A Reading Blog: The Way of Kings (Stormlight Archive #1) Parts Three - Five
Hi, friends! Welcome back to another reading blog of The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. First thing’s first, I have a confession to make: I overestimated myself. I do not, as it turns out, have the bandwidth to read these books and post updated reading blogs by parts for every book. So, I will not be moving forward with posts for future books in the same vein as I have been writing them. There were a few factors that played into this decision. First and foremost, it is just too much work. Taking notes and writing the posts was really cutting into my reading time. Not to mention, I flew through this first book, and I just wanted to keep reading versus stopping to write a post and then pick the book back up again. It was messing with my momentum. And finally, I felt like the posts were starting to sound repetitive. So, I scrapped the post I was writing for part three and decided to combine the last three parts together and turn it into a Top Five Moments write-up. It kind of feels like cheating but I think it will accomplish better what I am trying to do - which is ultimately, just discuss and analyze my favorite parts of these novels.
So moving forward, I will still make a post for each book, but it will likely just be one post per book talking about my favorite, and maybe even my least favorite moments in the books. I hope you continue to stick around! With that, let’s jump into my Top Five Favorite Moments from Part Three - Part Five from The Way of Kings (in order of appearance):
Warning: Spoilers from the point on!
1. Kaladin judged by the Stormfather: This moment really encompasses not only Kaladin living through the storm, but everything that precedes it with the Bridge Four crew saying their “farewells”. That scene was such a poignant moment. It makes such an impression because you can really see the impact that Kal has had on these men. As a reader of this scene, I was almost entirely certain that he was going to survive the storm, but I was still so emotional reading it because of the mental and physical turmoil that Kaladin has been through to land him on that roof. This dude can’t win for losing. It’s utterly depressing. But, nonetheless, he has managed to unite his crew and even though he doesn’t seem to appreciate this success for all his dwelling on his failures, he is successful in this one thing and its impact really shines here. And then my man Rock telling Kal that they will remember him and promising not to return to the ragged, hopeless crew that they were before.
In regards to the high storm itself, Sanderson really uses this opportunity to bring Kal face to face with the Stormfather. And finally, little Syl trying to protect Kaladin from the storm. We do not deserve her.
2. The bridgemen turning back to save Dalinar and his men: I mean, come on. Kal and crew making the decision to turn back and help Dalinar and his soldiers after Sadea’s betrayal was such an honorable, selfless thing to do. They totally had the perfect opportunity to ditch the war and their life in the camp and make for the hills. I’ll be honest, I can’t say I would have come to this same decision. Especially not after the way they have been treated. But, Kal is a better person than me and it makes for such a stellar scene. We get to see him put the First Ideal into action: Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey Before Destination. I love it also for the fact that it parallels the decision Kal’s father made when he saves Roshone. When Kal questions him about why he saved him, he says, “Somebody has to start. Somebody has to step forward and do what is right, because it is right. If nobody starts, then others cannot follow…” And then the best part of this scene is when the other bridgemen also know it is the right thing to do and turn around to help without any urging or convincing from Kaladin. Not only has he shaped these men into actual fighting soldiers who obey him unquestioningly as their leader, but they actually develop the same moral compass has Kal. He’s had an impact on their character that is undeniable.
3. Dalinar trading in Oathbringer for the bridgemen: We already knew Dalinar was an honorable guy, but even I didn’t think he would part with his precious Shardblade in exchange for Bridge Four plus all the bridgemen in the camp. I thought this bit was so well done - especially in how Dalinar handled Sadeas. He could have so easily (and justifiably) stormed back into camp and killed Sadeas for his treachery, but he let wisdom prevail and kept his wits about him. Instead, he used bargaining power to get what he wanted and to buy time for him deal with Sadeas at a future date for his betrayal. One of the best parts of this scene is when everyone thinks Dalinar has lost the negotiation for the bridgeman (Kal is even turning away), but then he summons his Shardblade and lodges it in the Justice glyph that Navani had drawn offers it as payment.
Afterward, we get this exchange between Dalinar and Kaladin that underscores what just occurred:
“What is a man’s life worth?” Dalinar asked softly.
“The slavemasters say one is worth about two emerald broams,” Kaladin said, frowning.
“And what do you say?”
“A life is priceless,” he said immediately, quoting his father.
Dalinar smiled, wrinkle lines extending from the corners of his eyes. “Coincidentally, that is the exact value of a Shardblade. So today, you and your men sacrificed to buy me twenty-six hundred priceless lives. And all I had to repay you with was a single priceless sword. I call that a bargain.”
“You really think it was a good trade, don’t you?” Kaladin said, amazed.
Dalinar smiled in a way that seemed strikingly paternal. “For my honor? Unquestionably.”
4. Dalinar attacking Elhokar to prove he doesn’t want him dead: Okay, this is the scene in the book that I was subconsciously hoping for. After Dalinar’s confrontation with Sadeas, he goes to Elhokar’s sitting room and out of nowhere, kicks him right in the chest. And I was like, “Yes, thank you. I am tired of this dude.” He then proceeds to beat on him some more, and then finally we get to the meat of this scene: we find out Elhokar cut his own saddle girth in an attempt to get Dalinar or Sadeas to investigate Elhokar’s other claims that someone was trying to kill him. After this revelation, Dalinar presses home the fact, that he is not Elhokar’s enemy - if he had wanted him dead, he could have killed him many times before, including in that moment.
Elhokar frowned. “So you’re not trying to kill me?”
Storms, no! I love you like a son, boy.”
Elhokar rubbed his chest. “You…have very odd paternal instincts.”
I hope this is the start of a new arc for our king of Alethkar. (much doubt)
5. The reveal that the Voidbringers are really the Parshendi/Parshmen: There were a lot of moments that I had forgotten from my first read through of this book, but this was the one reveal that I remembered and knew was coming. On a re-read, I really got to see the foreshadowing of this revelation. And Sanderson delivers it so dramatically, too. Even a second time, I was so tense reading the buildup to the end of the chapter:
“We didn’t destroy the Voidbringers…we enslaved them.”
And then when you realize that the Parshman are essentially ensconced in every part of the Alethi’s life and social structure - yikes. I hope these dudes don’t “wake up” or the Alethi are going to be in serious trouble. I can’t wait to see how this revelation plays out in the next book.
Bonus: Taln returning in the epilogue: Honestly, I wanted to throw the book when I read the very last page. Our missing Herald shows up, the one that was left to endure the cycle of post-Desolation torture by himself, and announces that a new Desolation has come. And then the book ends. Much anger. Sanderson better not let me down on this in Words of Radiance because I have been pissed off for this dude for 1,007 pages.
And that is it - thank you so much for reading this far! I will see you again when I finish WoR.
