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eye of the world book cover

The Eye of the World is the first book of the Wheel of Time series published in 1990. But Robert Jordan himself stated that he began work on The Eye of the World as early as 1984. The Wheel of Time series is a epic fantasy of massive proportions with intricate stories that are interwoven. Each book of the series either begins and sometimes ends with a prophecy…often times beginning and ending the book.

The prologue of the book opens with the scene of The Dragon Reborn Lews Therin Telamon in a state of madness in his palace that he has destroyed by the One Power. Unknown to him in his madness he has also killed the love of his life Ilyena. During this scene he is encountered by a mysterious figure who taunts him, and eventually gives him clarity of mind to see what he has done. For Lews Therin the realization of what he has done is unbearable. He flees the scene and draws a massive amount of the One Power and kills himself. In the place of his death a mountain arises. The mountain is later named Dragonmount.

In rage and contempt the mysterious figure in black surveys the scene at Dragonmount after Lews Therin took his life. He utters these words, “You cannot escape so easily, Dragon. It is not done between us. It will never be done until the end of time.”

So begins The Eye of the World.

Years pass and the scene opens to a young man and his father on their way to a village to deliver some goods for a festival that is to start. He spots a dark figure on a horse who is following them, and whose cloak doesn’t move when the winds gusts. His father does not see the figure, and thinks his imagination has gone awry.

In the village there are mysterious strangers that have arrived in the night. An Aes Sedai, her Warder, and a Gleeman…and later on a peddler with some news. Who also may be responsible for some unwanted guests.

The young man, his name is Rand Al’Thor, and his father Tam return to their farm. Later their farm is attacked, and his father wounded. Rand kills a trolloc (a evil creature) who he thought was only in the stories. Rand, through the night brings his father on a stretcher, who is dying from a feverish wound to the village to seek help. He arrives to see that the village  has been attacked. Later in the narrative details come out that even though the village was attacked only certain houses were torched. Each place being Rand and his two friends, Mat and Perrin. The Aes Sedai, Moiraine heals Rand’s father, and convinces him and his two friends that the Dark One is after one of them, or all of them, and that they must come with her.  Moiraine convinces them to leave their village and follow her.

They leave and along the way there is one adventure after another. One close call with death after another. Dark hounds of the night, Mrydraals, Trollocs, and Draghkars all after the boys. The question is which boy are they after, or is it all of them?

Prophecies of the Book:

1. And the Shadow fell upon the Land, and the World was riven stone. The oceans fled, and the mountains were swallowed up, and the nations were scattered to the eight corners of the World. The moon was as blood, and the sun was as ashes. The sea boiled, and the living envied the dead. All was shattered, and all but memory lost, and one memory above others, of him who brought the Shadow and the Breaking of the World. And him they named the Dragon. (from Aleth nin Taerin alta Camora, The Breaking of the World. Author unknown, the Fourth Age)

2. And it came to pass in those days, as it had come before and would come again, that the Dark lay heavy on the land and weighed down the hearts of men, and the green things failed, and hope died. And men cried out for the Creator, saying, O Light of the Heavens, Light of the World, let the Promised One be born of the mountain, according to the prophecies, as was in ages past and will be in ages to come. Let the Prince of the Morning sing to the land that green things will grow and the valleys give forth lambs. Let the arm of the Lord of Dawn shelter us from the Dark, and the great sword of justice defend us. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time. (from Charal Drianaan te Calamon, The Cycle of the Dragon. Author unknown, the Fourth Age)

eye of the world full cover

Full cover painting of book cover

The Eye of the World 2

Painting inside the Book

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publication Date:1/15/1990

Publisher: Tor

Genre: Fantasy

Pace: Fast

POV: Third Person, Multiple Views

Best Lines: “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.”

Pages: 670 (includes dictionary) Hardback