The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages Come and Pass...

Title - The Eye of the World

Author - Robert Jordan

Genre - Fantasy

Published - 1990

Pages - 782

ISBN - 0812511816

FFR – 2, 4, 8

This is the first book of the Wheel of Time series (eleven books strong, plus a prequel and the final book on its way some time next year).  I’ve read this series before, but with the ultimate book of the series coming out within the next little while, I thought I’d re-read the series in its entirety as both a personal preparation for the final book as well as in tribute to the late author who passed away of  cardiac amyloidosis, a heart condition, in September 2007.

The book itself is lengthy, setting a precedent that reasserts itself in each of the subsequent novels.  It is essentially the story of Rand al’Thor – a shepherd and farmer from a backwater called Emond’s Field, located in the rural country side of The Two Rivers – as he begins a journey that is really just the prologue to the direction his life is destined to take over the course of the following books.

A treatment of this novel would not be fair without mentioning his two best friends who make the journey with him: Matrim “Mat” Cauthon (something of a romantic and rogue in personality), and Perrin Aybara (a shy yet brave apprentice blacksmith).  It also behooves me to summarize the basic premise of the novel and perhaps give a smattering of back-story.

3,000 years prior to the beginning of this tale, the world in which the story takes place was governed by men and women who were “Servants of All”, or Aes Sedai in the ancient tongue.  These Aes Sedai were people who were gifted with the ability to channel the "One Power,” which is essentially an eternal source of mystical power.  One could think of the One Power as the contents of a well, the well itself would be called the "True Source," though the two terms are used interchangeably. The Source has two sides: Saidar, which can only be sensed, touched, and wielded by women; and Saidin, which can only be used by men.   The two sides of the One Power are separate but essentially equal, and when wielded together, the results are synergistic – one man and one woman channeling the Power to perform a work will result in a mightier, more powerful outcome than if two men alone or two women alone attempted the same.

Due to events of the time, there was a great battle. The Shadow (the devil of the story) who had been banished and locked away by the Creator at the dawn of time had begun to escape his prison, and some of the Aes Sedai were corrupted by his influence and promises of greater power.  This war was eventually won by those fighting on the side of Light, but as the Shadow was bound again in his prison, he lashed out with one last mighty assault, this time directly against the One Power. This attack tainted Saidin (the male half of the Source), essentially poisoning the mind of any man who touched it.  Thus, though bound again, the Shadow ended up having the proverbial last laugh, as all the male Aes Sedai (referred to as the Hundred Companions) who had fought in the war were quickly driven mad and rampaged through the land causing what is known as “The Breaking of the World,” from which even in the time of Rand al’Thor (3,000 years later) the world has not fully recovered.

The overlying philosophy/mythology of the story implies that time is but a large spinning-wheel weaving the great Pattern, the lives of people becoming the thread used in the weaving.  At the end of each turning of the wheel, one age ends and another begins, essentially beginning anew.  History is bound to repeat itself in all the major ways, though individual details may differ.  The greatest of the Hundred Companions, Lews Therin Telamon (known alternately as the Dragon and Lews Therin Kinslayer – due to his having murdered his entire family in a mad rage during the Breaking),  was prophesied to be reborn at the time of Tarmon Gaidon (analogous of Armageddon), to unite the various nations and lead them in the great and last battle against the Shadow.

A book of this nature doesn’t need to hint much that the protagonist will eventually be revealed to be the reincarnation of the Dragon, as it is expected and looked forward to from early on in the story, so I’m not spoiling any of the book by mentioning it.  Rand himself is driven from his small farming community along with a number of his friends when the Shadow, who is beginning to free himself from his prison again,  launches an attack on Emond’s Field, as he knows that the reincarnation of Lews Therin is there, though he does not know which of the young men Rand’s age it is. 

The driving force of this story is how the world views the prophesy of the Dragon being reborn, in a world where men who can channel are feared as powerful madmen bent on breaking the world again. Rand struggles with this himself, as he too fears anybody, male or female, who can channel.  He travels with an Aes Sedai (Moiraine by name) from his village, destined for Tar Valon, the city of Aes Sedai, in hopes of finding out why it is that the Shadow wants him dead.  He doesn’t even begin to suspect himself of his latent ability to wield the One Power until near the end of the novel. 

The world of this story is reminiscent of the works of Tolkein.  Its detailed histories and vast conceptual world is immense and very impressive.  As the books progress, Jordan continues to expand the reader’s understanding of just how vividly detailed the social structures throughout the world truly are.

The men in the Eye of the World are all well-developed, three-dimensional characters of personality.  The women, though they start off ok, are soon revealed to be two-dimensional, misandrist, manipulative and conniving.  And this just gets worse as the series progresses (with extremely rare exceptions).  I don’t know if Jordan was a misogynist, or if he really thought women were evil to the core with relation to their treatment of men, but he certainly didn’t take any shame in showing the women of his world as not-very-pleasant for men.

Over all, I really enjoy the Wheel of Time (I’ll give briefer accounts related primarily to the book being reviewed as I read additional novels), and I think The Eye of the World is a great start to what becomes an epic telling of the growth and change of a man from humble beginnings to true and frightening greatness.

I think anybody who reads fantasy or sword-and-sorcery would enjoy this book, though I’d be surprised if there are any fantasy readers who are not familiar with this series, and fewer who have not read at least this book.