I'm pretty tuned into the tone of all the Forsaken chapters, and this once again missed the target significantly.

Sanderson is totally out of touch with the Forsaken and their characters. Darius is looking for a reason why Moghedien laughed at Graendal - the reason is that Brandon doesn't get Moghedien, she wouldn't do such a thing. In the last book we're left with Graendal screaming in terror at the hands of SH, and in this book she's unaffected. In fact, she Travels to the meeting and tells Moridin she doesn't have time for this nonsense - something Graendal herself didn't do. Was she even punished by SH?

Reading the chapter was only made tolerable by our lust for information and the answers to the mysteries surrounding the series. As I said before we are tormented by the same mundane facts. We have been told about the mystery of Cyndane in every Forsaken tea party since WH. Demandred's damned hooked nose is back... damn the man. But even worse, Demandred is NOT handsome. He is almost handsome - that's the whole point. Of course we are further tormented by the fact that Demandred is a mystery - that is also a recurring theme in the tea parties.

The metaphors are excruciating... "Graendal sent her a glare that would have set the oceans on fire" or something similar. Compare this to how Semirhage merely used to knit to unnerve Mesaana, or how the Forsaken are silenced merely by seeing the saa in Moridin's eyes. Moridin says that Hesselam was a fool to object to Taim and then nothing happens. Some punishment. Moridin said in the last tea party that these are the last days and they must prepare themselves, and blow me down, he says it again at the end of this one. Can you say lack of plot progression? The entire chapter transpires to : Taim is Chosen, Graendal is Hesselam and Moghedien must help Demandred do heaven knows what. No one asks about Aran'gar, Semirhage or Mesaana (they used to when someone was missing). Moridin says there are too few of them but they don't bring back some of the original fallen Forsaken like Aginor.

There are also errors in the ways in which they speak. Who didn't laugh when they first read 'darkness within'? It's appeared before though. Moghedien refers to Hesselam as powerful. They don't speak like that, especially because they don't consider strength in the Power to be power. They always mention her potential, or ability but know that with their inferior training they are still children. The Forsaken don't even consider their peers to be powerful. Unless I'm mistaken its the first time a Forsaken has referred to anyone as powerful. It goes against their belief that they are the most powerful, and the statement implies superiority in another channeler.