The Wheel of Time is a series of high fantasy novels written by American author Robert Jordan. Brandon Sanderson helped write the last three books in the series. The series was originally planned to have three books but grew to include 14 main novels, plus one prequel and three companion books. Robert Jordan passed away in 2007 while working on what was meant to be the 12th and final book. He left detailed notes that allowed Sanderson to finish the book, which became three separate volumes: The Gathering Storm (2009), Towers of Midnight (2010), and A Memory of Light (2013).

The series includes ideas from European and Asian mythologies. It reflects the idea of time repeating, as seen in Buddhism and Hinduism. It also includes ideas about balance, opposites, and respect for nature from Taoism. It also uses the idea of good and evil from Zoroastrianism.

The Wheel of Time is known for its long length, detailed imaginary world, complex magic system, and many characters. Books 8 through 14 each reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list. After the series was completed, it was considered for a Hugo Award for Best Novel. As of 2021, the series has sold over 90 million copies worldwide, making it one of the most successful fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings. The series has inspired comic books, a collectible card game, a video game, a roleplaying game, and a soundtrack album. A television version of The Wheel of Time aired on Amazon Prime Video for three seasons from 2021 to 2025.

Setting

The series takes place in the Third Age of a fantasy world where the way humans live is shaped by the Wheel of Time, a powerful force that repeats events forever. The Wheel creates the Pattern of the Ages, which affects both the physical world and people's lives, using individuals as threads. People who can influence the Pattern are called ta'veren. The Wheel is turned by the One Power, a magical force. Only women can safely use the One Power, a skill called channeling. Objects called angreal help increase the power of the One Power, with sa'angreal being the strongest and ter'angreal having specific uses.

A group of women called the Aes Sedai, who can channel the One Power, are respected and feared. They aim to protect people but also prepare for the return of a dangerous being called the Dark One. The Aes Sedai are led by the Amyrlin Seat from the White Tower in Tar Valon. The group is divided into seven groups, or Ajahs: the Blue Ajah focus on justice and spying; the Brown Ajah preserve knowledge; the Gray Ajah handle politics; the Green Ajah are warriors; the Red Ajah monitor the use of the One Power; the White Ajah study logic; the Yellow Ajah heal people; and a hidden group, the Black Ajah, secretly serve the Dark One. Men who can channel the One Power go mad, so the Red Ajah hunt them and stop them from using the power. Most Aes Sedai can bond with male protectors called Warders, giving them stronger senses and abilities.

The main part of the world has three regions: the Westlands, Shara to the east, and the Aiel Waste between them. The Aiel Waste is separated from the Westlands by a large mountain range called the Spine of the World. The Great Blight, a corrupted area, connects the regions in the north and borders Seanchan. South of the Westlands is the Sea of Storms, and a small land called the Land of the Madmen. The Westlands include 14 nations and four major cities: Falme, Far Madding, Mayene, and Tar Valon. Other cities include Caemlyn, the capital of Andor, and Fal Dara, the northernmost city in Shienar. Two Rivers, a region in Andor, includes Emond's Field, where five main characters live. Shara is far to the south and is only accessible through walled towns. The world is sometimes called "Randland" after the main character, Rand al'Thor.

The Seanchan are a powerful empire that enslaves female channelers, called damane, using a ter'angreal called an a'dam controlled by women called sul'dam. They also capture Aes Sedai. The Children of the Light, or Whitecloaks, are a group that wants to destroy anyone who uses the One Power, believing they serve evil. In Shara, channelers are called Ayyad and live in isolated communities. Female rulers secretly control the monarchy by breeding male Ayyad and killing them by age 21.

The Aiel are a warrior people who live in the Aiel Waste, a harsh desert between the Westlands and Shara. They are tall with pale eyes and red or blond hair. There are 12 Aiel clans, plus the extinct Jenn Aiel, who built Rhuidean, a cultural center. The Maidens of the Spear are all-female warriors. Aiel women who can channel or navigate Tel'aran'rhiod, the World of Dreams, become Wise Ones instead of joining the Aes Sedai. They wait for a leader called the Car'a'carn to unite the clans.

The Ogier are tall, hairy people known for building and woodwork. They are peaceful and study history. They can sing to trees and plants to help them grow, a skill called treesinging. They live in safe places called steddings, where the One Power cannot be used. After a disaster called the Breaking of the World, male channelers created the Ways, paths through another dimension, to connect Ogier communities. These paths were later corrupted by a force called the Machin Shin, or Black Wind.

The Tinkers, or Tuatha'an, are nomadic people who travel in colorful wagons to stay safe. They follow the Way of the Leaf, avoiding violence. They search for "The Song," a lost melody from the Breaking of the World. The Sea Folk, or Atha'an Miere, live on ships and islands in the Sea of Storms. They trade goods on the mainland, and their porcelain sculptures are highly valued. These sculptures are made by the Amayar, a group protected by the Sea Folk since the Breaking of the World. The Amayar follow the Water Way, a peaceful lifestyle similar to the Way of the Leaf.

People who serve the Dark One are called Darkfriends. The Dark One's influence has also created creatures called Shadowspawn. Trollocs are monstrous, humanoid beings that enjoy killing and eating meat. They are led by Myrddraal, or Fades, shadowy creatures that avoid water. Gholam are human-like creatures with superhuman strength, immune to harm and the One Power, and feed on blood. Gray Men, or Soulless, are humans who lost their souls to become invisible assassins. Draghkar are flying, vampiric creatures that drink blood.

Plot

In The Eye of the World (1990), a mysterious noblewoman arrives in the small village of Emond's Field in the Two Rivers. This event happens before a group of monster-like creatures called Trollocs attacks the village. The woman introduces herself as Moiraine Damodred, a member of a powerful group called the Aes Sedai. She warns that followers of the Dark One are searching for three young men from the village: Rand al'Thor, Perrin Aybara, and Matrim Cauthon. The boys leave with Moiraine and her companion, Lan Mandragoran, a warrior known as a Warder. They are later joined by Egwene al'Vere, a girl Moiraine believes could become an Aes Sedai; Thom Merrilin, a storyteller; and Nynaeve al'Meara, a healer who discovers she can use a special power called the One Power. The group is chased by more Trollocs, led by dangerous creatures called Fades, and they escape from the cursed city of Shadar Logoth. At the Eye of the World, a sacred pool of pure saidin, Rand defeats two powerful enemies, Aginor and Ba'alzamon, proving to Moiraine that he might be the foretold hero called the Dragon Reborn.

After this, the story grows more complex. The main characters, including Rand, are often separated into different groups, each working on separate tasks to help the Dragon Reborn. The original group from Emond's Field makes new friends, gains skills, and becomes important figures. Their goal is to unite the western kingdoms against the Dark One’s forces, but this is difficult because some rulers refuse to share power, and groups like the Children of the Light, who do not believe in prophecies, and the Seanchan, a people from a distant land who want to conquer the world, oppose them. The Aes Sedai also disagree: some believe the Dragon Reborn should be controlled, while others think he must lead them into battle. As the story continues, new characters from different groups are introduced. While this helps show the large scale of the conflict, some readers feel it slows the story and makes the main characters appear less often.

By the sixth book, Lord of Chaos (1994), it becomes clear that the Last Battle, which begins when the Dark One regains power on Earth, is about to happen. Only three Seals, which lock the Dark One in prison, remain intact. Once these Seals break, the Dark One will be free to harm the world. The Last Battle, called Tarmon Gai'don, is described in the final book of the series, A Memory of Light (2013).

Novels

In 2002, The Eye of the World was reprinted as two volumes with new illustrations for younger readers. The first volume, From the Two Rivers, included an extra chapter titled Ravens before the existing prologue. The second volume, To the Blight, featured an expanded glossary. In 2004, The Great Hunt was also reprinted as two parts: The Hunt Begins and New Threads in the Pattern.

Development

Robert Jordan began writing The Eye of the World in 1984 and finished it in late 1988 or early 1989. During this time, the characters and story changed a lot. One early version of the story focused on an older man who learned late in life that he was the "chosen one" meant to save the world. However, Jordan decided to change the story to match the tone and style of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. He made the characters younger and less experienced. After this decision, writing became easier, and he completed the second book, The Great Hunt, around the same time the first book was published. Fantasy author Brandon Sanderson said Jordan originally planned the series as a trilogy.

Jordan wrote full-time at a very fast pace for several years until he finished the seventh book, A Crown of Swords. After that, he slowed down and wrote one book every two years. Fans were upset when he took time off to expand a short story into a prequel called New Spring, so he decided not to write more prequels and instead focused on finishing the last two books in the series. Jordan said he ignored criticisms that the later books slowed down and focused more on minor characters, but he admitted the structure of the tenth book, Crossroads of Twilight, did not work as he had planned. The eleventh book, Knife of Dreams, received positive feedback from critics and fans. Jordan announced the twelfth book, A Memory of Light, would end the series. According to Forbes, Jordan intended for this book to be the final one, even if it reached 2,000 pages.

In December 2005, Jordan was diagnosed with a serious heart condition called primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy. He planned to finish A Memory of Light even if his health worsened. He prepared notes in case he could not complete the book himself: “I’m getting out notes, so if the worst happens, someone could finish A Memory of Light and have it end the way I want it to end.”

Jordan died on September 16, 2007, and the future of the series became uncertain. On December 7, 2007, the publisher Tor Books announced that Sanderson would finish A Memory of Light. Sanderson, a longtime fan of the series, was chosen by Jordan’s widow, Harriet McDougal, partly because she liked his novels and partly because of a eulogy he wrote for Jordan. Jordan had left detailed notes, which helped Sanderson complete the final book.

In March 2009, Tor Books announced that A Memory of Light would be split into three volumes due to timing and continuity reasons. Sanderson estimated the book would have taken several years to write and would have reached 800,000 words. McDougal doubted Jordan could have finished it in one volume. The three volumes were published from 2009 to 2013 as The Gathering Storm, Towers of Midnight, and A Memory of Light, with the last using Jordan’s original title.

Before his death, Jordan had discussed adding two more prequels and an “outrigger” sequel trilogy. After A Memory of Light was released, Sanderson said these additional works would not be completed because Jordan left very few notes for them. In a 2023 blog post, Sanderson confirmed that writing more Wheel of Time books would not have followed Jordan’s wishes.

Two parts of A Memory of Light that were cut from the final book were later released as short stories in Unfettered anthologies, which support authors and artists with medical debt. River of Souls, a section removed for pacing, was published in 2013. A Fire in the Ways, a non-canon version of the final book’s climax, was included in 2019. A series glossary, The Wheel of Time Companion, was released in 2015.

Themes and influences

The Wheel of Time is a book from the modern fantasy genre, specifically high fantasy. The story takes place in a world that is both far in the past and far in the future of our real world because time repeats in cycles, not in a straight line. The first book introduces this idea:

The author, Robert Jordan, was influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien, including copying parts of the setting from the Shire in The Lord of the Rings. Ideas from religions that believe in one god include the contrast between good and evil and between "Creator" (Light) and "The Dark One" (Shaitan, a word from Islamic traditions that refers to the Devil). Other influences include stories from Arthurian legends, Norse and Irish myths, and real historical events. Jordan also included ideas from Eastern myths, which was uncommon in Western fantasy books. The idea of a "Wheel of Time" came from Hindu beliefs, such as the Yuga cycle and the Kalachakra in Buddhism. The series also includes themes like reincarnation and balance, and the symbol of the Aes Sedai looks like the yin and yang. The books were also inspired by Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

Fate is a major theme in the series. The story explores how an ordinary boy who is about to become an adult discovers he is meant to lead a major battle. It also examines the conflict between fate and free will. Some characters, called ta'veren, have the ability to affect history during difficult times, but even they can only do what the "Pattern" set by the Wheel of Time allows.

The series also shows different roles for men and women. In this world, only women can safely use magic, which affects how power is shared in families, communities, and governments. Many societies in the story are ruled by women.

Derivative works

Robert Jordan wrote two short stories for the Wheel of Time series in the late 1990s. The first, "The Strike at Shayol Ghul," was written thousands of years before the main series. It was shared online and later included in a book called The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. Jordan also wrote a short story called "New Spring" for an anthology in 1998. He later expanded this story into a full book, New Spring, which was published in January 2004.

While working on A Memory of Light, Brandon Sanderson removed two sections of the book and published them as short stories. "River of Souls" was included in Unfettered: Tales by Masters of Fantasy in 2013. "A Fire Within the Ways" was published in Unfettered III in 2019. Unlike "River of Souls," "A Fire Within the Ways" is not considered an official part of the series.

In November 1997, Tor Books released a companion book called The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. This book includes new background details about the series, such as maps of the world and information about the Seanchan continent. Jordan co-wrote the book with Teresa Patterson. He said the book was mostly official but noted it was written from the perspective of a historian in the Wheel of Time universe, which could include errors.

In November 2015, Tor published The Wheel of Time Companion, a book written by Harriet McDougal, Alan Romanczuk, and Maria Simons. This book acts as a detailed reference guide for the series. The authors began collecting information for it in 2005, and the book was released after the series ended.

In November 2022, Tor published Origins of the Wheel of Time, written by Michael Livingston. The book explains how Robert Jordan created the series, including influences from real-world events and works like Le Morte d'Arthur, The Lord of the Rings, and The White Goddess. It also includes a foreword by Harriet McDougal, excerpts from early drafts of the books, and a revised map of the world.

In 2004, Jordan sold the rights to create comics based on the series to Red Eagle Entertainment. Dabel Brothers began adapting the series in 2005, starting with New Spring. The comics were released monthly but stopped for three years after the fifth issue. Red Eagle said the pause was due to delays and changes in the creative team. The final three comics were published in 2009–2010. These comics were released alongside The Eye of the World comics by Dynamite Entertainment, which ran for 35 issues until 2013. All 43 comics were later collected into six graphic novels, with the last one released in February 2015.

In 2013, Harriet McDougal said the comics might continue if they remained popular. The series was inactive for a decade but returned when interest in the franchise grew with the television series. An adaptation of The Great Hunt began in November 2023.

A Wheel of Time MUD (a type of online game) has been active since 1993. It is set in a time period 30 years before the main series and has permission to use Jordan’s work, except for major characters.

A computer game called The Wheel of Time was released in 1999. In the game, players help Aes Sedai stop a robber and prevent the Dark One from escaping. Jordan advised on the game but did not write the story.

In 1999, Precedence Entertainment released three sets of The Wheel of Time Collectible Card Game.

In 2001, The Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game was released by Wizards of the Coast. It used rules from Dungeons & Dragons. A single adventure module was published in 2002, but no further products were made. Jordan said some details in the module conflicted with the books.

In 2009, EA Games bought the rights to create a MMORPG but the project was canceled around 2014.

In April 2025, iwot Studios (formerly Red Eagle Entertainment) announced a new action RPG set in the Wheel of Time universe. The game is being developed for PC and consoles.

In 1999, a soundtrack called A Soundtrack for the Wheel of Time was released, featuring music inspired by the books.

Several music bands have created songs about the series. For example, the German band Blind Guardian included two songs on their 2010 album. Other bands, such as Katana, Noble Beast, and Shaidar Logoth, have also written songs referencing characters and events from the series. Bands like Dragony, Freternia, Lyra, and Farseer have also created music inspired by the Wheel of Time.

Reception

The eighth through fourteenth books in the series each became number one on the New York Times Best Seller list. After the series was finished, it was nominated for a Hugo Award. As of 2021, the series has sold more than 90 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling epic fantasy series after The Lord of the Rings.

Many fans of The Wheel of Time attend Dragon Con, which had special events about the series from 2001 through 2012. The Wheel of Time now has its own annual convention called JordanCon, which has been held every year in Atlanta, Georgia, since 2009. The 2020 convention was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the event was held online using the Zoom platform. The 2023 convention in April marked the 15th anniversary of JordanCon’s founding.

A new convention called WoT Con took place from July 8–10, 2022, in Dublin, Ohio. This convention was created to focus on all aspects of The Wheel of Time, including novels, social media, and the television series. The second WoT Con was held from July 14–16, 2023.