A review by matt_and_cheez
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

4.0

It's taken me about 4 tries throughout a decade to get further than 20% into it. The beginning is definitely a slow-burner, and yes, the entire thing is full of fantasy tropes and cliches (I suspect that this series has created some of them). However, the impact this series has had bridging classical and modern fantasy is too big to ignore. Going in it's best to accept that the Tolkien influences will be obvious, but they are used magnificently. What has really sold me is the dark and grisly moments this book brings that Tolkien's works do not. The fight scenes felt more like something from George R.R. Martin, but with more magic. I've heard that the series comes into its own after a few books, so I'm looking forward to continuing.