Stormblessings

Spoiler Warning: This page contains plot details for The Way of Kings through Chapter 55. Read on only if you've reached this point in the book.

Summary

In a flashback to one year earlier, Kaladin serves in Highmarshal Amaram’s army. He bribes squadleader Gare to transfer a new recruit, Cenn, into his squad, seeing the boy as too inexperienced to survive otherwise. As the battle begins, Kaladin’s squad holds their position, but Cenn gets separated and wounded. Kaladin rushes to save him, defeating six enemy soldiers with uncanny skill. After binding Cenn’s wound, Kaladin leads a small force to assassinate an enemy lighteyed officer, hoping to earn a transfer to the safer Shattered Plains. They succeed, but suddenly a Shardbearer—a knight in golden armor wielding a massive Shardblade—rides through Amaram’s lines, slaughtering dozens, including Kaladin’s friend Dallet and the boy Cenn. Enraged and grief-stricken, Kaladin charges the Shardbearer. Despite his spear being useless against Shardplate, he manages to kill the Shardbearer by catching a falling spearhead and thrusting it through the visor slit. Amaram, pinned under his dead horse, witnesses the feat. Kaladin is offered the Shardblade but refuses, sickened by the weapon that murdered his men and by the lighteyed society it represents. He gives the Blade to his squadmate Coreb and walks away alone, emotionally devastated.

Key Events

  • Kaladin bribes Gare to transfer Cenn into his squad.
  • The battle begins; Kaladin saves Cenn from enemy soldiers.
  • Kaladin’s squad kills an enemy lighteyed battalionlord.
  • A Shardbearer attacks, killing many of Kaladin’s men.
  • Kaladin confronts the Shardbearer and kills him using a broken spearhead.
  • Kaladin refuses the Shardblade and gives it to Coreb.
  • Kaladin walks away from the battlefield in grief and exhaustion.

Character Development

  • Kaladin: Demonstrates exceptional protective instincts and leadership, but also deep-seated hatred for lighteyes (except Amaram). His decision to refuse the Shardblade shows his rejection of becoming like the oppressors and his guilt over Tien’s death. His emotional turmoil is highlighted by his tears and isolation at the end.
  • Dallet and the Squad: Loyal soldiers who follow Kaladin’s commands, even risky ones. Their deaths reinforce Kaladin’s trauma and his feeling of responsibility.
  • Amaram: Appears honorable but is shown as helpless during the Shardbearer’s attack. His later betrayal (taking the Blade) is foreshadowed by Kaladin’s trust in him.
  • Cenn: A naive recruit who resembles Tien, triggering Kaladin’s memories and survivor’s guilt.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Lighteyes vs. Darkeyes: The chapter underscores the systemic oppression, as lighteyed officers treat darkeyed soldiers as expendable, while a Shardbearer slaughters them with impunity.
  • The Corrupting Power of Shards: The Shardblade symbolizes lighteyed tyranny and is stained with the blood of Kaladin’s friends, making it repulsive to him.
  • Grief and Survivor’s Guilt: Kaladin is haunted by Tien’s death and now by the loss of his squad, believing he failed them.
  • The Wind and Windspren: A windspren appears playfully earlier, and a breeze envelops Kaladin during his fight, possibly hinting at his latent Radiant powers.
  • The Rock: Kaladin’s pocketed rock from home (mentioned briefly) ties to his memories of Tien and his lost innocence.

Why This Chapter Matters

This flashback is the cornerstone of Kaladin’s backstory, explaining his deep hatred of lighteyes and his current shattered state. His refusal of the Shardblade sets in motion Amaram’s betrayal—Amaram later takes the Blade, kills Coreb, and brands Kaladin a slave to hide the truth. It reveals why Kaladin sees himself as cursed and why he struggles with hope. The chapter also subtly hints at Kaladin’s emerging powers (the wind, his supernatural combat abilities), linking past and present.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Kaladin refuse the Shardblade?
    Kaladin sees the Blade as a symbol of lighteyed oppression and the weapon that murdered his friends. Touching it would make him one of them, and he is sickened by its association with senseless slaughter. His guilt over Tien and his men also makes him feel unworthy of such power.

  2. How does this chapter illustrate Kaladin’s leadership style?
    Kaladin leads by example and prioritizes his men’s safety over victory. He bribes to protect Cenn, personally rescues him, and risks his life to avenge his squad. Despite his recklessness, his men trust and follow him, showing his ability to inspire loyalty.

  3. What role does the Shardbearer play in Kaladin’s character arc?
    The Shardbearer represents the ultimate lighteyed enemy, killing with impunity. Kaladin’s victory over him proves his exceptional skill, but his refusal of the prize underscores his rejection of that brutal world, setting up his later enslavement and his eventual path to becoming a Radiant.

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