Before anything else, allow me to give credit where credit is due. The title of this post is from this awesome Facebook Group I am part of – Screw you all, I love Wheel of Time. When I first joined — Light knows when — I could count on one hand how many people could relate when I say “Wheel of Time”. Today, that number has gone up exponentially.
Whether you are a seasoned fan or recently discovered the massive world that Robert Jordan (RJ) has gifted the world…welcome!
Let’s talk Wheel of Time. While I might refer to the Amazon TV show now and then, this post is primarily focused on the book series. Not because the show sucks, but simply because the book series is finished and the show has barely begun.
Why do I love Wheel of Time? My reasons are the same as what might convince you to give it a go.
Note: I try my best to avoid spoilers. Emphasis on the word “try”.
Why I love Wheel of Time
1. The vastness of it all…
…and the detail.
14 friggin’ books. And they’re not thin at all. Neither is the font size big.
The world is so vast, that even if you read a companion book (or two), you will probably still not get all the details.
Reading the Wheel of Time is a commitment, one that is not for the faint of heart. I will defend the series and its creator to death, but I will also be the first to admit that there are slogs that you simply have to get through.
Lord of Chaos, I’m looking at you. (If you want to read more about the slog, this is a good place to start.)
And yet, despite it all, the world of WoT is a place where you can get lost, discover, marvel, and dream.
They say fantasy is escapism (as if it were a bad thing), and they may very well be right. And, if you are going to escape our reality, you could do a lot worse than WoT.
As vast as the world — and its players — is, RJ paid painstaking attention to detail. And it shows.
He weaves a tale that is as intricate as a medieval tapestry that one could stare at all his life and continue discovering new things.
2. Aes Sedai and Asha’man
The world of WoT revolves around people gifted with the ability to channel, that is, they can tap into the One Power, which comes from the True Source. This, in turn, is made up of two halves – saidin for males and saidar for females. Females are the Aes Sedai, and Asha’man are male.
Magic and the ability to wield it has forever been a fascination for humankind. Countless stories have been written with magic at their core. WoT is no different, but it does present magic (if it can even be called that) in a distinct way. The differences and struggles between the two halves are a reflection of real life in some ways. The politics involved more so.
When you read the Wheel of Time, you may or may not end up with a tattoo of the Aes Sedai symbol or an oroubouros (or an Asha’aman pin for that matter).
“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. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose above the great mountainous island of Tremalking. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.”
Robert Jordan, The Path of Daggers, Wheel of Time
3. The Wheel weaves as the wheel wills
WoT has elements of eastern spirituality in that its premise lies on the belief that the world and life is all part of the Wheel and a Pattern. Time goes in a circle and life with it.
Reincarnation.
Rebirth.
And the Wheel, well, it will do as it will — it will spin as it is meant to.
Nothing is really THE end. Nothing is really THE beginning.
In between, that’s what we call our lives.
Not the lightest of subjects, right?
Still, in these crazy times when it seems we have no control over this effed up world, I find some solace in the idea.
And this, my friends, is probably the biggest reason I love WoT. The Wheel and the Pattern encompasses everything that warms your heart and captures your soul — friendships, good and evil and everything in between, loyalty, even love…
Just THREE? Really? What kind of fan am I?
Honestly, I might have dragged you through my own version of a slog if I had continued on with why I love Wheel of Time. I know I can get a little carried away. Much like everyone else who has WoT in their life, I have to admit that it occupies such a special and deep place in my heart. Even knowing its flaws, I wouldn’t give it up. This is as good a testament as any.
It may be a condensed list, but it is as strong a reason as any.
Want to get started on the books?
Note that this collection includes the prequel, New Spring, which you don’t necessarily have to read first. I read it between books 10 and 11, if I am not mistaken.
Or spend the weekend binging the (Amazon Prime) TV version.
Either way, you’re doing yourself a favor.
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