"New Spring" was originally published as a novella in the speculative fiction anthology edited by Robert Silverberg entitled Legends: Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy. Published by Tor Books, this anthology was released on September 15, 1999, between the 1998 publication of The Path of Daggers (Book 8 of The Wheel of Time) and 2000 publication of Winter's Heart (Book 9).

Robert Jordan later expanded the novella into a standalone novel (though of significantly shorter length than typical Wheel of Time books), which was then published by Tor Books in January 2004, between the 2003 publication of Crossroads of Twilight (Book 10) and the 2005 publication of Knife of Dreams (Book 11).

The New Spring novel was originally conceived of as the first in a trilogy of prequel novels. The second and third were to focus on Tam serving in the Illianer army and finding Rand, and Moiraine and Lan's journeys and discoveries to reach the Two Rivers just before the events of the first novel. Jordan's original plan was to complete this trilogy before books 11 and 12 of the main series, but he was disappointed with New Spring's reception and decided to postpone this until after the main series was completed. However, his death on September 16, 2007 before the completion of the final novel in the series has rendered the fate of any planned follow-up doubtful.

The first paperback edition of New Spring, released on June 13, 2005, gave readers the first look at Knife of Dreams (Book 11), as it featured an advance excerpt of part of the prologue of Knife of Dreams.

New Spring describes events which take place twenty years before the events of The Eye of the World (Book 1). The story begins in the last days of the Aiel War, and the Battle of the Shining Walls around Tar Valon. It is set primarily in the Borderlands, specifically Kandor.

New Spring focuses mainly on Moiraine Damodred and Siuan Sanche, two Aes Sedai new to the sisterhood, and how a young Moiraine became Aes Sedai, met Lan Mandragoran and made him her Warder. The novel also explains how Moiraine and Siuan witnessed a prophecy of the Dragon's rebirth and came to begin investigating the Karaethon Cycle, the Prophecies of the Dragon, decades before discovering Rand al'Thor.