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Witness #1
The God is Not Willing
Many years have passed since three Teblor warriors brought carnage and chaos to the small lakeside settlement of Silver Lake. While the town has recovered, the legacy of that past horror remains, even if the Teblor tribes of the north no longer venture into the southlands. One of those three, Karsa Orlong, is now deemed to be a god, albeit an indifferent one. In truth, many new cults and religions have emerged across the Malazan world, including those who worship Coltaine, the Black-Winged God, and - popular among the Empire's soldiery - followers of the cult of Iskar Jarak, Guardian of the Dead.
A legion of Malazan marines is on the march towards Silver Lake. responding to intelligence that indicates the tribes beyond the border are stirring. The marines aren't quite sure what they're going to be facing but, while the Malazan military has evolved and these are not the marines of old, one thing hasn't changed: they'll handle whatever comes at them. Or die trying
Meanwhile, in the high mountains, where dwell the tribes of the Teblor, a new warleader has risen. Scarred by the deeds of Karsa Orlong, he intends to confront his god, even if he has to cut a bloody path through the Malazan Empire to do it. Higher in the mountains, a new threat has emerged, and now the Teblor are running out of time.
The long feared invasion is about to begin. And this time it won't be three simple warriors. This time thousands are poised to flood the lands of the south. And in their way, a single legion of Malazan marines . . .
It seems the past is about to revisit Silver Lake, and that is never a good thing . . .
A legion of Malazan marines is on the march towards Silver Lake. responding to intelligence that indicates the tribes beyond the border are stirring. The marines aren't quite sure what they're going to be facing but, while the Malazan military has evolved and these are not the marines of old, one thing hasn't changed: they'll handle whatever comes at them. Or die trying
Meanwhile, in the high mountains, where dwell the tribes of the Teblor, a new warleader has risen. Scarred by the deeds of Karsa Orlong, he intends to confront his god, even if he has to cut a bloody path through the Malazan Empire to do it. Higher in the mountains, a new threat has emerged, and now the Teblor are running out of time.
The long feared invasion is about to begin. And this time it won't be three simple warriors. This time thousands are poised to flood the lands of the south. And in their way, a single legion of Malazan marines . . .
It seems the past is about to revisit Silver Lake, and that is never a good thing . . .
496 pages, Hardcover
First published November 16, 2021
About the author
Steven Erikson
126 books13.5k followersSteven 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.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...
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December 23, 2023
Review copy provided by the publisher—Tor Books—in exchange for an honest review.
The God is Not Willing made me sad. It might be time for me to admit everything in the Malazan universe beyond Malazan Book of the Fallen is not for me.
If I were to go back to the past and tell the past Petrik that The God is Not Willing would disappoint you, the past me wouldn’t have believed it. And yet, it happened. Since the release of The God is Not Willing, I’ve been saving the book to read on rainy days. This was one of those books I prepared in case I needed a great book to read because I was confident I would love the heck out of it. Currently, out of 3.6k ratings, The God is Not Willing has an average rating of 4.62 on Goodreads. That is insanely high, and MANY Malazan Book of the Fallen fans loved this book. Some have even mentioned they could start their journey in the Malazan Empire by reading The God is Not Willing instead of Gardens of the Moon despite this being the beginning of a sequel trilogy to the ten books in Malazan Book of the Fallen. And as a diehard fan of Malazan Book of the Fallen, no one is more hurt than me for not liking The God is Not Willing. Also, although technically you can follow the main story, I think there were still too many necessary contexts, backgrounds, and details from the main series required to fully understand the novel. At the very least, I think you have to read Malazan Book of the Fallen up to the fourth novel: House of Chains.
The God is Not Willing is the first book in The Witness trilogy, and it takes place a decade after the end of The Crippled God, the final book in Malazan Book of the Fallen. However, the main storyline in the novel focuses on the aftermath of Karsa Orlong’s actions in House of Chains. Many years have passed since three Teblor warriors brought carnage and chaos to the small lakeside settlement of Silver Lake. While the town has recovered, the legacy of that past horror remains, even if the Teblor tribes of the north no longer venture into the Southlands. One of those three Teblor warriors, Karsa Orlong, is now deemed to be a god, albeit an indifferent one. In the high mountains, where dwell the tribes of the Teblor, a new war leader has risen. Scarred by the deeds of Karsa Orlong, he intends to confront his god, even if he has to cut a bloody path through the Malazan Empire to do it. Higher in the mountains, a new threat has emerged, and now the Teblor are running out of time. The long-feared invasion is about to begin. And this time it won't be three simple warriors. This time thousands are poised to flood the lands of the south. And in their way, a single legion of Malazan marines are on the march towards Silver Lake, responding to intelligence indicating the tribes beyond the border are stirring. The marines aren't quite sure what they're going to encounter but, while the Malazan military has evolved and these are not the marines of old, one thing hasn't changed: they'll handle whatever comes at them. Or die trying.
The Witness trilogy was designed to be Karsa Orlong’s trilogy, and it might just be the reality by the end of the series. But if you’re like me and think Karsa Orlong will have a lot of appearances, I should let you know now that he did not appear in The God is Not Willing. As I said, many parts of The God is Not Willing circulate around the repercussions of Karsa’s heinous crimes in House of Chains. There’s a huge chance we will witness Karsa Orlong more frequently in the second and third books of The Witness trilogy, but not in The God is Not Willing. And theoretically, The God is Not Willing really should’ve been a book I enjoyed. It felt easier to read compared to Malazan Book of the Fallen or The Kharkanas trilogy, and Erikson’s prose remains strong as always. It is not as non-stop as The Kharkanas trilogy; if you love reading Erikson’s philosophical musing on life, stupidity, humanity, and war, you will still get them in abundance in The God is Not Willing. However, for me, everything about The God is Not Willing did not feel as rewarding as I hoped for several reasons, and this is something I noticed since I read The Kharkanas trilogy.
Here is how I look at the circumstances. Based on my reading experience, it feels precise to say my emotions treat Malazan Book of the Fallen as the golden age of Steven Erikson’s epic and unforgettable storytelling. Unfortunately, every book published in the same world since then that I have attempted, both by Erikson and Ian Esslemont, felt inferior and a struggle to read. In the case of The Kharkanas trilogy, I liked Forge of Darkness enough, but I could not finish Fall of Light. For Esslemont’s involvements, Night of Knives was horrible, Return of the Crimson Guard was another victim to the pile of DNF shelf, and the same notion goes for A Dancer’s Lament. To put it simply... I cannot bring myself to love all the other books outside the main series. No matter how much I wanted, everything felt smaller in scope and underwhelming in quality. The God is Not Willing may be more accessible to read, but it did not have the grand epic scope and various memorable characters encountered in Malazan Book of the Fallen.
I know... I know... We have Rant, Damisk, and Stillwater in The God is Not Willing. And I will agree their voices and narration were the most distinct of all the characters. Rant's tragic and destructive background made it easy to care about him and his development. Stillwater was undoubtedly the best character in the Malazan Marines in this book. But for Damisk, even though he was engaging at first, I feel like Erikson is using him as a platform to unleash a barrage of philosophies, and it ended up drowning the pacing and narrative of the book. Also, an issue that has appeared in the last few books of Malazan Book of the Fallen was multiplied here. Lack of distinct voices in the characters. This situation was tolerable in the Malazan Book of the Fallen because it was balanced and surpassed by myriad other legendary main characters. I cannot say the same here. Stillwater aside, and maybe Spindle, all the other Malazan marines are practically impossible to differentiate. It was like they were all the same characters with different names.
It took two weeks (and skimming the middle section) for me to succeed at finishing The God is Not Willing. This is not a good statistic and feeling. At 190,000 words, The God is Not Willing is even shorter than Gardens of the Moon. And yet... it took me the longest to finish. In comparison, the eighth installment in Malazan Book of the Fallen, Toll the Hounds, clocked in at almost 400,000 words, and it took me less than a week to read. I frequently correlate how quickly I can finish a book to how engaged and invested I am with the book I am reading. And these stats should display the massive differences. I guess we are left with one big question. Is this where I say farewell to the remaining books in the Malazan world? Honestly, I am still not sure. I love Malazan Book of the Fallen very much. It is one of my top favorite series of all time, and there is a potential I will grow to enjoy the books outside the main series after I complete the full reread of Malazan Book of the Fallen. On my reread up to Memories of Ice, I continue to be a diehard fan of Malazan Book of the Fallen, and I know I will finish my reread of the series eventually. So... who knows? Maybe after that is done, and The Kharkanas trilogy and The Witness trilogy are both completed, I will try them again. I cannot deny a part of me felt tired during my readthrough as I thought: "I have to read these books again just to refresh my memory someday when the sequels are published." Until these are fulfilled, with sorrow, I say my heart remains exclusively in Malazan Book of the Fallen.
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Biskit, Brad, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Ciprian, Cullen, Dan, David, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Ellen, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Jordan, Katrina, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Sirbu, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tori, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wendy, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yosi, Yuri, Zoe.
The God is Not Willing made me sad. It might be time for me to admit everything in the Malazan universe beyond Malazan Book of the Fallen is not for me.
“Longing. Look for it, in every crowd, and you will find it. Paint it any colour you choose: grief, nostalgia, melancholy, remembrance, these are but flavours, poetic reflections.”
If I were to go back to the past and tell the past Petrik that The God is Not Willing would disappoint you, the past me wouldn’t have believed it. And yet, it happened. Since the release of The God is Not Willing, I’ve been saving the book to read on rainy days. This was one of those books I prepared in case I needed a great book to read because I was confident I would love the heck out of it. Currently, out of 3.6k ratings, The God is Not Willing has an average rating of 4.62 on Goodreads. That is insanely high, and MANY Malazan Book of the Fallen fans loved this book. Some have even mentioned they could start their journey in the Malazan Empire by reading The God is Not Willing instead of Gardens of the Moon despite this being the beginning of a sequel trilogy to the ten books in Malazan Book of the Fallen. And as a diehard fan of Malazan Book of the Fallen, no one is more hurt than me for not liking The God is Not Willing. Also, although technically you can follow the main story, I think there were still too many necessary contexts, backgrounds, and details from the main series required to fully understand the novel. At the very least, I think you have to read Malazan Book of the Fallen up to the fourth novel: House of Chains.
“The stupid knew better than to look into their wake. The wise could not help it and so suffered greatly. This was humanity’s great divide, and many a time, Damisk had envied the stupid and all the obstinate incomprehension he saw in their eyes and faces. In the end, it takes wisdom to scream.”
The God is Not Willing is the first book in The Witness trilogy, and it takes place a decade after the end of The Crippled God, the final book in Malazan Book of the Fallen. However, the main storyline in the novel focuses on the aftermath of Karsa Orlong’s actions in House of Chains. Many years have passed since three Teblor warriors brought carnage and chaos to the small lakeside settlement of Silver Lake. While the town has recovered, the legacy of that past horror remains, even if the Teblor tribes of the north no longer venture into the Southlands. One of those three Teblor warriors, Karsa Orlong, is now deemed to be a god, albeit an indifferent one. In the high mountains, where dwell the tribes of the Teblor, a new war leader has risen. Scarred by the deeds of Karsa Orlong, he intends to confront his god, even if he has to cut a bloody path through the Malazan Empire to do it. Higher in the mountains, a new threat has emerged, and now the Teblor are running out of time. The long-feared invasion is about to begin. And this time it won't be three simple warriors. This time thousands are poised to flood the lands of the south. And in their way, a single legion of Malazan marines are on the march towards Silver Lake, responding to intelligence indicating the tribes beyond the border are stirring. The marines aren't quite sure what they're going to encounter but, while the Malazan military has evolved and these are not the marines of old, one thing hasn't changed: they'll handle whatever comes at them. Or die trying.
“Lad, the most powerful constant is stupidity. Nothing else comes close. Stupidity kills all the animals, empties the sky of birds, poisons the rivers, burns the forests, wages the wars, feeds the lies, invents the world over and over again in ways only idiots could think real. Stupidity, lad, will defeat every god, crush every dream, topple every empire. Because, in the end, stupid people outnumber smart people. If that wasn’t true, we wouldn’t suffer over and over again, through generation after generation and on for ever.”
The Witness trilogy was designed to be Karsa Orlong’s trilogy, and it might just be the reality by the end of the series. But if you’re like me and think Karsa Orlong will have a lot of appearances, I should let you know now that he did not appear in The God is Not Willing. As I said, many parts of The God is Not Willing circulate around the repercussions of Karsa’s heinous crimes in House of Chains. There’s a huge chance we will witness Karsa Orlong more frequently in the second and third books of The Witness trilogy, but not in The God is Not Willing. And theoretically, The God is Not Willing really should’ve been a book I enjoyed. It felt easier to read compared to Malazan Book of the Fallen or The Kharkanas trilogy, and Erikson’s prose remains strong as always. It is not as non-stop as The Kharkanas trilogy; if you love reading Erikson’s philosophical musing on life, stupidity, humanity, and war, you will still get them in abundance in The God is Not Willing. However, for me, everything about The God is Not Willing did not feel as rewarding as I hoped for several reasons, and this is something I noticed since I read The Kharkanas trilogy.
“The present age is only unique because you live in it. When you die, you cease to care about that age. And you know this. Which is why you don’t care about anything past your own life. Why should you? It follows, quite reasonably, that every generation is righteous in cursing the one that precedes it. Namely, yours. And the vicious fighting withdrawal that is your own conservatism – this bitter, hate-filled war against change – is doomed to fail, because no age lasts for ever. One follows upon the next and this is an inescapable fact. So step aside. Your day is done. Any regression into childish tantrums makes a mockery of wisdom. The age dies with you, as it must, and you now show its face to be that of a mewling child who can no longer hold on to what has ceased to exist. Synthraeas”
Here is how I look at the circumstances. Based on my reading experience, it feels precise to say my emotions treat Malazan Book of the Fallen as the golden age of Steven Erikson’s epic and unforgettable storytelling. Unfortunately, every book published in the same world since then that I have attempted, both by Erikson and Ian Esslemont, felt inferior and a struggle to read. In the case of The Kharkanas trilogy, I liked Forge of Darkness enough, but I could not finish Fall of Light. For Esslemont’s involvements, Night of Knives was horrible, Return of the Crimson Guard was another victim to the pile of DNF shelf, and the same notion goes for A Dancer’s Lament. To put it simply... I cannot bring myself to love all the other books outside the main series. No matter how much I wanted, everything felt smaller in scope and underwhelming in quality. The God is Not Willing may be more accessible to read, but it did not have the grand epic scope and various memorable characters encountered in Malazan Book of the Fallen.
“To be believed in is an obligation. Only by heeding that obligation are you made worthy of that belief.”
I know... I know... We have Rant, Damisk, and Stillwater in The God is Not Willing. And I will agree their voices and narration were the most distinct of all the characters. Rant's tragic and destructive background made it easy to care about him and his development. Stillwater was undoubtedly the best character in the Malazan Marines in this book. But for Damisk, even though he was engaging at first, I feel like Erikson is using him as a platform to unleash a barrage of philosophies, and it ended up drowning the pacing and narrative of the book. Also, an issue that has appeared in the last few books of Malazan Book of the Fallen was multiplied here. Lack of distinct voices in the characters. This situation was tolerable in the Malazan Book of the Fallen because it was balanced and surpassed by myriad other legendary main characters. I cannot say the same here. Stillwater aside, and maybe Spindle, all the other Malazan marines are practically impossible to differentiate. It was like they were all the same characters with different names.
“It was good to have people like that looking out for you. The kind who went through life quietly, sincerely and consistently.”
It took two weeks (and skimming the middle section) for me to succeed at finishing The God is Not Willing. This is not a good statistic and feeling. At 190,000 words, The God is Not Willing is even shorter than Gardens of the Moon. And yet... it took me the longest to finish. In comparison, the eighth installment in Malazan Book of the Fallen, Toll the Hounds, clocked in at almost 400,000 words, and it took me less than a week to read. I frequently correlate how quickly I can finish a book to how engaged and invested I am with the book I am reading. And these stats should display the massive differences. I guess we are left with one big question. Is this where I say farewell to the remaining books in the Malazan world? Honestly, I am still not sure. I love Malazan Book of the Fallen very much. It is one of my top favorite series of all time, and there is a potential I will grow to enjoy the books outside the main series after I complete the full reread of Malazan Book of the Fallen. On my reread up to Memories of Ice, I continue to be a diehard fan of Malazan Book of the Fallen, and I know I will finish my reread of the series eventually. So... who knows? Maybe after that is done, and The Kharkanas trilogy and The Witness trilogy are both completed, I will try them again. I cannot deny a part of me felt tired during my readthrough as I thought: "I have to read these books again just to refresh my memory someday when the sequels are published." Until these are fulfilled, with sorrow, I say my heart remains exclusively in Malazan Book of the Fallen.
“To live is to lose the faith you were born with to a thousand cuts, each year bleeding into the next. The eyes of the innocent see a world very differently from what you and I see. To know this is to revisit one's own loss, eye to eye with sad reflection, and to feel once more that dreadful ache in your chest.”
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Biskit, Brad, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Ciprian, Cullen, Dan, David, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Ellen, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Jordan, Katrina, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Sirbu, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tori, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wendy, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yosi, Yuri, Zoe.
July 9, 2021
I received a review copy of The God is Not Willing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Steven Erikson and Bantam Press. I don't believe my review contains spoilers, but with releases this anticipated I tend to include a minor spoilers may follow warning.
Set approximately ten years after the events that concluded The Crippled God (MBOTF #10), The God is Not Willing returns readers to Northwest Genabackis, specifically Silver Lake. In House of Chains (MBOTF #4), the warriors Karsa Orlong, Delum Thord, and Bairoth Gild ventured here to cause havoc. Now, less than twenty Malazan marines have been sent to investigate stirrings in the North, bringing them to the garrison at Silver Lake. The tribes of the Teblor are setting their sights on the South and in addition to these thousands of warriors, something cataclysmic approaches Silver Lake too.
I feel the need to mention early on in my review that Karsa Orlong does not feature in The God is Not Willing. Now referred to as The Shattered God, Karsa resides in a dwelling outside Darujhistan, being generally morose and miserable and refusing the affections of those who revere him.
In The God is Not Willing the main characters are the "knifey-mage" Stillwater, Oams, who may or may not be a Claw assassin, the last and arguably the least of the Bridgeburners, Spindle, and the young half-Teblor Silver Lake resident, Rant. He's the bastard son of Karsa Orlong and was conceived during a rape a decade and a half ago.
Two of my favourite characters in The God is Not Willing were Rant and Spindle. We're introduced to Rant as something pretty harrowing happens to him, a scene that may be upsetting for quite a few readers. Throughout the novel, he develops and changes a lot, goes through a plethora of feelings, yet there's still much potential for further growth and innocence to lose. Quite early on in the book Spindle graces the pages, a character that I vaguely remembered from my time reading Memories of Ice (MBOTF #3) and Toll the Hounds (MBOTF #8), so I was pleased to see a player that I recognised being in the mix here. Spindle is calm and unshakeable, probably the most experienced Malazan marine still active in this era, although none of his squad believe he was actually a Bridgeburner, whereas Rant is raw, emotional, and confused. In a way, Erikson could be presenting us the old school and the new school of this world through these two characters, their differences, and their world views, and I was intrigued throughout to see whether or not their paths would cross.
Although Karsa doesn't feature, his actions and legacy can be felt throughout, especially witnessed from the views of the Teblor contingent of the Dramatis Personae which includes two of Karsa's daughters, Delum's son, and Bairoth's widow and her daughter. Even the Malazan marines are aware of the events that occurred at Silver Lake many years before and about Karsa's ascendancy.
I finished my read of Malazan Book of the Fallen about five years ago and I rate it one of my top two fantasy series. My expectations for the first novel in the Witness trilogy were high but I tried my best to keep them levelled to avoid disappointment. The God is Not Willing is as good as I expected it to be. A solid 8/10 and an admirable first entry. Erikson continues to showcase his talents as an impressive wordsmith who I believe sprinkles the perfect amount of humour and camaraderie to balance the darkness and impending doom. Frequently, especially in the second half of the novel, I found certain scenes and set-pieces to be almost hypnotic with the way they drew me in, being equally mesmerising and memorable. Add to this intense battles, witty banter, advanced warfare, new curses, new gods, and escapades with warrens and this world's supernatural and you'll see why I had such a good time with this book.
There were also some very neat and unexpected, albeit brief cameos by a handful of major players from the main series. To mention who would be to spoil, but I can't help but think these were more thank yous or easter eggs to Malazan fans rather than significant to the plot. I hope I am wrong though, as would love to see some of these players get more page-time in the rest of the trilogy. There is a lot of depth to this world as Malazan readers will already be aware and this novel rewards people who know what has come before. I couldn't help but chuckle or smile at occasions such as a character saying "it's not a couple of Necromancers is it?"
Could you start your Malazan experience with The God is Not Willing? I honestly don't know. This is my sixteenth book in the shared world of Erikson and Esslemont so I've built up a decent knowledge of the way this world works. That being said, I did find this an easier, more succinct and streamlined read than the main series though, with a reading experience similar to the excellent Path to Ascendency novels.
The God is Not Willing is a worthy next step after the mighty Malazan Book of the Fallen. Not as grandiose in scope but still packed with the qualities that I previously adored. It features a heavy body count but has lots of heart at its core. I'd also like to add that I admire everything about the cover artwork and how it relates to events in the book.
Set approximately ten years after the events that concluded The Crippled God (MBOTF #10), The God is Not Willing returns readers to Northwest Genabackis, specifically Silver Lake. In House of Chains (MBOTF #4), the warriors Karsa Orlong, Delum Thord, and Bairoth Gild ventured here to cause havoc. Now, less than twenty Malazan marines have been sent to investigate stirrings in the North, bringing them to the garrison at Silver Lake. The tribes of the Teblor are setting their sights on the South and in addition to these thousands of warriors, something cataclysmic approaches Silver Lake too.
I feel the need to mention early on in my review that Karsa Orlong does not feature in The God is Not Willing. Now referred to as The Shattered God, Karsa resides in a dwelling outside Darujhistan, being generally morose and miserable and refusing the affections of those who revere him.
In The God is Not Willing the main characters are the "knifey-mage" Stillwater, Oams, who may or may not be a Claw assassin, the last and arguably the least of the Bridgeburners, Spindle, and the young half-Teblor Silver Lake resident, Rant. He's the bastard son of Karsa Orlong and was conceived during a rape a decade and a half ago.
Two of my favourite characters in The God is Not Willing were Rant and Spindle. We're introduced to Rant as something pretty harrowing happens to him, a scene that may be upsetting for quite a few readers. Throughout the novel, he develops and changes a lot, goes through a plethora of feelings, yet there's still much potential for further growth and innocence to lose. Quite early on in the book Spindle graces the pages, a character that I vaguely remembered from my time reading Memories of Ice (MBOTF #3) and Toll the Hounds (MBOTF #8), so I was pleased to see a player that I recognised being in the mix here. Spindle is calm and unshakeable, probably the most experienced Malazan marine still active in this era, although none of his squad believe he was actually a Bridgeburner, whereas Rant is raw, emotional, and confused. In a way, Erikson could be presenting us the old school and the new school of this world through these two characters, their differences, and their world views, and I was intrigued throughout to see whether or not their paths would cross.
Although Karsa doesn't feature, his actions and legacy can be felt throughout, especially witnessed from the views of the Teblor contingent of the Dramatis Personae which includes two of Karsa's daughters, Delum's son, and Bairoth's widow and her daughter. Even the Malazan marines are aware of the events that occurred at Silver Lake many years before and about Karsa's ascendancy.
I finished my read of Malazan Book of the Fallen about five years ago and I rate it one of my top two fantasy series. My expectations for the first novel in the Witness trilogy were high but I tried my best to keep them levelled to avoid disappointment. The God is Not Willing is as good as I expected it to be. A solid 8/10 and an admirable first entry. Erikson continues to showcase his talents as an impressive wordsmith who I believe sprinkles the perfect amount of humour and camaraderie to balance the darkness and impending doom. Frequently, especially in the second half of the novel, I found certain scenes and set-pieces to be almost hypnotic with the way they drew me in, being equally mesmerising and memorable. Add to this intense battles, witty banter, advanced warfare, new curses, new gods, and escapades with warrens and this world's supernatural and you'll see why I had such a good time with this book.
There were also some very neat and unexpected, albeit brief cameos by a handful of major players from the main series. To mention who would be to spoil, but I can't help but think these were more thank yous or easter eggs to Malazan fans rather than significant to the plot. I hope I am wrong though, as would love to see some of these players get more page-time in the rest of the trilogy. There is a lot of depth to this world as Malazan readers will already be aware and this novel rewards people who know what has come before. I couldn't help but chuckle or smile at occasions such as a character saying "it's not a couple of Necromancers is it?"
Could you start your Malazan experience with The God is Not Willing? I honestly don't know. This is my sixteenth book in the shared world of Erikson and Esslemont so I've built up a decent knowledge of the way this world works. That being said, I did find this an easier, more succinct and streamlined read than the main series though, with a reading experience similar to the excellent Path to Ascendency novels.
The God is Not Willing is a worthy next step after the mighty Malazan Book of the Fallen. Not as grandiose in scope but still packed with the qualities that I previously adored. It features a heavy body count but has lots of heart at its core. I'd also like to add that I admire everything about the cover artwork and how it relates to events in the book.
August 16, 2021
When I heard that Erikson was writing a book about Karsa Orlong, I was out. He was never a favourite. In fact, I actively dislike him. In all my many series rereads, I never bother to go back through his intro section at the beginning of House of Chains. Once was quite enough. Bearing that in mind, you might wonder why the hell I read this at all? Well, I heard a wonderful rumour that he wasn't in it...
'Some people tell themselves that their past is behind them, as if being responsible has a time limit and if you live long enough, you've outrun it.' He shook his head. 'It all catches up, sooner or later.'
For Karsa Orlong, that time is now.
The God is Not Willing welcomes us back ten years after the events of The Crippled God. A new problem is rising in the wilds beyond Silver Lake, an area previously devastated by Karsa and his merry band of 2 (if you know, you know). Someone is determined to deliver Karsa a reckoning, whether he cares or not. He, of course, is the God who isn't willing. Willing to acknowledge his family or his adherents, willing to do much of anything. Or so we hear. But that's not going to stop what's coming. Some individuals disturb the very foundations of the world, through the people they impact, those they hurt or ignore, and it's more often for the bad than the good. While Karsa is MIA, his previous actions and current choices underlie every moment of this novel. His absence is felt by all as the insult he doesn't even care enough to acknowledge. Yet this family tale has ramifications that will ripple outwards in bloody waves until it crashes against an even stronger tide.
Of course, a problem wouldn't be a problem if there weren't Malazan marines there to save the day- or something to that effect. Change is coming and for all its inevitability, it is the Malazan way to hold firm. In this case, they aren't going to be nearly enough. It's here, in this group, that we find the most appealing characters, both strange and powerful. Some have the potential to hold their own against the greats, others quickly fade into the who the hell was that again? pile, but, as ever, Erikson makes us care. This certainly makes it a more effective attempt to recapture the magic of the main series. If sometimes the dialogue edged into overdone, nevertheless there were moments that held the camaraderie and heart that made us fall in love before. Most importantly, it doesn't lose itself in too much philosophy. A welcome addition to the story.
ARC via Netgalley.
'Some people tell themselves that their past is behind them, as if being responsible has a time limit and if you live long enough, you've outrun it.' He shook his head. 'It all catches up, sooner or later.'
For Karsa Orlong, that time is now.
The God is Not Willing welcomes us back ten years after the events of The Crippled God. A new problem is rising in the wilds beyond Silver Lake, an area previously devastated by Karsa and his merry band of 2 (if you know, you know). Someone is determined to deliver Karsa a reckoning, whether he cares or not. He, of course, is the God who isn't willing. Willing to acknowledge his family or his adherents, willing to do much of anything. Or so we hear. But that's not going to stop what's coming. Some individuals disturb the very foundations of the world, through the people they impact, those they hurt or ignore, and it's more often for the bad than the good. While Karsa is MIA, his previous actions and current choices underlie every moment of this novel. His absence is felt by all as the insult he doesn't even care enough to acknowledge. Yet this family tale has ramifications that will ripple outwards in bloody waves until it crashes against an even stronger tide.
Of course, a problem wouldn't be a problem if there weren't Malazan marines there to save the day- or something to that effect. Change is coming and for all its inevitability, it is the Malazan way to hold firm. In this case, they aren't going to be nearly enough. It's here, in this group, that we find the most appealing characters, both strange and powerful. Some have the potential to hold their own against the greats, others quickly fade into the who the hell was that again? pile, but, as ever, Erikson makes us care. This certainly makes it a more effective attempt to recapture the magic of the main series. If sometimes the dialogue edged into overdone, nevertheless there were moments that held the camaraderie and heart that made us fall in love before. Most importantly, it doesn't lose itself in too much philosophy. A welcome addition to the story.
ARC via Netgalley.
December 21, 2021
The god is not willing is book one of Witness. Witness is a spin-off series of Malazan Book of the Fallen, the initial series consist of 10 books, it’s advisable to read those books before starting this. Spoilers ahead for those who haven’t read MBotF.
This book is more like an introduction into the series, lots of things happened but I have no idea where things are headed.
The world building is out of this world, I love it. The writing is same as his other series, it’s great but as usual the story is told in more than ten perspectives. The POV switch was very well done. The fight scenes were well depicted and the friendship is so realistic. Despite the Malazans being soldiers and all, they are still compassionate, it reminds me of what they did in Capustan. I was scared that the marines here will be a rip off of the others but I was so wrong.
“Some people tell themselves that their past is behind them, as if being responsible has a time limit and if you live long enough, you’ve outrun it.’ He shook his head. ‘It all catches up, sooner or later.”
The events in this book took place a decade after The Crippled god but it somehow felt like it was longer, the characters in this book refer to the events that happened in MBotF like it took place eons ago, almost like the Bridgeburners were legends, I for one wish the time jump was longer, it would have made it all the more better. All the events in this book is set in NorthWest Genebackis, the book is not as broad as MBotF. I hope this continues, I like it.
“Warfare is a restless art. It may suit the tellers of tales to fix it in place. It may suit the creators of tapestries, frescoes and paintings to set upon battle-scenes of the distant past the modern phalanx, the panoply of common weapons: hauberks of chain and visored helms, the sky raining arrows and great siege engines battering the walls. The truth is: ways of killing define progress, not
just in our civilization, but in all civilizations. These things evolve and as they evolve, they become more lethal.”
There are the usual Malazan marines and their madness, God I miss them, their banter and comradeship is awesome. Then there are the Teblors and Jheck that we read about in the previous series, they are well explored here.
The main characters are so many, some of my favorites are the marines( Stillwater, Spindle, Oams, Benger and many others.
“You don’t even need to be literate,’ she said.
‘Back on that again, Stillwater? Listen, reading’s easy. It’s what you do with all the words now in your head that’s hard. Consider. Ten people could read the same damned words and yet walk away with ten different interpretations.’
‘Uh huh.’
‘That’s why it’s a rule to keep us heavies away from written orders.”
Then they are the teblors, my favourites are Rant, Delas Fana and Pake Gild. Rant and Delas are Karsa’s spawn through rape. Rant is a half teblor, a result of Karsa raping that human woman in Silver Lake years ago in House of Chains. Finally the Jheck, I love Gower and Nilghan, though the later is an idiot.
“Ignorance is like a seed and where it is planted in the guise of a virtue, it becomes a weed that chokes the mind until all reason is lost.”
The plot is quite straightforward, the ice wall close to the teblor and jheck settlement is breaking, if it does break the place will be flooded, the teblor and the jheck have no choice but to migrate. Silver lake is the nearest human town and it is occupied by the Malazans.
This book is more like an introduction into the series, lots of things happened but I have no idea where things are headed.
The world building is out of this world, I love it. The writing is same as his other series, it’s great but as usual the story is told in more than ten perspectives. The POV switch was very well done. The fight scenes were well depicted and the friendship is so realistic. Despite the Malazans being soldiers and all, they are still compassionate, it reminds me of what they did in Capustan. I was scared that the marines here will be a rip off of the others but I was so wrong.
“Some people tell themselves that their past is behind them, as if being responsible has a time limit and if you live long enough, you’ve outrun it.’ He shook his head. ‘It all catches up, sooner or later.”
The events in this book took place a decade after The Crippled god but it somehow felt like it was longer, the characters in this book refer to the events that happened in MBotF like it took place eons ago, almost like the Bridgeburners were legends, I for one wish the time jump was longer, it would have made it all the more better. All the events in this book is set in NorthWest Genebackis, the book is not as broad as MBotF. I hope this continues, I like it.
“Warfare is a restless art. It may suit the tellers of tales to fix it in place. It may suit the creators of tapestries, frescoes and paintings to set upon battle-scenes of the distant past the modern phalanx, the panoply of common weapons: hauberks of chain and visored helms, the sky raining arrows and great siege engines battering the walls. The truth is: ways of killing define progress, not
just in our civilization, but in all civilizations. These things evolve and as they evolve, they become more lethal.”
There are the usual Malazan marines and their madness, God I miss them, their banter and comradeship is awesome. Then there are the Teblors and Jheck that we read about in the previous series, they are well explored here.
The main characters are so many, some of my favorites are the marines( Stillwater, Spindle, Oams, Benger and many others.
“You don’t even need to be literate,’ she said.
‘Back on that again, Stillwater? Listen, reading’s easy. It’s what you do with all the words now in your head that’s hard. Consider. Ten people could read the same damned words and yet walk away with ten different interpretations.’
‘Uh huh.’
‘That’s why it’s a rule to keep us heavies away from written orders.”
Then they are the teblors, my favourites are Rant, Delas Fana and Pake Gild. Rant and Delas are Karsa’s spawn through rape. Rant is a half teblor, a result of Karsa raping that human woman in Silver Lake years ago in House of Chains. Finally the Jheck, I love Gower and Nilghan, though the later is an idiot.
“Ignorance is like a seed and where it is planted in the guise of a virtue, it becomes a weed that chokes the mind until all reason is lost.”
The plot is quite straightforward, the ice wall close to the teblor and jheck settlement is breaking, if it does break the place will be flooded, the teblor and the jheck have no choice but to migrate. Silver lake is the nearest human town and it is occupied by the Malazans.
July 3, 2021
The God is Not Willing is the first book in the Witness Trilogy, set around a decade or so after the end of the Book of the Fallen and Novels of the Empire, in the northern regions of the continent of Genebackis. It's a fantastic first entry in a new trilogy, different enough from the other series set in the same world while still retaining the core essence of what makes it Malazan.
Unlike previous books which usually had myriad storylines set in various locations with a huge cast of characters, this novel follows only two major plotlines set in fixed locations with limited PoVs. This made for a more focused narrative and allowed for greater fleshing out and development of the characters and stories that unfold. The writing is excellent, the dialogue and brief internal thoughts of characters was very well-done, the evocative prose helped the emotional beats of the story hit harder. This more streamlined approach made the book quite fast-paced, a change from the more ponderous pace of the previous Malazan books.
One of the major PoVs is Rant, a young half-breed Teblor, stuck between two worlds and grappling with his legacy. His character development and growth throughout the story was extremely engaging to read, from his innocent outlook and naivete as he slowly gains experience through encounters with all kinds of people from various races that influence the way he thinks about values like loyalty, courage, and forgiveness. His arc formed the backbone of the story, responsible for a lot of the emotional beats, and his interactions with the characters around him were a delight to read.
The other main plotline deals with a group of soldiers that are tasked with forming a garrison at the small town of Silver Lake. Even though this thread had many characters, the excellent and limited usage of PoVs ensured that most or even all of the marines and heavies we meet had distinct personalities, quirks, and were very memorable and likeable. The delightful antics of Stillwater, the eloquent Folibore, Benger's regular existential crises, all of it made for an entertaining read and were my favourite parts of the book. The banter between these characters is top-notch, hilarity mixed with appropriate levels of seriousness and dangerous competence. Focusing on this small group made it easy to get invested in these characters and their stories, making for a better reading experience.
References to previous events now made legendary by rumour and witnessing some of the changes to the world over time were some of my favourite aspects of this book. Seeing the subtle changes in how the Empire conducts warfare, the consequences of past actions by characters in previous books, how magic and its usage and understanding has changed over time, the new traditions, religions, and gods that have popped up as a result of major changes to the pantheon and the far-reaching effects of past events into the future, all of it was very interesting to read about.
The book deals with themes surrounding sustainability and the changing climate. In fact, the driving force behind significant events in the book are the melting of ice fields and mountain glaciers, the deforestation of nearby forests for encroaching settlements, and the resulting changing migration patterns of animals like caribou leading to them being hunted to near extinction. There is a brief discussion of balance and the place that humanity occupies in nature and the wilds, how that continuity is an illusion hiding an ever-changing environment, and the slow death following unsustainable exploitation.
It also deals with people seeking redemption, trying to cleanse their past sins by doing what they think is right. There are a few characters who embody this, one in particular trying to repent in the later years of his life, learning over time what life is actually about and how much worth it is given, removing his veneer of indifference to see the damage it has caused. There are a few chapters in this book where a lot of magic-related metaphysical, reality-warping stuff happens. While it was confusing to wrap my head around, it was written with minimal obfuscation and in such a way as to make understanding what happened easier as well as leaving some intriguing questions for the future.
The ending of the book is fantastic, it brings all the plot threads together in a small tense, personal convergence filled with magic, action, and emotion. There are a lot of questions left open at the end, some set-up to be explored in the subsequent entries. I found every single thread and PoV in this book interesting, I can't pick out any that stand out as my least favourite or any that I found boring because they were all distinctly engaging with great characters. This is an excellent first entry that has a lot of what made previous Malazan books great, while also dealing with some of its common criticisms, making it a more focused, driven story with minimal philosophical tangents and obfuscation.
"To witness is to begin to see. To see is to begin to know. To know is to recoil."
Unlike previous books which usually had myriad storylines set in various locations with a huge cast of characters, this novel follows only two major plotlines set in fixed locations with limited PoVs. This made for a more focused narrative and allowed for greater fleshing out and development of the characters and stories that unfold. The writing is excellent, the dialogue and brief internal thoughts of characters was very well-done, the evocative prose helped the emotional beats of the story hit harder. This more streamlined approach made the book quite fast-paced, a change from the more ponderous pace of the previous Malazan books.
One of the major PoVs is Rant, a young half-breed Teblor, stuck between two worlds and grappling with his legacy. His character development and growth throughout the story was extremely engaging to read, from his innocent outlook and naivete as he slowly gains experience through encounters with all kinds of people from various races that influence the way he thinks about values like loyalty, courage, and forgiveness. His arc formed the backbone of the story, responsible for a lot of the emotional beats, and his interactions with the characters around him were a delight to read.
"Malazan justice doesn't stop at the grave's edge."
The other main plotline deals with a group of soldiers that are tasked with forming a garrison at the small town of Silver Lake. Even though this thread had many characters, the excellent and limited usage of PoVs ensured that most or even all of the marines and heavies we meet had distinct personalities, quirks, and were very memorable and likeable. The delightful antics of Stillwater, the eloquent Folibore, Benger's regular existential crises, all of it made for an entertaining read and were my favourite parts of the book. The banter between these characters is top-notch, hilarity mixed with appropriate levels of seriousness and dangerous competence. Focusing on this small group made it easy to get invested in these characters and their stories, making for a better reading experience.
"A soldier's loyalty died to a thousand cuts, until it seemed there was no hope of finding it again - not to an empire, not to a commander, not even to a faith. "
References to previous events now made legendary by rumour and witnessing some of the changes to the world over time were some of my favourite aspects of this book. Seeing the subtle changes in how the Empire conducts warfare, the consequences of past actions by characters in previous books, how magic and its usage and understanding has changed over time, the new traditions, religions, and gods that have popped up as a result of major changes to the pantheon and the far-reaching effects of past events into the future, all of it was very interesting to read about.
The book deals with themes surrounding sustainability and the changing climate. In fact, the driving force behind significant events in the book are the melting of ice fields and mountain glaciers, the deforestation of nearby forests for encroaching settlements, and the resulting changing migration patterns of animals like caribou leading to them being hunted to near extinction. There is a brief discussion of balance and the place that humanity occupies in nature and the wilds, how that continuity is an illusion hiding an ever-changing environment, and the slow death following unsustainable exploitation.
"The most powerful constant is stupidity. Nothing else comes close. Stupidity kills all the animals, empties the sky of birds, poisons the rivers, burns the forests, wages the war, feeds the lies, invents the world over and over again in ways only idiots could think real. Stupidity will defeat every god, crush every dream, topple every empire."
It also deals with people seeking redemption, trying to cleanse their past sins by doing what they think is right. There are a few characters who embody this, one in particular trying to repent in the later years of his life, learning over time what life is actually about and how much worth it is given, removing his veneer of indifference to see the damage it has caused. There are a few chapters in this book where a lot of magic-related metaphysical, reality-warping stuff happens. While it was confusing to wrap my head around, it was written with minimal obfuscation and in such a way as to make understanding what happened easier as well as leaving some intriguing questions for the future.
Want to see it in terms of good and evil, of right and wrong? That's not the way of the Wilds, because those words are really about people judging other people and the problem with that is, you can't find truth studying the scales if your own eye's skewed. And everyone's eyes are skewed, whether they admit it or not."
The ending of the book is fantastic, it brings all the plot threads together in a small tense, personal convergence filled with magic, action, and emotion. There are a lot of questions left open at the end, some set-up to be explored in the subsequent entries. I found every single thread and PoV in this book interesting, I can't pick out any that stand out as my least favourite or any that I found boring because they were all distinctly engaging with great characters. This is an excellent first entry that has a lot of what made previous Malazan books great, while also dealing with some of its common criticisms, making it a more focused, driven story with minimal philosophical tangents and obfuscation.
July 2, 2021
The God is not willing is the first book in the planned toblakai trilogy (or mostly known by The Witness trilogy) by Steven Erikson set in the same world as his previous work 'The Malazan Books of the Fallen' taking place years after the events of 'The Crippled God's (the final book in the above mentioned series). The story takes place in the continent of Genabackis, it was a rather nostalgic feeling returning to Genabackis as it was the place where most people including me began their journey into Malazan in 'Gardens of the Moon' (unless you're on of those brave souls who decided to read from Path of Ascendancy or those foolhardy one's who went and tried Kharkanas first). Anyway even though it is a new series I don't recommend you start your journey into Malazan here if you're a new reader, in fact it is required that you've at least read until Toll the Hounds (book 8) just for continuity's sake. For everyone else, here's my review although I should put say beforehand that I am a huge fan of Malazan, so my opinions may not be entirely unbiased.
"To be believed in is an obligation . Only by heeding that obligation are you made worthy of that belief."
Karsa Orlong is now a god, at least that is what his "followers" say. (emphasis in followers because he beats up any who come to him asking guidance, typical toblakai nature).The Teblor warrior also known by Knight of Chains, The god of the shattered face also self prophesied destroyer of civilisation whose notoriety is now renown across the lands to the point where his people, the Teblor in their remote home which he left years ago seeking glory have come to know about his deeds and vows. They believe he will return to lead them in a glorious raid that will mark the beginning of the end of civilisation, but what happens when their so called "God" is not willing to do what he so boldly proclaimed to do. It's almost like Ascendancy gave him a rather wider perspective of the world. Karsa Orlong does not actually make an appearance in this book rather he is only mentioned (funny this being initially thought as a sequel series focusing on Karsa), Karsa was a character who had left me feeling mixed, while I love his badassery, his Stoic nature and dry wit and although his character does undergo much development in the previous series, his endgoals doesn't seem to change. In fact when we left him it seemed like he was doubling down on his own vow of destroying all civilisation. I believe Erikson tried to be a little experimental by not including the so-called main character and writing a story of how the world would react in his absence (but I still need to know why is Karsa unwilling) and like always, the world moves on. A new warleader has decided to take it into his own hands of fulfilling Karsa's vow. Scarred in his youth by the hand of Karsa Orlong, this new leader is determined not to let the legend of the god of the shattered face grow any greater. He gathers all the tribes of the teblor and various other tribes of the north to form a massive host with a single purpose in mind. His actions are further spurred by the fact that a far greater danger is brewing further north, one that could prove an end to the teblor way of life forever. The first town in their wake is the town of Silver Lake where we also follow a company of Malazan marines who are sent to reinforce the local garrison. The description of the book tells you that these marines are not the ones of old, this is a massive understatement as you'll soon find out. This is also where Erikson eases the building tension with bout's of his signature dry humour that is all too familiar to Malazan fans.
"Well, how long has he been in there?’ Shrugging, Folibore said, ‘No telling how long it’ll take.’‘Why, what’s wrong with him?’
‘Nothing. I told you. He’s in the latrine.’ He paused. ‘In the latrine. Dropped that amulet his grandmother gave him.’‘The amulet with the inscription? The one that says kill this boy before he grows up? What kind of keepsake is that? Blanket’s not right in the head, you know."
I couldn't help but notice how similar this book was to House of Chains (book 4 in the Malazan book of the fallen, kind of ironic since most of the book takes place in the locations we'd previously visited in the first part of House of Chains). There is a focus on one character more than all the others, which is not how Erikson usually does character work as I'll explain below. Much like how Karsa Orlong had the main focus in House of Chains, this book focuses on Rant, a half-breed bastard son of Karsa Orlong whose origins date back to the days of the Teblor warrior's attack on the town of silver lake. We follow Rant as he goes from an ignorant child to someone people choose follow. Much like Karsa Orlong, Rant seem to have the ability to attract people's respect but unlike his father Rant doesn't shun away his supporters. His growth as he embraces the harsh realities of the world experiencing camaraderie and loss in the process along with the tragic story of his mother is easily the strongest part of the book.
"If you seek to blind him to the world, you will fail. To live is to lose the faith you were born with to a thousand cuts, each year bleeding into the next. The eyes of the innocent see a world very differently from what you and I see. To know this is to revisit one’s own loss, eye to eye with sad reflection, and to feel once more that dreadful ache in your chest."
"Innocence, she whispered. The one thing we all leave behind, alas. The one thing we all walk away from, sooner or later. Oh yes, you can look back and call it ignorance instead. But you do that because you’ve forgotten what you lost."
The character work is how we'd come to expect from Erikson.This is not your run of the mill fantasy novel with multiple point of views (run-of-the mill meaning we have a few central characters and the story is told from their point of views, this is not the case here). Where Erikson differs from his peers is that he tells the story though the eyes of a huge cast of characters, you end up with more than 15 different POV's (though this number is rather small compared to his other works). Reader's not familiar with his work might quickly get overwhelmed, fans of his work on the other hand can quickly find their footing. This style of writing does draw criticism about a lack of character development which I disagree. This is because most authors put importance on the characters they create and then focus on plot, this doesn't mean that they think the plot as an afterthought rather they want us to be engrossed in the characters more. Erikson gives importance to the plot, he is telling a story and he wants us to see it unfold from as many viewpoints as possible. He writes his characters accordingly. This means that you don't have three or four deeply focused characters, rather fifteen to twenty characters with a narrower focus but enough to fulfill the needs of the plot. So in the end, you cannot look at Erikson's character work in the same light as others, people who love his style know this but at the same time I can understand those who don't and their frustration at this type of writing style. Another issue some people have is the amount of philosophical interjections which may take away from their enjoyment of the story (personally I disagree with this) we all think about things greater than us in our idle time, although not in the same way he writes them we've all had deep thoughts in the language of our minds. Suffice to say the philosophy doesn't bother me. As a side note,this book doesn't go in as deep into the philosophy as the main series, it is there but not to the same extent, so I believe people who weren't a fan of that type of writing would enjoy this book more.
". . . the proclivity towards overspecialization ever narrows the focus of the mind, darling, and with each narrowing increment the interconnected relationships among all forms of knowledge and learning cease to obtain, indeed, cease to matter. A career devoted to a single cog loses sight of the machinery, forgets the purpose of the mill, grows deaf to the water in the vast wheel, and thinks nothing of the grain’s birth in the bread devoured."
The world building is top notch (about what you'd expect considering the previous series), It is the area where Erikson excels above all else. With so much of this world already explored in the plethora of Malazan novels that came before it, he plunges us into a world that is familiar but alien at the same time (courtesy of the actions of a certain ascendant in 'Reapers Gale'). We thought 'The Warrens' were complicated until he gave us 'The Holds' and now he gives us 'The Runts', an entirely new magic system that came to existence at the end of the previous series (except the name, this is not a spoiler). Even though I love the journeys he take us on, I can't help but feel some of them is added in just for sake of wow factor. I will not stand by this statement considering this is a Malazan novel and they have the tendency of foreshadowing things way early than you'd think. Then there's the things that you don't really understand but come on, as I'd said earlier, this is a Malazan novel, you don't get everything spoon-fed to you. A major theme that is explored in this book is that change is inevitable. Even though you rage against it, it will come slow as a glacier but impossibly strong, grinding all that stands in its way to dust. This is something that applies to the characters, the world, the magic system and even the pantheon.
"The present age is only unique because you live in it. When you die, you cease to care about that age. And you know this. Which is why you don’t care about about anything past your own life. Why should you? It follows, quite reasonably , that every generation is righteous in cursing the one that precedes it. Namely, yours. And the vicious fighting withdrawal that is your own conservatism – this bitter, hate-filled war against change – is doomed to fail, because no age lasts for ever. One follows upon the next and this is an inescapable fact. So step aside. Your day is done. Any regression into childish tantrums makes a mockery of wisdom. The age dies with you, as it must, and you now show its face to be that of a mewling child who can no longer hold on to what has ceased to exist."
Another theme you'll certainly notice is the one that you've previously seen in all Malazan novels, compassion. Good and evil are just a matter of perspective. It appears different to everyone because everyone's eyes are skewed a certain way. Showing compassion to someone who opposes you is the true way to bridge that gap. This is emulated in the story coupled with the earlier mentioned themes of the inevitability of change and the loosing of one's innocence resulted in a truly astounding conclusion to the book.
"You do not turn away. You do not rush back to your own life, your own world, and tell yourself that your family, your loved ones, are all that matters. Were they indeed all that mattered, then in your world not one person who’s not you or your family would give a flying fuck about you, or them. And in a world like that, why, it might well be better to be dead than alive."
As a conclusion, I can certainly say that Erikson has not lost the thing that made people fall in love with his stories in the first place. I was concerned because of the fact that he had to put the third book of the Kharkanas trilogy on hold to start this series. I know it was the publisher's choice to move in this direction and personally having not read Kharkanas (I've heard Kharkanas is quite deep and it's reception has been mixed). I had a fear that his writing style might have changed so it was a pleasant surprise when it turned out the way it did.
I'd like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader's Copy of the book. This does not affect my opinions and overall rating of the book in any manner.
"To be believed in is an obligation . Only by heeding that obligation are you made worthy of that belief."
Karsa Orlong is now a god, at least that is what his "followers" say. (emphasis in followers because he beats up any who come to him asking guidance, typical toblakai nature).The Teblor warrior also known by Knight of Chains, The god of the shattered face also self prophesied destroyer of civilisation whose notoriety is now renown across the lands to the point where his people, the Teblor in their remote home which he left years ago seeking glory have come to know about his deeds and vows. They believe he will return to lead them in a glorious raid that will mark the beginning of the end of civilisation, but what happens when their so called "God" is not willing to do what he so boldly proclaimed to do. It's almost like Ascendancy gave him a rather wider perspective of the world. Karsa Orlong does not actually make an appearance in this book rather he is only mentioned (funny this being initially thought as a sequel series focusing on Karsa), Karsa was a character who had left me feeling mixed, while I love his badassery, his Stoic nature and dry wit and although his character does undergo much development in the previous series, his endgoals doesn't seem to change. In fact when we left him it seemed like he was doubling down on his own vow of destroying all civilisation. I believe Erikson tried to be a little experimental by not including the so-called main character and writing a story of how the world would react in his absence (but I still need to know why is Karsa unwilling) and like always, the world moves on. A new warleader has decided to take it into his own hands of fulfilling Karsa's vow. Scarred in his youth by the hand of Karsa Orlong, this new leader is determined not to let the legend of the god of the shattered face grow any greater. He gathers all the tribes of the teblor and various other tribes of the north to form a massive host with a single purpose in mind. His actions are further spurred by the fact that a far greater danger is brewing further north, one that could prove an end to the teblor way of life forever. The first town in their wake is the town of Silver Lake where we also follow a company of Malazan marines who are sent to reinforce the local garrison. The description of the book tells you that these marines are not the ones of old, this is a massive understatement as you'll soon find out. This is also where Erikson eases the building tension with bout's of his signature dry humour that is all too familiar to Malazan fans.
"Well, how long has he been in there?’ Shrugging, Folibore said, ‘No telling how long it’ll take.’‘Why, what’s wrong with him?’
‘Nothing. I told you. He’s in the latrine.’ He paused. ‘In the latrine. Dropped that amulet his grandmother gave him.’‘The amulet with the inscription? The one that says kill this boy before he grows up? What kind of keepsake is that? Blanket’s not right in the head, you know."
I couldn't help but notice how similar this book was to House of Chains (book 4 in the Malazan book of the fallen, kind of ironic since most of the book takes place in the locations we'd previously visited in the first part of House of Chains). There is a focus on one character more than all the others, which is not how Erikson usually does character work as I'll explain below. Much like how Karsa Orlong had the main focus in House of Chains, this book focuses on Rant, a half-breed bastard son of Karsa Orlong whose origins date back to the days of the Teblor warrior's attack on the town of silver lake. We follow Rant as he goes from an ignorant child to someone people choose follow. Much like Karsa Orlong, Rant seem to have the ability to attract people's respect but unlike his father Rant doesn't shun away his supporters. His growth as he embraces the harsh realities of the world experiencing camaraderie and loss in the process along with the tragic story of his mother is easily the strongest part of the book.
"If you seek to blind him to the world, you will fail. To live is to lose the faith you were born with to a thousand cuts, each year bleeding into the next. The eyes of the innocent see a world very differently from what you and I see. To know this is to revisit one’s own loss, eye to eye with sad reflection, and to feel once more that dreadful ache in your chest."
"Innocence, she whispered. The one thing we all leave behind, alas. The one thing we all walk away from, sooner or later. Oh yes, you can look back and call it ignorance instead. But you do that because you’ve forgotten what you lost."
The character work is how we'd come to expect from Erikson.This is not your run of the mill fantasy novel with multiple point of views (run-of-the mill meaning we have a few central characters and the story is told from their point of views, this is not the case here). Where Erikson differs from his peers is that he tells the story though the eyes of a huge cast of characters, you end up with more than 15 different POV's (though this number is rather small compared to his other works). Reader's not familiar with his work might quickly get overwhelmed, fans of his work on the other hand can quickly find their footing. This style of writing does draw criticism about a lack of character development which I disagree. This is because most authors put importance on the characters they create and then focus on plot, this doesn't mean that they think the plot as an afterthought rather they want us to be engrossed in the characters more. Erikson gives importance to the plot, he is telling a story and he wants us to see it unfold from as many viewpoints as possible. He writes his characters accordingly. This means that you don't have three or four deeply focused characters, rather fifteen to twenty characters with a narrower focus but enough to fulfill the needs of the plot. So in the end, you cannot look at Erikson's character work in the same light as others, people who love his style know this but at the same time I can understand those who don't and their frustration at this type of writing style. Another issue some people have is the amount of philosophical interjections which may take away from their enjoyment of the story (personally I disagree with this) we all think about things greater than us in our idle time, although not in the same way he writes them we've all had deep thoughts in the language of our minds. Suffice to say the philosophy doesn't bother me. As a side note,this book doesn't go in as deep into the philosophy as the main series, it is there but not to the same extent, so I believe people who weren't a fan of that type of writing would enjoy this book more.
". . . the proclivity towards overspecialization ever narrows the focus of the mind, darling, and with each narrowing increment the interconnected relationships among all forms of knowledge and learning cease to obtain, indeed, cease to matter. A career devoted to a single cog loses sight of the machinery, forgets the purpose of the mill, grows deaf to the water in the vast wheel, and thinks nothing of the grain’s birth in the bread devoured."
The world building is top notch (about what you'd expect considering the previous series), It is the area where Erikson excels above all else. With so much of this world already explored in the plethora of Malazan novels that came before it, he plunges us into a world that is familiar but alien at the same time (courtesy of the actions of a certain ascendant in 'Reapers Gale'). We thought 'The Warrens' were complicated until he gave us 'The Holds' and now he gives us 'The Runts', an entirely new magic system that came to existence at the end of the previous series (except the name, this is not a spoiler). Even though I love the journeys he take us on, I can't help but feel some of them is added in just for sake of wow factor. I will not stand by this statement considering this is a Malazan novel and they have the tendency of foreshadowing things way early than you'd think. Then there's the things that you don't really understand but come on, as I'd said earlier, this is a Malazan novel, you don't get everything spoon-fed to you. A major theme that is explored in this book is that change is inevitable. Even though you rage against it, it will come slow as a glacier but impossibly strong, grinding all that stands in its way to dust. This is something that applies to the characters, the world, the magic system and even the pantheon.
"The present age is only unique because you live in it. When you die, you cease to care about that age. And you know this. Which is why you don’t care about about anything past your own life. Why should you? It follows, quite reasonably , that every generation is righteous in cursing the one that precedes it. Namely, yours. And the vicious fighting withdrawal that is your own conservatism – this bitter, hate-filled war against change – is doomed to fail, because no age lasts for ever. One follows upon the next and this is an inescapable fact. So step aside. Your day is done. Any regression into childish tantrums makes a mockery of wisdom. The age dies with you, as it must, and you now show its face to be that of a mewling child who can no longer hold on to what has ceased to exist."
Another theme you'll certainly notice is the one that you've previously seen in all Malazan novels, compassion. Good and evil are just a matter of perspective. It appears different to everyone because everyone's eyes are skewed a certain way. Showing compassion to someone who opposes you is the true way to bridge that gap. This is emulated in the story coupled with the earlier mentioned themes of the inevitability of change and the loosing of one's innocence resulted in a truly astounding conclusion to the book.
"You do not turn away. You do not rush back to your own life, your own world, and tell yourself that your family, your loved ones, are all that matters. Were they indeed all that mattered, then in your world not one person who’s not you or your family would give a flying fuck about you, or them. And in a world like that, why, it might well be better to be dead than alive."
As a conclusion, I can certainly say that Erikson has not lost the thing that made people fall in love with his stories in the first place. I was concerned because of the fact that he had to put the third book of the Kharkanas trilogy on hold to start this series. I know it was the publisher's choice to move in this direction and personally having not read Kharkanas (I've heard Kharkanas is quite deep and it's reception has been mixed). I had a fear that his writing style might have changed so it was a pleasant surprise when it turned out the way it did.
I'd like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader's Copy of the book. This does not affect my opinions and overall rating of the book in any manner.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2023
"Che cosa? Hai visto i loro ricognitori?"
"Si. Ci siamo incontrati a distanza ravvicinata. Li ho insultati. Loro mi hanno insultata. Ho brandito la lancia. Mi hanno mostrato i loro culi nudi".
Tacque e scrollò la testa. "Ritengo che abbiano vinto lo scontro, poiché i culi erano orribili e pelosi".
Primo romanzo della nuova attesa trilogia di Steven Erikson ambientato circa dieci anni dopo la conclusione delle vicende narrate nel "Dio storpio", ultimo capitolo della saga Malazan.
Siamo nel continente di Genabackis, territorio settentrionale alle pendici montane del territorio Teblor. Un piccolo contingente di fanti Malazan è in viaggio verso il più estremo avamposto imperiale per dare manforte alla guarnigione locale.
Runt, un giovane mezzosangue nativo di Silver Lake, escluso e scacciato da tutti, dovrà affrontare il suo futuro incerto, dapprima facendo sue le esperienze e la saggezza di altri, poi cercando dentro di se la forza per andare avanti e forse trovare un posto in cui sentirsi accettato.
Ed eccomi ancora una volta a camminare tra le file fetenti dei fanti di marina Malazan con la loro inconfondibile simpatia e follia, eccentricità e finta incompetenza.
Chi ha già letto la saga principale troverà tutti personaggi nuovi tranne il sergente Spindle con il suo assurdo cilicio puzzolente.
I dialoghi che Erikson tesse con estrema maestria sono al pari di quelli geniali e surreali di Tarantiniana memoria, impossibile resistere.
Forse esagera rendendoli tutti sopra le righe, ma è una caratteristica che conosciamo e ci aspettiamo, i fanti di marina Malazan sono tutt'altro che persone comuni e a noi piacciono così, senza qualche rotella.
Diverso il lavoro dedicato al giovane mezzosangue, affrontato con toni più seri e riflessivi che risaltano la sua drammatica vicenda. Insieme a nuovi compagni sarà testimone di eventi che probabilmente cambieranno il volto già insanguinato del mondo che li circonda.
Nel mondo Malazan la tragedia è dietro l'angolo e le calamità sono tante, sempre pronte a colpire senza pietà.
Divertente, arguto e mai banale, drammatico e spietato.
Di facile lettura se paragonato alla saga principale e difficile, molto difficile posarlo sul comodino finché non si è giunti al termine dell'ultima pagina.
Il ritmo tuttavia non è elevato per quasi la totalità del romanzo per accelerare solo nel finale, Erikson si prende il tempo necessario per ambientarci e preparare le pedine in gioco per gli eventi in arrivo.
La parte finale è talmente coinvolgente da emozionare anche una statua di bronzo.
Per ora un inizio di buon livello anche se forse ci sono un po' troppi richiami alla saga principale che strizzano l'occhio ai fan nostalgici.
Non lo consiglio come romanzo d'entrata al mondo Malazan. L'ordine di lettura migliore per me rimane sempre quello di pubblicazione.
Troppi gli spoiler presenti che potrebbero rovinare la lettura della saga principale, su Karsa, Azath, Canali, Icarium, Arsori di Ponti, Kellanved, Progenie della luna, K'Chain Che'Malle, Redentore, Anomander, Paran, Coltaine, Hood!
Alcuni eventi risulteranno novità anche per chi non ha letto "Return of the Crimson Guard" e "Assail" di Esslemont, come gli accenni su Mallick Rel e sul destino dei T'lan Imass.
L'anima della scoperta è parte fondamentale dello stile dello scrittore per farci conoscere il mondo Malazan, centellinando le informazioni piano piano, anticiparle o solo annusarle di sfuggita prima del tempo sarebbe un grave errore.
"Si. Ci siamo incontrati a distanza ravvicinata. Li ho insultati. Loro mi hanno insultata. Ho brandito la lancia. Mi hanno mostrato i loro culi nudi".
Tacque e scrollò la testa. "Ritengo che abbiano vinto lo scontro, poiché i culi erano orribili e pelosi".
Primo romanzo della nuova attesa trilogia di Steven Erikson ambientato circa dieci anni dopo la conclusione delle vicende narrate nel "Dio storpio", ultimo capitolo della saga Malazan.
Siamo nel continente di Genabackis, territorio settentrionale alle pendici montane del territorio Teblor. Un piccolo contingente di fanti Malazan è in viaggio verso il più estremo avamposto imperiale per dare manforte alla guarnigione locale.
Runt, un giovane mezzosangue nativo di Silver Lake, escluso e scacciato da tutti, dovrà affrontare il suo futuro incerto, dapprima facendo sue le esperienze e la saggezza di altri, poi cercando dentro di se la forza per andare avanti e forse trovare un posto in cui sentirsi accettato.
Ed eccomi ancora una volta a camminare tra le file fetenti dei fanti di marina Malazan con la loro inconfondibile simpatia e follia, eccentricità e finta incompetenza.
Chi ha già letto la saga principale troverà tutti personaggi nuovi tranne il sergente Spindle con il suo assurdo cilicio puzzolente.
I dialoghi che Erikson tesse con estrema maestria sono al pari di quelli geniali e surreali di Tarantiniana memoria, impossibile resistere.
Forse esagera rendendoli tutti sopra le righe, ma è una caratteristica che conosciamo e ci aspettiamo, i fanti di marina Malazan sono tutt'altro che persone comuni e a noi piacciono così, senza qualche rotella.
Diverso il lavoro dedicato al giovane mezzosangue, affrontato con toni più seri e riflessivi che risaltano la sua drammatica vicenda. Insieme a nuovi compagni sarà testimone di eventi che probabilmente cambieranno il volto già insanguinato del mondo che li circonda.
Nel mondo Malazan la tragedia è dietro l'angolo e le calamità sono tante, sempre pronte a colpire senza pietà.
Divertente, arguto e mai banale, drammatico e spietato.
Di facile lettura se paragonato alla saga principale e difficile, molto difficile posarlo sul comodino finché non si è giunti al termine dell'ultima pagina.
Il ritmo tuttavia non è elevato per quasi la totalità del romanzo per accelerare solo nel finale, Erikson si prende il tempo necessario per ambientarci e preparare le pedine in gioco per gli eventi in arrivo.
La parte finale è talmente coinvolgente da emozionare anche una statua di bronzo.
Per ora un inizio di buon livello anche se forse ci sono un po' troppi richiami alla saga principale che strizzano l'occhio ai fan nostalgici.
Non lo consiglio come romanzo d'entrata al mondo Malazan. L'ordine di lettura migliore per me rimane sempre quello di pubblicazione.
Troppi gli spoiler presenti che potrebbero rovinare la lettura della saga principale, su Karsa, Azath, Canali, Icarium, Arsori di Ponti, Kellanved, Progenie della luna, K'Chain Che'Malle, Redentore, Anomander, Paran, Coltaine, Hood!
Alcuni eventi risulteranno novità anche per chi non ha letto "Return of the Crimson Guard" e "Assail" di Esslemont, come gli accenni su Mallick Rel e sul destino dei T'lan Imass.
L'anima della scoperta è parte fondamentale dello stile dello scrittore per farci conoscere il mondo Malazan, centellinando le informazioni piano piano, anticiparle o solo annusarle di sfuggita prima del tempo sarebbe un grave errore.
March 19, 2022
9/10
La verdad es que no sé que decir sobre este libro que no haya dicho ya sobre Malaz. Después de casi 700 páginas y cuando me faltaban un centenar, estaba triste por terminarlo y quería más, mucho más. Incluso llegué a despotricar contra mi venerado Erikson por no habernos ofrecido uno de sus tochos de 1000-1200 páginas.
Con respecto a la novela en sí, es Malaz en estado puro. Los personajes vuelven a ser una maldita gozada y lo mejor de la historia de largo, Aguascalmas, Anyx Fro, Benger etc...Adoro a los infantes de marina malazanos y a Erikson por ser capaz de ofrecernos nuevos personajes en cada libro y todos ellos de un nivel altísimo.
La trama nos sitúa unos cuantos años después de los hechos acaecidos en El libro de los caídos. El imperio sigue en pie y de nuevo les toca afrontar una gran amenaza, una invasión por parte de los temidos Teblor que puede destruir buena parte de lo logrado durante los últimos años, pero que en cierto modo es algo muy menor para lo que parece venir a por ellos (No digo nada más sobre la trama).
La narración la he notado más ligera que en otros libros del autor, igual es que ya estoy acostumbrado o que le tenía muchas ganas y por ese motivo lo he devorado, pero en cualquier caso me ha parecido un poco más light que sus predecesores, pero ojo, sigue siendo una lectura densa y que requiere de un esfuerzo por parte del lector, ya que aparecen muchos personajes y referencias al Libro de los caídos.
Por ponerle algún pero, muy menor la verdad, hay un personaje, cuyo nombre no diré, del que esperaba mucho más protagonismo del que tiene en verdad. Que ojo, lo tiene y bastante, pero no del modo esperado por mi parte.
En global es una lectura muy completa y perfecta para los seguidores malazanos, cumple muy bien y nos deja con ganas de más. Deseando poder hincarle el diente a los siguientes.
La verdad es que no sé que decir sobre este libro que no haya dicho ya sobre Malaz. Después de casi 700 páginas y cuando me faltaban un centenar, estaba triste por terminarlo y quería más, mucho más. Incluso llegué a despotricar contra mi venerado Erikson por no habernos ofrecido uno de sus tochos de 1000-1200 páginas.
Con respecto a la novela en sí, es Malaz en estado puro. Los personajes vuelven a ser una maldita gozada y lo mejor de la historia de largo, Aguascalmas, Anyx Fro, Benger etc...Adoro a los infantes de marina malazanos y a Erikson por ser capaz de ofrecernos nuevos personajes en cada libro y todos ellos de un nivel altísimo.
La trama nos sitúa unos cuantos años después de los hechos acaecidos en El libro de los caídos. El imperio sigue en pie y de nuevo les toca afrontar una gran amenaza, una invasión por parte de los temidos Teblor que puede destruir buena parte de lo logrado durante los últimos años, pero que en cierto modo es algo muy menor para lo que parece venir a por ellos (No digo nada más sobre la trama).
La narración la he notado más ligera que en otros libros del autor, igual es que ya estoy acostumbrado o que le tenía muchas ganas y por ese motivo lo he devorado, pero en cualquier caso me ha parecido un poco más light que sus predecesores, pero ojo, sigue siendo una lectura densa y que requiere de un esfuerzo por parte del lector, ya que aparecen muchos personajes y referencias al Libro de los caídos.
Por ponerle algún pero, muy menor la verdad, hay un personaje, cuyo nombre no diré, del que esperaba mucho más protagonismo del que tiene en verdad. Que ojo, lo tiene y bastante, pero no del modo esperado por mi parte.
En global es una lectura muy completa y perfecta para los seguidores malazanos, cumple muy bien y nos deja con ganas de más. Deseando poder hincarle el diente a los siguientes.
March 23, 2022
This book was outstanding. Steven Erikson has long forgotten how to disappoint. I loved the characters, the arcs, the twists, the turns. I teared up, I laughed, I cheered, my mouth fell open in shock. I was heartbroken and elated and awed. The marines got me, as they do.
"Do you give a shit?"
Yeah man, I do, and it brings me some peace and hope and maybe a little bit of clarity about the world to know that I'm not the only one.
"Do you give a shit?"
Yeah man, I do, and it brings me some peace and hope and maybe a little bit of clarity about the world to know that I'm not the only one.
March 19, 2022
One of my favorite Malazan books!
September 12, 2022
Erikson is my favorite author and I expected a great book. Hell, I expected a masterpiece. I didn't expect ... this. I'm so completely blown away I can see my own particles.
I haven't laughed this much while reading a book for a long long time, but I was also on the verge of tears so many times. I love these characters so much. Most of them are new characters but I feel I've known them all my life. This is another tale with Erikson's amazing social commentary, infinite compassion and jaw-dropping character work.
This is one of the best books I've read in my life.
I haven't laughed this much while reading a book for a long long time, but I was also on the verge of tears so many times. I love these characters so much. Most of them are new characters but I feel I've known them all my life. This is another tale with Erikson's amazing social commentary, infinite compassion and jaw-dropping character work.
This is one of the best books I've read in my life.
June 11, 2021
More than a decade of peace has passed since the fall of the Crippled God. The Malazan Empire, once an ever-expanding nation, has secured its borders and set about bringing stability and order to its holdings. One of the furthest-flung of its outposts is Silver Lake, an isolated town in the far north of Genabackis, still reeling from the events of many years earlier, when three Teblor descended from the mountains and brought chaos with them.
The 2nd Company of the Malazan XIVth Legion - reduced to just three squads and eighteen soldiers - is bound for Silver Lake to reinforce the garrison there. To augment its strength, it has hired the very mercenary company they were recently fighting against, a practical measure that neither side likes very much. With redoubtable allies, the Malazans have to hold Silver Lake against an implacable foe. For the Teblor of the mountains, tiring of waiting for their Shattered God - Karsa Orlong - to return to them and motivated by a growing threat to the north, have made a decision to migrate south to seek out their reluctant deity. What else are a people to do, when their god is not willing?
Well, this was a surprise. Steven Erikson's work has been called many things but "concise" and "focused" are not among them. All of Erikson's twelve previous novels in the Malazan universe are sprawling, brick-thick volumes you could use to stun a yak. The God is Not Willing, at a relatively breezy 473 pages, is easily his shortest fantasy novel to date. Erikson's work has also been called (sometimes fairly, often not) "obtuse" and "confusing." The in media res opening to the first book in the setting, Gardens of the Moon, remains fiercely debated on Reddit and fantasy message boards to this day. The God is Not Willing is instead pretty streamlined and comprehensible. The word - whisper it - "accessible" may be applicable.
But if those terms are applicable, don't go thinking this is Erikson with the training wheels on, or restrained, or (grimace) going commercial. The God is Not Willing is packed with the philosophical musings and rich worldbuilding of his prior work, it is just paced here with discipline and vigor, and an undercurrent of Erikson's distinctly underrated humour. With the exception of the late, great Terry Pratchett and maybe Abercrombie in his more whimsical moments, Erikson may be one of the funniest writers in modern secondary world fantasy, something he usually keeps under check but here lets loose a little more. This is still a dramatic and sometimes tragic story, but it's also one balanced by the kind of comedic banter between soldiers-under-duress that we've seen before in earlier novels, but here taken up a notch.
The God is Not Willing is set ten years after the events of The Crippled God, in north Genabackis. The events of the opening of House of Chains have left an ugly scar on the town of Silver Lake, with ex-slaves and ex-slavers having to find new roles after the Malazan Empire outlawed slavery. Rast, the half-Teblor son of Karsa Orlong, has been exiled from his home by his mother. The town's depleted garrison is reinforced by the Malazan XIVth Legion's 2nd Company, with the slight problem that the company has been almost destroyed in an engagement with a mercenary company, with heavy losses on both sides. Fighting the mercenaries to a standstill, Captain Gruff hits on the splendid - or barking mad - idea of hiring the mercenaries to augment his depleted forces, which is slightly undercut by the two sides disliking one another. Elsewhere, the Teblor tribes of the mountains have discovered that the fading of Jaghut sorcery from the world is about to have cataclysmic consequences, spurring a mass migration into the lands of the south, and a potential showdown with their reluctant deity Karsa Orlong, also known as Sir Not-Appearing-in-this-Novel.
And that's kind of it. The novel rotates between these three storylines with a laser-like focus, with Rast's growth from a confused and terrified youth into a character of moral courage, using his Kara-like, single-minded and utterly unbendable determination as a force for good (or what passes for it) getting a lot of focus. So too do the Malazan marines holding Silver Lake. There's only eighteen of them left after the clash with Balk's mercenary company (who also get some attention, though it's more of a subplot), allowing Erikson to explore most of their characters in a lot of detail. It's the splendidly-written Stillwater who emerges as the best character in the novel, a lethal assassin-mage who has been trying to effectively trademark the idea (and ignoring the various assassin-mage organisations we've already seen in the previous novels, not least the Claw) and whose facility with the warren of Shadow is slightly complicated by her relationship with the Hounds of Shadow. Stillwater entertains because of her determined lack of interest in the normal ongoings of the Malazan world, and her metacommentary on what is happening is the source of much of the book's humour.
The book is relatively small in scale for most of its length, being concerned with very small groups of characters, until Erikson shifts things up a gear in the last hundred pages or so, when we suddenly pull back to a widescreen view of events and discover that things are about to go south very, very fast. Entire cultures and nations are caught up as Erikson finally delivers when he nearly did in The Bonehunters - a fantasy disaster novel! - and does so with spades.
I was very surprised at this book. A dozen novels, half a dozen novellas and thirty years into writing this series (and almost forty since he and Ian Esslemont created it for gaming purposes in 1982), with the previous two-published books being commercial disappointments, you could have forgiven Erikson for writing a crowd-pleasing war story or a thousand-page recap of Malazan's greatest hits. Instead, he delivers a determined, focused, well-paced and immensely rich novel of war, peace, hubris, consequence, sorcery and compassion. He even finds time to right some wrongs from earlier in the series: the somewhat brushed-over consequences of Karsa's odyssey of destruction in House of Chains are here laid bare in full, and the logical (if long-in-unfolding) consequences of events in the main series which were outside the scope of that story are explored in depth by one of Erikson's finest casts of characters yet.
The God is Not Willing (*****) is Steven Erikson bringing his A-game, turned up to 11, and delivering what is comfortably one of his three or four best novels to date. The book will be published in the UK on 1 July and on 9 November in the United States.
The 2nd Company of the Malazan XIVth Legion - reduced to just three squads and eighteen soldiers - is bound for Silver Lake to reinforce the garrison there. To augment its strength, it has hired the very mercenary company they were recently fighting against, a practical measure that neither side likes very much. With redoubtable allies, the Malazans have to hold Silver Lake against an implacable foe. For the Teblor of the mountains, tiring of waiting for their Shattered God - Karsa Orlong - to return to them and motivated by a growing threat to the north, have made a decision to migrate south to seek out their reluctant deity. What else are a people to do, when their god is not willing?
Well, this was a surprise. Steven Erikson's work has been called many things but "concise" and "focused" are not among them. All of Erikson's twelve previous novels in the Malazan universe are sprawling, brick-thick volumes you could use to stun a yak. The God is Not Willing, at a relatively breezy 473 pages, is easily his shortest fantasy novel to date. Erikson's work has also been called (sometimes fairly, often not) "obtuse" and "confusing." The in media res opening to the first book in the setting, Gardens of the Moon, remains fiercely debated on Reddit and fantasy message boards to this day. The God is Not Willing is instead pretty streamlined and comprehensible. The word - whisper it - "accessible" may be applicable.
But if those terms are applicable, don't go thinking this is Erikson with the training wheels on, or restrained, or (grimace) going commercial. The God is Not Willing is packed with the philosophical musings and rich worldbuilding of his prior work, it is just paced here with discipline and vigor, and an undercurrent of Erikson's distinctly underrated humour. With the exception of the late, great Terry Pratchett and maybe Abercrombie in his more whimsical moments, Erikson may be one of the funniest writers in modern secondary world fantasy, something he usually keeps under check but here lets loose a little more. This is still a dramatic and sometimes tragic story, but it's also one balanced by the kind of comedic banter between soldiers-under-duress that we've seen before in earlier novels, but here taken up a notch.
The God is Not Willing is set ten years after the events of The Crippled God, in north Genabackis. The events of the opening of House of Chains have left an ugly scar on the town of Silver Lake, with ex-slaves and ex-slavers having to find new roles after the Malazan Empire outlawed slavery. Rast, the half-Teblor son of Karsa Orlong, has been exiled from his home by his mother. The town's depleted garrison is reinforced by the Malazan XIVth Legion's 2nd Company, with the slight problem that the company has been almost destroyed in an engagement with a mercenary company, with heavy losses on both sides. Fighting the mercenaries to a standstill, Captain Gruff hits on the splendid - or barking mad - idea of hiring the mercenaries to augment his depleted forces, which is slightly undercut by the two sides disliking one another. Elsewhere, the Teblor tribes of the mountains have discovered that the fading of Jaghut sorcery from the world is about to have cataclysmic consequences, spurring a mass migration into the lands of the south, and a potential showdown with their reluctant deity Karsa Orlong, also known as Sir Not-Appearing-in-this-Novel.
And that's kind of it. The novel rotates between these three storylines with a laser-like focus, with Rast's growth from a confused and terrified youth into a character of moral courage, using his Kara-like, single-minded and utterly unbendable determination as a force for good (or what passes for it) getting a lot of focus. So too do the Malazan marines holding Silver Lake. There's only eighteen of them left after the clash with Balk's mercenary company (who also get some attention, though it's more of a subplot), allowing Erikson to explore most of their characters in a lot of detail. It's the splendidly-written Stillwater who emerges as the best character in the novel, a lethal assassin-mage who has been trying to effectively trademark the idea (and ignoring the various assassin-mage organisations we've already seen in the previous novels, not least the Claw) and whose facility with the warren of Shadow is slightly complicated by her relationship with the Hounds of Shadow. Stillwater entertains because of her determined lack of interest in the normal ongoings of the Malazan world, and her metacommentary on what is happening is the source of much of the book's humour.
The book is relatively small in scale for most of its length, being concerned with very small groups of characters, until Erikson shifts things up a gear in the last hundred pages or so, when we suddenly pull back to a widescreen view of events and discover that things are about to go south very, very fast. Entire cultures and nations are caught up as Erikson finally delivers when he nearly did in The Bonehunters - a fantasy disaster novel! - and does so with spades.
I was very surprised at this book. A dozen novels, half a dozen novellas and thirty years into writing this series (and almost forty since he and Ian Esslemont created it for gaming purposes in 1982), with the previous two-published books being commercial disappointments, you could have forgiven Erikson for writing a crowd-pleasing war story or a thousand-page recap of Malazan's greatest hits. Instead, he delivers a determined, focused, well-paced and immensely rich novel of war, peace, hubris, consequence, sorcery and compassion. He even finds time to right some wrongs from earlier in the series: the somewhat brushed-over consequences of Karsa's odyssey of destruction in House of Chains are here laid bare in full, and the logical (if long-in-unfolding) consequences of events in the main series which were outside the scope of that story are explored in depth by one of Erikson's finest casts of characters yet.
The God is Not Willing (*****) is Steven Erikson bringing his A-game, turned up to 11, and delivering what is comfortably one of his three or four best novels to date. The book will be published in the UK on 1 July and on 9 November in the United States.
January 27, 2022
5 Stars!
An excellent start to the Witness Series. Erikson continues this story many years after The Malazan Book of the Fallen series, but he starts back up with plenty of new captivating characters and plenty of references to old favorites. I listened to the audible version and it did take some time to get accustomed to the new narrator and some of her pronunciations. Yet, I left wanting more. I'm looking forward to another great series.
An excellent start to the Witness Series. Erikson continues this story many years after The Malazan Book of the Fallen series, but he starts back up with plenty of new captivating characters and plenty of references to old favorites. I listened to the audible version and it did take some time to get accustomed to the new narrator and some of her pronunciations. Yet, I left wanting more. I'm looking forward to another great series.
January 19, 2022
2.75
• If someone had told me this book was about Karsa Orlong, the man who raped and murdered his way through an entire village, I would have never read this. I would have stayed as far away as possible. But before I continue, I should be clear about one thing: I have only read the first 5 books of MBOTF, with House of Chains being my least favourite among them, wholly due the part Karsa played in the novel. And I can never stop hating that man.
• Karsa, however, is not actually in this book, to my great relief. It’s about his children, one to be precise: Rant. His life is entirely tragic. We follow him along as his own crazed mother rapes him and expels him from home and he’s left alone to find his place in the world.
• Accessible is hardly the first word I would use to describe the Malazan novels. Erikson’s not one to hold his reader’s hands and reward indolence, he instead likes to throw us poor readers blindly into his labyrinthine and convoluted narrative. I understand many find that a charming aspect of the series, but I never did. So, it’s my great delight that this novel is different in that regard. There are only 2 main storylines to follow with a small cast and it is largely limited to a small part of the continent of Genabackis.
I appreciate the change to his writing, but otherwise? I felt this was only fine. I will not be continuing this series until I've finished Malazan, as it has already spoiled way too much.
Something’s always happening. It’s why misery gets no rest.
- Karsa Orlong
• If someone had told me this book was about Karsa Orlong, the man who raped and murdered his way through an entire village, I would have never read this. I would have stayed as far away as possible. But before I continue, I should be clear about one thing: I have only read the first 5 books of MBOTF, with House of Chains being my least favourite among them, wholly due the part Karsa played in the novel. And I can never stop hating that man.
• Karsa, however, is not actually in this book, to my great relief. It’s about his children, one to be precise: Rant. His life is entirely tragic. We follow him along as his own crazed mother rapes him and expels him from home and he’s left alone to find his place in the world.
If not for what had happened with his mother, he could have stayed there for ever. It wouldn’t be happiness but then, happiness wasn’t kind anyway, the way it could vanish in an instant. He might not miss it at all.
• Accessible is hardly the first word I would use to describe the Malazan novels. Erikson’s not one to hold his reader’s hands and reward indolence, he instead likes to throw us poor readers blindly into his labyrinthine and convoluted narrative. I understand many find that a charming aspect of the series, but I never did. So, it’s my great delight that this novel is different in that regard. There are only 2 main storylines to follow with a small cast and it is largely limited to a small part of the continent of Genabackis.
I appreciate the change to his writing, but otherwise? I felt this was only fine. I will not be continuing this series until I've finished Malazan, as it has already spoiled way too much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2022
Laghi d'argento e divinità riluttanti
"E se essere morti fosse proprio così? L'anima perduta e cieca a ogni cosa, che lentamente scivola verso l'oblio? E se ciò che ci viene dato in vita fosse tutto ciò che c'è? Nessun giudizio, nessuna azione. Una vita di decisioni che non producono risposte. Nessun registro di conti e, pertanto, nessuna giustizia.[...] Qualche bastardo avrebbe fatto meglio ad aspettare dall'altra parte. Iskar Jarak, posa i tuoi occhi gelidi e privi di vita su ogni anima in arrivo. Ignora le lusinghe, l'autocommiserazione, i pianti e le pretese di non aver saputo fare di meglio. Sappiamo fare di meglio. Lo abbiamo sempre saputo."
"Essere creduti è un impegno. Soltanto prestando attenzione a quell'impegno diventi degno della stessa fede."
"L'impero Malazan è sotto pressione, esausto, sempre più disattento. Quando hai dimostrato di essere inarrestabile, finisci per credere alla tua stessa immortalità. Ti convinci che la tua sola immensità ti garantisce la sopravvivenza. Ma è un'illusione. Nessun impero è troppo grande per non cadere. E questo cadrà."
Non è dato sapere quanto le ingerenze editoriali abbiano pilotato l'estro creativo dello scrittore canadese, qui alle prese con un volume d'apertura che sfoggia due soli filoni narrativi e un relativamente esiguo numero di personaggi: agli antipodi rispetto all'approccio post-modernista della saga canonica. Alla complessità dei personaggi de Il Libro Malazan dei Caduti - caratteristica filtrata e distillata con discese introspettive irregolari quanto distanti tra volumi - si opta per tratteggi caratteriali dalle rapide pennellate; la discontinuità delle informazioni lascia il passo a un'immediatezza di comprensione per quello che risulta il teatro degli eventi (città e popolazioni). Va anche ammesso, per dovere di cronaca, un non eccelso arricchimento di worldbuilding e sistema magico; quest'ultimo, in particolare, pur ereditando alcuni interessanti innesti della conclusione de Venti di morte e La polvere dei sogni, rimane ancorato a qualche minimale riferimento che oscilla dall'esclamazione estemporanea al riferimento puramente terminologico.
E se risponde al vero che alcuni momenti siano indovinati - ogni parentesi di Benger, Acquacheta e Anyx Fro; la discesa nella Fortezza della Bestia; Sti Ephiphanoz ed Elade Tharos nel leggere la tattica Malazan -, va semplicemente preso atto che l'intreccio narrativo si tradisca come molto didascalico nel suo dipanarsi.
In conclusione, il romanzo d'apertura della nuova trilogia di Steven Erikson, denudato di qualunque aspettativa, si rivela un libro semplice per i lettori di vecchia data e non propriamente accessibile agli interessati dell'ultim'ora, questi ultimi vincolati a cogliere riferimenti della saga che non possono giocoforza conoscere (Mallick Rel, il culto delle Ali Nere, Redentore, il disastro di Aren; il pogrom ai danni degli Jaghut; il background misterioso di Icarium; il percorso emancipatorio di Karsa Orlong).
Erikson ha comunque tutto il tempo e lo spazio necessario per modellare con maggior personalità il resto della trilogia: è uno scrittore con conoscenza, mezzi e sana follia nel percorso creativo.
"E se essere morti fosse proprio così? L'anima perduta e cieca a ogni cosa, che lentamente scivola verso l'oblio? E se ciò che ci viene dato in vita fosse tutto ciò che c'è? Nessun giudizio, nessuna azione. Una vita di decisioni che non producono risposte. Nessun registro di conti e, pertanto, nessuna giustizia.[...] Qualche bastardo avrebbe fatto meglio ad aspettare dall'altra parte. Iskar Jarak, posa i tuoi occhi gelidi e privi di vita su ogni anima in arrivo. Ignora le lusinghe, l'autocommiserazione, i pianti e le pretese di non aver saputo fare di meglio. Sappiamo fare di meglio. Lo abbiamo sempre saputo."
"Essere creduti è un impegno. Soltanto prestando attenzione a quell'impegno diventi degno della stessa fede."
"L'impero Malazan è sotto pressione, esausto, sempre più disattento. Quando hai dimostrato di essere inarrestabile, finisci per credere alla tua stessa immortalità. Ti convinci che la tua sola immensità ti garantisce la sopravvivenza. Ma è un'illusione. Nessun impero è troppo grande per non cadere. E questo cadrà."
Non è dato sapere quanto le ingerenze editoriali abbiano pilotato l'estro creativo dello scrittore canadese, qui alle prese con un volume d'apertura che sfoggia due soli filoni narrativi e un relativamente esiguo numero di personaggi: agli antipodi rispetto all'approccio post-modernista della saga canonica. Alla complessità dei personaggi de Il Libro Malazan dei Caduti - caratteristica filtrata e distillata con discese introspettive irregolari quanto distanti tra volumi - si opta per tratteggi caratteriali dalle rapide pennellate; la discontinuità delle informazioni lascia il passo a un'immediatezza di comprensione per quello che risulta il teatro degli eventi (città e popolazioni). Va anche ammesso, per dovere di cronaca, un non eccelso arricchimento di worldbuilding e sistema magico; quest'ultimo, in particolare, pur ereditando alcuni interessanti innesti della conclusione de Venti di morte e La polvere dei sogni, rimane ancorato a qualche minimale riferimento che oscilla dall'esclamazione estemporanea al riferimento puramente terminologico.
E se risponde al vero che alcuni momenti siano indovinati - ogni parentesi di Benger, Acquacheta e Anyx Fro; la discesa nella Fortezza della Bestia; Sti Ephiphanoz ed Elade Tharos nel leggere la tattica Malazan -, va semplicemente preso atto che l'intreccio narrativo si tradisca come molto didascalico nel suo dipanarsi.
In conclusione, il romanzo d'apertura della nuova trilogia di Steven Erikson, denudato di qualunque aspettativa, si rivela un libro semplice per i lettori di vecchia data e non propriamente accessibile agli interessati dell'ultim'ora, questi ultimi vincolati a cogliere riferimenti della saga che non possono giocoforza conoscere (Mallick Rel, il culto delle Ali Nere, Redentore, il disastro di Aren; il pogrom ai danni degli Jaghut; il background misterioso di Icarium; il percorso emancipatorio di Karsa Orlong).
Erikson ha comunque tutto il tempo e lo spazio necessario per modellare con maggior personalità il resto della trilogia: è uno scrittore con conoscenza, mezzi e sana follia nel percorso creativo.
October 9, 2022
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed large portions of this one, though it took me a while to become fully absorbed. Full review coming soon!
Want to read
April 14, 2019Prologue: Just finished the prologue. Once, in Malazan main series, three Teblor warriors came down from the mountain.
One of them wreak havoc across the books, unable to find his place in the novels, he conveniently cut down loose threads, bitter enemies and despicable characters we couldn't stand.
Until he became a loose thread himself. Such a loose thread that author simply dropped him because he didn't know how to use him anymore.
And now we have a whole pack of them in probably the most unnecessary trilogy of this world.
Elade Tharos, new Teblor Warleader, I pity you. You don't stand a chance against the Malazan fandom and their unreasonable love to one of the most boring and predictable character in this universe.
Descriptions are good, though...
One of them wreak havoc across the books, unable to find his place in the novels, he conveniently cut down loose threads, bitter enemies and despicable characters we couldn't stand.
Until he became a loose thread himself. Such a loose thread that author simply dropped him because he didn't know how to use him anymore.
And now we have a whole pack of them in probably the most unnecessary trilogy of this world.
Elade Tharos, new Teblor Warleader, I pity you. You don't stand a chance against the Malazan fandom and their unreasonable love to one of the most boring and predictable character in this universe.
Descriptions are good, though...
July 6, 2021
Best fantasy writer returns
I’m really sorry I read this. Now the long wait for the next instalment.
Hard to imagine fantasy done better.
I’m really sorry I read this. Now the long wait for the next instalment.
Hard to imagine fantasy done better.
June 23, 2021
Really good, fast read.
February 23, 2022
Tu non volti le spalle.
Non torni alla tua vecchia vita, al tuo vecchio mondo, e ti dici che la tua famiglia, i tuoi cari sono tutto ciò che importa. Se fossero davvero tutto ciò che importa, allora nel tuo mondo non a una persona che non fossi tu o uno della tua famiglia gliene fregherebbe un cazzo di te, o di loro. E in un mondo simile, be', forse sarebbe meglio essere morti che vivi.
Quei fanti di marina erano strani. Quanti pugni in faccia potevano prendere, per poi rialzarsi un'ennesima volta? Come se sfidare la volontà del mondo fosse ciò per cui vivevano.
Non torni alla tua vecchia vita, al tuo vecchio mondo, e ti dici che la tua famiglia, i tuoi cari sono tutto ciò che importa. Se fossero davvero tutto ciò che importa, allora nel tuo mondo non a una persona che non fossi tu o uno della tua famiglia gliene fregherebbe un cazzo di te, o di loro. E in un mondo simile, be', forse sarebbe meglio essere morti che vivi.
Quei fanti di marina erano strani. Quanti pugni in faccia potevano prendere, per poi rialzarsi un'ennesima volta? Come se sfidare la volontà del mondo fosse ciò per cui vivevano.
September 13, 2021
my thoughts on this book are....somewhat complicated.
Some things about it are peak Malazan, some things about it are not my favorite.
Certainly still a book I enjoyed reading
8.3/10
Some things about it are peak Malazan, some things about it are not my favorite.
Certainly still a book I enjoyed reading
8.3/10
July 9, 2021
https://fanfiaddict.com/2021/07/01/re...
A superb blend of action and humor packed into a brisk moving plot introducing the next chapter of the Malazan Saga!
The book is set in Northern Genabackis about a decade after the events of the original Malazan BotF series. The Teblor tribes of the region still revere Karsa who is considered a God but has refused ascension and is in a self-imposed exile outside Darujhistan. With a massive threat facing their homeland, they seek to confront their god one way or another, even if means cutting a bloody swath through the Malazan Empire to reach him. Though the tribes have a new Warleader who seeks to usurp Karsa, the main PoV is of Rant, one of Karsa’s half-children born out of rape during events that were covered earlier on MBotF books and living quietly in the settlement of Silver Lake. His journey to confront his lineage makes up for the “heavier” aspects of SE’s philosophizing. From a naïve sone of god who doesn’t understand his strength, his learning through bitter experience is fascinating and engrossing to read.
The other (set of) PoV is from that of a unit of Malazan Marines who are sent to reinforce the town of Silver Lake (as the rumblings amongst the Teblor) have already reached wider audience. This is where the very subtle and often understated Erikson humour takes the centre stage. From the wise and weary outlook of No Bleak (Malazan Heavy) to the genuinely hilarious closed and narrow focused outlook of Stillwater, it just was a treat to read these. Her outlook of the world vs the actual world itself is so disconnected that it could only possibly work in Mazalan Marine workd and her unique take on the proceedings are so enjoyable that I found myself sporting a smile everything she makes the page. She could very well be on her way to becoming my favourite characters in all of Malazan!
Like any typical SE book, we get to see a organic unravelling of history covering Teblor, Jheck, Jaghut etc with an occasional name drop from some MBotF characters. Throw in a mercenary company who have just fought the above same Marine Unit and now forced to work together with them, and we get an interesting hot pot of characters and plots in the mix simmering all the way to a delicious climax.
The book is a new beginning and there is a clear sense of detachment from the earlier books with only few threads that continue on here in detail. The old players and Elder Gods have faded into legends and memories and mostly relegated to being name dropped at times. New gods have arisen out of the events of MBotF, Iskar Jarak , Coltaine and of course our indomitable Karsa Orlong amongst others have gained popular cult following. Not just in players, but tribes, races that played significant part of original books fade into obscurity in here. It’s a whole new world out there now!
The only major character we see from MBotF is Spindle sporting his signature hairshirt. His background with the Bridgeburners is not widely known. After the events at Pale, he’s wandered around for some time, before coming back to what he does best, soldiering for Malazan Empire, and finds himself at the forefront for the events of this book. There’s one or two other characters who make a brief appearance but to avoid spoilers they’ll remain unnamed.
The difference between the old and new worlds is subtle yet significant. What makes SE special is the amount of information he packs into the books. Not just a new story in the world, but we see progression in almost all phases of the book. For example, the components of Malazan Army, that tactics of it s Marines etc are different from what we’ve seen before, which again are driven by events that are hinted but not explained (typical, huh!). Stuff which I took for granted due to having read earlier books continue to surprise me as the new nuances serve to keep it fresh. It’s like every other paragraph has potential for a separate book of its own! Not just the main story, but there are so many other intriduing aspects packed into the book (Rant’s dagger for example) that I’m eagerly awaiting to read in the next book.
I’m not sure if it’s fallout from SE’s experience with Kharkanas trilogy or not, bit GINW is a surprisingly streamlined and easy read, possibly among all of SE’s books in the Malazan world. We are not dropped into middle of an epic battle and left to figure our way around. The characters have introductions, hint of backstory which fills out quickly and moves along at a brisk pace. I’m almost tempted to describe this as Malazan-Lite, a diet version of the series…but that would be an injustice. It’s just a different flavour of the series. The heaviness of the Rant is balanced beautifully with the world-weary sarcasm of Malazan Marines making this one of the best books I’ve read this year!
A superb blend of action and humor packed into a brisk moving plot introducing the next chapter of the Malazan Saga!
The book is set in Northern Genabackis about a decade after the events of the original Malazan BotF series. The Teblor tribes of the region still revere Karsa who is considered a God but has refused ascension and is in a self-imposed exile outside Darujhistan. With a massive threat facing their homeland, they seek to confront their god one way or another, even if means cutting a bloody swath through the Malazan Empire to reach him. Though the tribes have a new Warleader who seeks to usurp Karsa, the main PoV is of Rant, one of Karsa’s half-children born out of rape during events that were covered earlier on MBotF books and living quietly in the settlement of Silver Lake. His journey to confront his lineage makes up for the “heavier” aspects of SE’s philosophizing. From a naïve sone of god who doesn’t understand his strength, his learning through bitter experience is fascinating and engrossing to read.
The other (set of) PoV is from that of a unit of Malazan Marines who are sent to reinforce the town of Silver Lake (as the rumblings amongst the Teblor) have already reached wider audience. This is where the very subtle and often understated Erikson humour takes the centre stage. From the wise and weary outlook of No Bleak (Malazan Heavy) to the genuinely hilarious closed and narrow focused outlook of Stillwater, it just was a treat to read these. Her outlook of the world vs the actual world itself is so disconnected that it could only possibly work in Mazalan Marine workd and her unique take on the proceedings are so enjoyable that I found myself sporting a smile everything she makes the page. She could very well be on her way to becoming my favourite characters in all of Malazan!
Like any typical SE book, we get to see a organic unravelling of history covering Teblor, Jheck, Jaghut etc with an occasional name drop from some MBotF characters. Throw in a mercenary company who have just fought the above same Marine Unit and now forced to work together with them, and we get an interesting hot pot of characters and plots in the mix simmering all the way to a delicious climax.
The book is a new beginning and there is a clear sense of detachment from the earlier books with only few threads that continue on here in detail. The old players and Elder Gods have faded into legends and memories and mostly relegated to being name dropped at times. New gods have arisen out of the events of MBotF, Iskar Jarak , Coltaine and of course our indomitable Karsa Orlong amongst others have gained popular cult following. Not just in players, but tribes, races that played significant part of original books fade into obscurity in here. It’s a whole new world out there now!
The only major character we see from MBotF is Spindle sporting his signature hairshirt. His background with the Bridgeburners is not widely known. After the events at Pale, he’s wandered around for some time, before coming back to what he does best, soldiering for Malazan Empire, and finds himself at the forefront for the events of this book. There’s one or two other characters who make a brief appearance but to avoid spoilers they’ll remain unnamed.
The difference between the old and new worlds is subtle yet significant. What makes SE special is the amount of information he packs into the books. Not just a new story in the world, but we see progression in almost all phases of the book. For example, the components of Malazan Army, that tactics of it s Marines etc are different from what we’ve seen before, which again are driven by events that are hinted but not explained (typical, huh!). Stuff which I took for granted due to having read earlier books continue to surprise me as the new nuances serve to keep it fresh. It’s like every other paragraph has potential for a separate book of its own! Not just the main story, but there are so many other intriduing aspects packed into the book (Rant’s dagger for example) that I’m eagerly awaiting to read in the next book.
I’m not sure if it’s fallout from SE’s experience with Kharkanas trilogy or not, bit GINW is a surprisingly streamlined and easy read, possibly among all of SE’s books in the Malazan world. We are not dropped into middle of an epic battle and left to figure our way around. The characters have introductions, hint of backstory which fills out quickly and moves along at a brisk pace. I’m almost tempted to describe this as Malazan-Lite, a diet version of the series…but that would be an injustice. It’s just a different flavour of the series. The heaviness of the Rant is balanced beautifully with the world-weary sarcasm of Malazan Marines making this one of the best books I’ve read this year!
February 21, 2022
Malazan, ormai, è sempre una garanzia. Le storie ambientate in questo universo, che siano scritte da Erikson o Esslemont, son sempre come minimo delle piacevolissime storie fantasy, spesso ricche di humor, ma anche di orrore, mistero e sense of wonder.
E questo nuovo tassello non è da meno.
La prima cosa che ho percepito, nell'iniziare a leggerlo, è stata la voglia di Erikson di parlare a noi lettori del presente, di non farci viaggiare sulle ali della fantasia e basta ma spingerci a riflettere un minimo su argomenti come il cambiamento climatico e le migrazioni.
Verso la fine c'è perfino un estratto che sembra uscito dal film Don't Look Up.
Questo è un utilizzo nobilissimo della narrativa fantasy e l'ho davvero apprezzato.
Per il resto, ahimè, ho trovato il tutto un more of the same. Bello, come tutto il resto di Malazan, ma non abbastanza da spiccare sulle altre storie. Fantastici i momenti umoristici fra soldati, forse fra le migliori scene comiche scritte da Erikson dai tempi di Tehol e Bugg, però il resto l'ho trovato un po'stanco, quasi come se l'autore avesse scritto in modalità compitino. Mancano poi scelte coraggiose, tranne forse una sulla situazione politica del mondo, che immagino possa spiazzare diversi fan ma che invece a me ha entusiasmato. Certo, si potrebbe vedere come scelta coraggiosa anche solo l'assenza di certi personaggi, ma per me non è stato abbastanza.
Non so poi come valutare l'assenza, per ora, di "chicchine metanarrative". Sarà che Forge of Darkness e Crack'd Pot Trail mi hanno abituato troppo bene, però mi sono davvero mancate...
Ma riconosco che questo romanzo è solo "preparatorio" per quella che sarà la storia del Testimone. So che inizialmente Erikson nemmeno lo aveva in programma, non così e non adesso, ma il tutto ha il tempo di "esplodere" nei prossimi due volumi.
Incrocio le dita e spero nel meglio :)
E questo nuovo tassello non è da meno.
La prima cosa che ho percepito, nell'iniziare a leggerlo, è stata la voglia di Erikson di parlare a noi lettori del presente, di non farci viaggiare sulle ali della fantasia e basta ma spingerci a riflettere un minimo su argomenti come il cambiamento climatico e le migrazioni.
Verso la fine c'è perfino un estratto che sembra uscito dal film Don't Look Up.
Questo è un utilizzo nobilissimo della narrativa fantasy e l'ho davvero apprezzato.
Per il resto, ahimè, ho trovato il tutto un more of the same. Bello, come tutto il resto di Malazan, ma non abbastanza da spiccare sulle altre storie. Fantastici i momenti umoristici fra soldati, forse fra le migliori scene comiche scritte da Erikson dai tempi di Tehol e Bugg, però il resto l'ho trovato un po'stanco, quasi come se l'autore avesse scritto in modalità compitino. Mancano poi scelte coraggiose, tranne forse una sulla situazione politica del mondo, che immagino possa spiazzare diversi fan ma che invece a me ha entusiasmato. Certo, si potrebbe vedere come scelta coraggiosa anche solo l'assenza di certi personaggi, ma per me non è stato abbastanza.
Non so poi come valutare l'assenza, per ora, di "chicchine metanarrative". Sarà che Forge of Darkness e Crack'd Pot Trail mi hanno abituato troppo bene, però mi sono davvero mancate...
Ma riconosco che questo romanzo è solo "preparatorio" per quella che sarà la storia del Testimone. So che inizialmente Erikson nemmeno lo aveva in programma, non così e non adesso, ma il tutto ha il tempo di "esplodere" nei prossimi due volumi.
Incrocio le dita e spero nel meglio :)
April 12, 2022
Possibly my favorite of Erikson's books. A great continuation of the Malazan world for fans of the series, but also a great entry point for people who are curious about Malazan but find the 10-book Book of the Fallen series sort of daunting. Highly recommended!
July 6, 2021
You would think that amidst a minor reading block, going back into a universe with entirely new characters would be a massive stumbling block. But the thing about Erikson's writing is that within minutes of starting the book, I was already ensorcelled by the same old things I loved about the Malazan books.
TGiNW is a great continuation of Karsa Orlong and Genabackis's arcs. Cannot wait for the next book to come along.
TGiNW is a great continuation of Karsa Orlong and Genabackis's arcs. Cannot wait for the next book to come along.
December 31, 2021
Un genial regreso a Malaz, gracias Erikson
Mi reseña: https://caballerodelarbolsonriente.bl...
Mi reseña: https://caballerodelarbolsonriente.bl...
April 6, 2022
Wow wow wow. I was blown away by the final act of this book, and overall I really liked it, but I'll give it 4.5 stars rounded down due to it taking a long time to get me invested in half of the story.
Freed up from the need to do all the world-building and writing a million characters and plots across a grandly epic 10 book series, Erikson crafted a much much tighter book than what I was used to from him.
Almost every chapter felt like a tour-de-force short story, and with such heavy themes I took this one slow, mostly reading a chapter or two a day until I reached the final book and got swept up in the incredible final act.
For my money this had some of Erikson's richest character work, from Rant to Damisk to the bit players among the Teblor and Jeck, to the marines who steadily got built up over the course of their chapters into very recognizable individuals. However, the marines didn't really start to feel like unique real people I could differentiate until toward the back half, and I think my investment would've been higher if Erikson foregrounded a few of them a bit more and moved some of the less important ones off the page completely.
I had issues over the course of MBotF with the amount of outright telling the reader how compassionate everyone was, and the performative weeping that felt way over the top -- this one I think succeeded much more in showing on the compassion front, and was so much more effective with the theme than he had been before.
I now wait with great anticipation for the continuation of this one, as I have absolutely no clue where Erikson is gonna take it.
Freed up from the need to do all the world-building and writing a million characters and plots across a grandly epic 10 book series, Erikson crafted a much much tighter book than what I was used to from him.
Almost every chapter felt like a tour-de-force short story, and with such heavy themes I took this one slow, mostly reading a chapter or two a day until I reached the final book and got swept up in the incredible final act.
For my money this had some of Erikson's richest character work, from Rant to Damisk to the bit players among the Teblor and Jeck, to the marines who steadily got built up over the course of their chapters into very recognizable individuals. However, the marines didn't really start to feel like unique real people I could differentiate until toward the back half, and I think my investment would've been higher if Erikson foregrounded a few of them a bit more and moved some of the less important ones off the page completely.
I had issues over the course of MBotF with the amount of outright telling the reader how compassionate everyone was, and the performative weeping that felt way over the top -- this one I think succeeded much more in showing on the compassion front, and was so much more effective with the theme than he had been before.
I now wait with great anticipation for the continuation of this one, as I have absolutely no clue where Erikson is gonna take it.
October 24, 2021
I was so excited to read this continuation of the Malazan series that I had a UK copy shipped to the US in July since it doesn't release here until November. Perhaps the biggest indictment of this book is that here we are in late October and I am only now finishing it despite it being Erikson's shortest Malazan novel. It wasn't a bad book, but it was disappointing given my high expectations and Erikson's history of producing consistently-strong entries into the series.
I, for one, loved the two prequel Kharkanas books even though their lackluster sales reportedly prompted Erikson to begin this sequel trilogy instead of writing the former series's third book. My guess is the pressure to go this alternative route was largely from his publisher, and that is further emphasized by the fact that this entry is definitely the most straightforward book he has written in the series. I get the feeling discussions were had about making this entry more "accessible" after the almost "Shakespearean" Kharkanas books didn't appeal as much to the masses. Almost every review I have read for TGINW has mentioned that it is more accessible than the MBotF and Kharkanas, and after reading this book it feels like it was what the publisher wanted but maybe not what Erikson wanted. I could be wrong, but it feels like his heart just wasn't in this work, and with how quickly it was written (I was following along with his updates), I get the feeling he perhaps just wanted to get it done so he could return to Walk in Shadow (which he is now reportedly working on). It's a testament to Erikson's gifts as a writer that this book didn't turn out completely terrible if that is, indeed, the case, but it just didn't make for a rewarding read.
My biggest issue with the book is that it doesn't seem to know what it's trying to be. It was marketed as a "sequel" to the Book of the Fallen, but despite only taking place about ten years after the original series ended, there are very few ties to it. I knew going in that Karsa wasn't going to appear despite this being billed as the "Karsa Trilogy," but the world we see in this book feels like it's set 100 years after the MBotF, not just ten. There would have been ample opportunities to follow up with some of the characters in the original work, but instead we're treated to a bunch of B and C-list replacements that are only shadows of the more well done characters of the previous books. The world isn't really built out much more, except for some occasional name-dropping of characters we know but that don't feature here despite still existing in some capacity. Much of the book is spent wandering from point A to point B with a bunch of throwaway characters telling fart jokes and making high school level sexual innuendo. The most interesting parts of the story are the ones that in some way tie back to the history and lore we already know and love, but they are few and far between. I liked getting more information about the Jheck and Teblor, but it wasn't enough to completely satisfy.
In short, I am very glad Erikson is returning to Kharkanas after this and I'm ok with waiting a few years for the second volume in this trilogy. Maybe it'll improve on a reread like the rest of the Erikson Malazan books, but I don't have high hopes for that since this one felt a lot shallower by far than any of the others. I don't think I missed much in this book that would be rewarding on a reread; I just "missed" the old Malazan books and wanted to read those instead of forcing myself to finish this one.
I, for one, loved the two prequel Kharkanas books even though their lackluster sales reportedly prompted Erikson to begin this sequel trilogy instead of writing the former series's third book. My guess is the pressure to go this alternative route was largely from his publisher, and that is further emphasized by the fact that this entry is definitely the most straightforward book he has written in the series. I get the feeling discussions were had about making this entry more "accessible" after the almost "Shakespearean" Kharkanas books didn't appeal as much to the masses. Almost every review I have read for TGINW has mentioned that it is more accessible than the MBotF and Kharkanas, and after reading this book it feels like it was what the publisher wanted but maybe not what Erikson wanted. I could be wrong, but it feels like his heart just wasn't in this work, and with how quickly it was written (I was following along with his updates), I get the feeling he perhaps just wanted to get it done so he could return to Walk in Shadow (which he is now reportedly working on). It's a testament to Erikson's gifts as a writer that this book didn't turn out completely terrible if that is, indeed, the case, but it just didn't make for a rewarding read.
My biggest issue with the book is that it doesn't seem to know what it's trying to be. It was marketed as a "sequel" to the Book of the Fallen, but despite only taking place about ten years after the original series ended, there are very few ties to it. I knew going in that Karsa wasn't going to appear despite this being billed as the "Karsa Trilogy," but the world we see in this book feels like it's set 100 years after the MBotF, not just ten. There would have been ample opportunities to follow up with some of the characters in the original work, but instead we're treated to a bunch of B and C-list replacements that are only shadows of the more well done characters of the previous books. The world isn't really built out much more, except for some occasional name-dropping of characters we know but that don't feature here despite still existing in some capacity. Much of the book is spent wandering from point A to point B with a bunch of throwaway characters telling fart jokes and making high school level sexual innuendo. The most interesting parts of the story are the ones that in some way tie back to the history and lore we already know and love, but they are few and far between. I liked getting more information about the Jheck and Teblor, but it wasn't enough to completely satisfy.
In short, I am very glad Erikson is returning to Kharkanas after this and I'm ok with waiting a few years for the second volume in this trilogy. Maybe it'll improve on a reread like the rest of the Erikson Malazan books, but I don't have high hopes for that since this one felt a lot shallower by far than any of the others. I don't think I missed much in this book that would be rewarding on a reread; I just "missed" the old Malazan books and wanted to read those instead of forcing myself to finish this one.
September 19, 2021
I was worried when I read the prologue. I have mixed feelings about Malazan books: some are among the best fantasy books I've ever read, whereas some I have found over-written and indulgent. The prologue of this book struck me as over-written and indulgent too.
I was so wrong.
I should have expected good things anyway from the fact that it is shorter and leaner than any of the main-sequence Malazan books (although there are of course novellas and some books by Esslemont that are shorter).
This book quickly blew me away. It's a shame that it took me so long: I was so busy with other things that on some days, I could only read five or ten pages. Luckily, I was able to make it through the last one-hundred pages pretty quickly.
My only complaint is that Karsa doesn't appear. I think that this was an odd creative decision since this trilogy had, for years, been pitched as a trilogy about him. I suppose that the oddness of this decision is in keeping with so much of the Malazan sensibility, though.
I loved the character. Stillwater, who thinks that nobody know she's a mage-assassin combo, is probably my favourite. Rant, who in many ways is the exact opposite of Karsa, also really came through as great.
I don't have much to say about the plot. It felt a lot smaller to me than the plots in the main-line books. It'll take me a while to figure out how I feel about that, and I am excited to see where this new series goes in the future.
I was so wrong.
I should have expected good things anyway from the fact that it is shorter and leaner than any of the main-sequence Malazan books (although there are of course novellas and some books by Esslemont that are shorter).
This book quickly blew me away. It's a shame that it took me so long: I was so busy with other things that on some days, I could only read five or ten pages. Luckily, I was able to make it through the last one-hundred pages pretty quickly.
My only complaint is that Karsa doesn't appear. I think that this was an odd creative decision since this trilogy had, for years, been pitched as a trilogy about him. I suppose that the oddness of this decision is in keeping with so much of the Malazan sensibility, though.
I loved the character. Stillwater, who thinks that nobody know she's a mage-assassin combo, is probably my favourite. Rant, who in many ways is the exact opposite of Karsa, also really came through as great.
I don't have much to say about the plot. It felt a lot smaller to me than the plots in the main-line books. It'll take me a while to figure out how I feel about that, and I am excited to see where this new series goes in the future.
December 26, 2021
Excellent entry into the new series by Steven Erikson. A much more concise story, compared to previous Malazan books.
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