Wheel Of Time Books In Order

Publication Order of The Wheel of Time Books

Publication Order of The Wheel of Time - Graphic Novels Books

Publication Order of Wheel of Time Companion Books

About The Wheel of Time Series of Books:

Initiated by fantasy writer, Robert Jordan, and finished by his hand-picked successor, Brandon Sanderson, Wheel of Time is a high fantasy series consisting of fourteen total books each serving as a step toward the story’s final climax.

What it’s about:

Unlike other fantasy books, Jordan’s series takes place not only in the past, not only in the future, but in both realms of the existence of humans. In a simple portrayal of good versus evil, Wheel of Time pits the protagonist, a reincarnated savior, against the Dark One, who serves as the pure essence of evil. In less simple terms, Jordan’s protagonist has the capacity to save the world but the risk of destroying it in the process, and the stories center around, not only the struggles of the protagonist himself, but also the struggles of his world in general to handle their fate and the destructive path it may take.

In fact, the experience of the outlying characters is so important to the development and flow of the series that the character list reaches into the thousands, each with a specific background and unique description. In essence, Jordan has not only created a fantasy story, he’s created an extensive alter universe.

Setting

To further delve into the situation surrounding the main character, or the Dragon Reborn, the backdrop of Wheel of Time is not entirely unlike that of creationism. In fact, Jordan even terms his god the Creator, and in Wheel of Time, he creates the entire universe. Built into this universe is a wheel, The Wheel of Time, which controls all lives and is composed of two halves that essentially bring balance to the world.

In the dawn of the series, the Creator’s opposing force of evil, the Dark One, is imprisoned in order to inhibit his influence or access to the Wheel of Time in any way. Over time, however, the Dark One is accidentally given influence in the universe, which ultimately leads to his release into this almost utopian society and freedom to spread his influence amongst the people. This leads to the creation, by the Wheel, of the Dragon, who serves as the force of good opposite the Dark One.

Characters

The Wheel of Time, partially due to its sheer volume in books, features of veritable plethora of characters numbering into the thousands. These characters are so intricate and complex that they can be grouped again and again based on varying criteria. Even the short list of main characters consists of an impressive ten, signifying extreme depth to the series in ability to center around ten separate beings.

Though the Dragon himself is the first described force against the Dark One, following the initial book, the primary source of good is actually a reincarnation of the Dragon known as the Dragon Reborn, whose journey is dedicated to battling the forces and influence of the Dark One.

Main Characters

The overall protagonist in The Wheel of Time is the embodiment of the Dragon Reborn, Rand al’Thor. He is, essentially, the resurrected soul of the original Dragon, Lews Therin Telamon. As is common with protagonist characters, al’Thor is painted as a visually appealing and physically fit specimen of the book’s version of the human race.

The character detail is so intricate that al’Thor’s family tree can be traced back three lineages, despite the fact that the sole purpose of his creation was as the rebirth of the Dragon. In this way, al’Thor is also special, as Jordan is careful to establish that his rebirth is the only predicted rebirth in the universe’s history.

Aviendha

Aviendha is one of the main female characters in the series and is actually a lover of the Dragon Reborn in addition to an apprentice to and eventually one of the Wise Ones. In Jordan’s world, this means she is essentially one of the matriarchal leaders of society. As al’Thor, she is depicted as pleasing to the eye, equipped with curves and red hair to match that of her lover.

Other Characters

Jordan’s stories include a vast number of divisions of society branching off into further sub-divisions and all featuring an extensive cast of characters. These individuals are divided by occupation and nationality, some as channelers and others as non-channelers. Some characters hail from the series’ Westlands, but an entire collection of them were created outside the Westlands.

In addition, Jordan’s books feature non-human characters to include wolves, horses and Darkfriends, not all-inclusively.

The Books

Each of Jordan’s fourteen books in The Wheel of Time series is extremely in depth and lengthy. His first book, The Eye of the World, packs 814 pages and is the only book to begin in the past in regards to the universe. Peppered with dark and action-packed scenes, the initial book paints for readers the first images of what will be a twenty-year (in terms of the writer) epic battle between good and evil.

By the beginning of the second novel in the series, The Great Hunt, The Wheel of Time has seen the introduction of its main protagonist, and revealed secrets regarding his character. These secrets ultimately lead him to discover a missing horn that must be retrieved, so Rand Al’thor and his friends set out to find it.

A Movie

Late last year, an independent production company called Wheel of 9, created by fans of The Wheel of Time series, completed a movie based on one chapter in the first book. The movie, Flight From Shadow, is available free online and has elicited mixed emotions from fan readers of the series, as some feel the movie can never live up to the book’s precedence.

Universal Studios also discussed production of a Wheel of Time movie, but over a year later, no final product has made significant progress. Fans of the books are so dedicated and interested that some have even cast the entire movie on their own while they wait, taking care to associate actors with each character and providing reasoning.

A Game

Where the series did expand was in the form of a game, specifically a role playing game or RPG. In 2001 and 2002, two separate books detailing the game were published, first a rulebook, then an expansion on the book.

The game includes an extensive map, slightly altered characters from the original series and is modeled after the age old, Dungeons and Dragons.

Though he was unable to finish his legacy of his own accord, Robert Jordan, without a doubt, created the beginning of a series that has proved addictive and enveloping to many fans.