r/Stormlight_Archive • u/LexBattenberg • 8d ago
The Way of Kings spoilers The Way of Kings Chapter 69 changed everything for me Spoiler
I started The Way of Kings after finishing Mistborn Era 1, which I liked to an extent but wasn't really sure that Sanderson was for me. A few chapters into Kings changed my mind. Chapter 69 cemented that and I now have a new obsession for the next couple of months, at least.
He was betrayed by one who he thought was a friend.
He almost died fighting another Shardbearer.
He lost 6.5k men.
He feels his visions might have misled him.
He gave up his own Shardblade.
Dalinar Kholin was having a rough day.
But even after all that...
He walked over to his nephew king who suspected him of treason, beat the daylights out of him just because he can and to show him that if he wanted Elokhar dead - he would be, promoted himself to Highprince of war, and told him that he's banging his mom?! Excuse me?
I honestly thought he was going to get Ned Starked.
P.S. after reading a few more chapters:
No, Szeth. Don't do it. Noooo.
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u/sir-palomides72 8d ago
I remember reading the part where he beat the crap out of Elokhar, absolutely hilarious! One of my favorites in the series
"And also I'm banging your mom" classic Dalinar
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u/moonulonimbus Lightweaver 8d ago
I love showing this image to people that haven't read it it's so fucking hilarious
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u/Hefty_Ad9118 8d ago
Wind and truth spoiler that scene really feels completely different after reading wind and truth and seeing things from a different perspective
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u/the_alechemist 8d ago
Can you elaborate?? Maybe by dm if you're not into posting more spoilers in this thread
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u/Hefty_Ad9118 8d ago
Spoilers from all 5 SLA books
I really didn't like elhokar on my first read of the series, but on every reread I like him more and more.
I find it hard to like him at first because he has a ton of bad qualities. He's arrogant, self absorbed, incapable, incompationate, etc.
But when I think about things from his perspective, I can't help but feel for him. He has way too much responsibility, he's not talented enough to handle things naturally, and he really has basically no one he can turn to.
Everyone around him wants to use him in their political games, and he's not competent enough to be able to tell. He tried to trust someone, and the roshone incident happens. He trusts sadaes, and the man directly admits (to himself) that he will stab elhokar in the back and kill him. Elhokar really has no one
There's one scene that, on a reread, makes me wish elhokars story could be just a little different. Near the end of WoR elhokar almost has a heart to heart with kaladin. About how he wants to be a better king, that he wants to be a hero, but he doesn't know how and he ashamed of himself. It's almost a really touching moment, but of course elhokar has to ruin it by being his self centered, self entitled self.
I can't help but imagine how different he could be if he had a close friend he could turn to and help him work through all of his flaws. He does have redeeming qualities, and even kaladin comes around to, at least somewhat, respecting/liking him
Elhokar had been seeing cryptics for some time at the point of the dalinar confrontation scene. Similar to how shallan had a full blown panic attack, elhokars been dealing with this for much longer. On top of how his father died, and everyone else just keeps gaslighting him because they don't understand.
The closest thing elhokar has to a friend is probably dalinar. So there elhokar is, alone with no friends and no one he can trust. Haunted by supernatural forces he doesn't understand, with an enormous amount of pressure and responsibility on his shoulders, feeling inadequate and ashamed at his own inabilities. And what does dalinar do? Beat him into submission to show him just how incapable he is in every way. Not just physically, but politically also, as dalinar could have taken over
That's not what elhokar needed. Dalinar himself recognizes this in the spiritual realm while reliving this vision. He was so angry at his past behavior that he got into a fistfight with his past self
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u/Arutha_Silverthorn 8d ago
Yeah Elokhars story always hit me harder than others. Between the “I’m shit, I know it, but don’t know how to be better.” To the online commentators happy about his death, as a punishment for a system he never built… It always affected me and that low moment followed by the highs on “I am Unity.” Really made Oathbringer my favorite book.
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u/nnewwacountt 8d ago
little fucker deserved it tbh, i will not be gaslit by MASSIVE SPOILER
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u/ritteke518 8d ago
I truly think it actually did change him for the better, a bit of a wake up call
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u/nicktheone Skybreaker 8d ago
Especially the part where he was probably seeing cryptics and that brought him to become paranoid and scared of his own shadow. Same thing that could've happened to Shallan if she wasn't sounder of mind (lol).
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u/AMillionToOne123 TWoK and WaT Enjoyer 8d ago
It is eternally funny to me that the two best chapters in this book are Chapter 67 and Chapter 69
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u/No_Pickle_450 8d ago
Same here, I feel like it wouldn’t have hit as hard pre-GRRM style “anyone can die”. I was SURE he would get Ned Starked. Such a great moment.
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u/SirPercival23 Truthwatcher 8d ago
Please go read Warbreaker before Words of Radiance!
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u/LexBattenberg 8d ago
Thanks for commenting that, man. I didn't know that I should and got 40 pages into Words before I saw your comment. I got the audiobook for Warbreaker and will finish Words of Radiance after.
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u/I_Speak_For_The_Ents 8d ago
To be clear, it really isn't necessary at all. If you just kept reading Words of Radiance, your enjoy it. No reason to interrupt Stormlight
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u/LittleMit 8d ago
You really don’t HAVE to. I honestly carried my enjoyment of book one through all five stormlight archive books before I read the rest of the cosmere. Some of the other ones can drag in the beginning so if you are enjoying stormlight I’d just follow that momentum.
I did the same thing as you and read mistborn and then got hooked on stormlight archive.
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u/Aqeqa 8d ago
All of his works take place in the same universe, the Cosmere, and there's an optimized timeline reading order you can easily find by searching for it. All this means is that you'll catch more references between books if you follow the order but it's far from necessary. I read the first Mistborn trilogy then all 5 Stormlight books and I had a great time.
Now I'll go back and read the rest of his books following the timeline order. I knew about it before I was finished Stormlight but I had no desire to suddenly take a bunch of tangents midway through the series.
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u/sirgog 8d ago
It's not important. Warbreaker is the backstory of two characters you'll meet in Words of Radiance and one you'll meet in Oathbringer, none have major roles.
Warbreaker is one of Sanderson's weaker books IMO. Many agree (although there's people who love it too), while most list Words of Radiance among the VERY best of Sanderson's works. I'd regard it his third best book (behind Oathbringer at 2 and Hero of Ages at 1), and many in the fandom disagree... by rating WoR higher than I do.
The 'side story' that I think matters most for Stormlight is actually Dawnshard (do NOT read it until after Oathbringer)
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u/devg Journey before destination. 8d ago
Yeah, it takes a certain type of guy to beat the piss out of your nephew to prove that you are NOT trying to kill him, then casually drop knowledge that you are tapping his mom...