For centuries, travelling gleeman have told tales of the lost Horn of Valere; the legendary Horn that will raise the dead heroes of the Ages. The Horn has been discovered - only to be stolen, along with the dagger of Shadar Logoth, on which the very life of Rand al'thor's Mat depends. The monumental task of retrieval rests heavily on Rand's young shoulders, for to continue this quest signifies the fulfilment of a destiny he desperately wishes to avoid.

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades into myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

The Dragon Reborn - the leader long prophesised who will save his world, but in the saving destroy it; the saviour 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?