[Towers of Midnight] Some reactions, predictions, and questions after finishing the book.

No spoilers beyond Towers of Midnight, please. I’ve read New Spring, but if there are any other (WoT) things I should read before A Memory of Light, I’d appreciate the recommendations. There’s a short story about LTT’s strike at Shayol Ghul, I think?

I hope this all fits together okay and isn't too rambling (I wrote it in word and moved chunks around a bit). At least this thread style seems to be somewhat popular. I'm really interested to hear people's thoughts (especially if I've missed something major). On to the reactions, questions, and predictions!

I love everything about zen Rand al’Thor. Everything. I would follow him to Shayol Ghul.

The future with Aviendha’s sight is tremendously bleak. Rand doesn’t have a single lasting impact, and he leaves the world worse than it was without him. Next time the Dark One stirs, all the channelers in the world will be enslaved. But the whole story has been emphasising that prophecy mustn’t be ignored. How can we ignore this ter’angreal vision? Is it like Dreaming, or is it like Foretelling? I have read that as the pattern loosens, this sort of thing becomes less accurate, but if this is how the story ends, I will be disappointed.

Rand’s lack of attention to the black tower is infuriating if understandable. I just wish he had someone he could trust to check up on Taim because if not he’s created a nest of new dreadlords. I am looking forward to Logain kicking ass here.

Is Shara going to do anything? Graendal kidnapped their rulers and Rand presumably balefired them, but I sure hope they turn up in the last battle. They’ve been brought up too many damn times to have nothing happen (including the ever-infuriating “Jain Farstrider was talking about Shara, but Mat was sure he was full of it, so he just ignored him.”)

Speaking of that, I'm sadRand never got to meet his idol, Jain Farstrider. I think Noal would have got a kick out of knowing the Dragon Reborn thought he was a cool guy, and Rand would have appreciated it.

I’m pleased Moiraine got back from the Tower of Ghenjei, but I still feel like a lot of what went on hasn’t been cleared up in a helpful way. How is it that Slayer could escape into it safely? Could Mat’s ashandarei have let him escape from anywhere inside it? What’s up with the inside of it? What are the Finn, and why are they in a tower? Why don’t they have any interest in the Last Battle? How did Mat not come up with his terms before going in? Why didn’t he go through what he was going to say with everyone else? They could have come up with what the loopholes might be. It just comes across as not preparing properly.

I’m much more sad that Lan seems to be charging to his death. Nynaeve has given Rand a bunch of reminders, and superman deserves better than to be charging home with only 12,000 men. Really hoping there'll be a Deus Ex Machina for him at the beginning of the next book.

I’ve been really enjoying the whitecloaks plotline. All along, they’ve been the army that ought to be supporting Rand the most, and it’s wonderful that they finally begin to realise who they are and how they fit into the pattern. Yes, you’re just men. No, you’re not that good at fighting. Yes, questioners take it too far. No, you can’t tell a darkfriend by eye colour (unless you’re Rand al’Thor). Yes, you can still have a meaningful existence without conquering the nations. I’m really rooting for these guys (and I’m willing to forgive Bornhald for being a little bit like Gawyn, and Byar for being under Graendal’s compulsion). Galad is just trying to do what’s right. Sure, he makes mistakes, but his intentions are truly pure.

I’m also very glad Gawyn has finally grown up a bit. I’m not surprised he expected Egwene to be impulsive and irrational though, when you consider that he grew up around Elayne (who still is impulsive and irrational…I mean, holy shit, allow your warder to guard you).

I’m working on the assumption that Rand somehow uses the True Power to seal the bore instead of Saidin this time, thus ensuring madness only comes to the darkfriends who’ll use it (and him, probably, unless Nynaeve can do something about that). He’ll die, but I get the impression he might be resurrected (or is that just wishful thinking?). Everyone in Aviendha’s vision used euphemisms like Rand “going away” rather than saying he was killed, so there is that.

Egwene’s reaction to sealgate is infuriating. I get that Rand is presumably relying on it to try and force everyone to the Field of Merrilor, but Egwene never even tries to understand where he’s coming from. Why can’t people just say: “Wow! That sounds a bit hasty, but I’m sure you’ve got a reason that’s not just madness. Can you spare an hour? I’d like to hear a full discussion of why you think we need to break the seals, so I can have a fair opinion on it.” Instead they go “Break the seals?! Nooooooooo!”.

Way gates and Portal Stones. Ways have Machin Shin in them, so why use them in preference to a portal stone? Also, how did the Trolloc army get to Caemlyn without being eaten by the black wind? Large armies are meant to be more attractive to it (like wasps to honey).

The Seanchan are infuriating. More than anyone else, I’d like to see some of the sul’dam given a good hard slap (especially since everyone seems to think it’s fine to slap the shit out of Rand/Perrin/Mat). They think that all channelers are rabid dogs, and that freeing damane is like killing a child, but they don’t seem to realise that using a’dam is like killing a child to everyone else. They’ve also got an entire continent’s worth of examples to disprove the “rabid dog” idea and they’re just ignoring them. Arrrrgghhhh. And they’re so sure Rand will bow to the crystal throne, and I don’t know if that’s an actual prophecy or just an edited addition. I surely hope he doesn’t bow, though, or else Aviendha’s vision seems certain to come true. Honestly the whole slavery thing is not nearly as bad as the concept that all channelers are subhuman. But they’re so certain that they’re right even when they keep being proven wrong: Trollocs can’t exist, oh wait, Aes Sedai must rule the world, oh wait, Finn aren’t a thing, oh wait, oh wait…argh! Even Empress 4TuonA is pretty bad (hmm, this "Matrim" is repeatedly shown correct, but he's talking about something I think is a child's story...better knock him on the head for his impertinence).

According to Egwene’s “Towers of Midnight” dream, the 13 forsaken will crumble to 6, with one of them being humbled and rising particularly high. 7 destroyed towers are Asmodean, Balthamel, Be’lal, Mesaana, Rahvin, Sammael, and Semirhage. The 6 remaining ones have to be Aginor, Demandred, Graendal, Ishamael, Lanfear, Moghedien. So Aginor will come back from the dead (but all of these except Demandred have been humbled in embarrassing ways).