Eh, Egwene was a hit and miss through the book. 

 

Her death was heroic and truly fitting end to a great woman. 

 

However, she was all over the place in the rest of the book, you couldn't determine what she was going to do or say, she was so inconsistent. Her research and words to Elayne about the Seals were totally thrown out the window in the Dragon's Farce. 

 

Her and Rand both were so ridiculous in that scene, she changed completely and acted like a total idiot, all her development thrown out the window. First she goes in and intends to have the White Tower in control of the Last Battle (inconsistent in itself) then when Rand says the Amyrlin is no good to lead, she doesn't say a thing. Not to mention that bloody farce of a paragraph when she suggests Rand takes the "safe" option and gets saidin tainted again! Of course, she is not doing what Rand says, but there is no way I am buying Egwene would suggest that, no matter the reasons. Since when has she ever shirked from a difficult task. Rand's reaction to it was similarly ridiculous, but at least understandable in the slightest, it was so out of character that it almost seemed like a reasonable conclusion for Rand. 

 

Her meeting with Tuon was good for her, but it made Tuon out to be a total idiot - which she is most definitely not, whatever else you may call her. Egwene was awesome, but unfortunately it required replacing Tuon with Mesaana. 

 

I was angry that Gawyn did that too her, she deserved so much more, and while she did hold the world together, dying well, perhaps it was even needed to keep the world alive, it was annoying nonetheless, that Gawyn practically killed her. 

 

Then the random flip with the Seals was ridiculous. It reminds me off the cliche of a villain "righting all their wrongs" on their deathbed. It was good that she came to the conclusion, but poorly done. She should have slowly changed her mind, seeing the horrors of the Last Battle, and the balefire, slowly realise that it was necessary. 

 

So while I admire her heroic end, and her as a character, the inconsistencies really  took away from her death, I SHOULD have felt more sorrow, but it was just so strange that I can only do it in hindsight. 

I agree. I never found Egwene to be a very compelling character, so perhaps I'm biased, but she really was all over the map in AMoL. The whole thing with the Seals seemed so out of place to me. She'd learned all these important lessons throughout the series, only to forget them all for the Last Battle. 

Also, it was my hope that she'd kill Demandred after he recognized her for Ilyena's reincarnation. I suppose it made sense for her to kill Taim (i.e. White Tower vs. Black Tower) but I was expecting something a little bigger than that; something that would reveal her larger role in the Pattern. 

But, with that being said, I actually thought her ending was well written. I suppose she did end up with a much larger role than simply killing one of the Forsaken. She became the Flame of Tar Valon itself; the living embodiment of the Aes Sedai. That was a nice touch. And, now we know why they call it the Crystal Throne. 

Yet, now we'll never know who Ilyena was, or if she was even reincarnated into the current cycle. I always had a feeling she was Egwene (rather than Elayne). It would make sense. She's the first one to witness Rand's salvation atop Dragonmount, and when Rand shows Lanfear his love for his wives, Ilyena and Elayne are two different people. I had thought that perhaps, subconsciously, Rand knew that Egwene was Ilyena, and by letting her go her own way, he was "saving" her from himself. 

Of course, we'll never know now. That's a question that will go unanswered throughout the ages. But, it sounds good to me, so why not? 

Moiraine's half-brother was married to Rand's mother before she left him to become a Maiden of the Spear, but she isn't related to Rand. She is Rand's half-brother's aunt, however, so there is a close link, if not by blood.

It's possible she's the reincarnation of someone who was close to Lews Therin, but I'm not sure if LT had any siblings or not. I suppose she could possibly be Ilyena (given the fact she killed Lanfear), but Elaine is a much more likely candidate (assuming Ilyena was reincarnated in the current Age, which isn't entirely clear. But, it seems likely that she and LT share some kind of connection, akin to Birgitte and Gaidal Cain, and are spun out into the Pattern together. Plus, the names are a dead giveaway: Ilyena/Elaine. Seems fairly obvious).

However, Moiraine could be a reincarnation of Latra Posae Decume. She was the Aes Sedai who opposed Lews Therin's plan to Seal the Bore, and, depending which way you look at it, either doomed saidin to the Taint, since she wouldn't allow female channelers to participate in the Sealing, or saved saidar from the touch of the Dark One. But, whatever relation Moiraine may have to Latra hasn't been made very clear, so I doubt she is her reincarnation (Egwene, Nynaeve and Cadsuane are much more likely candidates, which, again, is assuming she's been reincarnated into the current Age).

As for Moiraine's visions of disaster resulting from a sexual relationship with Rand, I think that was to say she can't complicate matters with him, or "lose her wits" around him, like Elaine, Min and Aviendha do. It was merely to say that they had to maintain a professional working relationship if Rand was to make it to Tarmon Gai'don. If she was to fall in love with him, perhaps she would've tried to save him from his fate, or something along those lines (i.e. it would've shaken her resolve to sacrifice him for the good of the world). I don't think it was in reference to incest, or ill-gotten offspring. You're confusing Wheel of Time with Game of Thrones ;-)

Long time fan. Started reading WoT back in '96. I'm a bit of an author myself. I look forward to posting.