Defining Characteristics: RH and ML

[Mervi]

The ML casts of characters seem to be smaller in numbers, and the problems that have to be solved are often (but not always!) only concerning the character in question and their immediate surroundings, not the fate of the entire world, like in the Hobb stories.
She has actually answered this question a few times that I can remember, most recently a couple of weeks ago in this French message board chat where she said:

I think the two pseudonyms tell very different types of stories. They certainly keep very different LiveJournals.
When I get an idea for a story, it's very easy to tell if it's a Hobb or Lindholm story. Lindholm tends to be a bit darker and more cynical. Hobb is more epic, emotional and detailed.

I had never thought about ML as cynical, I need to keep that idea in mind next time I read one of those stories and see if I can find that tone. What do you all think?