Also, very badly edited or badly rewritten. The entries are sometimes in WoT-speak, and sometimes in contemporary vernacular. Galina's, for example, includes a description that she appears to be "a pleasant armful" but a man would never get to put that arm around her because "she was a lesbian." Apparently, there is an island of Lesbos in WoT too, from which we get the name for women with such inclinations.

There are some mistakes as well. For instance, it identifies the Nine Horse Hitch as the inn where Siuan pretends to a apply for a job in order to get in touch with a Blue spy. That was where she & her companions parked, so avoid letting anyone know her destination. The entry for "The Nine Horse Hitch" actually describes sign for the inn run by the spy, which was a completely different inn, to which Siuan walked from the Nine Horse Hitch. Elsewhere the Companion identifies the spy's inn as "The Good Night's Ride," with the same description of the sign. Both entries claim that Duranda Tharne, the Blue spy, ran the inn. In Moiraine's entry, it refers to her ter'angreal that she took from Lanfear as they fell through the doorway, and how it is all that allows her to channel more than weakly. It was, in fact, an angreal. Even Sanderson did not screw that up, matching the description of the device from tFoH in ToM, and both books labeling it an angreal. If ANY book should be expected to get the terminology straight, it should be the Companion, otherwise what's the point? How much else might be a mistake?

Another annoying thing, which is not THIS book's fault, is how obviously bad many of Sanderson's names are. They just seem to leap off the page as unlike other names of the same nationality.

There are maps which are all from inside the novels, and black and white portraits of a dozen of the most important characters. I don't think they're all that good. So if the visual element is important, you're not getting much. There is what seems to be a super-thorough Old Tongue dictionary and grammar, as well as an explanation of those strength numbers in most of the channelers' entries. They also list the height of nearly every character of any significance. Most men are 5'10" and most women seem to be 5'5" or so. Most Ogier are 10'5". Some characters have surprisingly interesting backstory data or analysis of their mentalities. Cadsuane being one. Others, however, are disappointing in the lack of clarification. For instance, we never get an explanation of how Caraline and Moiraine are related, as the book just repeats that they are cousins. They don't mention, for instance, if one of Laman's other jerk brothers were the parents of Caraline and Barthanes, or if the connection is further back. There is STILL no explanations of the functions of most Aiel warrior societies. Other entries tell you nothing that you could not infer from the context in the book, like many of Brigitte's expressions. She might have said running ahead like a XXXXXan jumping off the ZZZ Cliff. The entry for XXXXan in the glossary would be "a people who were known for foolishly jumping off the ZZZ Cliffs.". Well, gee. Thanks for nothing, WoT Companion. On the other hand, you get a thorough explanation of what a N'Shar in Mameris is, and an appreciation of how Brigitte recognizes Mat's danger. Good stuff and disappointment all in one cover. Which I have gotten very very used to since RJ died.