I found this utterly refreshing. A Forsaken who isn't 100% villain, and LTT who wasn't 100% the hero - Edit 2
Before modification by Shannow at 26/09/2012 07:03:27 PM
Lews Therin tells us a few things about Demandred...
"I thought it would be in the south where they struck... I'm half-certain Demandred is involved. He has never been comfortable without an army. But Caemlyn.... yes, it's a clever strike. I told you they would try to distract us."
"Its exactly the sort of thing he'd try. Separate your foes, then crush them one at a time."
"It was one of the oldest strategies in warfare. Demandred himself had discovered it in the old writings. They'd known nothing of war when the Bore had first opened."
"Of all those to turn to the Shadow, Demandred's betrayal seemed the most tragic. The man could have been a hero. Should have been a hero. I'm to blame for that, too, Rand thought. If I'd offered a hand instead of a smirk, if I'd congratulated instead of competed. If I'd been the man I am now..."
It's interesting to see how much Demandred has the ability to vex Lews Therin and how he's going to come to the forefront as a Forsaken in this book. They are similar in many ways. I wonder if Rand will end up apologizing to Demandred for treating him unfairly at some stage? That is certainly a possibility, especially with the new Rand. Either way, it's going to be interesting to see how Mat challenges Demandred's tactical abilities.
I found the paragraph about Demandred to be the best piece of writing I've seen from Sanderson.
"Ïf I had offered a hand instead of a smirk, if I had congratulated instead of competed. If I had been the man I am now."
For the first time, a Forsaken is not simply portrayed as a two dimensional card board cutout of a stereotypical bad guy.
"Ooh, they're all Nazi war criminals in fantasy dress, they're all failed personalities, wrapped in their own banal narcicism with no depth whatsoever."
The "banality of evil", as some like to constantly refer to their dumbass exploits and petty vendettas.
For the first time, we see Demandred portrayed as a potential hero, and that Lews Therin's own faults were at least partly to blame for driving him to the Shadow.
Maybe Demandred has more foundation for his grudge than the one sided views have led us to believe up to now. Wouldn't that be wonderfully novel and refreshing? A bit of Martinesque "grey character" building, with Demandred not quite as automatically bad as we were led to believe, and Lews Therin not as intrinsically good and holy as we thought.
Seems like Lews Therin's own pride competed quite vigourously with that of Demandred. Neither was an angel, it would seem.
Anyway, I found that reference by Rand to be poignant and meaningful.
It made me look forward to the Demandred that will be revealed in the rest of the book. The anticipation to this revelation of Demandred and Lews Therin's interpersonal dynamics actually seems far more appetizing than the reveal of Demandred's plans and whereabouts, whether it turns out to be Murandy or Shara or the Isle of Madmen or none of the above.
Demandred is showing a hint of three dimensionality - the first time that we see this for any of the Chosen. And maybe, just maybe, we have Sanderson to thank for that.