Best scenes in the Stormlight Archives

[Borio Singaldi]

My #1 favorite quote is from Dalinar in WoR when talking to Kaladin and Amaram, and he says that an apology is in order because of the conflicting stories of both men. We think he still believes Amaram and when Kaladin steps forward to make a false apology, he says:

"Not you, son."

To me, there was just so much power and epicness in those three words. In that small sentence, in that one moment, we realized that Dalinar was honorable enough to trust the word of a darkeyes over that of a close friend, we realized that he actually knew Amaram for the pile of moldy crem he really was when we thought only Kaladin knew, and one of the most infuriating subplots of the series (at least, to me) was finally resolved all at once. That one line was so epic, I literally exclaimed "OOOOOOOOAH!!!" in excitement while reading. I imagined Dalinar slipping on a pair of shades when saying that, because of how much he WRECKED Amaram with those three words. Sorry for the excited word vomit, but... ugh, it was just such a fantastic and well-placed line.

[maxal]

19 minutes ago, Firerust said:

"Not you, son."

Ah... I find this particular scene bittersweet. It is sweet because Kaladin is finally getting a fair treatment for the horrors he had to endure for Amaram's shake. It is bitter because my gut feeling is Dalinar is progressively replacing Adolin with Kaladin, the "son" he always wanted, but never got.

It was a very good scene.

[Zea mays]

I don't think he will "replace" Adolin with Kal in thinking of him and loving  him as his son, but he may find him a more suitable 'heir' or 'continuer' for his work. This may free him to see and value Adolin more for his different qualities. Wishful thinking, me? nevah.

[maxal]

16 minutes ago, Zea mays said:

I don't think he will "replace" Adolin with Kal in thinking of him and loving  him as his son, but he may find him a more suitable 'heir' or 'continuer' for his work. This may free him to see and value Adolin more for his different qualities. Wishful thinking, me? nevah.

As I said, it is a "gut feeling", hence worth what it is worth  My thoughts are Dalinar's love is conditional or has been conditional when it came to Adolin: he has so many expectations for him, he seemed having a hard time just loving him as a father would or as he spontaneously loves Renarin, Elhokar and well Kaladin later on. I also find it intrinsically fascinating Adolin's most defining moments are when he goes against those expectations. Thus, of all people, Adolin is the one Dalinar comes down the hardest on (for various reasons both good and bad), but I was always sadden to see him automatically warm up to Kaladin, listening to him when he won't hear out what his own son has to say.

So huh, my "gut feeling" does tell me Dalinar will find Kaladin more suitable for a great many tasks, especially that of being his "heir" even if he can't technically be his "heir". I however do not see it evolving in Dalinar appraising Adolin's other qualities... I am not sure what it will take for Dalinar to develop a more balanced relationship with his elder, but yeah, each time he calls Kaladin "son", each time he puts his cloak on Kaladin, it leaves a bittersweet taste in my mouth, but it is a good bittersweet because it opens door to great inter-character conflict.

[+Wax]

Good pick up.  Before that, it was "soldier" only to Kaladin

[Mestiv]

For me, the best scene is Dalinar facing Sadeas at the end of WoK and trading his shardblade for the bridgemen. It was sooo satisfying. Plus the larger conversion about how much a life is worth with Kaladin. Just amazing. 

[StrikerEZ]

I think a really powerful scene for me was I think the last flashback in TWoK, where we finally see how Tien died. I'd been expecting it the entire book, yet I still cried a little. I had to set the book down and compose myself after reading that sentence where we truly saw that he was dead. It reminded me too much of my little brother, and how I couldn't imagine life without him. That definitely was a very powerful moment for me.

Another really cool one was pretty much everything with Kaladin saying his Third Ideal, and then summoning his Shardblade (Sylblade?) was absolutely epic. Only the scene where he fought Szeth managed to top it. That fight scene was the best fighte scene I've ever read in a book, hands down.

Also, I really liked when Teft (I think) said "I ain't grouchy, I just a have a low threshold for stupidity."

 

[Mestiv]

45 minutes ago, StrikerEZ said:

Another really cool one was pretty much everything with Kaladin saying his Third Ideal, and then summoning his Shardblade (Sylblade?) was absolutely epic. Only the scene where he fought Szeth managed to top it. That fight scene was the best fighte scene I've ever read in a book, hands down.

I loved that scene too, however after reading it a couple of times, it seems a little overdone to me. It would be prefect if Kaladin didn't say "Knights Radiant have returned"

which fight are you referring to? Over the plains or during the first assassination attempt on Dalinar? 

[StrikerEZ]

4 hours ago, Mestiv said:

I loved that scene too, however after reading it a couple of times, it seems a little overdone to me. It would be prefect if Kaladin didn't say "Knights Radiant have returned"

which fight are you referring to? Over the plains or during the first assassination attempt on Dalinar? 

Oh, I meant the one over the plains.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Mestiv said:

It would be prefect if Kaladin didn't say "Knights Radiant have returned"

Oh, so true.

I thought, that sentence made it unnecessarily edgy, but it's a nitpick. The scene itself is awesome.

[gbazz4]

On 5/28/2017 at 6:38 PM, maxal said:

So huh, my "gut feeling" does tell me Dalinar will find Kaladin more suitable for a great many tasks, especially that of being his "heir" even if he can't technically be his "heir". I however do not see it evolving in Dalinar appraising Adolin's other qualities... I am not sure what it will take for Dalinar to develop a more balanced relationship with his elder, but yeah, each time he calls Kaladin "son", each time he puts his cloak on Kaladin, it leaves a bittersweet taste in my mouth, but it is a good bittersweet because it opens door to great inter-character conflict.

Interesting thought. I never looked at his use of the word "son" as anything other than an older man addressing a younger man by calling him son. My thought is that is what he was doing and isn't intending in any way to replace Adolin with Kaladin.

I think he will find Kaladin is capable for a lot of tasks because he is a smart, capable person. It has been a while since i have read any of the books, but i never got the impression that his feelings for Kaladin would lead in the direction of thinking of him as his "heir." It seemed like he thought highly of him for being able to inspire the bridgemen and get them to follow him and have discipline. So those would be natural qualities in a person he wanted under his command. I always got the impression that he loved Adolin, but put a lot of expectations on him because he wanted him to be a better man than him and be a better High Prince when the time came to take over for him. I feel like i read some passages, maybe in WoK, where he starts giving Adolin more responsibility because he knows he is capable of running the army and was proud of how well he was doing that (might not be remembering that right). 

You could be right about all of this because I know you are very versed in the Adolin/Dalinar area of the books and often have way more insight than i do. It would shock me a bit if it happened, but if it did I would tip my cap to you for your powers of premonition.  

[maxal]

3 hours ago, gbazz4 said:

Interesting thought. I never looked at his use of the word "son" as anything other than an older man addressing a younger man by calling him son. My thought is that is what he was doing and isn't intending in any way to replace Adolin with Kaladin.

I think he will find Kaladin is capable for a lot of tasks because he is a smart, capable person. It has been a while since i have read any of the books, but i never got the impression that his feelings for Kaladin would lead in the direction of thinking of him as his "heir." It seemed like he thought highly of him for being able to inspire the bridgemen and get them to follow him and have discipline. So those would be natural qualities in a person he wanted under his command. I always got the impression that he loved Adolin, but put a lot of expectations on him because he wanted him to be a better man than him and be a better High Prince when the time came to take over for him. I feel like i read some passages, maybe in WoK, where he starts giving Adolin more responsibility because he knows he is capable of running the army and was proud of how well he was doing that (might not be remembering that right). 

You could be right about all of this because I know you are very versed in the Adolin/Dalinar area of the books and often have way more insight than i do. It would shock me a bit if it happened, but if it did I would tip my cap to you for your powers of premonition.  

Oh I have no idea if I am right or not  I am just musing on how I think those relationships might evolve. 

I do however think Dalinar giving Kaladin his cloak, calling him son is noteworthy just as I took note how Dalinar, during the pre-Eshonai meeting discussion, wouldn't listen to Adolin's advise and only caved in when Kaladin backed him up. My thoughts are Dalinar is a hard man to impress and to do so, one needs to perform an extraordinarily feat, something which Kaladin did, but not Adolin. Adolin, despite everything he has done, has never impressed his father. There is just something I keep feeling is waiting to blow up in between Dalinar and Adolin, that and the fact a lot of people within the fandom are referring to Kaladin as "Dalinar's third son". 

This being said, I don't think Dalinar will realistically replace Adolin by Kaladin, but I do think he will treat him more and more as a son, less as a soldier and, well, this may not go unnoticed by Adolin. People have argued Adolin would feel jealous towards his family, friends and fiance developing super-powers and not him, but Adolin isn't envious of skills nor strength. None of it is within his character's motivations, what he does want is love, to love and be loved. We do have knowledge Adolin grew up jealous of Renarin (and not the other way around as most would have thought) because his younger brother had more parental attention then he did, hence if it plays out as I think it might, then Adolin might grow jealous of Kaladin as his father gives him more and more attention. Or maybe it will play around Elhokar, with Dalinar forgiving him his every whims, but not being willing to do the same for his own son.

I do think Dalinar loves Adolin, deeply, but this love is so entangled within expectations, needs and past scars, it may come a time where it will be challenged.

[Momodormu]

I loved so many scenes in both books, but this is the one that made me laugh the most...

The end of WoR when Navani asks Kaladin where Elhokar was after the assassination attempt. She said they had people search for him everywhere but couldn't find him, and then it goes straight to the scene with Lopen's mother yelling at Elhokar to eat his food. 

 

"Where?" Navani demanded. "We've had our people in the warcamps search monasteries, mansions, the barracks..."

"Those places were too obvious," Kaladin said. "If you could think to look there, so might the assassins. I needed someplace nobody would think of."

"Where then?" Dalinar asked.

Kaladin smiled.

----------

The Lopen made a fist with his hand, clutching the sphere inside. In the next room over, his mother scolded a king.

[iamstick]

On 5/22/2017 at 7:27 PM, Kered said:

Yeah, i was trying to find a quote from Edgedancer with Lift, then I realized that it wouldn't be feasible to type the every scene with her in it. 

My favorite is "Nobody passing on the street noticed. They’d cuff an urchin for scratching her butt in a suspicious manner, but couldn’t be bothered with a miracle."

(Runner up is "Anytime you can make someone else feel something, you’ve got power over them.")

[djammmer]

On May 28, 2017 at 4:11 PM, Firerust said:

My #1 favorite quote is from Dalinar in WoR when talking to Kaladin and Amaram, and he says that an apology is in order because of the conflicting stories of both men. We think he still believes Amaram and when Kaladin steps forward to make a false apology, he says:

"Not you, son."

To me, there was just so much power and epicness in those three words. In that small sentence, in that one moment, we realized that Dalinar was honorable enough to trust the word of a darkeyes over that of a close friend, we realized that he actually knew Amaram for the pile of moldy crem he really was when we thought only Kaladin knew, and one of the most infuriating subplots of the series (at least, to me) was finally resolved all at once. That one line was so epic, I literally exclaimed "OOOOOOOOAH!!!" in excitement while reading. I imagined Dalinar slipping on a pair of shades when saying that, because of how much he WRECKED Amaram with those three words. Sorry for the excited word vomit, but... ugh, it was just such a fantastic and well-placed line.

Yes!

Dallinar can be powerful with so few words.  Can't wait to see the connecting evolution between flashbacks in oathbringer to the wise general/King he is becoming.

[Nathrangking]

My favorite is Hoid's epilogue scene in WoR! It is one the funniest scenes in any book I have ever read. In second place is the exchange between Kaladin and Hoid where Kaladin says...

Spoiler

something to the effect of find someone your own age and Hoid comments that there is only one women like that around and she does not really like him.

that is a scene with implications that are not necessarily immediately understood which is the brilliance of that sequence.

[Necessary Eagle]

I'll be the umpteenth person to say: the whole sequence of Kaladin swearing his third Oath. I keep coming back to read that scene, over and over again.

"Stretch forth thy hand..."

[Nathrangking]

My second favorite is Kaladin's oath as he charges into battle and saves Dalinar and company.

[Secret Ardent Man]

The Lopen. Any one-armed Herdazian jokes. They're armless little jokes, but I love them. 

[+Wax]

On 31/07/2017 at 7:23 AM, Necessary Eagle said:

I'll be the umpteenth person to say: the whole sequence of Kaladin swearing his third Oath. I keep coming back to read that scene, over and over again.

"Stretch forth thy hand..."

That was the most cliche scene of the entire book.  "Thy hand"...?  Talk about going OTT biblical!  Made me remember my wife asking for a hand in changing the kids' nappies.

I think Shallan had the best scenes - stick,  final encounter with Tyn, Vatha, Boots, Chasm chat with Kaladin, final scene with her father, final scene with her mother.  Truly was her book.

 

 

Edited August 8, 2017 by axcellence

[aemetha]

36 minutes ago, axcellence said:

That was the most cliche scene of the entire book.  "Thy hand"...?  Talk about going OTT biblical!  Made me remember my wife asking for a hand in changing the kids' nappies.

It was only cliche because Syl likes cliche, and liking cliche is most certainly not cliche ;).

 

This is most certainly my favourite scene so far...

Quote

“You realize that I didn’t choose you,” he said, a face appearing in the vines as they moved. His speaking left a strange effect, the trail behind him clotted with a sequence of frozen faces. The mouth seemed to move because it was growing so quickly beside her. “I wanted to pick a distinguished Iriali matron. A grandmother, an accomplished gardener. But no, the Ring said we should choose you. ‘She has visited the Old Magic,’ they said. ‘Our mother has blessed her,’ they said. ‘She will be young, and we can mold her,’ they said. Well they don’t have to put up with—”

“Shut it, Voidbringer,” Lift hissed, drawing up beside the wall of the palace. “Or I’ll bathe in blessed water and go listen to the priests. Maybe get an exorcism.”

 

[Nathrangking]

In third place Shallan and stick.

[Toaster Retribution]

Axies entire Interlude.

[Nathrangking]

Then of course there is the shallan kaladin boot scene which is comedy gold.

[Everstorm Entropy]

There are so many.  During my re-read of WoK and WoR, I was excited to revisit some of my favorite scenes.  But I was also surprised that I found new scenes that I ended up loving just as much as my favorites, if not more, because of the subtleties that I didn't notice the first time.

1. Szeth's assassination of King Gavilar.  This whole scene serves as an introduction to quite a lot; Shardblades, shardplate, surgebinding, stormlight, lashings.  Brandon manages to make these concepts clear to the reader flawlessly during a series of action sequences.  Absolutely love it.
2. Dalinar catching the Chasmfiend's claw to save Elhokar.  At this point in time, we barely know Dalinar, but that moment says so much about his character. We hear the others, even his own son, talking about how Dalinar has lost his edge, is growing old, and how they fear he's losing his mind.  What makes Dalinar an amazing character is that his actions always speak louder than words.
3. Kaladin in the high storm.  The scene leading up to it when the other bridgemen come to say their goodbyes, Kaladin assuring them that his eyes will open, Syl trying to protect Kaladin during the storm, and of course, Kaladin surviving.
4. Dalinar using his Shardblade and Shardplate to help dig trenches, simultaneously wondering why they only use shards for war, when they have so much other use.
5. Bridge 4 buying Rock a razor as a thanks for the stew.  
6. Kaladin saving Dalinar's army at the Tower.  Kaladin speaking the first ideal.
7. Dalinar trading his Shardblade to Sadeas for the bridgemen and having the conversation with Kaladin about the value of a life
8. Dalinar using the Last Clap during Szeth's assassination.
9. Introduction of Zahel and him sparring with Kaladin.
10. Shallan meeting the Ghostbloods and Mraize.  Her then infiltrating Amaram's palace and finding out he had her brother's Shardblade.
11. Adolin and Kaladin against four Shardbearers in the arena.  Kaladin performing the Last Clap.
12. Shallan and Kaladin trapped in the chasms.  The whole scene is just great.  I also love Dalinar's reaction to Kaladin surviving.
13. Dalinar calling out Amaram in front of Kaladin, finally giving a tiny bit of closure to Kaladin's past.
14. Taravangian's Interlude where we learn about his shifting intelligence and the Diagram.
15. Kaladin deciding to defend Elhokar; Moash's betrayal and decision to kill Kaladin.  And of course, Kaladin speaking the 2nd ideal and basically going super saiyan in the hallway.
16. Dalinar fighting Szeth and accepting that he couldn't have saved Gavilar, even if he was sober that night.  Also accepting his death during his fight with Szeth.
17. Kaladin saving Dalinar and fighting Szeth in the high storm.
18. Shallan finding the Oathgate and figuring out how to open it.
19. Dalinar bonding with the Stormfather and becoming a radiant.
20. Jasnah and Hoid becoming traveling buddies.