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137-463: The book's title is a reference to the increasing coldness of Rand al'Thor 's personality and to the return of winter following the reversal in the previous book, The Path of Daggers , of the unnatural heat caused by the Dark One 's manipulation of the climate . Winter's Heart was the first Wheel of Time book for which the prologue, entitled "Snow", was first sold as an ebook in advance of

274-476: A prequel novel and three companion books . Jordan died in 2007 while working on what was planned to be the twelfth and final volume in the series. He prepared extensive notes, which enabled fellow fantasy-author Sanderson to complete the final book, which grew into three volumes: The Gathering Storm (2009), Towers of Midnight (2010), and A Memory of Light (2013). The series draws on numerous elements of both European and Asian mythology , most notably

411-485: A Q&A following the release of A Memory of Light , Sanderson ruled out the completion of these works; Jordan had left very little in the way of notes for these additional novels – only two sentences in the case of the sequel trilogy. Sanderson addressed the subject again in a 2023 blog post, and stated that writing additional Wheel of Time works would have gone against the wishes of Robert Jordan. Two cut portions of A Memory of Light were released as short stories in

548-595: A bloodline of channelers by using male Ayyad as uneducated breeding stock and executing them by age 21. The Aiel are a fierce warrior race who live in the Three-fold Land, called the Aiel Waste by outsiders, an inhospitable desert region located between the Westlands and Shara. They are tall, with characteristic pale eyes, and red or blond hair. There are 12 Aiel clans, plus the extinct Jenn Aiel, who built

685-532: A cell by his disgusted mother. Though he protests that his allegiance to the Dark One has made their fortune, Anvaere has already reported his crime to the authorities and sealed his fate. Barthanes Damodred is the High Seat of House Damodred and cousin to the former king of Carhien. In The Great Hunt , he invites Rand al'Thor to a party to gauge Rand's loyalties. Barthanes is secretly a Darkfriend, and passes

822-781: A former psychologist obsessed with beauty and control. She is notable for her mastery of Compulsion, the use of the One Power to control other's minds. In the series, her plots with Sammael , Demandred and Aran'gar come to nothing, and she is punished with death for her failure to kill Perrin Aybara after being given the tools to do so by Moridin . Liandrin Guirale is an Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah. In The Great Hunt , she lures Aes Sedai novices Egwene al'Vere, Nynaeve al'Meara and Elayne Trakand to Falme by telling them their friend Rand al'Thor

959-547: A major struggle. It also deals with the divide between fate and free will . Some major characters are ta'veren , who have exceptional abilities to influence the course of history in a tumultuous period, but even they can only go so far as permitted by "The Pattern" that is being set by the Wheel of Time. The series also featured alternative portrayals of the role of gender in society. The nature of magic in its world means that only women can safely use it. This disparity influences

1096-517: A malevolent force known as the Machin Shin, or Black Wind, which attacks travelers. The Tinkers, or Tuatha'an , are a nomadic group of people who travel continuously and widely in brightly colored wagons, believing this is the only way to remain safe. They follow the pacifistic Way of the Leaf, which eschews violence. The Tuatha'an's main purpose has evolved to searching for "The Song", lost during

1233-467: A message from the duplicitous Padan Fain luring Rand to Falme. Barthanes is subsequently murdered by an agent of the Dark One. A version of the character is portrayed by Will Tudor in the Wheel of Time television adaptation, first appearing in the 2023 episode "Damane". In the series, Barthanes is the nephew of Moiraine Damodred, the son of her sister Anvaere, and is engaged to be married to Galldrain,

1370-645: A name for the Devil or Satan ). Other influences include Arthurian legends , Norse mythology and Irish mythology , as well as real life history. In addition, Jordan also drew influences from Eastern mythology, which was rare for a Western fantasy series. The concept of a wheel of time was drawn from Hinduism . Versions of the concept include the Yuga cycle in Hinduism and Kalachakra in Buddhism . The series

1507-641: A plot to assassinate Elayne Trakand in The Dragon Reborn . Thom is portrayed by Alexandre Willaume in the Wheel of Time television series adaptation, first appearing in the 2021 episode " A Place of Safety ". Logain Ablar is a powerful male channeler who believes himself to be the Dragon Reborn, but is deemed a False Dragon by the Aes Sedai and gentled, or cut off from the One Power. He

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1644-593: A possible reincarnation of the Dragon, flees Emond's Field with Rand and his other friends in The Eye of the World . Chased by emissaries of the Dark One, the group takes shelter in the cursed city of Shadar Logoth , from which Mat takes a ruby dagger. The weapon, corrupted by the malevolent entity that has taken hold of the city, begins to taint Mat, debilitating his body and infusing him with hostility and paranoia. Mat joins

1781-624: A potential Aes Sedai; the gleeman Thom Merrilin ; and later the Wisdom Nynaeve al'Meara , a healer who learns she can also channel the One Power. They are pursued by increasing numbers of Trollocs, led by deadly, eyeless Fades, and are separated fleeing the cursed, abandoned city of Shadar Logoth . At the Eye of the World, a sacred pool of untainted saidin , Rand's defeat of the Forsaken Aginor and Ba'alzamon convinces Moiraine that he

1918-601: A short story entitled " New Spring ", for the 1998 anthology Legends edited by Robert Silverberg . Jordan later expanded this into the stand-alone novel New Spring that was published in January 2004. During Brandon Sanderson's work on A Memory of Light , two sections of the book were cut and later published as short stories in anthologies. The first, "River of Souls", was published in Unfettered: Tales by Masters of Fantasy (2013). The second, "A Fire Within

2055-453: A television series was in development. A new adaptation of the series was announced on 20 April 2017, produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with Red Eagle Entertainment and Radar Pictures, with Rafe Judkins as showrunner and executive producer. In February 2018, Amazon Studios announced a deal with Sony Pictures Television to co-develop the series for distribution on its streaming service Amazon Prime Video . The series

2192-467: A vast and powerful empire whose civilization has developed at a distance from the primary continent of the series. Their culture enslaves female channelers, who they believe are too dangerous to be free. Such channelers, known as damane , are collared with a ter'angreal called an a'dam , which allows women known as sul'dam to harness and control their channeling power. As the Seanchan invade, they use

2329-529: A way to escape the city himself. But since the Dark One has touched and changed Fain's soul, Mordeth can only merge with Fain, not overtake him completely. Fain escapes Aes Sedai captivity in The Great Hunt , stealing both Mat's dagger and the powerful Horn of Valere in the process. Fain is portrayed by Johann Myers in the Wheel of Time television series adaptation. Graendal is one of the Forsaken,

2466-668: A weapon of the One Power which erases the target from existence, retroactively through time. The most significant minions of the Shadow are the Forsaken, a group of male and female channelers from the Second Age, or the Age of Legends, who are among the most powerful to have ever lived. Calling themselves "Those Chosen to Rule the World Forever", they pledged their loyalty to the Dark One in exchange for power and immortality. In turn,

2603-470: Is a Wheel of Time MUD , identified as such or by the initialism WoTMUD , which is based on a world like that of the Wheel of Time but set in a time frame around 30 world years prior. It has been in operation almost continuously since 1993. Notably, the WoTMUD had gained written permission from the author to use his creation including all but major characters. A computer game named The Wheel of Time

2740-565: Is a high-ranking officer of the Children of Light, and the son of Geofram Bornhald . He develops an obsession with Perrin after Geofram's death. Dain is portrayed by Jay Duffy in the Wheel of Time television adaptation, first appearing in the 2023 episode "Damane". Anvaere Damodred is a noblewoman in Cairhien and the sister of Moiraine Damodred. She is mentioned briefly in the prequel novel New Spring (2004). An expanded version of

2877-502: Is a series of high fantasy novels by American author Robert Jordan , which began with The Eye of the World in 1990. Jordan wrote the first 11 novels of the series, and the prequel novel New Spring (2004), before his death in 2007. The final three novels— The Gathering Storm (2009), Towers of Midnight (2010), and A Memory of Light (2013)—were co-written by American author Brandon Sanderson . The series features 2787 distinct named characters. The Wheel of Time follows

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3014-429: Is almost entirely ignored and separated from the plot, which Michaels complained was an ongoing trend of at least one overlooked character in each book in the series. He did say that the final scene of the book, which changed and recontextualized much of the prior works, was worth its entry in the series, but only for those already invested from reading the rest of the books. Rand al%27Thor The Wheel of Time

3151-441: Is an encapsulating glossary of the entire series. The authors began compiling material for the volume as early as 2005, and the final book was released after the series' conclusion. Origins of The Wheel of Time by Michael Livingston was released on 8 November 2022. In 2004, Jordan sold the film, television, video game, and comic rights to the series to production company Red Eagle Entertainment. Dabel Brothers began adapting

3288-530: Is attacked by a horde of Trollocs. He joins a group of young villagers who flee under the guidance of the Aes Sedai Moiraine Damodred and her Warder, Lan Mandragoran. Thom is presumed killed when he helps Rand al'Thor and Mat Cauthon escape by fighting a Fade , or Myrddraal, the deadly, eyeless creatures who lead the pursuing Trollocs. Thom is proven to be alive after all when he is reunited with Rand in The Great Hunt , and he helps Mat foil

3425-577: Is believed to be the prophesied Dragon Reborn. The Dark One who seeks to seduce the Dragon to the Shadow, or destroy him. Having led the Trollocs to the village but failing in his mission, Fain is forced to join in the continuing pursuit by the Fades, or Myrddraal, the deadly, eyeless creatures who command the Trollocs. Fain sees a chance to escape the Myrddraal when Rand's group evades capture by entering

3562-566: Is depicted in the fourteenth and final novel in the series, A Memory of Light (2013). In 2002, The Eye of the World was repackaged as two volumes with new illustrations for younger readers: From the Two Rivers , including an extra chapter ( Ravens ) before the existing prologue; and To the Blight with an expanded glossary . In 2004, the same was done with The Great Hunt , with the two parts being The Hunt Begins and New Threads in

3699-757: Is enlisted by the Forsaken Lanfear to train Rand al'Thor in the use of the One Power, if she can convince Rand to accept. Asmodean pursues his own agenda, attempting to gain control of one of two powerful sa'angreal called the Choedan Kal . Warned by Lanfear, Rand thwarts his plan, and manages to sever Asmodean's connection with the Dark One. Asmodean, shielded by Lanfear from using his full power, commits to training Rand. He accompanies Rand on his travels and trains him diligently in The Fires of Heaven , but

3836-787: Is in trouble. Once there, they are betrayed by Liandrin, secretly a Darkfriend and member of the Black Ajah , and handed over to the Seanchan High Lady Suroth to be enslaved. Liandrin is portrayed by Kate Fleetwood in the Wheel of Time television series adaptation, first appearing in the 2021 episode "A Place of Safety". Ishamael is the most powerful of the Forsaken, and the only man known to be equal in power to Lews Therin Telamon and his reincarnation, Rand al'Thor. Originally named Elan Morin Tedronai, he joined

3973-410: Is killed by an unknown assailant just as he has resigned himself to siding with Rand against the Dark One. Balthamel is a former historian who became one of the Forsaken for the promise of immortality. He ran an extensive spy network for the Dark One, and oversaw camps of humans were used to feed the carnivorous Trollocs. Balthamel and the Forsaken Aginor confront Rand and his companions in The Eye of

4110-740: Is known as the Daughter of the Nine Moons. He courts her in Crossroads of Twilight (2003) and they marry in Knife of Dreams (2005), with Mat gaining the title "Prince of the Ravens". Mat is portrayed by Barney Harris in season one of the Wheel of Time television series adaptation, and by Dónal Finn in season two. Perrin Aybara, a blacksmith and woodworker in Emond's Field, is also possibly

4247-529: Is later healed by Nynaeve al'Meara, and becomes a sworn ally to Rand al'Thor. Logain is portrayed by Álvaro Morte in the Wheel of Time television adaptation, first appearing in the 2021 episode "A Place of Safety". Aginor is one of the most devious of the Forsaken, powerful channelers who became servants of the Dark One during the Second Age, or the Age of Legends. He created the Dark One's army of Shadowspawn, including Myrddraal, Trollocs, Draghkar and gholam . Originally an amoral biologist, Aginor joined

Winter's Heart - Misplaced Pages Continue

4384-406: Is later reincarnated by the Dark One as Moridin . Aes Sedai The Wheel of Time is a series of high fantasy novels by American author Robert Jordan , with Brandon Sanderson as a co-author for the final three installments. Originally planned as a six-book series with the publication of The Eye of the World in 1990, The Wheel of Time came to span 14 volumes, in addition to

4521-929: Is more focused on her need to find Rand in the city than with reconnecting with her sister. Though Moiraine is the elder sibling, thanks to the One Power she appears much younger than Anvaere, who is quick to remind Moiraine that she has weathered much adversity since last they met. And as the local spymaster, Anvaere is able to lead Moiraine to Rand in time for her to help him escape the Forsaken Lanfear. Moiraine and Rand take refuge with Anvaere and her son Barthanes Damodred in "Damane". A frank conversation with Anvaere prompts Moiraine to change plans and allow Rand to confront Lanfear, rather than keep running. In " Eyes Without Pity ", Anvaere lashes out at Moiraine when she rebuffs Barthanes's earnest efforts to reconnect with his aunt. Later, Moiraine gives encouragement to Barthanes, who will soon be king thanks to his engagement to

4658-669: Is one of the Forsaken, formerly a lawyer and close friend of Lews Therin Telamon who with him rediscovered the art of swordplay in battle. In The Dragon Reborn , Be'lal has escaped imprisonment and taken the identity High Lord Samon of Tear. He lures Rand al'Thor to the Stone of Tear, knowing that as the Dragon Reborn only Rand can retrieve the powerful sword Callandor . Rand claims it, and Be'lal battles him with his superior swordsmanship to take Callandor for himself. Moirane Damodred intervenes, destroying Be'lal with balefire . Dain Bornhald

4795-409: Is rotated by a magical force called the One Power. The ability to access and wield the One Power is known as channeling, and only women can do this safely. Artifacts called angreal amplify the One Power, with sa'angreal being the most potent, and ter'angreal limited to specific functions. A matriarchal order called the Aes Sedai, made up of female channelers, are both respected and feared across

4932-583: Is set in the Third Age of a fantasy world in which the pattern of human existence is determined and maintained by the Wheel of Time, a cosmic embodiment of eternal return . The Wheel spins the Pattern of the Ages, manifest in both the physical world and human destiny, using the lives of men and women as its threads, and individuals with the power to influence and change the Pattern are called ta'veren . The Wheel

5069-473: Is the prophesied Dragon Reborn. From then, the story expands and protagonist Rand, as well as the other characters, are frequently split into different groups, pursuing different missions or agendas aimed at furthering the cause of the Dragon Reborn, sometimes thousands of miles apart. Broadly speaking, the original group of characters from the Two Rivers make new allies, gain experience, and become figures of some influence and authority. As they struggle to unite

5206-715: Is trapped in the city of Ebou Dar in Altara , under Seanchan occupation. His escape is disrupted by a Seanchan noblewoman named Tuon , the heir to the Seanchan Crystal Throne ; and Mat, having heard a prophecy of his own marriage to the Daughter of the Nine Moons , referring to Tuon herself, kidnaps her during his and his men's escape from the city. Rand al'Thor is appointed a Warder by Elayne Trakand , Aviendha , and Min Farshaw ; and later kills most of

5343-647: The New York Times Best Seller list . After its completion, the series was nominated for a Hugo Award . As of 2021 , the series has sold over 90 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling epic fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings . Its popularity has spawned comic book adaptations , a collectible card game , a video game , a roleplaying game , and a soundtrack album. A television series adaptation produced by Sony Pictures and Amazon Studios premiered in 2021. The series

5480-657: The Asha'man traitors in Far Madding . Lan also kills Toram Riatin in a duel. Caught by guards, Rand is imprisoned for a short time but is set free by Cadsuane and the other Aes Sedai. Rand and Nynaeve al'Meara Travel to Shadar Logoth . There, defended by Cadsuane Melaidhrin 's Aes Sedai and loyal Asha'man against the Forsaken , Rand and Nynaeve use the Choedan Kal, two giant sa'angreal , to cleanse saidin of

5617-498: The Dark One 's influence. In the process, Shadar Logoth, the access key to the female Choedan Kal, and the female Choedan Kal itself are destroyed. For the Centre Daily Times , Jacob W. Michaels noted that, by this book, the series is "beginning to drag" due to the complexity of the story and the number of main characters. Despite entire chapters dedicated to backstory, one of the primary characters, rebel leader Egwene,

Winter's Heart - Misplaced Pages Continue

5754-540: The Dragon has been reborn, signaling that a final battle with the Dark One is coming. The Seven Seals of the Dark One's prison have weakened, and the Forsaken begin to reenter the world, presenting a new threat and paving the way for their master. In the backstory of the series, the Wheel of Time and the universe were forged at the dawn of time by a deity known as the Creator, simultaneously imprisoning its antithesis,

5891-647: The Green Ajah , and rediscovers the lost talent of creating ter'angreal , artifacts which amplify the One Power in specific ways. Elayne is portrayed by Ceara Coveney in the Wheel of Time television series adaptation, first appearing in the 2023 episode " Strangers and Friends ". Elmindreda "Min" Farshaw is a clairvoyant whom Rand meets in The Eye of the World . She has the unusual ability to see visions and auras around people that predict future events in some way, though they are often subject to interpretation. Aware of Min's talents, which are unconnected to

6028-618: The Red Ajah , and handed over to the Seanchan High Lady Suroth to be enslaved. Nynaeve and Elayne escape, but Egwene is collared with an a'dam , a device used by the Seanchan to control channelers. A captive Min is helpless to intervene in Egwene's subsequent torture, but helps Nynaeve and Elayne rescue her. Egwene is portrayed by Madeleine Madden in the Wheel of Time television series adaptation. In The Eye of

6165-590: The Shadowspawn who are hunting the Dragon Reborn. She joins the White Tower of the Aes Sedai as a novice in The Great Hunt . She and Nynaeve al'Meara , her friend from Emond's Field and a fellow novice, hear news that Rand is in trouble in Falme. They sneak out of the White Tower, joined by novice Elayne Trakand and their friend Min Farshaw . In Falme, they are betrayed by Liandrin Guirale , an Aes Sedai of

6302-683: The Stone of Tear and claims the crystal sword Callandor , a powerful sa'angreal , an artifact which amplifies the One Power. He learns that he is the son of Shaiel, an Aiel Maiden of the Spear, and Janduin , chief of the Taardad Aiel, in The Shadow Rising (1992). Selene reveals herself to be the Forsaken Lanfear, who was in love with Lews, and shares her plans to help him become all-powerful. In The Fires of Heaven (1993), however,

6439-515: The Two Rivers , is attacked by a horde of monstrous Trollocs . Rand and his friends flee with Moiraine Damodred , an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah who believes that one of them is the prophesied Dragon Reborn, the reincarnation of Lews Therin Telamon , a hero of the Age of Legends. The group is pursued by agents of a malevolent figure known as the Dark One , who seeks to seduce the Dragon to

6576-459: The a'dam to enslave any Aes Sedai they can. Also opposing the Aes Sedai are the Children of the Light, or Whitecloaks, a quasi-religious, militarized order bent on destroying anyone who channels the One Power, believing they are servants of the Shadow. In Shara, channelers are known as Ayyad, and isolate themselves in special communities. The females, who secretly control the monarchy, cultivate

6713-460: The cyclical nature of time found in Buddhism and Hinduism ; the metaphysical concepts of balance , duality , and a respect for nature found in Taoism ; and the dualistic concepts of God and Satan . The Wheel of Time is notable for its length, detailed imaginary world , magic system, and its large cast of characters . The eighth through fourteenth books each reached number one on

6850-431: The "worse comes to worst," he made preparations in case he was not able to complete the book: "I'm getting out notes, so if the worst actually happens, someone could finish A Memory of Light and have it end the way I want it to end." With Jordan's death on 16 September 2007, the conclusion of the series was in question. On 7 December of that year, the publisher Tor Books announced that fantasy author Brandon Sanderson

6987-497: The 2023 episode " Damane ". In the series, Perrin Aybara frees her from a cage she has been placed in by the Whitecloaks , but she proves herself more than capable of defending herself when she singlehandedly defeats a group of them unarmed. Thomdril "Thom" Merrilin is a traveling gleeman and adventurer, and former bard to Queen Morgase of Andor. In The Eye of the World , he is in the remote village of Emond's Field when it

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7124-599: The Aes Sedai who are trained at the Black Tower, a converted farmhouse near Caemlyn . In A Crown of Swords (1996), Rand defeats the Forsaken Sammael and takes the crown of Illian . In Towers of Midnight (2010), Rand conceives a controversial plan to shatter the remaining seals on the Dark One's prison in order to recreate a strong and uncorrupted one. Rand confronts the Dark One in A Memory of Light (2013), and they realize they must coexist because

7261-660: The Aes Sedai, confirms Rand is the Dragon Reborn in The Great Hunt (1990), and Moiraine's Warder , Lan Mandragoran trains Rand in swordplay. During the hunt for the stolen Horn of Valere , Rand is transported to a distorted world where he meets the mysterious Selene , who helps him get back to the real world. Rand later defeats the High Lord Turak , leader of the Seanchan forces invading Falme , in single combat. In The Dragon Reborn (1991), Rand travels to

7398-448: The Aes Sedai, who possess the ability to channel , the term for accessing and wielding the One Power. As the series progresses, new characters join the ongoing struggle against the malevolent Dark One and his minions. Since 2021, the novels have been adapted into an Amazon Prime Video series, The Wheel of Time . Introduced in The Eye of the World (1990), Rand al'Thor is a sheep herder whose remote village Emond's Field , in

7535-408: The Breaking of the World, which they claim they will know when they find it. The Sea Folk, or Atha'an Miere , are dark-skinned people with complex customs who live on ships and on islands in the Sea of Storms. They only appear on the mainland to trade goods, and Sea Folk porcelain sculptures, delicate and graceful objects of art, are highly prized by mainlanders. Unknown to any but the Atha'an Miere ,

7672-429: The Brown Ajah are dedicated to the preservation of knowledge and history; the Gray Ajah are dedicated to mediation and politics; the Green Ajah are warriors trained in battle and strategy; the Red Ajah monitor the use of the One Power by outsiders; the White Ajah are concerned with logic and truth; the Yellow Ajah are mistresses of healing; and a secret eighth faction, the Black Ajah, pose as members of other Ajahs but serve

7809-404: The Dark One granted them access to the True Power , his exclusive equivalent of the One Power which is not divided by gender, and is more chaotic. Use of the True Power manifests as saa , black flecks moving across the eyes of the channeler, increasing in number in tandem with increased channeling. The more powerful among the Forsaken vie to be raised above the others to the position of nae'blis ,

7946-486: The Dark One has also introduced an array of creatures called Shadowspawn. Trollocs are brutal, humanoid monsters with animal senses who kill with pleasure and eat all meat, including humans. They are led by the Myrddraal, or Fades, terrifying and deadly creatures without eyes who can disappear in shadow but will not cross running water. Appearing human and designed to target channelers, gholam are constructs which possess superhuman strength, are impervious to harm and immune to

8083-451: The Dark One is depicted as a charred figure with flames in his mouth and eyes in the season one episode "Shadow's Waiting". He appears to Rand al'Thor, Mat Cauthon, Perrin Aybara and Egwene al'Vere in their dreams, proving that despite being imprisoned he is able to reach out into the world. Demandred is one of the most powerful of the Forsaken, having turned to the Shadow due to his jealousy of Lews Therin Telamon's superiority. He served as

8220-406: The Dark One's second-in-command. The thirteen Forsaken— Aginor , Asmodean , Balthamel , Be'lal , Demandred , Graendal , Ishamael , Lanfear , Mesaana , Moghedien , Rahvin , Sammael and Semirhage —were imprisoned with the Dark One at Shayol Ghul at the end of the Second Age. Three thousand years later near the end of the Third Age, the Aes Sedai learn that the prophesied channeler known as

8357-401: The Dark One's top military general during Age of Legends. In the series, Demandred and his scheming are spoken of repeatedly, though the character appears only briefly until the final novel, A Memory of Light . He leads the forces of the Shadow in the Last Battle. The Aes Sedai Warder Lan Mandragoran attacks Demandred, killing him in single combat by letting Demandred stab him, then decapitating

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8494-412: The Dark One. The One Power itself is divided into both male ( saidin ) and female ( saidar ) halves, and originally both genders could wield it. In the Age of Legends, the Aes Sedai was made up of both men and women who could channel. An Aes Sedai experiment inadvertently drilled what would become known as the Bore into the Dark One's prison, and his influence began to seep out into the world. In response to

8631-461: The Dark One. The few men born with the ability to channel ultimately go mad, so the Red Ajah hunt male channelers and "gentle" them, or cut them off permanently from the One Power, ever aware of the danger they represent. With the exception of the Red Ajah, the Aes Sedai each bond magically with a Warder, a male protector. The link bestows the Warder with heightened senses, strength, stamina and resistance to injury. The primary continent depicted in

8768-411: The Dragon Reborn should be strictly controlled and those who believe he must lead them into battle as he did in the earlier war. As the story expands, new characters representing different factions are introduced; although this expansion of the narrative allows the sheer scale of the growing struggle to be effectively depicted, it has been criticized for slowing the pace of the novels and sometimes reducing

8905-570: The Dragon Reborn, and leaves the village with his friends and Moiraine Damodred in The Eye of the World . Perrin and Egwene al'Vere are separated from the group as they flee the cursed city of Shadar Logoth, and meet the tracker Elyas Machera . Elyas informs Perrin that he is, like Elyas, a wolfbrother : a man able to communicate telepathically with wolves. Possessing golden, wolf-like eyes, wolfbrothers have heightened senses, strength and speed, but tend toward aggressive, animalistic behavior in battle. They are also able to navigate Tel'aran'rhiod ,

9042-491: The Forsaken while his blade is thus engaged. Padan Fain is a traveling merchant who comes to the remote village of Emond's Field in The Eye of the World , just as it is attacked by a horde of fearsome Trollocs. Several local residents, whom the Trollocs were seeking, flee with the Aes Sedai Moiraine Damodred. Fain is a Darkfriend, a servant of the Dark One given otherworldly powers by the Forsaken Ba'alzamon so he may track Rand al'Thor, Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara, one of whom

9179-408: The Forsaken with their master, but at the moment of victory, the Dark One was able to taint saidin , driving male channelers insane. Lews killed his friends and family, and then himself. Other male channelers devastated the world with earthquakes and tidal waves, an event called the Breaking of the World, before destroying themselves. The female Aes Sedai guided humanity out of this dark time, living in

9316-407: The Nine Moons ", and the foxlike Eelfinn grant him memories of his past lives before hanging him from the Tree of Life, leaving his neck forever scarred. He later founds the Band of the Red Hand, and leads as its Marshal General. Mat escapes from Seanchan-occupied city of Ebou Dar in Winter's Heart (2000), kidnapping the High Lady Tuon , heir to the Seanchan Crystal Throne , when he learns she

9453-465: The One Power and incinerates himself. Aginor is reincarnated as Osan'gar by the Dark One in Lord of Chaos . Asmodean is one of the Forsaken, originally a composer and musician who joined the Shadow to achieve immortality and thereby gain the fame and recognition which had previously eluded him. As one of the Forsaken, he actively punished his former musical rivals by maiming and rendering them unable to practice their art. In The Shadow Rising , Asmodean

9590-420: The One Power for the first time. In The Great Hunt , Ishamael as Ba'alzamon presides over a clandestine meeting which includes Forsaken, various Darkfriends and two Aes Sedai. Rand battles Ba'alzamon at Falme, wounding the Forsaken grieviously by allowing himself to be stabbed first. Ba'alzamon attacks Rand again in The Dragon Reborn , but Rand kills him using the powerful crystal sword Callandor . Ishamael

9727-409: The One Power is inaccessible. After the Breaking of the World, male channelers who sought sanctuary with the Ogier thanked them by creating the Ways, a series of paths through an alternate dimension that connected Ogier communities. Stone doorways called Waygates, placed outside each stedding , were used to travel long distances quickly. In the millennia that followed, however, the Ways were corrupted by

9864-545: The One Power, Moiraine summons her to the White Tower of the Aes Sedai in The Great Hunt , where she meets Egwene al'Vere, Nynaeve al'Meara and Elayne Trakand. Min is portrayed by Kae Alexander in the Wheel of Time television series adaptation, first appearing in the 2021 episode " The Dark Along the Ways ". Aviendha is an Aiel Maiden of the Spear who first appears in The Dragon Reborn . She and her party meet Egwene al'Vere, Elayne Trakand and Nynaeve al'Meara on their way to

10001-490: The One Power, and feed on blood. Grey Men, or the Soulless, are humans who have sacrificed their souls to become drab assassins with the ability to pass completely unnoticed. Draghkar are flying, vampiric creatures that devour the souls of their prey. Darkhounds are otherworldly, doglike beasts the size of small horses, with acidic, poison saliva. They regenerate when wounded or dismembered, and can only be destroyed by balefire,

10138-410: The Pattern . Jordan started writing The Eye of the World in 1984 and did not finish it until late 1988 or early 1989, with characters and storylines changing considerably during the writing process. One early version of the story centered on an older man who discovered relatively late in life that he was the 'chosen one' who had to save the world. However, Jordan deliberately decided to move closer to

10275-449: The Pattern requires them both. Logain Ablar breaks open the Dark One's prison, and Rand uses a unique weave of saidin , saidar and the Dark One's True Power combined, to first capture the Dark One, and then recreate his prison without flaw. Rand is portrayed by Josha Stradowski in the Wheel of Time television adaptation. Matrim "Mat" Cauthon is a mischievous farm boy who, as

10412-589: The Seanchan, and eventually manage to rescue a captive Egwene. One of the most powerful channelers of her time, Nynaeve's skill with healing leads her to join the Yellow Ajah of the Aes Sedai. She eventually discovers methods for healing those who have been severed from the One Power. She marries the Warder Lan Mandragoran, King of Malkier. Nynaeve is portrayed by Zoë Robins in the Wheel of Time television series adaptation. In The Eye of

10549-403: The Shadow because he calculated that it was inevitable the Dark One would eventually triumph. He was bound to the Dark One's prison but, unlike the other Forsaken, remained able to walk the world periodically. When Lews is driven mad and murders his own family, Ishamael visits him and heals his mind so he will realize what he has done. He is frustrated when Lews commits suicide, cheating Ishamael of

10686-535: The Shadow so he could continue his forbidden genetic experiments. The Forsaken are ultimately imprisoned with the Dark One for millennia. Three thousand years later near the end of the Third Age, Aginor and the Forsaken Balthamel confront Rand and his companions in The Eye of the World . They have escaped their imprisonment, but the ordeal has left Aginor horribly disfigured, appearing impossibly ancient. He attempts to destroy Rand, but draws too much of

10823-629: The Shadow, or destroy him. At the Eye of the World , Rand is exposed to a well of pure, uncorrupted saidin , the male half of the One Power . He finds himself able to channel it, and faces off against Aginor , one of the Dark One's most powerful servants, the Forsaken . Rand thus proves himself to be the Dragon Reborn, and is drawn into the millennia-long struggle against the forces of the Dark One. The Amyrlin Seat Siuan Sanche , leader of

10960-451: The Stone of Tear to find Rand al'Thor. Later in the series she bonded Rand as her Warder after she, Elayne, and Min agreed to love Rand together and respect one another. In the last battle she defeats Hessalam (former known as Graendal) and is one of only four people, who are fully aware, that Rand al'Thor did not die during the last battle. Aviendha is portrayed by Ayoola Smart in the Wheel of Time television adaptation, first appearing in

11097-512: The Third Age, Lan is also the King of Malkier by birth, though that country was lost to the Shadow when he was a child. Lan is portrayed by Daniel Henney in the Wheel of Time television series adaptation. Elayne Trakand is the daughter and heir of Morgase Trakand , Queen of Andor. In The Eye of the World , she meets Rand al'Thor in Caemlyn, the capital of Andor, when he falls off a wall into

11234-559: The Ways" was published in Unfettered III in 2019. Unlike "River of Souls", "A Fire Within the Ways" is not considered canon. Tor Books published a companion book to the series, entitled The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time , in November 1997, which contains much hitherto unrevealed background information about the series including the first maps of the entire world and the Seanchan home continent. Jordan co-authored

11371-425: The Wheel of Time was forged, plots to destroy it and remake the universe in his image. He employs a network of minions, most seduced by promises of power and immortality, to serve him toward this goal. The most notable of these are the Forsaken, powerful channelers imprisoned with him in the Second Age who begin to escape and reenter the world at the end of the Third Age. In the Wheel of Time television adaptation,

11508-594: The World as the first film. Neither project ultimately emerged. In February 2015, Red Eagle Entertainment paid air time to cable network FXX to air Winter Dragon , a low-budget 22-minute pilot for a potential The Wheel of Time series that allowed Red Eagle to hold on to the rights to the series. The pilot, based on the prologue to The Eye of the World , starred Max Ryan as Lews Therin Thelamon and Billy Zane as Ishamael and aired after midnight with no announcements or publicity. Harriet McDougal initially stated she

11645-543: The World , Nynaeve al'Meara is the Wisdom, or healer, of Emond's Field. In the aftermath of the Trolloc attack, she tracks her friends and joins them on their journey, learning along the way that she is able to channel the One Power as well. She and Egwene al'Vere become Aes Sedai novices in The Great Hunt , but are lured away to Falme by the treacherous Liandrin Guirale. Nynaeve and fellow novice Elayne Trakand escape capture by

11782-427: The World , the arrival of Moiraine Damodred, an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah , to the remote village of Emond's Field precedes an attack by Trollocs. Moiraine warns that the servants of the Dark One are, as she is, seeking one of three young men from the village: Rand al'Thor, Perrin Aybara and Mat Cauthon. She and her companion, the Warder Lan Mandragoran, lead the trio and some others away to safety, but face danger along

11919-518: The World . They have escaped their imprisonment, but the ordeal has left Balthamel horribly disfigured, with rotting skin and no longer able to speak. He burns Someshta , the Green Man, nearly to death, but Someshta uses the last of his life force to consume Balthamel with fungi and invasive plant life. Balthamel is reincarnated as Aran'gar, in a female body, by the Dark One in Lord of Chaos . Be'lal

12056-419: The World of Dreams. Perrin is portrayed by Marcus Rutherford in the Wheel of Time television series adaptation. Egwene al'Vere is the daughter of the mayor of Emond's Field, and romantically involved with Rand al'Thor in The Eye of the World . The Aes Sedai Moiraine Damodred recognizes in Egwene the "spark" of one who is able to channel the One Power, and Egwene joins the group fleeing the village to escape

12193-407: The air." A spokesman for FXX stated that the channel was paid to air the show, but Selvage hinted that it was indeed produced with a future series in mind. "We think there's huge demand for the television series internationally, and we're looking forward to producing it and getting it out in the marketplace." On 29 April 2016, Harriet McDougal confirmed that the legal issues had been resolved and that

12330-496: The appearances of the original or main cast to extended cameos. By the sixth novel, Lord of Chaos (1994), it has become clear that the Last Battle, triggered when the Dark One is able to exert its influence directly on the world once more, is imminent, as only three Seals (keys to the Dark One's prison) are intact. Once the remaining Seals break, the Dark One will be free to touch the world. The Last Battle, Tarmon Gai'don ,

12467-656: The book with Teresa Patterson. Jordan ruled the book broadly canonical but stated that it was written from the perspective of an historian within The Wheel of Time universe and was prone to errors of bias and guesswork. On 3 November 2015, The Wheel of Time Companion : The People, Places, and History of the Bestselling Series was released in hardback format, written by Harriet McDougal, Alan Romanczuk, and Maria Simons from Tor Books. Alan Romanczuk and Maria Simons were Robert Jordan's editorial assistants. The book

12604-457: The book would have taken several years to write and would have reached 800,000 words. McDougal doubted that Jordan could have concluded it in a single 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 book using Jordan's title. Prior to his death, Jordan had often discussed adding an additional two prequels and an 'outrigger' sequel trilogy. In

12741-476: The character is portrayed by Lindsay Duncan in the Wheel of Time television adaptation, first appearing in the 2023 episode " What Might Be ". Rand al'Thor and Selene infiltrate a society party, where Anvaere gives them some insider information about some of the other guests, and the queen of Cairhien herself. Moiraine appears on Anvaere's doorstep in " Daughter of the Night ", having been away for many years, but

12878-498: The characters Rand al'Thor , Mat Cauthon , Perrin Aybara , Egwene al'Vere and Nynaeve al'Meara , teens from a remote village whose important destinies are recognized by Moiraine Damodred , a powerful member of the Aes Sedai . In this world, the pattern of human existence is determined and maintained by the cosmic Wheel of Time, which is rotated by a magical force called the One Power . Rand and his friends are among those, like

13015-502: The city of Rhuidean, a repository of Aiel history and culture. The Maidens of the Spear are an all-female warrior society among the Aiel. Female Aiel who can channel the One Power or navigate Tel'aran'rhiod , the World of Dreams, do not join the Aes Sedai, instead becoming known as Wise Ones. The Aiel await a prophesied "Chief of Chiefs", whom they call the Car'a'carn , who will unite and rule all

13152-472: The clans. The Ogier are a hirsute, wide-featured and immensely tall and strong species of humanoid known for their proficiency in woodwork and masonry. Though physically intimidating, they are peaceful, intelligent and interested in historical and genealogical study. The Ogier also possess a unique ability called treesinging, whereby they stimulate the growth and healing of trees and plants by singing to them. They live in sanctuaries called steddings , in which

13289-552: The comics would continue their run, Harriet McDougal replied "Well, eventually, [we'll] do the whole thing, unless it stops selling in a dreadful way. In other words, I don't really know." The 43 New Spring and Eye of the World comics were later collected together and released as a series of six graphic novels, the last of which was released in February 2015. Dynamite began publishing the comic adaptation Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt in November 2023. There

13426-566: The concept: Jordan acknowledged the influence of J. R. R. Tolkien , including deliberately modelling the setting of the first chapters on the Shire in The Lord of the Rings . Concepts drawn from monotheistic religions include the duality between good and evil and between "Creator" ( Light ) and Shai'tan, "The Dark One" ( Shaitan is an Arabic word that, in Islamic contexts, is used as

13563-498: The cursed city of Shadar Logoth , where the Fades and Trollocs will not go. Once known as Aridhol , the city has been overtaken by a malevolent entity known as Mashadar . The spirit Mordeth , the former councilor of Aridhol who is now the avatar of Mashadar, lures Rand, Mat and Perrin to a cursed trove of treasure, from which Mat secretly takes a dagger. They leave the city, and the dagger begins to corrupt Mat's mind and body. Before Fain can follow, Mordeth recognizes in him

13700-463: The expense of the main characters from the opening volumes but acknowledged that his structure for the tenth volume, Crossroads of Twilight (where he showed a major scene from the prior book, Winter's Heart , from the perspective of the main characters that were not involved in the scene), had not worked out as he had planned. Knife of Dreams , the eleventh volume, had a much more positive reception from critics and fans alike and Jordan announced

13837-729: The fabled porcelain is created by the Amayar, a group of island dwelling people protected by the Sea Folk as a solemn duty since the Breaking of the World. The Amayar adhere to the Water Way, a pacifistic way of life akin to the Way of the Leaf practiced by the Tuatha'an. Humans seduced by promises of power and immortality to serve the Dark One are known as Darkfriends. The increasing influence of

13974-522: The hunt for the stolen Horn of Valere in The Great Hunt , and eventually blows it to summon a group of legendary heroes from the dead to defeat the Seanchan forces invading Falme. Near death in The Dragon Reborn , Mat is freed from the taint of the dagger by the Aes Sedai at the White Tower in Tar Valon . In The Shadow Rising , the snakelike Aelfinn foretell that Mat will marry "the Daughter of

14111-452: The news that Rand has slept with the Aiel warrior Aviendha sends Lanfear into a murderous rage. She finally decides to kill Rand when he swears he will never love a woman sworn to the Shadow, but Moiraine intervenes. Rand's mother, Shaiel, is later revealed to be Tigraine Mantear , daughter of the then-Queen of Andor . In Lord of Chaos (1994), Rand founds the Asha'man, male counterparts to

14248-422: The opportunity to punish him further. Over the millennia, Ishamael emerged to manipulate human events and stoke conflicts, laying the groundwork for the Dark One's rise. Using the name Ba'alzamon, Ishamael invades the dreams of Rand, Perrin Aybara and Mat Cauthon in The Eye of the World . Rand is finally confronted by Ba'alzamon, who he believes is the Dark One himself, and successfully rebuffs him by channeling

14385-406: The palace garden. Elayne becomes a novice of the Aes Sedai in The Great Hunt , befriending Egwene al'Vere and Nynaeve al'Meara. They travel to Falme believing Rand needs their help, but it is a trap that ends with Egwene's capture and enslavement by the Seanchan High Lady Suroth. Elayne and Nynaeve manage to rescue her, with the help of Min Farshaw. A powerful channeler, Elayne becomes an Aes Sedai of

14522-661: The physical release of the book. "Snow" was released by the Scribner imprint of Simon & Schuster in September 2000, two months before the publication of Winter's Heart . Many of the events of Winter's Heart take place simultaneously with the events of the next book, Crossroads of Twilight . Perrin Aybara and his followers pursue the Shaido Aiel who kidnapped his wife, Faile Bashere , while Elayne Trakand attempts to suppress rebellious nobles. Mat Cauthon

14659-563: The power dynamics at multiple levels of its societies, including familial, communal and political levels; many of its societies are ruled by women . Jordan wrote two short stories within the franchise in the late 1990s. The first, "The Strike at Shayol Ghul", predates the main series by several thousand years. It was made available on the Internet and was later published in The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time . Jordan also wrote

14796-428: The project was seemingly dropped around 2014. In a 2000 chat on CNN.com, Robert Jordan mentioned that NBC had purchased an option to do a miniseries of The Eye of the World . But he expressed doubts that the series would be made stating "key people involved in getting that contract together have left NBC." The series was optioned by Universal Pictures in 2008 for film adaptations, with plans to adapt The Eye of

14933-581: The queen of Cairhien. In " Daes Dae'mar ", Anvaere eavesdrops on a private conversation between Barthanes and the Aes Sedai Liandrin Guirale , revealing they are secretly Darkfriends . Their master, the Forsaken Ishamael , wishes Barthanes to murder the troublesome Moiraine, and Anvaere herself if necessary to keep their secret. Barthanes acts on his instructions to kill Moiraine, but is deceived and finds himself locked in

15070-526: The queen of Cairhien. A visiting Moiraine, long absent from the family and distracted by her Aes Sedai business, initially rebuffs Barthanes's efforts to reconnect in "Eyes Without Pity", but later has kind words for him. In "Daes Dae'mar", Barthanes meets with the Aes Sedai Liandrin Guirale, revealing they are secretly Darkfriends. Their master Ishamael wants Barthanes to kill the troublesome Moiraine, and his mother if necessary to keep

15207-471: The roleplaying game, such as storyline details in the adventure module that contradicted the books. In early 2009 EA Games announced that they had bought the rights for a MMORPG, with the plan to publish it through the EA Partners-Program. The following year Obsidian Entertainment announced that they would be working on the project, for a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC release. However,

15344-423: The second-season premiere, Amazon renewed the series for a third season. The second season premiered on 1 September 2023, and combined elements from both The Great Hunt (1990) and The Dragon Reborn (1991), the second and third books in the series. The third season will cover the fourth and fifth books, The Shadow Rising (1992) and The Fires of Heaven (1993). The eighth through fourteenth novels in

15481-416: The secret, but they are overheard by Anvaere. Barthanes acts on his instructions to kill Moiraine, but is deceived and finds himself locked in a cell by his disgusted mother. Though he protests that his allegiance to the Dark One has made their fortune, Anvaere has already reported his crime to the authorities and sealed his fate. The Dark One is a malevolent entity who, though imprisoned for millennia since

15618-583: The series consists of three regions: the Westlands, Shara far to the east, and the Aiel Waste in between. Connecting these three areas in the north is the eastern part of the Great Blight, a once-verdant land mass that has been corrupted by the Dark One's influence. It stretches far west across the Aryth Ocean and borders the north of the continent of Seanchan. South of the Westlands is the Sea of Storms, and

15755-648: The series each reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list . After its completion, the series was nominated for a Hugo Award . As of 2021 , the series has sold over 90 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling epic fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings . Many fans of The Wheel of Time attend Dragon Con , which had an exclusive Wheel of Time content track from 2001 through 2012. The Wheel of Time now has its own annual convention, JordanCon , which has been held annually in Atlanta , Georgia, since 2009. The 2020 convention

15892-512: The series in comic book form, starting with the prequel New Spring in July 2005. The series initially ran on a monthly schedule, but then went on a three-year hiatus after the fifth issue. Red Eagle cited delays and changes to the creative team on the DB Pro end. The final three issues were ultimately completed and published in 2009–10. In 2009 Dabel moved on to their adaptation of the first book of

16029-453: The series proper, The Eye of the World . On 17 March 2009, they showcased ten pages of art from the prelude to the series "The Wheel of Time: Eye of the World #0 – Dragonmount" on their website. Dynamite Entertainment published 35 issues of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World comic book series, which concluded in March 2013. When asked in a 2013 interview about whether

16166-605: The series' main characters. Shara, which extends much further south than either the Westlands or the Aiel Waste, is separated from the rest of the continent by the Cliffs of the Dawn and the Great Rift. Shara remains mysterious to outsiders, who are only allowed to enter walled-off towns to trade. The world in which the series is set is sometimes called "Randland" by fans, referring to lead character Rand al'Thor . The Seanchan are

16303-471: The seventh volume, A Crown of Swords , at which point he slowed down, delivering a book every two years. Fans objected when he took some time off to expand a short story into a prequel novel called New Spring , so he decided to shelve his plans for additional prequels in favor of finishing off the last two volumes in the series. He rejected criticisms of the later volumes of the series slowing down in pace in order to concentrate on minor secondary characters at

16440-483: The shadow of a prophecy that the Dark One would break free from his prison and the Dragon would be reborn to fight him once more. And though the Dragon Reborn is humanity's only hope against the Dark One, he would break the world a second time in the process. In The Eye of the World (1990), the arrival of a mysterious noblewoman to the remote village of Emond's Field in the Two Rivers precedes an attack on

16577-635: The small continent known as the Land of the Madmen. The Westlands contain 14 nations, including Andor, Cairhien, Illian, Shienar and Tear , as well as four major city-states: Falme, Far Madding, Mayene and Tar Valon. Other notable cities include Caemlyn, the capital of Andor, and Fal Dara, the northernmost city in Shienar. Two Rivers is a region in Andor which includes the village Emond's Field, home of five of

16714-436: The threat of his eventual release, the Wheel produced the Dragon, Lews Therin Telamon , a channeler of immense power. Lews eventually rose to command the Aes Sedai and their allies in the struggle against the Dark One's forces. Seven Seals were created, made of an unbreakable substance called cuendillar , to be used as focus points to reseal the Dark One's prison for good. Lews and a host of 99 male channelers managed to imprison

16851-454: The tone and style of J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Fellowship of the Ring and made the characters younger and less experienced. Once this decision had been made, writing proceeded much more easily and Jordan completed the second volume, The Great Hunt , at roughly the same time the first book was published. Jordan wrote full-time at breakneck speed for the next several years until he completed

16988-490: The town by a force of humanoid monsters called Trollocs. The woman reveals herself to be Moiraine Damodred , one of the Aes Sedai, and warns that the servants of the Dark One are seeking one of three young men from the village: Rand al'Thor , Perrin Aybara and Matrim Cauthon . They leave with Moiraine and her companion, the Warder Lan Mandragoran , and are joined by Egwene al'Vere , in whom Moiraine sees

17125-479: The twelfth volume, which he had previously announced would have the working title A Memory of Light , would conclude the series. According to Forbes , Jordan had intended for it to be the final book "even if it reaches 2,000 pages." Jordan was diagnosed with the terminal heart disease primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy in December 2005, and while he intended to finish at least A Memory of Light even if

17262-558: The way to the Aes Sedai's White Tower in Tar Valon. Moiraine is portrayed by Rosamund Pike in the Wheel of Time television series adaptation. al'Lan "Lan" Mandragoran is the Warder to Moiraine Damodred in The Eye of the World . They lead a trio of young men, one of whom Moiraine suspects is the prophesied Dragon Reborn, away from their small village with a horde of Trollocs, serving the Dark One, in pursuit. The greatest swordsman of

17399-463: The western kingdoms against the Dark One's forces, their task is complicated by rulers of the nations who refuse to give up their authority and by factions such as the Children of the Light, who do not believe in the prophecies, and the Seanchan, the people of a long-lost colony of Artur Hawkwing's empire across the western ocean who have returned, believing it is their destiny to conquer the world. The Aes Sedai also become divided between those who believe

17536-596: The world. Their stated goal is to use their skills to serve and protect humanity, but they are also preparing for the inevitable, prophesized return of a malevolent entity they call the Dark One . The leader of the Aes Sedai, known as the Amyrlin Seat, rules from the White Tower in the city of Tar Valon. The order is divided into seven disciplines, or Ajahs: the Blue Ajah are dedicated to the pursuit of justice and inevitably intrigue, possessing extensive spy networks;

17673-469: The years following the release of the main book. These were published in Unfettered anthologies , part of a charitable endeavour to support authors and artists with medical debt . River of Souls , a canonical segment removed from the published book due to pacing, was released in the first volume in 2013. A Fire in the Ways , a non-canon alternate sequence of events around the climax of the final book,

17810-415: Was also influenced by the concepts of reincarnation and balance , and the symbol of the Aes Sedai resembles the yin and yang . The series also draws inspiration from Leo Tolstoy 's War and Peace . Fate is an important theme to the series. The series explores in great detail the implications of a common fantasy premise, in which an ordinary boy on the verge of adulthood discovers he is fated to lead

17947-655: Was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, it took place over the Internet, some aspects being held through the use of the Zoom platform. The 2023 convention in April was the 15th anniversary of the founding of JordanCon. A new convention titled WoT Con took place from 8–10 July 2022, in Dublin, OH. This convention was created to be dedicated to the world of The Wheel of Time in all media aspects: novels, social media, and

18084-596: Was formally greenlit in October 2018. Principal photography for the first season began on 16 September 2019, was halted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic , but had resumed by April 2021 and concluded in May 2021. On 20 May 2021, Amazon renewed the series for a second season ahead of the series premiere. The Wheel of Time premiered on 19 November 2021. Filming for the second season began on 19 July 2021, and concluded in February 2022. On 21 July 2022, ahead of

18221-418: Was included in the third volume in 2019. A glossary to the series, The Wheel of Time Companion was released in 2015. The Wheel of Time is a novel from the modern fantasy genre, specifically high fantasy . The book is set in a world that is simultaneously the distant past and distant future of the real world, as a result of time being cyclical rather than linear. The opening of the first book establishes

18358-625: Was released in 1999. Over the course of the game, Aes Sedai must track down a robber following an assault on the White Tower, and prevent the Dark One from being released prematurely. She eventually learns of and executes a long-forgotten ritual at Shayol Ghul to ensure the Dark Lord remains sealed within the prison. While Jordan was consulted in the creation of the game, he did not write the storyline himself. Starting in 1999, Precedence Entertainment released three sets of The Wheel of Time Collectible Card Game . The Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game

18495-515: Was released in 2001 from Wizards of the Coast using the d20 rules developed for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game. The game had a single adventure module published in 2002, Prophecies of the Dragon . Shortly after the release of the adventure book Wizards of the Coast announced they would not be releasing any further products for the game. Robert Jordan cited some problems with

18632-509: Was to finish A Memory of Light . Sanderson, a longtime fan of the series, was chosen by Jordan's widow Harriet McDougal partly because she liked Sanderson's novels and partly because of a eulogy he had written for Jordan. Jordan had prepared extensive notes, which enabled Sanderson to complete the final book. On 30 March 2009, Tor Books announced that A Memory of Light would be split into three volumes, with Brandon Sanderson citing timing and continuity reasons. By his estimate in early 2009,

18769-502: Was unaware of the show ahead of time, and that the film rights to The Wheel of Time were set to revert to the Bandersnatch Group, her company, a few days later on 11 February 2015. Her comments triggered a slander lawsuit with Red Eagle, which was ultimately dismissed during settlement talks that July. In an interview with io9 , Red Eagle Entertainment's CEO Rick Selvage stated "it was more of an [issue of] getting it on

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