Winter's Heart is the ninth book of the Wheel of Time fantasy series written by American author Robert Jordan. It was published by Tor Books and released on November 7, 2000. Upon its release, it immediately rose to the #1 position on the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list, making it the second Wheel of Time book to reach the #1 position on that list. It remained on the list for the next two months. Winter's Heart consists of a prologue and 35 chapters.
The book's title is a reference to the increasing coldness of Rand al'Thor's personality and to the return of winter following the reversal in the previous book, The Path of Daggers, of the unnatural heat caused by the Dark One's manipulation of climate.
Winter's Heart was the first Wheel of Time book for which the prologue, entitled "Snow", was first sold as an ebook in advance of the physical release of the book. "Snow" was released by the Scribner imprint of Simon & Schuster in September 2000, two months before the publication of Winter's Heart.
Once upon a winter's day
In a field by the still of the dark
A baby lay in the wood and hay
And His love warmed the Winter Heart
No throne, no crown, no revelry
For the one called "Prince of Peace"
What has been foretold she now beholds
And He sleeps in her arms so deep
He sleeps in her arms so deep
Now the older days have passed away
He has come to make us new
Through His love and pain, this Son to reign
In the beauty of grace and truth
In the beauty of grace and truth
How vast the sky, angels on high
Sing their praises unto the Son
The Eastern star brings men from afar
The Messiah has finally come
The Messiah has finally come
In the beauty of Grace
In the beauty of Truth
In the beauty of Love