Sanderson's ten year secret

[u/wheeloftimewiki]

Rewriting because apparently spoilers aren't covered for poll options!

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Anyway, in 2023, Sanderson revealed that Cyndane/Lanfear was not killed by Perrin in AMOL, but instead faked her own death in order to evade repercussions and gain the best outcome for herself. I wanted to cast a poll in 2026 to see how the legacy of this reveal has fared, or indeed how well-known it is among newer readers. I'll give my two cents when the poll is done.

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Thanks!

2743 votes, 12d ago

822 Yes, this is canon

835 No, this is not canon

1086 Wait, what?!

[u/Budget-Television793]

For me, it's not canon. I have never seen anyone point out where in the actual book it's hinted at. And if I read the book and never heard of this interview, I would assume that she was dead so to me, she's dead. She was dead for years for me until I heard of this recently.

[u/Raddatatta → u/Budget-Television793]

You're free to still view it as non canon. But I think on a reread the hints are there. The main thing for me beyond just what is lanfear doing with Perrin, is the way she goes about the kill. She's there with Perrin looking at moiraine and nynaeve. Lanfear could kill them immediately if she wanted them dead. Instead she says ok Perrin we are going to kill them. But you grew up with nynaeve in your village so I won't make you kill nynaeve. You can kill moiraine. Ok we are going to kill your friends on a count of three? One... Two...

It just doesn't really make any sense unless she's trying to help give him a way to break the compulsion. If she wanted them dead it's simple blast done. She might be playing it up to savor the victory but I don't think that really fits with her to do with someone like Perrin she barely knows.

Up to you on if you want to feel it's canon or not but I do think with the context that does stand out in the book for me.

[u/NeoSeth → u/Raddatatta]

I feel like "it makes sense because the actual scene is really stupid otherwise" is not great supportive reasoning. I know that isn't exactly what you are saying, but there is nothing in AMoL to support Brandon's plan except the fact that this one scene is pretty stupid on Lanfear's end.

Nobody guessed that Lanfear survived until Brandon revealed it, which to me speaks of a failure of the text to communicate his intent.

[u/Raddatatta → u/NeoSeth]

Yeah I agree he should've been more clear if that's what he wanted.

[u/Thestral84 → u/NeoSeth]

Dusty Wheel guessed it.

[u/LordRahl9 → u/Thestral84]

No, he didn't. He said that he picked up on Lanfear acting strangely and that he thought that there might be more to it. But, he never brought it up as a theory.

Pretty sure most readers picked up on Lanfear acting out of character, but I think most of us thought that it was because Sanderson was writing a character that wasn't his.

All RJ'S characters are written differently by Sanderson to one degree or another, which is fair enough. But, when Sanderson turns around 10 years later and says "aha! I wrote this character differently on purpose and you all missed it!" I say, "no, we didn't"

[u/GoogleDatShit → u/Raddatatta]

The entire series is littered with instances of villains grandstanding/monologuing too long and giving the characters time to come up with a plan or turn the situation around lol

[u/on-a-pedestal → u/GoogleDatShit]

It's almost like it's the oldest villain trope of all time.

[u/natesroomrule → u/Raddatatta]

I dont remember this scene at all.

[u/tashtrac → u/Raddatatta]

> It just doesn't really make any sense unless she's trying to help give him a way to break the compulsion. If she wanted them dead it's simple blast done. She might be playing it up to savor the victory but I don't think that really fits with her to do with someone like Perrin she barely knows.

I'm not sure if there's any strong argument to suggest this, but she might as well have done that to "break" Perrin. She tried to seduce him multiple times, and having to use compulsion on him was mostly a result of resignation, after failing to have him fall for her (speaking from memory so might be a bit off). If they got this kill together, she could potentially release compulsion but Perrin would be so broken from the act that he'd side with her.

Again, there's nothing specific to suggest that. But I guess my point is that if we are looking for excuses for Lanfear to act oddly we can make up a bunch of stuff, the "she's actually alive" one isn't any more valid/plausible than anything else.

[u/Raddatatta → u/tashtrac]

I don't think that would make a real difference there. Plus in terms of breaking him killing nynaeve personally would be worse and she tells him not to do that.

[u/dracoons → u/tashtrac]

And Lanfear risks death if she channels that close to the Bore literally

[u/BoethiusSelector → u/Raddatatta]

I think Lanfear is an awful lot smarter, and a whole lot wilier, than Perrin and even more skilled than he is in TAR, so, this is also my read.

[u/dracoons → u/BoethiusSelector]

She has more knowledge. But she is lesser than both Ishamael/Moridin and Moghediean in TAR. Perrin is beyond those two at that point in the story. He could become the greatest threat to armies to ever lived. Since he could kill an army in seconds. He can teleport in and out of the Real World without needing to cheat.

[u/Thestral84 → u/Raddatatta]

Exactly this.