I disagree. Someryn needs to be one of Jordan's six women who are stronger than Nynaeve, unless we are unaware of one. That leaves Lanfear, Cyndane, Graendal, Alivia, Sharina and Someryn.
The debate is built on a house of cards. We have three statements about Someryn and all they conclude is that she's weaker than Graendal but still stronger than any woman in the Tower. Actually placing her somewhere on the strength tree is absurd. The only reason I think she's stronger than Nynaeve is because she's the only potential candidate who fits BS's abovementioned statement about women relative to Nynaeve. All other women are confirmed to be weaker or equal to Nynaeve.
Firstly, just how much stronger do you think Graendal is than Nynaeve and Semirhage, if Someryn fits in between them on the strength scale?
Secondly, BS gave a rather strange answer to the Nynaeve strength ranking question.
He says that there are only 6 women stronger than Nynaeve on the strength ladder. He clearly cannot remember who the 6 are, but was very certain of the fact that there are exactly 6 women above her.
This leads me to believe that there was some significance attached to the fact that Nynaeve was the seventh strongest female of all. In other words, it stood out that she was in seventh position, but the names of those above her was not necessarily used in order to calculate her position.
To put it differently, her POSITION was known to BS, rather than which specific channelers are stronger than her.
This came through very clearly in the way he answered the question relating to Nynaeve's comparative strength to Semirhage.
BS did not know for a fact that Semirhage is not one of the women in the 6 places above Nynaeve. If he knew the identities of the 6, he could have said unequivocally that Nynaeve is stronger than Semirhage. But he did not say that. Instead, he kind of hesitated, mused on his general impression of the two women, and ventured a guess that he is PRETTY SURE that Nynaeve is stronger than Semirhage. He then tempered it by saying that they are very close.
Now, that is NOT the answer you give if you know that Semirhage is not one of the 6 names above Nynaeve. His ignorance - at the time of answering that question - of the exact identities of the 6 women above Nynaeve is highlighted by the fact that he placed Cyndane WAY below Nynaeve. If he knew the names of the 6, he would have known that Cyndane was one of them.
So in conclusion: BS just has a general impression that Semirhage and Nynaeve should be very close to one another in strength. At the time of answering that question, he did not know for a fact that Semirhage is not perhaps one of the 6 women ranked above Nynaeve.
So the 6 above Nynaeve could very well be:
Lanfear
Cyndane
Graendal
Alivia
Sharina
Semirhage
It does not by default have to include Someryn. And even if Semirhage proves not to be on that list, it could be Talaan, or even some as yet unrevealed female. I don't think the requirement for 6 women stronger than Nynaeve automatically places Someryn above Nynaeve.
I think Brandon was pretty specific about these things despite his poor record as a source of information. He says that Semirhage is probably weaker than Nynaeve but he never says that she's stronger. At best, she's equal to Nynaeve but that still disqualifies her from being one of the six. He's also sure about Mesaana, and Moghedien is obviously a non-entity.
Therefore we're sure about Lanfear, Sharina and Alivia. Graendal is probably stronger than Nynaeve because if she is equal or weaker it merely adds another person who isn't one of the six. Cyndane is then automatically in the list too.
Someryn is a guess of desperation, though I think the evidence isn't weak especially because Graendal took some notice of her.
Talaan is as strong as Nynaeve.
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Who are the top 5 strongest light side female channelers?
- 17/08/2010 08:27:54 AM
1305 Views
Alivia, Sharina, Someryn, Nynaeve, Talaan *NM*
- 17/08/2010 12:42:38 PM
611 Views
I'm not convinced by the recent trend to place Someryn so high...
- 17/08/2010 02:52:15 PM
681 Views
Re: I'm not convinced by the recent trend to place Someryn so high...
- 17/08/2010 03:40:16 PM
706 Views
No, it just means there is a big gap between Egwene/Tamela and Moghedien...EDIT: Strength table
- 17/08/2010 03:52:47 PM
658 Views
Hmm
- 17/08/2010 06:07:53 PM
449 Views
Personally, I think BS's statement is suspect, and open to lots of interpretation...
- 17/08/2010 07:20:42 PM
510 Views
No I don't think so
- 18/08/2010 08:12:51 PM
431 Views
I agree. Someryn is probably stronger than Tamela and Viendre, but no indication
- 17/08/2010 08:02:51 PM
511 Views
Didn't RJ already give us this answer?
- 17/08/2010 04:30:24 PM
521 Views
No, BS said there are 6 female channelers stronger than Nynaeve. No details.
- 17/08/2010 04:31:59 PM
594 Views
If there are 6 total females above Nynaeve.. then 3 must be..
- 17/08/2010 09:06:29 PM
637 Views
Not quite
- 17/08/2010 10:46:48 PM
463 Views
Oh! I think he atualy commented on the forsaken specifically and their strength levels.
- 17/08/2010 09:59:41 PM
442 Views
Are any of the Forsaken stronger than Alivia - is guess Lanfear/Cyndane? *NM*
- 18/08/2010 03:50:59 AM
231 Views
Well Cyndane certainly seems to think Lanfear is/was stronger than Alivia...
- 21/08/2010 08:28:00 AM
422 Views
Why don't you just bloody read the article over at the 13th Depository?
- 18/08/2010 06:17:48 PM
681 Views