Another thing that surprised me was that I'd got it into my head that Rand, Perrin and Mat were all going to have to face the DO together. I only think this because I'm thinking that's the way I would've written it.
I agree, it was the only thing I could think of though. Unless...
"He wove something majestic, a pattern of interlaced saidar and saidin in their pure forms. Not Fire, not Spirit, not Water, not Earth, not Air. Purity. Light itself. This didn't repair, it didn't patch, it forged anew. With this...
Main surprises for me were the attacks on the Great Captains. No idea why but I didn't even consider that possibility.
The death of Gareth wasn't a surprise but I never like seeing my name written as someone who is dead. :p
I always thought that the manoeuvre Lan uses to kill Demandred was...