OK, I've just finished the Book in a mammoth reading session, after waiting 3 weeks for Amazon to deliver it to me, but that's the curse of living in a Third World country, I guess.

So, while I'll get into the meat and potatoes of the book at a later stage, here are some of the Forsaken and One Power related issues that immediately struck me during the reading process:

Mesaana and Graendal's angreal:

Mesaana TRADED Graendal an angreal? I find that very unlikely, and out of character. Does that mean Mesaana had an angreal herself? All evidence up to now suggested the contrary.

Lanfear's angreal:

So Moiraine without the ivory bracelet angreal is too weak to pass the Accepted test, but with it she is stronger than she was before? Also, the Foxes said it was such a strong angreal that it bordered on being a sa'angreal. Moiraine was at least 3 times as strong as Dagian, while she must now be less than half as strong as Dagian, if she cannot even pass the Accepted test.

That means that Lanfear's angreal at the Docks must have increased her strength AT LEAST six fold, and more like 8 or ten fold. No wonder she was toying with Rand in that battle.

Tying off gateways:

I've read Sanderson's reply to the issue of tying off gateways, but frankly, his answer avoided the issue and talked about the logistical implications of Ashaman being able to tie off gateways necessitating that they not be able to do it.

Frankly, that's a non-answer. Rand has tied off gateways and Sammael has tied of gateways. It is clearly possible, and fairly easy, to tie off gateways. There is no logical explanation that has been given as yet as to why Grady and Neald are not able to tie off gateways. Sanderson needs to up his game here, or admit that he has changed the rules to suit his plot.

Interfering with the creation of gateways on a battlefield:

Was the Dreamspike what RJ was talking about when he said that there are ways to interfere with the creation of gateways into a battlefield zone, and ways to interfere with the interference etc?

I recall that we had an almighty debate about that one, with me stating that it HAD to be some kind of ward that prevented the creation of gateways into a specific AREA, while the doubters insisted that all RJ meant was that one could attack an individual gateway weave as it was forming and try to slash it before it opened. The Dreamspike at least proved my suggestion was the correct one.

However, I do not believe the Dreamspike is the ONLY way of doing this. I would think that there must be a One Power weave that can replicate this effect, and that it can be actively countered and counter-countered, if you get my meaning. Hence RJ's statement that the battle would be fought on many levels, on an Age of Legends battlefield.

I've got a lot more to say, but let's keep this first post short, and get some responses. Man, we have so much new material to work with. It is only AFTER completing the book that the real fun actually starts!