The Wheel of Time: The Shadow Rising

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend."
The book starts with everyone still at the Stone of Tear. Rand decides to go with the Aiel(People of the Dragon) to their home in the Waste. Egwene, Moraine, and Mat decide to accompany him, while Nynaeve, Elayne and Thom go to Tarabon to hunt the Black Ajah who escaped the fortress. Perrin hears of trouble at his home in Two Rivers and decides to go home.
Rand, Moraine and Mat arrive in the Aiel Waste and are sent to an ancient Aiel city as a test. Rand comes out marked with dragon-like serpents on each arm. This is supposed to be the true test to prove him to the Aiel. Mat comes out with a new weapon and is badly hurt from his experiences in the city. Moraine comes out last and is whole, but very fatigued. A jealous and up-start Aiel man also declares himself "He Who Comes With The Dawn"(the Aiel's term for the Dragon Reborn) but is proven a fraud by Rand. Rand then enters the ancient city again, while he chases one of the Forsaken, Asmodean. They battle in the ancient city and Rand barely emerges as victor with the help of Lanfear, another Forsaken. She binds Asmodean to Rand and tells him to teach Rand how to control the One Power.
In the Two Rivers, Perrin learns his family has been killed and the Whitecloaks have all but taken over, "protecting" the people of Two Rivers from the trolloc attacks. Perrin leads his village, Edmond's Field, and the other villages in Two Rivers against the trollocs. They defeat them and tell the Whitecloaks to get out, which they do.
Nynaeve and Elayne end up in the city of Tanchino in Tarabon. Here they run into one of the Forsaken and take an ancient artifact that has the power to control a man using the One Power. Nynaeve battles the Forsaken and defeats her, but she is lost in the confusion of another battle when the Black Ajah discover Nynaeve has taken what they were looking for.
Min, one of Rands companions throughout the books, arrives at the White Tower to deliver a message and stays there to work for the Amyrlin Seat(the head Aes Sedai), Siuan Sanche. While she is there, a rebellion starts within the White Tower by a sister named Elaida who stills(cuts her off from the One Power) Siuan and names herself Amyrlin Seat. Min helps Siuan and her keeper, Leane escape before they can be put to death.

This book does not disappoint. It takes the heroes on different paths doing different things, which I liked immensely. The readers get to see more of each of their personalities and see how they each develop. Lots of plot twists and surprises that leave you hanging on the edge of your seat. I could literally not put this book down.