Egwene is the absolute worst character they could have chosen to kill off. We spent so much time watching her train to become an Aes Sedai, a Wise One, rise to power as the youngest Amyrlin ever, settle the division in the White Tower, initiate a number of much-needed reforms, eradicate the Black Ajah, confront the Seanchan empress, was promised to be the longest-reigning and most powerful Amyrlin in history - and she's the only one who is first deprived of her loved one, and then of her life? Was this really a way of saying "even the most May Suish character can die in this series"? Even Rand got to remain alive, by predictably taking over Moridin's body. Nobody else out of the first and second-tier characters died, so what gives? I just don't see what Egwene's death was supposed to accomplish, especially considering that her replacement Cadsuane will likely die of old age very soon. It's the least of the problems that this awful, awful volume suffers from, but it is the most baffling one. Feels like it was picked completely at random, or based on fan hatred.

Some good stuff overall in your post above but had to call this part out as totally false. It would seem you just skipped the entire "Dark Rand" storyline if you believe this quote to be the case.

The first thing Rand should do is tell himself "Why the hell am I, of all people, denied the chance to live a normal life with friends, a girlfriend, and a steady job that pays well? Why does there have to be a Chosen One that dies to save the world, and how do I even know these prophecies are real and true? To hell with this, I'm young and handsome, I have god-like powers, I control five nations a huge fleet of speedy ships and ten tribes of fearsome savages - let's partay, and if Aes Sedai are so competent they can battle the Dark One all by themselves. And anyone who comes after me will be thrown out as a pile of smoking ashes." That would make the kidnapping and beating he got at the hands of Elaida's Aes Sedai logical and in some ways deserved, not to mention the suspicion and opposition he gets from Egwene, Cadsuane, and just about everyone else he meets.

I don't actually like Rand. He's a generic one-dimensional personality-free fantasy book protagonist which is entirely reliant on his previous incarnation's skills and reputation. Why is Rand famous? Because people foretold that Lews Therin would be reborn at the end of an Age. Why is Rand a brilliant strategist (despite having no education or experience outside of herding sheep)? Because he gets memories from Lews Therin, who was a general in a ten year war and a world leader for decades before that. Why is Rand the strongest channeller evah? Lews Therin. Why is Rand prophesied to end the Shadow? Lews Therin. How do the Forsaken refer to Rand, and what do they think of him? Lews Therin. Even Heroes of the Horn refer to him as Lews Therin.

In my opinion, this is the worst possible way to write a hero. Rand's role is completely passive, he's a receptacle for miracles and phantasms and prophecies of salvation/destruction, there's nothing about his activities in the series that is in any way connected to his background (of herding sheep in a backwater village), his moral convictions are never questioned or shaken by any temptation, real or otherwise. Rand doesn't care that he can topple mountains and make fire consume all who oppose him. He isn't seduced by beautiful women throwing themselves at him. He doesn't feel the power of controlling five kingdoms. He's just here to save the day, because that's what heroes do. Wonderful.

Granted, Rand's story arc in TGS was pretty fun to read, and seeing him calm and collected in ToM really paid off after the string of self-induced failures reached its logical conclusion. Aside from that... meh. He doesn't feel like a real person.

The characters that I do like are Egwene and Nynaeve. Unlike most everyone else, these two actually learn to be competent and mature from their mistakes, and their high positions feel well-deserved by the time they reach them. The only problem I have with Egwene is that it was completely implausible for the Salidar Aes Sedai to choose her as the Amyrlin Seat. A group of rebels would want to cling to any shred of plausibility and credibility they can have would not have selected an apprentice who spent a total of three months in the Tower and was raised to Accepted by the impeached Amyrlin's decree - shortly before leaving the Tower once again. It's like making an intern student chairman of the board of directors, completely ridiculous. Still, her story was one of the more interesting ones to read, so I'm willing to close my eyes on that obvious plot convenience.

Simple question: if Sammael was killed by the Mashadar instead of being balefired, why wasn't he ever reincarnated like Aginor/Balthamel/Lanfear/Ishamael?

...

Or was he?..