The Wheel of Time is turning. Ages have come and gone. The current Age, called the 21st century by many, has witnessed a surge in book-to tv adaptations, beginning with the high-profile adaptation of Peter Jackson's Lord of The Rings.
Since then, many more series have been adapted, the most popular of which has arguably been HBO's Game of Thrones. Us lovers of fantasy know that adapting to the big screen is expensive, to say the least. After factoring in the multiple changes that directors often have to effect during filming, it is no surprise that many fans advocate for adaptation to animation rather than live-action. It's not just cheaper. It's more efficient.
But, as long as the likes of Legendary Pictures, Sonar Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, HBO, Netflix, and Amazon continue to spend big bucks on filming, the wheels of this Age will continue to turn and spin.
It is a new Age for fantasy writers, too, who have suddenly had their streams of income more than quadruple from the new TV deals. Take a certain Mr. Martin, for instance. The only logical explanation for not writing the next book in his series must be the millions of dollars he's currently swimming in, having chosen to put the interests of his original fanbase (us book lovers) second. We weep, but then, we have no choice but to wait.
Luckily, Amazon has decided to bless our optical faculties with a live-action adaptation of Robert Jordan's (and Brandon Sanderson's) beloved Wheel of Time Series.
As a newbie to the series, you are advised not to make the error of arguing with any member of the Wheel of Time fan base. If you do, you are likely to have your ignorance brutally exposed, as well over seventy percent of the original fanbase has read the mammoth-sized tomes at least twice.
Nevertheless, this is not to discourage you from airing your views as the show progresses. To be at par with Wheel of Time geeks, you will have to know some things regarding the world and lore of the wheel of time. Without further ado, we present to you our spoiler-free, comprehensive listicle.
Forget Westeros and the barbarian hordes of Essos. Forget the chilly evernights of the north, sunny, golden Lannisport, and stormy Storm's End. The world of the Wheel of Time is as diverse as all the shades between the scorching Atacama and frozen Siberia.
If you do not get this sense of diversity when watching the shows, then that is your cue to join the rest of the fan base in lambasting Rafe Judkins and the crew from Amazon.
I promise that you won't look out of place.
While the Wheel of Time is not in the same league as ASOIAF's greyish, Joe Abercrombie-like antiheroes, it packs a large number of villains to root for. Since this is a spoiler-free article, I won't provide you with the names of the villains.
All I'll do is to assure you that the villains are brilliant. Whether they live, die, or persist in their dogged wickedness, you will surely find some aspects of them to respect.
All of us who've read the series multiple times are curious as to how the sheer level of detail will be replicated in the TV shows. Personally, I do not expect much in this regard. This is because the author wrote the books with precision and level of detail comparable to Botticelli and Michelango.
As a newbie to Randland, be on the lookout for symbols, names, gestures, outfits/costumes, hairstyles, terrain, and landscape in the TV show. You will learn a lot from them.
A lot revolves around this cult of magically-endowed women and white-garbed orthodoxy. They are the protagonists, the antagonists, and everything.
The Aes Sedai sect wields different magics, while the Whitecloaks derive their power from their stance against the Darkness. Note how Amazon portrays these two groups, and a lot will be clear as the show continues. If the WheelofTimeOnPrime is a success, expect to see more Aes Sedai and Whitecloaks in subsequent seasons.
I want to safely assume that you haven't read the books yet, but are looking forward to a much-hyped TV series that has been compared to HBO's Game of Thrones even before the official trailer was released.
I'd actually suggest that you read the entire series altogether. But, seeing how bulky the first of the tomes are, book reviews will probably suffice. You can easily find hundreds of written reviews on Goodreads, other platforms, or here on Littafi.
By reading the book reviews, you will have a fair idea of what the original fanbase expects, and learn about some of the juicier bits of the story, bits that may not be revealed in the TV series.
So, pick a side. Will you stand in the light, or choose to be a Darkfriend? The second part of this blog post will show you some markers with which to identify Light and Dark.
