The Dragon Reborn--the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the savior who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him--is on the run from his destiny.
Able to touch the One Power, but unable to control it, and with no one to teach him how--for no man has done it in three thousand years--Rand al'Thor knows only that he must face the Dark One. But how?
Winter has stopped the war-almost-yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he?
Perrin Aybara is in pursuit with Moiraine Sedai, her Warder Lan, and the Loial the Ogier. Bedeviled by dreams, Perrin is grappling with another deadly problem--how is her to escape the loss of his own humanity.
Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are approaching Tar Valon, where Mat will be healed--if he lives until they arrive. But who will tell the Amyrlin their news--that the Black Ajah, long thought only a hideous rumor, is all too real? They cannot know that in Tar Valon far worse awaits...
Ahead, for all of them, in the Heart of the Stone, lies the next great test of the Dragon reborn....
From Publishers Weekly
Jordan continues his Wheel of Time saga (after The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt ). Three thousand years ago the Dragon led the male mages of the world into entrapping the Dark One, but the cost was high: all male mages, then and thereafter, were driven mad. Now the Dark One is breaking free, and the only salvation may come through Rand al'Thor who may be a reincarnation of the Dragon and who must obtain the sword Callandor, held in the city of Tear. All of Rand's companions from the previous books find themselves, willing or not, moving toward Tear for a confrontation with evil traps. Jordan's fast and absorbing adventure novel will keep the reader too entranced to worry about plot inconsistencies, numerous coincidences, lack of character development and Rand's inexplicably infrequent appearances. As light fantasy, however, it proves an enjoyable diversion.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
As the seals of the Dark One's prison continue to weaken, Rand al'Thor struggles to master the madness-tainted power that marks him as the Dragon Reborn. At the same time, his friends and companions become caught up in the roles laid out for them by the Web of Destiny. Though it borrows from a multitude of legendary and literary fantasy sources, Jordan's multivolume series continues to exhibit a freshness that makes it a welcome addition to any library's fantasy collection.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.