, but continue with the series if you want to see how good, how original Jordan can get.
Rating: 
Summary: A Must Read
Review: The Wheel of Time is the best fantasy I have ever read, and I read a lot. If you are reading this book, do not be discouraged by the slightly slow beginning. The rest of the book is worth it! Although this is not the best of the Wheel of Time books, the books get gradualy better, this is the only place to start. I'd pay twice the amount it costs to get this book
Rating:
Summary: draws you in and doesn't let go
Review: I have to say like all the other thousands of people out there that i love this series. The detail really makes you envision the world and everything is so clear that it is as if you are not reading it but living it. Jordan has a great plot line and a new take on power and the like. I recommend that you read New Spring from the book Legends 3 so that you can an insight into some of the characters past before you start The Eye of the World. The book is a real keeper even though it may be a little hard in the beginning, stick with it you will have discovered a real gem.
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Summary: Something like a critic's summary words for a novel. . . .
Review: And here it is, in the style of how a critic might rave about a book. (The kinds of newspaper-submitted sentences on New-York Bestselling books). Additionally, like I did in my Pawn of Prophecy review, I will be summing the whole series up, not just the first book. "This series is ...amazing! It utterly overwhelms the reader with its incredible, massive complexity. Every single book in the ongoing series is truly as intensely breathtaking as the next. In writing The Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan is able to captivate and awe his readers in a way that no other writer has done before him. Despite all the other fantasy writers and books I have read, I have yet to read the fantasy literature of any other author that can enrapture the reader with its boldness such as Jordan's fantasy does. With his first book in The Wheel of Time, The Eye of the World, he created a new ground-breaking mold, a new breed of fantasy literature, the kind that is ongoing, without any definite end. L. E. Modesitt Jr. and Terry Goodkind, who both write in the same, continuous style as Robert Jordan, are examples of the other authors that Jordan has "given birth" to. Robert Jordan is now known as a permanent legend in the fantasy genre, and his unique type of fantasy is now considered one of the greatest, freshest gifts to fantasy, its overall impact on fantasy readers rivaling what J.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings once did." -Jonathan Diaczun's thoughts on Robert Jordan, and his series, The Wheel of Time. And there you go.
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Summary: Hands down the BEST fantasy series ever.
Review: Robert Jordan has created a series of fantasy books that are the best ever created. He blends so many main and sub plots together that he keeps the reader totally spellbound.
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Summary: If you enjoy fantasy this series is the best there is.
Review: As a long time reader of fantasy novels, I can quickly tell the good from the bad. Any one that has read these books will immediatly tell you that they are some of the best book that they have ever experienced. Robert Jordan can take you to a world so real that you will become immersed. You begin to feel like you have known these characters your entire life and can relate to how they feel. You understand what makes each of them tic. The story line will enthrall you and make you beg for more.
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Summary: Good start for a very long series
Review: Eye of The World is the first book in Jordan's Wheel of Time series. This book lays the foundation for his world and hints at the final battle that will end the eternal struggle of Light and Shadow. In a sense, the champions of this struggle are the same, at least in spirit, each time the battle is fought. Jordan is able to mesh ideas from fantasy, mythology, and religion into a coherent readable book. His style makes Eye of The World easy to read. The general flow of events is logical - even when the party is split and Jordan spends several chapters on each of the new groups. Character development is generally good; especially with Rand. There are times, though, when a characters connection to past events is not clear. For example, Mat's connection with Manetheren, other than the fact that he was born in what was once the Kingdom of that name, isn't made especially clear in Eye of The World (maybe he saves that for later). Moiraine's character is closed not only to the rest of the main characters, except for her Warder, Lan, but to the reader as well. Little of her past is revealed and at times she comes across as manipulative and uncaring - the ends justifies the means. Nevertheless, I like her and believe that she will turn out to have a heart after all. Egwene, Rand's sweetheart, and Nynaeve, the Wisdom of Rand's village, seem superfluous. I don't doubt that Jordan plans to flesh out their character's in subsequent installments of The Wheel of Time. Perhaps my biggest complaint is length. I've been reading fantasy and science fiction for over twenty years. In that time I've discovered some absolute gems, and not a few lumps of coal. None have ever been so long as this series; even Tolkien's Lord of the Rings pales in comparison. Not that length in itself is a detractor. But, I found myself scanning, rather than reading, entire paragraphs because they didn't seem necessary. Perhaps a decade as an engineer has shaped my need for brevity; there is some irony there (brevity being 400-500 pages). In any case, Eye of The World is a good read. Hopefully I'll make it through the next seven or eight books; just a few more volumes and The Wheel of Time will rival The Encyclopedia Britanica in length and scope.
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Summary: Great Read
Review: This is a book you must give a chance to get rolling as it starts off pretty slow. However, this book will surely draw you in as it makes for a terrific read.
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Summary: Jordan Starts Wildfire
Review: I always thought books like these were boring and well, stupid. A friend of mine insisted that I read this book and even bought it for me. After a year I finally started in and within a month finished it. Today is the day I finished this book. It was remarkably breathtaking. I have never read a book like this before. Jordan makes you care about each and every character as if they were personal friends. Even the characters that aren't very important are looked upon fondly. I have already ordered books 2 and 3 because I can't wait to continue reading this wonderful story. It is a story of discovery. Not only discovery of the land around them, but discovery of who one is and will become. Each of the main characters now has someone they need to be or something they have to do. From Egwene to Perrin this book is wonderful and interesting to read. It's hard to put it down, the only reason it took me so long to read is that I aquired a new pet that needed my attention. You have to read this book! It's the best book I've ever read.
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