Crossroads of Twilight

Crossroads of Twilight (abbreviated as CoT by fans) is the tenth book of The Wheel of Time fantasy series written by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books and released on January 7, 2003. Upon its release, it immediately rose to the #1 position on the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list, making it the third Wheel of Time book to reach the #1 position on that list. It remained on the list for the next three months.

Crossroads of Twilight consists of a prologue, 30 chapters, and an epilogue. Lord of Chaos, Knife of Dreams, New Spring and The Gathering Storm are the only other Wheel of Time books to have an epilogue. Many of the events of Crossroads of Twilight take place simultaneously with the events of the previous book, Winter's Heart.

Pre-publication information

The prologue of Crossroads of Twilight, entitled "Glimmers of the Pattern", was first sold by the Scribner imprint of Simon & Schuster as an ebook on July 17, 2002, six months in advance of the physical release of the book.

Plot summary

Perrin Aybara continues trying to rescue his wife Faile Bashere, kidnapped by the Shaido Aiel, even torturing prisoners for information. In addition, Perrin is approached with the suggestion of alliance with the Seanchan to defeat the Shaido. Mat Cauthon continues trying to escape Seanchan territory while courting Tuon, the heir to the Seanchan leadership. In the process, Mat discovers that Tuon is a sul'dam and can be taught to channel the One Power. Elayne Trakand continues trying to solidify her hold on the Lion Throne of Andor. It is revealed that she is expecting twins; but the identity of the father (Rand) is kept secret from others. Rand al'Thor sends Davram Bashere, Logain Ablar, and Loial to negotiate a truce with the Seanchan. They return at the end of the book to tell him that the Seanchan have accepted the truce, but demand the presence of the Dragon Reborn to meet with the Daughter of the Nine Moons. Egwene leads the siege of Tar Valon; but is kidnapped by agents of the White Tower after successfully blocking its River Port.

Critical Response

Crossroads of Twilight was widely panned by critics and readers alike, who complained of bland writing and an almost complete lack of plot advancement. As of July, 2014, it holds an aggregate rating of 2/5 stars on Amazon.com, making it the worst-reviewed Wheel of Time novel by a significant margin; of the more than 2,500 users who have reviewed the book, nearly two-thirds awarded it one star, the worst possible rating.

Release details

• 2003, U.S., Tor Books ISBN 0-312-86459-0, Pub date 7 January 2003, hardback
• 2003, UK, Orbit ISBN 1-84149-129-2, Pub date 7 January 2003, hardback
• 2003, U.S., Tor Books ISBN 0-7653-0592-5, Pub date ? February 2003, leather bound
• 2003, UK, Orbit ISBN 1-84149-183-7, Pub date 6 November 2003, paperback
• 2003, U.S., Tor Books ISBN 0-8125-7133-9, Pub date ? December 2003, paperback
• 2003, U.S., Bt Bound ISBN 0-613-67798-6, Pub date ? December 2003, hardback (library edition)

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