** spoiler alert ** 
 At this point it's time to give up looking at these things as books, but just parts of one really long, dragged-out story. The binding system used by publishers can hold only so many pages per tome, and when RJ reached that number, he pushed the print button, then plowed on. 
 That being said, I will point out that some of them can be kind of sub-divided. The 1st 3 books had all the main characters getting separated for various reasons, then reuniting for the climax at the end. That stops with this book, and if I recall correctly books 4-6 hit a stride I really enjoyed though no super world breaking events occurred. There are battles, showdowns, and all kinds of other fun stuff, but nothing on the scale of what we see later in the series. Our characters go separate ways and accomplish different things without meeting up to watch Rand fight Ishmael/Ba'alzamon... AGAIN! In fact, the big bad B is completely absent in this book, and we all say hallelujah! After having his fanny spanked 3 times by a shepherd, and even being killed the 3rd time, you'd think he'd just learn his lesson and stay away, but no, he'll be back later. Definitely by book 7 because I remember a scene from that one, but maybe sooner. I've always found him to be one of the least interesting of the Forsaken because he's just too powerful, and he lacks personality. The others are much more fun to read about. But why am I talking about him here when he's not even in the book? Moving on. 
 Not a lot happens in this book, at least by comparison to some of the others. Siuan Sanche is deposed, stilled, and the White Tower falls to Elaida, setting up events Elaida will eventually rue, and Siuan escapes with Min. I always love reading about Siuan because she's so acerbic. 
 And speaking of the acid-tongued, Nynaeve continues to hunt the black Ajah with Elayne, and they meet Egeanin, Bayle, Juilin, Thom, and dammit, why can't Mr. Jordan give us any regular names for anybody? Even normal names are funky. Thom and Mat for Tom and Matt, for instance. But I digress. They have a showdown with the Black Ajah, and we get a very memorable scene where Nynaeve battles Moghedien. Any normal person passing by would assume they were just standing and staring at each other, but they were actually fighting with the one power; attacking and blocking. Anyone who could sense Saidar would have been astounded at the amount of power being used, and probably fled for her life if she had any sense. But the Black Ajah isn't about sense, and come looking anyway, hoping to kill. Thankfully it doesn't work out that way. 
 Perrin and Faile go to Emond's field, and here's something I don't understand. Faile is such a bitch. She is the bitchingest bitchy bitch of all bitches in this world, even if she is one of the good guys. Why Perrin doesn't throw her off one of the bridges in the Ways and be done with her is completely beyond me. Instead, the boy marries her by the end. (At least he gave her a spanking while in the Ways, and didn't I just love that!) But piqued emotions are the hallmark of a good story, and I confess I really like reading about their relationship. I also thoroughly enjoyed watching the defense of Emond's Field, and how Perrin became a lord of prominence in spite of his best efforts to just remain a simple blacksmith. Also, the mysterious Slayer plays a prominent role in this part, and I really like him as a villain. 
 These next bits are why the book gets 5 stars, though. Tel'aran'rhiod and the Aiel. Previous books give us breadth on these subjects, but this one gives us depth, and oh dear hearts and gentle people, it is rich. Egwene is taught how to walk in the world of dreams, and Rand learns the history of the Aiel race. An Aiel is the epitome of warrior, and to discover that their roots are firmly planted in the Way of the Leaf, a dogma so steeped in peace that one isn't even allowed to defend oneself from violence, is just awesome. The people who practice this way of life are called the Tuatha'an, and the Aiel simply pretend they do not exist. When they see a band of tinkers, they simply aren't there as far as the Aiel are concerned. Their disdain is that strong. When Rand reveals that the Aiel are descended from the tinkers to the Aiel who don't know (only the leaders are allowed to know it, and 2 out of every 3 that take the test to become a leader end up dying on the spot because they can't face the horror of it. Only the strongest are allowed to be leaders, after all. It's like Luke Skywalker finding out Darth Vader is his father. How could it possibly be? Good stuff, good stuff. 
 Then there's stuff with Rand, Lanfear, and Asmodean that's cool. I've always liked Asmodean, even if he is the weakest and wimpiest of the Forsaken. I like him because he's a musician, and sold his soul just to be the best. (Actually, he just simply killed anyone he thought was better than he). 
 As for Mat, who becomes one of my favorite characters, he's just kind of in this one, but stuff happens that sets the stage for awesomeness in later books. At least he's not a complete whiny little bitch in this one anymore. Still a bit whiny, but not complete. His selfishness is part of his charm, but I'll be glad when the whininess makes its final exit. 
 So, there you have it. A bit of a summary that touches on the more salient points, but still leaves out a lot. Read the book yourself to find out the rest, but I still stand by my point in another review that it's the richness of the world and interaction of the characters that's the true beauty of The Wheel of Time, and it's masterfully exhibited in this volume, as well as the next 2.