First off...I am going to apologize for being MIA. It has been a pretty busy time for me right now, and I am trying to get into a sort of groove so that I can actually do the things that I really want to do. Like this blog. So without further ado....
Out of all the books that I have read, if I had to choose a book world to live in based off of the currency I would choose this one. In Roshar, or in other words that world. Nothing screams magical and amazing like their form of money. So picture it, it is a sphere that has a gem piece or shard in it, such as diamonds or emeralds. And not only is this pretty piece of gem suspended in this clear sphere...it GLOWS. It can be used as a source of light, a source of magic for those who can use it, and money. I would not want to spend any of it because of the sheer amazingness. And they range from being like the size of your thumb nail to a little bigger based off the value, and the gem inside is a different size in the bigger ones.
Outside of being able to use it to buy items, it is the most useful currency ever, especially if you either have a lot or have a few of the higher denominations. One scene that I really liked is described by Shallan when she is in the Paladeum (the giant library she is studying in). You have these little hidey hole cubby areas for you to sit in, and in the table in the center you can just poor your spheres into it and use them to read and study by.
The one problem is that as time goes on, the stormlight inside that makes them glow wears away. And that makes it a big issue when it comes to trying to spend them, because that would be a potential sign that if you are spending spheres that don't glow they might be counterfeit. However, that is not the end...in order to recharge the spheres you can either trade them in to someone who is able to determine what you have is not fake OR you leave them in a hopefully secure manner during those nasty storms I mentioned earlier. When you do that you risk either having them blow away, or some enterprising sneaky person comes out before you do and steals your spheres. And then you are extremely out of luck.
And in order to make this post a little longer...because I don't want to feel like a slacker and there is not much more I can say about the topic without pretty much just find the wiki page for this and pointing you to it. I mean come on, it is amazing glowing glass with gems inside...it really does speak for itself and the imagination brings it to life. Another scene that I thought was pretty interesting involving the spheres was during a memory chapter for Kaladan. It is late at night and he is up with his father when a group of people come in the night and bang on the door and when his father opens it they attempt to coerce him into giving them the money. The money in question is the money the late mayor left to them...with a little pushing from the father during the mayor's weakest moment. But anyways, the money was a substantial amount so that Kaladan could go away and become a surgeon. So his father goes to grab the giant bowl and throws off the blanket which causes a giant flash of light blinding those trying to intimidate them. And it reveals them to be those that they know and have taken care of and those fellow townsmen then run away.
One thing that I always wonder about, and maybe they mention it in the second book...but what the origins for the spheres are. I feel like it takes a lot of creativity to come up with the idea of a glass ball with a gem inside that holds light as a way to pay for goods. Or maybe it is possible that when more people could use the Stormlight for magic, and infused the gems in light that that was how it came about...or even a third option it started as a rechargeable light source, and the value in and of itself caused it to become a currency. This is something that I hope gets mentioned at some point.
Anyways, for those who celebrate Thanksgiving have a very nice and filling Thanksgiving. For those who do not, I hope you have just a nice day in general either by yourself or with family. And those who celebrate black friday, may the deals ever be in your favor.
No comments:
Post a Comment