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[ Books ]

-- About the series --

• The Eye of the World
• The Great Hunt
• The Dragon Reborn
• The Shadow Rising
• The Fires of Heaven
• Lord of Chaos
• A Crown of Swords
• The Path of Daggers
• Winter's Heart
• (coming soon) Crossroads of Twilight

The Wheel of Time turns, with Ages passing into memory and legend. In this world, Time is equivalent a seven spoked wheel, all representing an age in time. The threads in the weave of the Wheel are all lives of people and events of time. It is powered by the True Source (also called the One Power), which is divided into two.

The male portion of the Power, known as saidin, became tainted by the filth of the Dark One long ago. Any man who attempts to access saidin eventually goes mad. The female portion of the Power is called saidar. The women who have the talent to use it are the Aes Sedai. Having the White Tower as their headquarters in the city of Tar Valon, they pledge to tell no lies, but the truth they speak may not be the truth you think you hear...

We find ourselves in the Third Age; many years after a man, strong in the Power, broke the world. His name was Lews Therin - also known as the Dragon. He was tricked by the Dark One and destroyed everyone and everything that he loved through misuse of the Power.  Society was thrown into chaos, and much knowledge of the Power was lost. Now only women can access the Power, >>> because in the breaking of the world the male portion of the Power, known as saidin, became tainted by the filth of the Dark One.  And this is why any man who attempts to access saidin eventually goes mad.   <<<

Aes Sedai have long been watching the omens and signs, searching for the one who will be The Dragon Reborn. Now two travelers have journeyed to Emond's Field, a little village located in the Two Rivers area, where once there lay a great city named Manetheren. They search not only for the signs of the Dragon Reborn, but also for ta'veren, those special people who are able to change the weave of the Wheel, and also for young women who show signs of being able to use the Power. 

Surprisingly, they encounter many interesting young people in this little rural village. Some of these people were a little more interesting than others though. Perrin is training to be a blacksmith, Rand is the son of a local farmer, and Mat has a reputation for much mischief and little work. All three of these young men are best friends with a destiny none of them could foresee. Along with these young men are two very interesting women. Nynaeve is the village Wise Woman, a position that is difficult for her to encompass at such a young age. Her skills at healing have brought her to this position, and she is very conscious of her responsibilities. Egwene is Rand's unofficial girlfriend. Everyone thinks they will get married some day...but is this to be, or not? Both young women show signs of being very strong in the ability to use saidar.

Although disguised as travelers, Moiraine - an Aes Sedai, and Lan - her Warder, try to keep their identities secret from the people of the village, but events unfold that forces them to reveal their true nature. The five young people, along with Lan and Moraine, must leave the village when evil strikes and destiny calls. They will travel to many new lands, meet many new people and cultures, and gain invaluable experiences.  The girls enter the White Tower as novices, but are soon thrust into intrigue and danger. The three young men are soon revealed to be strong ta'veren. One of them may even be the Dragon Reborn himself, but which one? Perrin learns a surprising secret about some very special abilities he has. Mat learns that he is destined for a marriage to a woman he doesn't even know. Rand meets the Daughter-Heir of Andor under strange circumstances, but not for the last time. >>> He also encounters the Aiel, a forbidding group of people who live at the edge of arable land in the Aiel Waste, unknowing that this meeting will forever change him.  <<<

Robert Jordan puts down a lot of detail-work into these volumes. He writes with sincere reality and not a word is put randomly. But the reason you'll love this series is because of its vast world that the characters play in. It has intrigues, mysteries, betrayals, love and honor that even challenge the real world. Be warned, once you start the journey it is very hard to break loose from its spell.  

-- Links & Resources --

Tor's official site for Robert Jordan: http://www.tor.com/sites/wheel_of_time/index.html

Robert Jordan's official website. Be warned, it hasn't been updated since Path of Daggers, which is a while ago.