The Path of Daggers (abbreviated as tPoD by fans) is the eighth book of The Wheel of Time series. It was published by Tor Books and released on October 20, 1998. Upon its release, it immediately rose to the #1 position on the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list, making it the first Wheel of Time book to reach the #1 position on that list. It remained on the list for the next two months. It is 685 pages long, making it the shortest book in the main series. The title of the book is a reference to a Seanchan saying: "On the heights, the paths are paved with daggers."