‘The Wheel of Time’ – “Leavetaking” – Review

“The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.”

So begins Robert Jordan’s classic tale of epic fantasy The Wheel of Time and now this grand fantasy adventure is coming to Amazon Prime and audiences looking for a colossal tale of majestic heroes and foul villains will be in for a very fun ride with this all-new series.

The Wheel of Time follows Moiraine, a member of the Aes Sedai, a powerful organization of women who can use magic. She takes a group of five young people on a journey around the world, believing one of them might be the reincarnation of the Dragon, a powerful individual prophesied to either save the world or destroy it.

Developed by Rafe Judkins, The Wheel of Time is a grand adaptation of Robert Jordan’s epic high fantasy adventure series and long time fans of the books, along with those new to this epic fantasy story will be pumped with what’s on offer. Director Uta Briesewitz shapes The Wheel of Time with a broad vision that makes for an incredibly splendid fantasy world to look upon and which is both aligned to the familiar trappings of the fantasy genre but also feels entirely fresh at the same time. Amazon has truly spared no expense in bringing the world of The Wheel of Time to life and it is marvellous to look upon.

Episode One “Leavetaking” sets the stage for the story that is to come in The Wheel of Time and Briesewitz works quickly to establish the key characters of the series. We are quickly introduced to the series lead Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) an Aes Sedai and sorceress of incredible power and her Warder and bodyguard al’Lan Mandragoran (Daniel Henney) who have come seeking ‘The Dragon Reborn’; a mythical hero who will either bring balance to the world or break it. We are also introduced to the five who may just be The Dragon Reborn: Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski), Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford), Egwene al’Vere (Madeleine Madden), Mat Cauthon (Barney Harris ) as Mat Cauthon and Nynaeve al’Meara (Zoë Robins).

Tensions mount, prophecies are uttered and soon the very real presence of the battle between light and dark is brought to the screen and The Wheel of Time kicks into high gear! Those fantasy fans seeking a good dose of action, swordplay and magic will be well in for a good amount of fun as this first episode gets moving. Briesewitz and her team lay the groundwork for where The Wheel of Time will move forward and it certainly gets moving quickly towards the end of the episode.

If I had to pick my favourite part of “Leavetaking” it’s certainly the showdown between Moiraine and al’Lan with a pack of monstrous Trollocs. And it’s an utterly epic scene! The way in which The Wheel of Time showcases magic and swordplay is just epic to watch and Pike and Henney move in unison together as these twin warrior guardians with swiftness and grace. Pike brings a great dramatic sense to her manipulation of magic as an Aes Sedai and Henney is a skilled and tactile swordsman, who cuts deep and brings to al’Lan a samurai’s sense of discipline and skill. Both of them share terrific chemistry together and you feel the history that exists between these two characters who are now seeking to preserve the world no matter what the cost.

We are now at the dawn of an incredible new fantasy series with The Wheel of Time and both existing fans of the genre and those new to these stories should get ready for a very promising new series.

The Wheel of Time streams on Amazon Prime on Fridays.

Image: Amazon Prime