Great Spoiler Towers of Midnight Moments

[Xalorous]

Graendal faking her death by having her hench women (Delana and
Aran'gar) place Compulsion Weaves on Rand's minion Piqor Ramshalan
(instead of herself), then leaving them to be Balefired! Kudos to
Graendal for her cleverness!

This came off as Deus Ex Machina to me. I was not convinced that Graendal's plan - to send Ramshalan back with a confusing mixture of saidar and saidin compulsion weaves - would have even the remotest chance of working against anyone, much less Rand and company.

I just don't see any kind of motivation there for Graendal to handle this situation in the way it is laid out here. From the outside looking in, we can see that the author needed to explain Graendal's survival. Rand found compulsion in his messenger, so assumed Graendal was dead. Yet Graendal had a further role to play. I just wish the mechanism was less visible.

I do like the last second exit Graendal makes, dooming Aran'gar and Delana.

[Xalorous]

Rand already said he won't be fighting in the battle. I assume he'll be sealing the Bore.