The Wheel of Time

The Wheel of Time is a series of high fantasy novels by the American author Robert Jordan, with Brandon Sanderson as co-author of the final three installments. Originally planned as a trilogy, the series, which began with The Eye of the World (1990), came to span 14 volumes, in addition to a prequel novel and three companion books. Jordan died in 2007 while working on what was planned to be the twelfth and final volume in the series. He prepared extensive notes, enabling Sanderson to complete the final book, which grew into three volumes: The Gathering Storm (2009), Towers of Midnight (2010), and A Memory of Light (2013). The series draws on numerous elements of both European and Asian mythologies, most notably the cyclical nature of time found in Buddhism and Hinduism; the metaphysical concepts of balance, duality and a respect for nature found in Taoism; the dualistic concepts of God and Satan which is the foundation of Zoroastrianism; and the concepts of Watchers from Judaism. The Wheel of Time is known for its length, detailed imaginary world, magic system, and large cast of characters. The eighth through fourteenth books each reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list. After its completion, the series was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel. As of 2021, the series has sold over 90 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling epic fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings. Its popularity has spawned comic book adaptations, a collectible card game, a video game, a roleplaying game, and a soundtrack album. A television adaptation, The Wheel of Time, aired for three seasons on Amazon Prime Video, from 2021 to 2025.