3.5/5 - When I was at Books-A-Million buying the series, a random man walked by and informed me that "it's the greatest series ever." I'm waiting to confirm that opinion until I'm done, but BAM stranger aside I have only heard good things about it. So, I decided to take the plunge even though it's a sprawling fourteen books, between 500-900 pages each. 
 Picture in your mind happy farms and happy people, something like the Shire without the Hobbits. This is the Two Rivers, where we find Rand al'Thor, Perrin Aybara, and Mat Cauthon, young men around nineteen or twenty. A woman named Moraine arrives on the eve of a festival with Lan, who is her bonded Warder aka partner aka bodyguard aka lover (just kidding, I so want them to hook up though). Moraine is an Aes Sedai, or a female sorcerer who can channel the One Power. She's essentially a really powerful witch. I love the fact that the women in this series have such potential, but I'm not crazy about the fact that Aes Sedai in general are mistrusted and always act aloof, cold, and calculating. On the eve of the festival, the Two Rivers is attacked by Trollocs and Myddraal (think Orcs and Ringwraiths). Moraine knows what's after the trio but she doesn't divulge everything she knows. Instead, she plans to take them to Tar Valon (the city where Aes Sedai reside in the White Tower) to be safe. The five of them are joined on their journey by visiting gleeman Thom Merrilin and Egwene al'Vere, a friend of the trio who kinda-sorta-not-really is Rand's girlfriend. Nynaeve al'Meara, the village Wisdom, or healer, catches up with them later. 
 The rest of the book follows the group after they get separated in the abandoned city of Shadar Logoth and their struggles finding each other. (view spoiler)[ It's here that Perrin learns he has a telepathic connection to wolves when he meets another man with this power. Rand meets Elayne who is the Daughter Heir/Princess of Andor, and he also meets Loial, an Ogier. Ogier are similar to humans, but larger and they live much longer. Eventually they all get together again and Moraine confirms that Mat is sick from a tainted dagger he stole in Shadar Logoth. Loial also tells her about the Eye of the World, which has a seal on the Dark One's prison and might be in jeopardy of breaking. The group travels to save it, destroys two Forsaken (the Dark One's top minions), and Rand fights the Dark One and wins. (hide spoiler)] 
 Random thoughts...(These were on my Book 2 & 3 Goodreads reviews, I reviewed 1-3 together on my blog so pardon the similarities. The rest in the series will be reviewed separately.) 
 Perrin's abilities are my favorite, even if they're not the most powerful. I was indifferent about Rand (until the end of book three) and I strongly disliked Mat for a while but Perrin is cool. His character development is the most steady, in my opinion. 
 Not all of the female Aes Sedai have a Warder, but if I were an Aes Sedai I totally would. Who doesn't want a strong warrior man who follows you around, guards your back, and keeps you company as you spend your days as badass sorcerer? 
 These books could easily lose 100+ pages each if they'd had a more thorough editor. Seriously, it reads "Moraine looked coldly at Rand," and then a few paragraphs later, "Rand felt Moraine's ice-like stare" constantly throughout the book. I am not stupid. Jordan seems to think I am and that I will forget things I JUST READ. I do not need to be beaten over the head with the same phrases over and over again. I love long books and I'm not intimidated by them, but there has to be a reason for it. 
 The One Power is very Yin and Yang. It has two halves that are only reached by either male or female channelers. I like that part, the dual forces have moments throughout the book where they clash or connect and the dynamic plays out well. However, I think Jordan tried too hard to create defined male and female characteristics in this series which resulted in stereotypes. The channeling women are untrustworthy and the channeling men are dangerous. The women have tempers, the men are constantly wondering why the women are so difficult, etc...it sometimes feels like I'm reading about adults who have a high school mentality. These people are powerful and cool otherwise; I wish they would stop exclaiming "Men!" or "Women!" and sighing that they will never understand the other. 
 I like the story and characters well enough that I can overlook the stereotypes, repetition, and Nynaeve's attitude. It'll take me a while to finish because of those issues, but I'll get it done.