The author's characterizations are very in depth and believable. All of the charactrers are human with flaws. Many of them live in shades of gray. Rand al'Thor, the main character, walks a fine line between sanity and madness. Mat Cauthon is a troubled yong man driven by an odd destiny. Women characters vary in their personalities. Nynaeve is a mature young woman with a temper. Egwene is not to be under estimated by anyone. These characters bring the reader back, wanting to know what will happen to them. Strong characterization helps move an intricate plot.
A good tight plot drives an epic fantasy novel. These books possess a strong overall plot and interesting subplots. There is political intrigue, romance, adventure, etc. None of the plot threads seem frivolous. This is helped my powerful world building.
Mr. Jordan has done some remarkable world building that gives his novel a touch of reality. Readers can feel like this world could exist somewhere in the universe. There is a lot of detail in a world of varied cultures. This world has a developed history reaching back into a distant past. The world passes through different ages that come again in endless cycles. Many different nations with histories and cultures increases the depth of the plot, which strengthens the characters. This detailed world building allows for a strong thematic content.
Mythology and imagination gives the books their themes of love, battle between good and evil, heroism and many others. The author has used mythologies from different cultures to weave a complex tapestry. Reincarnation, afterlives, and a dream world similar to that of Australia's Aborigines adds considerable depth to the plots. Few writers can meld so many ideas into a coherent whole.
In conclusion, I recommend the "Wheel of Time" books for anyone who loves books with great depth and length. Like Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, I think these books are going to cross over into the classics of fantasy fiction. Give them a try, but you have to start with book one and read them in order. This series would be too confusing otherwise. A list of the books in chronological order follows. Enjoy.
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