The series “The Wheel of Time”, feminist fantasy on Amazon Prime Video, will it be the next “Games of Thrones”?

Medieval universe, magic, fantastic creatures, prophecy, quest… “The Wheel of Time” ticks all the boxes of fantasy as seen by the general public. Except that this new series, available from this Friday, November 19 on Amazon Prime Video, also stands out from the competition thanks to a few welcome differences. The biggest being that its main character is a woman, Moiraine, played by the experienced Rosamund Pike, 42, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2014 for her role in "Gone Girl". She plays here a powerful magician, member of a female order called the Aes Sedai, and launched on a quest: that of the Dragon, a human being who would be the resurrection of a hero of old, and could well decide the fate of the world…

Let it be said: in the universe of "The Wheel of Time", women are not just stooges.

Here, they not only hold the top of the bill, with other men, but we also see them in the background being treated as equals by their companions, or exercising jobs a priori reserved for men, as a blacksmith. , for example.

Another characteristic, the series does not play the card of excessive action, on the contrary.

In the first episode, you have to wait a good half an hour before the rhythm, somewhat languid until then, finally accelerates, with an outburst of violence and special effects.

The tone is also revealed rather serious and first degree, at least for the first episodes that we were able to watch.

A boost to the literary saga

The throne left vacant by the end of "Games of Thrones" still remaining to be claimed, can "The Wheel of Time" be the new fantasy series that will hit the world? His studio, Amazon, has in any case given the means of its ambitions, with a simultaneous release in more than 150 countries, and has already announced a season 2, regardless of the results of the first.

But it will face stiff competition. The new episodes of "The Witcher" are expected on Netflix from December 17th. 2022 should see tumble the new version, in series, of the “Lord of the Rings” (on Amazon, a priori in September). And the prequel to "Games of Thrones", "House of the Dragon", taking place two centuries ago, is also scheduled for next year, at a date to be fixed. On the other hand, it is certain that there will be no season 2 of “Cursed”, yet a very politically correct variation of the legend of Arthur and Merlin, Netflix having been cooled by audiences and comments not really enthusiastic ...

In the meantime, the soap opera “The Wheel of Time” will undoubtedly give a boost to the literary saga of the same name.

Signed by the American Robert Jordan for the first eleven American volumes, then Brendan Sanderson for the last three, after the death of the original author, it has been translated, but not totally, in French, and has been reissued by the editions Bragelonne in the form of twenty books.

EDITOR'S RATING: 3.5 / 5

“The Wheel of Time”