The Wheel of Time

It's a fantastic story, and I recommend it highly to anyone who likes reading fantasy. But before you ask what it is about, let me just say that that is a little like asking what the Bible is about. The Wheel weaves as the wheel wills, and many minor characters and subplots are being woven into the story all the time.

Having written my disclaimer, I can now stuff the main story into the confines of a few sentences. A young shepherd named Rand al'Thor is forced to flee his homeland because he is a danger to his neighbors, though he doesn't yet know why. He leaves with two friends, his childhood sweetheart, and the village wise woman in the company of a dangerous warrior and an Aes Sedai, (a woman who can channel the One Power, i.e. do magic). He later learns that he too can channel, and is the prophecied Messiah who will save the world when the Dark One breaks free of his prison.

If this is starting to sound familiar (You must become a Jedi, Luke. It is your destiny.), here's the catch: there is a "taint" on the kind of magic that men can wield which drives a man mad and eventually kills him. So Rand is destined to go mad. Furthermore, prophecies imply that the Dragon (the Messiah figure) must die in order to save the world. So we have a story in which the hero will undoubtedly go mad (and may be in the process right now) and must die to win. And people wonder why Jordan fans are always panting to get the next book!

Nynaeve (pronounced Nye-neeve) is the Wisdom (wise woman) from Rand's village. She is very strong in her ability to channel, but since she had no one to teach her, she had to develop a rough control by herself, setting up a block so that the power wouldn't kill her. Because of this, she can only channel if she is angry, or if she has her herbs for healing. She is a fantastic healer, but she has a terrible temper.

Actually, she's my favorite character. Jordan fans who are familiar with her tantrums may be wondering why on earth I would like her best (I think she was voted one of the top three most annoying characters). I admire her strength and her determination. Those are the things that kept her alive to channel, the things that made her such a respected Wisdom, even though young, the things that kept her from being beaten by Moghedian and bullied by Siuan. (I like Siuan, too, by the way. It's Egwene who annoys me the most. And Mat. And Gawyn, too, now that I think of it.) Yeah, I wish she'd grow up a little, too, but I think that will come.

The Wheel of Time Index My page can't do justice to Jordan Fandom. Check outsome other great sites from this link.

And for something a little whimsical, check out The Wheel of Pooh

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The artwork above is the property of Tor Books. Pick up a copy of any Wheel of Time novel after The Dragon Reborn and you'll see it.