The Eye of the WorldThe Eye of the World
Score Modern
What it's about
On the night of a spring festival, monsters out of legend attack the quiet village of Emond's Field. A mysterious woman named Moiraine, one of the Aes Sedai who can channel the One Power, says they came for three young men: Rand, a shepherd; Mat, a prankster; and Perrin, a blacksmith's apprentice. She leads them out into a wider world, hunted by the servants of the Dark One, toward a destiny one of them may not survive.
Why it's worth reading
It was voted onto PBS's Great American Read and begins The Wheel of Time, one of the best-selling fantasy series ever written. Its world is vast and detailed, and its characters grow over the series in ways readers love.
You'll love it if you liked
The Lord of the Rings
Magician
DuneGood to know
The opening owes a lot to Tolkien before it finds its own path. It's the first of fourteen long books; Brandon Sanderson finished the series after Jordan died. Amazon made it a TV series.
By the numbers
- Readers79 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller96 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz2 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #13 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #59 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #105 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic, Adventurous
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Quick answers
Is The Eye of the World worth reading?
Yes. It was voted onto PBS's Great American Read and begins The Wheel of Time, one of the best-selling fantasy series ever written. It ranks #105 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 86.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Eye of the World about?
On the night of a spring festival, monsters out of legend attack the quiet village of Emond's Field. A mysterious woman named Moiraine, one of the Aes Sedai who can channel the One Power, says they came for three young men: Rand, a shepherd; Mat, a prankster; and Perrin, a blacksmith's apprentice. She leads them out into a wider world, hunted by the servants of the Dark One, toward a destiny one of them may not survive.
How long does it take to read The Eye of the World?
About 17 hours (670 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Eye of the World?
If you liked it, try The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, Magician by Raymond E. Feist or Dune by Frank Herbert.