Believe it or not, the series *does* contain heartwarming moments — though in many cases, to make later events all the more despairing...
The Darkness That Comes Before
- Achamian's friendship with Esmenet — a genuine bond between two souls outcast from their society, a prostitute and sorcerer — is more or less what gives them both a reason to live early on. As Esmenet realizes later in the series, after breaking his heart: "She was his morning."
- Despite being treated essentially as an abomination for being a sorcerer and an outsider even among the Mandate, Achamian is consistently decent to everyone he knows and displays a generally humane outlook amid the world's dire state. He strives to save it even knowing that he'll likely be damned for doing so in the end. Even those who have specifically repudiated him, such as Proyas, he sees the best in.
- Though his treatment of her is violent and abusive otherwise, Cnaiür shows an unusual degree of respect for Serwë when she kills one of the men hunting them and Kellhus, and even gives her a swazond for doing so, which suggests he views her in some way as an honorary Scylvendi.
The Warrior Prophet
- The first third or so of the book is probably the happiest section of the entire series, with Achamian, Esmenet and Xinemus living more or less in peace and Kellhus doing relatively little to manipulate them. Of particular note is the brief period where Achamian and Esmenet live together in the wilderness before the Holy War enters Fanim territory, during which they pronounce themselves husband and wife. That they reconciled to begin with, when Esmenet had thought herself abandoned by him, shows the love between them.
- During the battle of Anwurat, Cnaiür inexplicably goes out of his way to try to save the life of a woman and child he's never seen before while his own life is in immediate, mortal danger. Though he fails and doesn't seem to have understood his own actions, it's perhaps the first hint of genuine compassion beneath the monstrous facade he's built up in the thirty years since his betrayal by Moënghus.
- Though it's all manipulation on Kellhus's part, Esmenet's gratitude is palpable when he — claiming to act as a prophet of the God — rewrites scripture to remove its condemnation of prostitutes. For perhaps the first time in her life, she experiences hope of salvation and acceptance.
- Despite his betrayal by Kellhus and Esmenet, Achamian ultimately still values the world over his own heartbreak and humiliation and chooses to save Kellhus's life in order to prevent the Apocalypse, a show of strength and moral character almost unparalleled throughout the series regardless of whether it was the result of Kellhus's plans.
The Thousandfold Thought
- Esmenet comes to realize how badly she's hurt Achamian after reading the Sagas that document the First Apocalypse, thus understanding the horrific nightmares and onerous mission he's lived with for most of his life and how much he relied on her to survive them. Though she remains loyal to Kellhus, she seeks out Achamian and tries to reassure him in secret of his strength.
- Though their friendship takes a sharp downturn after their torture in the previous book, Achamian still stays by Xinemus's side as he dies, and it's the heartbreak over this loss that causes Achamian to finally turn against Kellhus after realizing that he did nothing to help his friend.
- A pair of Fanim civilians save Achamian's life after the battle of Shimeh, nursing him back to health despite him not only being a complete stranger and (as far as they know) Inrithi, but part of the army that's just spent months conquering their lands and slaughtering countless other Fanim for heresy.
The Judging Eye
- Mimara and Achamian's relationship is bizarre but touching, both of them essentially being the last support the other has in a world that's put both through Hell. Despite resenting each other in many ways, they eventually develop a bond, and by the end of the book it's apparent that they regard each other as surrogate family even if they won't openly admit it, with Achamian at one point referring to her as his daughter in the depths of Cil-Aujas, where she risks her life saving his.
- The friendship between Sorweel and Zsoronga, especially given their fraught circumstances and the vast gulf between their cultures. Despite all the Three Seas' many inequalities, two people from the opposite sides of the known world are still able to find common ground and support each other.
The White-Luck Warrior
- Achamian's inner monologue reveals that he's long ago forgiven Esmenet for her betrayal, showing that his hatred for Kellhus hasn't completely clouded his old feelings and his empathy for her as a fellow victim of his manipulation.
The Great Ordeal
- Koringhus commits an unthinkable act for a Dunyain: going out of his way to save his son's life despite the child being a defective (who the Dunyain would typically use as guinea pigs for study and experimentation).
The Unholy Consult
- It's heavily implied that Serwa develops genuine love for Sorweel, a massive development even for a half-Dunyain, whose emotions have thus far been either as heavily restricted as Kellhus's or actively malevolent and self-serving, as in the case of Inrilitas or Kelmomas.
- After first glimpsing Golgotterath, Achamian and Mimara spend a while just holding each other, taking comfort in one another's love in the face of such evil.
- Though it takes place in the worst circumstances, Zsoronga and Sorweel's sex is portrayed as a well-meaning effort to find escape after the horrors committed by the Ordeal.
- Achamian takes the time to comfort Proyas in his dying moments, despite the decades-old resentments, betrayal and abandonment between them.
- Achamian and Esmenet spend the battle of Golgotterath helping Mimara give birth, bringing their transformation into a kind of family full circle.
