Frustration reads Wind and Truth part 2: A flawed masterpiece, and a disturbing trend

[QuantumAce]

On 12/29/2025 at 5:36 PM, Frustration said:

And that's why there's a problem.

5,000 pages of build-up, the entire structure of WaT being forced into a 10 day format and all that for Brandon to pick up the table and throw it out the window.

So either you have to see the entire rest of the series as the characters uselessly hunting after something that doesn't work, or you have to say that the contest was a massive let down and it didn't live up to what came before it.

The contest did not go as planned, but that doesn't mean it was pointless or just "tossed out a window". The 10 day format still served the same function: the characters were working toward a major shift in power at the end of 10 days as a result of the contest. There was in fact, a major shift in power at the end of 10 days as a result of the contest. There was no action packed fight scene, but the result of the contest was actually more dramatic than expected. Removing all previous restrictions and limitations didn't lower the stakes, it increased them exponentially. 

[RedBlue]

I don’t know if this is a controversial opinion, but I loved the final Dalinar vs Taravangian confrontation. I thought it was a great capstone to Dalinar’s arc and a strong showcase of Taravangian’s cruelty, spite and dangerousness.

There were plenty of good fights elsewhere in the book, so I don’t feel that another physical confrontation would add much of value, particularly not between these two characters.