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The Wheel of Time

by Robert Jordan

80%

of reviewers recommend it

5 BookTubers · 1 glowing, 3 positive, 1 mixed

✓

BookTubers say: Most reviewers say The Wheel of Time is one of the best epic fantasy series ever written, praising its world-building, magic system, and satisfying ending. They agree it has real weak points, especially a slow stretch in the middle books, but say the payoff is worth it if you stick with it.

The verdicts

Mike's Book Reviews

Mike's Book Reviews

Positive
it is every bit as good as you've heard if you just commit to it and take your time like I did

Mike says the 14-book series has real ups and downs, including a slow middle stretch, but the good far outweighs the bad and the ending hit him emotionally like nothing since Lord of the Rings. He calls it a must-read classic for epic fantasy fans as long as you're patient and don't try to binge it.

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Bookborn

Bookborn

Positive
i am almost surprised at how excited i am to read the next books

On a reread years later, she still loves the series and is excited to keep going, even though some character interactions and romances bug her more now.

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Daniel Greene

Daniel Greene

✦ Glowing
in my opinion hands-down the best fantasy series ever written

Daniel says The Wheel of Time is the greatest fantasy series ever, praising its world-building, cultures, magic systems, characters, and plot as unmatched. He argues it perfected classic fantasy tropes while setting the trends for modern fantasy.

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Merphy Napier

Merphy Napier

Mixed
I think that this series has major pros and major cons

She loved the deep magic system, the incredible foreshadowing, and especially the amazing character arcs and ending, but was frustrated by repetitive writing, a huge unbalanced cast, annoying gender conflict tension, and the infamous slow 'slog' section of books 7-11.

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Captured in Words

Captured in Words

Positive
I think it is one of the best American epic fantasy series ever written.

The creator loves the deep world-building, magic system, and characters in The Wheel of Time, calling it a must-read despite some pacing issues and Jordan's long-winded style. He says the books are much better than the Amazon Prime show.

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Where they agree

  • Reviewers praise the deep world-building, magic system, and huge cast of characters as a major strength (Daniel Greene, Captured in Words, Merphy Napier).
  • Several reviewers say the ending pays off in a big way, with Mike comparing the emotional impact to Lord of the Rings and Merphy calling the character arcs and ending amazing.
  • Reviewers agree there's a rough patch in the middle of the series, often called 'the slog,' roughly books 7-10 or 7-11 (Mike, Merphy Napier).

Where they split

  • Bookborn found book two, The Great Hunt, better paced and more exciting than book three, The Dragon Reborn, which felt a bit boring to her on reread.
  • Merphy Napier is more mixed than the other reviewers, pointing to repetitive writing, an unbalanced cast, and annoying gender conflict tension as real problems alongside the series' strengths.
  • Bookborn still finds some romances, like Lan/Nynaeve and Faile/Perrin, bothersome even though she otherwise loves the series.

Read it if…

  • you love deep world-building and don't mind a huge cast of characters
  • you're willing to read slowly, take breaks, and not binge all the books at once
  • you're okay pushing through a slower middle stretch to get a satisfying ending
  • you're a fan of Brandon Sanderson or want to see what shaped modern epic fantasy

Skip it if…

  • you get frustrated by long, detailed descriptions of clothing and settings
  • you want to binge a series quickly without slow patches
  • you're easily annoyed by repetitive writing or drawn-out gender tension between characters

Book by book

The Eye of the WorldBook 1
The Eye of the World Positive

Bookborn expected a slow start but found it moved fast on reread, especially the troll attack and chase scenes.

The Great HuntBook 2
The Great Hunt Positive

Bookborn was surprised by how much better this book was than she remembered, calling it superior to book three with faster pacing.

The Dragon RebornBook 3
The Dragon Reborn Mixed

Bookborn found this one a bit boring at times, feeling like less happened compared to the exciting book before it.