Rg2045 Posted June 1, 2022 Posted June 1, 2022 So I’m on my 3rd reread of the SA and I’m doing it right after finishing mistborn era 1 and I can’t help but notice the similarities and differences between the two series. Namely how they both treat “the end of the world” narrative. In mistborn especially HoA the entire atmosphere is depressing as. People trying to survive something that is desperately trying to kill them. And when you take a step back you notice the fact that with all the deaths that they were fortunate to even have won. (this post i like, even with the confusion, it shows the true devastation that the people were dealing with. ) Stormlight handles things vastly different than mistborn. In stormlight the hero’s are able to fight back. Sure it’s a “hopeless” fight but the humans are able to push odium into a disadvantaged deal. Where as in mistborn Ruins purpose was to extinct everyone and everything. Odiums is to conquer and control. But here’s the thing we didn’t know that until book3-4 especially RoW when odium flat out says that he doesn’t want to kill off all of humankind( just use them as fodder for better soldiers (his words not mine)) for book 1,2 we are lead to believe that the desolations were catastrophes with the human race existence On the line. (Wile it was true for a few desolations it is not for the Final Desolation) So here is where the differences really are. mistborn era 1 is the death of scadrial (no more mistborns, no more keepers, vast parts of the population killed) and it’s rebirth Stormlight is the revival of Roshar. (the magic coming back, ancient enemies, cities, access to the CR) tldr: mistborn era 1 and stormlight are stories of the end of the world. One is the death of the world and the other is death of the current world. 3
Sjsharks93 Posted June 1, 2022 Posted June 1, 2022 I think a big difference here could come from the intentions of the Shards found on all sides of these conflicts. On Scadrial you have Preservation trying to fight off Ruin, but Preservation doesn't fight. That isn't in it's nature. It can't truly fight back against Ruin any more than it already has. Honor and Cultivation (or at least the powers set up by them) don't have any problems like that. Both are willing to help fight, and have taken a much more direct hand in the fighting with the Radiants and the Heralds both being created as a way to specifically fight the forces of Odium. And like you said, Odium didn't want to destroy the world. Even when we thought the sole goal of the voidbringers was to wipe out humanity, he still wanted a world to be left for his followers. Ruin is specifically trying to destroy everything, and he doesn't have any followers to leave anything behind for. And even if he did his very nature would make him want to destroy anyways. 3
Rg2045 Posted June 1, 2022 Author Posted June 1, 2022 6 hours ago, Sjsharks93 said: I think a big difference here could come from the intentions of the Shards found on all sides of these conflicts. On Scadrial you have Preservation trying to fight off Ruin, but Preservation doesn't fight. That isn't in it's nature. It can't truly fight back against Ruin any more than it already has. Honor and Cultivation (or at least the powers set up by them) don't have any problems like that. Both are willing to help fight, and have taken a much more direct hand in the fighting with the Radiants and the Heralds both being created as a way to specifically fight the forces of Odium. And like you said, Odium didn't want to destroy the world. Even when we thought the sole goal of the voidbringers was to wipe out humanity, he still wanted a world to be left for his followers. Ruin is specifically trying to destroy everything, and he doesn't have any followers to leave anything behind for. And even if he did his very nature would make him want to destroy anyways. Oh definitely the shards intentions are a big part of why stories play out they way they do. I just went back to read through the eyes of someone who read mistborn first. Because as someone who’s stormlight was my first cosmer book it feels like a fight that you know you’ll lose but have to keep fighting and now you are going to win(or at least draw) In mistborn it’s way more depressing by HoA, not much laughter, everyone fighting but just to survive till next year, having no idea how to win. So to me it felt like ok I can see how this could turn into mistborn 2.0 with the first two books of stormlight.
Ironwill2112 he/him Posted June 1, 2022 Posted June 1, 2022 I love both stories sooo storming much. Saze is da BOMB
cometaryorbit Posted June 1, 2022 Posted June 1, 2022 It's interesting to me that Honor's vision does suggest the destruction of Roshar. Did Odium's plans change since Honor's death, or is the vision misleading? Not necessarily false - the nothingness in the vision after the destruction of Kholinar (I think) could be symbolic of Odiums victory as he is "the Void" -- but at least misleading. But yeah, Ruin is basically entropy, his destruction is more "the world wearing out and falling apart" - ash killing crops, earthquakes and lava as the world begins to literally fall apart. Ruin uses koloss armies but they're not really the prime threat in HoA. Odium is hate/fury perhaps conflict in general.
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