The Stormlight Archive rated by Kaladin x Happiness
The Way of Kings: are you kidding me? a disgusting, DISGUSTING display of Kaladin x Happiness. this book is the reason why we NEED Kaladin x Happiness. if i have to give it a rating higher than 0, it gets a 1, and that is ONLY because Kaladin gets to close his eyes and smile for two seconds in the very last CHAPTER of the book (out of over 1,000 pages!!). 1/10. 0.5/10. an atrocity.
Words of Radiance: here, we see a lot of angry Kaladin. which is only fair. the guy’s been through a lot; he has every right to be bitter about it. cut him some slack, he’s learning. he’s out of bridge four, so he’s not facing death every day. unfortunately, light-eyed society makes Kaladin want to kill himself almost more than book 1 did. branderson!! let!!! him!!! sleep!!! he hasn’t closed his eyes since The Way of Kings ended, and it took him 1,000 pages to get him to that point! back to Kaladin Having a Shit Time, as Usual: Kaladin’s enemy has been embraced by his new-found ally, and dare I say dad hero? Dalinar isn’t great at decisions. I would also say he’s learning, but *looks at Oathbringer* he’s not. the ending is great for character development, but is it great for Kaladin x Happiness? let’s see: imprisonment? No. Syl almost dying, with it being Kaladin’s fault? N O. Kaladin getting his rib’s broken by a Certain Bitch? N O! However, the very, very end is good. Kaladin gets to save everybody, kill a bald bitch, learn some new lessons and some new vocab, sLEEP, AND SMILE? 2.5/10.
Oathbringer: I’m conflicted. What I have to say here is that Brandon Sanderson, though I love him, is mean. The beginning is great. Kaladin going home? getting his third hug in the entire series and aCTUAL COMFORT? Learning he has a brother? man. oh man. i tear up thinking about it. what a good boy. pUNCHED ROSHONE IN THE FACE AND BOSSED HIM AROUND (side note, but Kaladin giving out orders he isn’t supposed to is my FAVORITE). the beginning is the most beautiful display of Kaladin x Happiness we’ll ever see. then, Kaladin makes more friends! i didn’t touch on this much in Words of Radiance because let’s be real, Kaladin was not buddy buddy with Shallan and Adolin for a good while. he’s adjusted in this book. anyway, Kaladin’s meeting parshmen and getting their perspective, flying around with Syl and listening to her discover what sex is, flying the king and co. to kholinar, befriending lighteyes (he’s come so far), and . . . see, i remember reading this book. and i remember vividly thinking, ‘he’s realized he’s been so mean to Kaladin. he’s giving Kaladin a break.’ lITTLE DID I KNOW. LITTLE DID I FUCKING KNOW. tHAT “BREAK” WAS JUST BUILD-UP TO BREAK (get it, a break for a break) KALADIN FURTHER. i-- i-- am still. to this Day. Upset. how fucking dare you, brandon. i don’t even have to say what happened. we all know. the very end is good, Kaladin gets comfort by not having to save anyone (”Maybe it’s time for someone to save you” yOU BET YOUR ASS IT IS--), though his PTSD from watching his friends kill each other and Moash pull a Moash is pretty ignored. i don’t necessarily mean ignored as in ‘no one fucking noticed’ because adolin was supportive, there’s just no consolation. like, does the dude even get a hug from anyone but Syl? No. Kaladin x Happiness exists in this book: the beginning is sweet while the end’s bittersweet. Kaladin can close his eyes, Bitcharam’s dead (though the matter regarding Rock is another problem), Kaladin’s fully embraced Bridge Four, a certain Bald Bitch is Back (but we like him now). the problem is that Kaladin x Happiness in this book feels like a betrayal since we know it’s serving the purpose of leading towards breakage. However, with the resolution, and the fact that Kaladin x Happiness actually existed in this book (even though it was wickedly used as a plot device for the inevitable NOTP of Kaladin x Misery), I’m going to give this book a 4/10 in terms of Kaladin x Happiness, though it’s a tentative answer.
