The Wheel of Time Books in order: How to read Robert Jordan’s Series?

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A series of high fantasy novels written by Robert Jordan (his real name was James Oliver Rigney, Jr.), The Wheel of Time was published from 1990 to 2013. Sadly, Jordan died before he could finish writing it. Brandon Sanderson was brought in to complete the series.

The Wheel of Time is a complex and pretty massive story that takes place in a fantasy world where the Dark One is breaking free from his prison. Rand al’Thor, a simple farmer’s son, leads a happy life until a pair of mysterious travelers arrive in his small village. Soon, He discovers that he can wield the power of the Aes Sedai, throwing his life and the lives of his friends into chaos.

How to Read The Wheel of Time Series in Order?

The first three books of The Wheel of Time book series formed a solid beginning. If you don’t like the series after the third book, it’s better to stop here.

  1. The Eye of the World – The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. When The Two Rivers is attacked by Trollocs – a savage tribe of half-men, half-beasts – five villagers flee that night into a world they barely imagined, with new dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light.
  2. The Great Hunt – For centuries, gleemen have told the tales of The Great Hunt of the Horn. So many tales about each of the Hunters, and so many Hunters to tell of… Now the Horn itself is found: the Horn of Valere long thought only legend, the Horn which will raise the dead heroes of the ages. And it is stolen.
  3. The Dragon Reborn – Winter has stopped the war – almost – yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he? In the Heart of the Stone lies the next great test of the Dragon reborn.
  1. The Shadow Rising – The seals of Shayol Ghul are weak now, and the Dark One reaches out. The Shadow is rising to cover humankind. In Tar Valon, Min sees portents of hideous doom. Will the White Tower itself be broken? In the Two Rivers, the Whitecloaks ride in pursuit of a man with golden eyes, and in pursuit of the Dragon Reborn. In Cantorin, among the Sea Folk, High Lady Suroth plans the return of the Seanchan armies to the mainland. In the Stone of Tear, the Lord Dragon considers his next move. It will be something no one expects, not the Black Ajah, not Tairen nobles, not Aes Sedai, not Egwene or Elayne or Nynaeve. Against the Shadow rising stands the Dragon Reborn…
  2. The Fires of Heaven – Into the forbidden city of Rhuidean, where Rand al’Thor, now the Dragon Reborn, must conceal his present endeavor from all about him, even Egwene and Moiraine. Into the Amyrlin’s study in the White Tower, where the Amyrlin, Elaida do Avriny a’Roihan, is weaving new plans. Into the luxurious hidden chamber where the Forsaken Rahvin is meeting with three of his fellows to ensure their ultimate victory over the Dragon. Into the Queen’s court in Caemlyn, where Morgase is curiously in thrall to the handsome Lord Gaebril. For once the dragon walks the land, the fires of heaven fall where they will, until all men’s lives are ablaze. And in Shayol Ghul, the Dark One stirs…
  3. Lord of Chaos – On the slopes of Shayol Ghul, the Myrddraal swords are forged, and the sky is not the sky of this world; In Salidar the White Tower in exile prepares an embassy to Caemlyn, where Rand Al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, holds the throne – and where an unexpected visitor may change the world… In Emond’s Field, Perrin Goldeneyes, Lord of the Two Rivers, feels the pull of ta’veren to ta’veren and prepares to march… Morgase of Caemlyn finds a most unexpected, and quite unwelcome, ally… And south lies Illian, where Sammael holds sway…

The next four books compile multiple large story arcs that are told concurrently.

  1. A Crown of Swords – Elayne, Aviendha, and Mat come ever closer to the bowl ter’angreal that may reverse the world’s endless heat wave and restore natural weather. Egwene begins to gather all manner of women who can channel – Sea Folk, Windfinders, Wise Ones, and some surprising others. And above all, Rand faces the dread Forsaken Sammael, in the shadows of Shadar Logoth, where the blood-hungry mist, Mashadar, waits for prey.
  2. The Path of Daggers – The Seanchan invasion force is in possession of Ebou Dar. Nynaeve, Elayne, and Aviendha head for Caemlyn and Elayne’s rightful throne, but on the way they discover an enemy much worse than the Seanchan. In Illian, Rand vows to throw the Seanchan back as he did once before. But signs of madness are appearing among the Asha’man. In Ghealdan, Perrin faces the intrigues of Whitecloaks, Seanchan invaders, the scattered Shaido Aiel, and the Prophet himself. Perrin’s beloved wife, Faile, may pay with her life, and Perrin himself may have to destroy his soul to save her. Meanwhile the rebel Aes Sedai under their young Amyrlin, Egwene al’Vere, face an army that intends to keep them away from the White Tower. But Egwene is determined to unseat the usurper Elaida and reunite the Aes Sedai. She does not yet understand the price that others – and she herself – will pay.
  1. Winter’s Heart – Rand is on the run with Min, and in Cairhein, Cadsuane is trying to figure out where he is headed. Rand’s destination is, in fact, one she has never considered. Mazrim Taim, leader of the Black Tower, is revealed to be a liar. But what is he up to? Faile, with the Aiel Maidens, Bain and Chiad, and her companions, Queen Alliandre and Morgase, is prisoner of Savanna’s sept. Perrin is desperately searching for Faile. With Elyas Machera, Berelain, the Prophet and a very mixed ‘army’ of disparate forces, he is moving through country rife with bandits and roving Seanchan. The Forsaken are ever more present, and united, and the man called Slayer stalks Tel’aran’rhiod and the wolfdream. In Ebou Dar, the Seanchan princess known as Daughter of the Nine Moons arrives – and Mat, who had been recuperating in the Tarasin Palace, is introduced to her. Will the marriage that has been foretold come about?
  2. Crossroads of Twilight – Fleeing from Ebou Dar with the kidnapped Daughter of the Nine Moons, whom he is fated to marry, Mat Cauthon learns that he can neither keep her nor let her go, not in safety for either of them, for both the Shadow and the might of the Seanchan Empire are in deadly pursuit. Perrin Aybara seeks to free his wife, Faile, a captive of the Shaido, but his only hope may be an alliance with the enemy. At Tar Valon, Egwene al’Vere, the young Amyrlin of the rebel Aes Sedai, lays siege to the heart of Aes Sedai power, but she must win quickly, with as little bloodshed as possible, for unless the Aes Sedai are reunited, only the male Asha’man will remain to defend the world against the Dark One, and nothing can hold the Asha’man themselves back from total power except the Aes Sedai and a unified White Tower. In Andor, Elayne Trakland fights for the Lion Throne that is hers by right, but enemies and Darkfriends surround her, plotting her destruction. Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn himself, has cleansed the Dark One’s taint from the male half of the True Source, and everything has changed.
  1. New Springprequel, you can read it when you want after that point, but it’s better to read the first 10 books before. The action takes place before the first book, The Eye of the World, but the story will not be fully understandable if you read it at the beginning. For three days battle has raged in the snow around the great city of Tar Valon. In the city, a Foretelling of the future is uttered. On the slopes of Dragonmount, the immense mountain that looms over the city, is born an infant prophesied to change the world. That child must be found before the forces of the Shadow have an opportunity to kill him.
  2. Knife of DreamsThis is Robert Jordan’s final book before he passed away. The dead are walking, men die impossible deaths, and it seems as though reality itself has become unstable: All are signs of the imminence of Tarmon Gai’don, the Last Battle, when Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, must confront the Dark One as humanity’s only hope.

Those last three books were written by Brandon Sanderson following Jordan’s instructions.

  1. The Gathering Storm – Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, struggles to unite a fractured network of kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. As he attempts to halt the Seanchan encroachment northward – wishing he could form at least a temporary truce with the invaders – his allies watch in terror the shadow that seems to be growing within the heart of the Dragon Reborn himself.
  2. Towers of Midnight – The Last Battle has started. The seals on the Dark One’s prison are crumbling. The Pattern itself is unraveling, and the armies of the Shadow have begun to boil out of the Blight. The sun has begun to set upon the Third Age.
  3. A Memory of Light – The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.

If you like our article about the Wheel of Time series in order, don’t forget to bookmark it! Looking for more fantasy, you may be interested in The Kingkiller Chronicle, Realm of the Elderlings, The Sword of Truth

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8 Comments

  1. For a 12 year old boy? I’m 44 years old, and though I have read the series several times, I still enjoy them immensely at my age!

    1. He does list that the prequel shouldn’t be read till after book 10, as it needs some knowledge to make sense, I’ll admit it didn’t really need a full article

      But its true it doesn’t make sense if you read it first, I told a friend to read them in order (prequal first) and he said it made no sense, I’ve only read it whilst waiting for Brandon to finish the series, so I can’t speak for myself on it though

  2. people always make this mistake with books, games and movies. Prequels are still sequels, it doesn’t matter that their setting takes place before events in earlier publications! It doesn’t make any sense to consume a sequel before its predecessor if you care about following the plotline.

  3. I need help. I am just about to start the wheel of time series and am doing my research but I am confused as to when should I read the prequel, some people are saying that prequel(new spring) is not a good entrance point into the series, and would be a rather confusing place to begin while others claim that a prequel should be read first. What should I do?

    1. Hi Pavithra, I am at the same point as you are, about to start the WOT series. After some research I decided to start with written order and go with The Eye of the World. The argument that you probably might not understand a big part of the prequel without knowledge of the previous books made it for me.

  4. Pavithra,
    For what it’s worth, I would highly advise reading the prequel later; I personally prefer to read it last, but that’s just me. I would at least take the advice in the article here, though, and read the first 10 books in the series before jumping out to the prequel.

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