A Crown of Swords

A Crown of Swords
Original cover of A Crown of Swords, showing Rand al'Thor standing in Shadar Logoth
Author(s)	Robert Jordan
Cover artist	Darrell K. Sweet
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	The Wheel of Time
Genre(s)	Fantasy
Publisher	Tor Books (U.S.) and Orbit (UK)
Publication date	May 15, 1996
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	720 pp (U.S. hardback edition)
ISBN	ISBN 0-312-85767-5 (US hardback edition)
OCLC Number	33819178
Dewey Decimal	813/.54 20
LC Classification	PS3560.O7617 C76 1996
Preceded by	Lord of Chaos
Followed by	The Path of Daggers

A Crown of Swords was the first Wheel of Time book for which the cover of the first paperback edition, shown here, did not use the same art as the hardcover edition.

A Crown of Swords (abbreviated as aCoS by fans) is the seventh book of The Wheel of Time fantasy series written by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books and released on May 15, 1996. A Crown of Swords consists of a prologue and 41 chapters.

Plot summary

A Crown of Swords has three primary plotlines:

• Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, prepares to attack the Forsaken Sammael in Illian while enjoying life with his friend, Min Farshaw, and attempting to quell the rebellion by nobles in Cairhien, during which Padan Fain severely injures him with the Shadar Logoth dagger. After recovering, Rand, accompanied by Asha'man, attacks Illian and defeats Sammael in a duel of the One Power in Shadar Logoth, where Sammael is destroyed by Mashadar. Rand then takes the crown of Illian, formerly the Laurel Crown, but now called the Crown of Swords.
• Egwene al'Vere and Siuan Sanche attempt to manipulate the Aes Sedai rebels in Salidar to move against Elaida's Aes Sedai in the White Tower in Tar Valon. After Egwene and Siuan investigate Siuan's suspicions about Myrelle, Egwene exploits the transfer of Lan's Warder bond from Moiraine to Myrelle in order to force Myrelle and Nisao to swear fealty to her.
• In the city of Ebou Dar in Altara, Elayne Trakand, Nynaeve al'Meara, Aviendha, and Mat Cauthon search for a ter'angreal, the Bowl of the Winds, to break the unnatural heat brought on by the Dark One's manipulation of climate. They find it and enlist the help of the Kin and the Atha'an Miere, or Sea Folk. They also confront a Gholam. Mat is left behind after searching for Olver, and is caught in the fighting as the Seanchan invade Ebou Dar.

External links

• Concise summaries of each chapter from http://www.dragonmount.com/
• Even more detailed summaries of each chapter from http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org
• "Flaming Swords and Wizards' Orbs" - article in The New York Times
• Review at http://www.flowerfire.com/
• Review at http://www.sfsite.com/
• ISBN 0-312-85767-5 (hardcover)
• ISBN 0-8125-5028-5 (paperback)