A Reading Guide to Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time Books

The publication that started it all. Released successful 1990, The Eye of the World introduces america to the series’ large players, including Rand Al’Thor, Perrin Ayabara, Matrim Cauthon, Egwene al’Vere, and Nynaeve al’Meara, whose lives are each thrown into chaos erstwhile their location of Emond’s Field is attacked by monsters called Trollocs. Saved by the Aes Sedia (this worlds word for those who wield the magic known arsenic “The One Power”) Moiraine and her guardian, the Warder Lan, the 2 of them whisk the younker distant from Emond’s Field, believing 1 to beryllium the mythical fig known arsenic the Dragon Reborn, whose is destined to either prevention the world…or destruct it.

The Eye of the World focuses overmuch connected Rand and his viewpoint, though others, including those from Emond’s Field.

2. The Great Hunt

Picking up soon aft the events of the erstwhile book, the individuality of the Dragon Reborn has been revealed. The Great Hunt sees the Emond’s Field people divided, with Rand, Mat, and Perrin retired connected a quest to retrieve a legendary artifact known arsenic the Horn of Valere, which is presently successful force hands. Meanwhile, Egewene and Nynaeve statesman their agelong and arduous training, learning to power the One Power and larn the ways of being Aes Sedai.

The Great Hunt is simply a Rand-focused novel, with much than fractional the chapters focusing connected his constituent of view.

3. The Dragon Reborn

Setting disconnected connected his ain aft the Battle of Falme, Rand has his eyes looking toward the larboard metropolis of Tear and proving his destiny. Regardless of the arguments and disagreements betwixt them, Moraine, Lan, Perrin, and Loial pursuit aft him, portion Mat is taken to Tar Valon to beryllium cured of the curse helium is afflicted with. Dangers lurk everyplace for some groups, from Darkfriends and the Forsaken to the Black Ajah, but adjacent successful darkness, anticipation tin beryllium found.

The Dragon Reborn is mostly divided betwixt the viewpoints of Egwene, Perrin, and Mat astir a 3rd each, with Nynaeve, Rand, and immoderate others filling up the difference.

4. The Shadow Rising

With the characters each reunited successful Tear pursuing the events of Dragon Reborn, the reunion is short-lived arsenic the radical splits into smaller groups, each tackling their ain unsafe missions. Rand, Mat, Egwene, and Moraine caput to the Aiel Waste, portion Perrin and Faile caput backmost to Two Rivers to cheque successful connected their families aft proceeding troubling rumors and reports retired of the once-prosperous small village. Knowing that the Black Ajah inactive poses a threat, Elayne, Nynaeve, and Thom caput to the metropolis of Tanchico to effort to hunt them down and flush them out. To further complicate matters, the Tower - the spot of powerfulness for the Aesedai - is teetering connected the brink of collapse, astatine the worst imaginable time.

The Shadow Rising is divided comparatively evenly betwixt the 3 groups, with a flimsy bulk of its viewpoints going to Perrin.

5. The Fires of Heaven

Rand, present successful bid of his ain Aiel army, on with Mat, indispensable question implicit the Spine of the World successful pursuit of a rival clan of Aiel that is pillaging the country astir Cairhein. With the White Tower seeing the emergence of a caller Amyrilin Seat and interior strife, immoderate orders of Ajah are preparing for warfare against the Tower and those loyal to the caller Seat. Friends are mislaid and the Forsaken proceed to marque the lives of our protagonists much and much hard arsenic caller revelations are uncovered.

The 2 superior viewpoints of The Fires of Heaven are Rand and Nynaeve, with different characters sprinkled throughout. Perrin is absent from this book.

6. Lord of Chaos

As Rand’s exploits and power grow, truthful bash his enemies’ plots against him. Perrin returns, bringing forces with him from Two Rivers to assistance Rand arsenic they travel unneurotic towards Cairhien, filling him successful connected the events from backmost home. The conflict betwixt the White Tower and the rebel Aes Sedai reaches the adjacent signifier arsenic the rebels elite their ain Amyrlin Seat and statesman their trek towards Tar Valon portion tasking Elayne and Nynaeve to question retired the ter’angreal, the Bowl of the Winds.

The Lord of Chaos sees Rand’s viewpoint receiving the astir attention, with Egwene, Nynaeve, and Mat astir splitting up the second-place spot.

7. A Crown of Swords

Working unneurotic with the Aes Sedai sworn to him and his Asha’man, Rand prepares to face 1 of the Forsaken and region them from the committee portion Mat, Elayne, and Nynaeve proceed their hunt for the Bowl of Winds, aided by immoderate friends. On the rebel Aes Sedai front, Egwene and Siuan effort to propulsion the rebels to onslaught the White Tower and the forces loyal to its Amrilyn Seat. A tiny airy of anticipation comes from an state thought to beryllium lost, found, and sent to assistance Nynaeve.

A Crown of Swords is 1 of the rarer books of the bid arsenic it doesn’t person a existent cardinal oregon superior viewpoint oregon two, and alternatively is divided reasonably evenly with Mat, Rand, Perrin, and Egwene getting astir adjacent shares of the viewpoints.

8. The Path of Daggers

The Seanchan menace is making its large play successful a large-scale penetration successful Altara that Rand has to contend with and enactment to repel, portion Elayne and Nynaeve enactment to flight it. Our bully person Perrin heads southward to face and halt a mendacious prophet of the Dragon arsenic the siege of the White Tower marches closer, and Rand’s encroaching madness from tapping into the One Power exacts a unspeakable price.

The Path of Daggers is 1 of the smaller books successful the series, astatine lone 31 chapters, with Elayne, Rand, Perrin, and Egwene being the astir salient characters, having astir adjacent shares of viewpoints. Mat is absent from this book.

9. Winter’s Heart

Things aren’t going excessively good for our set of heroes, with Perrin chasing aft those who kidnapped his wife, Mat being trapped successful a metropolis controlled by the Seanchan, and Elayne dealing with nobles who aren’t excessively keen connected her taking the Lion Throne. Rand and Nynaeve marque a bold and risky play and caput to Shadar Logoth with the extremity of clearing the taint from Saidin. Winter’s Heart takes spot concurrently with the pursuing book, “Crossroads of Twilight”.

Elayne and Mat stock the spotlight successful Winter’s Heart, with Rand’s viewpoint coming successful 3rd place. Perring and the remainder of the formed capable successful the rest.

10. Crossroads of Twilight

Crossroads of Twilight takes readers a spot backmost successful time, predating the melodramatic world-changing events with Rand astatine the decision of Winter’s Heart, and focuses much connected the events surrounding different characters. Perrin is chasing aft his woman and friends, trying to rescue them, Mat and his prisoner/ could-be aboriginal wife, and Egwene’s siege connected the White Tower. In bid to travel retired victorious, a truce with the Seanchan whitethorn beryllium necessary.

In Crossroads of Twilight, Egwene takes halfway signifier with the largest percent of PoVs successful the book, with Perrin and Mat tied for 2nd and Elayne coming successful down them. Much to galore readers' annoyance, Rand is astir absent from this book, with astir of his clip coming during the Epilogue.

11. Knife of Dreams

Knife of Dreams marked the last publication that Robert Jordan would constitute for the bid earlier his passing. Releasing 2 years earlier his passing, this eleventh publication sees Egwene dealing with her seizure by the Tower’s Aes Sedai portion trying to sow discord and sway whoever she tin from inside, portion Elayne works to propulsion backmost the veils of the Black Ajah wrong Caemlyn. Perrin is capable to rescue his wife, and Rand looks to crook 1 of the Forsaken’s traps backmost connected them, portion the past of the Two Rivers boys, Mat, having dealt with battles near and right, receives connection that idiosyncratic agelong thought to beryllium dormant whitethorn successful information beryllium precise overmuch alive. New signs are opening to contiguous themselves that the Last Battle, Tarmon Gai’don, is drafting closer.

Knife of Dreams sees Mat with the largest magnitude of the communicative told from his constituent of view, with Elayne second, with Perrin and Rand tied for third.

The archetypal publication of the trilogy that Brandon Sanderson wrote, based connected the notes and partially written manuscript from Jordan, The Gathering Storm, focuses heavy connected Rand and Egwene. Rand has resolved himself to escaped himself of emotion, and arsenic it gets person to the Last Battle, Rand’s actions are becoming much and much severe, scaring his loved ones. Egwene continues to destabilize the White Tower, and the siege of the White Tower comes to its conclusion.

The Gathering Storm gives Egwene and her enactment successful the White Tower the astir absorption successful the book, with Rand coming up second. Other acquainted faces similar Mat and Nynaeve get a fewer bits to play with, some, including Perrin and Elayne, getting simply a wisp of time, if immoderate astatine all.

13. Towers of Midnight

Towers of Midnight puts some Perrin and Mat successful unsafe situations that could spell their demise, and keeps them from helping arsenic the Last Battle begins and the Dark One’s situation walls crumble. Perrin has an service of Trolloc closing successful astir him, and if helium is to survive, helium volition person to maestro his abilities finally. For Mat, his luck continues to beryllium tested arsenic helium erstwhile again has to woody with the Aelfinn and Eelfin and observe secrets that whitethorn pb him to a long-lost friend.

Towers of Midnight is simply a Perrin and Mat story, with Perrin taking a bulk of the PoVs and Mat lone a small little so. This publication is based connected materials helium near down anterior to his decease and was finished by Brandon Sanderson.

14. A Memory of Light

The last publication successful the Wheel of Time series, everything has led to A Memory of Light. The forces of Light and Shadow hole for Tarmon Gai’don, and the players are each successful place. Rand, Egwene, Nynaeve, Perrin, and Mat are acold much than elemental villagers from Two Rivers, and the destiny of the satellite rests connected them, and if Rand tin fulfil the Dragon’s Prophecy. The Last Battle is here.

Being the last book, it makes consciousness that A Memory of Light has a beardown absorption connected Rand’s constituent of view, with the different folks from Two Rivers besides having a beardown presence.

Comics writer Chuck Dixon, with input from Jordan’s estate, created ocular novels for the precise opening of the Wheel of Time bid with some graphic caller adaptations of the New Spring abbreviated communicative and the archetypal book, The Eye of the World. These are large ways to dip your toes into the bid and springiness you a ground connected which to basal your intelligence images of the characters connected that - if you proceed the bid - volition beryllium spending a batch of clip with.

Originally posted:

Sep 27, 2025 3:52 pm