An Opportunity to Talk Wheel of Time: This Is My Genre Tell Me Yours Book Tag

On By JJAzarIn Tags and Awards

Many fortnights ago, my name was drawn in the Hunger Games. I fought bravely, tackling the Character Dating Tag with fervor. After threatening to eat poisonous berries, I was spared by President Sutherland, the white-bearded father of Jack Bauer. But now we have reached the Quarter Quell, and my name has been drawn once again. Wow, how convenient that the sequel features me having my name drawn a second time! I’ve been tasked with tackling the This is My Genre Tell Me Yours Book Tag, a tag which presents me the opportunity to dive into genre. The two kind benefactors of this year’s Quarter Quell are Lashaan and Trang of Bookidote, a blog I have enjoyed following since the beginning of my Wordpress experience.

Unless I want to get chopped in half by dystopian teenagers, I have to credit Drew @ TheTattooedBookGeek as the creator of this tag. He’s a fantastic blogger who you ought to follow if you aren’t already. The war paint is on. Here we go!

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1. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE GENRE?

Sorry, I live in New Jersey. I don’t recognize that spelling of “favourite.’ Next question.

Kidding, kidding. I love the Brits and all those who spell like them. Truth be told, I don’t have a favorite genre. I enjoy a wide range of stories. But all is not lost! I thought I could use this opportunity to share some more about my influential relationship with the Wheel of Time series, so I’m choosing Fantasy!

2. WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR FROM THE GENRE?

10242009105514PM.jpgRobert Jordan! He’s the guy behind the Wheel of Time series. His story is a fascinating one. He published the first book of the Wheel of Time series in 1990. In 2005, he published Book 11. The same year, he was diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, a rare blood disease. Tragically, in 2007, Jordan passed away. He left behind an incomplete, epic fantasy series beloved by millions of fans across the world. Brandon Sanderson eventually went on to complete books 12-14, finishing the series using extensive notes left by Jordan. There’s a whole lot more to his story, so I implore you to read up on who this man was and how he worked and wrote. He is a grand inspiration of mine who has had a substantial impact on my life.

3. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE GENRE THAT KEEPS PULLING YOU BACK?

The scope. Talk about immersion! Fantasy books have history and cultures and strife and grand stakes. When I read Fantasy, I feel like I’m diving into something that’s already been going on. I feel like I’m witnessing a story as opposed to reading one as it’s being written. When Robert Jordan was asked to sum up the Wheel of Time in a few words, he responded, “Cultures clash, worlds change, cope.” That’s grand, and that’s the kind of reason why Fantasy is a stellar genre. Scope!

4. WHAT’S THE BOOK THAT STARTED YOUR LOVE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE GENRE?

WoT01_TheEyeOfTheWorld.jpgThe Eye of the World, Book #1 of the Wheel of Time series. When this book was handed to me years ago, I hadn’t a clue what I was about to begin. I’m currently on Book 9 of the series and I’m still infatuated with it. Since starting the series, I’ve recommended it to many others and a handful have fallen for it as I have.

5. IF YOU HAD TO RECOMMEND AT LEAST ONE BOOK FROM YOUR FAVOURITE GENRE TO A NON-READER/SOMEONE LOOKING TO START READING THAT GENRE, WHAT BOOK WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?

I wouldn’t recommend a book, I’d recommend a movie. Eight movies, actually. I would implore anybody considering whether or not to dive into the Fantasy genre to watch the Potter films! The Harry Potter films feature a rich fantasy world translated to film properly. Magic, stakes, and lore is aplenty. If you’re into Potter, you could ease your way into other, more involved Fantasy worlds.

6. WHY DO YOU READ?

I read because I like stories. I’ve always been a huge movie fan, and in the last few years, I’ve watched some quality television. Books present stories through a different medium than do movies or shows. It generally takes me longer to read a book than to tackle a movie because I like to soak in every word, but the effort is often worth it. In the case of Wheel of Time, it’s unreal how invested I often become while reading.

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I’m late to the party on this tag, so passing it along when most have already tackled it wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense. Thus, I’d like to tag any who would like to volunteer as tribute.

Have you heard of the Wheel of Time series? Have you read any of it? Isn’t it fantastic? Let’s talk!

As always, stay classy.

~J.J. Azar

33 thoughts on “An Opportunity to Talk Wheel of Time: This Is My Genre Tell Me Yours Book Tag”

  1. Theeruheran

    I totally agree about scope, the ability of an author to create a whole world apart from our own is its own kind of real, observable magic. There are few pleasures that directly parallel the joy of immersing oneself into a fantasy story.

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    1. I agree, Eruheran. The elements of a fictional fantasy world solidify it as a real place, regardless of the fact that the world only exists on the page. Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. I’m still at the middle of the fourth book, The Shadow Rising. I went into a huge reading slump while reading it and did not read anything for like a month and a half, and when i finally felt like reading again, i just couldn’t get myself to read it from the middle, and i still don’t know when i’ll pick it up and start reading it again from the beginning. But the slump was definitely not about the book itself. I love the world and lore Jordan created and i was absolutely in love with the series. I remember carrying the huge and chunky Eye of the World to school and reading it in class and in PE while other people were running and/or playing volleyball/basketball etc. Good old times. Writing this actually made me a bit more eager to go back to the Wheel of Time series. 😀

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment!
      The Shadow Rising was my favorite book of the series until I read Lord of Chaos. You’re in for a real treat! The Wheel of Time is a huge time commitment, no doubt about it. I stopped at Book 5 and put it down for a while. Since the gap between reading was so great, I decided to restart the series because I had forgotten a lot. Since then, it’s been a real pleasure continuing the story. Whenever you return to it, I’m always up for Wheel of Time talk!

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    1. I am so excited for you I can’t even express it. Some don’t catch the bug, but many dear to me have. A friend of mine is reading Eye of the World (he’s already considering placing it above Lord of the Rings, which he regards highly), a cousin is nearly finished with Eye of the World (I vividly recall the day he was about halfway through and he gushed about its greatness for at least half an hour), and a sister is about to start Book 4.

      I remember years ago I loaned my copy of Eye of the World to my English teacher and she gave it back after 150 pages, electing to go on about how the 1 star reviews were right and Jordan’s extreme detail and “sexism” was unbearable. I’ll go toe-to-toe with anyone who wants to argue that Jordan’s writing is sexist. There’s just no bearing. Anywho, I do hope you enjoy it, and I look forward to discussing it with you!

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  4. Ah! Fantasy and the worlds it has built. Your answers are truly spot on. I enjoyed this, but I knew I would. Is it bad that I was slightly excited to see you doing another tag haha?

    Robert Jordan and The Wheel of Time. I have many of this series lying here on my shelf, unread. Please don’t hurt me! It is just so daunting amidst everything else. I know I need to read them and have the desire (hence owning several), but the thought of being sucked in again haha.

    Great post!

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    1. I am surprised every time somebody draws my name, but when it happens, it’s a thrill and I like to have fun with it. I’m glad you enjoyed! 😀

      I’m not even remotely upset that you haven’t cracked them open yet. 14 dense books are indeed daunting. The fact that you acknowledge the potential deliciousness of the cheesecake before you is good enough for me. I would rather you enjoy the cheesecake when you’re ready as opposed to trying it when you’re not in the mood.

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  6. Thank you so much for doing the tag!!! Definitely appreciate that you picked fantasy for this one and put Robert Jordan on the stage. I’ve seen his books here and there, and had added The Eye of the World to my TBR a couple months ago. I’m really curious about his writing and his stories. It’s even more interesting that Brandon Sanderson wrote the rest of the books. That’s another author I’m definitely planning on checking out soon enough; I hear he’s just as amazing of a writer! A movie fan myself, I can definitely vouch in their effectiveness to stir the imagination of PLENTY of writers! Would’ve been pretty nice if movies could honestly make people want to try books without too much effort though (I feel movies will only make them want to watch more movies than anything). At least for writers and bookworms, movies bring even more awesomeness to their/our lives!

    – Lashaan

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    1. Thank you for tagging me, it was a pleasure tackling the prompt! I understand your curiosity. What’s the deal with Jordan’s series? What is it that is so compelling for so many? For me, it comes down to the heart with which Jordan writes. There’s a love and precision and groundedness to the world he creates. If Books 12-14 fare well, I’ll have to branch off into Sanderson’s other work. I hear his stuff is great, and I’ve taken a peek at the writing lecture series he does. I look forward to learning more about writing from him. Many frankly won’t make a movie-to-book transition, but if I want to introduce others to Fantasy as a genre, I’d point them to Harry Potter. There are some Fantasy gems out there in movie form, but much stellar Fantasy remains in books! Thanks again for the tag, I had a blast with it.

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  7. A.S. Akkalon

    I choose fantasy too, but not because of the scope. Fantasy that’s smaller and quieter can be wonderful too. I like fantasy because I like to believe magic can be real. Doesn’t it make the world more exciting?

    I confess I tried to read the Wheel of Time series years ago and never managed to get into the first book. I made perhaps a hundred pages. But that was a long time ago. Perhaps I’ll pick it up again and see if anything’s changed.

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    1. Interesting point about scope! I agree, smaller scaled stories can be wonderful. Scope doesn’t make a story by any means. Fantasy seems to provide a strong platform for the big-scale, but the genre is not restricted to it.

      I feel that reading 100 pages of any work is absolutely a fair attempt. To your credit, it takes about 100 pages for anything to really “happen” in Eye of the World. For me, it came down to Jordan’s style. I was in awe at how richly he described everything, at how he took his time. It was different, but it resonated with me. I stayed the course and I found the effort to be well worth it. Some don’t. As much as I enjoy the series, I understand that others may not!

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  8. CRAZY weird timing! I JUST did a video blog about the top 5 most “awe”some characters in that series! This is a great post. WoT is my second-favorite all-time fantasy series (Dragonriders of Pern). The Shadow Rising is my favorite in the series. One of only a small number (less than 10) books that had me crying. Also features my favorite character from the series.
    If you want to see the video blog, it’s right here:

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    1. I think I know precisely what in Book 4 affected you that way. Heavy stuff indeed. Hit me hard. Is Perrin your guy? I like all three boys and the label of “favorite” often changes as the story progresses, but Perrin has to be my favorite once it comes down to it. The video looks great, but I’ve got to stay away because of spoilers! I’m on Winter’s Heart, so I have 5 books more to go. I’ll be sure to bookmark it for the day I read ‘The End!’ I’ve subscribed to your channel, too!

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      2. I’m always down to talk WoT! I assign a word to each book after reading it, and I think I already have the one for Winter’s Heart: beautiful. Honestly. I can’t be sure until I hit the end, but so far…beautiful. I didn’t think Jordan’s sweeping description could get any richer.

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  9. hahaha love your opening to this!! haha and that’s ok that you spell things wrong- we Brits forgive you 😉 I do love the scope of fantasy! There is so much potential to write about anything or read about anything in fantasy- it’s definitely what I love about fantasy too!

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