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.
Rand al'Thor, the
Dragon Reborn, prepares to attack the
ForsakenSammael 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. After recovering, Rand, accompanied by
Asha'man, defeats Sammael 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'.