The Wheel Weaves as the Wheel Wills

"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. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning."

There are 2 kinds of people in this world. People who know where that passage comes from, and people who don't. The Wheel of Time series is one of the most involved and best things I've ever read. It's a huge commitment to undertake. There are currently 14 books in the series, with one more still to come. Robert Jordan the author (real name James Oliver Rigney, Jr.) started writing this series in 1984, and continued to write the first 12 books before his death in 2007. There were an ocean of broken hearts on the day his thread was plucked from the pattern. (WOT reference for you non-readers) An author and avid WOT fan, Brandon Sanderson was chosen to finish the series out. I can tell you how good it felt to know that I was going to find out the ending to the story I'd been following for so many years! The final book will be here this fall, and my only concern is that I wont be able to make it through the first 14 before it's ready.

If you love stories about destiny, magic, and the struggle between good and evil, then you should run out right now to Barnes and Nobles and get it. The novels center around the lives of 3 country boys (Rand, Mat, and Perrin) who discover that they are meant for grander things than herding sheep or working in a blacksmith's forge. One of which is the 'Dragon Reborn', the reincarnation of the most feared and revered man to ever live, Lews Therin Telamon. He is the last line of defense the world has against the Dark One. Robert Jordan writes with such passion and wit and humor that I get so immersed I forget what's real and what's not. I frequently find myself using Jordan's own personal brand of curse words when I stub my toe or brake a nail. (i.e. 'Light!' or 'Flaming son of a goat kisser!').

The Eye of the World is book #1
Like I said before taking on this series is a MASSIVE undertaking, but it's well worth it. I'm completely addicted to the world of Rand al'Thor and his friends and enemies. One of the things I love is that the series is so long that by the time you get to the end of it you can go right back to the beginning without getting sick of it. I love to put it on my ipod and listen to it during the day while I cook and clean and run around after my 2 year old. I will, however, admit that Jordan has a habit of describing things to their smallest details that can make you daze out for a moment. And I do believe he lost his sense of plot line timing for the story around books 6-9. But I can tell you I have no regrets about sticking with it to the end.

Another WOT Fan (and if you stop to think about the effort it took you might say fanatic) has down something awesomely bizzare. They've made their own Wheel of Time Action Figures. They are being presented is groupings a little at a time but here's the link to the first figure, Rand. It's scary good.

http://joeyesq.blogspot.com/2010/11/wheel-of-time-action-figures-part-1.html

And if anyone out there is wondering if WOT will ever get turned into a movie and WHO might be playing your favorite, or least favorite characters here's a link to someone who's already thought it through. It makes me want to make my own cast, although I think they did a pretty good job with this one.

http://thewheelweaves.blogspot.com/2009/08/my-cast-for-wheel-of-time-movie.html

So bottom line, if you're looking for a good fantasy series to read you can stop looking. Take the plunge and join me in my fanatical land of of Aes Sedai and Aiel. And if you're already there...

Sleep well and wake.