The Eye of the World

Book One of The Wheel of Time

By: Robert Jordan

Narrated by: Rosamund Pike

Length: 32 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

A 2023 Audie Award winner for Best Female Narrator!

"Rosamund Pike brings a fresh narration to the first book in the beloved Wheel of Time series. At 33 hours, this audiobook is no small undertaking, but Pike's impressive performance leaves listeners wanting more."—AudioFile (Earphones Award winner)

“Through her smooth, dramatic performance, award-winning actor Rosamund Pike amplifies the new audiobook of book one in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series.”—BookPage

A #1 New York Times bestselling audiobook!

The Wheel of Time is now an original series on Prime Video, starring Rosamund Pike as Moiraine!

This program is read by narrator Rosamund Pike, star of the hit Prime Video original series.

The Eye of the World, the first novel in Robert Jordan's #1 New York Times bestselling epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time®, follows Moiraine Damodred as she arrives in Emond's Field on a quest to find the one prophesized to stand against The Dark One.

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

When a vicious band of half-men, half beasts invade the Two Rivers seeking their master’s enemy, Moiraine persuades Rand al’Thor and his friends to leave their home and enter a larger unimaginable world filled with dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light.

Since its debut in 1990, The Wheel of Time® has captivated millions of fans around the globe with its scope, originality, and compelling characters. The last six books in series were all instant #1 New York Times bestsellers, and The Eye of the World was named one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read.

The Wheel of Time®

New Spring: The Novel

#1 The Eye of the World

#2 The Great Hunt

#3 The Dragon Reborn

#4 The Shadow Rising

#5 The Fires of Heaven

#6 Lord of Chaos

#7 A Crown of Swords

#8 The Path of Daggers

#9 Winter's Heart

#10 Crossroads of Twilight

#11 Knife of Dreams

By Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

#12 The Gathering Storm

#13 Towers of Midnight

#14 A Memory of Light

By Robert Jordan and Teresa Patterson

The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

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

The Wheel of Time Companion

By Robert Jordan and Amy Romanczuk

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

©1990 Robert Jordan (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“His huge, ambitious Wheel of Time series helped redefine the genre.” —George R. R. Martin, author of A Game of Thrones

“Anyone who’s writing epic or secondary world fantasy knows Robert Jordan isn’t just a part of the landscape, he’s a monolith within the landscape.” —Patrick Rothfuss, author of the Kingkiller Chronicle series

“The Eye of the World was a turning point in my life. I read, I enjoyed. (Then continued on to write my larger fantasy novels.)” —Robin Hobb, author of the award-winning Realm of the Elderlings series

Wow

Just amazing. Love the original by Michael kramer and Kate Reading, but Rosamund brings a whole new level. Had me hooked from the beginning and I didnt want to "put it down" 10 out of 5 stars. Hope she does the rest of the rest of the series or other series. Amazing.

Prefer original, but matter of taste

If I were a narrator, I would read the reviews people wrote, so I want to say pike gave a wonderful performance. And yes, if you have the previous version and enjoyed, this is a worthy listen. The way she interpreted Moiraine and Egwayne brought a humanity and likeability that I missed before....but I missed the prior interpretation of Kramer and Redding of Nayneve, Lan....the flawed likeability the stolid strength. She also reads much more dramatically, and it was a bit hard to get used to at first. Some of my favorite scenes in the Kramer/Redding version with action were lost, as everything she says is intense, not just action scenes. So if you are debating between this version and the Kramer Redding version my recommendation is if you enjoy the diversity of personalities of characters as the epic unfolds, that difference is more pronounced in the earlier version, with the two narrators, if you want to feel as if you get the supporting characters, that is better here.

Very ebjoyable

Great retelling of a great tale by Rosamund Pike. I hope its a start for the whole series

Rosamund Pike, please narrate the whole series!!!

Full disclosure, I suffer from chronic migraines and can't read with my eyeballs for any length of time. I listen to five or six audiobooks a month at least while working. I enjoy Brandon Sanderson's contributions to fantasy (am current with Mistborn series, Stormlight Archives, and Skyward series), but he was not the reason I listened to this book. I sampled the narration months before the TV show trailers were everywhere, and I wasn't tempted in the least. Six or so months later I was at the end of episode four of the show before I had any desire to try the books. At the episode 4 ending, I was hooked. Since I was told the show didn't follow the books religiously, I watched the show all the way through twice before I started book one. I was 3/4 of the way through before I realized there was another version available with a different narrator. I had been listening at 1.35 speed and still felt like I was slogging. I couldn't differentiate characters by their voices or accents and the two narrators clashed with their treatments of names and general pronunciation. I listened to a sample of the Rosamund Pike version and promptly returned the other version for hers. Before I listened to Eye of the World, Michael Kraemer and Kate Reading were my favorite narrators for adult fiction. (There's some good YA narrators, but they don't usually touch fantasy.) Now that I'm halfway through book two of WoT, The Great Hunt, I can't believe I ever liked them. I just can't. As much as I need to know what happens, it's been days now since I felt like I was willing to return to the original narrators. I don't think I can continue listening as long as Kraemer and Reading are my only option. With Rosamund, every character's voice was different, every accent consistent, and her delivery made me cry, laugh, and have goosebumps multiple times. I'm returning book two in hopes Rosamund Pike caters to popular demand for more of her riveting performance, even if I have to wait years for her or someone else to reinvent the original versions. She has ruined audiobooks for me. Nobody has ever put that much effort and zeal into making a book come alive. For someone homebound and chronically ill, finding pleasure in little pockets of life is very precious. Thank you, Rosamund Pike! You honor Robert Jordan's legacy.

Better then many but not amazing

Straight ahead fantasy book with hero discovering his true power. Feels repetitive. The style of writing is more mature then many fantasy books. Plot feels like a series of events that don’t really matter to the outcome. I do like the narrators voices a lot except when she screams.

Story is good. Recording is weird

The recording is choppy at the end of the sentence. It is a bit distracting but the story is good.

Phenomenal!

Rosamund Pike does an amazing job. I've never listened to an audiobook, despite being an avid reader, but she had me hooked.

Like others, I am desperately hoping she does the other books. Try as I might, I can't stand the male narrator of the original (a point of contention with my friend who adores it).

Loved this book!

Rosamund Pike brings the story to life with her many voices! Enjoyable listen. Not over-acted like some of the others in this series. However the story has captured me: so I will venture in to book two with hopes of being able to bear the narration.

Rosamund crowns this already glorious novel

Rosamund Pike captured the essence of the story and port aired it perfectly.

As a personal note I can say that I have a preference for a British voiced reading for Fantasy works. Even though this may have been written in the authors minds eye in various North American accents (I’m guessing here), this story rang true from the tongue of Ms Pike.

I truely hope that all others in this series follow this treatment.

Familiar

Feels a bit like Jordan straight up followed the outline for LOTR. Just interesting enough to get me to read the next book. Mostly bc the narration was so excellent.