Included in The Malazan Empire collection are Steven Erikson's books: Gardens of the Moon Deadhouse Gates Memories of Ice House of Chains Midnight Tides The Bonehunters Reaper's Gale Toll the Hounds Dust of Dreams The Crippled God
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Steven Erikson is the pseudonym of Steve Rune Lundin, a Canadian novelist, who was educated and trained as both an archaeologist and anthropologist. His best-known work is the series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen.
Hands down my favorite fantasy series ever. Be warned, at first it is confusing and seems random, but if you bear with it, you will be rewarded. A couple of key points for potential readers:
1) Nothing is trivial. Some first time readers complain that the writing is sub par at first glance, but it isn't, it only seems so until you realize that Erikson rarely wastes words, and pretty much anything on the page is relevant, you just may not realize it yet.
2) Characters will not give themselves away (this goes for plots as well). Never is a character's personality or motivations spelled out in absolutes. They must be judged by the reader through their actions. A character may muse on another character's qualities or their own, but every character is fallible, never take a point of view for granted. Characters can be introspective, sometimes to the point where a reader may want to skip, but there are often profound repercussions on the character's actions, and characters will sometimes seem to be acting paradoxically to their thoughts, but this only makes the characters more realistic. A character's thoughts may give you some insight, but like real people, actions speak louder than words.
3) Your first read through will be woefully incomplete. Even in my third reread of the series I found pieces that I missed, changing my whole view of related events.
All books written by both Steven Erikson and Ian C. Esslemont about Malazan world. And I'm reading them chronologically. That's it. I told you there's nothing to see here. Except the list of 30 books. But you probably aren't interested in it.
Late in 2017 authors themselves suggested chronological reading order. Which, of course, caused a lot of stir among fandom. Because, obviously fandom being fandom, always knows better than creators themselves, right? :D
But seriously. There were some fair criticisms out there. About spoilers, about key plots being ruined, even about boosting sails... Overall, fans simply, out of love for these series, expressed concern that new readers, who decided to follow that reading order, won't have that same phenomenal experience as they did.
So, I decided to test this, to tweak my 'Suggested by Fans' reading order and adapt it to that of which authors prefer.
My opinion, since I'm on half of it?
New readers: Move away from this reading order and start with nothing else but Gardens of the Moon, first book in Malazan Book of the Fallen series and then continue onward by the order books were published.
Fans: If you like puzzles, you'll like this suggested chronological reading order. Various parts of history are scattered all around in unfinished trilogies and new series and whatnot. And you get to collect them, all the way to crescendo of Crippled God, final book of the series, and you get to see complete picture. That's not necessarily the same picture you have seen for the first time.
Steven Erikson, in his Malazan Book of the Fallen, a series stretching to 10 books and 9000 pages, has created an essentially unknowable world into which viewers are allowed intermittent flashes. He does not invite you to take a journey alongside him, but throws a challenge to stay abreast and only the worthy shall pass, but for those who persist, an experience of a lifetime awaits. Imagine a world replete with a multitude of races, civilizations, realms, gods and magic systems and being thrust into it to fend for yourself as you go along. There is no single protagonist and not one character can be said to have had more than 1% of the proverbial screen time. But there is a pantheon of memorable characters each of who is allowed a thread in a very complex weave. There is no clear battle lines between good and evil. Even the mortality of humans, the divinity of gods and the difference between life and death is not black and white but one enormous gray and the darkest characters are given motivations that you can not only comprehend but actually sympathize with. The sheer verbosity of several characters and the conversations between some epic duos is like a ballet with all its elegance and finesse. The philosophy behind the seemingly carelessly thrown around words, should have been a matter of pride for a whole school of thought, never mind an individual person. The series combines the world building of 'A Wheel of Time', the sense of reality of 'A Song of Ice and Fire' and the epic quality of 'A Dark Tower' and then exceeds them all in every aspect in such a manner to stand all on its own. It may never have the following or fame associated with some of the other fantasy series. It might not even be my personal favorite for the sheer effort it demands of the reader but there is no denying that the author has managed to deliver a work which has taken the genre to a whole different level.
As a little background, I finished reading the Wheel of Time (my favourite piece of work) and was seeking an equally epic saga to fill the void that was left behind. After much research, it seemed that the consensus around the internet was that The Malazan Book of the Fallen was the way to go. It was touted as a harder read but ultimately just as satisfying as WoT, if not more so. So with hope and excited anticipation, in I jumped.
The first book was hard going as expected, with a myriad of characters and themes introduced but I happily turned page after page, in full confidence that all the vague references and convoluted connections would iron themselves out over time as they tend to do. A slight alarm bell did ring - it seemed that far less was resolved within the first book than I was used to, but again, I chalked this down to the fact that this was meant to be a more challenging read and therefore to be expected.
Book 2 was worse and I frequently found myself frustrated at the pace of writing and the focus on seemingly meaningless scenes, internal monologues and themes. Again, I ignored my gut and ploughed on in confidence.
Before talking about how the rest of the books started to pan out, I'll add a note here on Erikson's style (in this saga at least). A great deal of the material is written as internal character monologues. Which of course, any fantasy reader would be used to. What is different is how these characters are often not musing about anything concrete - e.g. opinions on other characters, plans, decisions that need to be made, moral quandaries, etc. Rather, they muse in a very abstract way and the reader has to put a LOT of effort in to deduce how this relates to anything else in the book. I suspect that it often isn't meant to link to anything per se, but to reveal to the reader the inner psyche of these characters. Now that may not sound daunting to you, but when pretty much ALL internal monologues are of this nature and worse, seem to follow the same theme of "my life is awful; life is meaningless; what's the point in anything", it starts to get pretty wearying.
Onto Book 3 - here, the pace seemed to pick up and I became excited. Actually, Book 3 is probably my favourite of the 9 I've read. There was less of what I talked about above, and more tangible inner monologues, decisive action and clear meaningful character development.
Book 4 introduced more characters, but some were interesting and seemed to be important and the book was written in the style of Book 3 so I was a happy bunny.
Book 5 seemed to take another tack yet again, but I persevered.
Book 6 - a mixed bag, but more good than bad and I started to guess at the direction of the series.
Another side point here - I'm 90% of the way through the series and I still don't know where the book is heading, who the main antagonist(s) REALLY is/are or whether there is supposed to be one at all. Maybe that's because I'm a simple minded reader and I like to know the direction I'm heading in, but if you're like me, you will probably be frustrated for that reason too.
Book 7 is where things really started to go wrong - very wrong - for me personally. Books 7, 8 and 9 were 3,000 odd pages of what I disliked most about the series: seemingly aimless wandering of thoughts and deeds with characters I REALLY struggled to care about one jot. And that was for the main characters. Add to that the fact that you're often following class C and below characters and it becomes a chore rather than a joy to pick up the books.
Something kept me going - namely, a faith in all the people on the web that had recommended this series, a faith that it just had to turn around and build to an exciting climax. My faith was not rewarded. By Book 9, you'd expect the build up to be exciting and gripping. It's not.
So now, with just 1.25 books left, I'm giving up. I get that some people may like this style (honestly, I can't fathom how, but difference of opinion is what makes the world wonderful after all), but for anyone like me who likes a more traditional build up of characters and themes throughout a series, this is NOT FOR YOU.
To anyone in the middle of the series who is of a similar mindset to me but has been encouraged by Books 3 and 4 (possibly 5), let me stress that Books 7-9 will leave you feeling disappointed and angry.
I really, really wanted to like this series and to recommend it to others. But I can't; I just can't.
So if any of the above doesn't put you off, please go ahead and enjoy yourself, but if you're like me, do yourself a favour, AND DO NOT PICK UP THIS SERIES.
While thinking about writing a review abut this series, a quote by one of my favourite authors, Stephen King, comes to mind - “The most important things are the hardest to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them -- words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they're brought out. But it's more than that, isn't it? The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you've said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That's the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear.” A risk in writing a review for this series is that you might end up using only superlatives and random expressions that end up making no sense whatsoever. But, I'll try anyway. I will not be divulging any spoilers, so this review is meant for people who haven’t read it yet and want to know what they are getting into. It’s also quite lengthy in nature. To begin with, nobody recommended me this book. No one I knew had ever read it. Just found it on Goodreads and the premise looked interesting. Actual Gods warring with each other in a world filled with mortals. Also, I was really amused by the number of reviews that had an edit saying that after the first reread the series was so much better. I never had the slightest bit of problem in understanding Inception. Thought it would be something similar here.
First impressions I knew from the very start of Chapter 1 of GOTM (Gardens of the Moon) that this was a different beast. The author doesn’t explain anything. You are just put into this foreign world with Gods walking and its own unique magic system and its own history without any information or background whatsoever. You are always catching up, trying to make the barest sense of it all, just to remain in the story. I had never experienced such a writing style before. In the Wheel of Time and Harry Potter and Sanderson’s books, normally the protagonist is as clueless as us at first and as things are explained to him/her gradually, we get a deeper understanding. Here, there was no single protagonist. And some of the characters we were following were millennia old and were making grandiose schemes, all the while not bothering to explain anything.
The number of characters Harry Potter has a fair number of characters. A Song of Ice and Fire(ASOIAF) had characters spread across 7 kingdoms and various continents. But, it was still possible to remember them all. Wheel of Time took it a step further. There was a huge amount of characters spread across various nations and groups. And, more than that each of these nations or group was a microcosm in itself with its own individual history, politics, culture and traditions. WoT (unlike ASOIAF) actually defined them in quite a huge amount of detail. MBOTF is not on any radar in terms of the number of characters. The number of species, maybe! Humans were preceded by at least 4 distinct Elder Species. And then there are so many Peoples. Some having millennia of history and their own realms and rivalries and of course their own Gods. To ensure that it is all incomprehensible, the author even threw in inter species breeding creating their own mixed blood species or peoples. Also note that while humans have the normal life span, some of the individuals of these species have a normal lifespan of millennia, while some characters may be immortal altogether. In fact, one of the prologues begins with a heading similar to this 345,678 years before this particular event! And some of the characters present there are still alive and kicking!
The complex story line If all of this was not confusing enough. The series broadly follows story lines on three distinct continents. So, if one were to somehow finish GoTM and still feel confident enough to begin the second one, he would be sorely disappointed. None of the characters from GoTM make it to the second one (actually, I believe one character does), as it follows the second continent and the characters present there. It’s like a nightmare. There are again a ton of new characters, a complex story with no explained background. The second book has an insane ending and you just want to read more. Sadly, the third novel follows the first one and not the second. The second is followed by the fourth one in the series. And, now you are almost at the halfway mark and are about to begin the fifth novel. Sadly, the nightmare has returned with none of the characters in the previous four novels making it to the fifth one (again, I believe two minor characters return) which takes place entirely on the third continent. Entirely new characters, new Peoples, etc. The world-building sort of ends with the fifth novel. These three story lines start merging from the sixth one. That does not mean new characters stop getting added. Now, each novel has roughly only the cast of the HP series added every novel from the sixth one. Still not daunted? Did I mention that sometimes the characters that you finally get accustomed to die (yet are still active) or “ascend” and assume a new name or just get a new one after a particular event or may simply be known by multiple names by different Peoples.
Unreliable narrators Just don’t think something is true just because the POV of a character says so. That is only the opinion of that particular character. It may or may not be true. Always take it with a grain of salt. In fact, a particular series of events may look entirely different from the POVs of different characters. Interestingly, one of the most important characters in the entire series does not get even a single POV lest we may start to get the right idea about things.
Complex magic system The series has a very complex magic system that is difficult to explain even after completing the series. It’s the exact opposite of Sanderson’s. Also, Gods are not as powerful or invulnerable as one might think. In fact “Don’t mess with mortals” is an idea frequently repeated in the series. Gods get taken down and sometimes new Gods take their place in the pantheon. And sometimes people just “ascend”, which is somewhere in between. SO, WHY READ IT? None of the points mentioned above are meant to dissuade you from reading it. It’s meant to prepare you for the experience that is the MBotF. It’s a hard, difficult, frustrating journey that is oh so rewarding.
The sheer scope of the story If the number of species or people or years were not enough, the story does not take place in a single world. You may suddenly find yourself on a planet that has two moons or five suns! The story encompasses realms! Also, just think about a character that has lived for a hundred thousand years, all of them eventful. The entire human history covers just the last 5000 years. Think about how many civilizations and empires that person would have seen rise and fall. He would have seen empires built upon the ruins of others only to be grounded to dust again. Here is where Erikson brings his archaeology aspect to the fore by actually making the reader realize the weight of history and the enormity of time.
Shades of grey It would be wrong to say that there are no black and white characters in this book. Many characters in this book are pure evil while a few are pure gold. But, have you even begin to wonder what a dementor (from HP) feels or thinks? Or a trolloc (from WoT) or an orc (from LotR). I don’t think the thought even crossed your mind (at least it never crossed mine). There is a demon in the first novel that only gets a couple of lines. But, you remember him for the rest of the books. That is the power of Erikson’s writing. Then. there are a couple of demons who feel homesick and are farmers in their world and just want to get back to their families. Erikson manages to flesh out a character more in a couple of lines that other authors may not be able to do in entire novels. Even the big bad villains may not be pure evil either. Erikson doesn’t just magically turn them into heroes. He does something far more difficult. He makes you empathise with them and understand their motives.
The sheer epicness The first major scene of the first novel starts with a siege being laid to a city which is defended by a city-sized flying castle. Most of the novels end with a WoTesque climax that is often referred to as a convergence as in “power draws power”. However, Erikson doesn’t need Gods or dragons (yes, they exist!) or flying castles to make his scenes epic. He can do it just as easily with mere mortals.
Schools of thought An author is considered pretty successful if he is able to fully explore, define and articulate one school of thought in his career. Erikson tosses out these schools of thought, each more profound than the last, like chips at a poker game. It’s quite hard to believe that these are the words and thoughts of a single man. Many of his later novels in the series are in fact criticized for being very heavy in philosophy. Erikson also deals with many contemporary themes that one can relate to, from the costs that human exact upon their surroundings to the apathy that comes with civilization to the pitfalls of a nation built seeing only money as value.
Themes explored Although, the book series belong to the epic war fantasy genre, it explores a variety of themes. From handling complex plots and plans that may have hatched by literal Gods and may have been hundreds of thousands of years in making, to handling the most basic of all themes like courage, duty, friendship, love and compassion. There will be sections which will seem to be tailor made for the world we live in today exploring contemporary themes. The series also actually treats all its characters equally, irrespective of race, religion and gender. The series does not shy away from asking religious, ethical, moral or metaphysical questions. While at some places, this series will surely make you cry or look away in horror, many big sections are actually comic in nature.
Characters It may not be wrong to say that one of the biggest strengths of the series are its characters. Having a humongous cast, hundreds of characters have been fleshed out clearly while thousands have been touched upon. These characters, which may include immortals, Gods, soldiers or the common man walking on the street, have their own histories, agendas, motivations, moral compasses and reasons for doing various things. Plus, this series has the most amazing duos! From Kalam Mekhar and Quick Ben, and Karsa Orlong and Seren Pedac, to Bugg and Tehol, and Cotillion and Shadowthrone. Wait, I forgot Icarium and Mappo! There are so many! You will laugh and cry at these duos as well as love them with all your heart.
To summarize this huge review, I would like to reiterate that the earlier points are not critical in nature, but were meant to inform you how daunting it is to read this series. It is not to be taken lightly as it will consume a huge amount of your time, energy as well as mind. I did read the series again and it was a lot more comprehensible and rewarding the second time around. I think I’ll reread it once again. Almost anything comes down to “Is it worth the effort?” MBotF will demand more effort than you can ever prepare yourself for. But, it does deliver spectacularly! Making it all worth it and more.
The Malazan Book of the Fallen is one of the greatest epic fantasies of all time.
Grim, beautiful, anguished, hopeful, brutal, hilarious, and more. Characters so vivid they live beyond the pages. Triumphs and tragedies - sometimes one and the same. All told with wonderful writing.
The scope and scale makes Game of Thrones (which I enjoy) seem parochial and lightweight.
This story belongs on the same shelf as Lord of the Rings, the Fionavar Tapestry, The Once and Future King, Hobb's Assassin (Farseer Trilogy), Zelazny's Amber, and The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.
The Malazan tales may not be for everyone. There are horrible things in them - you've been warned. But they are handled very, very well. It is all redeemed.
Definetely 5 stars, maybe more. An unconventional, smart, complex, titanic in scale fantasy Epic, spanning two empires, four continents and countless characters, from street urchins and soldiers to Gods and Primordial powers. It is mostly arcane, with the writer offering very little clarifications, instead it tells you all you need to know through half-told words, stories and excerpts from texts, often answering questions books before they come up in the story.This can sometimes be frustrating (even towards the ending some fundamental answers are left unsaid even though they are revealed in little scenes) but also it is very rewarding when the answer dawns on you. The prose is okeyish and gets better but nothing impressive. My pet peeve is the fact that every character philosophises all the time, often making reading the book a burden. But soldiering through gets rewarded with some of the most EPIC scenes in the fantasy genre. The conclusion to the Chain of Dogs from deadhouse gates must be the best scene in the entire genre.
Overall, a real classic series aimed at people who have read quite a bit of fantasy and want something off the beaten track. A true epic narrative for all fantasy fans willing to ignore the non-linear plot, the tons of characters that philosofise all the time and the lack of clear explenations in order to read the most original and grand scale fantasy series out there
It was January 1st, and I had just returned from a New Year celebration. I found myself on a train, traveling back to my hometown after a memorable party. It had been a year since I began my reading journey, exploring different books and genres. Although I had enjoyed my reading experience so far, I felt a strong pull towards the world of fantasy. A friend had once mentioned that fantasy novels were not just ordinary books, but a unique experience. Intrigued by the challenge, I decided to delve into the realm of fantasy. Two years ago, while browsing Reddit, I stumbled upon a discussion about the greatest fantasy novels of all time. Opinions varied, with some praising "The Lord of the Rings" and others favoring "A Song of Ice and Fire." Among the countless suggestions, one series stood out: Malazan. The name sounded amusing, and I couldn't help but wonder what this mysterious series had to offer. Curiosity piqued, I delved deeper into the online world, reading posts and reviews that overwhelmingly praised the Malazan series. However, I also came across a comment suggesting that Malazan might not be the ideal starting point for a fantasy enthusiast. It was recommended to read other foundational series first, such as Joe Abercrombie's works, to better grasp the genre. Nevertheless, the name "Malazan" had already etched itself into my mind, and I couldn't shake off the desire to explore this intriguing world. In the following year, I embarked on my fantasy reading journey, starting with the beloved Harry Potter series, which had captivated me since childhood. It was a nostalgic and delightful experience. Next, I delved into George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, a sprawling epic filled with intricate world-building, compelling characters, and political intrigues. Although I cherished this journey, I yearned for a fantasy series that delved deeper into the realm of magic, challenging me to unravel its mysteries. After completing these series, I once again found myself drawn to the name that had captivated my attention before: Malazan. Opinions on the series were polarized, with some hailing it as the pinnacle of fantasy, praising its world-building, complex multiple points of view, and the unparalleled magic system it introduced. However, there were also dissenting voices, claiming that the series was confusing, convoluted, and difficult to connect with. One comment caught my eye, stating that the Malazan series was like life itself – a journey filled with highs and lows, confusion, and ultimately, a profound connection of all the scattered dots. Intrigued by this notion, I decided to cast aside the opinions and dive into the Malazan series, disregarding any external influence. Allow me to share a brief background about myself. I am a 26-year-old Indian, not a native English speaker, and a budding reader. I also run a struggling business, trying to make ends meet. Over the past two years, I have embarked on a personal quest to explore the deeper truths of life through reading philosophical works by various thinkers. Little did I know that a fantasy series would provide me with insights into the profound aspects of life that no philosopher had managed to convey. On that particular night, as I embarked on a train journey, ready to immerse myself in the world of Malazan, I had a copy of the first book, "Gardens of the Moon," in hand. The initial 50 pages left me bewildered and lost, as if I had been dropped into an unknown continent with unfamiliar characters and events unfolding. I struggled to make sense of it all. Frustration set in, and I closed the book, deleting it from my Kindle. I even wrote a painful negative comment on Goodreads, vowing never to touch the series again. It was a disheartening experience, and for a week, I couldn't bring myself to read anything. In an attempt to confirm my decision, I watched several negative reviews of the Malazan series. Yet, deep down, I yearned for a captivating fantasy world. I scoured YouTube for alternative book recommendations but found no solace. Giving up on a series without even finishing the first book felt like a personal defeat, a cowardly act that I couldn't bear. So, against my doubts and hesitations, I decided to give Malazan another chance. Luckily, I stumbled upon the beautiful guidebook slides created by the 'Ten Very Big Books' team. Armed with this guide, I embarked on my second attempt at reading the series, and within eight days, I devoured "Gardens of the Moon." It was a delightful experience. Slowly but surely, I began to grasp the intricacies of the world Erikson had crafted. To aid my understanding, I downloaded a map of the Malazan Empire, which served as a valuable reference. The characters came to life, and I found myself enthralled by the secrecy of Quick Ben, the majesty of Anomander Rake, and the skills of Kalam. Kruppe's enchanting prose became my favorite aspect of the series. With each passing chapter, my initial confusion dissipated, and as I reached the end of the first book, it felt like a solid foundation had been laid for the grand journey to come. The book introduced numerous concepts, leaving them open for exploration in the subsequent installments. The final battle was both satisfying and filled with foreshadowing, teasing the epic tale that awaited. As I eagerly delved into the second book, "Deadhouse Gates," I found myself transported to a different continent within the Malazan world: the Seven Cities. Here, rebellion and uprisings against the mighty Malazan Empire took center stage. New characters were introduced, each playing a crucial role in the unfolding narrative. The world-building once again impressed me, and the magic system expanded, particularly through the exploration of warrens. However, it was the legendary "Chain of Dogs" storyline that captivated me the most. Who would have thought that military tactics and principles could be blended so seamlessly with fantastic fiction, creating a compelling and poignant tale? High Fist Coltaine's character touched my heart, and the philosophy of sacrifice and unwavering determination resonated deeply. The third book, "Memories of Ice," transported me back to the Genebackis continent, where I witnessed the horrors and wonders of a world in turmoil. The enigmatic character Kruppe continued to weave his beautiful tales, captivating me with every word. This book marked a turning point in the series, expanding its scope and delving further into the magic system. The concepts of Destriant, Shield-Anvil, and Mortal Sword intrigued me, as they presented a unique perspective on the relationships between gods and mortals. The intricate portrayal of how gods are shaped by their worshipers and how the whims of believers shape the gods themselves fascinated me. "Memories of Ice" explored the devastation and atrocities of war, delving into the twisted depths of the human mind driven by a thirst for power and violence. Whiskeyjack emerged as a beloved character, and the book delved into the intricate web of manipulation between gods and humans. It became my favorite book in the series, until… The fourth book, "House of Chains," showcases the writer's mastery of storytelling. He takes a bold approach by focusing on a single point of view for the first quarter of the book, a display of pure storytelling prowess. Through the character of Karsa Orlong, a warrior on a personal journey of self-discovery, we witness profound truths about the world unfold. He traverses continents, enslaves others, and even becomes a slave himself. Meanwhile, in the city of Seven Cities, the rebellion against the mighty Malazan Empire takes a drastic turn, and we are introduced to the majestic character of Tavore Paran. Karsa Orlong's storyline became my favorite, as it imparts valuable life lessons, teaching us how an individual's perspective can be transformed for the betterment of humanity. The fifth book, "Midnight Tides," truly deserves its own series, perhaps even a trilogy, as it introduces a completely new world. We are transported to the empire of Letheras, where a mysterious species resides, possessing their own unique rituals, magic, and concepts. It is a frozen continent, not in the literal sense, but frozen to such an extent that even the gods cannot bless their worshipers. The people are devoid of gods and salvation, and the path of Hood, the god of death, is closed. This book delves into the intricate concepts of politics, cunning, and the abuses of power that can occur when a civilization devoid of fear of the divine believes it can act without consequences. It also explores the themes of slavery and ownership, drawing parallels to modern-day ideologies such as capitalism, communism, and democracy. In the sixth novel, "The Bonehunters," we return to the Seven Cities, where a formidable army is assembled to suppress and defeat the uprising led by Shaik. This book is a military marvel, showcasing how a determined military force defies all odds to achieve what is necessary for the betterment of the world. We are introduced to a host of characters who leave a lasting impact until the end. The final 200 pages of this book will undoubtedly reshape your perspective on world politics. The victorious army that conquered a continent is met with hostility in their own city, leading the Bonehunters to become an independent force. The bravery displayed by Kalam in his efforts to save Tavore Paran is a sequence that resonates deeply. It teaches us invaluable lessons about the importance of brotherhood, belief, trust, and sacrifice. "Reaper's Gale," the seventh book, takes us back to the continent of Lether, now under the occupation of the mighty yet foolish Tiste Edur. This installment provides profound insights into the politics of a city and the individuals who exploit political power at the expense of others. The dynamic duo of Tehol and Bugg never fails to delight readers, showcasing the challenges faced by an indifferent ruler and disinterested ministers in their quest to govern an empire. It reminds us that not everyone who desires to rule is capable of effectively leading an empire—it is a challenging art in itself. And now we arrive at "Toll the Hounds," my personal favorite in the series. Not for Kruppe's delightful ramblings, although I could listen to him all day. This book embodies the true essence of the writer's vision: compassion. Every character, whether good or bad, demonstrates their capacity for compassion towards their city, loved ones, friends, and even foes. Some characters go to great lengths, even sacrificing their own lives, to embody this one quality—compassion. It's no wonder that Steve referred to this book as the "cipher" for the entire series. "Toll the Hounds" takes us back to the beloved continent of Genebackis, where significant events unfold, convergences occur, and loose ends from previous books are masterfully tied together. The sacrifices and acts of bravery by various characters in the final chapters are truly remarkable, leaving an indelible mark on your reading journey. This book serves as a closure for many storylines, leaving only the most essential and significant elements for the ultimate showdown. The final two books, "Dust of Dreams" and "The Crippled God," combine to form a grand epic, spanning a vast scale. "Dust of Dreams" introduces us to the concept of suffering, both inflicted by humans in the name of god and endured by the gods in their pursuit of worshippers. While some may find the part involving the 'snake' to be less captivating, for me, it stands as one of the most enlightening sequences in the entire book. The concluding chapters of "Dust of Dreams" feature some of the most exhilarating battle sequences in the entire series. "The Crippled God" employs straightforward storytelling and worldbuilding techniques. Everything begins to fall into place, and within these pages, you will gain a profound understanding of one of the greatest characters in the series, Tavore Paran. She possesses something that everyone should strive to have, even if only in fragments: compassion. Fiddler, who emerges as a fatherly figure to all, including us readers, imparts invaluable lessons about the importance of patience, love, and sacrifice. Ultimately, "The Crippled God" challenges us to acknowledge that there is no absolute good or bad, but rather, compassion must triumph above all. I realize that I have only scratched the surface, describing merely 1% of the series. My writing abilities can only do so much justice. However, the lessons I have gleaned from the journey are immeasurable. This series has aged me half a year, leaving me with newfound perspectives and principles that have undoubtedly made me a better person. Steven Erikson, one of the most underappreciated individuals on this planet, is a true wonder. In just a single lifetime, and within the span of ten years through this series, he has crafted a monumental world with countless stories. What astounds me even more is his ability to comprehend and convey profound concepts regarding the deeper aspects of life and philosophy, profoundly impacting the lives of his readers. He has unquestionably changed my life and transformed the way I think. I will forever be grateful for this. I hope that one day, I will have the opportunity to shake Mr. Erikson's hand and express my heartfelt appreciation for the immense impact he has had. He is truly a master of his craft. As a boy who once struggled to read English novels, completing a series of thousands of pages is an immense victory for me. This series has left me in awe, and I can confidently say that I am a changed person. I never imagined that I would be fortunate enough to encounter such a remarkable work in my lifetime. I must not forget to acknowledge the incredible "Malazan Empire" Facebook community. I do regret discovering this community late in my reading journey. At the time of discovering the Facebook group, I was engrossed in "House of Chains." To all the members of the community, you have been an integral part of my journey, accompanying me until the very end. I will forever hold each and every one of you in my heart. A special thank you goes to the moderators for their dedication and efforts in fostering such a remarkable community. Also ‘Beak is a sweetheart’
Ok. Here goes. (EDIT: and goes. 3/1 Edit: and goes. 3/4 EDIT: and goes.)
I cannot decide if this "book" (aka, the entire series, but I purchased as a single Kindle "book") deserves 2 stars or 3 stars... or -12 or 17. And it is clear (if you're reading this, you probably have seen the multitude of 5-star ratings and reviews) that *a lot* of people love this series. And they love it... *a lot.*
So.
Yeah.
¬_¬
The first thing you need to know is that this is epic. EPIC. If someone was like, "I need to know what 'Epic' means, and I thought reading, like, the Mahabharata would help, but after tearing through that in, like, one afternoon, I thought, 'Hmmmmm, I still don't get it,' can you help me?" then you would give them this and then they would know.
And the thing about super-duper-epically-Epics is that you have to (1) be super ambitious and (2) really know where you want to go with it and (3) write at the pinnacle of "your craft" and (4) not wallow in fucking pathos 499.379 days out of 500. And TCMBotF is probably (1). (3/1 EDIT: Maybe (2). People tell me (3).)
The other thing about TCMBotF is that Erikson is definitely trying to tell you things. He's got messages. Sometimes this seems clear (e.g., "neoliberal capitalism is bad" seems like a pretty evident message in particularly one+a couple more book). Sometimes it seems less clear, but probably benefits from that complication (e.g. "Empires are terrible... but maybe not always, absolutely... and even if they are terrible, that doesn't mean what came before them was good... in fact, there's a good chance that was terrible, too. So maybe empires can be good, sort of, sometimes. Perhaps, sometimes, even necessary.")
Sometimes... WTF? It's all just drowning in pathos, pathos, PATHOS.
And for a book that has Messages, it *extremely* often falls into the Fantasy/SF/Action Movie trap of the bad guys being really, irredeemably bad. Like, this guy isn't just a cold pragmatist. He's bad. But not just bad, he's a pedophile. But not just a pedophile, he's into torturing kids and then (it is intimated) letting them go so they can live their lives... BROKEN and IN PAIN. Mwahahahahaa!
And books 8, 9, and 10 are especially heavy in the sense of Suffering! The Suffering! The Sacrifice! The Pathos! The repeated multi-page italicized narrative monologues! (Though the kiddy torture is more book 2, but I think at that point I was still powering through with high expectations of a pay-off.)
I mean, if you like verbose pathos... no, that's not it. If you read Moby Dick and thought, "Needs more talk about whales and whaling and stuff," but then you thought, "Whales are lame, what this should be about is pathos," and then you finished that book and thought, "But, wait, that's it? Where's the suffering?" then this is for you.
And by the end of it... bleh. For the series ending, why did I read books 1 through maybe 5 or 6? They have almost no relevance. For all the impact they (don't) have on the ending, they could have just been summed up. But, nope, you read 5,000 or 6,000 or maybe 7,000+ pages for what amounts to backstory to the big reveal... PATHOS! Redemption, kinda... but then PATHOS!
So, yeah. Overall, I left this feeling really disappointed. I "liked" it, sort of, but almost in spite of itself. I clung, desperately, to the parts I liked. I liked the crazy-ambitious world-building. I liked the attempt at complicating some "typical" narratives (even the smashing of neoliberal capitalism gets a few wrinkles thrown in, if only very sparsely.)
I didn't like the meandering path the whole thing takes (I get that it was written as separate books, and maybe was never intended to have an overarching single narrative, but...) and probably would have preferred the final books to be "just one more installment" rather than an attempt to draw some kind of grand meaning from it all. I didn't like that the characters were so "one-dimensional" (there are maybe three characters in this whole series, even though there are approximately 1000 names) and I get the sense that some of that was actually on purpose. (3/1 EDIT: and I will note that I have heard/read a number of people discuss how rich the characters are, but I really disagree. 250 pages spent telling you how conflicted someone is isn't rich. That's just 250 pages telling you *one &$#@! thing.*)
Did I mention pathos? And the verbosity? The pathological verbotical verbotiousness pathosiousness of it all? And wallowing. I said wallowing somewhere, right?
Sigh.
3/1 EDIT: a couple of weeks later, bumping from 2 stars to 3 stars. For all its *multiple* issues, for my utter distaste for grimdark/*pathos*, for the many pages of wasted text (no, I promise you, every word was not significant, Malazan fans)... it's just a freaking towering accomplishment. Uggh.
Additional 3/1 EDIT: I also think some of my distaste for the books is just distaste for some of the content/messaging/POVs. E.g. a recurring thread is that, perhaps paraphrasing too much, "Civilization is built on a lot of artificiality and unfairness and even brutality." Or, if you want it in quip form, "Civilization is uncivilized." So, yeah, there is a kind of deep truth to that. But there is also a kind of "this is the thing your high friend from sophomore year would constantly talk about and you kind of rolled your eyes even then." And, as with everything Malazan, it's like (making a number up) 500 pages of that. Which is ~5% of the book/series. So maybe it shouldn't count too much... But.
3/4 EDIT: Seriously considering bumping back down to 2-stars. I continue to stew on how I feel about this series, and I hesitate to rate 2-stars because (1) how grand in scope and ambition it really is and (2) the fact that it is causing me to stew this much. I'm back to thinking 2-stars because I realize how much I dislike some things. First off, grimdark is not my thing. Apparently. Second, and I think separately if still relatedly, the POV/worldview/philosophy/etc. that *could* be described as "all is broken" or "all is fallen" or maybe just "it's all shit"... ehh, I think that is fundamentally attractive to a whole segment of people (swaths of progressives, swaths of young people, swaths of "old white men," etc.) but it just clashes with my... well, everything; my POV/worldview/philosophy/etc. And you know, I guess, at the end, redemption, sort of... I guess? Maybe? Third, I think the worldbuilding here is both a great accomplishment... and the thing that ate everything else. Would you like to sit down and read a 10-volume history of the planet Earth, from the rise of Hominids through the multiple present conflicts in the world, skimming over everything, but then diving into a handful of individuals with inside-their-head level detail stretching to hundreds of pages? If yes, then this is (kind of?) for you. If you register some doubts as to whether such a thing could hang together without becoming "just one damn thing after another," diving from one story to another while not ever really telling a story, overall... yeah, then you anticipate the feeling I have now.
And the thing is, I've now spent multiple days thinking about this, I've even watched a couple of YouTube videos where people discuss, including an interview with Erikson... and... This is just a flop, for me. There. I think I've finally digested it (for today.) 2-stars.
Una saga epic fantasy che ha conquistato uno stuolo di lettori in tutto il mondo, eccovi spiegati in maniera sintetica ed efficace pregi e difetti. https://piumaecalamaio.blogspot.it/20...
Father, may I have another serving of pathos, please?
Grandiose, epic, complex, occasionally poetic, often meandering, yet only rarely annoying. A lot of patience for self-pitying characters required, as it is for philosophical ruminations that are, more often than not, trite, meaningless, and a stand-in for actual character development. Ask Erikson and he will tell you that less is indeed not more. More is more, always.
There is a weirdly fetishistic relationship with the idea of the soldier, who is canonized to an uncomfortable degree, despite voluntarily fighting for an expansionist, imperialist regime. (The Malazan trains may have been built on the bones and faded memories of lesser cultures, but at least they run on time, am I right??)
Some of the characters also seem to be written exclusively to cater to people who enjoy long-winded “who would win”-discussions. yet with such utter seriousness and gravitas that it works, even if it elicits the occasional eye-roll. And at the end of each of these, you can see Erikson tugging at heartstrings so hard it feels oddly masturbatory.
All in all, sure. It’s all fairly impressive. Just maybe don’t read all the books right after each other. Toss in some Hemingway or something in between, I dunno.
Where to start with this one? It's 10 books!!! Steven Erikson sets the theme on page one. It a story about war and soldiers and at the same time it's not. It's a story about loosing sight of the things that count and a story about choosing your own battles and your own path. It's long, yes. It's frustrating when at least for the half of gardens of the moon you try to keep up with the characters being introduced and when the series splits the story line and you have to wait to get to book six to pick up where you left from book three you kinda want to shout to Mr. Erikson: "what the !@@#$$^^%$#@ dude? why you want to taunt me like this?" But the characters are awesome even the ones you want to kick they are so arrogant. And we are talking many many characters, spanning from ordinary soldiers, to mages, to ascendants, to gods and soooo many others. One of my personal favorites is Fiddler and as his once sergeant tells him " he was always the best of them" but it's not because(after all this is a fantasy epic let's not forget) he has awesome powers( well he has but you kinda disregard the fact as he himself does in the book) but because through a war spanning decades Fiddler remained humane, kind and thoughtful full of compassion. Then you have your bad guys. But Mr Erikson makes you empathize with them, makes you like them and feel sad when and if they go down. You have your dubious characters and some of them stay that way right until the end. One of my personal favorites is Cotillion and Shadowthrone. Even the other characters in the books think of them as tricky bastards but again they are witty and likable. In whole it took me six months to read the whole series and I don't regret the time I put it this book because I became emerged in the malazan empire and felt for all the characters and laughed and cried and whooped and shouted. And I consider it a big deal for an author to be able to do that.
Yes it's a big series, yes you will get frustrated at times, yes the internal philosophy of the characters some times may tire you but it is totally worth it! Get through those first pages and be welcomed to the malazan empire were ordinary people do extraordinary things.
Erikson actually created a very vivid and interesting world with different races/species, gods,magic, huge epic battles, and a lot of history. However Erikson is a very inconsistent storyteller. On one hand there was never any central narrative drive to the series. Although the ending shows something that might have been an ultimate goal, we never even receive any vague hints regarding it as the series progresses. Nor was this really a character driven narrative because of the too many POV's, inconsistent characterisation and the plot. Most of the time the motivations of the characters are not really apparent at all. A lot of the character's inner monologues are actually the author's philosophical musings that don't give us any insight into the character or His/Her motivations.
While Erikson dealt with many interesting historical, sociological, and anthropological themes, they don't really make up for the deficiencies elsewhere in the plot and storytelling. The first book seems completely disconnected from the rest of the series. Its as if the author suddenly changed his mind and decided to take the story in a completely different direction. The series on the whole was a mixed bag for me. It was good in parts with some well crafted characters, but on the whole i feel like it could have been much better.
Dark, complex, beautifully real and emotional. Every character is a real person, and there are both happy and tragic scenes ( although much more of the latter). Undoubtedly my absolute favourite book series. Some find it rambles but every word is carefully chosen, and I loved the feeling of being lost in a world I didn't completely understand.
For those of you who are unsure after the first book, persevere and be rewarded, but make sure you have ample recovery time after the most brutal scenes. (When I was nearing the end to dead house gates I was on a lunch break at work, and couldn't do anything because I felt so broken).. You will find yourself laughing, crying and horrified at times, and in complete awe of the whole series.
I also recommend reading the novels that connect in, they all connect in small but magical ways, and will give you more of a complete picture.
Planning to do my reread in chronological order ( more or less)
One of the easiest recommendations ever to fellow fantasy fans. Simply sublime stuff. This edition is utterly worth the 80 bucks or whatever and is SO much easier to read than the physical copies, plus the ability to look up characters/places you’ve forgotten is incredibly valuable with this series. If you read Gardens of the Moon and liked it and have an e-reader, seriously consider taking the plunge and buying this.
I did it. It took a year. Sheer stubbornness. 10 roughly 1000 page books, half of which I didn't even particularly enjoy. Some of them are very good though (Deadhouse Gates and Midnight Tides being standouts) and the conclusion basically stuck the landing even though I have some major complaints.
Why did I do this? Would I recommend it to anyone else?
Best fantasy, high fantasy, dark fantasy, epic fantasy or whatever fantasy you want to call it series ever written. Superior to all in language, scope, vision, plot, and characters.
The series is amazing. I've never before been so invested in a world as I was with this book. The way Erikson made me feel connected with the characters/world in this book was something that I've never experienced before.
The world is absolutely massive. There are tons of different species, races, ethnicities, cultures, etc. Like how small it makes you feel while reading is a feeling I've never felt before in a book. At first it seems like a big empty world but throughout the series there is so much attention to detail it had me blown away. Imo the best way Erikson immerses you into this is that the characters themselves are often reminded of how big the world is by travelling to other countries/cities/continents and seeing a whole different civilization than they are used to. I'll see if I can find a map of the Malazan universe and show you the number of different locations the books explore throughout. (unless you don't want me to spoil that)
The character development is on a whole different level. Now of course I've never read a book this long so I guess that adds to some of it where the author has a lot more time to flesh them out. But what I loved is that Erikson does this without some random backstory or the hero trope. He makes the characters almost overly human. Like most of the characters are not "good"/"bad". Some (very few) have really good intentions and moral character but even with those characters they are prone to make mistakes that end up causing a whole lot of bad things. To add to this each character has a wonderful flavor of personality, no two are the same and there aren't really any "filler" characters. I could go on forever about the characters but I might dive into spoiler levels so I wont.
The fighting itself is amazing, and this guy is a big fan of D&D and roleplaying so he does a really good job at acting the scenes out. He also knows a lot of military stuff and different types of weapons and strategies. The fight scenes are very realistic without much "plot armor" to the characters. I.e. if a character is against 6 dudes with swords and they have a match stick and some rocks then they are probably gonna die, Erikson does not beat around the bush with fairness.
Along with fighting there are consistently throughout the books these things called "convergences" (not called that in the books, just what I call them) where a bunch of different stories sort of tie together for an epic battle/scene/moment. Those are what kept me reading. You get a taste for them in the first few chapters of the first book and it just keeps you coming back.
My favorite part about the series is the magic system. This system is insanely complex and very fleshed out throughout the series. But I will say that it's never plainly explained to the reader (which I sort of enjoyed). No character ever stops and goes "so here is how I used my magic" it's more like you gotta just start to pick up clues on how it works. It's crazy complex but so cool when you start to understand it. And the sheer amount of power different characters have is awesome.
One thing I rarely see from reviews online is the amount of comedy. I loled more times than I'd like to admit while reading this series. Some of it is dry humor, some of it is puns, and some of it is just laughing at some crazy situations. Erikson has a very fun sense of humor and it clearly shows in his writing.
In relation to the plot: It does not follow the typical fantasy savior/hero trope, which I found very refreshing in relation the fantasy I have read. There are things characters are seeking to achieve but there is no set in stone "good guys" vs. the "big bad". It's very much so a collection of events with gray characters where you might be rooting for both sides at the same time. Personally I loved this but I understand that some may not.
The bad:
With such a vast world you often feel confused. Some people hate this feeling and I'll admit when I hit the fourth book I kinda did too. But after a while you sort of get into a mindset of "I don't know what this means, but I'll learn more about it later". I will say though that I loved that Erikson rarely did the ol trick of throwing you into a backstory to explain present events. Instead he mostly just continues on and you get a sense of what was currently happening without needing to have read about the past events. Like if someone was to be dropped into America right now with no clue what a presidential election was they wouldn't have to be told the story of our founding fathers, and instead could just observe and learn how elections work by watching a present one. (Hope that makes sense)
I also will say that with so many different species and races I wish that he would be a bit more descriptive with their attributes. Throughout my reading I would look up a characters name on google, or even just a characters name, and click images to see what they looked like, and I will say this really helped with remembering different characters/species. The pictures are almost always spoiler free. I think I got spoiled once or twice while reading a wiki but that was my fault and also I don't mind as much.
The Military aspect of the books was awesome. But as someone with not a whole ton of military knowledge I had to look up a bunch of terms and rankings of different soldiers.
To summarize:
You're dropped into a complex world and will follow a VAST array of characters. Pay close attention and read the stories they tell. Some are happy, some are sad, some show the brutality of life, others show the gifts. Enjoy the ride and don't worry if not everything makes sense to begin with.
If you love unambiguous morality, where white is blinding and black is despicable, where the good guys can in good conscience slaughter the bad guys, knowing themselves unquestionably in the right, Malazan may not be for you.
If you love knowing exactly how everything in the world works, because wise old men explain it all to ignorant young Chosen Ones in excruciating technical detail, leaving no mystery mysterious, Malazan may not be for you.
If you love following a troubled, complex hero through a world of 2D cut-outs that serve only to reflect or contrast with our hero’s struggle, Malazan may not be for you.
If you love simple, tidy answers to complex problems, served up on a shiny platter with little need to think deeply about them, Malazan may not be for you.
Erikson’s writing can take a bit of work. Tracking the many POV characters can take a bit of work. Keeping up with the shifting cast, locations and storylines between each of the 10 books can take a bit of work.
I said be careful with this book. If you stick with it, if you gather clues and hints about the world, the magic and the characters, if you learn to love an author who trusts your intelligence and spoon-feeds you nothing, if you allow yourself to be moved by his stunning, emotional prose, if you get to the end of the more than 3.5 millions words and can’t wait to read it again, well, it may just change the way you think about epic fantasy as a genre. So be careful. You may come to see the genre as Erikson, and everything else.
Best fantasy series ever… it took me years to finish and yet in all that time never once has my curiosity to find out more about this world and it’s characters ceased. Erikson and Esslemont do an amazing job of making a world that surpasses the likes of Tolkien and Martin in its sheer scale and grandiosity.
A warning, this will be a long review because I wanted to review the entire series together instead of each individual book. There will be spoilers.
The Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson has to be my favorite fantasy series of all time. The ambitious scope, character development, world building, and overall plot cohesiveness set this story apart from other fantasy series I have read including the works of Tolkien, Jordan, Sanderson, Brooks, Martin, Pratchett, and other greats. I had a few major gripes the first time I read this series which was done in piecemeal in over a year. The second time reading it through I found new meanings and understanding that eluded me the first time, especially in the earlier books.
The over-arching theme of the story is about the human condition and how we exist in a state where the counterbalances of fear and compassion, hate and mercy, and suffering and love can all be experienced together in one person and even in one single situation. Our emotional states are what make us more than just specks of stardust that happen to come in contact with one another. The story focuses on an army of soldiers who are fighting a war against foreign gods in a foreign land. They don't have a reason to be heroes or to be human even, yet they continually perform miracles just by never giving up. They are unwitnessed by society but throw their lives into the grinder that is war because they know in their hearts they are fighting for the right cause. At the end they save all of humankind from a threat that no one else would dare oppose.
There are many, many amazing characters in this series including mortal beings of at least 10 different sentient races, ascendants on their way to god hood, gods themselves, and even some animals and ghosts. To give an idea of the scope that is covered, Erikson speaks of a history that goes back hundreds of thousands of years and through the viewpoints of the hundreds of characters in the story we travel the breadth of at least 4 different continents, many of which may be the size of an Asia or an America. Most of these perspectives and narratives are meant to provide context to the sacrifice of these foreign soldiers, these Malazans. The ideas of the Malazan people and identity serves a whole other set of themes. The Malazan empire is only the latest in a long string of attempts to unify the peoples of Erikson's world by the so called Elder races of Jaghut, Forkrul Assail, Kchain Chemalle, Eleint, and Imass as well as mixtures and hybrids of these. The Imass race is the closest to the modern day humans which also produce the most hybrids and exist in the modern world as undead warriors who have been cursed to roam the earth for over one hundred thousand years. The Malazan empire is then composed of descendants of the Imass just as our humankind is descended from a more primitive cave dwelling ancestor. Spanning multiple continents, the Empire arose from a island full of pirates based on an intelligent strategy of domination. Using the most cutting edge fighting styles and technology, they defeat local peoples in crucial areas and then appoint local leadership and disappear except for a few military garrisons. They then recruit from the local area gaining yet more new skills and technologies. At the beginning of the first book of the series, they have already conquered at least two major continents and are marching across a third. Meanwhile, unknown to them there are several other empires being forged in the world, which provide the drama to fuel nine more very lengthy books.
The first Malazan emperor ascended to godhood along with his chief assassin. They are at the core of every plot as they try to play gods and mortals against one another to gain more power. Most of the time they get mortals to do their dirty work for them and also have command over seven vicious hounds of Shadow that are the size of small horses. Besides these two Shadow-aspected figures, the major gods in this series don't always have obvious powers. Mael is the God of the sea and Burn is the Goddess of the earth. Sechul Lath is a primitive God of chance who spawned twins of chance that are in the Malazan pantheon. There is a Goddess Kilmandros who one of the first gods but what she represents is never made clear except that she angers easily and has giant fists. There are several bestial gods of war including wolves (winter), tiger (summer), and boar. As well as an autumn-aspected Drek, the worm god. There is Hood the God of Death and Poliel the goddess of disease. Finally there is Krul the father God who birthed all magic in the world.
Magic in this series is quite a complex subject. The Malazan usage of magic is through what are called warrens and these are the most confusing things to understand for a first time reader. Warrens are essentially passageways through different dimensions, of which there are many flavors. Traveling by warren is how mages in this world get around quickly but they are extremely dangerous at the best of times because they are widely used by all manner of creature. Later you learn that magical warrens are actually the blood vessels of Krul himself. There is another older form of magic that uses what are called Holds instead of warrens. Holds exist in entirely different dimensions and are aspected to each of the major Elder races with a few additions including the holds of Beasts and Dragons.
Now dragons are where things get really interesting. Dragons are aspected to Chaos and exist in pure forms (Eleint) as well as Soletaken forms which are Tiste people who can shapeshift into dragons. The Tiste people are another ancient race that appeared from the magical Holds of Dark (Andii), Light (Liosan), and Shadow (Edur). These are the mortal children of the gods and goddesses of the dark, the light, and the shadows. Some of them can shapeshift but this is an ability that can drive them to insanity after which they can no longer return to their human forms. The Deck of Dragons is like a set of Tarot cards that can be used to divine the future and the fate of various mortals. It's hard to explain how the Warrens of Krul and the magic of dragons is related but essentially the different flavors of the different Warrens comes from dragons.
Let me continue with a quick synopsis of the ten books in the series. The Gardens of the Moon is the introduction to the Bridgeburners, the elite unit of the Malazan army that gets nearly annihilated maybe on the new empress' orders. Here we meet some of the major characters we will follow the rest of the series including Fiddler, Quick Ben, Kalam, Ganoes Paran, Whiskeyjack, Hedge, Crokus, Icarium, Anomandris Rake, Kruppe, and Toc the Younger. The end of this book is a massive convergence of gods, ascendants, and mortals in the city of Darujhistan, which the empire tries and fails to conquer. Many of the books are just a series of traveling stories followed by a large convergence in a location where shit happens.
The next two books Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice are told in a parallel narrative as the major characters split with Fiddler, Kalam, and Crokus going to the Seven Cities continent in the second book and the remaining Bridgeburners marching south on Genabackis continent and uniting with their former enemies in the third. The first book is one of my favorites with the wonders of the city and the humor provided by Kruppe and the High priest of shadow Iskaral Pust. The next two books are among my least favorite as characters mostly just wander towards their destinies and occasionally run into one another.
In the third book you find out about a foreign Crippled God who was bringing pain and suffering to the world and was chained by the Elder gods. Then later in this book the renegade Bridgeburner army is annhilated in the process of taking down the corrupt Pannion Seer and his army of cannibal fanatics. The few survivors of this campaign end up retired in Darujhistan later in the series.
The fourth book, the House of Chains may be my favorite book in the whole series. All the wandering that went on in the first three books is largely ignored and we get our first taste of one of the main anti-heroes of this series in Karsa Orlong, a massive barbarian warrior from the northern mountains who knows nothing of civilization. His Teblor people are one of the last remaining true barbarians who are slowly being enslaved by the nearby kingdom. He leaves his home and encounters these slavers and soon vows that he will never again do the bidding of gods or other mortals and he will destroy all of human civilization. Meanwhile, in the Seven Cities continent, an up rising if the desert people is fueled by a prophecy of a whirlwind goddess. A Malazan army in the region is lead by a former Wickan warchief who fought the Malazans. They are tasked with marching a huge number of refugees from the northern cities to the city of Aren which has a large, naval supported garrison. During this long march they are constantly harassed and completely annihilated even as they deliver the refugees to safety. This tragic story ends in the brutal betrayal of the Wickans by an evil Malazan priest. One of the lessons of the first several books is that the Malazans are not always trustworthy or even just but are composed of ordinary people of all sorts.
The fifth book, the Midnight Tides, takes place in another continent and introduces a whole new set of characters. Books four and five start to setup the drama that will be concluded in the final books of the series. In book five we learn of the continent of Lether, a small fledgling empire of humans descended of the same First Empire humans that the Malazans claim as ancestors. The Lether humans are obsessed with gold but meet their match in the Tiste Edur, who are an ancient humanoid race that minds their own business until they get provoked to war. The Edur's formidable sorcery leads them to victory including sacking the capital city of Letheras. They are ruled by an invincible warchief that is given power by the Crippled God to never die. The major characters in this one include two sets of brothers from each side of the conflict, the Edur Sengars and the Lether Beddicts. Tehol Beddict is one of the most outrageous characters in any of the books, a clueless idiot who also happens to be a genius that lives with his house keeper Bugg that also happens to be the Elder God Mael.
The sixth and seventh books, the Bonehunters and Reaper's Gale, respectively, begin the end game of the series. In the sixth we are brought back to the Seven Cities from which a Malazan army is being assembled to crush the rebellion. This army gains a couple key veterans including the true hero of the entire series who was a Bridgeburner snapper named Fiddler but is otherwise very green. They are led by a new commander named Tavore Paran. The sister of Ganoes, who has become the Master of the Deck of Dragons, Tavore is a serious military genius but not a great leader. The Paran family was a noble family that was included in the purges of the nobles that happened when the latest Malazan empress Laseen came into power. Even as her sister Felisin was sent off to a penal colony, Tavore swore allegiance to the empire and her brother Ganoes was outlawed as traitor.
The army Tavore leads ends up fighting her sister Felisin, which she doesn't actually ever learn. Felisin has escaped the penal colony during the uprising with an handless old ex-priest. She assumes the mantle of the dead goddess of the whirlwind and dies at her sister's hand. At the end of book six, the Malazan army now called the Bonehunters, returns to the Malaz capital to learn that the evil men from book four have taken power and are exiled from the empire, barely escaping with their lives.
In the seventh book they sail to the continent of Lether. Meanwhile Karsa Orlong and Icarium also end up in Letheras as challengers to the invincible Edur emperor. I haven't mentioned much about Icarium, he is an ancient Jaghut, large greenish humanoids with tusks, who has amnesia but also has the magical power that can destroy the world. So Karsa ends up killing the unkillable Sengar and Icarium nearly blows up the city and the Malazans defeat the Lether army and liberate Letheras. Really though the Lether ways of corruption through wealth have already defeated the Edur and they return to their original homeland. Meanwhile in one of my least favorite plots, several of Anomandris's children go on an adventure to visit their fathers homeland and are led by another Tiste Andii. The seventh book is among my least favorite of the series and the eighth is the worst. When I say they are bad, these are still four star fantasy novels with amazing characters and awesomely intricate plots it's just the high points for me are in books one, four, six, nine, and ten.
In the eighth book, Toll the Hounds, we follow Karsa Orlong as he treks to visit the city of Darujhistan. Meanwhile the Tiste Andii children also head to Genabackis to meet their father who is ruling the fallen city of Black Coral. The city of Black Coral is where the Tiste Andii are trying to coexist with the surviving Pannion Domin people where some corrupted godling tries to gain power. In yet another plot the remaining Bridgeburner survivors living in Darujhistan seek to figure out why they are being hunted. Finally Anomandris Rake also heads there and there is a massive convergence of powers on the city that ends up in a battle between the Hounds of Light and Shadow. This ends almost all the storylines outside of the continent of Lether.
Oh wait I neglected to mention Anomandris Rake carries with him a massive sword that contains a magical Warren. Inside this Warren lives the souls of the beings that have been killed by the sword who are chained to a gigantic wagon that they must pull forwards. There is a God named Draconus inside the sword who forged the sword and then was killed by Rake. This is one of the stories that I believe Erikson has written already or plans to write. Rake is killed and the sword is destroyed freeing Draconus into the world.
Finally in books nine and ten, Dust of Dreams and The Crippled God, Erikson manages to clean up nearly every remaining loose end. The major plot is of the now renegade Malazan army called the Bonehunters marching to free the crippled God. There are two other minor plots, in the first one some humans with Andii blood return to their ancient home, the legendary city of Kharkanas. This hidden - away city is about to be assaulted by the Tiste Liosan people if not for the noble stand of these Shake people and the remaining Tiste Andii who come to their rescue. In the second minor plot, several Elder Gods release a dragon of Otaratal which is an anti magic substance. This dragon was chained so it would not kill all of magic. After being released it was chased down by a whole bunch of other dragons but then imprisoned again.
The main plot follows the Bonehunters as they trek through the wastelands to an unknown destination. An assortment of allies are also trekking east but in a less suicidal way. They almost all die but in the end they are faced with impossible odds against an army led by Forkrul Assail. They succeed in their desperate ploy and they free the Crippled God into the mortal realm only for him to be immediately murdered. The remaining Paran siblings are reunited and everyone lives happily ever after.
The first time I read through this series I did so in a disjointed way over a much longer period of time. This time I really understood what was going on a lot better. One of my biggest gripes the first time through was the disappearance of Karsa Orlong in the last two books. I thought he would have a pivotal role to play and wanted to know how his quest to destroy civilization would go. However, I've now learned that he was not relevant to this plot but Erikson is writing another book or series to focus on his story of what happens next. He has also already written two parts of a three part trilogy about the lost city of Kharkanas. I'm looking forward to reading those new series once he is done writing them. Steven Erikson is a ridiculously talented writer and I'm surprised he isn't more widely regarded for his work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson - 10/10
Greatest of all time. Zenith of the medium. Hallmark of media. Gold standard of storytelling. Apogee of creativity. Vertex of invention. Crest of ingenuity. Enough of that for now let's get into the actual review:
Redundant as it is to say, Malazan simply does everything perfectly, Erikson created a masterpiece with very little to no actual weaknesses, a rich and interesting story that takes place in an enormous world, on a scale that dwarfs almost all of its competition, and with simply some of the most amazing characters, probably the easiest ten I have ever given anything I have read.
There are many great aspects to Malazan, one of the more standout things is probably the worldbuilding, cause the world in Malazan is an incredibly huge one with distinct locations that possess diverse species, a multitude of races, and a vast number of ethnicities which all have their own unique cultures and characteristics. Malazan's world has a size, complexity, and attention to detail that most writers can only dream to match, but beyond all that the immersion of the reader into the world is just insane, you see Steven Erikson uses the insane number of character POVs to make you almost feel like you are in the world itself, instead of boring long pages of description the world is revealed to you from the views of the characters in the story. Even after reading Malazan I still want to know more and more about this great world that Steven Erikson created.
The characters in Malazan is another aspect that should not be underestimated, I mean with over 400 POVs it is kind of impossible to do so. Reading the dramatis personae of any of the malazan books is pretty daunting cause of the huge number of characters and one would probably expect that there are just a few standouts but Erikson manages to create a huge cast filled with personality. A good character design is one in which the character can be identified from the silhouette, Erikson manages to accomplish that within a novel, now I am not actually referring to design because regardless of how good a writer is there's only so much you can do in a novel, but you see Erikson infuses his characters with so much personality and substance that they pretty much feel like real people which is a crazy feat cause you would imagine that with so much characters a majority of them would be one-dimensional characters with probably a gag that their whole character revolves around and a sad backstory like certain other stories but Erikson manages to make almost every character depth filled and memorable, while also establishing emotional investment from the reader without resulting to cheap gags, boring repeated tropes or sad backstories.
I also think it is worth pointing out just how good the hype action scenes are, cause a lot of people tend to underrate how much great action scenes help any good story, Malazan for a story with so much depth manages to also give you some of that raw meathead action that a lot of us need.
Karsa Orlong and Yedan Derryg, literal personifications of being raw, yes I added a whole ass extra line to single them out but it's just such a joy to read about them, it is actually insane that both of them are in a single series and neither are the best character in the story.
One of the things that has stopped me from writing this review for a while now is I couldn't think of a way to describe the plot of Malazan and its themes without spoiling it, and there's also the problem that I am pretty sure a lot of things flew over my head, but you see Malazan is a story about the average soldier, about normal people going through the motions of life, about the struggles that we all face, about elves, about witches, about gods, about a man living on his roof with no clothing apart from his blanket, a story that reminds us about our limits, that reminds us to sometimes strive to surpass those limits, that reminds us of what it means to live, that reminds about compassion, that reminds of the horrors of the world, it's a story that induces happiness, sadness, excitement and sometimes leaves you feeling broken, in fact one could say you feel like one of the fallen. To summarize it all, Malazan book of the Fallen is the greatest story ever told.
Simply AWFUL!!! I have no other words to say about this series that will explain how I feel about it. I have read this series twice!!! And I still have no idea what the hell author wanted to do with it or what story he wanted to tell. I wanted to give up after first couple of books but i hate doing that soo i carried on. Than after I finished i couldn't comprehend all the glowing reviews about it, all that "rewards comes later" and similar bolonie. I decided I must have missed something soo I read it the second time. After that i even think it is even worse! First of all Mr.Erikson is a bad writer! There is no other way around it. There is no mystery, no special skills that I can't understand, no genius etc. I have read hundreds of books, form fantasy to classics in their original language like Shakespeare, and I have never had a problem to fallow any plot, dialogue even though my native language is not English. I have read many books considered complex, incomprehensible and again I had no problem understanding it, following the plot or engaging with the characters. In Malazan there is not a one coherent plot line,it is all over the place and in most cases it does not makes any sense at all. There is gazillion plot lines and gazillion characters and in the end not one is developed enough to give a damn. One of the most important part i would guess to make readers understand and fall in love with the characters but with Eriksson there is no such accomplishment. We don't know how they look like, what they feel,think we are just told. They fall in love, make friends etc but we don't see how that happens, when does it happens, why they love or like each other, why there is a connection between them. Everything about anything from world to characters is just stated without any build up or exposition. And supposed "complex and new" world is a bunch of historical civilisations and cultures that he lumped up together to get this "new" world of his. You can easily recognize most of them from history books. Then the pointless side stories even though we already have gazillion "crucial ones", stale and bored dialogue that most times don't even make sense, and don't get me started on the idiotic names that he gave to 98% of the characters. Hundreds and hundreds of pages with nothing happening and bland storytelling just to fill up hiss quota of pages or something. Like he was some Russian author hundred years ago that was paid by numbers of pages he wrote not by the quality of his book. I mean I have not one single good thing to say about this series. I read many,many bad,boring,awful books but in each instance I have at least liked a character, a plotline, a world... But here after 10 000 pages I don't give a damn about any of the characters, plotlines or the world. I see a lot of people that say that we that don't like it have missed something, or that we don't understand how big of a genius Eriksson is. Well that is all bolonie, and reading their praises you would guess he wrote something like Iliad,Anna Karenina, War and Peace, To kill a Mockingbird,One Hundred Years of Solitude etc. Run away from this series, save yourself much money,time and brain cells needlessly used to decipher this heavily overrated piece of non literature. I would give it zero stars considering I came into it expecting to read something out of this world, yet I got bunch of incoherent nonsense that I would laugh at for being soo badly written. Yet is seems that it has a cult following for reasons i can't comprehend. There are a lot of books that i don't like yet I could understand why some people like it or some parts of it at least. With this series am afraid i have zero understanding or comprehending. I know this came out as a rant, and didn't want to come out as a jerk but I couldn't help myself. Because I really don't understand the hype about this one.
I've been reading this series over a two year period and it's been a hell of an adventure. Started reading it in .epub format, but was delighted to find out my library newly bought the whole series. Now, onto the meat of the matter:
The world-building, story-lines and characters are intricate, detailed and inter-connected.. And there's so damn many of them. The writing can get a bit long-winded at times where you're just itching to find out what happens, but the author doesn't let you off the hook and continues to slowly wind out the plot-line... that turns out to be just one more intersection of the giant web that is the series.
Most books follow a predictable course of 1 major culmination of events per book. That is decidedly not the case here. Trust me, when you think you might have it figured out, that this is it, that you understand the role of the characters, brace yourself, because you've been lulled into the (oh-so-false) belief that you, the reader, are in control. *pats feels about to get squished*
Never have I felt so beat up after reading a book before. You spend hundreds of pages trying to piece the pieces together and then while you're still mulling things over the picture hits you over the head, too fast to even see it clearly, but solid enough to whack off one character (or whole plot line!) after another. Their fights, hopes, possibilities snatched away, often in absurdly tragic/meaningless circumstances. No resolution, just a matter of chance. It's fantasy, but written so well it feels all too real. *exhales*
Fear not, however, there's also plenty of humorous dialogue and insightful remarks to lighten the load. Admittedly, in my fixated rush towards finding out what happens next I skipped over some of the prose, but there were some relevant tidbits to be found in that as well. The chapters are written from switching POVs, so you get to see the world from different well hashed-out perspectives, meet plenty of interesting characters, get to know and feel with/for some more than others, be amused, irritated, intrigued and hurt along with them, but if anything, they will not leave you cold.
This series re-defined the standard for epic-fantasy/high-fantasy for me. Note that I didn't give every book 5 stars, but the series as a whole clearly deserves it. The true ending fell a bit flat for me, just because I thought Dust of dreams was so emotionally demanding there was hardly much left to give in the end. That feels all too fitting as well and makes me wonder whether the author intended it that way. *still on the look-out for another twist* :D
Looking forward to re-reading it from the start (note to self: first exams!) and seeing what new insights I've missed the first time around.
How do you write a series this epic, on a scale I've never seen matched, with so many phenomenal characters, incredible world building, scenes that can be hilarious or very sad, incredibly original, diverse and unique races and ethnicities, grand plots, an unique and seriously expansive magic system, and magnificent battle scenes...
...and ruin the enjoyment of reading it by making it SO TEDIOUS to read? Steven Erikson, in every single book of this series (don't let anyone fool you by saying it's only the first 5 or so), does the following over and over again
- intentionally makes everything incredibly cryptic, and without explanation until several books later (or ever). Yes this is fine, but not when you're on book 7 or 8 and still genuinely struggling to understand what on earth is happening and why it's happening, and why characters do what they do.
- constantly writes pages and pages of deeply philosophical internal monologues of near on every character, including some side characters whose thoughts I honestly don't care that much about. These very often add nothing to the plot, they're just the indulgent musings of the author about random different themes. Just move the damn plot forward! These books do not need to be over a 1000 pages each. I don't care what a random secondary character thinks of justice or sacrifice.
- repeatedly gives characters more than one name. In some cases this is 3 or 4 names. This series is confusing enough as it is, nicknames i understand, random name changes that serve nothing other than Erikson's obsession with making his writing as confusing as possible I do not.
- apart from 2 or 3 of the books, every book has a super slow and confusing first 50-60%, admittedly the endings are then incredibly epic, but why do I have to go through so much slog to get there?
This could have been an easy contender for the best series of all time if not for Erikson's pretentious, confusing writing.
As a final thought, quick shout out to Anomander Rake and Caladan Brood who get introduced and made out to be the most epic characters ever, and whom I see readers rave about... Both end up being the most disappointing, anti climactic characters. They do next to nothing throughout the whole series.