Last updated on 23 July 2024 at 04:41 pm
Brandon Sanderson shares Robert Jordan’s knack for injecting sharp, delightful language into his books. Whether to inspire, incite, or invoke, our favorite characters articulate immaculately. It’s why I have this post, celebrating the best quotes from Towers of Midnight. The idea is to convey the dialogue, thoughts, and prose that bring The Wheel of Time alive on the page; to share the lines loved by millions and honor the ones with the most incredible resonance.
Of course, such an endeavor demands a spoiler warning. In this post, I’ll say who said what and when in Towers of Midnight. There’s also a brief commentary under each quote, so I recommend you read as far as The Gathering Storm before going further, though I won’t be spoiling anything serious.
Best Quotes from Towers of Midnight
This is the 14th installment of my “best quotes” series (I began with the prequel), but it is the most diverse in terms of attributions. We have quotes from Mat Cauthon, as seems obligatory, but also from minor characters like Galad, Androl, and Tam al’Thor. Brandon Sanderson delivers a pulsating book as the series nears its climax, and you’ll see some of its spectacular events referenced here.
I mainly refer to the Tower of Ghenjei and the great challenge that awaits Mat Cauthon, Thom Merrilin, and Noal Charin. However, Egwene al’Vere has much to do in the White Tower, while Slayer and Perrin’s chase in Tel’aran’rhiod has consequences for the waking world. The book is bristling with plot, which is why I’m sure you’ll enjoy these awesome quotes from Towers of Midnight by Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan:
Mat Cauthon Quotes from Towers of Midnight
The dice are thundering in Mat’s head outside the city gates of Caemlyn. He wonders if they’ll stop spinning if he opens Verin’s letter and feels like drowning his sorrows, but that “you never could tell what a man would do when he was drunk, even if that man was your own self.”
Setalle Anan, the former innkeeper of The Wandering Woman in Ebou Dar, exasperates Mat during a conversation about boots. Apparently, Talmanes has forty pairs! He disavows Setalle when she assumes boots are an allegory for “the onus of responsibility and decision upon the aristocracy as they assume leadership of complex political and social positions.”
“Bloody ashes, woman,” Mat responds hilariously, “this isn’t a metaphor for anything! It’s just boots.”
More Awesome Quotes from Towers of Midnight
Galad draws on his mother’s wisdom as he confers with his Whitecloaks. They need allies, and Galad recognizes that resentment towards the Children of the Light can be attributed to their overtly zealous nature. He encourages diplomacy and asserts that “the trick is not to satisfy everyone, but to leave everyone feeling they reached the best possible result.”
Rand asks Jahar Narishma to tell the Borderland army that he accepts their terms. The Asha’man questions whether the Dragon Reborn should be more cautious, and Rand responds, “Prudence is for those who intend to live long lives.”
In a heartbreaking scene between Tam and Rand al’Thor, the latter has an outpouring of regret. Tam reassures his adopted son. “Nobody walks a difficult path without stumbling now and again,” he says. “It didn’t break you when you fell. That’s the important part.”
As an Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah, Saerin Asnobar is unsure about their gathered information. Egwene uses the words of an ancient scholar, Yassica Cellaech (also a Brown), to offer encouragement. “So long as we do not depend on the facts entirely,” Egwene quotes, “incomplete knowledge is better than complete ignorance.”
Birgitte Silverbow has lived countless lives with Gaidal Cain, a heroic swordsman whom the Wheel has always linked to the archer. During a discussion with Mat Cauthon about cheating their way through the Tower of Ghenjei, she recalls one of her lives with Cain. “She grimaced, remembering one incarnation when she and he had been forced to grow old together, peacefully. Most boring life she’d ever known, though at the time – ignorant of her grander part in the Pattern – she’d been happy with it.”
When Gawyn charges through the White Tower, he is followed by two of its guards. Celark was one of Gawyn Trakand’s Younglings, and Gawyn’s immediate concern is alleviated when Celark explains, “When an officer runs by with a look like that on his face, you don’t ask if he needs help. You just follow!”
Androl Genhald is careful and delicate as he works on his leathers and dons his attire. His thoughts are about the M’Hael, Logain Ablar, and life in the Black Tower. He has learned that small details make a difference in the world. “Small things were important,” he thinks. “Seconds were small things, and if you heaped enough of those on top of one another, they became a man’s life.”
Thom Merrilin utters an iconic line from the books as a corridor opens into the Tower of Ghenjei. His bronze knife has drawn the ancient symbol of an upside-down triangle dissected by a wavy line. The lair of the Snakes and Foxes awaits as Thom says, “And so we begin the game that cannot be won.”
I have barely scratched the surface of providing all the best quotes from Towers of Midnight. I suspect I’ll need your help, so please use the comments section below this post to share your favorites. The best will be added to my selections.
Where Does the Wind Rise in Towers of Midnight?
Chapter 1 of each novel in The Wheel of Time begins with the iconic opening paragraph, “The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass…” It is known to many fantasy fans who have never read the series, but if you really want to impress, you should learn where the wind rises in each of the 14 books. In Towers of Midnight, the wind rises above the misty peaks of Imfaral.
Imfaral is the 6th largest city in Seanchan and home to the Towers of Midnight. These are the thirteen unpolished, black marble fortresses that have been uninhabited since the Consolidation of Seanchan. According to legend, the Imperial family would sometimes return to the Towers of Midnight to “right that which is wrong.” It may just be an irony, but the creator of the a’dam was imprisoned there—it’s said that Deain’s screams made the towers tremble. A forbidding place by any stretch of the imagination.
Awesome Quotes from The Wheel of Time Books
I mentioned this isn’t the first of my posts celebrating the best quotes from The Wheel of Time. You can discover linguistic nuggets from all 14 books and the prequel. Tapping the image links below takes you to more awesome quotes:
Listen to Towers of Midnight
The Wheel of Time book series is read by Kate Reading and Michael Kramer for the audiobooks. They create an immersive experience that benefits from consistent storytelling and energetic performances.
Visit my post dedicated to the Towers of Midnight audiobook to start listening. Here’s the image link you can tap to go there now:
Alternatively, going to the Amazon page for the audiobook means you can listen to a sample recording. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
There are social media icons below this post if you’d like to share it with your friends and others with a similar interest. It really helps The Shining Walls, and I appreciate your support.
I’d also like to hear from you in the comments if you have a favorite quote from Towers of Midnight that I haven’t included yet. I’ll always respond, and your best selections will be added to my list.
Until next time, may the Light shine on you, my friends!
Russell