Was it worth it? || Should You Read The Wheel of Time (Spoiler Free) [CC]

[@LifeasMonae]

I am freaking FLOORED that those 14 big books only cover 2 years...that alone places it at the top of my antiTBR

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Hahaha yea.....and both a lot and very little happens in those 2 years

[@VeronicasShelf]

This series got me through many years of bullying and it really have a very special place for me. But I 100% see a LOT of VERY valid critisism. 😅

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

I am glad it was a fantastic escape for you!

[@DaneofHalves]

I've been reading fiction/fantasy/sci-fi for 35 years. The more you read, the more the mind see patterns in narrative flow repeat, even with different authors. I've found, at this age, not to get too hung up on tropes and allow myself to absorb something in its entirety for what the author intended. I've found new reading experiences to become more enjoyable because of this. Sure, I see some things before they happen but I'm still surprised sometimes. I'd much rather run into a book with familiar narrative devices and plot movement than to find a book that subverts my expectations just for the sake of it. I want to grow with the characters. Not feel stupid and let down when the story takes a left turn and that turn doesn't really add anything. Sometimes it does. But lots of times it doesn't. I don't need a completely new reading experience when I pick up a book. I'm okay with SOME familiarity. I've found Re-reading a series or solo novel years after I've dismissed it to be much better the 2nd time around because I've found... That I have changed. ME. When you get older and experience your own life and the lessons it has to offer, a book you originally read 10 years ago may seem to have better narrative choices than I originally thought. That is not always the case. Sometimes a re-read reveals that some writings I originally liked are now very naive and sometimes flat out illogical. James Oliver Rigney Jr. studied at the Citadel in SC and has a background in physics. I've found this to be a fascinating background to have for a high fantasy writer. He has an education in both math and science AND, because he studied at the Citadel, probably has a decent education into historical wars/battles (The last thing might be an assumption on my part). I used to be in the military myself and lived for many years in proximity to the Citadel in SC. I've been there a time or 2 for Honor Guard duties in my role in the Air Force. It's a very elite military educational apparatus. So R.J. was no slouch. Brandon Sanderson himself was a long time fan of his and I loved that he finished the series for R.J. (Each of Brandon Sanderson's book in the Stormlight Archive are much much larger per volume than WoT books, oh my goodness.) I think it''s very impressive that someone can read something this long and keep going to the end long after you decided you didn't like it. A true fan of the printed word. Thank you for taking the time to organize your thoughts and point of view on this series and sharing it with us. I don't agree with most of it but that didn't make me enjoy the review any less. In fact, variety is the spice of life and different points of view like yours keep me interested in listening rather than falling asleep in an echo chamber like some videos. Personally, I'm fascinated that so many people like "The Name of the Wind" but I personally detested that book. It was like a Harry Potter clone with none of the payoff or glamour. But so many love it and that is very intriguing! Cheers! I hope someday you may decide to give the series another chance but if you don't then even better. I don't think it's healthy that something is universally loved. Then it borders on a religion and I don't like religion either. LOL Take care! 😀

[@billyalarie929]

Underrated comment. Well said, and the tolerance and leniency is refreshing.

[@bookswithjp]

This is literally 100% what I needed. Thanks for this insightful video, I'm literally the kind of reader you made this for and I can confidently say I need to DNF this series. I finished book 4 earlier this year but...yeah, I agree with everything you said.

[@heatherparisi8250]

I finished book 4 back in january and I was so confused to why it’s considered one of the best books in the series!?! I’m not continuing on either

[@martynabrewczyk3023]

​@@heatherparisi8250 yes! I stopped after book 2 last year and I feel even more confident in my decision that this series is not for me 😉

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

I think the world building reveals end up being a really big deal for fans but I also think that's so early in Book 4 and the pay off of that book is pretty minimal so I was also pretty confused

[@bookswithjp]

@@heatherparisi8250 I think it opens up the world and the history quite a bit. But it was definitely not the wow experience people describe haha

[@bookswithjp]

@@LiteratureScienceAlliance haha exactly, it's more like a world building reveal but that has so little implications on the story, at least immediately, so it's not as exciting as an interesting plot pivot or character moment

[@billyalarie929]

Your ability to articulate the important things is utterly MASTERFUL. Thank you for your presence here. I consider you a priority reviewer/explainer. You make all this stuff very accessible and concrete. Thank you for considering that.

[@billyalarie929]

*looks at time this vid was posted* Oh. Well I hope it makes your day anyway

[@esmayrosalyne]

I've only read the first 5 books and have always had the intention of continuing on, but I am also honestly not filled with excitement to actually read the damn books. Like, I want to have finished this series, but I don't want to go through the act of finishing it, lol. I always like these books better in hindsight than while reading them.... like you said, they feel cosy and familiar, but that doesn't mean that I have great fun with them while reading. I think I would end up with very similar feelings as you. And if even the Sanderson books didn't completely win you over again, then I have very little confidence that I would personally be satisfied with the journey. Also totally feel you on all the cool world building and lore being very much hidden here, there was so much potential dammit!! This was a super insightful and helpful video, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!! 🤩🤩

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

You should just try Chorus of Dragons again 😉

[@esmayrosalyne]

@@LiteratureScienceAlliance OMG I totally forgot to tell you, but I am reading together with Grace (and a couple of others in her discord) and absolutely fell in love this second time around!!! About to start book 3 this weekend, I am LIVING for these messy characters!!

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

@@esmayrosalyne YESSSSS

[@colsanders4036]

Good overall take. As far as the denseness/casual reader comments, I think the difference is how you read the series. You read it once straight through. Many of the people who are really dedicated to the series started it while it was still being written. And since it was 2-3 years between books, most of us (I began reading in 1995) started re-reading the entire searies to that point as each new book was released. As such, even for a casual reader like me, the repitition meant you picked up all the detail. As a result, there is so much to gain with the rereadinf. For example, I started rereading the entire searies beginning around book 4, so that meant that the first 4 books were read by me a total of 10-11 times by the end of the series. And for me the rereads showed me all the little details that were sprinkled in throughout and I was amazed by this. So this is part of why I love it. But your review is very fair and balanced and I think will be very useful for someone to try to decide if they want to read. The series is not for everyone. Thanks for your video.

[@PoorPersonsBookReviewer]

🎡 great video I'm almost done with winters heart and love trying to piece it all together with the hopes that Robert Jordan knew what he was doing, you did a great job at explaining with no spoilers.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

I have a weird opinion of liking Winter's Heart more than most people haha

[@thefairylibrarian3282]

This sounds kinda fun actually in a certain way. I wanna try this series at some point, because i think it could be something that i enjoy.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Best of luck! Hope it works for you!!

[@unavezms8167]

Congratulations on finishing the series. ❤

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Thank you! 😊

[@JessieMaeBooks]

This makes me happy I DNFed the series after book 1 but this was such a fantastic video Angela!!!! Thank you for making this! 💕

[@dulala2564]

Thank you for this. I am almost finished with bk 4, and the struggle is real. Considering some of the things you said, moving on to bk 5 will depend on how much time I have to waste. My major issue in this series so far will have to be the characters, I don't seem to care for them at all.

[@dkmoon7543]

Thanks for continuing the series to make such a great vid. I appreciate that you could maintain such a neutral bias. I love the series for it providing such a good description of the magic system.

[@alexiasp]

no plans of reading it, but i enjoy watching ur videos lol. I really trust your judgement 🙌

[@gabbylikestoread]

I'm considering starting the wheel of time but I keep hearing that is best enjoyed in a buddy read and It's hard to find people willing to commit because of the reasons you mentioned lol I enjoyed the first 2 seasons of the show enough that I wanna know what happens. I feel like I might read the first 4 and then assess if I wanna keep going from there. thank you for this video!

[@RyanLane42]

☸ I'm currently on book 13! I'm almost done 😜

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Best of luck!!

[@GraceDionneReads]

This is a fantastic, detailed and fair video! I also really had a good time hearing your thoughts throughout the reading experience ☺️ Even having enjoyed the series quite a bit while I was in it, I agree with so much of what you said here, and without a doubt the series has its flaws but it does become cozy even though I don’t think it’s meant to be 😂 I’m like halfway between the casual reader and mega fan because I wanted to keep all of the clues and intricate Easter eggs straight in my head without doing any of the extra leg work lol. Also, I am completely with you on being somewhat completionist and that I am drawn to reading formative works in fantasy! Thank you for making this video! I think it will help a lot of people

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Thanks for joining us in the middle for some buddy reads before trailing ahead to finish it in a reasonable time frame 😂

[@anangryscorpion5838]

I remember watching youtube videos about the famous emond's field five before I'd read the series and being so excited to dive into all these wonderful friendships etc, like damn that sounds so fun! Anyway, after reading a few books i was just like ????????????????

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yuppp you will not find healthy friendships in this series haha

[@davidwheeler2787]

I am still on the fence about starting this series. I am not super well versed in adult fantasy yet, having only read a few series. Thanks for making this video!…definitely some points you made to consider.😀

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

I think if you have read some adult fantasy you can atleast give it a try. The first book is not too overwhelming and follows a lot of tried and true tropes

[@lisaashely7498]

You sound a lot like my husband in terms of what you like and expect in your book reading experience. I’d consider myself a mega-fan (post-series-completion) - he’s def not- and we’re listening to the audio books together (4th time through for me- first for him). Hearing what you’ve said gives a more set voice to some of the complaints he has. I was never part of the online forums, etc. - so not part of that group. But what I really love is the depth of detail. The same things that drives my husband crazy- I love. I WANT to know the color of the dress and the odd food someone is eating. And my favorite aspect is the use of the unreliable narrator. It kept me on my toes as a reader. So for me, it’s my gold standard- and I have read a lot of fantasy. But it’s because it’s hitting all of the “love-to-haves” in a book series. I always tell people that if they don’t like multiple characters and heavy descriptions, it’s not for them. Thanks for the video!

[@saxybrit]

Thanks for making this video, Angela! I found it very helpful with expectations. I’ve read the first book and have been meaning to continue (for 1.5 years haha - let’s hope I don’t leave that long between each book). I’m going to continue and see how I go and whether I feel like engaging with all the other fan stuff online.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Hope it ends up being a fullfilling experience for you if you plan to continue!

[@bonniestevens4329]

I tried WOT, and made it through the first 3 books. I just could not continue, I was so bored. I moved on to Malazan and love it!

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yea Malazan is more my speed as well, but I also recognize that they are completely different projects

[@SarahAsYouWish]

Thanks for this honest take on the series. I have gone back and forth about whether or not I want to read WOT. I may pick it up some day, but that day will not be in the near future.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yea I wouldn't steer anyone away from it, just more want to set expectations for a casual reader since I think that experience is really different from the mega fan

[@RodgersReads]

This was truly a time...and I don't disagree with really any of your critiques lol ☸🎡

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Such a time

[@MariaMightReadThat]

“Cozy but not liking it” is how I felt in Hobb’s Fitz-centered books 😂 Thanks for this great overview! I think the type of friendship interactions you mentioned this has would be a big miss for me.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Honestly probably the reason I could never completely connect. I really never cared if this world made it or not cause these people kind of all suck

[@TheArtfulBrittani]

I stopped sometime last year after book 5. which does have a good ending, but I have yet to pick up book 6. at this point I hope I didn't lose to much remembering what happened... buy I'll probably try it and just stop if I can't get into it. I haven't hated reading them, its just a lot to not care about and then I do care in very few chapters. I remember hating book 2 for that reason....and I also started borrowing the audiobooks from the library for this reason too... I would love to see a non-spoiler character tier list from you. that sounds like fun!

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yea the whole "oh that was awesome" to "why are we focusing on this" flip flop was never ending in that series haha

[@lisaashely7498]

FYI- many people rank book 6 on the top of their list for WoT!

[@buriedinbooks3847]

Thanks for making this video! My husband and I started buddy reading these February 2021. He bowed out after book 2 but I’ve been stubbornly saying I’m going to continue while really having little interest in picking up book 3. It’s nice to hear someone have more neutral to negative thoughts about these because everyone always seems to gush (or maybe just read one book and then quietly never talk about them again!).

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yea the fans are very passionate, which is awesome, but I did find all the praise fairly misleading for me and my tastes

[@callinicobo5991]

Great video. I love the series, despite its many imperfections. I disagree about the endings, I think, with the exeptions of book 10, them are really good and very important for the story overall. But it's only my opinion. Thank you.

[@amandaplaysthesims]

I feel about the same as you for a lot of this. If I hadn't been buddy reading, I would've stopped it too, but I'm glad I stuck with it and finished. I liked the overall story, but it definitely wasn't completely for me and it had its moments.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yea such a mixed bag

[@robynpeace9048]

I'm on book 6 right now and enjoying the experience so far, I like big chunky books I can lose myself in for a few weeks so maybe this is way they work for me but I'm using them also as something to read when I don't want to start something new or I dont have antyting else to hold my interest at that moment and if I get another more interesting book I have 0 problem pausing WOT even for months before picking it up again, it took me almost 3 years to read 1 to 5

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Good to hear you have a pace and strategy that works well for you!

[@msrichardsreads]

Called out! 😂🛞🛞🛞

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Still love you! But also you need to finish! 😋😆

[@SkullandSwors_art]

(Paraphrase) “I didn’t really ‘enjoy it,’ but it became kind of cozy:” When a book series has inflicted you with Stockholm Syndrome 😓

[@Sarah.reads.sometimes]

The way my jaw dropped when you said this 15 book series is only over a span of 2 years 😮 Wow.

[@kthebookwyrm1590]

It's nice to see a more neutral WoT video, this is definitely a pretty polarizing series. I pushed through the first book as part of a project I was doing (that I ended up abandoning) and so much about it didn't work for me. I'm glad I didn't come across whatever video sucked you in, I probably would have been horribly disappointed.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yea I am still sad its now a series that captured my imagination like it did other people

[@karenlowe9283]

I only read the 1st book the only parts I liked involved the sorceress and her guard, I hated everyone else story. I hated how the end of the 1st book ended I was so confused where it just seemed to jump. Didn't bother with the rest of the series glad there are people out there who dnf it

[@robgst100]

Thank you for this insightful video. I mentioned it previously, but I’ll say it again, I had almost the exact same reaction as you when I recently completed the series. My feelings are as complicated as yours, and though the series was overall a bit disappointing (it never, ever quite gelled in the way I thought it would) I’m still…somewhat glad I read it? A big disappointment for me was how it dropped some of my fav characters in the last book. But hey, at least Egwene had a satisfying and complicated arc!

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yea the side lining of some main characters was pretty annoying for me as well

[@Seriuz-Biznus]

Incredible job! This was a fantastic video.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Thank you very much!

[@cipriansirbu3699]

I agree with everything you said.I'm currently halfway through book 13,I think I like it a bit more than you, but there were a lot of books where the story dragged for me,almost made me quit.The main thing that bothered me was the amount of characters.There were some books where Rand had only a few chapters,same with Perrin.I think the author focuses too much on the secondary characters.Also,Jordan's writing is not my favourite,Sanderson's on the other hand it's way easier.What I liked the most about the series is the world building,the races(The Aiel and the Seanchan were my favourites) and the magic system.I'm looking forward to the big finally,I'm not sorry reading this series and I will definitely do a reread sometimes in the future.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yea I think this series proves that even with essentially unlimited page count there is such thing as too many characters. very few people got what I considered satisfying endings since we had SO much ground to cover

[@sofia-bookishwanderess6752]

It's funny because i read the first two books in 2021, I liked them but didn't love them, and I was in no hurry to keep reading, but watching this video made me want to continue. I think i'll be annoyed with a lot of the things you mentioned, but the vast world, the diferente cultures and the goal of trying to figure out where the story is going, appeal to me.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Hey whatever works haha

[@Codyline]

Thank you for confirming I should never read this. 😂 I will at some point do some digging because I'm very curious about the concept of the world, but that's pretty much it. Or I'll just keep watching the show and look up any differences.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Seems like a good strategy to me!

[@christeascozycorner]

how are you so good at convincing me to read something even though most of the things you said about it were negative? 🤣 but no seriously, now i want to try it out!!! ☸ (is this a wheel emoji)

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Hahaha you are not the only one to say this 😂

[@amusicalbookworm]

This video was really well discussed! Thank you!

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Thank you for watching!

[@sophiasthoughts]

I haven't read one of these books in a looong time. Well over a year. I got as far as book 4 and I'm still so conflicted about continuing. I think I want to but it really isn't a priority, ya know?

[@victoriahelmich884]

This is very helpful! Character interactions are the most important part of a novel to me, so that’s a huge red flag.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yea.... I realized early on we were just never going to fix that and i was in for a rough time

[@manolitita_gafotas]

⚙

[@zan8152]

Feels very similar to my experience reading it - I feel much more negative now with some time from it, but I also didn't quite have the 'creator' support you talked about - A lot of it has so much promise, but it's a let down in the basic repetition of cultures and character beats, which... is not at all what fans describe it as. I wonder if there's something I missed to it, but... nah I'm not going back.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yea some things are pretty original and thought out and others feel copy and pasted with slight changes

[@michaelmammano-cheydleur2651]

I just finished WoT about a month ago. Took me two and a half years, and I almost rage quit after Path of Daggers. I agree heartily with pretty much everything you said. I was very much like "I get why this element is thematically appropriate, but it's making want to murder all these characters, so can you ease up on it a little?"

[@FallenAdam]

Really liked this video. I am one of those mega fans who's reread the series time and time and time again in the last twenty years. Which does render me completely unable to say how casual readers should approach this series. Did you happen to read The Attack on Shayol Ghul? Which to those who haven't read the series, you shouldn't go looking it up. Shouldn't be read until around Path of Daggers.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

I have not, is that a short story or novella?

[@richdouglas9241]

☸

[@amotleyartwkatherine]

It is weird when you finish a book or series and have the that was good but I hated/mad at it response.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

For sure!

[@paperbacksgalore]

how were these books in terms of the portrayal of women?

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Not the worst but also not the best. But I would say its also pretty shallow in its portrayal of men. Basically its very men are from mars women are from venus but its portrayed that way to get you to the point where everything is better when they work together. But plenty of strong female and male characters. I am not a visual reader but I hear there is a lot of mention of arms crossing under boobs.

[@tweegerm]

Where could one find out about this hidden/visual reader world lore? Piqued my interest but this video confirmed I am not going to read the series.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

I would just google/type in youtube search. like Lore of Wheel of Time would probably show you some cool videos

[@kartik3719]

I guess my question would be what other books would you comp this series to? 🛞

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

This is difficult cause there are very few series of this scope in existence. Obviously Stormlight and Mistborn are inspired by Wheel of Time but are not the same and I also wouldn't compare this to Malazan. It has a lot of Lord of the Ring Influences but Wheel of Time is sort of its own beast.

[@lauracorsi3309]

I feel like when Robert Jordan started writing this series there was much less epic fantasy like Jordan was doing. There was Tolkien and then there was.....Ummm. Yeah. So Jordan was like rain in the desert and everyone reading at that time was so desperate for good fantasy that they were willing to put in the work. Now, thankfully, there is much more available epic fantasy wise and authors who do it better for some people than Jordan did. Mileage may vary, of course.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Its for sure unique, someone was asking for books this is like and I don't really have a good comp for it since there really isn't anything this long that reads like this. Even Stormlight is very different and also only 4 books so far

[@curtiswfranks]

If you are reading this series for its characterwork, then you are probably going to be frustrated. It is not that sort of story. I am detail-oriented, puzzle-solver, world-building-oriented reader. I do not really care about characters. So, these books work for me. But, yeah, in retrospect: I am not surprised that these did not work for you. Sorry for any role that I played in your suffering!

[@chrisalluna6733]

🎡⏳

[@TheShimmeringCrystal]

WOT is such a strange book series for me. I couldn’t stand Jordan’s over repetitive writing, the tugging of the braid was next level annoying. Yet after reading three of the books I was invested in the characters that I had to know what happens to them. It’s a three stars series and 14 books is way to long for it to be so.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yea, that's relatable

[@macrograms]

i read the whole thing. i'm not a fan of Sanderson's contribution to the end but "what we get is what we get." The series is a huge undertaking as far as word count [to read] and it was worth it for me even with the issues it has. Issues? For example: Matrim Cauthon was such an interesting character and the conclusion of his story IMHO is missing and/or completely unsatisfying. A number of the main characters in this series had their stories cut short -- it seems like the story was going somewhere and just had to be ended because we live in a society or whatever. The real reason: Brian Sanerson is mormon. Joseph Smith had 32 wives, some were children. Polyamory from Sanderson's POV isn't enlightened or 'liberated' - it's archaic, ignorant, and sexist.

[@30Huckleberry]

Soooo much egotism 🙄. Love the books but I cringe all the time.

[@ThatsSoPoe]

I think this covers a lot of my thoughts too, although I think I enjoyed the descriptions a little more than you. The bickering, though, was unbearable...

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yea I am surprised you made it so far cause the bickering is unyielding

[@marleens]

Thank you for this video! I was so hesitant to start this series because of its length, but kept it on my tbr because you hear so much about it and it’s such a big foundational series. But listening to all this I have decided to let this one go. I think it would give me more frustration along the way than satisfaction. Thanks! I might go watch the show instead 🤗 And I loved the tapestry weaving metaphor about the plot threads. 🛞

[@sarahheartsbooks1]

I love this video. All of your points are saying it's not the series for me... But I still want to read it...? Send help lol 🎡

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Oh nooooo sending all the good vibes 😂

[@Zugzug386]

Thank you Angela, I made it to Crossroads of Twilight reading about one to two books a year for a while. I liked some of the characters wanted to dive deeper into the world and so on. But ran out of gas after a while. Like you said I often felt the personalities of characters in different regions could have been more distinct and so many characters... lol. May those who desire it feel free from the tapestry of WOT 🎡o🕰

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Hahaha yes be free! Also Crossroads of Twilight is by far the WORST book in that series. So long with nothing and a fairly transphobic reveal too

[@aden.e]

🎡

[@jodydiou]

🛞

[@SheWasOnlyEvie]

🎡⏲

[@sgaston3969]

🎡

[@fttoma]

🎡🎡

[@Octobig]

🎡⏳

[@samg4337]

🛞⌚⌛

[@billyalarie929]

🦽