The Eye of the World

By: Robert Jordan

Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer

Length: 29 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

"These veteran narrators keep the plot moving and the narration fresh" — AudioFile Magazine

This program is read by Audie Award-winning narrators Michael Kramer and Kate Reading, and includes a bonus interview with the author.

Since its debut in 1990, The Wheel of Time® by Robert Jordan has captivated millions of readers and listeners around the globe with its scope, originality, and compelling characters. Now, this beloved series is in development for TV!

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

When The Two Rivers is attacked by Trollocs—a savage tribe of half-men, half-beasts— five villagers flee that night into a world they barely imagined, with new dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light.

The Wheel of Time®

New Spring: The Novel

#1 The Eye of the World

#2 The Great Hunt

#3 The Dragon Reborn

#4 The Shadow Rising

#5 The Fires of Heaven

#6 Lord of Chaos

#7 A Crown of Swords

#8 The Path of Daggers

#9 Winter's Heart

#10 Crossroads of Twilight

#11 Knife of Dreams

By Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

#12 The Gathering Storm

#13 Towers of Midnight

#14 A Memory of Light

By Robert Jordan and Teresa Patterson

The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

By Robert Jordan, Harriet McDougal, Alan Romanczuk, and Maria Simons

The Wheel of Time Companion

By Robert Jordan and Amy Romanczuk

Patterns of the Wheel: Coloring Art Based on Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

Listen to more books in The Wheel of Time series.

©1990 Robert Jordan (P)1996 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Jordan has come to dominate the world that Tolkien began to reveal." (The New York Times)

Your first step down a very long and winding road.

The Eye of the World kicks off Robert Jordan's epic fantasy series and it is a step that should not be taken lightly. This first book is excellent and will likely have you listening to the next book in the journey before you know it. This is a long series (13+ books) and each book so far is between 23-41 hours of listening in unabridged format.

Some things you should know before you start:

1) Robert Jordan did not live long enough to finish the story, but he did pass along his vision for the conclusion to Brandon Sanderson who is writing the final books. Brandon Sanderson is an awesome Fantasy writer so the conclusion of the series is in good hands.

2) Robert Jordan can tend to be wordy at times and some of the books along the way feel a little bloated, but each one does advance the story.

3) The narration is done by 2 excellent narrators: Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. Each chapter will be read by one or the other depending on the chapter's main character. If the main character is female then Kate will read the entire chapter including the male voices. Michael will handle the chapter's where the main character is male and he will do the female voices. This means that you must get accustomed to 2 voices for each character. This put me off at first but I quickly became accustomed to it and now I really enjoy the format.

4) After a few books the narrators change the way they pronounce certain character names and this can throw you off until you realize that it is just a pronunciation change and not a different character. Just be prepared for it.

I am glad I started this long journey and I feel that audio is one of the best ways to experience Jordan's work. I had read The Eye of the World years ago but it didn't inspire me to keep going forward in the series, where the audiobook left me wanting more!

299 of 308 people found this review helpful

This Series Rocks

I am writing this review on the first of this series because as you consider beginning a multibook series you'll be wondering if the commitment is worth it. After having listened to all of the books now available on Audible (10 or 11 and the story is still not over) I am telling you to GO FOR IT. It took a several chapters to get my bearings with the material, but after that I was hooked in a terribly engrossing world of fantasy that I would never have thought would interest me. Some other reviewers have panned the narrators, and maybe with the first book they hadn't yet found their bearing either, but throughout the series they are outstanding in my opinion. I couldn't get enough of this story. I'm thankful that I came to it late, when there were already more than 10 books to enjoy. I admit that I have expected the author to wrap up this saga before now, but in reality I am thankful that he kept the characters and their world alive. I recommend this series with no reservations.

258 of 268 people found this review helpful

everything you need to know

If you read several of the listener ratings you will find that half love it and half hate it. This is not anything like LotR. This is bigger in every respect. The world is bigger, the characters are deeper and thjere are many, many, more of them. If you take on this series you need to be ready to focus. If you listen half heartedly you will be lost very quickly. I understand some of the points of the bad reviews. This series is detailed. You will always know what everyone is wearing and what every room looks like and some people will find it tiresome. I however really get a sense of being in the story and that is why I read/listen. If your thing is a movie type book, a few hours and everything is rapped up, then you are looking for something else. There are many great stand alone books on this site alone but if you are looking for a neck deep fantasy with as much intrigue as can be put on paper then look no further. Personally this and the Sword of Truth are my favorites. Be warned though that the author recently died and the 12th book (A Memory of Light) is now being written by Brandon Sanderson of Mistborn. The final installment is about 60% through the rough draft phase. I usually dont get books until the series is done because i cant stand waiting a year to see how it ends but just the fact that the last book is on its way has prompted me into a second go round on this series so I know exactly what is going on. WHether you get this one or not happy listening.

194 of 205 people found this review helpful

A big fan approves

I've been reading this series for years now and enjoyed it greatly, though I do hope it comes to an end soon. This production is very good especially as it is an Unabridged version which I believe the books need. The two voices are good and give a good range to the characters, the only quibble I have is minor, I wish the two readers had agreed on pronunciations before starting. This is not a big issue and did not spoil my enjoyment. I believe the producers will be making all the books available and I look found to collecting them all.

14 of 14 people found this review helpful

A Masterpiece

There is very little in the way of accolades that I could add to what has already been written about this book except to second the praise for it. When choosing a book, I do consider how many people have taken the time to rate and review a book, as well as what the reviews have to say. Therefore, the value of this book to me requires that I say something to encourage others to take it as a selection. This was my first Robert Jordan book. It's about 30 hours long and I finished it in two and a half days. I could not put it down. It is a masterpiece in almost every aspect of the word and I do not know how the narration could possibly have been improved. I was blown away.

116 of 123 people found this review helpful

Amazing Series, Amazing Readers

I am overjoyed to find audible choose to carry this Unabridged series. It is pretty much the only place anywhere you can find this extraordinary Unabridged audio series. The abridged version of this series is horrible; however this version is a true and rare audio gem. I have listened to literally a few hundred audio books in my life, most of which were either sci-fi/ fantasy and this series stands out as one of the best I?ve heard. It has exquisite readers both Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are among the best audio readers I've ever heard. As anyone who has heard audio can probably relate to, the quality of the reader is vital to the experience of the book and these are simple two of the best in the business. They capture the characters perfectly and draw you in like few other readers can. Another great and fairly unique thing this audio reading does is when the books comes from the perspective of a female character Kate gives you the female voice to match, where as if you are in the head of a male character Michael reads to give you that male feel. This makes a big difference in the whole experience, how much the reading brings the character to life and draws you into their world. Speaking of which, Robert Jordan's WOT world is one of the most vivid, complex and original world I have experienced in fantasy. The world's complexity continues to grow throughout the huge epic series. It makes you want to know what is going on in different lands almost as much as what is happening with different characters. In the first half of this series each book is better then the one before as the main characters, the world and the adventure expands. If you get a chance, please request that audible carry the rest of this Unabridged series. As of now they carry book one (The Eye of the World) and two (The Great Hunt). I guess that's about it. Enjoy, I hope you have as much fun with it as I did.

165 of 177 people found this review helpful

Better Every Time

I still pick up new tidbits, foreshadowing, and nuances every time I hear this book. Over the years I've read most books in this series twice and have listened to them on CD twice more. The audio format further highlights Jordan's genius and the fan's enjoyment.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Great Book!

I really enjoyed this book. At first the narrarator was a little annoying, you could hear him breathing alot. But after an hour or two, he got much better...you could even tell the characters by the voices he gave them. I will listen to the entire series. I don't know why I waited so long to read Robert Jordan!

21 of 23 people found this review helpful

Fantasy Writing And Listening At Its Finest!

Robert, Robert, Robert.

What have you done to me?

You 've kept me up countless nights, hanging onto every fantastic word, thinking about this incredible world you've created long after I finished reading and listening. You made me want more. And more. And you gave more of the same, and better.

What descriptive and well-thought out writing! What a rich and resplendent world you've created for us. A staggering storyline rich in history, politics, magic and mystery. Character development that captures us completely in the story, plots and journeys throughout this and the many novels to follow!

There are not enough words to describe the fantastic journey that awaits you in Jordan's Wheel of Time novels. They are long, descriptive novels that require more attentive listening that reward you for taking the time to really LISTEN.

If you like a deep rousing story that involves rich fantasy, political intrigue, dark forces with malevolent intent, secret societies, and MUCH MUCH MORE, than you might as well just crack open that wallet, and pull out your Audible credits.

You're going on an audiobook journey you'll never forget.

41 of 46 people found this review helpful

If you only knew what was coming....

This intro may seem slow to some, but it really is a great beginning to an amazing adventure. Not the best book in the series but it's one that will always be special to me simply because of the world that introduced me to.

If you want to spend 6 months of commuting wishing that your drive was longer so that you could listen to more.... This is your series.

13 of 14 people found this review helpful

Fab

Epic fantasy at its best. Delighted there are so many books in the series as this will solve the commuting boredom problem for many weeks yet!



Very much like Brandon Sanderson (or rather, Brandon Sanderson is very like Robert Jordan). Reminds me of Sanderson's Stormlight book - a very similar feel.



The narration is good - perhaps not the best I have ever heard, but it doesn't detract from the story at all.



Occasionally I would like the female characters to be slightly different from each other - they all seem to be cut from the same cloth, and therefore are a little predictable and perhaps a little boring, but the storyline itself is compelling, and you can't help but download the next book in the series immediately the current one finishes (I am about to download number 5 - still happily enjoying it all).

14 of 14 people found this review helpful

Excellent series ... until book 8

I have been listening through this series for a few months now and really enjoying it. I would have given 5 starts to it apart from some of the slightly repetitive statements. Then I got to book 8 and it is not available (the other 10 are), having contacted Audible they informed me that they have not yet got the license for it. I have to say that has put the dampers on my listening pleasure.
If you are thinking about starting this epic listening experience I would wait until it is available.

27 of 29 people found this review helpful

Absorbing....

5 well deserved stars from me for this book - part one of the Wheel of Time series.

After listening to the preview a few times I very nearly didn't bother to buy this book. I thought the narrators voice would grate on my nerves and stop me from enjoying the book.

I was attracted by the length of the story, thinking that over 29 hours of 'read' time would keep me occupied for quite some time. Also the number of books available in the series on Audible means I'll not be short of a book to read for quite some time!

I was quickly absorbed by the story and forgot the narrators American accent, although it was a bit of a 'jolt' when a female narrator cut in part way through the book! (Although she only reads a few chapters here and there before the male narrator returns)
The 29 hours passed too quickly and I'm eager to 'read' the second book in the series.

The Eye Of The World reminds me of the Lord of the Rings in lots of ways, strange names, battles, good against evil, a quest, all well told, well described and very enjoyable.

A very good read which I'll probably return to in the fullness of time.

25 of 27 people found this review helpful

A Sizable Literary Feast

Years I ago I read this book as a very young 13 year old. It was daunting then (the sheer size of it, and the sequels) and I gave up half-way through. It's still daunting now, but in a way that I relish - it's massive. This book alone is 29 hours long, and there's currently 13 sequels out with another one on it's way. If you're looking for a series to sink your adventuring teeth into then look no further.

I was initially weary of the American narrator, and I doubted I could listen to his accent for 29 hours, let alone the sequels. However my fears disappeared within the first chapter - he does an excellent job, and I honestly forget about the accent altogether.

I shan't dwell on the book itself, since its continued success and legacy stands testament to its quality. You'll find a plethora of reviews of the Amazon site proper, but my advice is to just dive into this book - it's superb.

12 of 14 people found this review helpful

Read before sight loss, just listened

If you could sum up The Eye of the World in three words, what would they be?

An amazing, imaginative, original concept.
The Lord of the rings is just a short story in comparison.
Now that I have to listen (due to sight loss), I was delighted to find the audible version didn't disappoint me.
The first audio book that I felt almost enhanced the original text.
Thank you for enabling me to enjoy good literature again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Eye of the World?

The acquisition of insight by Rand, yet instead of his destruction he retains hison sanity and innocence.

What about Kate Reading and Michael Kramer ’s performance did you like?

Both excellent.
only way to improve would be for them to both be reading sex related characters in each chapter.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. Although I doubt anyone can stay awake for more than a day and have that amount of free continuous time.
wish I Had.

Any additional comments?

Look forward to book 2. Which I Also read before sought loss.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Narrator grew on me

At first I was also afraid that the narrators voice and accent was going to make listening to this book a struggle, but am pleased to say that this is not the case. After a while the it all seems perfectly natural.

The two narrators work well together with Michael reading the chapters revolving around the male characters and Kate reading those for for the female.

These are unabridged versions of the book, so any Jordan fan will know what to expect in terms of content.

I have now listened to the first three books and am waiting for my credits to arrive so I may download the next instalment.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

It drew me in...

I have been a longtime fan of these books. Although as a child, books on tape were standard fare for car journeys or relaxation, I had never before listened to an audio book of something so long and intricate.

I'm pleased to say that it mostly met my expectations. I'd have liked more of the female reader, just to break things up a bit more. And I disagree with some of the pronunciations, however I don't have my book copy to hand to check if they match Jordan's version or not!

Overall an enjoyable experience, and I certainly got more out of listening than i expected. I am due a re-read of the series, but I feel I actually picked out more detail in listening this time than in reading the book again for the I-don't-know-how-many-nth time. The foreshadowing was much more apparent when you hear the words read aloud.

I'd recommend this to anyone, whether it's your first foray into fantasy or not. Pre-existing Wheel of Time fans may find they get something new out of the experience, so don't be put off if you have already read the books

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Acceptable not classic delivery

While Jordan was American I am disappointed they used people with such heavy accents. It is okay but I would say when compared to Fry reading Harry Potter you will be hugely disappointed.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Dissappointed

Fantastic book...loved the whole series when I read them......however I was very dissapointed with the audio version.....maybe just me, but the narrators voice makes me cringe.....very piercing and monotone......maybe just an Englishman not liking American accent so best to decide for youselves....listen first like I didn't.....

14 of 20 people found this review helpful

Immense, Brilliant and very, very long

It's hard to write a review of one book having listened to all 14 of the Wheel of Time books. For nearly a year (of my listening time) the adventures of Rand, Matt and Perrin were a daily treat. I even decorated most of my house whilst listening to their story - most enjoyable DiY ever.

If you decide to take the journey then the total time of all the books ways in at 460 hours and 14 credits. I can only say it's the best value credits I've used on Audible so far.

To be honest it's easier to look at wiki for an overview of the story, if fantasy is your thing then take my word you won't be disappointed. The combination of two narrators works perfectly as they switch between the male / female orientated aspects of the stories - they both do an excellent job. Brandon Sandersons handling of the final three novels (using Robert Jordan's notes) is also perfectly handled leading to a very satisfying end.

My only suggestion is to think of this as one big story - the first book is just the very start and though good the satisfaction and enjoyment grow through all the books. You need to really get stuck into to the first 2 or 3 books for the larger story to come into focus and to realise just what is coming.

Good luck and enjoy!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful