The Shadow Rising is a fantasy novel by American author Robert Jordan, the fourth book in his series The Wheel of Time.

Before leaving, Rand, Mat Cauthon and Moiraine Damodred visit a ter'angreal that lets them talk to a mysterious snakelike race called the Aelfinn, who seemingly know the answer to any question.

Perrin Aybara hears of trouble in The Two Rivers, his native region, and returns there accompanied by Faile Bashere, Loial and three Aiel warriors: Gaul, Bain and Chiad.

While inside his ter'angreal, Rand relives portions of his paternal ancestors lives (before and after the Breaking) and discovers the Aiel were once pacifists serving the Aes Sedai.

Adherence to pacifism still lives on in the Tinkers, while others known as the 'Jenn Aiel' transported a large collection of angreal, sa'angreal and ter'angreal to Rhuidean.

Mat ignorantly requests several gifts from them: fluency in the Old Tongue, memories of his own ancestors, a spear called an ashandarei, and a medallion ter'angreal that protects against the One Power.

Asmodean uses the momentary in-fighting amongst the Aiel as cover to seek out the ter'angreal access keys to the Choedan Kal (the most powerful sa'angreal ever created).

The Shadow deploys Slayer, a mysterious and powerful agent together with a large host of Trollocs to kill Fain, endangering the Two Rivers.

Perrin rallies new allies; Verin Mathwin, Alanna Mosvani, Aes Sedai searching for potential pupils, and the Tinker Aram (who has abandoned his people's pacifism) to fight the Trollocs.

Before the showdown with the Trollocs, Perrin marries Faile and tasks her with travelling to Caemlyn and asking Queen Morgase to lend soldiers in their fight.

They discover that the enemy's goal is a male a'dam, held in the private collection of the Panarch Amathera, which they plan to use to control Rand.

She finds herself caught in a coup where Elaida and her supporters depose Siuan and Leane Sharif, her Keeper of the Chronicles, for secretly aiding Rand.

Gawyn has joined the coup on Elaida's side, and killed several Siuan supporters, but Min convinces him to turn a blind eye to their escape as a personal favor to her.