The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time (abbreviated
WoT or less commonly,
tWoT) is a bestselling
fantasy book series written by
Robert Jordan. It is known for the extreme density of its plot, the intricate detail of its imaginary world â€" known as
Randland by fans â€" and lifelike complexity of relationships and interactions between
characters, both individually and collectively. There are 11 books in the series so far. Books 8-11 have each reached #1 on the
New York Times bestseller list, and many of the books have been on the list at one time or another. The online game "The Wheel of Time MUD"
WoTMUD is the oldest authorized game based on the series (started 1993), and various commercial game adaptations have also been spawned, including a
video game released by
Atari for the personal computer, and a
tabletop role-playing game, released by
Wizards of the Coast and based on
d20 rules.
Robert Jordan has repeatedly said that the main sequence will conclude with the twelfth book, with a working title of
A Memory of Light. Numerous times he has said he will hold to this statement even if it has to be 2000 pages long. At some point in the future Jordan plans to write two more short prequel novels, an encyclopedia, and possibly two or three other side-plot novels. [
1]. However, Jordan has revealed on his blog that he may have only a short time left to live.
In the beginning,
the Creator made
the Wheel of Time, which spins the Pattern of the Ages using the lives of men as its threads. The Wheel has seven spokes, each representing an age, and it is rotated by the
True Source from which the
One Power, a source of magic, is drawn. The One Power is divided into male and female halves,
saidin and
saidar, which work in opposition and in unison to drive the Wheel; those who can use this power are known as
channelers.
The Creator imprisoned Shai'tan, known as the
Dark One, a powerful, evil being, at the moment of creation, sealing him away from the Wheel. At some point, however, the Dark One was given purchase in the world through the machinations of well-meaning people and began his efforts to conquer the world, creation, even the Wheel itself. To counter this threat, the Wheel caused the
Dragon, the champion of the Light and a channeler of immense power, to be born.
Due to the cyclical nature of the Wheel of Time, there can be no definitive victory for the forces of the Light; the war has been fought innumerable times since the dawn of Creation. The Dragon would defeat Shai'tan and seal him from the Wheel, only to have his work undone millennia later, necessitating his occasional rebirth to counter the continuing threat.
Robert Jordan's novels concern themselves with one incarnation of the Dragon in particular. About 3500 years have passed since the last war between Shai'tan and the Light, which the Dragon (known as
Lews Therin Telamon in that life) ended by patching the hole in the Dark One's prison with the help of a group of other male channelers known as the Hundred Companions. Unfortunately, the Dark One managed to taint
saidin, the male half of the One Power, with a counterstroke which brought madness and a wasting sickness to any man who channeled it. The taint quickly overcame Lews Therin and his companions and eventually drove every male channeler to insanity, with catastrophic results that changed the face of the world.
The rebirth of the Dragon, then, is viewed with hope and fear. On the one hand, the
Dragon Reborn will be a channeler of
saidin, vulnerable to the taint which Broke the World once before, and the prophecies promise that his rebirth will bring similar upheavals. On the other hand, he is the only one capable of defeating Shai'tan, who is once again reaching beyond his prison.
| Title | Pgs. | Chs. | Wrds. | 1st Edition!Notes | | NA | New Spring | 332 | 26 | 121,815 | January 2004 |
| 1. | The Eye of the World | 832 | 53 | 305,902 | 15 January 1990 |
| 2. | The Great Hunt | 736 | 50 | 267,078 | 15 November 1990 |
| 3. | The Dragon Reborn | 704 | 56 | 251,392 | 15 October 1991 |
| 4. | The Shadow Rising | 1008 | 58 | 393,823 | 15 September 1992 | No Prologue |
| 5. | The Fires of Heaven | 992 | 56 | 354,109 | 15 October 1993 |
| 6. | Lord of Chaos | 1024 | 55 | align="right"|15 October 1994 | First with an Epilogue |
| 7. | A Crown of Swords | 896 | 41 | 295,028 | 15 May 1996 |
| 8. | The Path of Daggers | 704 | 31 | 226,687 | 20 October 1998 |
| 9. | Winter's Heart | 800 | 35 | 238,789 | 7 November 2000 |
| 10. | Crossroads of Twilight | 864 | 30 | 271,632 | 7 January 2003 | Also has an Epilogue |
| 11. | Knife of Dreams | 783 | 37 | align="right"|11 October 2005 | Also has an Epilogue |
| 12. | A Memory of Light - working title | expected in 2008 |
All page totals given are for the most widely available
paperback editions, except for
Knife of Dreams.
There is also a prequel
novella,
New Spring in the
Legends anthology edited by
Robert Silverberg. Jordan expanded this into the standalone novel
New Spring that was published in January 2004.
In 2002 the first book,
The Eye of the World, was repackaged as two volumes with new illustrations for younger readers:
From the Two Rivers, including an extra chapter before the existing prologue, and
To the Blight with an expanded
glossary. In 2004 the same was done with
The Great Hunt, with the two parts being
The Hunt Begins and
New Threads in the Pattern.
There is a
short story available on the web, "
The Strike at Shayol Ghul", which predates the main series by several thousand years. That story is also found in
The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time (ISBN 0-312-86219-9), an official guide to the Wheel of Time published in November
1998.
Prologue EbooksSnow: The Prologue to Winter's Heart (September 2000)
Glimmers: The Prologue to Crossroads of Twilight (
July 17,
2002)
Embers Falling on Dry Grass: The Prologue to Knife of Dreams (
July 22,
2005)
General information
*
Official website*
A Wheel of Time Wiki*
Wheel of Time FAQ*
Encyclopaedia WoT*
Chronology of The Wheel of Time*
Google Directory: Wheel of Time Series*
Wheel of Time websites past and present*
Book Information*
Search the complete text of the booksNews and Discussion
*
The Great Hall.org*
Wotmania.com*
Dragonmount.com*
Theoryland.com - a site dedicated to theories and discussion
*
Wotism.net*
Silklantern.com*
TarValon.net - The White Tower*
The Black Tower - Character list and forums
*
Age of Legends - Wheel of Time programming track at
Dragon*ConHumor and Parody
* Book-A-Minute summaries:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 P1 *
WoT now? comic
