Last updated on 23 July 2024 at 07:24 pm
My collection of posts celebrating the language of The Wheel of Time concludes with a look at the best quotes from A Memory of Light, the last book in the series. The denouement is worth all the reading hours you’ve invested so far, and its moving parts deliver once again. A Memory of Light is emotionally charged throughout, so you can expect words on the page that linger in the heart long after the book is read and closed.
Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, and Nynaeve earned their brave stands at the Last Battle. Many other vibrant characters have survived to confront the Shadow, too. It makes for delightful reading, and I’ll share the dialogue, thoughts, and prose that get them and us over the finish line. I recommend you finish the series before reading this article, as I will spoil the last sentence of The Wheel of Time and a couple of big moments from Tarmon Gai’don. You’ll find out who said what and when in A Memory of Light, and there’s a brief, spoiler-lite commentary to accompany each quote.
Best Quotes from A Memory of Light
Whether in loss, love, or loathing, The Wheel of Time’s lead characters communicate their feelings with artful language. Whether through heroism or hedonism, defeat or victory, Brandon Sanderson delivers larger-than-life moments brilliantly as he completes Robert Jordan’s fantasy saga.
Brandon Sanderson conjures up the best of epic fantasy in climactic moments that make you weep, scream, and drool. We have quotes from the al’Thors and Mat Cauthon, of course, as well as the typically inspiring words of Lan Mandragoran. The supporting characters are not forgotten, with Logain Ablar and Lord Agelmar Jagad amongst those cited.
We mustn’t forget the authors, either. The prose in these books is delivered succulently by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. From the iconic opening paragraph to the final lines of The Wheel of Time, the penmanship is terrific. You’ll find samples of that excellence herein as we enjoy some of the epic quotes from A Memory of Light:
al’Thor Quotes from A Memory of Light
Every scene Rand and Tam al’Thor share touches the heart and this exchange in the final book is one to savor. It’s also quite the metaphor, so kudos to the author!
“It’s been quite a weight, hasn’t it?” Tam asks Rand, knowing how heavy duty has pressed on his adopted son. “What weight?” Rand replies before Tam answers, “That lost hand you’ve been carrying.” Rand looks down at his stump and responds, “Yes. I believe it has been at that.”
In his confrontation with the Dark One, Rand al’Thor tries to make sense of everything and thwart the Shadow’s petrification of his soul. The sheepherder, now Dragon Reborn, is defiant. “It was not about me. It’s never been about me,” he challenges as the darkness trembles.
Lan Mandragoran Quotes from A Memory of Light
Tam seeks the Void in battle, stabbing the neck of a Trolloc before finding a brief respite from fighting. Lan approaches riding his war horse and praises Tam with typical gravitas. “I had long wondered,” Lan says. “About the man who had given Rand that heron-marked blade. I wondered if he had truly earned it. Now I know.”
Demandred, the Forsaken, has terrorized the battlefield and easily defeated his challengers. The Dreadlord hasn’t reckoned on Lan Mandragoran’s fury, though, or the Warder’s preparedness to use Sheathing the Sword in their fight. “I did not come here to win,” Lan says. “I came here to kill you.”
Mat Cauthon Quotes from A Memory of Light
Mat has just saved Tuon from a gray man, and though her greeting isn’t full of gratitude or passion, Mat recognizes the connection between them. He says, “When you saw me with a dagger in hand – as if to throw at you – you didn’t call for your guards. You didn’t fear I was here to kill you. You looked over your shoulder to see what I was aiming at. That’s the most loving gesture I think a man could receive from a woman.”
Davram Bashere is with his wife when they come across Mat. Bashere is still rattled that his mind was compromised by the enemy but still wants to kill some Trollocs. He asks after Mat’s continued survival. “Yes, I’m alive,” Mat says before referencing a moment in The Fires of Heaven that I won’t spoil here. “I’m usually pretty good at staying alive. I’ve only failed one time that I can remember, and it hardly counts.”
More Epic Quotes from A Memory of Light
“Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain” is a perennial favorite quote from The Wheel of Time, dating back to the second book. At this moment, Lord Agelmar dares to call Lan Mandragoran selfish, saying the Warder is here to throw his life away for Malkier. “Duty is heavier than a mountain, Dai Shan,” Agelmar feels compelled to remind the uncrowned king.
Logain’s character arc comes to a satisfying confusion in this late scene from the book. He is stunned to find common folk in awe of him, thanking the Asha’man for saving them. Logain returns a toddler to its mother, having rescued it from ruins. He recognizes the change and hears himself say, “The Black Tower protects. Always.”
The final sentences of The Wheel of Time are just what we wanted. It’s a homage to the opening paragraph and nostalgic by this point. The Great Pattern will continue to be woven, and the Wheel will keep willing as the Wheel wills. No, those aren’t the lines. Brandon Sanderson ends the book with these memorable words: “There are no endings, and never will be endings, to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was an ending.”
One could argue that the final words from The Wheel of Time come from Loial’s book, The Dragon Reborn, as they are quoted after the epilogue. The sentence is equally poignant. Loial’s text reads: “He came like the wind, like the wind touched everything, and like the wind was gone.”
Now is the time for another re-read, if only to pick out the epic lines I’ve not included yet. Help me build this post by sharing your favorite quotes from A Memory of Light, and I’ll add them here. There were many heroes at the Last Battle, so use the comments section below to shout out the dialogue of the ones I’ve missed.
Where Does the Wind Rise in A Memory of Light?
The saga ends as it began, and the Wheel still turns. The epic opening paragraph begins Chapter 1 as it has always done, and the wind rises in the Mountains of Mist as it has done before. Let’s recap on where the wind rises in each of The Wheel of Time books:
The Eye of the World: In the Mountains of Mist.
The Great Hunt: In the Mountains of Dhoom.
The Dragon Reborn: In the Mountains of Mist.
The Shadow Rising: On the great plain called the Caralain Grass.
The Fires of Heaven: In the great forest called Braem Wood.
Lord of Chaos: Among the brown-thicketed hills in Cairhien.
A Crown of Swords: In the great forest called Braem Wood.
The Path of Daggers: Above the mountainous island of Tremalking.
Winter’s Heart: Above the Aryth Ocean.
Crossroads of Twilight: In the Rhannon Hills.
Knife of Dreams: Above the broken mountain named Dragonmount.
The Gathering Storm: Around the alabaster spire known as the White Tower.
Towers of Midnight: Above the misty peaks of Imfaral.
A Memory of Light: In the Mountains of Mist.
The wind has been on a journey, and so have we as readers. Our memories of the books mustn’t be allowed to fade or, worse, be lost to memory. So, in this Age, don’t wait too long before you start turning the pages of The Wheel of Time again.
More Epic Quotes from The Wheel of Time
I’ve compiled the best quotes from all 14 books in The Wheel of Time series and the prequel. You can visit these celebratory posts as often as possible since they evolve. New nuggets of dialogue and prose are found and added to the current collections, and your contributions are welcome.
Tap the image links below to find the best quotes from your book of choice:
Listen to A Memory of Light
The Wheel of Time audiobooks are a phenomenal way to enjoy the series. With their immersive narration, Kate Reading and Michael Kramer bring humor, horror, and magic to life. You really should listen if you haven’t already!
Click the image link below to start with the A Memory of Light audiobook. You’ll get more details, shopping options, and thoughts on the final book.
Alternatively, you can listen to a sample from the audiobook at Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
If you’ve enjoyed this post or others in the series, use the social media icons below to tell your friends and share the love. I’d also like to know your favorite quotes from A Memory of Light, so leave a comment if you want to remind me of some. The best suggestions will be added to this post.
Until next time, may the Light shine on you, my friends!
Russell
