A Wheel of Time Retrospective

Note: This will be generally spoiler-free, but I can't very well share my thoughts on the Wheel of Time without discussing at least some of its content.  So if you can't stomach knowing the slightest details about the books because you might just read them someday, consider yourself warned.

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again."

It's been around 17 years since I first read those words - the opening to The Eye of the World, the first book of the Wheel of Time series (WoT) by Robert Jordan.  Half my current lifetime ago.  And while they speak to the cyclical nature of existence in Jordan's world, it also puts me to thinking how much has changed since I first turned those pages, and how much has stayed the same (I'm still a pretty big nerd).  Leaving such metaphysical ponderings behind, it's worth reflecting on one of the most personally influential book series I've ever read.

The Wheel of Time turns...

I began my journey through "Randland" (as WoT's world is known to fans) circa 1996.  After becoming addicted to role-playing video games such as the Final Fantasy series, my burgeoning nerd-dom sought to expand the obsession into other genres - naturally epic fantasy novels.  The first obvious step was The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, which I only got as far as The Two Towers (I finished them much later).  When I was a freshman in high school, I saw one of the seniors I looked up to reading the 7th WoT book, which had just come out.  Figuring it must be good, I picked up The Eye of the World some time later, and was immediately hooked.

WoT establishes a world that is filled with many diverse cultures and colorful characters.  The main character is Rand al'Thor, a young man from a village in the Two Rivers who learns that he is the Dragon Reborn, savior of the world who is destined to fight the Dark One during the Last Battle.  What follows is, not surprisingly, a world-spanning tale of war, intrigue, camaraderie, and betrayal.  It could easily be written off as standard pulp fantasy hero's-journey stuff, but several aspects of Randland make WoT one of the most enthralling fantasy series ever crafted.  Just a few of my favorite bits:

• Magic is realized by channeling the One Power, which is divided into male and female halves.  In Rand's time, the male half has been tainted by the Dark One, and so any man that can channel is slowly driven insane.  Women who can channel form the organization of Aes Sedai, who - in between fighting the Shadow and conducting business with rulers - seek out male channelers and take away their power.
• Lots of great dark creatures to fight.  There's Trollocs (sort of like orcs but more varied), Fades (eyeless swordsmen who lead the Trollocs), and Gray Men, elusive assassins that your eyes can't quite focus on.  And of course there are the Forsaken, the leading evil channelers from ages past, brought back by the Dark One to serve as the main antagonists in the early books.  And if that's not enough, the second book introduces the Seanchan - invaders from across the sea who were exiled long ago but have returned to claim what they believe is rightfully theirs - as if Rand didn't have enough on his hands.
• Well-realized cultures, countries, and characters that are effectively introduced in a gradual way so you're not overwhelmed.  Rand's childhood friends Mat, Perrin, and Egwene grow in multiple dimensions to play pivotal parts in the story.  The most interesting cultures include the aforementioned Seanchan, the Aiel desert warriors, and the fanatical Children of the Light, who regard Aes Sedai as an abomination.
• Unlike Game of Thrones, there are clearly defined "good guys" and "bad guys" in Wheel of Time.  That's not to say there's no complexity in motivations or shifting alliances; that certainly abounds.  But coming back to the WoT finale after reading George R. R. Martin's series, I have to admit - it was nice to have heroes to root for.  The forces of good are always on the ropes, but never down for the count - and whenever they pull out some small victory, it's intensely satisfying.

The first six books in the series are truly epic, featuring self-contained stories with thrilling climaxes while simultaneously expanding the world and developing the main characters in a gradual way so that you never feel overwhelmed.  I can't recommend them highly enough if you're a fan of fantasy.  Things slow down a bit in the seventh book, A Crown of Swords, but at the time it was tolerable as it could be viewed as table-setting for some truly momentous events to follow.

Then the eighth book came out, and none of those events occurred.  Ditto in the ninth...and in the tenth...well, the wheels basically came off.  Nothing happens in these books.  The main characters are barely featured in them, instead introducing a bunch of minor side characters that you do not care about one bit.  There's little, if any, forward progression in the main plot, and there are no self-contained stories to keep your interest either.  There's basically just a bunch of talking about what people might do and very excessive descriptions of women's dresses.  The characters suffered, either coming across as cowardly, supremely indecisive, or petty.  It truly felt as if Robert Jordan and his publisher thought "we've got these loyal fans who will read every book, so let's milk those suckers for all they're worth."  I was one of those loyal suckers who kept on reading, hoping beyond hope that in the next installment the action that had been promised and talked about for so long would finally happen.  And it never did.  (If you think I'm alone in this opinion, check out the reviews for Book 10 on Amazon.  2-star average from 2,600 reviews.  Ouch.)

Then in 2007, after Book 11 had been published, the unthinkable happened - Jordan up and died.  Beleaguered fans were worried that the series would never be finished, but given where it had been recently, perhaps it was better to put it out of its misery.  But while it feels horrible to say this, Jordan's death was perhaps the best thing that could have happened for the Wheel of Time.  Fellow fantasy author Brandon Sorensen stepped up to finish the series using Jordan's exhaustive notes.  A couple years later Book 12 came out - and it was good!  Not as monumental as the early books, but plots moved forward, the writing was much crisper, and the beloved characters were back in the starring role.  There was hope yet, and clear indication that Sorensen would actually be able to draw the saga to a close.

And so I kept on reading, and have just completed the finale, A Memory of Light (Book 14).  It was very satisfying, with action worthy of an event called the Last Battle pretty much from beginning to end.  The threats are real, the characters believable, and the final struggle between good and evil suitably weighty.  In a way, it reminded me a bit of the final episode of Breaking Bad.  That show received a bit of criticism for not rocking the boat too much in its finale, eschewing any huge surprises in favor of basically giving the fans what they wanted.  Personally I was fine with that, and it's much the same in A Memory of Light.  Everything that you might expect basically happens, but it's executed very well.  Plot threads are tied up, and characters get suitable sendoffs.  While it may not hit quite as high as the early books, it was a fitting conclusion and a great reminder to what initially drew me into Randland all those years ago.

If you're a fan of high fantasy literature, I really do recommend The Wheel of Time, except for Books 8 - 11.  For those, take five minutes to read what happens on Wikipedia.  Otherwise, it's a journey into a well-crafted world that you'll never forget, and I'm glad to finally have this notch on my literary belt complete.