I 100% agree with the 2nd post on this thread.

Egwene by book 12/13 had become the best character in the books with her iron nerves and sheer determination to beat Elaida by passive aggression (like Gandhi).  Her speech and actions were that of a 1,000 year old monarch - WAY ahead of her time.  Then in the last book - her speech and actions go back to being a little girl who I lost a lot of respect for.  She didn't have the right dialogue that made her Amyrlin. At times I forgot she was Amyrlin!!!

I didn't like it - but her death was really cool.  I did not expect it.  The books definitely kept me guessing as to who was going to kill taim/demandred and how logain would gain his halo of fame . . . of course we all thought it was through killing demandred or taim or both. 

Out of the main characters that left Emonds Field - Lan, Moraine, Mat, Perrin, Rand, Nynaeve and Egwene.... only Egwene died.   Was def. surprising (to me) and I was sad - but impressed.  It was her best part of this last book after reading all her horrible dialogue at the meeting etc... as described in post 2.

MB

One of the greatest things that Tokein ever did (in my opinion) was give us a full ending of what happened when the dust settled and when everyone went home to their families and how awesome they were etc....

I was really hoping that Jordan had a bigger epilogue so we could enjoy the characters who we slogged through 14 books with (should have been 10 books) to a fuller extent and see them be happy and their towns grow etc.....

That is my only real big complaint. 

I must really compliment Sanderson on the Final Battle chapter because at the end of the chapter... I was as tired of the war as  the soldiers were.  They were holding out on the lines and I was holding out in the book saying, "holy cow this war stuff is exhausting!!"  It was well done - and it drained you emotionally with all the death.

I cringed at the almost forced abortion of Elaynes babies by the dreadlord... creeped me out abit.  I didn't like the gayness add in the book, because it wasn't in any of the other books so it stuck out as some type of political correctness thing which I can do without.

Lastly, I dind't like the philosophy of the book that you need evil to have people not be robots as if you ened a Satan to somehow tempt you. Thats like saying if it wasn't for Satan we would never be tempted to be bad - which I believe is stupid - people would still be evil without a Devil and without a Satan/Shaitan.  Free will gives people a choice to be evil - not the existence of an evil creature which somehow extends the possability of evil.

I thought tha was dumb - maybe it's a philosophy I don't understand (I am a free will / personal responsability kind of guy.)  So I disagreed with sealing off the dark one rather than killing him... but it's a novel so who cares right?

Also, I didn't like how Perrin didn't kill Graendal in the first meeting.  The guy has been around enough to know how evil Forsaken are.  You just kill em - I thought that was cheezy, but it made for a better story.

Lastly - I dont' understand why Tarwins Gap and other placed were not held off with gateways opening under the ocean or (finally they did the lava thing) or flat out opening a gateway to stop trollocs and tying it off.  Some holes there - but I'm a complainer.

:)  Love the book overall - loved the series.  Best fantasy series ever minus book 11.

Mike