I agree with the review in the link.

Some things were good and some were not so great.

Mat came off as interesting. I see his broken home as a launching point for his interest in gold. At the same time worry for his sisters anchors him to the Two Rivers and makes him sympathetic.

In the other thread some were pissed Nynaeve would negotiate terms for healing Moiraine - I can see that. But her being this way served to create tension with Lan. Six up, half a dozen down.

Perrin and the wife killing - makes fear of embracing the wolf side more understandable.

But Rand and Mat should be more desperate and clueless without Moiraine. They don't feel like country bumpkins.