The Wheel of Time

Cory’s perspective

The Eye of the World hooked me because of the characters. Rand, Perrin, and Mat all pulled me into the story, but Mat was the one I liked most. He was funny, witty, and had that attitude where he just didn’t seem to give a shit.

Mat stayed my favorite, but all three of them are what held the story together for me. They each have their own personality. Mat brings the humor. Perrin is more serious. Rand is serious too, but he spends a lot of time doubting himself and being negative.

Once they split up, that actually made me want to keep reading even more because I was always wondering what was happening with the other characters and waiting to get back to them.

Rand’s negativity did wear on me sometimes. There were stretches where I got tired of the self-doubt and self-loathing. What made it work was that he actually grew. Once his character progressed past that, I liked him much more.

The Wheel of Time is a commitment.

If you like short, fast books that you can burn through and move on from, this probably isn’t the series I’d hand you first.

But if you like settling into a world and watching the characters and story build from the beginning all the way through the payoff, this is where the series works.

I thought the ending was great. Endings are hard because there are so many ways to get them wrong. A Memory of Light gave me the payoff I wanted, but it also left enough unanswered that I kept wondering what happened afterward. It almost made me want another series just to see where everybody went next.

I’ve reread the entire series—I think three times now—and every time I catch something I missed, forgot, or understand differently.

They’re just as good on a reread.

And if I’m rereading The Wheel of Time, I’m not jumping around. I start at The Eye of the World and go all the way to the end.

To me, the whole journey is the point.

Who I’d recommend it to

I’d recommend it to readers who:

• like long series
• enjoy watching characters develop over many books
• want a world they can settle into
• enjoy large casts and separate storylines eventually reconnecting
• are comfortable with slower stretches when they are building toward something

For something faster and easier to jump into, I’d point you toward Riyria Revelations.

Where to begin

Start with The Eye of the World and follow the fourteen main novels in numbered order.

New Spring — prequel · optional

I read New Spring after finishing the main series, and I think it works really well that way.

You do not need it to understand The Wheel of Time.

It gives you more of Moiraine and Lan and lets you spend some time with how their relationship came together.

It can also work as a shorter break somewhere during the main series if you want one, but a first-time reader does not need to read it before The Eye of the World.