Is this the quote you're referring to?:

For the thousandth time Mesaana tried to analyze why she felt uncomfortable around the other woman. Mesaana knew her own strengths and weaknesses, with the One Power and elsewhere. She matched well with Semirhage on most points, and where she did not, she had other strengths to lay against weaknesses in Semirhage. It was not that. Semirhage took delight in cruelty, a pure pleasure in giving anguish, but that surely was not the problem. Mesaana could be cruel where necessary, and she did not care what Semirhage did to others. There had to be a reason, but she could not find it.

Comparing anyone's ability to be cruel to Semirhage's penchant for pain is a bit skewed. Cruelty does not translate to evil, it is simply one form of evil. In fact, it is pretty hard to name the few times we've seen one of the Forsaken be cruel in this story. For the most part, they plot and maneuver, but torture seems to be the sole domain of Semi.



As I said above, Asmodean only mentions being scared of Semirhage out of all the Forsaken. He did know, though, that any of the Chosen would kill him on sight after Lanfear told them he was a traitor:

"Turn back? Demandred, Rahvin, any of them would kill me on sight, now. If I was lucky. Except Lanfear perhaps, and you will understand if I don't want to put her to the test. Semirhage could make a boulder beg for mercy and thank her for death. And as for the Great Lord-" "The Dark One," Rand broke in sharply around his pipestem. The Great Lord of the Dark was what Darkfriends called the Dark One. Darkfriends and the Forsaken. Asmodean bowed his head briefly in acquiescence. "When the Dark One breaks free. . ." If his face had been expressionless before, now it was bleak in every line. "Suffice it to say that I will find Semirhage and give myself to her before I'll face the Dark One's punishment for betrayal." TFoH chap. 3



And you would put Graendal in the "daring" category? (For the life of me I can't remember her doing anything that fits that description.) What I seem to recall is her saying that she would not let herself be sacrificed because she intended to live forever, and that she would tuck her tail between her legs and run if she got a whiff of Rand. The real irony is that Graendal considered Mesaana a second-rate Forsaken, too. Yet, TGS saw Graendal sacrificed while Mesaana still lives to fight another day.

Too bad Graendal didn't smell Rand coming.