Reading Order
The Wheel of Time
by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
The Wheel of Time Reading Order
The defining epic fantasy of the 1990s and still one of the most ambitious — 14 books, ~11,000 pages, hundreds of characters, a prophecy 3,000 years in the making. You will laugh, you will despair through the slog, and the ending will earn it all.
⚠️ "The Slog" — books 7–10: Books 7–10 (A Crown of Swords through Crossroads of Twilight) are the most divisive in the series. Pacing slows dramatically, storylines stall, and Crossroads of Twilight in particular covers almost no ground. This is real — but it ends. Knife of Dreams (book 11) brings the pace back, and the Sanderson trilogy is some of the best fantasy writing in the series. Push through.
Reading Order
All 14 books in publication order. All are essential. There are no optional reads.
The Eye of the World
The Wheel of Time #1
Core★ 4.20
1990
The Great Hunt
The Wheel of Time #2
Core★ 4.28
1990
The Dragon Reborn
The Wheel of Time #3
Core★ 4.27
1991
The Shadow Rising
The Wheel of Time #4
Core★ 4.48
1992
The Fires of Heaven
The Wheel of Time #5
Core★ 4.18
1993
Lord of Chaos
The Wheel of Time #6
Core★ 4.48
1994
A Crown of Swords
The Wheel of Time #7
Core★ 4.05
1996
The Path of Daggers
The Wheel of Time #8
Core★ 3.68
1998
Winter's Heart
The Wheel of Time #9
Core★ 3.75
2000
Crossroads of Twilight
The Wheel of Time #10
Core★ 3.55
2003
Knife of Dreams
The Wheel of Time #11
Core★ 4.28
2005
The Gathering Storm
The Wheel of Time #12
Core★ 4.48
2009
Towers of Midnight
The Wheel of Time #13
Core★ 4.49
2010
A Memory of Light
The Wheel of Time #14
Core★ 4.60
2013
Publication order vs Chronological order
These are mostly the same. New Spring (a prequel novella) can technically be read anytime after book 10 but adds nothing essential for the main story. The only ordering question is whether to read The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight interleaved (they share a timeline) — but most readers read them sequentially in publication order, which works fine.
Spoiler-free notes
- → Books 1–6 are the golden era. Excellent pacing, constant revelations, the world expanding.
- → The women characters are excellent — many consider them more interesting than the male leads.
- → Jordan died in 2007. Brandon Sanderson finished the series from Jordan's notes. The transition is seamless.
- → The audiobook narration (Michael Kramer and Kate Reading) is considered one of the best in fantasy.
- → The Amazon Prime show significantly diverges from the books after season 1.
Darkness progression
Scale: 🕯️ Lighthearted → 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️ Brutal
Finished the series?
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