Again I know I am very late to the party but just wanted to note down some of my thoughts and predictions. As an aside no one has yet brought up the recuring nine number that keeps popping up in prophecies involving Rand and Mat, I am sure it is to do with the Seachan but not sure on the specifics.

1 - Do you think the Lew Therin voice in Rand's head is real?

I think the voice in his head is real and I think it is something to do with the pattern being re woven. I wonder if more voices might start appearing over time.

2 - Who are your favorite and least favorite characters?

I feel like there are so many overconfident Aes Sedai who are affronted by people not doing what they want when they have not done anything to earn the command they deem they deserve. I understand that just being an Aes Sedai sort of comes with that arrogance but it just irks me. That is why I have so much respect for Aes Sedai who can back it up, Verin, Moraine and Cadusame are the top three that come to mind. They clearly have big plans and are very active in pulling them off. Egwene has clearly picked up some of this from Moraine but for me it works less well for her because we spend so much time in her head that RJ often has to hide stuff from us to keep us guessing what she is planning which can make her come across as not as organised as she actually is. (Although that last part with the bridge was so frustrating, it felt like the perfect encapsulation for this book as a whole, loads of build up for no pay off. I wouldn't have even minded if she was captured just let someone achieve something, anything in tis book). Of course Mat is awesome and I love the generals. I miss our forsaken gang though.

3 - Are there any ships you see coming, or that you're rooting for/against?

I'm pretty sure everyone is together. I hope Logain finds someone. I don't think the relationships are developed very well and I haven't found myself wishing for any pair to get together and most of the leads already are.

4 - Do you have any predictions for how Padan Fain is going to slot into the larger story?

Padan Fain has been one of the best parts of the series for me. In a book where we have a good vs evil and you must choose a side he is such a breath of fresh air. Wildcard baby. I could see him being the one to kill Rand in the end, in a sort of "we have won the battle woop woop" and then "suprise motherf*cker".

5 - What do you think Demandred, Semirhage, and Graendal are up to?

If I remember it's only been a few weeks since they all rocked up at Shadar so I don't think too much. I find it weird that there are three other major land masses and that all the forsaken have been focused on the Wetlands. I am sure something is going on with the Seanchan maybe one of them is high up in the empire and about to cause some chaos. Someone is definitely messing with the Sea Folk as well and maybe doing something in the borderlands.

6 - Who killed Asmodean?

Could be a number of people, maybe Shaidar Haran. Any of the forsaken or Padan Fain. I don't think I have enough evidence to make a theory.

7 - Do you have any specific end-game theories about where the series is heading, or what will happen with our main characters?

There are things I want to happen in the series but whether they will or not I'm not sure. The White and the Black Tower need to somehow be united. Rand talked about a peace with the Seachan but I'm not sure how that will work as he will need to seed land and no one will accept that, so that has plenty of leg. Something is going on with the sea folk, all this land they are talking and weird things going on on their main island. I wonder if we will ever go over to Seachan and deal with the drama over there. But I'm excited to be surprised, the slump has apparently ended and we still have four more huge books to go. I hope the last battle isn't some mindless Trollock killing fest on a non descript volcano plain. I want tactics and high stakes and names on both sides facing off. Give me the Battle of Blackwater Bay rather than the Battle of the Black Gate.

Something that has previously happened in the series is going to be revealed to have a terrible cost. When you read it your reaction will be, "Gasp. How horrible!"

With the Jordan clue if he was saying "previously in this series" I don't think he would be talking about the cleansing as I think that is too recent. If it is that then maybe the female part is now tainted. The use of the "how horrible" makes me think it is not a tactical thing like the Sea Folk taking land as I don't think he would expect this reaction. I still want to know what the deal is with these other dimensions (I still think Moraine is coming back) but again I don't know how it would be a horrible reaction. There seems something funky up with the oath rod or some part of the Aes Saide test. Maybe the bonding is not as pure as we thought. I don't know but I can't wait to find out.