The Shadow Rising is a fantasy novel written by American author Robert Jordan, and was first published by Tor Books on September 15, 1992. The book is the fourth in his Wheel of Time series and was preceded The Dragon Reborn (1991).
The book follows Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, having claimed the sword, Callandor, and using its powers to kill his enemies. He decides to journey to the Aiel Waste in order to be acknowledged as the prophesied leader. However, once he arrives at the Aiel he begins to learn the history of his ancestors and of his prophecy as the Car'a'carn, the 'Chief of Chiefs' of the Aiel.
The series has been extremely well received, with SFX stating that it was “A fantasy phenomenon.” The book is the longest in the series, consisting of 58 chapters and 393,823 words. It was followed The Fires of Heaven (1993).
