idk what i have to comment on other than "good book!" but i've finished Path of Daggers and my takes are:
Egwene my beloved........ i knew her Amrylin arc would slap but the whole sequence of her gaining control of the rebel Hall through manipulation of some archaic laws of war that no one knew was incredibly cool and well earned and built up. i mourn the show being cancelled for a lot of reasons but primarily because seeing Egwene's arc onscreen paralleling Rand would have slapped so hard. very much looking forward to seeing how the battle for Tar Valon is going to go. also... Siuan <3 that's all.
on the subject of Egwene, i really like how the narrative paired her gaining absolute power with Elaida losing absolute power despite Egwene never actively wanting to be Amrylin and Elaida clawing so hard for that power. i genuinely almost feel bad for Elaida (and then i remember everything she's done and nah she's had it coming).
i was surprised how much i liked the Black Ajah Hunter scenes! one of Jordan's best talents in these books is being able to have each character have their own moral framework and nuanced opinions that make each character feel entirely fleshed out despite being at odds with the main characters. like. obviously i don't support the Tower loyalist position, but the characters still manage to be sympathetic and acting in line with their own beliefs to the point where i'm nodding along agreeing and then they start talking about unmasking and punishing all the rebel traitors they've found in the Tower.
i'm liking Elayne much more now that she's getting more povs, she always read as a little childish to me before (definitely filtered through Nynaeve's eyes...) so i'm very happy to see her taking more of an active role in politics/leading the Aes Sedai/being a mad scientist. her gal pal thing with Aviendha is wonderful and i really love the absolute adoration Elayne has for her. i can't wait for the gay wedding Aiel first-sister ceremony. also i'm incredibly endeared to Birgitte. girl really wandered in from the dream world with everyone knowing her stories and has made zero (0) attempt to disguise herself and then gasps in shock when people start to suspect her of something.
Rand's sections were pretty good. i'm a little tired of keeping track of all the different nobles in Tear, Cairhien, and Illian, and i think the battle against the Seanchan dragged a bit for me but the worsening divides between the Asha'man and the eventual attempted assassination of Rand was very very good. and while the narrative has never really shied away from showing Rand's flaws, this book was definitely a shift from "he's well meaning but harsh" to "....oh this guy is losing it and i kind of hate him". his hubris-filled temper tantrum against the Seanchan almost destroying his own army with Callandor when it was built up to be a grand heroic moment was wonderful. and i do think his pov is interesting bc you really can't tell what's his madness and what's people actually plotting against him (cough cough Taim).
idk if this is an unpopular take or not but.... i don't dislike Perrin and Faile. i think they're good characters and they have a necessary role in the story, but i just generally find the two of them to be the least interesting of the main pov characters. i don't find their relationship all that interesting, and for all that Perrin's changed since the beginning of the story, i find him a rather static character compared to the others. i'm curious as to how Morgase's story will play out paired up with Perrin's party, but i'm just not all that excited about the upcoming kidnapping/rescue plotline. it's fine. i don't find it bad. i just... don't care that much in comparison to the rest of the story. similarly, i think the Prophet is a necessary plot device and i'm happy to explore those themes of what's basically religious extremism, but i find Masema extremely tiring in any scene he's in. so. at least i have all the uninteresting plotlines tied up together.
anything else? uhhhh i miss Nynaeve's povs. i know they're pretty light for the rest of the books but :( she's my favorite character to read from.
OH shout out to Adeleas and Vandene. Vandene's reaction to seeing Adeleas murdered was crushing. i hope she fucks up the murderer big time.
i am realizing reading all of this back that i've managed to be the reverse reddit bro in that i'm 90% here for the women, Rand can stay as a treat, and i'm meh about everyone else. ...sounds about right for me.