The Wheel of Time Series
"The Wheel of Time" is a high fantasy series created by Robert Jordan, which explores the cyclical nature of good versus evil through a richly detailed world and a diverse cast of characters. The narrative follows Rand al'Thor, a young shepherd who discovers his destiny as the prophesied Dragon Reborn, tasked with confronting the Dark One and preventing the end of the world. Central to the plot are themes of heroism, self-discovery, and the importance of friendship, as Rand and his companions—Mat, Perrin, Egwene, and others—navigate various challenges and conflicts.
The series begins with an attack on their village, leading the group to seek protection from the Aes Sedai, women who wield powerful magic. Throughout the series, Rand and his friends face numerous antagonists, including the Forsaken, malevolent beings freed from imprisonment, and a relentless pursuit by evil forces. The story unfolds over fourteen books, culminating in an epic final battle known as Tarmon Gai'don.
In addition to the literary series, "The Wheel of Time" was adapted into a television series by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios, which premiered in 2021, further expanding its reach to a broader audience. The series is notable for its intricate world-building and diverse character arcs, appealing to fans of fantasy literature.
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The Wheel of Time Series
First published:The Eye of the World (1990), The Great Hunt (1990), The Dragon Reborn (1991), The Shadow Rising (1992), The Fires of Heaven (1993),Lord of Chaos (1994),A Crown of Swords (1996), The Path of Daggers (1998), Winter's Heart (2000), Crossroads of Twilight (2003), New Spring (2004),Knife of Dreams (2005),The Gathering Storm (2009),Towers of Midnight (2010), andA Memory of Light (2013)
Type of work: Novels
Type of plot: Fantasy—heroic fantasy
Time of work: Undefined
Locale: Aryth, a continent on an imagined world
The Plot
The concept underlying the Wheel of Time is nothing less than the cyclical struggle of good and evil. The turning of the wheel involves the ascendance of a young shepherd, Rand, to a position of eldritch power. Although not explicit, the events easily fit Joseph Campbell’s paradigm of the heroic quest outlined in his classic The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949): a call to adventure, helpers and obstacles, descent, a contest with self-identity, an elixir to restore the world, and return.
The Eye of the World begins with an attack on a small provincial village. The great evil, Ba’alzamon, and his twelve lieutenants, the Forsaken, stir from the prison that has housed them for centuries. Three nineteen-year-old boys—Rand, Mat, and Perrin—must escape to the protection of the Aes Sedai, occult women who wield the magic of the female half of The One Power. They are accompanied by friend Egwene al’Vere, the village wise woman, Nynaeve, Moiraine, a blue Ajah Aes Sedai, her Warder, al’Lan Mandragonan (a young king whose land has been overwhelmed by The Blight), and Thom Merrilin, a gleeman or bard.
Unbeknown to the youths, the male boyhood friends are ta’veren—focal points in an intangible pattern of events, and alternately blessed and damned in their capacities to draw people and events together to cause certain foretold outcomes. They are chased by the minions of evil, led by Padan Fain, a peddler who has been twisted by evil into a bloodhound designed to find The Dragon, one whose birth had been prophesied. The group is pressed to reach The Eye of the World at Fal Dara, a beleaguered outpost in the evil-controlled wastelands known as The Blight. Here Padan Fain is captured.
An earth spirit known as The Green Man welcomes the group, then battles Balthamel, one of the two Forsaken who challenge them. Tapping on the saidin that fills the pool that is The Eye of the World, Rand defeats Aginor, the other Forsaken, who is represented as Ba’alzamon. From this contest, Rand gains the Horn of Valere, the Banner of The Dragon, a broken seal—one of the seven meant to hold evil in check—and ultimately the uncomfortable recognition that he is The Dragon Reborn.
The Great Hunt begins with Padan Fain absconding with the Horn of Valere. The Horn of Valere, prophesy reveals, is to be blown before The Dragon can meet with evil in the final conflict, The Last Battle. Rand and company are forced to travel to an appointed battle at Toman Head, in unfriendly Seanchan lands. Mat sounds the Horn of Valere, bringing dead heroes back to battle against the Seanchans and Whitecloak armies. Rand again defeats Ba’alzamon, accepting a spear in his side so that he can strike with his sword.
In The Dragon Reborn, Mat is healed by the Aes Sedai while Perrin falls deeper into a sympathetic lycanthropy. Rand’s hometown companion, Egwene, studies magic and learns to work through the world of dreams (tel’aran’rhiod). Rand fulfills yet another prophesy by overrunning the heavily defended Stone of Tear, allied with Aiel warriors from the eastern wastelands, and gains a powerful sword of light (Callandor).
Three major plot lines compose The Shadow Rising: Rand’s connection with the Aiel people, of which he becomes the bellicose leader; Perrin’s defense of the boys’ homeland against a transformed Padan Fain and his army of evil; and how Nynaeve, Egwene, Min, and Elayne, the daughter-heir of Andor, are caught in the strife among the Aes Sedai, some of whom have become allied with evil. By the end of the novel, another of the Forsaken, Asmodean, is subjugated by Rand and is forced to become his teacher in arcane ways.
The Fires of Heaven is concerned primarily with the involvement of the Forsaken. Rand eventually defeats Rahvin, who had enchanted and supplanted the Queen of Andor, Morgase, thereby reserving the throne for her daughter, Elayne, to whom he had become engaged. Earlier, his mentor, Moiraine, sacrificed herself to destroy the Forsaken seductress, Lanfear.
Egwene is raised to be the head of the estranged faction of Aes Sedai in Lord of Chaos. Nynaeve learns how to heal those whose power had been stilled by the acculturated paranoia of the Aes Sedai. Rand sends Mat to take Elayne to her throne, and he accompanies her on a quest to claim a weather-controlling artifact. Unfortunately for Rand, his plans do not protect him from the evil-sworn Aes Sedai who capture him, subject him to torture, and attempt to persuade him to bow to the forces of evil. He escapes and exacts punishment, but it is clear that the story is far from over.
A Crown of Swords focuses on Rand's quest to defeat a powerful Forsaken, Sammael, while Egwene attempts to consolidate power in the White Tower of the Aes Sedai.
In The Path of Daggers, Rand leads an army to repel a Seanchan invasion. Meanwhile, Egwene continues in her quest to end the conflict within the Aes Sedai.
Winter's Heart centers on Rand's efforts to eliminate traitors in the city of Far Madding. Mat, prisoner in the Seanchan-occupied city of Ebou Dar, attempts escape.
In Crossroads of Twilight, Rand attempts to broker peace with the Seanchan. Egwene, still in open rebellion with the evil Aes Sedai, besieges Tar Valon, the Aes Sedai seat of power.
New Spring is a prequel to the Wheel of Time series and focuses on events that take place twenty years before the events of the first book. The prequel tells the origin story of Moiraine Damodred.
In Knife of Dreams, attacks by the monstrous Trollocs interrupt Rand's efforts to negotiate peace with the Seanchan. Egwene's efforts to destroy the evil Aes Sedai continue despite major setbacks, and Mat gathers an army to oppose the Seanchan.
The Gathering Storm details Rand's efforts to uncover Forsaken agents in the nation of Arad Doman. Egwene, a prisoner of the White Tower, must contend with a Seanchan assault. The Gathering Storm was completed by Brandon Sanderson following Robert Jordan's death in 2007. Sanderson also completed Towers of Midnight and A Memory of Light, both of which Jordan started before his death.
Towers of Midnight focuses on Rand's coming battle with the Dark One as evil forces gather to destroy the city of Maradon. Mat attempts to gather allies for the coming battle, and Egwene continues to defend her life within the White Tower.
A Memory of Light is the final installment in the Wheel of Time series. Rand attempts to unite the nations of the world under one banner for the coming apocalyptic battle with the Dark One, known in prophecy as Tarmon Gai'don.
Other Media
In 2021, Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios adapted The Wheel of Time into a television series for Amazon Prime Video. The show premiered on November 19, 2021, and stars Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred. The first season focused on Moiraine's quest to find The Dragon Reborn before the return of an ancient evil.
Bibliography
Butler, Leigh. "What to Know about The Wheel of Time Books before Watching the Amazon Prime Series." Time, 18 Nov. 2021, time.com/6121275/wheel-of-time-books-explained/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2022.
Clark, Travis. "Amazon's 'The Wheel of Time' Was the Biggest New Series in the US Last Year." MSN, 3 Feb. 2022, www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/amazons-the-wheel-of-time-was-the-biggest-new-series-in-the-us-last-year/ss-AATrDOg?ocid=BingNewsSearch. Accessed 8 Feb. 2022.
Dula Baum, Michele. "Robert Jordan's 'The Wheel of Time': Fantasy, Epic-style." CNN, 7 Dec. 2000, www.cnn.com/2000/books/news/12/07/robert.jordan/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2022.
Wilcox, Brad. "Completing a World Left Unfinished." Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2008, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-dec-03-et-wheel3-story.html. Accessed 8 Feb. 2022.