What are the best Wind and Truth moments?

[Lesser spren]

It seems that the general consensus of WAT is that it doesn't hold up to the standard that the previous novels have set. Despite this I feel there a number of really stunning scenes that we pass over while looking in the mixed bag. Nale hearing the story on the Wandersail, Shallan conversing with Mraize on the great shell, at those points the characters really shine through. That said I'd love to hear what parts of the story really made an impression? What about them made them stood out from the rest?

[AsherCrane]

Fanstic question. Some of the ones I recall really liking were definitely Kaladin, Nale, and the Wandersail for 1, and 2. I really liked the scene where Szeth finds tthe sheep toy and breaks down, with Kaladin realizing Szeth is closer to Tien than himself.

I know this last one will be controversial, but I honestly loved Kaladin standing up in the midst of feeling Ishar's darkness. Don't get me wrong, the writing was not fantastic to me there, but the soul of that scene felt like a dramatic and proper climax to his arc.

[Lord Spirit he/him]

Szeth swearing the fifth Ideal is up there, or just his entire backstory.

It was kind of weird for Kaladin to not be fighting and just chilling and playing the flute, but I honestly enjoyed watching him just be able to be happy.

Taln fought back is a great scene (even if it's mostly off screen)

I liked when Taravangien forces Jasnah to realize that her moral philosophy is flawed.

 

Plus some fun comedic ones like Wit making Dalinar wait an hour so Kaladin can learn the flute, or Ishar casually debunking Fleet and the Wandersail.

[Nitpicking]

5 hours ago, AsherCrane said:

I know this last one will be controversial, but I honestly loved Kaladin standing up in the midst of feeling Ishar's darkness. Don't get me wrong, the writing was not fantastic to me there, but the soul of that scene felt like a dramatic and proper climax to his arc.

So you agree with Kaladin that the words aren't important, only the soul?

All my favorite moments were in Adolin's storyline, really. Maya returning with an army of deadeyes is probably top.

Shallan finally killing Mraize is up there. Man, he overstayed his welcome. One-note mustache-twirler.

[EdgedancerJacob he/him]

So many great moments. Here are my favorites:

• Kaladin playing the SylFlute (almost brought me to tears)
• The Recreance
• Dalinar meeting the Stormfather in the Spiritual Realm 'prison'
• Szeth fighting Rit (the Stoneward Honorbearer)
• Szeth fighting Ponzo and Dulo in Shadesmar
• The glimpse into Chasmfiend's intelligence
• Adolin fighting on the front lines in the dome
• Shallan watching Renarin and Rlain kiss
• All Tanavast flashbacks

[AsherCrane]

7 hours ago, EdgedancerJacob said:

The glimpse into Chasmfiend's intelligence

This one in particular I also found really cool. I'm happy they didn't end up as just big, one-note creatures.

[ParaTulip fae/faer (declines as she/her)]

I actually liked the parts with Szeth when Kaladin wasn't being a weird amateur therapist. He's really interesting to see as this innocent soul that the world mangled to the point that he is possibly literally haunted by dozens of ghosts.

Also, Shallan being as much as fan of the inter-species boylove as me was just so funny. I feel like she would like Homestuck. She'd probably see herself in Vriska.

On 3/26/2025 at 1:56 PM, EdgedancerJacob said:

The Recreance

I was a bit disappointed by the Recreance. I had imagined that it had been a more gradual thing. Or it had been something like a civil war among radiants that actually wrecked a bunch of the world. I have been toying with trying to tell an AU where Garith takes the "I must do right by those I love" ethos of the Windrunners and pollutes it with "And so I must war against the other Radiants until I can right this hideous wrong" because of the hideous pain he felt.

Imagine a world where Honor had not given the Radiants the vision of them destroying the world, but instead it was a war among the Radiants that actually did ruin civilization again, like a desolation that didn't end. Imagine the horrors of people who know the oaths and what they mean of other orders using that knowledge as weapons against one another. Maybe even stuff like Odium enabling these avenging radiants to swear hideous oaths, sealed with sacrifices, like "For I so love this world, I shall not rest until I have restore what is fairest in the world to me or ruined those who ruined that which is most beautiful in it" which would make the hate and rage of people like Garith a well of investiture in return for driving them into deeper and deeper madness by literally removing their ability to sleep in this case or other things which enable people to be at peace for others.

To be clear, I think the book was more than long enough, I don't actually think the book would be better if it spent dozens of pages describing this, I just like the idea for a story on its own. There's a lot of cool imagery of someone with the Windrunner vibe going crazy because he is failing to save the one person he truly loves even though she's still technically alive and not in direct physical danger.

The big problem I have trying to work this out is that a lot of the conflict would be structured by people basically trying to screw with each other's oaths while corrupting their own, and I did not get the "Ars Arcanum lore dump telling me what a bunch of the orders whole slate of ideals are" that I had hoped would be in this one.

If anyone has tried to speculate on this stuff, please let me see it. I never have correctly anticipated what an ideal would be before it was spelled out.

[Little_Dagger she/her]

Kaladin's farewell scenes with both Bridge 4 and then later with Adolin and Shallan were the first hints that Kal wouldn't be coming back any time soon, playing on my emotions at the time.

Also, Rlain's flashback of being chosen as a spy because everyone else was too useful and no one spoke out on his behalf was heart-wrenching.

[Ninth of the Night]

Quite a few fantastic moments, I'll just add a couple for now.

Hoid commanding the Dawnshards to stop with a simple "No" was incredibly awesome. I like the amount of cool-guy exposure he got in this book overall. His mastery over Investiture is fun to see, even in just little snippets.

Another small moment that I thought was great, in a humorous way, was Szeth chucking a spoon at his spren's head. Perfect comedic timing from someone so serious.

Edited April 3, 2025 by Ninth of the Night

[Lord Stormer]

I've finished the end just an hour ago. After reading previous replies I think my favorite scenes aren't the popular ones. I enjoy the Stormlight Archive until the end, but I've began to think that's ironic. I'm not so drawn to the action. All the way from The Way of Kings. I love revelations, anything that's emotional to a personal level, or a twist. I am pretty much excited when the next chapter is a Dalinar vision, or later Tanavast's recollections.

If I can give a chapter I like most, that's Two Women, Ch. 116. How Taravangian tears open Jasnah's contradictions... that twist has the same level of mastery Brandon wrote at the end of The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. I noted on my paperback that's "one of the best of all five books."

There's a general consensus that Adolin's arc in Azir is a favorite, but I don't get it other than how it ended. Do any of you think that battle scenes in Wind and Truth has become somewhat... dilute? Or that's me burned out?

Edited April 16, 2025 by Lord Stormer

[Through The Living Ash he/him]

I think my favorite scene had to be after Dalinar ascended to Honor. While the plot there isn't great, I think that Nohadon was pulled off perfectly and it is such a good injection of him into the story there. It was great to see how Dalinar was a god, but still pretty much reliant on Nohadon's advice and the down-to-earth feel of that section. The more I read that part, the better it gets. 

Edited April 29, 2025 by epl2

[Riino He/Him]

I honestly think that the best moment was by far Kaladin becoming part of the Oathpact, which works perfectly for him with his inherent brokenness fitting in with the other Heralds' pain, and also when he held all the pain that Ishar and overcame it.

On 4/17/2025 at 4:33 AM, Lord Stormer said:

love revelations, anything that's emotional to a personal level, or a twist.

Sorry, it's late, but would you agree this is a choice moment?

[Lord Stormer]

13 minutes ago, Riino said:

I honestly think that the best moment was by far Kaladin becoming part of the Oathpact, which works perfectly for him with his inherent brokenness fitting in with the other Heralds' pain, and also when he held all the pain that Ishar and overcame it.

Sorry, it's late, but would you agree this is a choice moment?

The way Wind and Truth (and that scene) was written diluted the emotion. It could have been greater. Kaladin did not show as much personal conflict in this book as for the first and second. He pretty much had the upper hand in handling Szeth and Nale, as if he understood the answers already. Maybe that's why.

Edited April 29, 2025 by Lord Stormer

[Riino He/Him]

7 hours ago, Lord Stormer said:

Kaladin did not show as much personal conflict in this book as for the first and second. He pretty much had the upper hand in handling Szeth and Nale, as if he understood the answers already.

But W&T wasn't so much about Kaladin growing. It was more about him teaching Szeth and Inner Reflections. The key point is how he continued to be strong (because he didn't really need to grow so much) instead of his 1 and 1/2 steps forward, 1 step backwards, previous arcs.

[boolamoo]

Top moment was easily Adolin reuniting with Sureblood's musicspren. 

[Riino He/Him]

10 hours ago, boolamoo said:

Top moment was easily Adolin reuniting with Sureblood's musicspren. 

A top moment, but I wouldn't say top. 

When Kal accepted his journey was the best moment.

But best POV was Adolin for sure

[Born of Mist He/Him]

Taln standing up in the hospital. It really pushes the "you just screwed up" vibe for the singers and it works so well.

[Hoid Slayer He/Him]

I finished the book yesterday, and personally, for me, the most emotional moments were, in no particular order:

- Kaladin dancing with Syl

- One of Szeth’s first flashbacks, when he kills the soldier who killed Molli

- Odium “destroying” Karbranth - didn’t like the retcon

- Jasnah’s debate with Odium. I know a lot of people are complaining about things Jasnah should’ve said, but I don’t think the heart of the scene was about who had the better arguments. It was about Odium breaking Jasnah

- Adolin’s “last stand” on the front lines as the enemy breaks out of the dome and takes Azimir

- Adolin realizing the difference between an oath and a promise / beating up Abidi

- Dalinar faces the Blackthorn in the Spiritual Realm

- All of Tanavast’s arc

- And, of course, Dalinar’s final gambit

[clowncarcrash]

I object to the use of the term retcon. I don't think it can be called a retcon if its published in the same book. Its just a reveal.

 

A lot of people got the moments I like. But the moment I got was that second scene of Taravangian staring into the night sky.

Like, I imagined the first scene of him doing that, is just you staring into an uncaring universe. but the second time? Where he feels them turn and look at him. I got chills.

 

Nightblood showing character development at the right moment was heartwarming.

 

"This time I wont let him go alone" got me to ugly cry. 

This is kinda metatextually, but going through the table of contents and seeing all the horrific epigraphs from WoK being names of chapters. More chills there. 

 

 

[earthexile]

Talenelat standing for the broken in the infirmary might be my favorite moment in the story so far.

There is such a superheroic, divine mystique around this guy and I love it. The man who would burn for four thousand years and be grateful that his friends believed he was the strongest. Full of joy for the accomplishment. Forgiveness for the betrayal because he didn't feel betrayed, he was put in a position to endure what his loved ones could not and he embraced it. He is so great and terrible and good that he makes all the other Heralds feel like slime.

And that's all before he stands up.

[Lighteyed Lieutenant he/him]

I get chills when Wit says goodbye to Kaladin. 

Spoiler

Quote

Wit bowed to him. "Thank you." "For what?" Kaladin asked. "For the inspiration," Wit said, straightening and looking to Kaladin, then to Syl, then smiling in a fond, yet somehow regretful way.

Kaladin felt a chill. "I'm...never going to see you again, am I, Wit?"

“No one knows the future, Kal," he replied. "Not even me. So instead of saying goodbye, let’s call this…an extended period of necessary separation, requisite to give me time to think of the most perfect, exquisite insult. If I never get to deliver it in person…well, kindly do me the favor of imagining how wonderful it was. All right?”

And because there is nothing new under the sun...

*Clears throat*

• The last stand in Azir
• Dalinar giving up the power of Honor
• Taln standing up
• Herald of second chances
• And this is small, but Syl becoming the monarch/queen of the Honorspren

Edited June 29, 2025 by Lighteyed Lieutenant
Spoiler Cover

[Riino He/Him]

WAT Spoiler

Spoiler

4 hours ago, Lighteyed Lieutenant said:

I get chills when Wit says goodbye to Kaladin. 

And because there is nothing new under the sun...

*Clears throat*

• The last stand in Azir
• Dalinar giving up the power of Honor
• Taln standing up
• Herald of second chances
• And this is small, but Syl becoming the monarch/queen of the Honorspren

 

Agree, but you should probably mark this as a spoiler.

[al_lan_mandragoran]

Definitely the moments where we learn about Nightblood's character.

Spoiler

Szeth using Nightblood in Shadesmar and seeing that the sword thinks it glows

Nightblood turning itself off

And yeah, Dalinar's final gambit is great. 

[TacoBellChoutaMeal]

I loved it when Dalinar stood up to the Blackthorn in that vision. Although he wasn't able to rewrite the past, I loved seeing how he stood up to that past version of himself even if it didn't matter. I feel like that time it was one of those "if only things had been different" scenes that allow the reader to have their cake and eat it too. 

I also really liked the call back to The Way of Kings where Dalinar trades Oathbringer for Bridge Four. IIRC, Taravangian asks Dalinar what the life of one man is worth and he replies with "nothing" but I can't find the exact quote. 

UPDATE: Got it!

Quote

"You realize I can now do with you what I will?" Taravangian said to him. "I could torture you for eternity, Dalinar. You really think your sacrifice was worth the cost?" Rippling through the soul of his rival, a question:

"What is my life worth?"

"Nothing anymore! Dalinar, you are nothing!" 

"If so, then I traded for everything. Taravangian, I call that a bargain." 

Punctuation might not be accurate, I copied this from the audiobook manually. 

Edited July 5, 2025 by TacoBellChoutaMeal
found the quote!

[Hoid Slayer He/Him]

On 7/4/2025 at 8:13 PM, TacoBellChoutaMeal said:

I loved it when Dalinar stood up to the Blackthorn in that vision. Although he wasn't able to rewrite the past, I loved seeing how he stood up to that past version of himself even if it didn't matter. I feel like that time it was one of those "if only things had been different" scenes that allow the reader to have their cake and eat it too. 

I also really liked the call back to The Way of Kings where Dalinar trades Oathbringer for Bridge Four. IIRC, Taravangian asks Dalinar what the life of one man is worth and he replies with "nothing" but I can't find the exact quote. 

UPDATE: Got it!

Punctuation might not be accurate, I copied this from the audiobook manually. 

YES

That was AWESOME

I got chills reading it again