I was mistaken in my last review. This book is where the Wheel of Time gets bogged down in the mud, and moves at a continually slowing pace until it gets stuck fast for an entire book (Crossroads of Twilight) before jerking out in the next one. I thought it was book 7 where I noticed that happening, but it's this one. See my reviews of previous books for details. I'm pretty sure anyone who inquired of Robert Jordan what is was o'clock, he'd start off with where he bought the watch. 
 Not much happens in the first 90% of this book other than people moving hither, thither and yon, and griping about the same stuff they're always griping about. Luckily for me, I enjoy the griping; RJ can turn some pretty good witticisms. 
 Here are some things that do happen. (view spoiler)[Egwene becomes the Amyrlin in exile. 
 We find out about the Bowl of the Winds in this book, but if I recall correctly they spend the next 76 books looking for it, finding it, fighting over it, making a deal about who gets to use it, when, where, and all kinds of stuff before actually fixing the weather, and then another 442 books talking about the after effects. More on this in a later review (if I remember). 
 One of my favorite underlying situations is set up in this book, or at least continued in it. It really started at the end of the last book, but didn't take off until this one. Rand begins hearing the voice of Lews Therin Telamon in his head, and arguing with it. Sometimes the voice tries to take over control of the body. It's just a fun scenario to watch play out. (hide spoiler)] 
 I don't know whether or not Elayne survives this series, but if she doesn't, I sure hope it's because Mat lops her head off with his Ashandarei. If she must die, I think Mat should have dibs on killing her. Or maybe she'll become less of a bitch in later books, but... I can't even talk about it... BITCH! 
 The Ashaman are also set up in this book, and totally save the day in chapter 55: "DUMAI'S WELLS!" 
 I've said it in previous reviews, but I'll repeat it here. This is my favorite chapter in the series. Instead of having another spoiler in here, I'll leave it vague. In it Rand emerges from a rather heinous situation with a heart of steel. Before he was letting compassion and some other goody-goody qualities remain in his psyche, but he's gotten sick and tired of doing what must be done for the sake of the greater good (the world perishes if he fails, after all), and having everybody fight him on it at every single turn. He basically adopts a "no more Mr. Nice Guy" mentality, and means it. He has the power, and if you put yourself in his way whether to stop him or make him do it your way, you will simply be crushed because the Last Battle with the Dark One is what's important, and he is the Dragon Reborn, after all. Nobody else can do what he has to do. Get in or get out, but don't get in the way. One group who betrayed him learned this the hard way, and all they succeeded in doing was turning him to iron. 
 Because of that chapter, and that turn of events, this book gets 4 stars instead of 3. Were I able to give ratings to individual chapters, of course it would get 5 stars, but one chapter doesn't carry a whole book.