Shall we talk about that Lanfear thing? :) -heavy spoilers!!

[Asthereal]

Soooo... that was a fun stream! For those who missed it: Brandon Sanderson did a stream with Matt of the Dusty Wheel for the tenth aniversary of A Memory Of Light, and many topics came to pass, but most interesting was the fact that they finally had permission from Jordan's wife and team to talk about certain things that had remained a secret up to this point. And the main one was...

 

Okay, I'll put it in spoilers. Go see the stream first.

And if you haven't read A Memory Of Light yet, GO AWAY!!

This is your final warning.

Spoiler

So at the end of AMOL, Lanfear uses compulsion on Perrin in order to have him help her accomplish her goal, which she reveals to be to kill Nynaeve and Moiraine in order to break the circle and save the Dark One and save him in his greatest moment of weakness, so that she would be in his favour and get a place above all others once the Dark One takes control. She tells Perrin to kill Moiraine while she will take care of Nynaeve. She counts to three... and Perrin breaks through the compulsion and snaps Lanfear's neck, saving the moment. And that's the death of Lanfear... or is it?

 

This scene felt a little off for me, but the general awesomeness of the book at this stage made me shrug it off and breeze past it to get to the next great scene. I never gave it much thought beyond that very moment, but I imagine many of you have read this book way more times than me, and picked up on more foreshadowing, so perhaps some of you saw this coming:

In the live stream Brandon revealed that Lanfear tricked Perrin in this scene, and she's very much alive somewhere in the world.

So how did that happen? Lanfear is pretty much screwed at the end of book 11. She's at an all time low, and being the great schemer she is, she comes up with a plan (or Brandon comes up with it for her, of course). If the Dark One wins, Lanfear is in trouble, as she's been playing her own games from the start. She's been a very bad Forsaken. But if the good guys win, they'll hunt her down and destroy her, or worse. So the only way she comes out on top, is if the good guys win, but she manages to stage her death in the process. And who would be a better witness than the most reliable person at the side of the Light: Perrin!

 

At that moment in the story, Perrin thinks he's the absolute master of the Dreamworld, but Lanfear's been an expert on that world for millennia. She's got skills Perrin doesn't even know about yet. And she uses them to trick Perrin into "killing" her, while actually staying very much safe and alive. But now, Perrin will report she's dead and this allowd her to make her escape without anyone making chase. This allows her to do whatever she wants - probably gather power in the chaos after The Last Battle, while in disguise. No one would ever suspect it's her.

 

For me, in retrospect, this feels so logical, and I feel a bit dumb for not picking it up upon my first readthrough.

How many of you did pick up on this during your readthroughs? What are your thoughts? Awesome reveal? Stupid reveal?

 

[DojoToad]

I did not pick up on this. Sounds plausible but will need to read it again. 

[DaddyFinn]

It feels like an unnecessary plot twist that somehow nobody noticed and it also lessens Perrin's arc a bit. I don't have strong feelings for it either way, though. Perrin was a mistreated character anyway.

[Asthereal]

4 minutes ago, DaddyFinn said:

It feels like an unnecessary plot twist that somehow nobody noticed and it also lessens Perrin's arc a bit. I don't have strong feelings for it either way, though. Perrin was a mistreated character anyway.

 

Matt noticed in the beta-reading process.

 

Also I don't see how this retracts from Perrin's character. He was under a mild form of compulsion at the time. Lanfear could have made him do different things - much worse things - but this is what she went for.

 

Anyway, I remember Lanfear going "on three... one... two..." and I thought: why not just go now? You just mentioned being in a bit of a hurry. It felt out of character a bit, but it all makes sense now. Perrin being under a light compulsion needed those seconds to fight through it. And we all know what he'd do if he were himself and stood next to a Forsaken on the verge of killing Nynaeve.

 

Rather than unnecessary, to me this feels like a very necessary reveal. But that's me.

[Guire]

This is a really good incentive for me to do a series reread.  Looking for Lanfear secret sauce in last couple of books will be fun.  Imagine Rand bumping into Lanfear at some point in the future.  Or the shenagins she could create in Sharra or Seanchen.  Great hidden enemy if Mat, Tuon, and Min ever made it to Seanchan. 

[Blackbyrd]

Now this is something I can absolutely see. I don't know if it was executed as well as it could have been but there's more than enough to make me believe that this was the way it went. The thing of course is this: if Mierin were capable of such an elaborate thing while on the precipice of glory or fall wouldn't she have earned her third name before she 'Found' the Dark One? It's interesting, I don't mind it at all

[Mailman]

Never considered that as an option. It felt very final to me Perrin breaking the channeling hold over him only because in the Dream it is only another weave.

 

It also does not seem to make sense with her leaving Perrin to die when he is first defeated by Slayer, if the plan was to have a champion of the light as her alibi then abandoning him when there was a massive chance he would either die or not be able to be present does not make sense.

 

Feels a little unnecessary unless you were intending to write follow up materials.

[Scarloc99]

1 hour ago, Mailman said:

Never considered that as an option. It felt very final to me Perrin breaking the channeling hold over him only because in the Dream it is only another weave.

 

It also does not seem to make sense with her leaving Perrin to die when he is first defeated by Slayer, if the plan was to have a champion of the light as her alibi then abandoning him when there was a massive chance he would either die or not be able to be present does not make sense.

 

Feels a little unnecessary unless you were intending to write follow up materials.

I really feel that it is a very unnecessary “reveal” that takes away from Perrin as there is no possibility of Perrin ever finding and catching her because there will be no further books. 
 

If there was some new series coming out then I would enjoy these reveals (Lanfer, Nakomi) far more because it would come with a sense that they are going to be followed through. 

[Blackbyrd]

1 hour ago, Sir_Charrid said:

I really feel that it is a very unnecessary “reveal” that takes away from Perrin as there is no possibility of Perrin ever finding and catching her because there will be no further books. 
 

If there was some new series coming out then I would enjoy these reveals (Lanfer, Nakomi) far more because it would come with a sense that they are going to be followed through. 

 

Don't think this takes away anything from Perrin- though the Sanderson explanation of 'he believes in himself therefore is naive' lacks.... but a lot of his newest stuff has this track, and it's fine enough

 

There are three clear clues I can think of in the Sanderson works that indicate this outcome.

Mesaana- getting vegetated so quickly

Graendal- who was bossing in Tarmon Gaidon just gets dived 

Aviendha- this is the big one- the whole second Rhuidean sequence of the world going to absolute shit so quickly makes way more sense if Lanfear is alive. It's still a bit crap but at least now there's more coherence into that vision

Edited January 9, 2023 by Blackbyrd

[Asthereal]

1 hour ago, Sir_Charrid said:

I really feel that it is a very unnecessary “reveal” that takes away from Perrin as there is no possibility of Perrin ever finding and catching her because there will be no further books. 
 

If there was some new series coming out then I would enjoy these reveals (Lanfer, Nakomi) far more because it would come with a sense that they are going to be followed through. 

 

I still don't see how this takes away from Perrin. Perrin still won, it's just that Lanfear also won. Lanfear is the most skilled person in the dreamworld, more so even than Slayer. Perrin has a lot of knowledge by the end, but Lanfear's been around for a few thousand more years than him, and she basically lives there. The wolves know to stay away from her and respect her immensely. We should expect the schemer of schemers, the most cunning mind of all, to have an edge over Perrin no matter how much he grows and learns in the few years of the story.

 

You have to look at it from Lanfear's perspective. She fell hard. She's the lowest among the Forsaken at the start of book 12, and needs to find a way out. Which outcome would benefit her? If the DO wins, she's screwed, as she never really helped him at all. If the Light wins, she's in trouble as the Forsaken will surely get killed/collared/? The only way out she has, is if the Light wins but everybody thinks she's dead.

And don't tell me you felt Lanfear counting to three was a fitting thing for her to do. Lanfear isn't one to linger. Lanfear isn't one who hesitates. That'd be Moghedien. Lanfear's also not arrogant enough to walk into traps like Demandred did.

 

Lanfear is the only antagonist who got what she wanted (apart from Moridin, who just wanted to die), but that doesn't mean Perrin did poorly all of a sudden. He accomplished what he set out to do: protect Rand, defeat Slayer. He's still a hero.

[phanooglestixs]

There was a lot of potential to continue in the world of the Wheel of Time after AMOL, such as the rumored story of Mat & Tuon heading back to Seanchan.  At least two other Forsaken are left alive at the end outside of Lanfear and there was the common catchphrase in the world about no one falling so far to shadow that they could not return to the light.  And while Lanfear was a power hungry, jealous woman from Lews Therin's perspective, and after becoming Lanfear, that is just one perspective.  From what I remember, her (and the other dude, whatever his name is) purpose for boring into the Dark Ones prison was benign, to access a form of energy that could be used by both men and women, thus furthering their great works of the age.  Sure, it went to crap, someone should have done some more test and calculations before actually doing it, but the idea behind it could have been largely benevolent.  I always thought she was being setup for a redemption that unfortunately never came to pass.

[Pandemonium]

I think Brandon must have removed all the clues that Matt detected in the beta read because I just didn't see enough information to make that conclusion.  it certainly is possible. but I feel people would have argued against that theory if we had a debate about it during the last 10 years. 

 

That said, the thought of Lanfear unchecked in the next age is a sobering one.  That would be a great cliffhanger ending to the wheel of time tv show.  

 

 

[DojoToad]

4 hours ago, Pandemonium said:

I think Brandon must have removed all the clues that Matt detected in the beta read because I just didn't see enough information to make that conclusion.  it certainly is possible. but I feel people would have argued against that theory if we had a debate about it during the last 10 years. 

 

That said, the thought of Lanfear unchecked in the next age is a sobering one.  That would be a great cliffhanger ending to the wheel of time tv show.  

 

 

Will have to consider this on my next re-read.  Might just decide she dead despite what Brandon says, but will definitely have this in back of my head...

Edited January 11, 2023 by DojoToad

[JyP]

6 hours ago, Pandemonium said:

I think Brandon must have removed all the clues that Matt detected in the beta read because I just didn't see enough information to make that conclusion.  it certainly is possible. but I feel people would have argued against that theory if we had a debate about it during the last 10 years. 

I guess we would have needed Lanfear doing more wonders in the World of Dreams - like being able to act at 2 places at the same time - to construct a theory about Lanfear still being alive. I will need to read again to check what she was able to do.

 

Lanfear was impressive enough to pinpoint Rand, Mat and Perrin way faster than other Forsaken - I guess through Tel'aran'rhiod. She also double-crossed Asmodean and played her own game even against the Dark One. 

 

In fact, what about Lanfear still being able to pinpoint Rand at the end ? She was always able to find the boys wherever they were, and hell, remember how Egwene was attracted to Gavin's dreams... Lanfear being fixated on Lews Therin, it should still be an easy game for her.

 

After all, her prospects are somehow bad : she is now in a barbarian world and need to remain unknown, Tel'aran'rhiod is visited by a lot of Aes Sedai, inverted weaves are an open secret, Rand has unknown powers... I guess she would play a long game to try to reconquer Lews Therin, maybe waiting until his next incarnation ?

[Scarloc99]

On 1/9/2023 at 1:06 PM, Blackbyrd said:

 

Don't think this takes away anything from Perrin- though the Sanderson explanation of 'he believes in himself therefore is naive' lacks.... but a lot of his newest stuff has this track, and it's fine enough

 

There are three clear clues I can think of in the Sanderson works that indicate this outcome.

Mesaana- getting vegetated so quickly

Graendal- who was bossing in Tarmon Gaidon just gets dived 

Aviendha- this is the big one- the whole second Rhuidean sequence of the world going to absolute shit so quickly makes way more sense if Lanfear is alive. It's still a bit crap but at least now there's more coherence into that vision

SO I have been thinking about this and Perrins journey and I maintain in isolation with no further book to come it does take away from Perrins story, it makes him a tool, a putz for Lanfer. Both Mat and Rand have outsmarted and beaten Forsaken. Mat on the battle field and Rand, well, he has killed several. Some more then once. This was Perrins moment, putting him on a level alongside Mat and Rand of being able to take on and beat a forsaken, and this takes it away, it again relegates Perrin to the weaker of the 3. I would have no issue with that if a follow up story saw Perrin discover what she did and beat her, but we will never get that so, my final view of perrin was that he was the only one not equal to a forsaken of the 3 boys. 

[Stedding Tofu]

On 1/7/2023 at 6:27 PM, Asthereal said:

Soooo... that was a fun stream! For those who missed it: Brandon Sanderson did a stream with Matt of the Dusty Wheel for the tenth aniversary of A Memory Of Light, and many topics came to pass, but most interesting was the fact that they finally had permission from Jordan's wife and team to talk about certain things that had remained a secret up to this point. And the main one was...

 

Say what?  Maybe she'll turn up riding Bela? 😉  Sorry, just a reference to post-series revisions about character fates.

 

I'm not a fan of this at all as it seems so unnecessary, just a tease to be thrown out that can't lead anywhere as there will be no follow-up stories. 

 

The Forasken are shown throughout the series to be full of arrogance and hubris and the architects of their own demise so Lanfear's fate felt entirely in keeping with this theme and the corollary of Demandared throwing his life away because he was so convinced of his superiority that he let his guard down with Lan.  Ditto Lanfear with Perrin.

 

Additionally, although the idea of one of the Forasken surviving to wreak havoc as Ishamael did after The Breaking is a sobering one, it is also an idea that is specifically raised in Moghedien's last pov as she plans to use her status as the last remaining Chosen to do just that - and rejected as she is immediately collared by a sul'dam.

 

Thematically, Lanfear is really Cyndane, she has already died once and been brought back by The Dark One in a new body.  This is her "last chance" and she blew it. 

 

Her failure and final ending along with that of the rest of The Forsaken finally draws a line under the arc that stretched from drilling the hole in the Dark One's Prison at the end of the Second Age and it's resealing at the end of the Third.  Enough time has to pass for The Dark One to be forgotten and his prison opened to start the cycle all over again.

 

You're also a more attentive reader than me.  Having read AMOL twice I thought nothing of the countdown other than a way to ensure the other woman has no chance to react to the circle being broken by the other's death and to raise the tension as we see Perrin fighting against the compulsion.  I feel a great deal more needed to be done to establish Lanfear's escape plan and that telling the reader after he has read your work what you were trying to achieve is far inferior to deftly and subtly showing it on page.

 

Why have things remined a secret up to this point anyway?  What further reveals are there?  Feels a bit like an artificial way of retaining interest in a completed series.  It's a great story but it was completed a decade ago, surely.

 

On 1/10/2023 at 5:19 AM, phanooglestixs said:

There was a lot of potential to continue in the world of the Wheel of Time after AMOL, such as the rumored story of Mat & Tuon heading back to Seanchan.  At least two other Forsaken are left alive at the end outside of Lanfear 

 

Mesaana was capture in The Tower when her mind broke in conflict with Egwene; Graendal/Hessalem's compulsion rebounded on her and she is now a drooling idiot who worships Aviendha.

 

The only Forasken with her mind intact is Moghedien and there was lots of potential to set her up to exert a dark influence over affairs but this was rejected by her being captured by the Seanchan.  Like any other damane her personality will be broken and she will become an obedient slave.  The Forsaken are done.  Except....Lanfear....sigh....

 

ETA: Moghedien being captured by The Seanchan effectively raises the possibility of them gaining a significant advantage as Nynaeve and Elayne were able to force her to show only a fraction of the weaves she knew that they did not.  If the sul'dam realise she is a treasure trove of knowledge they could learn everything - including  about tel'aran'rhiod.  Of course if they learn she is not only a darkfriend but an immortal Forsaken they might just kill her outright but I think they'll make the same decision as Nynaeve and Elayne.  It's a shame we'll never know 🙂

Edited January 11, 2023 by Stedding Tofu
Moghedien spitballing

[Sabio]

My thing is what does this mean for her soul shard thing?  The thing that if it gets broken she dies.

[Asthereal]

17 hours ago, Stedding Tofu said:

Say what?  Maybe she'll turn up riding Bela? 😉  Sorry, just a reference to post-series revisions about character fates.

 

It's not post-series revision, though. This was planned from the start. We just all missed it.
Except for Matt from the Dusty Wheel, who's a very observant reader, as it turns out.

 

I'm starting to regret bringing this up. There's no discussion to be had if people keep pretending Brandon made this up after the publication of AMOL.

[Stedding Tofu]

1 hour ago, Asthereal said:

 

It's not post-series revision, though. This was planned from the start. We just all missed it.
Except for Matt from the Dusty Wheel, who's a very observant reader, as it turns out.

 

I'm starting to regret bringing this up. There's no discussion to be had if people keep pretending Brandon made this up after the publication of AMOL.

 

It's a discussion - people will see this differently.  I don't know what you mean by "from the start" though as I haven't watched the stream.  Did RJ always intend for Lanfear to survive or did BS intend when he sat down to write AMOL to have Lanfear survive and to leave clues that the attentive reader would spot?

 

Either way I didn't pick up on it but in retrospect don't see any real set-up.  Like with Nakomi you can introduce a character but if you have to explain their identity or purpose - or in this case that their apparent death was faked - then the execution was probably off.  It's like Graendal killing Asmodean: I only know this because books later, after she causes Halima's death, Moridin blames her for causing the death of another of the Chosen.  Yes, there are the two servants Rand notes in the Palace but what is to say who they are or which one kills Asmodean?

 

As I said in my post, the Forsaken being authors of their own downfall through hubris makes Lanfear's death at Perrin's hands as fitting as Demandred's at Lan's and the hidden Forsaken surviving to wreak havoc was thrown our way as Moghedien's role until she got collared.  Saying a decade after the story closed that Lanfear, one of the principal antagonists, made Perrin believe he snapped her neck, but is alive and at large yet hidden doesn't appeal to me but each to their own.

[Asthereal]

39 minutes ago, Stedding Tofu said:

It's a discussion - people will see this differently.  I don't know what you mean by "from the start" though as I haven't watched the stream.  Did RJ always intend for Lanfear to survive or did BS intend when he sat down to write AMOL to have Lanfear survive and to leave clues that the attentive reader would spot?

 

Sanderson meant Lanfear to survive when he planned out books 12, 13 and 14 (which originally were planned as one long novel, but the publisher pushed for three volumes in order to keep a profit margin).

As far as I can tell, there were no clear notes left by Jordan as to his plans for Lanfear.

 

Perhaps it wasn't foreshadowed well enough for some, but in his beta-reader feedback, Matt told Sanderson that he thought it was too obvious. So yeah, different readers see different things.

 

But anyway, watch the stream. Sanderson explains it all better than I can.

By the way, the forsaken being stupid and causing their own demise all the time is something I wouldn't call a theme. I'd rather call it a flaw of the series, and Sanderson looking for ways to make the forsaken more menacing seems very necessary. And overall he did a good job, I'd say. The forsaken do a lot more damage in the last three books.

[Gypsum]

8 hours ago, Asthereal said:

By the way, the forsaken being stupid and causing their own demise all the time is something I wouldn't call a theme. I'd rather call it a flaw of the series, and Sanderson looking for ways to make the forsaken more menacing seems very necessary. And overall he did a good job, I'd say. The forsaken do a lot more damage in the last three books.

 

Once upon a time, I would have also called it a flaw in the series.

 

Now I call it realistic.

 

Who can believe people who are at the pinnacle of their professions, the most powerful channelers in the world, supposedly high up in government, medicine, etc. can be so self-absorbed, so venal, inept, and useless. Oh, wait.....

 

I did not pick up that Lanfear had tricked Perrin and was still alive and well, either. To be honest, if you, as a writer, have to reveal a 'secret' in your novel a decade after you wrote it, one that more than 90% of your readership totally missed, that's not ideal. If that's what you wanted readers to get out of it, then you have to help them out a bit. Or write a sequel. I'd read it. People would have got it if there'd been another book, and there's Lanfear, still not bloody dead (again!). But it's weird for him to be explaining it in an interview ten years later.

 

[Sabio]

I always thought it was werid Lanfear was spending so much time helping Perin, and the count to three thing seemed out of place.  I never understood what she was hoping to gain with aiding Perin like that.  But I never figured she was alive since there was really no indication she had compulsion on him until the ok count to three and attack thing.  Matt is right, Perin served no purpose in the plan since she easily could have killed both Nyn and Moiraine by herself.  Rand and Moiridn would have been helpless to do anything.  So it was a job she didn't need any help.  I think this falls under that to the writer it seems obvious but to the reader it isn't.  Like Jordan saying it should be obvious who killed Asmo but it really wasn't.  Jordan thought we should pick it up easily when in reality it wasn't that obvious.  My hat off to Matt for catching it and thinking there was more to it.  

 

Somewhere out there someone has her mindshard.

Edited January 13, 2023 by Sabio

[Stedding Tofu]

20 hours ago, Asthereal said:

 

Sanderson meant Lanfear to survive when he planned out books 12, 13 and 14 (which originally were planned as one long novel, but the publisher pushed for three volumes in order to keep a profit margin).

As far as I can tell, there were no clear notes left by Jordan as to his plans for Lanfear.

 

Perhaps it wasn't foreshadowed well enough for some, but in his beta-reader feedback, Matt told Sanderson that he thought it was too obvious. So yeah, different readers see different things.

 

But anyway, watch the stream. Sanderson explains it all better than I can.

By the way, the forsaken being stupid and causing their own demise all the time is something I wouldn't call a theme. I'd rather call it a flaw of the series, and Sanderson looking for ways to make the forsaken more menacing seems very necessary. And overall he did a good job, I'd say. The forsaken do a lot more damage in the last three books.

 

Ok, I'm aware RJ planned only one last volume but thought BS said immediately that there was so much material that two were needed, with the publisher deciding to eke it out into three.  Either way, it seems a BS decision to leave Lanfear alive.

 

Were there any edits after the beta feedback?  Because if what is published is too obvious then my hat off to the reviewer.  If BS made it "less obvious" in response then I think he went too far.

 

In the tail end of the series we see Lanfear as Cyndane tempting Rand before he finally rejects her and then she shifts her attention to Perrin.  Clearly this is meant to be part of the set-up but it's entirely consistent with her stated intentions from Book 3/4/5 (?) to rule over the world with a consort (as her partner but inferior).  She wants to use the Choeden Khal along with Rand to destroy The Dark One and set herself up as an immortal Queen of The World.  With her death and reincarnation as Cyndane and Moridin possessing her cour'souva, she appears trapped but she is still angling to latch onto Rand and rule if he can defeat The Dark One and free her.  Perrin seems an admittedly poor substitute but by using Compulsion she appears to achieve the same end - at least until he snaps her neck (or not).

 

Hubris leading to an individual's downfall is an old idea and very human characteristic that.  BS does indeed make the remaining Forsaken in Tarmon Gai'don extremely effective but remember how easily they took over kingdoms from TDR onwards or influenced the Shaido to cause mayhem and caused utter anarchy in Senachan.  They are immortal and extremely skilled in The One Power and they effortlessly dominate this Age while Rand is an ignorant shepherd and this world primitive compared to the one they knew: they are only awake for about two years so it's understandable they would focus on each other until Moridin or BS cracks the whip and focuses them on the real enemy rather than internal rivalry.  I find Demandred's complacency more carelessly arrogant than Lanfear's but then he is a better swordsman than Lan, he just finds his opponent does something unexpected.  I read Lanfear the same.

 

Does Lanfear's plan to rule through Perrin have legs given his well-known love for his wife?  Can she keep her identity hidden with a weave without people wondering who she is and exposing her?  Maybe not but I took it as her plan (similar to Moghedien's) but it got nipped in the bud abruptly as BS tied up a loose end - as abruptly as he tied up Masema or Padan Fain / mashadar.

[Sabio]

See I never got the vibe she really wanted to rule through Perrin.  She had eyes for only LTT, and wasn't the sharing with anyone else type.  Even with Rand she wants to be the power in the relationship this time.  The key point she has to face is even if she helped team good win, she is still a forsaken and responsible for tens of thousands of deaths, and many other bad deeds.  She would still face punishment for her past actions.  So BS is right even if team good wins she will still be hunted down.  His reasoning makes sense.  I guess since we know at the end Perrin did have compulsion on him that we should have been wondering when she actually did it, so how long has he been under compulsion and not known of it.

Edited January 13, 2023 by Sabio

[Samt]

After thinking more about it, it seems that the reason very few people suspected Lanfear's survival is that her death makes sense.  I don't think that it was well established that Lanfear had reached the conclusion that the dark one's victory would be bad for her no matter what.  Certainly she wanted to undermine the other forsaken in order to get back on top and that explains why she was willing to help the forces of light at various points.  But that is very different from having abandoned all plans for ever serving the shadow.  

If Lanfear had completely deceived Perrin and was in control of the situation, it stands to reason that she could have killed him.  Had she killed Perrin, she could have also easily killed Moiraine and Nyneave who couldn't control their channelling at the time.  Then, it would have been easy to kill Rand and even Morridin if she wanted.  She could have then freed the dark one and he would have been victorious.  Lanfear's decision to become one of the forsaken initially is predicated on the assumption that she believes that the dark on would reward her when he wins.  If she had believed that he would reward her when he wins, surely she believes that the dark one would reward her for essentially single-handedly defeating the Dragon and his close allies in the final battle while also breaking open the dark one's prison.  The claim that she didn't think that the dark one's victory would ever be to her advantage seems weak and unsupported.  

In general, it always seems more realistic when even the master plotters and schemers are working through a network of contingencies and backup plans, seizing opportunities and overcoming setbacks, rather than executing a single, complex and interwoven plan.  If a character is able to plan ahead and control exactly what is going to happen in a complex situation, he or she is so much more powerful than everyone else involved that the story seems hollow.  Lanfear is obviously powerful, but she is by no means a peerless power at the time of the last battle.  For this reason, I assume that Lanfear was playing both sides and waiting for an opportunity to get back in the driver's seat.  

As such, if Lanfear survived, I would find it more plausible that it was more a quickly executed backup plan.  For instance, on finding Rand, Nynaeve, Moiraine, and Moridin in a vulnerable situation, she sees her opportunity to prove her worth to the dark one and again become favored over the other forsaken.  The only obstacle is Perrin, who is clearly intent on stopping her.  She decides to use compulsion to wrap him in her plan and complete the victory.  However, Perrin is unexpectedly able to resist.  She realizes that he is about to kill her.  Unwilling to risk an uncertain fight against Perrin, she chooses to deceive him into thinking that he has succeeded and thus makes her escape.

As others have said, one of the biggest complaints about Lanfear's survival is that it seems to really undermine Perrin's arc and general growth.  It makes it so he was really just a pawn the whole time.  One of the things about him overcoming the compulsion is that he uses his sense of self and where his home is.  If that was just an illusion and he really didn't overcome the compulsion, that feels pretty dirty.  I like the above explanation.  Lanfear wasn't just manipulating Perrin.  If he hadn't been there, she would have killed the other heroes at Shayol Gul.  Perrin really did need to be there to watch Rand's back (and not just because of Slayer). But being a master of deception, Lanfear is still able to adapt and escape.