... even if I quite disliked the book too, but I don't remember what goes on around page 400, so I'm not sure where to start.

But let's try...

Perrin finally understands he needs to accept who he is fully, and this way he won't lose himself. In a ta'veren spur of the moment episode, he decides to relax himself doing some forge work, and start making something he doesn't really know what will be. Spurred by ta'veren, an Asha'man start adding saidin weaves to the process, and then calls for women for a circle. Perrin ends up forging a power-wrought Wolf-King hammer, than throws his blacksmith one away. His smiths and Asha'man start making power-wrought weapons for his army.

He defeats Isam (for now, he isn't dead) in TAR, causing the downfall of Mesaana by accident in the process because in the pursuit he's brought the dreamspike to Tar Valon, and Mesaana is forced to remain around and fight Egwene, the Wise Ones and some inept AS from Sheriam's circle. Some unimportant BA die, Alvarin escapes.

After the forging, he undestands his convoluted dreams and now that his people are starting to go away (to Whitebridge) he realizes its Galad who will fall in the trap planned for him, so Perrin Travels to the WK's location just in time as massive armies of Shadowspawn strike. Perrin saves Galad, who end up swearing the WK to his army. He then moves to Whitebridge, where Mat comes to see him and warns him of the dangers. Perrin has a totally silly meeting with Elayne, about which you only need to know that in the end Morgase suggest Elayne gives the Two Rivers area to the Dragon Reborn and Perrin's line is made hereditary Steward of it. Elayne finally ends up with a little Empire in the making, gaining Ghealdan through Perrin, Cairhien and seing the possibility Saldaea will fall eventually in her sphere of influence within a generation, and of course there's Mayene too. She decides to rename herself High Queen Arthurine-Mabriam Moodswings, Queen of All-but-Murandy-Tear-and-Illian-but-wait-until-I've-married-Rand. She grabbed the Kin for herself, and has her eyes set on grabbing the Black Tower next, before another nation does (that part is serious...). The people have started saying "even if you're in Saliesin, don't move from your chair from a second, or you'll soon find Elayne Trakand is sitting on it and has claimed it, and your house".

At the Black Tower, Androl finds out something has happened to an envoy of Logain (he's obviously been turned) and we find out with Pevara that Tarna Feir has been turned as well. It sounds like Taim has decided, or been told, the time has come to turn one by one everyone still around who isn't a DF. Androl and Pevera decided to join their efforts. They've found out they can no longer leave the place, there's a dreamspike there too, preventing gateway, and Taim holds all the gates.

Egwene, well.. she managed to fool Mesaana that a big meeting will happen in TAR. It works (but alas, there was really a meeting, and it's a real pain to read... Egwene-minus 30 IQ points pontificates like an idiot to Windfinders and WO as if they were all children, and they seem to find her inanities very wise (like, as if RJ had written the scene it would have been), and it ends with everyone agreeing to set up an exchange student program, and to all go to Rand's meeting).

Mesaana and the BA set a trap. It doesn't go well until Perrin arrives. Mesaana manages to capture Egwene with an a'dam, Egwene understands the a'dam would have no power if she doesn't believe it has any and frees herself. She has a contest of wills with Mesaana, and it destroys Mesaana's mind forever. They find her after in Danelle's bed, a drooling idiot. How did she really managed to avoid the Oath Rod? We'll never know for sure... unless maybe the Shadow comes for Mesaana and with the TP her mind gets healed...

The "Severed hand, not hers" viewing gets fulfilled, as Mat comes up with a scheme to negotiate with Elayne, which ends up with her hiring the Band of the Red Hand for Andor, and committing all the resources of Andor to the making of Dragons, which she more than a little sees as her best option to eventually fight the Seanchan. Elayne goes to Cairhien and claims the Sun Throne (using Bertome Saighan and another token Lord with-a-name-that doesn't-fit-for-Cairhien as her allies), then orders everyone to pack up and go to the meeting with Rand. Elayne also managed to usurp Egwene's powers as Amyrlin one more time in an even more outlandish way than she had done before with the Kin and the BOW affair, and along the way to make the Kin commit to Andor, and she will set them up in Cairhien, to provide Travelling, free health care and what not - and she still wants the AS to retire in the KIn for all that - and to commit to Andor, it looks - and this will probably force Egwene down the line to offer the very same thing to all nations, or say goodbye for good to WT neutrality... In past times, that sort of things would most likely have ended up with Elayne being stilled, but thankfully for her Brandon is at the helm and Egwene is Amyrlin, so she'll probably have her way.

Mat proceeds to Ghenjei, and understands the meaning of the "Half the Light of the World" prophecy, and the Finns snatch one of his eyes away in exchange for a power-drained Moiraine (the Finns, we find out, also feed on the OP ability, and they've killed Lanfear by draining her too fast - lucky for her death seemingly happened before they drained her of much of her strength). I'd recommend reading the TOG chapters. They're fun, and considering the quality of the rest, I wouldn't be surprised Jordan had advanced them pretty much himself. Mat seems on character again, anyway.

So, Moiraine made a bargain and asked for three boons, and of course she won't tell just yet what they are. Her angreal (the one she took from Lanfear) is nearly a san'angreal, according to the Finns, so while she barely has any of her ability left, she's still super powerful.. and just as expected (by me, anyway), she comes out of there with knowledge important to Rand. She asks Thom to marry her.

And that's about it. Lan finally raises the Golden Crane for real, there's some sort of evil Aielmen with red veils in the Blight, and as the book closes and everyone is moving to the fields for the meeting with Rand, Olver finally opens Verin's letter, and force Talmanes to read it. It turns out Verin didn't expect Mat to be true to his word and wait, and anyway she hoped to be back soon to him, so the letter is read way too late. She wanted to warn him that the Waygate in Caemlyn isn't safe and Elayne must destroy it, or surround it with all the armed forces she has, because the Shadow is about to strike massively at Caemlyn. Oops... the city is already in flames as Talmanes rushes to mobilize the Band, Mat probably won't be back before the next day (he has Grady or Neald with him for the gateway). Olver decides enough is enough and he's no kid anymore and he rushes into the battle. Elayne and her armies are already gone by then to the meeting with Rand, so she may well have exchanged one palace in Andor for a new one in Cairhien, at least for a while.