The Eye of the World is the first installment in the 14-volume high fantasy series The Wheel of Time by James Oliver Rigney Jr., who wrote under the pen name Robert Jordan (1948-2007). Rigney was born in Charleston, SC. He enlisted in the army after high school and served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. In 1970, he enrolled in The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, earning a BS in physics in 1974. He was subsequently employed by the US Navy as a nuclear engineer.

Rigney’s writing career began in 1977. Prior to The Wheel of Time, he wrote several Conan the Barbarian novels, as well as historical fiction and criticism. The Eye of the World was first published in 1990 by Tor Books, but Rigney began work on the volume in 1984. The Wheel of Time was nominated for the 2014 Hugo Award and volumes eight through 14 have each reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list. Amazon Studios released a TV series based on the first volume in 2021. Other adaptations include a comic series, a collectible card game, a video game, a roleplaying game, and a soundtrack.

Rigney passed away in 2007, having completed the first 11 volumes in the series and leaving extensive notes on the remaining plot development. His widow, Harriet McDougal, chose Brandon Sanderson, a then-emerging fantasy writer, to complete the series.

Before his death, Rigney wrote two short stories set in The Wheel of Time universe, "The Strike at Shayol Ghul" and "New Spring." The second one eventually was rewritten as a standalone prequel novel, published in 2004.

The current study guide is based on the 1990 Tor edition. Newer post-2000 editions may contain short opening sections, absent from the original manuscript. They were added as a marketing strategy to appeal to younger audiences.

Plot Summary

In the village of Emond’s Field in the Two Rivers region of Andor, people are preparing to celebrate the spring holiday of Bel Tine. They are attacked by half-human half-animal monsters, Trollocs. The creatures are servants of the Dark One, an evil force hunting those who can oppose it. The Trollocs target three young male friends of a similar age, Rand al’Thor, Perrin Aybara, and Mat Cauthon. One of the friends is the Dragon Reborn, the man who defeated the Dark One thousands of years ago.

The Trollocs are not the only ones searching for the Dragon. A group of women who can perform magic, the Aes Sedai, have dedicated their lives to fighting the Dark One. One of them, Moiraine, and her bonded guard, Lan, have come to Emond’s Field to find the prophesied savior and bring him to the Aes Sedai stronghold, the White Tower. However, Moiraine cannot tell for certain which of the three young men is the Dragon Reborn, so she convinces all three to come along with her.

While making their escape from the village to prevent further Trolloc attacks, a local young woman and Rand’s love interest, Egwene al’Vere, joins the group, as well as a travelling performer, Thom Merrilin. Nynaeve al’Mere, the village Wisdom, or wise woman, later overtakes the group. She believes her duty is to bring the young villagers back safely. Both Egwene and Nynaeve are able to perform magic; they decide to go to Tar Valon to study and become Aes Sedai.

On the way to Tar Valon, the travelers are constantly pursued by the Dark One’s servants and eventually become separated while trying to hide in the ruins of the cursed city of Shadar Logoth. Rand, Mat, and Thom escape on a boat; Perrin and Egwene strike out through the wilderness hoping to reach the country’s capital; and Nynaeve, Moiraine, and Lan continue on their original route.

After facing multiple dangers on their own, all members of the group reunite in Caemlyn, Andor’s capital. Before they can reach their final destination of Tar Valon, Moiraine is made aware of a prophetic warning about the Dark One’s plans to destroy time itself. With the help of Loial, an ogier, a large, long-lived being in tune with nature, the group makes its way north to the Borderlands. The Dark One is imprisoned in the area known as the Blight in the far north. That is also where Trollocs and other foul creatures are made and reside. The group needs to enter this area to reach a mythical place, the Eye of the World, where a pool made of pure magic safeguards one of the Dark One’s prison seals, the Dragon’s banner, the Horn of Valere, which will help humans win the Last Battle.

While at the sanctuary, two of the Dark One’s human servants attack the group. One is defeated by the Green Man, the place’s mythical guardian, while Rand fights with and kills the second. Rand is transported to a place outside of reality, where he confronts and defeats Ba’alzamon, the Dark One. During these battles, he becomes aware of his ability to channel magic, revealing him as the Dragon Reborn. Since the Dark One polluted the male source of magic thousands of years ago, it now brings madness and death to everyone who uses it. Rand plans to go away somewhere far where he cannot hurt those around him.