I think Tuon is a competent ruler of her people, not given to megalomania, and not a dolt.

I even understand where she is coming from, but even apart from her willful blindness on the damane issue (which is at least understandable), she is hardly likeable. She grew up in a closed environment where all that existed for her was the struggle to be named heir and doing her duty to her people.

The result is a young woman who has never had time to think of herself as a person, as anything other than the Daughter of the Nine Moons.

Unlike Elayne, who didn't have to have her brothers killed and face total separation from her mother, Tuon has never had a childhood at all, and that shows.

She is, for example, quite kind on occasions, even understanding and open-minded (with Mistress Anan, especially). She isn't monstrous, not the kind who takes pleasure in her power. But she she does all these things because in her mind, she is a good ruler, who will be a good Empress. There is, in her mind, no dichotomy between Tuon the woman and Tuon the Empress, whereas up to tGS, at least, Egwene retains that part of her that is not Amyrlin, for an example of what Tuon lacks.

This means Tuon is the kind of person who can make people respect her, even follow her loyally. But only those who saw her as a little kid love her and can be her friends.

Egwene is headed that way too. I don't think she can ever make any more new friends. Gain new followers, yes. Make women like Saerin trust her and follow her lead? Yes. Gain a close working partner in a woman like Silviana? Again, yes. But the part of her that was playful, childish She isn't as forbidding as Tuon, of course, and has a better sense of humor and is definitely more charming than Tuon. But those are the very qualities leadership is leaching out of her, though she does seem to realize that she shouldn't ever give them up.

Jordan seems to be making a statement here. Leadership, at an early age, seems to take something out of people (with Elayne being the obvious example of a case where this isn't true at all). The question is, how grounded will these women remain? Egwene is far from hopeless.

With Tuon, her only hope is Mat. Jordan did a great job there pairing them up. Mat is the obvious foil for her, the irreverent lout to her stern judge. Mat, who has the most well adjusted attitude to leadership (because he never considered the issue, never felt it to be that great a burden). I think that was the part the sequels would have expanded on. How Mat makes Tuon "cool".

But certainly, for a character who was only introduced in book 9, Tuon has been very well drawn. Kudos to Jordan for that.