“A review of the entire Wheel of Time Series”

NO MAJOR SPOILERS

I’ve decided to review this as a series because it *is* a series. One continuous story from beginning to end and, whilst you might read the first few only, you won’t just read a few in the middle.

This series has its critics and there are things about it that annoy. I find Jordan’s depiction of Nynaeve’s character for example, descends into the downright farcical on occasion. However, given the scope of this work, it would be surprising if there wasn’t the odd flaw. There are 14 books in the series, none of which are less than 600 pages.

Okay, so that’s the caveats out of the way, now onto the good stuff. This is a great story pure and simple. It spans thousands of years, with a huge cast of characters. Jordan draws from a variety of sources – Arthurian legend to Eastern philosophy – to create an incredibly detailed world with multiple nations and societies.

One of the things I like most about it is that he eases us in with an accessible writing style. It is a failing of a lot of fantasy fiction (and one of my pet hates) that the story is front-loaded with terms the reader has no chance of understanding until later on, thus interfering with the enjoyment of the story. Not so with this. Jordan gives us a chance to get to know the people of Emond’s Field first. By the time Tom Merrilin asks Rand what he knows of the world outside and if he can even recognise one Ajah from another, we’re hooked, want to know more, and know that we are as clueless as the main protagonist – which is oddly comforting!

This series is enjoyable but is not for everyone. If you’re after a light read, don’t bother. However if you like your fantasy epic and complex, give it a go.

Reviewed by:

Debbie McCarthy

Added 13th March 2015

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Debbie McCarthy