The Hobbitjedi - Robert Jordan
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The Books
While many people will sit back and complain about this aspect of a book or book series and continually bash them. Some of us can sit back and enjoy them for both their merits and their flaws and be entertained by the story told for us. Robert Jordan, or rather James Oliver Rigney, Jr., released a book in 1990 called The Eye of the World. Immediate praise ensued. Now, the series is ten books long and the end is not quite in sight. Relax and enjoy. Jordan has set fans up for a long ride. Yes, it sometimes gets a little slow, but take it all in. Jordan paints a vivid world with some interesting characters and elements that set this story apart. The books thus far have been: The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn, The Shadow Rising, The Fires of Heaven, Lord of Chaos, A Crown of Swords, The Path of Daggers, and Winter's Heart.
Some Basic Info
At the moment of Creation, the Creator sealed the Dark One in a prison bound to the mountain called Shayol Gul. People came to inhabit the world. Some could use the One Power, the driving force of the Wheel of Time that weaves together the threads of the Pattern of time. Men and women each channeld a different part of this power. Men could use Saidin and women used Saidar. Those trained in the use of the One Power came to be known as Aes Sedai. Reaching a state of advanced acheivement known as the Age of Legends, some of the Aes Sedai foolishly tampered with the seal of the Dark One's prison and released him into the world. Some, thirteen of the most powerful Aes Sedai who came to known as the Forsaken, even joined him. Lews Therin Telamon, the Dragon, led the counterattack that sealed the Dark One and the Forsaken. However, the Dark One left a taint on Saidin that caused men who could channel the One Power to go mad. The world was nearly destroyed in the chaos that followed, and much knowledge was lost in what came to be known as the Breaking of the World. Lews Therin died with the other males who could channel. However, a prophecy was fortold. The Dragon would be reborn to fight the Last Battle with the Dark One and triumph over him.
The time at the start of the books is what some would call the Third Age. It has come before in the turning of the Wheel of Time and will come again. In this age, the seals are weakening on the Dark One's prison and his Forsaken are not bound as tightly as he was. However, Moraine Sedai, part of the order of Aes Sedai women who still learn the arts of the One Power, believes that the Dragon has been reborn and seeks to find him. . .
An obscure part of the world known as the Two Rivers rests quietely. Unknown to them, Rand al'Thor, Perrin Aybara, and Mat Cauthon, residents of the Two Rivers, are all three Ta'veren with the power to shape the destiny of the world. Might one of them also be the Dragon Reborn? Friends and foes alike await them on the journey before them. The journey will lead to a final confrontation, but a great deal will happen to them along the way. This is the world of the Wheel of Time.
A Special Note
I cannot readily remember which Christmas it was. Very likely, it was the Christmas of 1993. I received two novels as gifts from my Uncle Joe. One was Star Trek: The Rift and the other was The Eye of the World. Being the avid fan of Star Trek that I was, I quickly read The Rift while The Eye of the World sat idly with nothing more than its prologue read by me. Eventually, I read the book that following year, and I owe a lot to it and my uncle. It opened up the world of reading to me. I became excited about reading for the first time. Since then, I've developed a love for reading that has seen me seen me through the pages of books like The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Phantom of the Opera, The Hot Zone, Jurassic Park, and many others. Sadly, my uncle passed away a few years ago. Jordan's novels hold a special place for me now. As, I said I owe a lot to them and most especially to my uncle.
In Memory of Uncle Joe
The Wheel of Time and all related are copyright Robert Jordan and TOR