This is a commentary on the first 11 books of the series. 
 The Wheel of Time chronicles the adventures of several young men and women from the Two Rivers region of mythical Andor. The young men, Rand, Mat, and Perrin along with the lovely Egwaine and cantankerous Nynaeve travel to new lands and discover the powers that lie within them. Why must they hone their talents? Oh, because prophecy indicates the end of the world is coming. The Dark One wants to destroy the fabric of time and space and remake the world in his image. Luckily, one of backwater lads is the actually this world's messiah---the Dragon Reborn---and so perhaps mankind has a chance to survive the Last Battle if he can overcome the madness that is the Lord Dragon's fate. 
 In some ways this is every fantasy story/fairy tale ever written; Jordan borrows heavily from world literature and religion. There are references to Arthurian legend, Celtic mythology (the Green Man), and Beowulf. The religious system in which the powers of light and dark must balance each other is taken directly from Taoist thought. Reincarnation as taught by Hindus and Buddhists is accepted as fact, but in a fun twist, past-life memories help the protagonists in their fight. High Fantasy elements are abundant; certain people can channel "The One Power" and do miraculous feats like healing broken bones with the wave of a hand or travel hundreds of miles in a step. The first book especially seems based on Tolkien; young village folks traveling to a large eye accompanied by the wise Moraine (Aes Sedai=Female Wizard) and her Warder Lan (aka Aragorn). Unlike other fairy tales, the young men are not only naive but rather stupid. However, I have sometimes thought that if one of them really is the hope of the world, perhaps the Third Age is doomed! 
 If you are thinking about starting and finishing this series, be prepared for a serious commitment. The printed books span over 10,000 pages. The world that Jordan creates is described in minute detail. I think this is one of the book's key strengths. The reader can picture the tiniest details of a forest floor or a palace throne room without needing a movie adaptation to set the scene. The reader also experiences a myriad of emotions along with the cast when embarking on this journey from the Two Rivers to the Borderlands, Tarvalon, and beyond. First and foremost there is the excitement of youth and intoxication of new possibilities as the world unfolds at your feet. There is the awkwardness of youth of as well, and rash words, and stupid mistakes. The training in The White Tower is reminiscent of friendships forged in college, or at Hogwarts. Love and lust is tastefully written. Humor infuses the writing, and some key moments border on the ridiculous. The day Lan saves Nynaeve from certain death is hilarious and sweet and is my favorite chapter thus far. Mat and Birgitta getting hammered in the tavern ranks a close second for funny/favorite scenes. Rounding up the top three is when certain female leads join the circus. Yes, there is a good amount of ridiculous fun. There are political intrigues (which actually get boring in the middle of the series. Elayne Trakand...blah blah blah. Oh and POV chapters from people you don't even know...boring AND confusing! But boredom does make the exciting chapters that much better). Battles and blood and moments of fear make this reader hold her breath. Trollocs!!! There is sorrow and death and regret, especially around the Dragon Reborn. These negative emotions turn him into a dark character...and yet if you are really invested in the series, you still love him despite his flaws. There are questions about where line between sanity and insanity lies. One can walk in dreams, talk to wolves, and travel to parallel worlds. The dead don't always stay that way. There is an entire new set of swear words for you to learn and utilize in your daily life. What did I forget? Blood and bloody ashes, I can't recall. Fish guts. 
 My full review is at : my link text