I have indeed given a lot of slack to the creators of this series. But there are two things that just bother me and I hoped it would get worked out by the end of the season, but it hasn't.

1) The Power is Male/Female. And they aren't going to touch that, are they. I mean, it's a MASSIVE plot point, and they are trying to kind of limp by it without really addressing it. If you aren't familiar with the books, then you will be wondering "why are men unable to channel like women" and the TV series will NOT explain this for you. And we all know why.. and it's ridiculous. If these writers cannot bring themselves to put their foot down and say "in THIS fantasy world, it's male/female.. get over it" .. then they really should find another IP to adapt.

2) Female characters cannot have challenges or growth because in todays post-feminist world, all female characters must always be awesome always at all times without effort. And. This. Is. So. Boring! I ask female fans, do you like this? Do you like that Egwene and Nynaeve can just do amazing things with zero training? Do you like that they can even die and just pop back to life or pop OTHERS back to life at any moment? 

Egwene in the book went from prairie girl to Amyrlin Seat and it was a long journey and you saw her growth all the way - and her final test from being imprisoned in the tower to overcoming even her captors through mental tenacity was one of the greatest character arcs in the series ..but we won't get that here.. because girls are awesome always at all times with ZERO setbacks because that's cool right!?

There was so much to like about this series, but I couldn't get over these two aspects in the end. I should have known better. Today's entertainment is just.. boring, sorry. No one gets to suffer setbacks and grow. No show takes its time to build up to big moments anymore. God forbid we go eight episodes without a major battle! Can't trust the audience to come back for season two..gotta blow their minds NOW NOW NOW! 

oh well

There is a phrase that I believe was coined during the LOTR saga ... "The book is the book, and the movie is the movie."  If you are wanting this show to be just a filmed version of the book with no deviations, you should stop watching now. If you can accept that it takes its lead from the books but is going to be its own thing, then you can enjoy it. I get being a purist, but I also think sometimes "I've read the books.. why do I need a scene for scene film version? What's so inherently wrong with changes?" 

All that being said, I think it's perfectly fine to address the changes and why you prefer one way over the other. That's an interesting and enjoyable debate. But the whole "this is different therefore it's not good" bit gets tiring.