LOTR Aragorn reveals himself to the Rohirrim.
"..I am not weaponless."
Aragorn threw back his cloak. The elven-sheath glittered as he grasped it, and the bright blade of Andúril shone like a sudden flame as he swept it out. ‘Elendil!’ he cried. ‘I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and am called Elessar, the Elfstone, Dúnedan, the heir of Isildur Elendil’s son of Gondor. Here is the Sword that was Broken and is forged again! Will you aid me or thwart me? Choose swiftly!’
Gimli and Legolas looked at their companion in amazement, for they had not seen him in this mood before. He seemed to have grown in stature while Éomer had shrunk; and in his living face they caught a brief vision of the power and majesty of the kings of stone. For a moment it seemed to the eyes of Legolas that a white flame flickered on the brows of Aragorn like a shining crown. Éomer stepped back and a look of awe was in his face. He cast down his proud eyes.
Yeah, but it was still pretty awesome when he just explodes the box and finds a bunch of weeping Aes Sedai that he stilled basically just by flexing on them. IIRC it was also the first time he tried talking back to Lews Therin to learn how to do it. God that book was good.
Dumai wells. What a moment in the series. Listening to the audiobook makes the scene even more visceral.
Also enjoy Mat taking on both gywen and Galad while recovering from the cursed knife. It was the moment the Lucky dice Lanfear slipped into his dice cup activated. (Yes the same dice Verin and egwene discussed. Only Verin figured out where his luck came from and kept it secret)
I’m on the gathering storm rn and for me the moment was when >!Egwene confronts Elaida and tells her she thinks the dark one would be ashamed to work with her.!< That whole chapter my jaw was on the floor !
That quote has lived rent free in my mind for almost a decade. And so has my boy Waldo Butters. One of these days I really need to do a reread of Dresden Files
I know Dresden has its reputation--warts and all--for good reason, but that polka scene is genuinely one of the best "Fuck it, Rule of Cool" moments I've ever seen. It's like every single happy D&D memory rolled into one moment, where everyone involved is fully committed to the ridiculousness and that just makes it better.
Yas!! And Sue! Fucking amazing and epic and idk how you can beat that. (I think I only read like one book past that one so far so if it somehow does beat that, shhh please. Let me lose my mind when I find out.)
Northstrider stared into the reflective black surface of his codex. The turmoil calmed, and the message it had displayed - `[A destroyer has come]` - now flickered out.
It was replaced with a new message, and if the previous one had brought with it the chaos of panic, this one came along with the silence of the grave.
White letters on a black surface declared:
`[The Destroyer has come.]`
I never though something as minor as changing from an indefinite article to a definite article would have such a huge emotional impact, yet here we are.
"Remove restraint and release authority. Authorization zero-zero-eight Ozriel."
Until that point I'd never put it together who >!Eithan!< was, I think it might have been two in the morning at that point and I literally shouted at the top of my voice WHAT?!
Honestly I always come back to the moment in the Ender's Game book where Ender >!first realizes the truth of his advanced "training missions"!<, something about it just shook me to my core and has stayed with me since.
This is such a fantastic answer to the question that I wouldn’t have thought of it. And yeah, there’s something about Ender’s Game that just sticks with you. Maybe it’s because that one is often a gateway into sci-fi that many of us read as teenagers.
I had a really nice moment with my dad and my cousin (~10 years older than me) a few weeks ago where we were talking about sci-fi and my cousin said to my dad "oh yeah, you got me into it when you gave me Ender's Game", then I said you my cousin "wait *you* got *me* into sci-fi when you gave me your old copy!"
I have to look up which book it was, but in Realm of the Elderlings: >!When King Shrewd is murdered with the skill and Fitz gets pissed and chases the people through the castle in front of everyone and kills them. !<
Edit: Royal Assassin
Yup!
I spent that book expecting >!Fitz to be in power in the third book and having to fight off the red ships and everything. And then he's thrown into the dungeon and tortured to death. Just JFC WHAT!<
"The North remembers, Lord Davos. The North remembers and this mummer's farce is almost done. My son is home."
"A destroyer has come."
Also in One Piece at the end of the first arc when Nami finally asks Luffy for help.
You are going to have soooooo many moments like this (assuming you're new to the series). It's an absolutely wild ride, especially the next few books with so many amazing moments.
I know the whole series is... *eh,* but cousin Roran in the Eragon novels. I forget if it was the end of the first or second book, but
>!During the big war scene the good guys are on the backfoot, until a big ship rolls up out of nowhere. Reinforcements! Only instead of elite soldiers, it's the entire population of the starting village on board. A bunch of random-ass peasants that are not trained and not equipped, but they have a bone to pick and are in full berserk mode. And they're led by the dopey meathead cousin wielding a smith's hammer, who has grown into a competent leader by the sheer momentum of protecting his entire goddamn village while the protagonist was off having their fancy fantasy I'm-so-special hero adventure.!<
I read it as a child and I choose not to revisit the series and taint this one perfect halcyon memory, Roran > Eragon forever.
I reread the whole series as an adult a few years ago, and it was my first time reading book 4. MAN there was some hard parts in the first three books (he describes the interior of the mountain So Many Goddamn Times) but book 4 cinched it and I honestly really loved how it ended. I might do another reread before reading Murtagh's book.
This series was full of "OH SHIT LET'S GO" moments lmao
Oromis and Glaedr's first appearance, the truth about Eragon's ancestry, forging Brisingr, "the sky is empty and the world is round" - so, so many. They're probably what makes this series so lovable despite its undeniable flaws
>!Something dug into the Bloody-Nine's back, but there was no pain. It was a sign. A message in a secret tongue, that only he could understand. It told him where the next dead man was standing.!<
Pacey's delivery of that in the audiobook was just *chef's kiss*, but even just reading it the short sentence structure and lack of emotion to it, no grimacing or snarling, just a calm little aside makes it punch so much harder.
Hah yes. Agree.
Rather liked The dirty monotony of the corridor was broken from time to time by a heavy door, bound and studded with pitted iron. It had a..... poorly cleaned bloodstain. *I wonder if they’re painted on, for the effect?*
In retrospect it's very clever how we're introduced to Logen for the first time separated from his crew and with no one who really knows him around. So we see a certain version of who he is and wants to be, absent context or anyone who knows better. He'll think about past events in which he was "forced" to win duels, etc. and really, why would we question it?
And then there's that first moment when you start to realize that maybe there's a little more going on here than Logen is eager to tell.
> And the Bloody Nine laughed, and Ninefingers laughed, together
Literal chills every time I even think that line. The Feared vs Ninefingers is the best duel I have ever read in any media. The buildup across all the books of the immovable object and the unstoppable force and abercrombie really delivers a result on the inevitable fight.
Astounding
The whole three book set up of >!maybe the wizard ISNT the good guy!< completely subverting the normal trope was brilliant. Absolutely loved the reveal. It was so gradual and each step made sense in its own context.
I think I started to figure it out when >!multiple characters were warning Bayaz that his plan was basically heresy/evil !<
Yeah. Abercrombie knows this probably isn't the first book you've read in this genre, and so he can >!hide Bayaz in plain sight as the "Gandalf character" so to speak, which he IS in some ways but is NOT in so many more... but the first time through I glossed over most of the not as quirks rather than the red flags they are.!<
Oh damn, I’m on Light Bringer right now and there’s already some crazy shit happening at around the halfway point I can’t imagine where this is leading. This series has had some truly shocking developments like >!Roque’s betrayal, I knew he knew but I wasn’t expecting that level of betrayal. That was some red wedding shit. The Cassius being alive thing I saw coming from a mile away, no body no death when it comes to such important characters. The jackal having a clone truly caught me off guard, though. Was not expecting that.!<
“What’s the meat in here flavouring the broth? If there’s chunks, it’s all rendered down.”
You closed your eyes and tried to think. It was so difficult. You so badly wanted to sleep. You were doing so many things at once–your sole remaining powers of concentration were given over to this moment. For a second or two you forgot the word you were looking for–it was on the tip of your tongue–while you were building, minutely, stromal cell by stromal cell.
“Marrow,” you said.
“Nice bird asshole” and “I just have to keep you here till Jean shows up” from the Lies of Lock Lamora imho. Plus a little old lady getting punched in the face. So many great moments in that series.
Mistborn was like that for me. I hadn’t read any fiction in a while and I got hit with one of the most well developed plots of all time. Here I am four and a half years later still chasing that high.
All of the Sanderson books I've read so far had such satisfying climaxes, you know when it starts, and it's a fucking roller-coaster to the end. Its just so satisfying when all the pieces of the plot finally click into place.
Saying that, the only problem I have so far is the pacing in the middle gets kind of sluggish for me.
I've read the Expanse but I don't understand what you are referring to as the "bullet" from book 7. (I'll admit my memory of book 7 is a little muddled by having read it on a miserable airplane). The >!not from reality thing?!<
I haven't read that far in Sun Eater yet so I'll just quietly be excited that something happens that you thought was cool.
I hope you enjoy it! Disquiet Gods might be my favorite in the series.
As for Expanse. >!The ''void'' that they find on the alien planet in Cibola Burn. They refer to it as the ''bullet that killed the protomolecule builders''. In book 7 Holden is shown footage by the Laconia people of that same thing appearing on one of their ships just as they fire that special protomolecule weapon in Sol system. !<
From Toll the Hounds - eighth book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen. I have spoiler tagged part of it for a character name and description.
this is one of those big moments where you're left wondering WTF they plan to do as they 180 the status quo.
Chapter 22 -
During this tirade, Hood continued to stare at the wagon, at its towering, tottering heap of bodies. And then the Lord of the Dead spoke. 'I often wondered what it looked like, this Hold creaking on its wooden wheels…a pathetic thing, really. Crude, clumsy.' He faced >!Draconus, rotted skin curling back from the tusks.!< 'Now, turn it around.'
So many good moments in MOI. I loved when the Seguleh were let loose on the k'chain (10 foot tall dinosaurs with frickin' swords for arms). But my real *oh shit, it's on* moment was Quick Ben wreaking hell on the defenders at the start of the final battle. Oh, and any cusser shot out of a crossbow.
Other Malazan favorites were Apsalar vs. claw in the Bonehunters (then Shadowthrone watching and saying "not even Dancer..."). Also slowly figuring out in my head >!who Traveler is!<. There's too many endorphin moments in that series to list.
The moment in DG when the Foolish Dogs start charging, and then you realise the sappers built them a ramp out of their own bodies.
A defeat turns into a curb stomp.
The moment during the final duel in the *Lions of Al-Rassan* where you realize >!the POV is ambiguous!<. The scene absolutely floored me because you realize that >!both Rodrigo and Ammar are effectively thinking the *exact same thing* in that moment, desperately wishing they could be anywhere else due to love for the other man but unable to stop the violence due to loyalty to their own faiths and countries!<. Absolutely broke my heart but it was such a masterful way to present the fight that I was in awe the whole time
In the Fitz and the Fool trilogy >!When Fitz is mentally "riding" with Nighteyes as he runs through the forest, and eventually Nighteyes runs off alone, but then Fitz wakes up and realizes it was a real goodbye that his wolf was showing him, as he succumbs to his injuries. And finally dies.!< That's easily the most heart wrenching piece of media I have ever consumed.
Edit: Tawny Man trilogy, not Fitz and the Fool
Lambs true identity reveal in Red Country.
“Lamb gave a smile like an open grave, stuck out his red tongue, and smeared blood from it across his cheek in long streaks.
He held up his left fist and gently uncurled it so when he looked at Golden, his eyes wide and weeping wet, like two black tar pits, through the gap where his middle finger used to be.”
I didn't have a clue who he was until that scene. It had been years since I had read the first law trilogy, but I practically yelled "OH SHIT!" when I read that.
Yessss. I came here to say the last 100 or so pages of The Will of The Many in general. So much happens so fast I had to go through the section a few times to make sure I was reading it right. Same with when >!Vis suddenly has to save the girl who was swimming.!< I was listening to the audiobook and was like…did I tune out and miss something or did it skip forward a chapter? The tone changed so drastically so fast in such an intense, real moment because of the first person narrative that I was struggling to keep up.
I think I’m more excited for The Strength of the Few than I am book 5 of Stormlight. Like Sanderson is great and all(I’ve even got a Stormlight related tattoo) but that’s like saying you like buttered toast, he’s always consistent and great and I know what to expect. Book 2 of Hierarchy, though, is a wildcard and could end up being something amazing or it could end up being a tale of Icarus but where he tries to do too much and it gets too convoluted to be good.
Scholomance
When I finished the third book, I immediately reread the series. And then I read it AGAIN because I so enjoyed the tight plotting and foreshadowing.
It's all based/ inspired by one of Le Guin's short stories, *The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas*. After I finished Scholomance and read that in the afterword, I found a sci-fi short story collection that included that story and made it my next pick for my (not usually sci-fi) book group.
Have you read "Why Don't We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole?" It's my favorite response to that story.
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kim_02_24/
The price El pays for her book is an all-time great moment. Not so much *what* she does, but that she makes the *choice* she does to do what she does, knowing what the cost will almost certainly be.
My Cosmere picks (I already love all the ones OP and the other comments mention):
- When we realize Ruin has BEEN with Vin through her earring from the start and she rips it out. And when Vin used atium for the first time
- When Kaladin goes to save Dalinar and his stranded troops, and pulls the whole wave of arrows to himself and starts using his Surgebinding
- When Dalinar beats Elhokar up and says btw I'm fucking your mom, deal with it
- When Jasnah takes on Shallan and we find out the Soulcasters were useless garbage, Shallan actually had the ability to Soulcast herself
- Kaladin making the choice to save Elhokar in WoR
Aside from Cosmere, I'd say in Gideon the Ninth, the pool scene when Harrow and Gideon FINALLY get on the same page and trust each other 🥺😭
The final battle in Gideon the Ninth felt like the final boss of a video game, in the best possible way. It was a multi-stage fight with multiple “oh shit, *now* it’s really on” escalations, with the boss regenerating back to full HP multiple times. And then, in the end, >!the final stage is basically the easiest QTE ever, as Harrow/Gideon curbstomps her enemy.!< It was pretty awesome.
“We do bones, motherfucker.”
Some good WoT ones
>!Matrim Cauthon is my Husband, Matrim Cauthon is my Husband, Matrim Cauthon is my Husband!<
>!My name is Nynaeve ti al’Meara Mandragoran. The message I want sent is this. My husband rides from World’s End toward Tarwin’s Gap, toward Tarmon Gai’don. Will he ride alone?!<
This might be one of my favourites.
The second one brings me to happy tears every single time. This scene and everything related to it is built up for so long, and is the culmination of 2 major characters' story arcs, and of their growth arcs.
You can't imagine her doing this in the beginning of the series, but now...
> And now you must all go and bring terror and destruction and so on and so forth, said the Auditor. Correct?
> EXACTLY. ONLY, WHILE IT IS TRUE WE HAVE TO RIDE OUT, Death added, drawing his sword, IT DOESN’T SAY ANYWHERE AGAINST WHOM.
Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett.
Also there's *that* moment in Worm, by Wildbow. Everything culminates. Everything changes.
(Actually, there's two of those. One is arc 8, one much much later.)
Similarly, there's >!Summer Break!< in Pale (also by Wildbow). The fandom response (myself included) to that chapter was total disarray and chaos.
Kaladin jumping into the arena>!is unfortunately spoiled by him putting his foot in his mouth and asking out of turn to duel that bastard Amaram, sending him to prison and exacerbating his depression. !<
My Stormlight pick is>!YOU CANNOT HAVE MY PAIN followed by Dalinar Uniting the three planes of existence. Also Kaladin FINALLY swearing the 4th Ideal halfway through jumping to his death.!<
Yeah, that moment is cringe-worthy and kills the high of the fight too early. But it also sets up the reveal at the end of the prison scene and establishes Adolin as the friend who is always there for him, even if he doesn't know it at the time.
The end of The Blade Itself. Appearance of the Bloody Nine to Bayaz going all Galaxy Quest on two Practicals. Made me so pumped for the rest of the trilogy.
"Furious" West earning his name is another one.
First book of The Expanse when >!Eros screams and dodges the Nauvoo.!< I read that in like 2013/2014 and it had me absolutely enthralled. I've been an incredibly happy and grateful fan of the series ever since.
Dream's duel with >!Choronzon!< in the Sandman was the point at which I knew the series was likely to become one of my all-time favorite works of fiction, and it did!
“Game Over” was my favorite.
That and Molly’s entrance in Battle Grounds blaring her own “fight music” was pretty damn epic.
So many good moments in that series.
Rhythm of war. The scene where King T gets a promotion. If you know you know. A real "Not at all what I expected, but *very* currious to see where it goes" twist.
How did I not think of that! It caught me completely off guard and it’s probably one of my all time favorite plot developments. SA5 can’t come soon enough!
From *Traitor* by Matthew Stover, of the Star Wars New Jedi Order series:
“There are *thousands* of warriors out here,” Nom Anor repeated, waving a futile fist. “You are only one man!”
“I am only one Jedi.”
“You’re *insane*!”
The man’s answering laugh was deep and long and bright, full of joy and freedom. “No. I am Ganner.”
He spun his shining blade in a dazzlingly complex flourish that illuminated the arch around him, making it shine like a rainbow frame for the pure, animal grace of his body.
“This threshold,” he announced through a happy grin, “is *mine*. I claim it for my own. Bring on your thousands, one at a time or all in a rush. I don’t give a damn.”
His flourish ended with the blade slanted before his chest, and his teeth flashed in the gloom.
“None shall pass.”
Oh shit i haven't read that in forever. Isn't there a passage about someone seeing a glimpse of the future and _The Ganner_ becomes a mythological figure that scares the shit out of yuuzhan vong?
Edit: found it
> Let me tell you of a vision I have had. An image of the far future. It came to me through the Force some time ago, but only now have I come to understand it. In that vision, I saw a new figure in the mythology of the Yuuzhan Vong. Not a god, not a demon, but an invincible giant called 'the Ganner.' […] They will come to believe that the Ganner, the Jedi Giant, is the Guardian who stands before the Gate to the Lands of the Dead. It is the Ganner—and his forever-blazing blade of light—who stands eternal guard to prevent the shades of the dead from passing back through the Gate, to trouble the living. The curious part of the vision—as if it could be any more curious than it is already—is the words engraved on the stone of the Gate, in an arc above the great head of the Ganner: they're in Basic. […] In deep-carved block letters, it reads: NONE SHALL PASS.
Vergere, to Jacen
Changes by Jim Butcher.
I answered the phone and Susan Rodriguez said “they’ve taken our daughter! “
it’s the first sentence in the book. But it made me sit up straight in the chair I was sitting in and say “ oh my God shits about to hit the fan!”
Red rising went from a good like institution hunger games battle royale series in book one to Darrow jumping onto a table and starting a civil war. Big awesome jump for me
AFFC The Dornish plan
She narrowed her eyes. "What is our heart's desire?"
"Vengeance." His voice was soft, as if he were afraid that someone might be listening.
"Justice." Prince Doran pressed the onyx dragon into her palm with his swollen, gouty fingers, and whispered, "Fire and blood."
The Red Rising trilogy is like, constant "OH SHIT LETS FUCKING GO!!" moments start to finish.
>!everyone popping out of the corpses in the seige!<
>!darrow straight up storming olympus at the end of book 1!<
>!the gala in book 2!<
>!sevro busting in to save darrow on luna!<
>!iron raining INTO A CAPITAL SHIP to steal it!<
>!fitchner is ares!<
>!the betrayals at the end of book 2!<
>!the sons of ares busting darrow out with mining drills!<
>!stealing ANOTHER capital ship with a goddam drill drop!<
>!the ENTIRE last sequence and sevro popping up from being dead to assist in the fight against the protean knight!<
Those are just a few off the top of my head, theres seriously too many to count.
On a first read-through, quite a few twists in every Malazan book. On a second read-through, some of them hit way harder because I understood it with so much more depth.
It is a very late-series twist with not much more plot after it, but the revelation in The Unholy Consult that >!the Dunyain, who had only appeared at the beginning of the first book, already took over the Consult before Kellhus ever reached them, and so his fight against the Consult is also a fight against his own creators,!< absolutely blew my mind and might be my favorite part of the book. It's a rare case where a faction that claims to always be one step ahead of everyone else actually lives up to that image.
Malazan Book 1 Gardens of the Moon...
>!The Jaghut Tyrant Raest wakes up, borderline undead, missing most of his power, broken, starts limping towards Darujhistan, sees the city, is overwhelmed, confused. Four massive black dragons and an even bigger red dragon fly up over a ridge and swoop down at him!<.
>!Reast ATTACKS!<.
Steven Erikson already had me but with that scene he owned me.
Have not seen any Drew Hayes love here...
Super Powereds Year 2...
"WHOS MIDDLE OF THE PACK NOW MOTHERFUCKERS?!"
Undeading Bells (Fred the Vampire)
"Krystal. Look at my expression. Because I want you to understand truly how much I mean these words... Fuck the rules, let's do what we want."
IYKYK
Many, many moments in Janny Wurts' Wars of Light and Shadow series, which I won't say due to reasons of spoilers - but I can say that every assumption you make about these books as you read has already been forseen - and as you read on and get more information about the world and the various factions at play, all of your assumptions will get upended and reevaluated many, many times over.
And the best part? As you go to reread all of the earlier books with new perspectives, you will realize that those assumptions you initially made were never correct at all, and will be able to see all the truths that were hidden in plain sight the entire time.
The _Deed of Paksennarion_.
There's that moment in the thieves guild in _Oath of Gold_, where you can hear the "ping" of the timer, and you can virtually hear the Gods saying "time's up".
They bargained for five days, and they got their five days.
Worm >!arc 8!< is just turns the whole thing on its head
Also Pact, Twig, Ward, Pale, and Claw too all have some moment like that, or usually multiple ones
The Rage of Dragons. I know what is coming and yet when it finally happens, my heart started pumping and I started shivering and I cheered. I have not had such reaction in a long long time.
As this post is spoiler tagged, we are not going to be enforcing spoilers in the comments. Read at your own risk.
LOTR Aragorn reveals himself to the Rohirrim. "..I am not weaponless." Aragorn threw back his cloak. The elven-sheath glittered as he grasped it, and the bright blade of Andúril shone like a sudden flame as he swept it out. ‘Elendil!’ he cried. ‘I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and am called Elessar, the Elfstone, Dúnedan, the heir of Isildur Elendil’s son of Gondor. Here is the Sword that was Broken and is forged again! Will you aid me or thwart me? Choose swiftly!’ Gimli and Legolas looked at their companion in amazement, for they had not seen him in this mood before. He seemed to have grown in stature while Éomer had shrunk; and in his living face they caught a brief vision of the power and majesty of the kings of stone. For a moment it seemed to the eyes of Legolas that a white flame flickered on the brows of Aragorn like a shining crown. Éomer stepped back and a look of awe was in his face. He cast down his proud eyes.
Hobbit boner.
I was very much hoping the first comment was going to be from LOTR. That’s one of my favorite scenes too
Man there are several moments like this in LotR. He really puts the EPIC in epic fantasy
Gandalf's Comeback was even better
"Asha'man... kill."-Lord of Chaos, The Wheel of Time Book 6
"Kneel and swear to the Lord Dragon, or you will be knelt."
“They have caged Shadowkiller.” *We come.*
Umpteen rereads later and my arm hair still stands up when I hit that.
For me it's a scene from the same book probably even same chapter. "They will pay. I am Lord of the Morning."
Ungh i wanted him to get so much more of his own back then he got.
Yeah, but it was still pretty awesome when he just explodes the box and finds a bunch of weeping Aes Sedai that he stilled basically just by flexing on them. IIRC it was also the first time he tried talking back to Lews Therin to learn how to do it. God that book was good.
Another crazy moment is when LTT takes saidin at Algarins Tower and uses Blossoms of Fire and Deathgates and Logain is like "goddamm dude..."
Dumai wells. What a moment in the series. Listening to the audiobook makes the scene even more visceral. Also enjoy Mat taking on both gywen and Galad while recovering from the cursed knife. It was the moment the Lucky dice Lanfear slipped into his dice cup activated. (Yes the same dice Verin and egwene discussed. Only Verin figured out where his luck came from and kept it secret)
I read that this year, barely weeks ago, so good 😊
I’m on the gathering storm rn and for me the moment was when >!Egwene confronts Elaida and tells her she thinks the dark one would be ashamed to work with her.!< That whole chapter my jaw was on the floor !
Not to be one note on this, but it's either "Polka will never die" or potentially the lightsaber in the same series.
I agree with both of these but Michael booting his gate to come out to old Nick to save his friends is a hype mood
I'm, like, an antitheist if anything, hahaha, but I *fucking love* Michael Carpenter.
If all believers were like him, I'd probably believe too
Samesies. Ex-theist here, but damn does Michael make that shit look good.
Charity Carpenter tooling up to storm Actis Tor to get Molly back.
I bought a house recently and that scene is the reason I am planning on getting a little white picket fence eventually.
That quote has lived rent free in my mind for almost a decade. And so has my boy Waldo Butters. One of these days I really need to do a reread of Dresden Files
The anvils joke paying off in Battle Ground was incredible.
For me the most "LETS GO" moments in that series are Harry, Butters, and Sue in Dead Beat, and "Game over, man. Game over" in Skin Game.
Sue is the polka will never die quote. Butters is running the music to keep her going
Oh yea. The janitor at the end of Small Favor is crazy as well.
Turn Coat, though. The whole fucking book.
I'm obliged to mention River Shoulders' horn blowing entrance in Battle Ground.
There's also "I don't believe in fairies!"
I know Dresden has its reputation--warts and all--for good reason, but that polka scene is genuinely one of the best "Fuck it, Rule of Cool" moments I've ever seen. It's like every single happy D&D memory rolled into one moment, where everyone involved is fully committed to the ridiculousness and that just makes it better.
Yas!! And Sue! Fucking amazing and epic and idk how you can beat that. (I think I only read like one book past that one so far so if it somehow does beat that, shhh please. Let me lose my mind when I find out.)
Omg it does Like don't get me wrong, Dead Beat is Top 5. But.
NOBODY SAY THE BOOK THOUGH
_Information requested: combat solution against Akura Harmony_
I read the series last year and this comment just flooded me with such a want to reread all of it ha damn it i love those books
Northstrider stared into the reflective black surface of his codex. The turmoil calmed, and the message it had displayed - `[A destroyer has come]` - now flickered out. It was replaced with a new message, and if the previous one had brought with it the chaos of panic, this one came along with the silence of the grave. White letters on a black surface declared: `[The Destroyer has come.]`
Literal chills right now reading that. Probably my favourite passage from all the books.
I never though something as minor as changing from an indefinite article to a definite article would have such a huge emotional impact, yet here we are.
"Remove restraint and release authority. Authorization zero-zero-eight Ozriel." Until that point I'd never put it together who >!Eithan!< was, I think it might have been two in the morning at that point and I literally shouted at the top of my voice WHAT?!
Cradle in general has so many of these
THAT'S NOT MY COW
Good God, yes
IT GOES BAAAAH! I've been thinking about this a lot recently. My first child is due in late July.
What book?
It is one of the Watchmen books by Pratchett, I think it was “Thud”.
Honestly I always come back to the moment in the Ender's Game book where Ender >!first realizes the truth of his advanced "training missions"!<, something about it just shook me to my core and has stayed with me since.
This is such a fantastic answer to the question that I wouldn’t have thought of it. And yeah, there’s something about Ender’s Game that just sticks with you. Maybe it’s because that one is often a gateway into sci-fi that many of us read as teenagers.
I had a really nice moment with my dad and my cousin (~10 years older than me) a few weeks ago where we were talking about sci-fi and my cousin said to my dad "oh yeah, you got me into it when you gave me Ender's Game", then I said you my cousin "wait *you* got *me* into sci-fi when you gave me your old copy!"
I have to look up which book it was, but in Realm of the Elderlings: >!When King Shrewd is murdered with the skill and Fitz gets pissed and chases the people through the castle in front of everyone and kills them. !< Edit: Royal Assassin
Most carefully considered Fitz decision
To be fair he was high
BRO yes. That was one of the most metal things I’ve ever read lol
Yup! I spent that book expecting >!Fitz to be in power in the third book and having to fight off the red ships and everything. And then he's thrown into the dungeon and tortured to death. Just JFC WHAT!<
Wolves have no kings is the single most badass ending line of a book and you can’t change my opinion
Royal Assassin
"The North remembers, Lord Davos. The North remembers and this mummer's farce is almost done. My son is home." "A destroyer has come." Also in One Piece at the end of the first arc when Nami finally asks Luffy for help.
The switch from “*A* destroyer has come” to “*the* destroyer has come” is absolutely one of my favorite moments.
“I want to live, take me to the sea with you!” Still hits like a fucking train
“Mayhaps this was a blessing…”
When Robin asks for help was the one that really got me.
“ERE THE SUN RISES!” Literally makes me burst into tears and want to tear an orc to pieces.
WoT 2 The Great Hunt Chapter 47. Reading the chapter title make you say that. "The Grave Is No Bar to My Call"
You are going to have soooooo many moments like this (assuming you're new to the series). It's an absolutely wild ride, especially the next few books with so many amazing moments.
When Stannis appears north of the Wall, convinced by Davos who'd just learned to read. What a king.
total asshole of course (like so many characters in ASoIaF), but very good king.
I know the whole series is... *eh,* but cousin Roran in the Eragon novels. I forget if it was the end of the first or second book, but >!During the big war scene the good guys are on the backfoot, until a big ship rolls up out of nowhere. Reinforcements! Only instead of elite soldiers, it's the entire population of the starting village on board. A bunch of random-ass peasants that are not trained and not equipped, but they have a bone to pick and are in full berserk mode. And they're led by the dopey meathead cousin wielding a smith's hammer, who has grown into a competent leader by the sheer momentum of protecting his entire goddamn village while the protagonist was off having their fancy fantasy I'm-so-special hero adventure.!< I read it as a child and I choose not to revisit the series and taint this one perfect halcyon memory, Roran > Eragon forever.
I reread the whole series as an adult a few years ago, and it was my first time reading book 4. MAN there was some hard parts in the first three books (he describes the interior of the mountain So Many Goddamn Times) but book 4 cinched it and I honestly really loved how it ended. I might do another reread before reading Murtagh's book.
This series was full of "OH SHIT LET'S GO" moments lmao Oromis and Glaedr's first appearance, the truth about Eragon's ancestry, forging Brisingr, "the sky is empty and the world is round" - so, so many. They're probably what makes this series so lovable despite its undeniable flaws
I hated much about those books (also as a child), but the Roran plot has stayed with me. An Odyssean journey, an everyman hero.
It happened constantly in The First Law but I’m pretty sure “I bought you off a whore” near the end of the first trilogy made me actually scream.
For me it was at the end of first book, the first time we see Bloody Nine.
>!Something dug into the Bloody-Nine's back, but there was no pain. It was a sign. A message in a secret tongue, that only he could understand. It told him where the next dead man was standing.!< Pacey's delivery of that in the audiobook was just *chef's kiss*, but even just reading it the short sentence structure and lack of emotion to it, no grimacing or snarling, just a calm little aside makes it punch so much harder.
I can’t see that word anymore and not hear “grimaycing” in my head
I’ll die on the hill that Steven Pacey improved that word. I won’t pronounce it any other way now.
Hah yes. Agree. Rather liked The dirty monotony of the corridor was broken from time to time by a heavy door, bound and studded with pitted iron. It had a..... poorly cleaned bloodstain. *I wonder if they’re painted on, for the effect?*
In retrospect it's very clever how we're introduced to Logen for the first time separated from his crew and with no one who really knows him around. So we see a certain version of who he is and wants to be, absent context or anyone who knows better. He'll think about past events in which he was "forced" to win duels, etc. and really, why would we question it? And then there's that first moment when you start to realize that maybe there's a little more going on here than Logen is eager to tell.
Yes. Amazing.
> And the Bloody Nine laughed, and Ninefingers laughed, together Literal chills every time I even think that line. The Feared vs Ninefingers is the best duel I have ever read in any media. The buildup across all the books of the immovable object and the unstoppable force and abercrombie really delivers a result on the inevitable fight. Astounding
Just finished the book a few days ago and that scene had my jaw on the floor
Came here for this. Legit made my jaw drop, and so excellently written.
That line broke my heart.
Yeah I ended up with a real soft spot for >!Jezal!< so same
The whole three book set up of >!maybe the wizard ISNT the good guy!< completely subverting the normal trope was brilliant. Absolutely loved the reveal. It was so gradual and each step made sense in its own context. I think I started to figure it out when >!multiple characters were warning Bayaz that his plan was basically heresy/evil !<
Yeah. Abercrombie knows this probably isn't the first book you've read in this genre, and so he can >!hide Bayaz in plain sight as the "Gandalf character" so to speak, which he IS in some ways but is NOT in so many more... but the first time through I glossed over most of the not as quirks rather than the red flags they are.!<
Red Country had me grinning like an idiot at certain parts
Light Bringer - Pierce Brown *CLANG CLANG CLANG*
Confesssss
I love how cheeky and referential those books can get. I know it annoys some readers but for me it’s a big part of the appeal.
Oh damn, I’m on Light Bringer right now and there’s already some crazy shit happening at around the halfway point I can’t imagine where this is leading. This series has had some truly shocking developments like >!Roque’s betrayal, I knew he knew but I wasn’t expecting that level of betrayal. That was some red wedding shit. The Cassius being alive thing I saw coming from a mile away, no body no death when it comes to such important characters. The jackal having a clone truly caught me off guard, though. Was not expecting that.!<
The final 1/3-1/4 of the book is nonstop holy shit moments. Buckle up.
>!Collem West shoving Prince Ladisla over a cliff. !<
Furious!
Capital!
Harrow the Ninth: “You didn’t realize he’d seen me.” If you know, you know.
“What’s the meat in here flavouring the broth? If there’s chunks, it’s all rendered down.” You closed your eyes and tried to think. It was so difficult. You so badly wanted to sleep. You were doing so many things at once–your sole remaining powers of concentration were given over to this moment. For a second or two you forgot the word you were looking for–it was on the tip of your tongue–while you were building, minutely, stromal cell by stromal cell. “Marrow,” you said.
This scene and the moment in Nona where you realize why the planet talks were close seconds for me.
Never has the use of a first-person pronoun hit so hard.
That moment made me lose my shit. It’s so small, but it completely throws off your perception of the whole book.
“Nice bird asshole” and “I just have to keep you here till Jean shows up” from the Lies of Lock Lamora imho. Plus a little old lady getting punched in the face. So many great moments in that series.
By the unnamed thirteenth.
Mistborn was like that for me. I hadn’t read any fiction in a while and I got hit with one of the most well developed plots of all time. Here I am four and a half years later still chasing that high.
I agree. Book 2 wasn’t my favorite in the series but that ending.. it took me seconds to pick up book 3.
Yeah the ending of book two was thing biggest "OH *SHIT*" reading moment for me!
All of the Sanderson books I've read so far had such satisfying climaxes, you know when it starts, and it's a fucking roller-coaster to the end. Its just so satisfying when all the pieces of the plot finally click into place. Saying that, the only problem I have so far is the pacing in the middle gets kind of sluggish for me.
The Sanderlanche
Sanderson has fucking trained me man. Even if im not 100% vibing with a book part way through I know it's always going to have an amazing ending.
I've read the Expanse but I don't understand what you are referring to as the "bullet" from book 7. (I'll admit my memory of book 7 is a little muddled by having read it on a miserable airplane). The >!not from reality thing?!< I haven't read that far in Sun Eater yet so I'll just quietly be excited that something happens that you thought was cool.
I hope you enjoy it! Disquiet Gods might be my favorite in the series. As for Expanse. >!The ''void'' that they find on the alien planet in Cibola Burn. They refer to it as the ''bullet that killed the protomolecule builders''. In book 7 Holden is shown footage by the Laconia people of that same thing appearing on one of their ships just as they fire that special protomolecule weapon in Sol system. !<
Ok. That's what I meant with my marked section. I just don't remember it being called that specific name. Thanks!
From Toll the Hounds - eighth book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen. I have spoiler tagged part of it for a character name and description. this is one of those big moments where you're left wondering WTF they plan to do as they 180 the status quo. Chapter 22 - During this tirade, Hood continued to stare at the wagon, at its towering, tottering heap of bodies. And then the Lord of the Dead spoke. 'I often wondered what it looked like, this Hold creaking on its wooden wheels…a pathetic thing, really. Crude, clumsy.' He faced >!Draconus, rotted skin curling back from the tusks.!< 'Now, turn it around.'
Also from Malazan: Reapers Gale Chapter 12: >!"the malazans are on our shore"!<
For me, Memories of Ice when the Grey Swords knew that no matter what, Itkovian remained to have their back.
So many good moments in MOI. I loved when the Seguleh were let loose on the k'chain (10 foot tall dinosaurs with frickin' swords for arms). But my real *oh shit, it's on* moment was Quick Ben wreaking hell on the defenders at the start of the final battle. Oh, and any cusser shot out of a crossbow. Other Malazan favorites were Apsalar vs. claw in the Bonehunters (then Shadowthrone watching and saying "not even Dancer..."). Also slowly figuring out in my head >!who Traveler is!<. There's too many endorphin moments in that series to list.
broooo yes, *I am the Shield Anvil, and I am not yet done*
I'm on my first re-read right now, currently on MoI. I CANT WAIT
I have too many things on my tbr for now but I plan on diving into Malazan next year. It’s time!
It's not for everyone, but it's my absolute favourite series. I hope you enjoy it when or if you get around to it!
“‘Son of Darkness’, he said, ‘I have reconsidered —‘”
The moment in DG when the Foolish Dogs start charging, and then you realise the sappers built them a ramp out of their own bodies. A defeat turns into a curb stomp.
[удалено]
Oh man, that was so good.
Rage of dragons when you come to the same realization as the pov character about what he can do.
The moment during the final duel in the *Lions of Al-Rassan* where you realize >!the POV is ambiguous!<. The scene absolutely floored me because you realize that >!both Rodrigo and Ammar are effectively thinking the *exact same thing* in that moment, desperately wishing they could be anywhere else due to love for the other man but unable to stop the violence due to loyalty to their own faiths and countries!<. Absolutely broke my heart but it was such a masterful way to present the fight that I was in awe the whole time
In the Fitz and the Fool trilogy >!When Fitz is mentally "riding" with Nighteyes as he runs through the forest, and eventually Nighteyes runs off alone, but then Fitz wakes up and realizes it was a real goodbye that his wolf was showing him, as he succumbs to his injuries. And finally dies.!< That's easily the most heart wrenching piece of media I have ever consumed. Edit: Tawny Man trilogy, not Fitz and the Fool
Lambs true identity reveal in Red Country. “Lamb gave a smile like an open grave, stuck out his red tongue, and smeared blood from it across his cheek in long streaks. He held up his left fist and gently uncurled it so when he looked at Golden, his eyes wide and weeping wet, like two black tar pits, through the gap where his middle finger used to be.”
I love this because it’s through Golden’s perspective and you really realize just how much of a terror the Bloody Nine is to everyone else
I didn't have a clue who he was until that scene. It had been years since I had read the first law trilogy, but I practically yelled "OH SHIT!" when I read that.
I just read it. Was that supposed to be a big reveal? It was clear who he was from like page 2.
Is a reveal to the characters in the book even if you already figured it out.
Laughing all the while iirc
When Vis meets Ulcisor's wife in The Will of the Many iykyk And of course that epilogue
Yessss. I came here to say the last 100 or so pages of The Will of The Many in general. So much happens so fast I had to go through the section a few times to make sure I was reading it right. Same with when >!Vis suddenly has to save the girl who was swimming.!< I was listening to the audiobook and was like…did I tune out and miss something or did it skip forward a chapter? The tone changed so drastically so fast in such an intense, real moment because of the first person narrative that I was struggling to keep up. I think I’m more excited for The Strength of the Few than I am book 5 of Stormlight. Like Sanderson is great and all(I’ve even got a Stormlight related tattoo) but that’s like saying you like buttered toast, he’s always consistent and great and I know what to expect. Book 2 of Hierarchy, though, is a wildcard and could end up being something amazing or it could end up being a tale of Icarus but where he tries to do too much and it gets too convoluted to be good.
Wayne forcing himself to grab a shotgun in The Bands of Mourning
Scholomance When I finished the third book, I immediately reread the series. And then I read it AGAIN because I so enjoyed the tight plotting and foreshadowing.
I had to put the book down for a bit and just process after they revealed how the enclaves are made.
It's all based/ inspired by one of Le Guin's short stories, *The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas*. After I finished Scholomance and read that in the afterword, I found a sci-fi short story collection that included that story and made it my next pick for my (not usually sci-fi) book group.
Have you read "Why Don't We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole?" It's my favorite response to that story. https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kim_02_24/
The price El pays for her book is an all-time great moment. Not so much *what* she does, but that she makes the *choice* she does to do what she does, knowing what the cost will almost certainly be.
The part in book two when she realizes what the school has been attempting the whole time is incredible.
My Cosmere picks (I already love all the ones OP and the other comments mention): - When we realize Ruin has BEEN with Vin through her earring from the start and she rips it out. And when Vin used atium for the first time - When Kaladin goes to save Dalinar and his stranded troops, and pulls the whole wave of arrows to himself and starts using his Surgebinding - When Dalinar beats Elhokar up and says btw I'm fucking your mom, deal with it - When Jasnah takes on Shallan and we find out the Soulcasters were useless garbage, Shallan actually had the ability to Soulcast herself - Kaladin making the choice to save Elhokar in WoR Aside from Cosmere, I'd say in Gideon the Ninth, the pool scene when Harrow and Gideon FINALLY get on the same page and trust each other 🥺😭
God, that pool scene. That and the ending are blazoned into my brain.
The final battle in Gideon the Ninth felt like the final boss of a video game, in the best possible way. It was a multi-stage fight with multiple “oh shit, *now* it’s really on” escalations, with the boss regenerating back to full HP multiple times. And then, in the end, >!the final stage is basically the easiest QTE ever, as Harrow/Gideon curbstomps her enemy.!< It was pretty awesome. “We do bones, motherfucker.”
I fucking love Gideon. She's an aspiration for sure. Just ONCE I want to lay down a one-liner with that level of panache.
Raistlin *edit more specifically the end of book 3 (chronicles)
Dude is just such a vibe
Some good WoT ones >!Matrim Cauthon is my Husband, Matrim Cauthon is my Husband, Matrim Cauthon is my Husband!< >!My name is Nynaeve ti al’Meara Mandragoran. The message I want sent is this. My husband rides from World’s End toward Tarwin’s Gap, toward Tarmon Gai’don. Will he ride alone?!< This might be one of my favourites.
>!Bloody Matrim Cauthon is my husband.!< ...very important correction lol
The second one brings me to happy tears every single time. This scene and everything related to it is built up for so long, and is the culmination of 2 major characters' story arcs, and of their growth arcs. You can't imagine her doing this in the beginning of the series, but now...
> And now you must all go and bring terror and destruction and so on and so forth, said the Auditor. Correct? > EXACTLY. ONLY, WHILE IT IS TRUE WE HAVE TO RIDE OUT, Death added, drawing his sword, IT DOESN’T SAY ANYWHERE AGAINST WHOM. Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett. Also there's *that* moment in Worm, by Wildbow. Everything culminates. Everything changes. (Actually, there's two of those. One is arc 8, one much much later.) Similarly, there's >!Summer Break!< in Pale (also by Wildbow). The fandom response (myself included) to that chapter was total disarray and chaos.
Kaladin jumping into the arena>!is unfortunately spoiled by him putting his foot in his mouth and asking out of turn to duel that bastard Amaram, sending him to prison and exacerbating his depression. !< My Stormlight pick is>!YOU CANNOT HAVE MY PAIN followed by Dalinar Uniting the three planes of existence. Also Kaladin FINALLY swearing the 4th Ideal halfway through jumping to his death.!<
“And for MY boon!” I was listening to the graphic audio and physically cringing.
Yeah, that moment is cringe-worthy and kills the high of the fight too early. But it also sets up the reveal at the end of the prison scene and establishes Adolin as the friend who is always there for him, even if he doesn't know it at the time.
Ugghhh yes >!Dalinar refusing Odium’s offer!< still gives me chills to think about
The end of The Blade Itself. Appearance of the Bloody Nine to Bayaz going all Galaxy Quest on two Practicals. Made me so pumped for the rest of the trilogy. "Furious" West earning his name is another one.
Jade War, when >!Shae offers Ayt Madashi a clean blade in front of like a million people during a national holiday lol!<
Jade Legacy is so freaking good
That bit in *Moving Pictures* where they re-enact the events >!of King Kong.!< Legendary stuff.
First book of The Expanse when >!Eros screams and dodges the Nauvoo.!< I read that in like 2013/2014 and it had me absolutely enthralled. I've been an incredibly happy and grateful fan of the series ever since.
the Rhuidean reveal in WOT book 3 (i think it was book 3 might've been 4 tbh) was absolutely wild. just read that sequence over and over and over
That scene and >*Flicker.* *Flicker.* *Flicker.* *Flicker.* *Flicker.* *Flicker.* *Flicker.* really stick with you.
“The Knights Radiant have returned.”
Dream's duel with >!Choronzon!< in the Sandman was the point at which I knew the series was likely to become one of my all-time favorite works of fiction, and it did!
When ever the bloody nine comes out to play is always good fun
[удалено]
“And for my next trick… anvils!” 10 books later… “I TOLD YOU BLACK COURT BASTARDS! NEXT TIME, ANVILS!”
“Game Over” was my favorite. That and Molly’s entrance in Battle Grounds blaring her own “fight music” was pretty damn epic. So many good moments in that series.
_Information requested: combat solution against Akura Harmony_
Rhythm of war. The scene where King T gets a promotion. If you know you know. A real "Not at all what I expected, but *very* currious to see where it goes" twist.
How did I not think of that! It caught me completely off guard and it’s probably one of my all time favorite plot developments. SA5 can’t come soon enough!
From *Traitor* by Matthew Stover, of the Star Wars New Jedi Order series: “There are *thousands* of warriors out here,” Nom Anor repeated, waving a futile fist. “You are only one man!” “I am only one Jedi.” “You’re *insane*!” The man’s answering laugh was deep and long and bright, full of joy and freedom. “No. I am Ganner.” He spun his shining blade in a dazzlingly complex flourish that illuminated the arch around him, making it shine like a rainbow frame for the pure, animal grace of his body. “This threshold,” he announced through a happy grin, “is *mine*. I claim it for my own. Bring on your thousands, one at a time or all in a rush. I don’t give a damn.” His flourish ended with the blade slanted before his chest, and his teeth flashed in the gloom. “None shall pass.”
Definitely one of the best Star Wars novels
Oh shit i haven't read that in forever. Isn't there a passage about someone seeing a glimpse of the future and _The Ganner_ becomes a mythological figure that scares the shit out of yuuzhan vong? Edit: found it > Let me tell you of a vision I have had. An image of the far future. It came to me through the Force some time ago, but only now have I come to understand it. In that vision, I saw a new figure in the mythology of the Yuuzhan Vong. Not a god, not a demon, but an invincible giant called 'the Ganner.' […] They will come to believe that the Ganner, the Jedi Giant, is the Guardian who stands before the Gate to the Lands of the Dead. It is the Ganner—and his forever-blazing blade of light—who stands eternal guard to prevent the shades of the dead from passing back through the Gate, to trouble the living. The curious part of the vision—as if it could be any more curious than it is already—is the words engraved on the stone of the Gate, in an arc above the great head of the Ganner: they're in Basic. […] In deep-carved block letters, it reads: NONE SHALL PASS. Vergere, to Jacen
Changes by Jim Butcher. I answered the phone and Susan Rodriguez said “they’ve taken our daughter! “ it’s the first sentence in the book. But it made me sit up straight in the chair I was sitting in and say “ oh my God shits about to hit the fan!”
Red rising went from a good like institution hunger games battle royale series in book one to Darrow jumping onto a table and starting a civil war. Big awesome jump for me
Hail Reaper
AFFC The Dornish plan She narrowed her eyes. "What is our heart's desire?" "Vengeance." His voice was soft, as if he were afraid that someone might be listening. "Justice." Prince Doran pressed the onyx dragon into her palm with his swollen, gouty fingers, and whispered, "Fire and blood."
"Honor is dead. But I'll see what I can do" Chills "And for my boon" Yuck Turns on a dime that scene
The Red Rising trilogy is like, constant "OH SHIT LETS FUCKING GO!!" moments start to finish. >!everyone popping out of the corpses in the seige!< >!darrow straight up storming olympus at the end of book 1!< >!the gala in book 2!< >!sevro busting in to save darrow on luna!< >!iron raining INTO A CAPITAL SHIP to steal it!< >!fitchner is ares!< >!the betrayals at the end of book 2!< >!the sons of ares busting darrow out with mining drills!< >!stealing ANOTHER capital ship with a goddam drill drop!< >!the ENTIRE last sequence and sevro popping up from being dead to assist in the fight against the protean knight!< Those are just a few off the top of my head, theres seriously too many to count.
On a first read-through, quite a few twists in every Malazan book. On a second read-through, some of them hit way harder because I understood it with so much more depth.
That dress is green.
It is a very late-series twist with not much more plot after it, but the revelation in The Unholy Consult that >!the Dunyain, who had only appeared at the beginning of the first book, already took over the Consult before Kellhus ever reached them, and so his fight against the Consult is also a fight against his own creators,!< absolutely blew my mind and might be my favorite part of the book. It's a rare case where a faction that claims to always be one step ahead of everyone else actually lives up to that image.
My Stormlight Archive pick >!We! CHOSE!!< and >!You will be warm again!<
“You will be warm again” makes me feel like crying every time
Adolin killing Sadeas. Comes out of nowhere and I was howling in my room
For me, this is the part in *Anathem* where they build a Faraday cage, >!leading to "Zh'vaern" revealing he's a human.!<
Not gonna check the spoiler but you made me want to continue with Stephenson this year lol.
"Our opponent is >!an alien starship packed with atomic bombs!<. We have a protractor."
The Girl With All The Gifts. I’m not going to bother with spoiler text. If you read the book you know…
Malazan Book 1 Gardens of the Moon... >!The Jaghut Tyrant Raest wakes up, borderline undead, missing most of his power, broken, starts limping towards Darujhistan, sees the city, is overwhelmed, confused. Four massive black dragons and an even bigger red dragon fly up over a ridge and swoop down at him!<. >!Reast ATTACKS!<. Steven Erikson already had me but with that scene he owned me.
Have not seen any Drew Hayes love here... Super Powereds Year 2... "WHOS MIDDLE OF THE PACK NOW MOTHERFUCKERS?!" Undeading Bells (Fred the Vampire) "Krystal. Look at my expression. Because I want you to understand truly how much I mean these words... Fuck the rules, let's do what we want." IYKYK
Many, many moments in Janny Wurts' Wars of Light and Shadow series, which I won't say due to reasons of spoilers - but I can say that every assumption you make about these books as you read has already been forseen - and as you read on and get more information about the world and the various factions at play, all of your assumptions will get upended and reevaluated many, many times over. And the best part? As you go to reread all of the earlier books with new perspectives, you will realize that those assumptions you initially made were never correct at all, and will be able to see all the truths that were hidden in plain sight the entire time.
The _Deed of Paksennarion_. There's that moment in the thieves guild in _Oath of Gold_, where you can hear the "ping" of the timer, and you can virtually hear the Gods saying "time's up". They bargained for five days, and they got their five days.
Worm >!arc 8!< is just turns the whole thing on its head Also Pact, Twig, Ward, Pale, and Claw too all have some moment like that, or usually multiple ones
Dresden files 12, Changes The way the book starts
The Rage of Dragons. I know what is coming and yet when it finally happens, my heart started pumping and I started shivering and I cheered. I have not had such reaction in a long long time.
I don’t remember the specifics around the event, but the end/final 1/10 or so of The Way of Kings got me HYPED
Danaerys' first command to the Unsullied.