Rosamund Pike is the star and producer of Amazon’s The Wheel of Time, and her growing dedication to that world proves she was an outstanding choice for Moiraine. Moiraine is one of the most vital characters in Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time book series and the television series, as she’s the only one who really knows anything at the start. As the group from the Two Rivers is thrust into action, Moiraine is the wise guide who helps each of them find their path in the increasingly complex world.
The television adaptation has received mixed responses from readers for its many changes from The Wheel of Time novels, including the portrayals of many of the series’ most iconic characters. Rosamund Pike, known for her roles in Gone Girl, Pride and Prejudice, and many other high-profile films, is easily the most recognizable name among The Wheel of Time cast, bringing prestige to the adaptation. She’s since given one of the few performances that’s almost unanimously approved of, and she continues to impress fans of the franchise with her work.
Rosamund Pike Has Narrated The Wheel Of Time Audiobooks
Rosamund Pike’s Has Narrated Through “The Shadow Rising”
Outside of leading the TV show’s cast and producing the adaptation, Rosamund Pike has begun recording new audiobooks for The Wheel of Time. Her performances for each character are stellar, and even draw inspiration from the TV actors’ voices, making it an excellent alternate reading method for fans of the Prime Video series. She truly gives voice to each figure in the saga so candidly that it’s easy to forget that a prominent film star is narrating the novels.
With so many fantasy book television adaptations struggling to earn the approval of their original reader fan base, having a star with such fondness for the material is noteworthy. She may not be writing the adaptation, but Pike is also a producer on the series, and having a familiarity with Robert Jordan’s world can undoubtedly have a positive effect on bridging the gap between book and show. As the wait for The Wheel of Time season 3 continues, Pike’s audiobooks are an excellent way to catch up on the material the show has already covered.
To begin reading or listening, start with Robert Jordan’s The Eye of the World.
Rosamund Pike Has Proven She Was The Perfect Choice For Moiraine
Rosamund Pike Gives The Show’s Strongest & Most Book-Accurate Performance
Given her star talent and proven acting capabilities, Rosamund Pike was always going to bring something excellent to The Wheel of Time television series. But delivering a great performance and delivering a performance that’s faithful to an already iconic character isn’t the same thing, and she’s managed to do both. A key part of Moiraine in the early novels is that she always knows more than she lets on. She’s not quite like Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, whose warmth and affection are always abundantly clear.
Rosamund Pike plays Moiraine with believable poise and wisdom, but she also nails the aspect of the character that can’t fully be trusted. The TV show’s Moiraine is one of the closest portrayals to the book’s counterpart, as she simultaneously frustrates the characters around her with her secrecy yet also never leaves much room for alternate options but to sit tight and follow her orders. This is a frequent theme throughout the early novels, where characters want to stand up to her, yet they always end up doing as she says. Pike effortlessly nails that power dynamic.
What Rosamund Pike Has Said About The Wheel Of Time Books
Rosamund Pike Has Become A Devoted Fan Of Robert Jordan’s Work
Rosamund Pike has expressed nothing but praise for Robert Jordan’s world. On Stephen Colbert’s show in 2021, Pike admitted that she wasn’t a fan of fantasy before beginning her work on the series, saying, “I think I’d always been quite grounded in reality; I didn’t feel I needed to branch out into creatures and mythological beasts.” But she’s grown incredibly fond of The Wheel of Time in her experience exploring the show and narrating the audiobooks. She had this to say about the process of narrating the series to The Washington Post in 2023:
“It was exciting to me, then, how important it had become to me. And an audio version would be somehow linked intrinsically to our show.”
“The reverence with which these books are treated means that we’ve got to get it right.”
For a fantasy novel epic that’s defined the genre for so many readers, building a loyal, dedicated fanbase over three decades, having acting talent like Rosamund Pike, who understands and respects its meaning, is quite wonderful. Pike is outstanding in The Wheel of Time series and unbelievable in her narration of the first four books of the series, with The Shadow Rising being released recently in 2024.
Sources: The Washington Post
