Book Review: The Eye of the World

Book Review: 'The Eye of the World' by Robert Jordan

3 / 5  Stars

‘The Eye of the World’ first was published in hardcover by Tor Books in January, 1990. A mass market paperback edition was released in November of that year. In 2022, as a tie-in to the amazon.com series based on the ‘Wheel of Time’ franchise, Tor released 'Eye' as one of the volumes in a boxed set of trade paperbacks compiling the first five novels in the series.

Robert Jordan was the pen name of author James Oliver Rigby, who published the first 12 volumes in the Wheel of Time series prior to his death in 2007. Thereafter, based on notes from Rigby, Brian Sanderson completed an additional three novels. So the entirety of the Wheel of Time series consists of 15 novels. Most of the cover illustrations were done by Darrell K. Sweet. 

Some of these 'Wheel' novels are gargantuan, approaching 1,000 pages in length as mass-market paperbacks. The trade paperback edition of ‘The Shadow Rising’ is 955 pages long…………

Back in the early 1990s I was aware of the Wheel of Time novels, but had no real desire to read them, mainly because the decade saw the advent of the practice by publishers of releasing lengthy novels that were components of multivolume series. I already had committed to David Wingrove’s ‘Chung Kuo’ franchise, and there was only so much content I could process.

Having procured the five-volume box set at a discount from Ollie’s Bargain Outlet this past Fall, I decided I was in the proper frame of mind to approach the Wheel of Time. 

I learned that the initial volume in the series is ‘New Spring’, which was released in 2004 as a prequel. It was a digestible 299 pages. After that, I ventured into ‘Eye of the World’, which is a hefty 779 pages. So between them I processed some 1,078 pages of Wheel of Time content.......

It’s no spoiler to say that the Wheel of Time franchise is modeled on Tolkien; indeed, anyone familiar with the 'Lord of the Rings' will recognize characters and themes that have been imported into ‘The Eye of the World’. 

The world in which the Wheel novels are set has no formal name, but fanboys apparently have designated it ‘Randland’. It is the standard-issue medieval landscape where magic is practiced, and the safety and peace of the world gradually are being threatened by a Dark Lord.

‘New Spring’ introduces us to two of the lead characters in the initial novels in the series, a female incarnation of Gandalf, known as Moraine; and her taciturn bodyguard Lan, who is an Aragorn clone. 

‘New Spring’ was a chore to get through, and I almost gave up on it numerous times. The novel, which is set in a kind of Hogwarts academy for sorceresses, is entirely devoted to exposition. Exposition about interior décor, furniture, fabrics and textiles, wardrobes, mess hall comestibles, student hijinks, student rivalries, student jealousies, enigmatic Prophecies of Doom, sorcery proficiency exams that can be fatal, and the political machinations of various nations embedded in Randland.

After finishing ‘New Spring’ I took a deep breath and started in on ‘The Eye of the World’. The first 106 pages are more exposition, serving to introduce the reader to the large cast of characters, including Rand Al’ Thor, the Wheel’s counterpart of Frodo Baggins. Rand lives with friends and family in the placid hamlet (and Shire clone) of Two Rivers, where people live as they have done for centuries, vaguely aware of momentous events that took place far, far away and long, long ago.

As it turns out one of the boys residing in Two Rivers is a Chosen One who, alone among the innocents of the world, can defeat the Dark Lord (aka Shai’ Tan, aka Ba’alzamon, aka Lord Foul, aka Sauron………….you get it). 

So, the minions of the Dark One arrive, with murder and mayhem on their mind, on page 106. Thereafter novel embarks on its main narrative, which is a Quest to the eponymous Eye and, hopefully, a resolution of the conflict with the Dark One.

Inevitably with a novel of its length, ‘Eye’ can drag at times, but it must be said that the author does inject moments of suspense and action at regular intervals so the narrative is not as dilatory as it perhaps could be.

I approached the end of the book aware that it was simply an opening installment in a franchise, but the denouement of ‘Eye’ does deliver some degree of resolution and is not simply a ‘continued in the next volume’ contrivance.

I am comfortable with giving the tandem of ‘New Spring’ and ‘The Eye of the World’ a Three Star Rating. Those readers who have the patience and temperament for contemplative, lengthy narratives will find the Wheel of Time to be rewarding. Those preferring shorter works, with more compact world-building and characterization, might want to think for a bit before sitting down with 'The Eye of the World'.