THE BAD

Geography 

Distance is always a big problem in worldbuilding, and sometimes maps can make things worse. This map is an example of how distance feels inconsistent.

On the map to the right, the black line takes 16 days for two people on a straight road. However, the red only takes 20 days despite being twice as long and over hills and forests. The blue line has over a dozen people traveling it but only takes 8 days. (These times are a mix of my own reading and this in-depth guide.)

The problem with distance issues is they serve to make the world feel small and scale difficult to identify. It’s important to try and keep world distance consistent to keep the size and scale of the world the same.

Religion 

For most people and cultures throughout history and the present, religion is a prevalent and important part. The Wheel of Time’s world has no religion, and almost everyone accepts the same God and Devil. In this world, while there is a “Devil” (Dark One) and a “God” (Creator), there are no organized religions, no places of worship, not even prayer. Religion is a key part of making a world and is an area WoT severely lacks. 

Language 

The most egregious example of The Wheel of Time’s worldbuilding problem is its language. While its geography can be forgiven and its lack of religion can be somewhat excused for its God and Devil being real, language is a huge issue with WoT worldbuilding. Everyone, even people separated by an ocean for thousands of years, ALL speak the same language. A world doesn't need to go so far as Lord of the Rings, in making a whole new language, but should have SOME diversity in language. 

The Wheel of Time has such well developed and explored cultures and peoples, but it creates a juxtaposition that highlights the lack of language or religion. Much of the story is about traveling across the story’s world and its inconsistency with distance and geography subtracts from both the plot and the worldbuilding. The Wheel of Time’s world still has many virtues and intricacies, but sometimes its superb worldbuilding makes its negative qualities all the more apparent.

The Wheel of Time (WoT) is a long, sprawling epic, written across fourteen books and two authors. There are almost four and a half million words in the series, and a good number goes to building its world and making it feel real, but there are things that work and things that don’t in the Wheel of Time. The parts that work can make the world feel alive, but the pieces it lacks can draw a reader out of the book’s universe. What works in the Wheel of Time, and what doesn’t?

A major issue when looking over the Wheel of Time is it has two authors. The original author, Robert Jordan (real name James Rigney) passed away in 2007 before the series was finished. Another author, fantasy author Brandon Sanderson, was given the chance to finish the series and wrote the last three books. While Sanderson tried his best to keep Jordan’s same style of writing, there are differences in characters, themes, and of course, worldbuilding. For the purpose of examining the quality of the Wheel of Time’s worldbuilding, I'll be ignoring the last books written by Sanderson and focus on the creative core of the series written by Jordan.

THE GOOD

Magic system 

The magic system, called “Channeling”, fits well with both the world and story. It works because it has clear and concise rules the story never breaks, and the magic is central to both the world and the plot. WoT’s “Channeling” is one of the best examples of how to write a magic system to fit a world.

Cultures and Diversity of People

For every nation or culture the plot takes the reader through, each is richly detailed and described, from the clothes and architecture, to customs and politics. The world and each land’s history is just as richly explored as their culture. Jordan makes a place feel real and truly builds a world in WoT’s story. 

Shane McIntosh

Shane is the name, and worldbuilding is my game. I’m a 21 year old book nerd that lives off cheap food and fantasy novels. I explore the world of fantasy from its architecture to its religion. What works and what doesn’t? I’m here to try and figure it out.