Recently, I finished reading The Great Hunt, the second book in the Wheel of Time series and wow, I think this book solidified my love for the series. I loved that the first book was an introduction to the series with a little nod to Tolkien, but this book really gets into its own and the world that you’re about to explore.
If you’re not aware, The Wheel of Time is an epic 14-book fantasy series that came out steadily throughout the 1990s. It’s written by Robert Jordan, but the last two books in the series were written by Brandon Sanderson because Robert Jordan passed away before he had a chance to finish the series.
In many ways, the series is ahead of its time. Using both Eastern and Western folklore and traditions, Robert Jordan weaved together a story that’s so epic but also speaks deeply to young people all around the world. While it’s written for adults, it reads very much like a YA series with the youthfulness of the main characters, the decisions they make, and the very adult situations they find themselves in. I can definitely understand how people read this series as a kid and fell in love with Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, and Nynaeve.
Of course, after finishing this book, I had a chat with my Wheel of Time buddies and they told me that this isn’t even the meat of the story yet. “You need to get to book 5 before you start reading the real story.” My head was spinning after I heard that. This is such a good series, but I honestly thought the series could end after a third book. I wonder how Robert Jordan is able to prolong the series for as long as it is when after the second book I could see one more book to wrap everything up!
I keep waffling over whether or not I should dedicate the time and energy to read this massive series. On one hand, it would be one of the biggest series I’ve ever read, but on the other hand, I’m extremely intimidated with how long this series really is. Each book is around 600-700 pages long and while I’ve heard the books are super entertaining, I’ve also heard that they can get super boring and tedious at times. I have to admit that while I was reading The Great Hunt, I found myself getting increasingly annoyed with some of the longer passages and super tiny details.
To think that this series is even more book with more happening before the conclusion, it makes me nervous. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been devoted to a series this long. I think the last time was Harry Potter and that was seven books with increasingly bigger books as it reached its ending. However, that series felt much clearer than what this series may have in store.
So I do plan on reading some more of the series. I have books three (The Dragon Reborn) and four (The Shadow Rising) ready for October and November and just in time for the new Wheel of Time series on Amazon. I will definitely be prepared for almost everything the show throws at me and I cannot wait to see how they interpreted the books.
But after book four, I want to see if I’ll continue reading the series or if I’ll quit. My friends told me that I don’t have to read the entire series, but it would be nice. However, reading as much as I want is also fine and I don’t know many people who have finished the entire series.
Perhaps it’ll be more like a marathon sport than a sprint to finish them all. Perhaps it’ll take me years to read all the books because I keep stopping and starting the series every three or four books. But regardless of how I plan on accomplishing this giant feat, I’m really excited about reading what happens next. Of course, you need to rearrange your mental state to take in another book, but so far it’s been an epic journey I’ve been enjoying.
Have you read The Wheel of Time? Did you finish? Where did you end up?
Simone and Her Books 