Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Eye of the World

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The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

47 reviews

katrinarose's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It took me a while to get into this book but once I did I really enjoyed it. I like the journey and self discovery that happens in the story, where we are learning about the world as the main characters are.

My biggest complaint is how vague the magic system and enemy is. Both are spoken about with a lot of grandeur and reverence, but if I was asked to explain either, I wouldn’t know what to say. I don’t like when I’m told the enemy is super powerful and can do all these things without the why or how. A magic system should make sense and have at least some rules or boundaries, even if it’s not 100% fleshed out (like Brandon Sanderson would do). It’s possible that the first book just doesn’t give out this information yet since it is one of fourteen, but I also don’t think it’s insignificant enough to put off explaining.

There are many typical fantasy tropes as well that have been overdone by the year 2022, but I give the book a pass since it came out over 30 years ago, before the new generation of fantasy.

That said, I enjoyed it and I am intrigued enough to continue the series.

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rorikae's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

'The Eye of the World' by Robert Jordan kicks off the first book in The Wheel of Time series. We follow a group of characters from a small shepherding village who are whisked away on a cross country trek after their family homes are destroyed by mysterious creatures. Taken in by the mysterious Moiraine, they venture towards Tar-Valon and a destiny that will have ramifications for their entire world.
I was pleasantly surprised by 'The Eye of the World.' I've heard mixed things about the series and was expecting a relatively generic high fantasy novel. Though the plot of the first novel feels relatively standard fare for high fantasy, I found myself engaged throughout the entire 30 hour audiobook. Though I can't pinpoint one exact piece that kept me engaged, I think it may be a mix of likable characters, an expansive world that clearly has been meticulously planned, and a writing style that keeps your attention even during long spans of travel.
I'm honestly excited to pick up the second book and to eventually delve into the TV show. If you've considered reading 'The Eye of the World' but have been hesitant, I would say give it a shot. You may be pleasantly surprised like I was.

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sabrinainbookland's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book is very slow and has a lot of description. It was at times a bit repetitive. I didn't like the main characters.
But the world building is amazing, the plot is very well thought and I do think I will read the second book and see if I liked better.

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