Title: The Eye of the World
Author: Robert Jordan
Series: The Wheel of Time #1
Publication details: November 15th 1990 by Tor Books (first published January 15th 1990)
Genre: Fantasy, adventure
The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. (Goodreads)
Robert Jordan is one of the famous names in the fantasy genre. His epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time is highly and widely praised both by the 'veteran' fantasy readers and newbies. I think it was also from a BookTuber where I first heard about the series. I was really intrigued. And so with great anticipation, I finally dived into the world of The Wheel of Time.
I did not read any synopsis prior to starting this book, hence I had no idea what it is about except that it is fantasy. Prologue tells a tiny bit of the background story which is intriguing enough to hold my attention. What follows then is an adventure of exploring places, getting to know people, and taking courage to go beyond the boundaries- an adventure that slowly but surely pulled me in.
The Eye of the World follows a group of characters as they venture out into an unknown world, getting to know their identities and trying to understand yet defy the prophecy. At first, I was not sure I would like the book. I was not really interested in any of the characters and their circumstances. But as I went through my reading, I got hooked and found myself really enjoying it. I had quite a hard time with some technical terms even though there is a glossary, but I don't think it affected my reading experience much.
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I liked that the book started with an air of mystery and looming chaos. Slowly but surely the plot and characters pulled me in until all I wanted was to finish the book. The flow of events is smooth and easy to follow. All scenes are relevant to the plot and characters. And it is amazing how each plot thread is connected and fits with one another.
To be honest, I am not sure if I completely grasped the high points in the plot. I think it will be one of my reasons to reread The Eye of the World. But the turn of events is quite sudden, and the events leading to the end is fast-paced and gripping. The end also promises more adventures for the characters, as well as posing further conflicts and mystery, which really made me excited to read the next book.
The constructed world is a rich mixture of different cultures and backgrounds. I definitely enjoy reading them. It is fascinating to explore the world in the eyes of the characters. The fantasy elements and creatures are not as varied in this first book as in the other fantasy books, but the author was able to convey that the world is vast and that there are a lot to learn and see in the next books.
The magic system is also not a complex one. It is straightforward and easy to grasp, but since The Eye of the World is just the first book in a long series, there might be development in the magic system. I am excited to know how things will unfold for the main characters in relation to this magic system.
There are loads of characters in the book. And I am assuming that more will be added. I guess one advice when reading this book is to have a note of characters to avoid confusion. Both main and secondary characters are well-written and fun to read. I think their dynamics are easy to get into. I also liked how it felt like I was exploring with the main characters, finding out their identities with them and the roles they have to play. I can't wait to see how the characters will develop in the next books!
There are a number of themes one can get from The Eye of the World. But one of those is the knowing and accepting oneself. The main characters battled with this making them more relatable. Sometimes we cast judgment upon ourselves, pulling ourselves down, when in fact we can do so much more. We can be more. Easier said than done, I know. But the realization of what can be is a step. I think the main characters are more or less far from this realization and acceptance, but it's one of the many things I am looking forward to read about in the future.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Eye of the World. As mentioned, in the beginning I was only so-so about it, but as I continued, I found myself engrossed in my reading. There is so much more to explore in its world, the characters and the plot. I am definitely going to continue with the series!
