The Lord of the Rings influenced The Wheel Of Time

The Wheel of Time was heavily influenced by The Lord of the Rings, especially in its opening: a group of young villagers flee their home with a mysterious mentor while pursued by servants of an ancient evil. Robert Jordan deliberately used this familiar Tolkien framework, then expanded it into a much larger story with cyclical history, complex politics, and a detailed magic system that set it apart from Tolkien's work.