2023 reread: This was so much more fun this time around having read the whole series! I loved the hints and foreshadowing that Jordan included. I think the first time I read it I was more hampered by the similarities to Lord of the Rings. This time it felt so much more its own thing and I was so engaged with the story and pacing throughout. The ending's a little janky, but overall such a great read. 4.5 stars

2020: I sure do love a good epic fantasy, and an author who isn’t afraid of description and wandering and battles. All of the WoT books are rather daunting for their length and I’m not sure that all that length is necessary (and it definitely should not take as long as it does for them to get out of Emond’s Field, let alone the Two Rivers) but they’re still fun. I listened to the audio book this time round and it was pretty good, but the change of narrators 2/3 of the way in (with different pronunciation) was annoying to me, but overall good.