The sheer scale of the world is outstanding. Roshar in The Stormlight Archive immediately wins this part of the competition for me.

It is difficult to compare the worldbuilding in these two epic fantasy series as it feels like cheating when they are a part of the same universe! For the most part, I will focus on the individual worlds we see in the books. Partly due to the fact that there are more characters, so we get to see a wide range of individuals come to life, but also because of the complexity in character that is so much more prevalent. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, the reader bonds a little with the characters that should, in more traditional fantasy, be regarded wholly with mistrust.Īs to which is better in regard to character, my personal opinion is that The Stormlight Archive just about wins.

Much like with Jamie Lannister in George R. The characters that are “bad” are complex, and we find ourselves understanding them and sometimes even considering that they might be right. The Stormlight Archive does not have a villain like that. If it was done poorly, we would call it a cliche. As an aside, because the twist on the dark lord was done well, we call it an archetype. The Dark Lord in Mistborn was designed to be a spin on that archetype, but he was still a dark lord. The primary difference in characters would be the villains. Similarly, Vin in The Final Empire and the following books must manage her mental health, so it does not overwhelm her. The Way of Kings introduces us to Kaladin as a slave, and we watch as he struggles with severe depression. There may be more individuals and additional points of view, but they are all just as well developed as Mistborn’s characters.Ī comparison is often made between Vin and Kaladin. Think more on the scale of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series. In The Stormlight Archive, the obvious difference is that the cast of characters is much larger. Brandon Sanderson explores mental health so well, especially with Vin and Kaladin. It is refreshing to see such strong, heroic characters in epic fantasy go through inner struggles that felt real. All develop well throughout their plots and add something unique to the story as a whole.

The Mistborn trilogy is full of unforgettable characters such as Vin, Kelsier, Breeze and Spook. We want to thank Tommye over at The Fantasy Review for answering the age old question: which Brandon Sanderson series is, well, simply better than the other? Is it to be Mistborn or The Stormlight Archive that reigns supreme? Well… let’s find out, shall we?

The stormlight archive series