Rating: 
Summary: Paid by the word
Review: Do not read this book! It will ... you into the evil web of profiteering that is the steamroller of time! I gave up on the series after book three when I worked out that Robert Jordan was paid by the word. It's not that he's a bad writer, he's definitely competent, it's just that the amount of action revealed and character explored in no way justifies the weight of paper he uses to tell the story. I know I'm in the minority here, but Jordan is simply too long winded to be properly enjoyed. If you are looking for better epic fantasy in the same vein, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams or anything by Eddings or Feist is inifinitely more worth your while, and will also take a good deal less time to read!
Rating: 
Summary: A unique piece of literature
Review: Considering the saturation of the fantasy genre by novels that are mediocre, it is even more difficult to find the novels that are outstanding. The Eye of the World, and the entire Wheel of Time Series, is one of the rare gems in a avalanche of common stones.What some see as a slow and perhaps unremarkable beginning, I see as the necessary introduction of a wide array of major characters. And these characters are diverse: there are three male characters (that are generally considered the main characters), three female characters (who take a more important role later in the series), and wealth of others with a great variety of characteristics and qualities. With such a cast, it is imperative for Robert Jordan to define the characters' likes and dislikes, dreams and ambitions, and other pertinent information before progressing the story. Thus, the novel starts slowly. Yet looking back to the inauspicious beginning, it is one of very few calm moments in the series, and the only time without threat. Then, the world is shaken-the evil that has been cumulating is released, and the calm is shattered. With the help of an Aes Sedai (a character that both adheres to, and diverges from, the typical sorceress type), the characters leave their hometown and embark upon a fantastic adventure, one that traverses the distance of the world. In this adventure, Robert Jordan introduces many different characters and elements, and like any good novel, these elements are rarely forgotten. Instead, everything is woven into a tight plot, as something forgotten in the second novel may return in the fourth. By the end of The Eye of the World, the world is already an established entity, with a seemingly dynamic life of its own, a life that is realistic enough to incite a myriad of emotions from the reader. This novel is a finally crafted piece of literature, and is well worth anyone's investment.
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece from Jordan
Review: What can I possibly say, with words, that would sum up this fabulous series? Reading the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan has managed to transport me, even if only for a few moments of the day, into a world where Good versus Evil, and terror, hope, and friendship bear whole new meanings. You come to know the characters, and you sympathize with Rand al'Thor, and laugh at the mischevious twinkle in Mat's eyes. High praise for The Wheel of Time!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!
Review: I'm an avid fantasy reader and I was severely disappointed with the last few fantasy books I've read. I had to be coaxed into reading this book...and boy I'm glad I did! The last few fantasy books I read were descriptive beyond belief. I hated them! "Wait it out" they said. 500 pages was a little much for me to "wait out". This book gets started right away. I'm nearly to the end, less then 50 pages to the end, and as soon as the action started, it didnt stop. There are so many secrets...you need to unravel everything! I also had a problem with the flat characters in the last few books. Not here! I remember one character comparing Lan to an onion. It's like this with every character. You peel one layer off, think you know it all, and surprise!!!! There's something more! Another layer! Overall...superb book. Its turns you on to fantasy, or brings your interest back to the genre! Read it!!
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing start to fantasy epic
Review: I picked up this book soon after reading the 3rd of George R.R. Martin's Songs of Fire and Ice series. Martin had gotten me back into reading fantasy after a long hiatus and I was looking for something of similar quality. Unfortunately, I was grossly disappointed. This book is a fairly conventional fantasy quest novel with a few, mostly-insignificant variations from the norm. For example, rather than having a single character of humble origins reach his heroic destiny (a la Bilbo Baggins or King Arthur), it has three. And to its credit, it has a wealth of strong female characters. On the other hand, the characters are extremely thin. The traits that set them off from each other are drawn without subtlety. One of them is a prankster, for example, but is otherwise nearly identical to the other two. Much of the action and, most notably, the climax are rather poorly written. It may be that I was expecting too much from this novel, but what can I say? Maybe the author gets better as the series goes on. But I will not be spending my money on them.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant Plot but Too much attention to Detail
Review: As far as plotlines for fantasy stories go, I'd have to say this one has the most complex and interesting one so far. I think it beats the shannara series and the tolkien series. The author reveals his world in a very slow and deliberate manner. The history of the world and the situation the book tries to deal with is revealed by various and highly interesting characters as the book proceeds forward. The characters are detailed and each offers something the reader can associate with. The main characters (rand, perrin, mat, egwene, the wisdom, lan and moiraine) all have layers and are indeed very complex. However, like most fantasy books, this book is extremely long for the amount of storyline it covers. The author focuses very much on describing the world the characters inhabit but very often he gets carried away. I found myself skimming through lots of descriptions of cities and environments. Aside from the attention to detail, I can't help but love this book. The world jordan creates is so interesting and has many parallels to our own. The history of his world is rich and full of conflict against good and evil. The obvious evil (the dark one and his minions) is strictly defined and ubiqituous but there is also hidden evil in those who claim to be good. All this leads to a very interesting conflict between "good" and "evil." I highly recommend this book to those readers who are patient enough to read lots of 800+ page books to see the end to this series.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Greats
Review: This is one of the best books to come out of a fantasy author since Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings". The interesting story kept me up until past midnight until I finished. All in all, this is a great book for middle schoolers and up. I reccomend this for people who like to sit down and read.
Rating:
Summary: Not as great as hype proclaims
Review: This book *is* an excellent fantasy book. I don't, however, understand how it developed its cult following. I never found myself at a point where I was too caught up in the plot to put the book down. I also noticed several errors, parts where the timing of certain events isn't realistic. In other parts the plot seems rushed. Still, fans of epic fantasies will probably enjoy it; most people seem to.
Rating:
Summary: Great start for one of the best series ever
Review: Now, from what i've read, the only people who have read this can't see past their own nose. The intricacies of this novel go beyond anything some can see. One reviewer said all the female characters were the SAME!!!! I'm not sure if this person just skimmed the book or actually read it. I give this five stars for the perfect ending. I literally could not eat dinner until i finished it. The climax was mind-blowing, and the rising action leading to it just accentuated that point. For anyone wanting to get hooked on a series, read this. It is sure to destroy all social contact for a few days.
Rating:
Summary: Everything a story should be.
Review: The first time that I read Eye of the World, I was enthralled by the amazing amount of detail and color that Robert Jordan puts into his story. Now, after reading it for the third time, I'm still stunned by the depth and quality of his characters and world. The first book is always the most important book in a fantasy series. If the author can't create a world with enthralling characters with his or her first book, what are the odds that the subsequent books will be of any literary value? Jordan makes great efforts to immerse the reading in the world he has created. In Eye of the World, you are introduced to the key players in a struggle to save the world from horrific evil. The various memorable characters are made to seem so real, that you begin to experience all of their emotions along with them as if you were actually there. After the first few pages you'll be able to forget the world around you, and allow yourself to be pulled into a land of adventure, intrigue, and vibrant life.
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