Dear Eye of the World,
I am still figuring out where you fit in my mind. When I first read you, I really struggled to like you. But, with some time away from you, I find myself wanting to come back and discover more. I look forward to understanding better after reading more in the series.
With Love,
Hannah
P.S. Book Details
Book Length: 814 pages
Series: 1 out of 15 (I included the prequel in this count)
Book Genre: (Epic) Fantasy
Publication Date: 1990
Awards: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fantasy (2016)
Synopsis: The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.
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.
When The Two Rivers is attacked by Trollocs-a savage tribe of half-men, half-beasts- five villagers flee that night into a world they barely imagined, with new dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light.
………………………………………………………….
Cue one of my biggest reading slumps of my entire life…
I really struggled to read and finish this book. If I had been reading it for myself, I probably would have stopped before finishing it (either to return at a later date or not at all). However, I was not reading this book for myself. Two of my brothers highly recommended this book, and when they recommend books to me I do my best to read the books. One brother would constantly check in with me to see my progress and how I was enjoying the book. It didn’t help this brother was also reading one book a day in this series, while it took me a week or two to start and finish, “The Eye of the World”.
Also, this book is so hyped up! Amazon and readers make it seem like it will be the best book of one’s life, when this was not the case for me I sort of wondered what I was missing. I caught onto the hype after finishing the last 50 pages. The whole book was working up to a truly fun ending scene, however I felt like it took a really long time to get there. I enjoy fantasy a lot, and typically don’t mind a slow build. Upon completion, I felt like it was dragging on.
The characters were interesting, but I really struggled with Egwene. She was so complain-y and moody, it really bothered me to read about her character. I enjoyed parts of the cast, but by the end I was irritated. It was sort of like being on a really long road trip with family, by the end I was ready to be in my own space and away from them.
With my own complaints out of the way… Robert Jordan has set up an interesting story line and world I am genuinely interested in following. While I am accountable to my brother to read the whole series, I too am intrigued in seeing where it goes. The level of detail Robert brings to his story makes it clear his writing is well thought out and researched. I appreciate this quality in an author. While it’s true I didn’t love Egwene, this is one book where I actually enjoyed the multiple perspectives. Since each character was unique and original, it didn’t feel boring or disorienting to switch perspectives. Robert moves his story along as an expert storyteller. “Eye of the World” has stuck with me over the past month and (with a little distance) I can see the book didn’t drag on as much as I thought.
My brother will be my accountability partner to finish the Wheel of Time series, and I will try my best to enjoy the books better (knowing what I know now). My goal is to read one book in the series a month… however it has almost been a month since I read this book and I am only getting to writing the review now. So, I am not sure my goal is as attainable as I had hoped. I recommend this series to high/epic fantasy fanatics, if you are just starting out in fantasy I think it could be difficult.
To Books, With Love 