The cover of the first book, Eye of the World.

Everyone has heard of Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, and Game of Thrones by George RR Martin due to the popularity of the show, but what about the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan?  With a television show adaptation in the works with a major studio¹, I thought our very first science fiction/fantasy highlight should be about this series.

Check out this awesome fan trailer of the first book Eye of the World by rebelamyrlin on youtube.com:

The Wheel of time series, which spans a total of fourteen books (and one prequel), is an epic series by Robert Jordan that chronicles the life of Rand Al’Thor.  Rand starts out a simple shepherd who finds himself hunted by agents of the Dark One, Shai’tan, who is hunting for the Dragon Reborn.  In this series, people are reborn over and over.  The Dragon is the nickname (along with Kinslayer) of Lews Therin, a renowned male Aes Sedai (male magic user) of the Age of Legends who fought to keep the Dark One in his prison.  He and his 100 companions seal the Dark One back in his prison, but as a result (and countermeasure) the Dark One taints the magic used by male Aes Sedai (Saidin).  From this point forward, any man who uses magic can be effected by the taint and if they use it too much can be driven insane and become a danger to those around them.  Lews Therin learns this lesson the hard way as he kills his entire family, and then dies himself.  Prophecy says that if the Dragon is ever reborn again, it will mean that the end days are upon the world and the Dark One is trying to get out.

Three thousand years later, portents show that the Dragon has been reborn.  Rand and his two friends (Matrim Cauthon and Perrin Aybara) find themselves mixed up in this prophecy as both agents of the dark and light side think that one of them is the Dragon Reborn.  As it turns out, it is Rand who is the Dragon Reborn, and this is confirmed by a series of prophecies that he fulfills whether by accident or not.  Rand can not deny what he is nor will the world ignore it as he is the key to sealing away the Dark One.

Rand al’thor, cover of last book Memory of Light.

Matrim Cauthon, cover of Shadow Rising book 4 of the Wheel of Time series.

Perrin Aybara from the Wheel of Time wikia.

Plot and Characters

The easiest way to describe the scope of this story is epic.  The story focuses on the main trio (Rand, Matrim and Perrin), but as it enfolds more and more characters and cultures are brought in.  It has typical fantasy elements in it as well as things that are uniquely Wheel of Time.  There is a lot of magic and large scale battles in this, but it has its fair amount of politics in it as well as there are many different lands and people.  And there are differing views on the Dragon Reborn.  Some view Rand as a savior and want to follow him and some view him as a threat as he spells the end of times and are trying to eliminate him.

The taint on the male power of magic also has a part to play in this as the more Rand uses magic the more susceptible he is to the madness that comes from the taint.  Not only does Rand have to shoulder the weight of saving the world, but he has to do it while staying sane as the darkness (and insanity) is always there to swallow him up.  Matrim and Perrin play a critical role for Rand as they keep Rand sane and act as his left and right arm.

Left to Right: Perrin Aybara, Rand Al’Thor, Matrim Cauthon. Three main characters of the Wheel of Time Series.

There is a lot of action and drama, and you become so invested in the fates of all the characters.  You love the stoic Perrin and the mischievous Matrim.  Rand’s transformation as his power and control of his power grows is really interesting.

And I love the strong female characters like Egwene Al’Vere, Nynaeve Al’Meara and Elayne Trakand to name a few.  They’re intelligent and strong willed and definitely can save and protect themselves.  In their own way, they help Rand in everything he does as they fight for him and fight the agents of the Dark One.  Many fans appreciate the strong female characters.  My personal favorite female character is a toss up between Elayne or Nynaeve.  At first, I thought Nynaeve was a bit too short tempered and bull headed, but after awhile, I think it becomes both her flaw and a good attribute.

I would have to say that all the characters are very human in that they have their strengths as well as flaws.  And they all go through the crucible of doubting themselves and their abilities, especially Rand.  I love the friendship between the main trio as this bond is tested, but makes it through to the very end.

References to Philosophy and Historical Time Periods

From references to the Arthurian legend in the form of  the characters Gawyn and Galad to eastern philosophy of rebirth, Wheel of Time has several nods to different time periods, mythologies and philosophies.

This is seen most predominantly with the idea of rebirth in the Wheel of Time itself which can be seen in both Buddhist and Hindu beliefs.  The Wheel is a old Buddhist symbol, also known as the Dharmachakra or Dharma Wheel, that depicts the cycle of Samsara ( reincarnation) and the Noble Eightfold path.  Considering the fact that re-birth has a huge part to play in this series, it seems fitting that something similar to the Dharma wheel is present in the main design and logo for the Wheel of Time series.

Dharmachakra or Dharma Wheel

Main symbol of the Wheel of Time Series.

And then there is the Aes Sedai symbol which looks like a Yin and Yang symbol of Daoism.  And just like the Yin and Yang symbol of Daoism, the symbol represents dark and light, male and female.  In the Wheel of Time series, it specifically represents the male and female magical powers (Saidin is male and black and Saidar is female magic power and white).  In the yin and yang symbol, the colors representation are opposite (black for female and white for male), but the idea is still the same that they are two opposite, but equal parts that make up a whole.  In the Wheel of Time series, the two magical forms of power, Saidar and Saidin (which was tainted by the dark one), are equal to each other and are connected to make up a magical whole.  Men and women channel the power differently and it is only the male side of the magic that was tainted by the Dark One.

Aes sedai symbol.

Yin and Yang symbol.

And how can we forget the Children of Light?  By the way they speak, the way they dress and how they act especially towards those who wield magic, I am always reminded of the Spanish Inquisition and the Spanish Inquisitors.  They tend to be close minded and hate anything they don’t understand like magic, and their ways of questioning remind me a little too much of the Spanish Inquisition.  No wonder I am not a huge fan of the Children of the Light.

Of course there is also Elaine and her family which remind me of Arthurian legend.  We have the honorable Gawyn, her brother, and the honest and pure Galad, her half-brother.  Gawyn is a reference to Gawain and the Green Knight who upholds strict chivalrous and honor standards, but sometimes falters in them.  And Galad is in reference to Galahad, who was an Arthurian knight known for his purity and is considered the ideal knight as he always upholds honor.  Not to mention Galahad’s complicated parentage being the bastard son of Lancelot and sent to live at a nunnery with his aunt is very close to Galad’s own story.  He shares the same father as Elayne and Gawyn, but has a different mother (who also happens to be Rand’s mother).  He joins the Children of the Light as he hopes to do good even though the Children can be a little short sighted.  Galad does change the Children of Light in the end, but there are times when Galad will do what he thinks is right despite who is hurt in the process.

It is always interesting to see these references to classic characters, philosophies and historical events in a epic fantasy series like this.

Fandom

This series has created a very large and devoted fandom that could rival big fantasy series like Game of Thrones and Shannara.  There are video games for this series, fan art, cosplay and even a convention (JordanCon).  There are fan websites like Dragonmount.com² that explore the world created by Robert Jordan, roleplay for it and create stories and art for it.  I’ve seen t-shirts, jewelry and swords as examples of some of the merchandise made for this series.  And I’ve seen people who have tattoos for the series.  And let’s not forget the German metal band, Blind Guardian, and the Swedish metal band, Katana, who wrote songs dedicated to the series.

So if you are someone who is looking for a new book series to fall in love with and an epic adventure to immerse yourself in, then check out the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.

1.) IGN article about TV series

2.) Dragonmount website