Ill preface with the fact that overall I think it’s more than worth your time, and is one of the greatest works of fiction ever made. That being said, it takes a little work to read as it is a VERY long series, and does a lot of worldbuilding. There is a point towards the middle where the “depth of field” of the story increases dramatically, and from my experience and my friend who has also read them, that is typically a burnout point. There isnt as much prose as in Tolkien’s works, though some of that is just cultural/temporal, but Robert Jordan was definitely in love with the story and takes the time to describe things fairly often. Im confident you’re likely to greatly enjoy the first three books and the last few books, but the middle could be a stumbling block.
Additionally, if you aren’t aware already, RJ passed away before the last book(s) could be finished and his wife arranged for Brandon Sanderson to collate all of the drafts and notes and conjure up a conclusion, which could definitely be something to consider. Personally, I was already a Brandon Sanderson fan before I read WoT, and I loved the ending.
One last thing, if you are deterred by the series or not ready to try it yet but still want a less-daunting rec, I love to recommend the Licanius Trilogy by James Islington. It is a reasonable length, it is one complete story, and it is just 🤌. End rant
edit: I forgot to mention that I am an audiobook-oriented person and greatly prefer them for the wheel of time. They’re narrated by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading, and they are EXCELLENT narrators.
You’ve got a friend in me, as the only times I have to allocate towards books is the hour commute to and from work every day, I will listen to my audiobooks that I have found or that have been recommended by wonderful people like you!
I will give the Wheel of Time and even the Licanius Trilogy a go, as I do like the epicness of LotR!
It is crazy how narrators can make or break some books though, isn’t it?!
Also, I just finished Fahrenheit 451, and the narrator had the “golden-age” of radio kinda voice and made it so much better than if I was just reading it myself!
Thank you again for taking the time out of your day to gush about something you love! 😁
If you do like Wheel of Time it’s always worth giving Brandon himself a shot as well. He’s busy writing his own universe called Cosmere. It’s got a few different series based on different planets and magic systems that can mostly be read as standalones, but they are also connected in… let’s just say ‘certain ways’ for now. Mistborn is a popular starting point. Personally I think ‘Emperor’s Soul’ is better if you want to try out his writing style, since it’s only about 100 pages or so.
Ill preface with the fact that overall I think it’s more than worth your time, and is one of the greatest works of fiction ever made. That being said, it takes a little work to read as it is a VERY long series, and does a lot of worldbuilding. There is a point towards the middle where the “depth of field” of the story increases dramatically, and from my experience and my friend who has also read them, that is typically a burnout point. There isnt as much prose as in Tolkien’s works, though some of that is just cultural/temporal, but Robert Jordan was definitely in love with the story and takes the time to describe things fairly often. Im confident you’re likely to greatly enjoy the first three books and the last few books, but the middle could be a stumbling block.
Additionally, if you aren’t aware already, RJ passed away before the last book(s) could be finished and his wife arranged for Brandon Sanderson to collate all of the drafts and notes and conjure up a conclusion, which could definitely be something to consider. Personally, I was already a Brandon Sanderson fan before I read WoT, and I loved the ending.
One last thing, if you are deterred by the series or not ready to try it yet but still want a less-daunting rec, I love to recommend the Licanius Trilogy by James Islington. It is a reasonable length, it is one complete story, and it is just 🤌. End rant
edit: I forgot to mention that I am an audiobook-oriented person and greatly prefer them for the wheel of time. They’re narrated by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading, and they are EXCELLENT narrators.
You’ve got a friend in me, as the only times I have to allocate towards books is the hour commute to and from work every day, I will listen to my audiobooks that I have found or that have been recommended by wonderful people like you!
I will give the Wheel of Time and even the Licanius Trilogy a go, as I do like the epicness of LotR!
It is crazy how narrators can make or break some books though, isn’t it?!
Also, I just finished Fahrenheit 451, and the narrator had the “golden-age” of radio kinda voice and made it so much better than if I was just reading it myself!
Thank you again for taking the time out of your day to gush about something you love! 😁
If you do like Wheel of Time it’s always worth giving Brandon himself a shot as well. He’s busy writing his own universe called Cosmere. It’s got a few different series based on different planets and magic systems that can mostly be read as standalones, but they are also connected in… let’s just say ‘certain ways’ for now. Mistborn is a popular starting point. Personally I think ‘Emperor’s Soul’ is better if you want to try out his writing style, since it’s only about 100 pages or so.