Rating: 
Summary: great way to hook - 15 year old reader
Review: this book hooks you from the very first chapter. When a friend lent it to me I didn't really have an intention to read it, and then you opened it up and read a little and was totally hooked on it now I am ripping through the series one book after another. Great book, great read, perfect start to a captivating series! Two thumbs up.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Expectations
Review: The Wheel of Time series came to me highly recommended and I imnmediately went out and bought five of the books to get me started. I am now up to the fourth and am able to more clearly critique the merits of _The Eye of the World_. Jordan is a marvellous storyteller - he encaspulates his readers with grand visions and diverse characters - not to mention fine plots and breathtaking events within. Many speak of Book 1 in the series as his best but I disagree. My initial impression was that it was slightly verbose - but I have come now to expect that of this grand master of fantasy and I do not think it necessarily detracts from the quality of his stories. For that is what he is - a great storyteller. And Book 1 does magnificently to draw readers into the world where his story begins.. _The Eye of The World_ transports readers deeply into the lands where Rand, Mat and Perrin are clearly important figures - or pawns - in the scheme of events where their fates - and actions - may impact the difference between Life and Death, Good or Evil, Happiness or Devastation - not for a country or a continent - but their entire world. We are drawn into their desparate journey to 'safety' in a land called Tar Valon led by the mysterious but powerful Moraine and her equally powerful and loyal Warder, Lan. Jordan is extremely talented. As readers, we feel the desparation, the urgency, the mystery, the fears, and the deep desire that all be well. Magic, danger, battles, politics and mystery entwine themselves within a solid fantasy plot to make this book a highly recommended one. The most significant weakness of this book - and probably the major reason why it does not hold its status as a favourite in the series - is the highly disappointing anti-climax of the ending. Jordan draws the reader so deeply into the world - capturing the imagination and excitement of readers exceedingly well - but throws all this at the end. I was left grappling with surprise and thwarted with the disappointment that it left me. Nevertheless, his earlier few hundred pages did draw enough merit for me to continue to the next books in the series and from where I stand, I have not been disappointed again. Well worth reading - excellent fantasy series - magnificent storytelling..just heed my expectations for the end.
Rating:
Summary: A Must for Fantasy Novel Enthusiasts
Review: This book starts off a bit slow, as Jordan builds on the characters and settings, I went months reading the first half the book, then all of a sudden, a break in the dam. The book from there flew along, tons of excitement and a wonderfully deep storyline and rich world. The slow beginning more than make up for this entire series, which only continues to grow in depth and excitement.Even if you're not a huge fantasy fan, if you like rich story and deep plots, this is a must have series!
Rating:
Summary: excellent!
Review: this book was great, although its not as good as the ones that follow it. i've read all the books up to the 9th one and am waiting for the 10th to come out now. the first one doesnt really get into what the others do, it really just builds the characters and stuff, which is great, but doesnt seem all that interesting when you read it... especially the first half, but i do highly recomend it, just dont stop after it, read the second too.
Rating: 
Summary: Fragmented
Review: This greatly abridged version left me very confused. I rewound and listened to parts repeatedly trying to follow the plot. Then I accidentally came across the unabridged audio book at my library and saw that it wasn't just two 1 1/2 hour tapes - it's several times longer. How could the author Robert Jordan allow such a massacre of his work? Now that I am halfway through the full unabridged version I understand and appreciate the storyline and the characters. This is rich! I'm really enjoying it. Don't cheat yourself, read the book or get the unabridged audio version.
Rating: 
Summary: Try and grab the unabridged version...
Review: Ok, ok, ok, before you bash this review saying to yourself, "How could he give ROBERT JORDAN only two stars...?" Well, the answer isn't in his story but the fact that the audio book itself is abridged and the reader is flat. Mark Rolston was GREAT in Aliens (the second one) but he wasn't really made for doing readings. Aside from that, listening to the abridged version of this story leaves so much detail out that Robert Jordan is known for. So, what I say is already listed in the title of this review... grab yourself a copy of the unabridged version. And if you're a true fan, you'll find it on CD!
Rating: 
Summary: Dissecting The Eye of The World
Review: The first time I read the Eye of The World, I stopped halfway and didn't pick it up again until a year later. By then, I literally forced myself to finish the book. It was surprisingly good: the plot is unique and the characters are well-developed. I liked the three male Emond's Fielders a lot but I can't say the same for the females. Jordan tries to level the playing field between the sexes in this book but he doesn't do a good job of this. He succeeds with the Aes Sedai (think of 'em as powerful female wizards) but some of his other female characters annoy me immensely. A lot of them seem to be afflicted with the dreaded Feminine Nasal Disorder (as someone else in another website eloquently put it). Always sniffing whenever they're annoyed or angry. Much of their behaviour says 'bad tempered brat' rather than 'strong woman'. And the seeming patience of the men in the face of their antics makes it worse! As a woman, I long for an author who could write real woman characters instead of caricatures. Jordan also attempts to provide some sort of history but a lot of it comes out contrived. Too much is revealed too early so instead of feeling immersed in the history and the world, you feel like you're sitting through a long,dull history lecture given by the characters. There is almost no mystery left, nothing to wonder or dream about. Fans say that Jordan's world is very complex and magical. It certainly is, but unfortunately you don't FEEL that it's complex and magical, the writer TELLS you that it is. And you're not convinced. Speaking of magic, the Aes Sedai and warrior in their company are so powerful that you don't worry about the safety of the characters at all. The main characters themselves have inborn superhuman hidden powers. There is no feeling of suspense or danger. There is no un-powerful underdog you can sympathise with. . At one point in the story, Rand al'Thor wonders 'Is everyone an Aes Sedai?'. Cynically, I wonder too... Heroism and virtue seems to depend a lot on blood lines. What is it with fantasy authors and 'strong blood'? Some people, because of weak genetics are virtually unredeemable. If you've read the book you'll know exactly what I mean - Coplins and Congars. For all its shortcomings, this book has a unique, interesting plot with (mostly) likeable characters. I've heard that it gets better with the second book. I fervently hope so since I plan on buying the second book. All in all, this is a book for fantasy fans, and fantasy fans ONLY.
Rating:
Summary: An EPIC with teeth!
Review: Robert Jordan has knocked my socks off with this beginner of an enormous epic series. What I liked about the "The Eye of the World" is the imagination, and scope of the world. There were so many places and people, such an indepth story and plot. What I didn't like was how TOO indepth it all got. Some times I felt like I was fumbling through descriptions, and all the adjectives and adverbs that are strewn throughout the sentences. But, the book is such a tremendous story that the few downers were easily overlooked in order to breathe in this great beginning.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Adolescent Fantasy
Review: This series might be right up your alley. After all, lots of people like it. I admit that I was charmed by this book when I first read it -- but I was a kid at the time, and moreover I'd never read a fantasy book before. Not even Tolkein. Nothing. While reading EotW, I fell in love with the genre, and I've been involved with it ever since. However, this book (and the series it opens) is a tremendously adolescent, simplistic fantasy. I know, I know -- most Jordan fans will scoff at me for calling it 'simplistic.' They would ask, 'How can a book with so many proper nouns be simplistic?' Well, because the world in which it unfolds is so simple (if bloated) that you can actually wrap your mind around its so-called 'complexities' without a great deal of trouble. Can you say that about real history? No, of course not. In reality, nothing is ever as easy, as cut-and-dried, as it is in this series. This makes Wheel of Time unrealistic and, yes, simplistic. Another thing that bothers me is that the characters are entirely incapable of having a mature sexual relationship. The men blush far too frequently, and every woman has an 'icy stare' and 'plants her hands on her hips' or 'sniffs pointedly' at every opportunity. Reading other, more mature fantasies makes this series look literally like child's play. Again, though, you might well love this series. But I urge you to check out Guy Gavriel Kay or George RR Martin. Try Martin first, actually (unless you love poetry, in which case you might immediately appreciate Kay). Read 'Game of Thrones' and you'll see what a serious, mature fantasy can do. Then move on to Kay, and you'll find language so beautiful it'll blow your hair back -- and make you realize that Jordan is for the kids.
Rating:
Summary: MORE LIKE 10 STARS!!! AWESOME AWESOME SCRUMTRELESCENT
Review: THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!!!!! I have read alot of fantasy and this is the best that I have come across. It is far better than any works of Tolkien, HE IS NOT ALL THAT COMPARED TO ROBERT JORDAN!!!!!! I love this guy, his world is incredible. The characters are amazing, and the romances are HOT!!! Also if you want to learn to farm, he spends at least 30 pages describing how to harvest rice and wheat. I have a friend that thinks that The Hobbit is the best book ever made, and I PUNCHED HIM IN THE FACE for saying that. Also books such as Lord Valentine's castle are very good. Ither books if you like Robert Jordan are: David Edding's The Malorean ( The Belgariad sucked ) Starship troopers was also good if you like Sci-fi. The wheel of time and the next eight books are a joy to read. Each one is about 900 pages but I wish it was atleast 2000. READ THIS BOOK
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