Rating: 
Summary: This was a great book, but the epic wanes thin.
Review: I read this book after my first read of the Lord of the Rings. Needless to say, it had some work to do in following up Tolkien's brilliance, which has since addicted me to fantasy for the reminder of my life. And while I loved this book, this series of books is like the gradual methadone treatment I never wanted. I love fantasy, and this original book of the series and the few that came after it, are wonderful books. I loved the characters, I loved the (then) detail, and I loved the fast paced plot. Regarding the last few books of the series - this is no longer the case - and far from it.As an economist by trade, I need fantasy literature and the escape from rules and reality it provides. That is what makes fantasy, well, fantastical - no rules. What I don't need is Robert Jordan to give me a lesson every few years on why it is important to secure the consumer to a product to keep them buying year after year! A little lesson I could give back to Mr. Jordan deals with dimishing consumer utility as consumption occurs. In other words, unless the product is that much better in its next installment - demand will wane and the public will stop buying. Take that to your publisher the next time they tell you your series needs a bit more time to relate the details to its audience. Maybe he will surprise us all, and the next installment will be the second coming of Tolkien I hoped it was all those years ago... I am not holding my breath. Actually, I'm still trying to finish Winter's Heart - not a whole lot of fun.
Rating:
Summary: Great start to a wonderful series.
Review: It has been almost fourteen years since this series started, and I first read this book. Since then I have reread this series four times. Everytime I see something different. The forshadowing, characterization, plot twists, and everything else. This last time I found something in the first book that forshadowed something in book ten. I won't say what because I think these are things the reader should find out for themselves, but I will say that Jordan knows what he is doing. Jordan has created a world in vivid detail. He doesn't leave a lot of room for the reader to use their own imagination, and I think that is what frustrates people the most. He drags on and on. I for one happen to love it. He is a wonderful writer. If your impatient, then don't start this series. If you love a good read then start here. This book is fast paced, and not quite as detailed as WoT's later books, and I think that may appeal to most readers. Besides, I think this book could stand on it's own, without books 2 through whenever the heck he finishes this thing. All books and series have lose ends, so if you don't like book one then stop there. Just give it a go, I know you'll love it. I for one will continue to read his works because he has created a wonderful world where the reader can relate to its characters and have fun following the adventure. Just be patient, Jordan has had this story planned out for a long time.
Rating: 
Summary: A Series of its Own - Appreciate it for what it is
Review: Kicking off the sweeping epic tale, The Eye of the World is the first book in the Wheel of Time series. This book is the stage setter for the series. There is mainly one story line, following the same cast of characters for most of the book. The world that Jordan created is his own, although you only get a glipse of it through The Eye of the World. You'll come to notice that as you read the reviews from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, they get progressively negative as the series moves on. When you get to a certain book in the series, decide its worth for yourself when you get there, and don't let the later volumes disuade you from reading the earlier works. In order to fully appreciate the world created in The Eye of the World, pick up the second book in the series, The Great Hunt. In this book, the characters become people, with personalities and a certain energy that is unique to each of them. Here, you follow multiple story lines that span Jordan's globe with vivid imagry. It's a great series to get in to - don't let the number of volumes be daunting. Take it at your own speed, and let the Wheel of Time series stand as a work (and world) of its own.
Rating: 
Summary: You could do worse
Review: It seems as if reviewers of this book rate it either five stars or one, as either wonderful or awful. I found it between the two: a book whose story was interesting enough to keep me reading, but not one with writing or characters good enough to make me want it to never end. Jordan's story will hold your interest, but in many ways his writing leaves much to be desired. The majority of the book moves with agonizing slowness as the heroes make a long and dangerous journey; then suddenly they make a quick change of plans, move a great distance quickly, and bring the story to a climax in a very short time. Thus the last quarter of the book is very rushed, as if the author was hurrying to meet a deadline. Needless to say, this means that the climactic part of the book fell short of the quality of the rest of it -- a mark of poor writing. As fantasy, this book completely lacks any appreciation of the beauty that the "perilous realm" (as Tolkien called it) should have; Jordan's world is one of unrelieved ugliness. This ugliness became a heavy burden in reading just one book; if it continues, the series will be an impossible marathon to finish. I rate Jordan's book far below LOTR and somewhat below the original Weis & Hickman DragonLance books, but better than much of the fantasy pulp out there. It's not great literature, but it will hold the fantasy fan's interest.
Rating:
Summary: A path you may not want to go down
Review: If you've noticed the ridiculous number of books in this series, and the fact that they've become insanely popular (oddly, their insane popularity began right around the same time that the series began to deteriorate), you're probably wondering what the fuss is about. This first volume, and the two following it, are fairly classic fantasy adventures, with naive farmboys (and one girl) going out into the wider world and growing into important people - one of them the most important person who ever lived. However, the world and its history are unique enough that you can soon see a very interesting story developing. Books 4, 5 and to some extent 6 shed the classic fantasy plotline, and begin a more political, but even more interesting leg of the story. It is these books that really set the Wheel of Time apart from other fantasy, and made all the fans so fanatical. However, books 7, 8 and 9 begin a descent into stagnation. The plot still moves, and remains interesting, but the writing gets stale, and the story moves ever slower. Book 10, the most recent instalment, has been the last straw for many fans. While book 9 still managed to contain some major, and interesting, events, book 10 has none whatsoever. Nothing at all happens in book 10 - seriously. An entire chapter is dedicated to a bath, and another to the buying of grain. And now the author has decided to release a series of three unwanted prequel stories (which would have been most welcome had they been published earlier in the series, but now everybody just wants the fantastic ending we've been promised all these years). There are still high hopes for the final two or three books, from what the author has said in recent interviews, the pace has picked up and things start to happen again. However, if you are looking for a seriously good read, the first six books are some of my most treasured reads, though it might be a good lurk to stop there and wait until the series has finished before continuing - although I doubt you'll want to once you get there.
Rating:
Summary: Patience Is A Virtue. . . .
Review: I read this book sometime in the mid nineties, when the fourth book had just come out. I've since read every one released, along with several other fantasy series (A Song Of Ice & Fire, Sword Of Truth, LOTR), countless novels, and hundreds of comic books. Just recentley, when Jordan's prequel New Spring was released, I decided to start with this series anew. I was shocked at how varied a road the reviews take here (funny though, how Amazon UK only has a measly few hundred to the US's 1300). You look at the oldest reviews, when Amazon was first starting, and no one can write enough praise for this book, and the series. As time went on, long years stretched between installments, and the number of books rose, until it seemed no end was in site. I remember postulating how upset people would be if (God forbid) some illness or accident befell Jordan and he was unable to complete his massive tale. Many people have since written him off as if that had happened anyway. There are dozens of bad reviews in here, all squashing this book as either a rip off of Tolkien, or Herbert, and the beginning of a long and boring series that pales in comparison to whatever they feel is better (read: shorter). This book, and the Wheel of Time series, present a dizzyingly detailed world that takes a heck of a lot of patience to absorb and get through, but the rewards are just as dizzying. Though many subplots arise, the action never fails to dissappoint. I believe it's at the end of Book 5 that the defining moment for me came, but don't get me wrong - every book has it's share of excitment. The main thing for you to know is don't start this series unless you enjoy long, epic tales. I've read several other lenthgy stories (Cerebus, Mission:Earth, The Ender Books) and this is right up there for me. And if the tale told strikes a similar note as Tolkien, or Herbert, or whoever, well, there are only so many archetypes of fantasy novels out there, yet no one can fault Jordan for the originality found in his detailed world building. If some of the common themes are expanded, tweaked a bit, I don't paticularly mind. I was afraid that when I reread this book (and series) I'd find I had grown out of it, or that I was too naieve when I first read them. I don't think so - I'm enjoying it tremendously, and given the amount of story I know, this second read through reveals a whole slew of new connections and ideas I missed the first time. Jordan knows what he's doing, and his craftiness knows no bounds. If you have a patient disposition for reading, and enjoy long stories that take a lot of time to absorb and work through, this series will offer you much. If you prefer your fantasy tied up in neat, tight trilogies and short serials, move along and let us patient ones enjoy the weavings of the Wheel.
Rating: 
Summary: This is a story that sucks you in and will never end.
Review: While this book was good, the series that it become draws out to a never-ending teeth gnashing bore. The irritating elements in this book finally consume the entire story. I'd give the same advice (from my understanding) to someone considering heroin, crack, or cigarettes....get hooked and suffer! And pay with your time and money. And suffer. And suffer.
Rating:
Summary: Pay no heed to whom before me have said
Review: Pay no heed to whom before me have said......this book is great!!! It was extremely addictive! Although my review may not be helpful to you (afterall, I am a major fatasy fan) in my opinion, this book was one of the best books I have ever read!! If the story doesn't intrest you, then I sugest you read The Lost Years of Merlin. There are five books--they are awesome!!
Rating:
Summary: An orc, by any other name...
Review: I'm a newer fantasy fan who has recently exhausted Tolkien's works. I turned to Jordan's WOT series with this first volume, "The Eye of the World," hoping it would prove worthy of its popularity. In my opinion, the first book is worth a read, but I was terribly disappointed by how shamelessly derivative (of Tolkien) the story turned out to be. The fades are basically ringwraiths; the trollocs are orcs. The Two Rivers is practically synonymous with The Shire, for the story's purposes, and the embarking scene at the stable, with unexpected characters popping up and demanding to come along on Rand's quest for Tar Valon, is straight out of Rivendell. Even on a symbolic level: the three friends wield a sword, a bow, and an ax -- bringing to mind the triumvirate of Aragorn/Legolas/Gimli. After several chapters, these frequent, incessant "nods" to Tolkien start to seem less like sly, knowing gestures of recognition and thanks, and more like the early stages of Parkinson's. Depending on your tolerance for the similarities, you may decide the WOT world is a total rip-off. Jordan also borrows heavily from real eastern and western cultures ("Ba'alzamon" from "Baal", for example; there was also a puzzling, anachronistic mention of the Green Man, and Arthur Pendragon, from British/Celtic myth). Since Jordan is cranking out these suckers at the rate of about one every year and a half, and each is about 500 to 700 pages in length, I'm wondering if his cultural borrowing is as studied and deliberate as J.R.R.'s. The upshot is, unless you're pretty tolerant of derivative fantasy, you may want to check this book out at the library and sample a few chapters before buying.
Rating:
Summary: Great fantasy
Review: Book is well written with interesting characters who grow and develop in a complex, fascinating world. He keeps up a high level of writing throughout the whole series.
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