View source for Brief Series Summary (Books 1-13)

On the eve of the spring festival of [[Bel Tine]], [[Rand al'Thor]] and [[Tam al'Thor|his father]] visit the isolated village of [[Emond's Field]], watched by a [[Myrddraal]].  That night, their farm is attacked.  They survive and flee. Tam is wounded by a Myrddraal blade and in his delusion speaks of how he found Rand on [[Dragonmount]] at the end of the [[Aiel War]].  They make it to the village where [[Moiraine]] [[healing|Heals]] Tam and tells Rand that the [[Shadowspawn]] attack was directed specifically at him, [[Perrin]] and [[Mat]] and that they must leave the village to protect everyone. They head north, accompanied by [[Egwene]] who wishes to become [[Aes Sedai]] and [[Thom]], who doesn't want to be associated with the trouble.  The group passes through [[Baerlon]], where [[Min]] tells Rand of the strange auras she sees around him and [[Nynaeve]] joins them, then are forced into [[Shadar Logoth]] by a band of [[Trollocs]].  Here, Mat picks up a [[ruby dagger]] and the group is forced to split when the Trollocs chase them out of the city. [[Padan Fain]], a [[darkfriend]] peddler who has followed them from the [[Two Rivers]], is possessed by the spirit of [[Mordeth]].

Perrin and Egwene travel with Elyas, his wolf friends and a group of Tua'athon, learning Perrin can talk to wolves the same way Elyas can.  They are apprehended by Whitecloaks before being freed by Lan, Moiraine and Nynaeve.  Mat, Rand and Thom take passage with Bayle Domon to Whitebridge, where a Myrddraal catches up with them and Mat and Rand are forced to leave Thom.  They head to Caemlyn, where, after an encounter between Rand and Elayne, they rejoin the others.  Moiraine feels the evil of Mat's dagger and is able to temporarily seal it and Heal him, but says they must go to Tar Valon to complete the procedure.  They are distracted however, by news of a plot against the Eye of the World so head through the Ways to Shienar and then into the blight, accompanied by Loial who they met in Caemlyn.  At the Eye of the world, they meet the first two Forsaken to be freed, Aginor and Balthamel who are both killed, Rand channeling consciously for the first time.  They retrieve the Horn of Valere, one of the Seals on the Dark One’s prison and the Dragon banner before heading back to Fal Dara,.  Rand trains the sword with Lan until the Amyrlin Seat arrives and proclaims him the Dragon Reborn.  

Shadowspawn attack and in the confusion, Fain steals the horn and the dagger, which had been kept in the same chest.  Rand, Mat and Perrin follow after, under the command of Ingtar. Moiraine, Egwene and Nynaeve head to Tar Valon, where they meet with Elayne and Min. Egwene and Nynaeve together with Elayne and Min are tricked by Liandrin as a result of which, Egwene ends up a ''damane''. Nynaeve and the others rescue Egwene.

Rand is separated from Perrin and Mat, who have learned he can channel when he goes through a portal stone into another world. He meets Lanfear there, posing as Selene and with her help is able to return.  He takes the Horn back from Fain, but loses it again in Cairhien when it is stolen.  Verin joins the others and they make their way south, meeting up with Rand just after the horn is taken again. They follow it to Toman Head and take it back from Turak, who had obtained it from Fain.  Mat blows the Horn. Rand is forced to fly the banner of the Dragon Reborn to lead the returned heroes in defeating the invading Seanchan.

Mat, Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve return to Tar Valon where Mat is Healed. After this is done, he starts showing unusual luck, speaking the occasional word of the Old Tongue in everyday situations and remembering battles long since fought. Rand heads alone for Tear, followed by Moiraine, Lan, Perrin and Loial. On the way, Perrin meets Faile. Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene also head for Tear on the trail of the Black Ajah, as do Mat and Thom, via Caemlyn. Mat rescues the girls after they have been captured. The Stone of Tear falls to Rand and a couple of hundred Aiel. Moiraine kills Belal with Balefire and Rand proclaims himself the Dragon Reborn, before fighting and killing Ishamael.

Rand, Egwene and Mat go to the Aiel Waste. Nynaeve and Elayne to Tarabon chasing a Black Ajah plot. Rand learns in a ''ter'angreal'' that the Aiel are descended from the same people as the Traveling People -those who served Aes Sedai and followed the Way of the Leaf in the Age of Legends. He is marked as Car'a'carn. Mat enters a separate ter'angreal and is given an indestructible ashandarei, an amulet to protect him against ''saidar'' and ''saidin'' and the memories of battle leaders long dead, together with the ability to fully speak and understand the Old Tongue. Rand tells the Aiel the truth about their history and captures Asmodean. Perrin returns to the Two Rivers with Faile, Loial and three Aiel where he organizes them against trolloc incursions, becoming lord. 

Moiraine fights with Lanfear, falling through a ter'angreal which is destroyed along with her bond to Lan. Rand and the Aiel capture Cairhien with Mat gaining his own small army in the process. Elaida overthrows and stills Siuan and and is raised Amyrlin. Siuan and Leane escape with the help of Min and Laras and go to the camp of  Aes Sedai who have rebelled against Elaida.  They are followed by Gareth Bryne who agrees to build an army. Egwene is called to Salidar to be the Amyrlin after which she frees Logain. 
Rand Travels to and takes Caemlyn, killing Rahvin who had been ruling there. Nynaeve captures Moghedien. The False Dragon, Mazrim Taim agrees to train men to channel for Rand. Nynaeve Heals Logain and partially Heals Siuan and Leane. Rand is captured by Aes Sedai under Elaida's orders.  They are attacked by the Shaido, but Rand is broken free by Wise Ones, Aiel, Perrin and Asha'man under Taim.  Sammael scatters the Shaido across the Westlands.
The rebel Aes Sedai head for Tar Valon and Elayne, Aviendha, Nynaeve and Mat go to Ebou Dar to find a bowl shaped ter'angreal that can fix the weather. Here, they encounter the Kin, a society for women who failed to become Aes Sedai.  The girls find the bowl before fleeing when the Seanchan attack leaving Mat behind. The girls use the bowl to fix the weather, collecting more members of the Kin.  Elayne unweaves a gateway to prevent the Seanchan learning Traveling and loses control. The resulting explosion kills hundreds of Seanchan and is believed to be a new weapon by them.
The Seanchan capture Amadicia and Ebou Dar.  Fain attacks and nearly kills Rand, who is saved by Damer. Rand defeats and probably kills Sammael in Shadar Logoth, before going back to Illian where he is proclaimed King. Elaida sends a group Aes Sedai to destroy the Black Tower and sets another to find the Black Ajah. 

Elayne arrives in Caemlyn and proclaims, though does not Crown, herself Queen. Rand drives the Seanchan out of Ebou Dar.  The rebels Travel to Tar Valon to begin the siege.  Elayne discovers that many of the Andoran nobles do not support her and some are trying to take the crown for themselves. Rand tells Min, Elayne and Aviendha he loves them and they tell him the same. They all three bond him as their Warder. Elayne learns armies are opposing her and eventually defeats the armies coming against her and gathers enough support to be proclaimed queen as well as capturing several of the Black Ajah.

Rand Travels to near Shadar Logoth. He links the taint to the city using saidar. The taint is removed.  People at both the White Tower and the rebel camp decide Aes Sedai should bond Asha'man. Logain informs Rand of Taim's treachery but is sent with Bashere to secure a truce with the Seanchan

Rand sends Perrin to Ghealdan, to deal with Masema and his followers and bring them to him.  Faile is captured by the Shaido. Masema, who has been meeting the Seanchan agrees to help Perrin look for Faile. Perrin chases Faile and decides to align with the Seanchan to get her back. They use forkroot to incapacitate the Shaido Wise Ones and with Seanchan allies, attacks Malden, defeating them. The Seanchan collect the Wise Ones for use as damane. He heads north from Malden, with around a hundred thousand refugees. He encounters Galad, who has become Lord Captain Commander of the Whitecloaks by killing Valda in single combat and learns of Morgase's identity.  Perrin encounters the Whitecloaks and agrees to a trial. Galad recognizes Morgase among his followers and asks her for judgment; Perrin is found guilty. He saves them from a Trolloc army and Galad names the punishment as blood money. He gives an oath to follow Perrin until the Last Battle.

Mat escapes Ebou Dar with various people. Tuon tries to stop him leaving, but Mat ties her up and take her with them.  Mat meets up with Talmanes and part of the band again and they defeat a Seanchan army trying to kill Tuon. He allows her to leave and she completes the marriage ceremony. Thom reveals that Moiraine is held in the Tower of Ghenjei and that he, Mat and one other can rescue her. Mat and Noal agree. Mat heads towards Caemlyn, meeting Verin on the way. In return for his promise to wait thirty days then open a letter from her, she takes him and his men there through a gateway.  Mat contacts Elayne and arranges to have Andor make Aludra's dragons. She takes the throne of Cairhien. Mat fights the ''gholam'' and forces it to fall into the darkness in a Skimming gateway. He Travels to the Tower of Ghenjei and rescues Moiraine, losing an eye and Jain in the process.

While organising the seige, Egwene is captured. She meets Aes Sedai and makes alliances before provoking Elaida who attacks her. Silviana stands up for her and is imprisoned. In her cell, she is visited by Verin who gives her a book with the names almost all the Black Ajah. Verin dies. Outside the Tower, Gawyn learns of her status and leaves the Younglings to join the rebels. The Seanchan attack and Egwene leads the defence. Elaida is captured and Siuan and Gawyn break in and rescue Egwene against her will. The  Hall decides to raise Egwene as Amyrlin. In the Rebel camp, the Black sisters are arrested and executed, apart from a small number who escape. Egwene returns to the Tower and is raided by their Hall, learning that the Black Ajah members in the Tower have fled. 

Rand walks into a trap set by Semirhage and loses a hand, but manages to capture her. He meets with Tuon to arrange a truce, but she decides against it as she believe she must kneel to her. She proclaims herself Empress and decides to raid the White Tower. In a dream, Rand encounters Moridin and learns that the Dark One is able to bring the Forsaken back. Shaidar Haran frees Semirhage, who places a male a'dam on Rand. He is able to access the True Power and destroy it, before balefiring her. He banishes Cadsuane from his sight for failing and tells her he will kill her if he sees her face again. Aviendha leaves for the Waste  become a Wise One. Rand  discovers Graendal's location and Travels there, balefiring it, though she escapes.

He tries to meet with the Borderland leaders but they will only do so in Far Madding so he tells them to return to their duty along the Blight or he will have no more to do with them. He decides to use the Choedan Kal to finish the Seanchan, but instead Travels to Dragonmount where he thinks about why he is bothering fighting. He concludes that life is worth living and laughs for the first time in months. He tells Egwene he intends to break the seals. She assumes this is wrong and opposes him, writing to all the leaders of the world to encourage them to join her. Egwene and several of the Aes Sedai, plus Amys, Bair and Melaine fight Mesaana and members of the Black Ajah in Tel'aran'rhiod. With the inadvertent help of Perrin, who is chasing Slayer, they are victorious and Mesaana's mind is crushed. Gawyn is wounded while fending of Bloodknives sent to kill the Amyrlin and Egwene bonds him to save his life.

Rodel loses most of his army fighting outside Maradon. He is saved when Rand arrives and kills the entire army. Nynaeve heals Naeff's madness, passes her Aes Sedai test and takes Lan's bond. Lan makes it across the Borderlands, gathering a small army and leads a charge against a Trolloc force ten times his size at Tarwin's Gap.

The Seanchan learn Traveling and began to plan for a full attack on the White Tower. 
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