Some chapters in the middle that switched from Rand's POV to other side characters got a bit boring for me. We don't see enough of those characters, so when it suddenly jumps to them because we as the reader need to know something that Rand does not know it feels forced and I struggle to even remember who that person is at first. I'm not talking about the chapters written from Nynaeve or Egwene or Perrin's POV. I love those and would like to see more of them. I'm referring to characters like the ship captain or the Children of the Light.
I also still get a bit annoyed at the harem that Rand is building. I don't see why almost every girl has to fall for him. It's getting a bit ridiculous. But I was also really and truly happy that this time the girls put together a rescue of their own and didn't need Rand to save them. They even make a point of telling him so. It's nice to see them taking care of themselves much like they did in season 1 of the TV series.
The introduction of the damane stirs a lot of emotions and I think it could create some powerful storylines in the coming books.