With the exception of Dragonmount (tEotW prologue), I usually hate the prologues. In fact, before Distinctions, I thought the prologue of CoT was the second best (and I hated the rest of that book). Distinctions, however, was quite good. A few things...

I would like to kick Lan right in the nards. He is a childish little weenie and needs to grow up. It's one thing to decide that it's your duty to fight the Shadow and do it in such a way that you can make a difference, but he is flat out delusional to think that he can make a difference alone. He wouldn't last five seconds against an army of Trollocs, no matter how great he thinks he is. I wish Nynaeve had found a better man to hook up with because he's a delusional fool with no heart at all.

Perrin...sucks. I'm so sick of his emo crap I could hurl. Hopper should've ripped his throat out and saved us all the torture of having to suffer through any more of his crap. I do think that what he was supposed to get from his dream is that he is supposed to build something in the Two Rivers and shape the men there so they can handle what is coming. Too bad he's too slow and stupid to ever pick up on it...

The Graendal part was surprising. I hated the idea that she might have survived and thought it would be all deus ex machina to screw over Rand (since nothing can ever go his way), and knew as soon as I saw her POV that she was going to live. Despite my feelings on the matter before, I liked the section. The only reason she survived was quick thinking and the fact that she did not underestimate Rand. I'm also pleased that Rand's balescream (cool word, btw) took out a Forsaken and one of the Black Ajah, even if the Forsaken he took out wasn't the one he thought he had.

I also like it that Graendal has targeted Nynaeve now and sees her as a threat. I really hope Nyn will come into her own with this and be the one to take Graendal down...after Graendal wipes the floor with Cadsuane, who is dire need of being taught that she isn't nearly as badass as she thinks she is.

Galad...I like him. I always had a soft spot for him, despite his annoying ways, but the prologue made me like him more. His succinct speech to his men to get their spirits up was a good one and the way he handled Asunawa was impressive. He's a true leader, in every sense of the word. I liked it that he was worried about Rand being an Aes Sedai lapdog and seems to want Rand to be his own man - that alone made me love him more, and I hope he and Rand meet and that he learns that he is Rand's brother. Perhaps he can see to it that Rand doesn't voluntarily accept an Aes Sedai leash. Also, Galad had better survive because I want to see him become the king of Cairhien. He has more right to the throne than Elayne does, and I'd love to see her left out in the cold when she tries to claim it.

The Fain part was creepy. He's quickly becoming something that is too difficult to kill, which could be a problem. He's as much of a problem for the Shadow as he is for the Light. I'd kinda like to see Moridin be the one to take him out.

The Borderlander POV was the best one in the prologue and reading that section made me even more irritated over Lan's idiocy and childishness. Keemlin is fourteen and is more of a man than Lan is, and Lan is in his forties. And I loved Malenarin. He was another good man. Too bad they probably won't survive. I really hope all of the Borderland leaders die. They deserve it for leaving their homelands unprotected. Morons.