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Malazan Book of the Fallen #4
House of Chains
In Northern Genabackis, a raiding party of tribal warriors descends from the mountains into the southern flat lands. Their intention is to wreak havoc among the despised lowlanders. But for the one named Karsa Orlong it marks the beginning of what will prove an extraordinary destiny.
Some years later, it is the aftermath of the Chain of Dogs. Coltaine, revered commander of the Malazan 7th Army is dead. And now Tavore, elder sister of Ganoes Paran and Adjunct to the Empress, has arrived in the last remaining Malazan stronghold of the Seven Cities to take charge. Untested and new to command, she must hone a small army of twelve thousand soldiers, mostly raw recruits, into a viable fighting force and lead them into battle against the massed hordes of Sha'ik's Whirlwind. Her only hope lies in resurrecting the shattered faith of the few remaining survivors from Coltaine's legendary march, veterans one and all.
In distant Raraku, in the heart of the Holy Desert, the seer Sha'ik waits with her rebel army. But waiting is never easy. Her disparate collection of warlords - tribal chiefs, High Mages, a renegade Malazan Fist and his sorceror - is locked in a vicious power struggle that threatens to tear the rebellion apart from within. And Sha'ik herself suffers, haunted by the private knowledge of her nemesis, Tavore... her own sister.
So begins this pivotal new chapter in Steven Erikson's MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN - an epic novel of war, intrigue, magic and betrayal from a writer regarded as one of the most original, imaginative and exciting storytellers in fantasy today.
Some years later, it is the aftermath of the Chain of Dogs. Coltaine, revered commander of the Malazan 7th Army is dead. And now Tavore, elder sister of Ganoes Paran and Adjunct to the Empress, has arrived in the last remaining Malazan stronghold of the Seven Cities to take charge. Untested and new to command, she must hone a small army of twelve thousand soldiers, mostly raw recruits, into a viable fighting force and lead them into battle against the massed hordes of Sha'ik's Whirlwind. Her only hope lies in resurrecting the shattered faith of the few remaining survivors from Coltaine's legendary march, veterans one and all.
In distant Raraku, in the heart of the Holy Desert, the seer Sha'ik waits with her rebel army. But waiting is never easy. Her disparate collection of warlords - tribal chiefs, High Mages, a renegade Malazan Fist and his sorceror - is locked in a vicious power struggle that threatens to tear the rebellion apart from within. And Sha'ik herself suffers, haunted by the private knowledge of her nemesis, Tavore... her own sister.
So begins this pivotal new chapter in Steven Erikson's MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN - an epic novel of war, intrigue, magic and betrayal from a writer regarded as one of the most original, imaginative and exciting storytellers in fantasy today.
1040 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 2, 2002
About the author
Steven Erikson
130 books13.8k 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,981 reviews
January 26, 2019
A huge downgrade after the masterpiece in Memories of Ice
Erikson started House of Chains, the fourth book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, in an unprecedented step. Unlike the previous three books, House of Chains started as a totally character-driven book that focuses solely on a completely new character, Karsa Orlong. This made for an awkward start because at first the story didn’t feel like reading the same series and Karsa took a while to warm up to due to his primitive and savage culture. However, Karsa ended up being one of my favorite parts of the book because of his spectacular character development and how pivotal he became to the overall story.
Picture: Karsa Orlong by Sam Burley
Other than Karsa, the great thing about this book to me was every time the book relates the story to what happened in Memories of Ice. These correlation didn’t happen a lot of times but every time it did, the scenes were always golden quality. The other great stuff that happened in this book was the development that was put to the world-building and the returning characters that appeared in the first book.
Just like how the plot line in Memories of Ice serves as a direct sequel to Gardens of the Moon, House of Chains serves as a direct sequel to Deadhouse Gates. This means that a lot of familiar faces do make a return as the story continues in the Seven Cities after the end of Deadhouse Gates; at the same time connecting the story to what happened in Memories of Ice and beyond. However, this isn’t a masterpiece like Memories of Ice. In fact, this was a struggle for me to finish. I don’t have a lot of things to say here. My main issues with this book lie with the story being uninteresting and mostly boring to read. The majority of the characters were uninteresting and Erikson’s prose here wasn’t as engaging as the previous three books. Let’s take Tavore. After all the mention of her name in Deadhouse Gates, turns out she’s one of the weakest characters out of Erikson’s gazillion characters. Not only that, the new POV, Onrack, is hands down one of the most boring POV I’ve ever had in my experience of reading a book. I fell asleep not once, not twice, but several times on his POV. I just can’t seem to connect myself with the majority of the sub plot in this book; they didn’t spark any emotions in me other than boredom.
For example, the silly and mock scorpions battle ended up becoming one of my favorite part of the book; even better than most of the real battle and serious plotline. I honestly don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. All hail Joyful Union. The last 10% of the book was also great but it was too late to redeem the majority of the struggle I had with the book.
I’m genuinely surprised by the amount of 5 stars ratings for this book; this was okay at best, in my opinion it's barely a 3 stars read. It’s boring and most of the time not memorable. House of Chains was a major step back from the bar that Memories of Ice has set. If I’ve waited a whole year for this book, I would’ve rated it even lower. I will continue to the next book, Midnight Tides after a week break; I have finished four books in the series within sixteen days and I need a little break after this disappointment. The good thing about this is that after asking my friends’ opinion of this book, a lot of them do agree that it’s easily the weakest installment of the series. I’m hoping that each book after this will only be awesome.
You can order the book HERE!
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Erikson started House of Chains, the fourth book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, in an unprecedented step. Unlike the previous three books, House of Chains started as a totally character-driven book that focuses solely on a completely new character, Karsa Orlong. This made for an awkward start because at first the story didn’t feel like reading the same series and Karsa took a while to warm up to due to his primitive and savage culture. However, Karsa ended up being one of my favorite parts of the book because of his spectacular character development and how pivotal he became to the overall story.
Picture: Karsa Orlong by Sam Burley
Other than Karsa, the great thing about this book to me was every time the book relates the story to what happened in Memories of Ice. These correlation didn’t happen a lot of times but every time it did, the scenes were always golden quality. The other great stuff that happened in this book was the development that was put to the world-building and the returning characters that appeared in the first book.
Just like how the plot line in Memories of Ice serves as a direct sequel to Gardens of the Moon, House of Chains serves as a direct sequel to Deadhouse Gates. This means that a lot of familiar faces do make a return as the story continues in the Seven Cities after the end of Deadhouse Gates; at the same time connecting the story to what happened in Memories of Ice and beyond. However, this isn’t a masterpiece like Memories of Ice. In fact, this was a struggle for me to finish. I don’t have a lot of things to say here. My main issues with this book lie with the story being uninteresting and mostly boring to read. The majority of the characters were uninteresting and Erikson’s prose here wasn’t as engaging as the previous three books. Let’s take Tavore. After all the mention of her name in Deadhouse Gates, turns out she’s one of the weakest characters out of Erikson’s gazillion characters. Not only that, the new POV, Onrack, is hands down one of the most boring POV I’ve ever had in my experience of reading a book. I fell asleep not once, not twice, but several times on his POV. I just can’t seem to connect myself with the majority of the sub plot in this book; they didn’t spark any emotions in me other than boredom.
For example, the silly and mock scorpions battle ended up becoming one of my favorite part of the book; even better than most of the real battle and serious plotline. I honestly don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. All hail Joyful Union. The last 10% of the book was also great but it was too late to redeem the majority of the struggle I had with the book.
“One day, perhaps, you will see for yourself that regrets are as nothing. The value lies in how they are answered.”
I’m genuinely surprised by the amount of 5 stars ratings for this book; this was okay at best, in my opinion it's barely a 3 stars read. It’s boring and most of the time not memorable. House of Chains was a major step back from the bar that Memories of Ice has set. If I’ve waited a whole year for this book, I would’ve rated it even lower. I will continue to the next book, Midnight Tides after a week break; I have finished four books in the series within sixteen days and I need a little break after this disappointment. The good thing about this is that after asking my friends’ opinion of this book, a lot of them do agree that it’s easily the weakest installment of the series. I’m hoping that each book after this will only be awesome.
You can order the book HERE!
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
March 31, 2018
I'm pissed that Ralph Lister isn't the narrator any more. Why? Did something happen to him? The other dude isn't bad but still.
Karsa can kiss my @ss.
I liked my old characters and Adjunct Tavore!
That's all I got. You can go read the million of long drawn out smart reviews on the book. I'm not caring for reviewing or reading really, not with this shit cancer going on. So don't mind me. I will always love the Malazan world! Well, until I get to the one I'm going to hate!!
Mel 🖤🐺
Karsa can kiss my @ss.
I liked my old characters and Adjunct Tavore!
That's all I got. You can go read the million of long drawn out smart reviews on the book. I'm not caring for reviewing or reading really, not with this shit cancer going on. So don't mind me. I will always love the Malazan world! Well, until I get to the one I'm going to hate!!
Mel 🖤🐺
October 28, 2022
=== 4.65 ===
Better the second time around! This saga just keeps getting bigger and better!
Better the second time around! This saga just keeps getting bigger and better!
November 12, 2018
19.08.2018. Re-read thoughts:
A much better and far less confusing experience. Re-reading Malazan really pays off big time.
Original review:
Every time I finish a book from the Malazan series it usually takes me at least a month before starting the next one because of several reasons; they are dense reads and they are soul crushing because of what Erikson does to his characters. Compared to him, George R.R. Martin looks like a boy who stomps on other boys’ castles in the sandbox just to annoy them.
Even though Memories of Ice left me heart broken, something urged me to continue right away (and I got a nudge from my dear GR friends :)). I was excited to read about the convergence of storylines from the last two books and I wanted revenge for some deaths, especially the ones from the Deadhouse Gates.
I started this thinking I was going to be thrown in the middle of the battle but Erikson had other plans. He did something he had never done before; he dedicated the first quarter of the book to a single POV, a character by the name of Karsa Orlong. I must admit I was a bit shocked with this start and with this character and I was wondering why the hell am I reading about this dude when there is a war going on, damn it!? Karsa is an acquired taste so it took me a while to get used to him and as more as I read about him I started liking him even though he is a brutal savage but I started digging his no-nonsense approach. If you want a more accurate description of him, just imagine the Hulk wielding a huge sword but without the “Karsa smash!” catchphrase. There is a quote from later on in the book that perfectly embodies his character:
A House is just another prison. And I have had enough of prisons. Raise walls around me, and I will knock them down. Doubt my words, Crippled God, to your regret…
The ending of the first quarter of the book and the first chapter of Karsa’s storyline was great and a huge surprise. It made me realize why Eriskon chose to start the book this way. Those of you who have read the book know what I’m referring to, and those of you who haven’t, well, you’re in for a treat.
And then came the struggling. I was treated with the ultimate Erikson special; a bunch of new characters to follow. The man can write some seriously good characters but at this point, I really wanted to read about the ones I already know and love. Sometimes I wish this series was about the Bridgeburners but who cares what I want. I struggled the most with the Tiste storylines because I didn’t understand the half of what was going on with them because they all seem to be haunted by the ghosts of the past. I managed to get the hold of things eventually but it dragged the story for me and took away some of my enjoyment.
I wanted to read about the clash of the armies in the Raraku desert but I got just a glimpse of it in a couple of skirmishes and when the clash finally came it was over in a blink of an eye and it was so uncharacteristically underwhelming and I was left with mixed feelings. A mix of disappointment with a WTF!? expression on my face.
And since I’m in the rant mode, there was one more thing that bugged me; the excessive use of the word “nonetheless”. I think this is Erikson’s most favorite word with “thus” being close second. I know I’m nitpicking but nonetheless. (Oh, the irony!)
There were, of course, a lot of things I liked. Karsa was a great addition to the story, Crokus and Apsalar had an interesting journey, the brief encounter with Icarium and Mappo was fun. I loved the scenes involving Fiddler and the ones involving Kalam but the absolute scene stealer and star of this book for me was Cotillion. He isn’t just the Patron God of Assassins, he is the Patron God of Badassery! Every action scene was superbly written and I wish there were more of them because who doesn’t want to read about epic clashes between gods and humans and ancient beings and races.
This was the weakest book in the series story wise so far and I hope that it doesn’t go downhill from here but I can’t argue with the sheer epicness of this world and the amazing world-building that separates this series from the rest because those two things alone make the struggles worthwhile.
Witness!
A much better and far less confusing experience. Re-reading Malazan really pays off big time.
Original review:
Every time I finish a book from the Malazan series it usually takes me at least a month before starting the next one because of several reasons; they are dense reads and they are soul crushing because of what Erikson does to his characters. Compared to him, George R.R. Martin looks like a boy who stomps on other boys’ castles in the sandbox just to annoy them.
Even though Memories of Ice left me heart broken, something urged me to continue right away (and I got a nudge from my dear GR friends :)). I was excited to read about the convergence of storylines from the last two books and I wanted revenge for some deaths, especially the ones from the Deadhouse Gates.
I started this thinking I was going to be thrown in the middle of the battle but Erikson had other plans. He did something he had never done before; he dedicated the first quarter of the book to a single POV, a character by the name of Karsa Orlong. I must admit I was a bit shocked with this start and with this character and I was wondering why the hell am I reading about this dude when there is a war going on, damn it!? Karsa is an acquired taste so it took me a while to get used to him and as more as I read about him I started liking him even though he is a brutal savage but I started digging his no-nonsense approach. If you want a more accurate description of him, just imagine the Hulk wielding a huge sword but without the “Karsa smash!” catchphrase. There is a quote from later on in the book that perfectly embodies his character:
A House is just another prison. And I have had enough of prisons. Raise walls around me, and I will knock them down. Doubt my words, Crippled God, to your regret…
The ending of the first quarter of the book and the first chapter of Karsa’s storyline was great and a huge surprise. It made me realize why Eriskon chose to start the book this way. Those of you who have read the book know what I’m referring to, and those of you who haven’t, well, you’re in for a treat.
And then came the struggling. I was treated with the ultimate Erikson special; a bunch of new characters to follow. The man can write some seriously good characters but at this point, I really wanted to read about the ones I already know and love. Sometimes I wish this series was about the Bridgeburners but who cares what I want. I struggled the most with the Tiste storylines because I didn’t understand the half of what was going on with them because they all seem to be haunted by the ghosts of the past. I managed to get the hold of things eventually but it dragged the story for me and took away some of my enjoyment.
I wanted to read about the clash of the armies in the Raraku desert but I got just a glimpse of it in a couple of skirmishes and when the clash finally came it was over in a blink of an eye and it was so uncharacteristically underwhelming and I was left with mixed feelings. A mix of disappointment with a WTF!? expression on my face.
And since I’m in the rant mode, there was one more thing that bugged me; the excessive use of the word “nonetheless”. I think this is Erikson’s most favorite word with “thus” being close second. I know I’m nitpicking but nonetheless. (Oh, the irony!)
There were, of course, a lot of things I liked. Karsa was a great addition to the story, Crokus and Apsalar had an interesting journey, the brief encounter with Icarium and Mappo was fun. I loved the scenes involving Fiddler and the ones involving Kalam but the absolute scene stealer and star of this book for me was Cotillion. He isn’t just the Patron God of Assassins, he is the Patron God of Badassery! Every action scene was superbly written and I wish there were more of them because who doesn’t want to read about epic clashes between gods and humans and ancient beings and races.
This was the weakest book in the series story wise so far and I hope that it doesn’t go downhill from here but I can’t argue with the sheer epicness of this world and the amazing world-building that separates this series from the rest because those two things alone make the struggles worthwhile.
Witness!
January 14, 2019
The rage of the Whirlwind Goddess was an inferno, beaten on the forge of Holy Raraku.
The Whirlwind rages at its most dangerous. The Army of the Apocalypse stands behind Sha’ik Reborn. And all that opposes it is an untested commander with an army of fresh recruits…
House of Chains is a return to the Seven Cities story arc that was opened in the second book of the series. A return to the place where the Chain of Dogs was slaughtered to the last man and where a gargantuan rebellion against the Malazan Empire rages with religious fervor.
And yet the book begins on distant Genabackis, where a young Teblor leads a raiding party far away from his village, venturing forth with the ambition to slay thousands of ‘children’. And the fourth instalment in the Malazan Book of the Fallen is more than anything Karsa Orlong’s story. The story of how the mighty warleader journeys from the home of the Teblor and into the heart of the Apocalypse in Seven Cities. But also the story of how he changes from a bloodthirsty brute to something altogether different.
”I care not for fame,” Karsa said. “I did once…”
“And then?”
“I changed my mind.”
Sadly, I did not enjoy this fourth book as much as the previous three. For the most part, I had huge difficulties connecting with the story, and I felt that it had same pacing problems as the last Seven Cities book; in other words, sometimes being hopelessly boring. Luckily, that changed toward the end, and the book sucked me in completely. About two thirds through and on to the end, I was barely able to put it down. But before that, I just didn’t enjoy it at all.
Nevertheless, the road goes ever onwards, and I’m getting more and more immersed in the Malazan world for each book.
Malazan Book of the Fallen reviews:
#1 Gardens of the Moon
#2 Deadhouse Gates
#3 Memories of Ice
#4 House of Chains
#5 Midnight Tides
#6 The Bonehunters
#7 Reaper's Gale
#8 Toll the Hounds
#9 Dust of Dreams
#10 The Crippled God
The Whirlwind rages at its most dangerous. The Army of the Apocalypse stands behind Sha’ik Reborn. And all that opposes it is an untested commander with an army of fresh recruits…
House of Chains is a return to the Seven Cities story arc that was opened in the second book of the series. A return to the place where the Chain of Dogs was slaughtered to the last man and where a gargantuan rebellion against the Malazan Empire rages with religious fervor.
And yet the book begins on distant Genabackis, where a young Teblor leads a raiding party far away from his village, venturing forth with the ambition to slay thousands of ‘children’. And the fourth instalment in the Malazan Book of the Fallen is more than anything Karsa Orlong’s story. The story of how the mighty warleader journeys from the home of the Teblor and into the heart of the Apocalypse in Seven Cities. But also the story of how he changes from a bloodthirsty brute to something altogether different.
”I care not for fame,” Karsa said. “I did once…”
“And then?”
“I changed my mind.”
Sadly, I did not enjoy this fourth book as much as the previous three. For the most part, I had huge difficulties connecting with the story, and I felt that it had same pacing problems as the last Seven Cities book; in other words, sometimes being hopelessly boring. Luckily, that changed toward the end, and the book sucked me in completely. About two thirds through and on to the end, I was barely able to put it down. But before that, I just didn’t enjoy it at all.
Nevertheless, the road goes ever onwards, and I’m getting more and more immersed in the Malazan world for each book.
Malazan Book of the Fallen reviews:
#1 Gardens of the Moon
#2 Deadhouse Gates
#3 Memories of Ice
#4 House of Chains
#5 Midnight Tides
#6 The Bonehunters
#7 Reaper's Gale
#8 Toll the Hounds
#9 Dust of Dreams
#10 The Crippled God
February 6, 2020
There will be slaughter. Yet another apocalypse on Raraku's restless sands. It is as it should be.
Retribution is at hand for the rise of the Seven Cities rebellion as the new Adjunct to the Empress arrives to lead the Malazan army to face Sha'ik and her Army of the Apocalypse. The Holy Desert of Raraku continues to emanate despair, even more so now than ever after the Chain of Dogs left in its trails the miasma of vengeance and grief.
House of Chains weighed like a ton of bricks on my psyche, which was the main reason it is one of my least favourite, albeit still a really good book. Aside from the depressing setting of the Raraku, the Army of the Apocalypse was rife with treachery within as power hungry men and mages vie to make use of the madness and rage of the Whirlwind Goddess and the ensuing chaos to further their ambitious goals. As much as I tried, I also failed to fully empathise with the Sha'ik.
In stark contrast, the Malazan army, as disciplined as it can be, was fraught with uncertainty over the ability of the new Adjunct, Tavore of House Paran, and its relatively fresh recruits. Erikson did a marvellous job at empathically portraying the thoughts and emotions that such regiments had to confront, particularly focusing upon the points-of-view of two vastly different individuals; a new Fist who was never more than just a soldier who became captain of a noble house and a wearied returning veteran of Raraku. Within the story of Adjunct Tavore and her army, there were touching moments as well as pretty hilarious ones which made it more endearing by far.
The numerous subplots and POVs in this instalment initially appeared to be tenuously linked at most. However, and undoubtedly, Erikson showed how masterful he was in weaving all these threads together into a staggering pattern that initially confounds but eventually makes sense as revelations come to the fore. I also appreciated some level of continuity from the life-changing events that took place in Memories of Ice which flowed well into the narrative.
As before, there are still tonnes of new characters to familiarise with. But regardless of the sheer size of the cast, character development was always superbly done. Taking a different direction from first three books, a full quarter of this volume was largely dedicated to introducing a major character to the series. Karsa Orlong of the Teblor, a tribal giant race that thrived on the notion of glory from domination and killing, wrought from distorted histories and false gods, started off as an arrogant, bloodthirsty and violent warrior that was extremely difficult to like. Through the development of his arc, Karsa became one of the most complex characters thus far. He is in equal measures brutal and badass as hell, still arrogant, but also possesses an almost unorthodox sense of compassion and honour. Even with all what we have seen so far in this book, we have yet to fully appreciate what he is truly capable of and his role in the larger overarching plot.
By this fourth instalment, it will be difficult not to come to the realisation of just how deep and steeped in sorcery and magic this world truly is. There is just so much to learn about the pantheon of gods and the ascendants, the ancient races and warrens and then.. there is light, dark and shadow.
And this brings to one of my favourites, yet another complex and intriguing character that demonstrated a kindness and compassion that belies his ascendant stature. Cotillion, the Patron God of Assassins, otherwise also known as The Rope, is an enigma and though he appeared to be playing another mysterious game of thrones altogether, he does so with a certain sense of dignified reluctance and regret.
Individual characterization aside, Erikson also excels at creating realistic and great relationships of the most unlikely pairings, which developed through chance and circumstance. Karsa Orlong and Torvald Nom. Onrack and Trull Sengar. These duos are amongst the more notable ones to date which show how love, compassion and loyalty through friendship can transcend differences in race, culture or one's own history; the connectivity that binds and brings people together.
Given the density of these books, it really is difficult to compose a review that can cover all aspects of the story, so I aim to highlight those which had an impact on me, without going into spoiler territory. The one thing which never fails to emerge from reading Malazan Book of the Fallen is the sense of pathos from all the tragedy, despair and horrors that being alive can entail. While there are some outright despicable and vile characters, there is never a clear bad or good side; nothing is plainly black or white, just various shades of grey. Although not as heartbreaking as the past two books, the ending in House of Chains was nonetheless thoroughly tragic; even more so considering the utter unawareness of the surviving party of what truly happened.
To grieve is a gift best shared. As a song is shared.
You can purchase the book from Book Depository (Free Shipping).
You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
Retribution is at hand for the rise of the Seven Cities rebellion as the new Adjunct to the Empress arrives to lead the Malazan army to face Sha'ik and her Army of the Apocalypse. The Holy Desert of Raraku continues to emanate despair, even more so now than ever after the Chain of Dogs left in its trails the miasma of vengeance and grief.
House of Chains weighed like a ton of bricks on my psyche, which was the main reason it is one of my least favourite, albeit still a really good book. Aside from the depressing setting of the Raraku, the Army of the Apocalypse was rife with treachery within as power hungry men and mages vie to make use of the madness and rage of the Whirlwind Goddess and the ensuing chaos to further their ambitious goals. As much as I tried, I also failed to fully empathise with the Sha'ik.
In stark contrast, the Malazan army, as disciplined as it can be, was fraught with uncertainty over the ability of the new Adjunct, Tavore of House Paran, and its relatively fresh recruits. Erikson did a marvellous job at empathically portraying the thoughts and emotions that such regiments had to confront, particularly focusing upon the points-of-view of two vastly different individuals; a new Fist who was never more than just a soldier who became captain of a noble house and a wearied returning veteran of Raraku. Within the story of Adjunct Tavore and her army, there were touching moments as well as pretty hilarious ones which made it more endearing by far.
The numerous subplots and POVs in this instalment initially appeared to be tenuously linked at most. However, and undoubtedly, Erikson showed how masterful he was in weaving all these threads together into a staggering pattern that initially confounds but eventually makes sense as revelations come to the fore. I also appreciated some level of continuity from the life-changing events that took place in Memories of Ice which flowed well into the narrative.
As before, there are still tonnes of new characters to familiarise with. But regardless of the sheer size of the cast, character development was always superbly done. Taking a different direction from first three books, a full quarter of this volume was largely dedicated to introducing a major character to the series. Karsa Orlong of the Teblor, a tribal giant race that thrived on the notion of glory from domination and killing, wrought from distorted histories and false gods, started off as an arrogant, bloodthirsty and violent warrior that was extremely difficult to like. Through the development of his arc, Karsa became one of the most complex characters thus far. He is in equal measures brutal and badass as hell, still arrogant, but also possesses an almost unorthodox sense of compassion and honour. Even with all what we have seen so far in this book, we have yet to fully appreciate what he is truly capable of and his role in the larger overarching plot.
Witness? Yes, you are witness. Even so, what I, Karsa Orlong, shall shape, you cannot imagine. No one can.
By this fourth instalment, it will be difficult not to come to the realisation of just how deep and steeped in sorcery and magic this world truly is. There is just so much to learn about the pantheon of gods and the ascendants, the ancient races and warrens and then.. there is light, dark and shadow.
Shadow is ever besieged, for that is its nature. Whilst darkness devours, and light steals. And so one sees shadow ever retreat to hidden places, only to return in the wake of the war between dark and light.
And this brings to one of my favourites, yet another complex and intriguing character that demonstrated a kindness and compassion that belies his ascendant stature. Cotillion, the Patron God of Assassins, otherwise also known as The Rope, is an enigma and though he appeared to be playing another mysterious game of thrones altogether, he does so with a certain sense of dignified reluctance and regret.
"Because, I like the lad, too."
"How brave do you think I am?"
"As brave as necessary."
"Again."
"Aye. Again."
"You don't seem much like a god at all, Cotillion."
Individual characterization aside, Erikson also excels at creating realistic and great relationships of the most unlikely pairings, which developed through chance and circumstance. Karsa Orlong and Torvald Nom. Onrack and Trull Sengar. These duos are amongst the more notable ones to date which show how love, compassion and loyalty through friendship can transcend differences in race, culture or one's own history; the connectivity that binds and brings people together.
Given the density of these books, it really is difficult to compose a review that can cover all aspects of the story, so I aim to highlight those which had an impact on me, without going into spoiler territory. The one thing which never fails to emerge from reading Malazan Book of the Fallen is the sense of pathos from all the tragedy, despair and horrors that being alive can entail. While there are some outright despicable and vile characters, there is never a clear bad or good side; nothing is plainly black or white, just various shades of grey. Although not as heartbreaking as the past two books, the ending in House of Chains was nonetheless thoroughly tragic; even more so considering the utter unawareness of the surviving party of what truly happened.
To grieve is a gift best shared. As a song is shared.
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You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
October 28, 2019
Epilogue This is how you shatter an unbreakable chain. By dying. Which happened to me several times when reading this book.*
Chapter 26: Tavore you said yourself, that sometimes knowledge is not enough. Not a single grain of sand is wasted in this story.
Chapter 25: Dogslayers. Bonehunters. Ghosts, assassins, shattered warrens, silent battles. No, it’s not the blurb for the whole book. Just one chapter.
Chapter 24: Ah these shadow upstarts. They willruffle some feathers rattle dome chains. Witness.
Chapter 23: Ah, the power of storytelling. The responsibility of those to whom the tale is told. And that means us.
Chapter 22: Don’t worry Tavore, all wars are personal (just look at Iskaral Pust and his wife).
Chapter 21: convergence, all loose threads knotted, all chains snapped taut. Exciting.
Chapter 20: A plan that may or may not work? I like it already!
Chapter 19: Grub?! This little brat?!
Chapter 18: This insight into the cold iron of Tavore instantly elevated her into my favourite female of thisbook series. So far.
Chapter 17: You tell these deities, Karsa. What do they think, they can prance around and play gods just for the fun of it? No, better you show them.
Chapter 16: What do you means that it was a threesome not just Dancer and Kellanved? And then Onrack you too?! Threesomes everywhere!
Chapter 15: Well, at this point of the book, I decided that sleep is for the weak.
Chapter 14: From wandering to hold, from hold to house, from freedom to chains. “Bastard broke my sword” - really Karsa?
Chapter 13: This monster mutliating women, he really needs to die a nasty death.
Chapter 12: Brother with a singular will and a borrowed grief. Do you not recognise the famosity exuding from him. Famosity? There must be such a word, Iskaral Pust used it!
Chapter 11: Tavore, I am rooting for you. Raraku sings her song for Bridgeburners, may she sing for you too.
Chapter 10: Whenever I think of Teblor deities, I think of Mount Rushmore. But then, Karsa's sculptures are more like Easter Island statues.
Chapter 9: Children of Farther Light, I am sorely disappointed in you. Pride precedes the fall.
Chapter 8: Madman with a sharper. Finally! Speaking of chains - sapper and their own chain of command. Always priceless.
Chapter 7: Seven cities, seven deities and seven hounds. We are dancing with the shadows here and with things that don't cast the shadow at all.
Chapter 6: The flower has been cut and lies in the Shadow. (To be plagued with the need to be truthful is a rare curse indeed).
Chapter 5: A sister who doesn't know, reaching out blindly, what she will find in the eye of a desert storm.
Chapter 4: Oh now everything makes sense (except for the things which don't)!
Chapter 3: Humans are but children whose favourite playground is war.
Chapter 2: It is obvious that Erickson likes the armies of three attacking the whole towns. No, not three armies, the armies of one, two, three.
Chapter 1: I should probably not be admitting to liking Karsa Orlong and liking his chapters. I am though. Admitting and liking.
Prologue: I don't understand what's going on. But then, it's one of the most common Malazan-invoked reading reactions.
* I am not going to even pretend that I could in any way give a pale shadow of justice to this book or indeed a whole series in a proper review. There are many better than me, here on Goodreads (and many of those I'm lucky to have among my friends), who managed to grasp and convey the sheer brilliance of what awaits those who open the Malazan Book of the Fallen. All I can give you is a chapter breakdown of my own chain of thoughts.
The Malazan Book of the Fallen:
1. Gardens of the Moon ★★★★★
2. Deadhouse Gates ★★★★★
3. Memories of Ice ★★★★★
5. Midnight Tides ★★★★★
6. The Bonehunters ★★★★★
7. Reaper's Gale ★★★★☆
8. Toll the Hounds
9. Dust of Dreams ★★★☆☆ (and the third star is a testament to my generosity)
10. The Crippled God ★★☆☆☆
Chapter 26: Tavore you said yourself, that sometimes knowledge is not enough. Not a single grain of sand is wasted in this story.
Chapter 25: Dogslayers. Bonehunters. Ghosts, assassins, shattered warrens, silent battles. No, it’s not the blurb for the whole book. Just one chapter.
Chapter 24: Ah these shadow upstarts. They will
Chapter 23: Ah, the power of storytelling. The responsibility of those to whom the tale is told. And that means us.
Chapter 22: Don’t worry Tavore, all wars are personal (just look at Iskaral Pust and his wife).
Chapter 21: convergence, all loose threads knotted, all chains snapped taut. Exciting.
Chapter 20: A plan that may or may not work? I like it already!
Chapter 19: Grub?! This little brat?!
Chapter 18: This insight into the cold iron of Tavore instantly elevated her into my favourite female of this
Chapter 17: You tell these deities, Karsa. What do they think, they can prance around and play gods just for the fun of it? No, better you show them.
Chapter 16: What do you means that it was a threesome not just Dancer and Kellanved? And then Onrack you too?! Threesomes everywhere!
Chapter 15: Well, at this point of the book, I decided that sleep is for the weak.
Chapter 14: From wandering to hold, from hold to house, from freedom to chains. “Bastard broke my sword” - really Karsa?
Chapter 13: This monster mutliating women, he really needs to die a nasty death.
Chapter 12: Brother with a singular will and a borrowed grief. Do you not recognise the famosity exuding from him. Famosity? There must be such a word, Iskaral Pust used it!
Chapter 11: Tavore, I am rooting for you. Raraku sings her song for Bridgeburners, may she sing for you too.
Chapter 10: Whenever I think of Teblor deities, I think of Mount Rushmore. But then, Karsa's sculptures are more like Easter Island statues.
Chapter 9: Children of Farther Light, I am sorely disappointed in you. Pride precedes the fall.
Chapter 8: Madman with a sharper. Finally! Speaking of chains - sapper and their own chain of command. Always priceless.
Chapter 7: Seven cities, seven deities and seven hounds. We are dancing with the shadows here and with things that don't cast the shadow at all.
Chapter 6: The flower has been cut and lies in the Shadow. (To be plagued with the need to be truthful is a rare curse indeed).
Chapter 5: A sister who doesn't know, reaching out blindly, what she will find in the eye of a desert storm.
Chapter 4: Oh now everything makes sense (except for the things which don't)!
Chapter 3: Humans are but children whose favourite playground is war.
Chapter 2: It is obvious that Erickson likes the armies of three attacking the whole towns. No, not three armies, the armies of one, two, three.
Chapter 1: I should probably not be admitting to liking Karsa Orlong and liking his chapters. I am though. Admitting and liking.
Prologue: I don't understand what's going on. But then, it's one of the most common Malazan-invoked reading reactions.
* I am not going to even pretend that I could in any way give a pale shadow of justice to this book or indeed a whole series in a proper review. There are many better than me, here on Goodreads (and many of those I'm lucky to have among my friends), who managed to grasp and convey the sheer brilliance of what awaits those who open the Malazan Book of the Fallen. All I can give you is a chapter breakdown of my own chain of thoughts.
The Malazan Book of the Fallen:
1. Gardens of the Moon ★★★★★
2. Deadhouse Gates ★★★★★
3. Memories of Ice ★★★★★
5. Midnight Tides ★★★★★
6. The Bonehunters ★★★★★
7. Reaper's Gale ★★★★☆
8. Toll the Hounds
9. Dust of Dreams ★★★☆☆ (and the third star is a testament to my generosity)
10. The Crippled God ★★☆☆☆
March 1, 2017
It is astonishing how every book in this series seems to get better than the one before. The sheer size of the cast is phenomenal however it seems like each character has an important role to play in the grand scheme of things and there are no 'bit-part' players. New characters such as Karsa Orlong, L'oric and Trull Sengar become favourites straight away and that is down to Erikson's skill as a writer. I will admit that I go a bit sentimental when we find out what characters such as Quick Ben, Kalam and Fiddler are up to when reading. To the extent where it transpires that Strings is Fiddler I actually did a mini fist-bump and silent whoop to myself lol. In the first few books, the world Erikson was describing was so vast and complicated it was sometimes confusing and I had to read certain sections more than once. Yet, now that we are revisiting some of these places again it adds to the overall creation and heightening of the picture that Erikson is trying to paint for us. The book takes place after the events of Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice. A lot of the story is almost the opposite of the path Coltaine walked on the Chain of Dogs. As previous books in the series I love finding out about the God's motives and as a previous reviewer stated - these sections are 'Homeric' when the God's converse with humans/mortals. I am interested to find out more about Cotillion. This book made him seem more human and emotional than we were given witness to before and that intrigues me. I won't delve too much into the plot. I will say that I am looking to start reading Midnight Tides straight away as I can't wait to be thrown headfirst back into Erikson's world. Peace. James x www.youandibooks.wordpress.com
May 8, 2017
A buddy read with the lovely ladies Sade and Orient. Thank you for putting up with me on this adventure. :D
‘Is that all we mortals are? The victims of tortured irony to amuse an insane murder of gods?’
House of Chains is another fantastic addition to The Malazan book of the Fallen. This book started off a little different than the previous installments. The first 20% of the book was focused on one main character, and his journey from his homeland in northern Genabackis to the desert continent of Seven Cities. Probably one of the most fearsome and intimidating characters I have read in fantasy. None other than Karsa Orlong. I will admit to not liking him much at first for his overwhelming bloodlust and barbaric nature, but he did grow on me after a while. I won’t elaborate any further as to spoil anything, but I believe most Malazan fans would agree with that assessment.
The continent of Seven Cities is the destination for the main part of this story. The new Adjunct Tavore Paran has taken over the city of Aren and plans to march a company of recruits into the holy desert of Raraku against Sha’ik and her Whirlwind rebellion. It’s time for payback for what was done to Coltaine and the Chain of Dogs, but they are severely outnumbered and under-experienced. Also, Raraku is a desert with its own secrets and deadly history. The outcome of this clash is anything but certain.
‘Raraku is a hostile land, resentful of whatever life dared exploit it. Not holy at all, but cursed. Devourer of dreams, destroyer of ambitions. And why not? It’s a damned desert.’
As in all Malazan books we have a huge cast of characters. Some familiar and some new, but all with their own interesting story arcs that intersect in a final convergence that was both epic and brutally sad. After four books you would think I would be used to the horrors that Erikson can manifest in each story, but he always seems to one up himself. And the results leave me heartbroken every time.
‘The glory of battle, Koryk, dwells only in the bard’s voice, in the tellers woven words. Glory belongs to ghosts and poets. What you hear and dream isn’t the same as what you live – blur the distinction at your own peril, lad.’ - Fiddler
House of Chains is another great adventure sure to delight all epic fantasy and grim-dark fantasy lovers alike. The immensity of this world, characters, magic system, and everything in between is well worth the time put into reading them. I’ve had a blast reading every one of these books, and can’t wait to get started on the next. Coming up Midnight Tides!
5 stars *****
‘Is that all we mortals are? The victims of tortured irony to amuse an insane murder of gods?’
House of Chains is another fantastic addition to The Malazan book of the Fallen. This book started off a little different than the previous installments. The first 20% of the book was focused on one main character, and his journey from his homeland in northern Genabackis to the desert continent of Seven Cities. Probably one of the most fearsome and intimidating characters I have read in fantasy. None other than Karsa Orlong. I will admit to not liking him much at first for his overwhelming bloodlust and barbaric nature, but he did grow on me after a while. I won’t elaborate any further as to spoil anything, but I believe most Malazan fans would agree with that assessment.
The continent of Seven Cities is the destination for the main part of this story. The new Adjunct Tavore Paran has taken over the city of Aren and plans to march a company of recruits into the holy desert of Raraku against Sha’ik and her Whirlwind rebellion. It’s time for payback for what was done to Coltaine and the Chain of Dogs, but they are severely outnumbered and under-experienced. Also, Raraku is a desert with its own secrets and deadly history. The outcome of this clash is anything but certain.
‘Raraku is a hostile land, resentful of whatever life dared exploit it. Not holy at all, but cursed. Devourer of dreams, destroyer of ambitions. And why not? It’s a damned desert.’
As in all Malazan books we have a huge cast of characters. Some familiar and some new, but all with their own interesting story arcs that intersect in a final convergence that was both epic and brutally sad. After four books you would think I would be used to the horrors that Erikson can manifest in each story, but he always seems to one up himself. And the results leave me heartbroken every time.
‘The glory of battle, Koryk, dwells only in the bard’s voice, in the tellers woven words. Glory belongs to ghosts and poets. What you hear and dream isn’t the same as what you live – blur the distinction at your own peril, lad.’ - Fiddler
House of Chains is another great adventure sure to delight all epic fantasy and grim-dark fantasy lovers alike. The immensity of this world, characters, magic system, and everything in between is well worth the time put into reading them. I’ve had a blast reading every one of these books, and can’t wait to get started on the next. Coming up Midnight Tides!
5 stars *****
October 28, 2014
The Malazan freight-train of awesomeness rumbles on.
House of Chains was another epic, ambitious instalment in the Malazan franchise. This was a great read, and while it lacked the emotional impact and sense of grandeur of MoI and the Chain of Dogs it added a new aspect to this series in proving that Erikson can write an engaging, focused story with the best in the genre.
As a bold young warrior sets out from his isolated mountain village to carve for himself a path to fortune and glory, he finds that the world is far different than his grandfather’s stories had him believe. Years later an untried commander lands on the continent of Seven Cities with 12,000 fresh troops determined to take vengeance for her fallen comrades and bring an end to the Whirlwind, the great maelstrom of upheaval and destruction that was unleashed in DG, or die in the attempt.
I found this to be a much easier and more engaging read than the previous books in the series and while it lacks the sweeping drama and emotional power of MoI it still had a number of powerful moments. The opening to this one especially was very different to what we’ve seen in the series before. Whereas previously we were thrown into complex situations with strange characters and confusing settings this opening was seemingly straightforward; a young man leaving his village in search of adventure. However nothing is ever simple in Erikson’s world and he uses this straightforward beginning to examine the idea of the noble savage and develop the already astonishing world-building in this series even more. I liked how even in this ‘simplified’ opening Erikson didn’t feel obligated to provide any transparent explanations of culture or phraseology. This led to a cool revelation when it turns out that Karsa and friends aren’t actually obsessed with killing kids, ‘children’ is a term used by the giant Teblor to describe average humans (they’re still kind of knobheads at this point though).
I really liked the way in which different storylines were woven together in this one. While DG was dominated by the Chain of Dogs and MoI had a pronounced focus on the allied army (especially early on) this one felt a lot more balanced, with none of the storylines feeling like weak links and all contributing in interesting ways to the overall plot. Karsa’s storyline was obviously very prominent, especially given the unprecedented fact that he was the only POV for the first fifth of the book or so. Another interesting aspect of Karsa’s arc in this book was the growth of his character. While most characters in this series are pushed along by the tides of fate and the seemingly impossibly complex machinations of gods and men (*ahem Quick Ben*) Karsa demonstrates a unique level of control and independence. This left room for much more character development than is normally seen in this series. At the start of this book I found Karsa to be a despicable scumbag but by the end he was possibly one of my favourite characters in the series and definitely one of the most interesting.
Probably my favourite storyline saw ‘Strings’ (a familiar face we’ll remember from previous books) joining the army sent to Seven Cities to avenge the Chain of Dogs. While the grizzled soldier whipping raw recruits into shape is a common trope it was done brilliantly here. The familiar storyline was flavoured with the Malazan military culture that has been brilliantly established over the series so far and included some interesting new characters (Bottle, Borduke) as well as some of my old favourites (Cuttle, Stormy, Gesler). It also produced some of the books funniest moments, such as the scorpion battle royale (Birdshit FTW). I also found the examination of the Sha'ik/Whirlwind vs. Tavore/Malazan Empire conflict to be extremely compelling. As much as I like the Malazans (thanks to all the awesome characters outlined above) I found myself struggling to root against Sha'ik. Despite not exactly being the most popular character amongst fans of the series (*understatement*) I thought she was a brilliantly developed character who was both sympathetic and intriguing. This was especially true in comparison to Tavore who I found to be frustrating and unlikeable. The ending was typical of this series. While I was somewhat disappointed at the , it was still a suitably epic climax that brilliantly wove a massive amount of disparate plots together.
Skilfully blending characters and plotlines that were both old and new, House of Chains was more accessible and easier to read than the previous books while retaining the series’ trademark scope and depth. This was another great instalment in what is fast becoming one of my favourite series’.
House of Chains was another epic, ambitious instalment in the Malazan franchise. This was a great read, and while it lacked the emotional impact and sense of grandeur of MoI and the Chain of Dogs it added a new aspect to this series in proving that Erikson can write an engaging, focused story with the best in the genre.
As a bold young warrior sets out from his isolated mountain village to carve for himself a path to fortune and glory, he finds that the world is far different than his grandfather’s stories had him believe. Years later an untried commander lands on the continent of Seven Cities with 12,000 fresh troops determined to take vengeance for her fallen comrades and bring an end to the Whirlwind, the great maelstrom of upheaval and destruction that was unleashed in DG, or die in the attempt.
I found this to be a much easier and more engaging read than the previous books in the series and while it lacks the sweeping drama and emotional power of MoI it still had a number of powerful moments. The opening to this one especially was very different to what we’ve seen in the series before. Whereas previously we were thrown into complex situations with strange characters and confusing settings this opening was seemingly straightforward; a young man leaving his village in search of adventure. However nothing is ever simple in Erikson’s world and he uses this straightforward beginning to examine the idea of the noble savage and develop the already astonishing world-building in this series even more. I liked how even in this ‘simplified’ opening Erikson didn’t feel obligated to provide any transparent explanations of culture or phraseology. This led to a cool revelation when it turns out that Karsa and friends aren’t actually obsessed with killing kids, ‘children’ is a term used by the giant Teblor to describe average humans (they’re still kind of knobheads at this point though).
I really liked the way in which different storylines were woven together in this one. While DG was dominated by the Chain of Dogs and MoI had a pronounced focus on the allied army (especially early on) this one felt a lot more balanced, with none of the storylines feeling like weak links and all contributing in interesting ways to the overall plot. Karsa’s storyline was obviously very prominent, especially given the unprecedented fact that he was the only POV for the first fifth of the book or so. Another interesting aspect of Karsa’s arc in this book was the growth of his character. While most characters in this series are pushed along by the tides of fate and the seemingly impossibly complex machinations of gods and men (*ahem Quick Ben*) Karsa demonstrates a unique level of control and independence. This left room for much more character development than is normally seen in this series. At the start of this book I found Karsa to be a despicable scumbag but by the end he was possibly one of my favourite characters in the series and definitely one of the most interesting.
Probably my favourite storyline saw ‘Strings’ (a familiar face we’ll remember from previous books) joining the army sent to Seven Cities to avenge the Chain of Dogs. While the grizzled soldier whipping raw recruits into shape is a common trope it was done brilliantly here. The familiar storyline was flavoured with the Malazan military culture that has been brilliantly established over the series so far and included some interesting new characters (Bottle, Borduke) as well as some of my old favourites (Cuttle, Stormy, Gesler). It also produced some of the books funniest moments, such as the scorpion battle royale (Birdshit FTW). I also found the examination of the Sha'ik/Whirlwind vs. Tavore/Malazan Empire conflict to be extremely compelling. As much as I like the Malazans (thanks to all the awesome characters outlined above) I found myself struggling to root against Sha'ik. Despite not exactly being the most popular character amongst fans of the series (*understatement*) I thought she was a brilliantly developed character who was both sympathetic and intriguing. This was especially true in comparison to Tavore who I found to be frustrating and unlikeable. The ending was typical of this series. While I was somewhat disappointed at the , it was still a suitably epic climax that brilliantly wove a massive amount of disparate plots together.
Skilfully blending characters and plotlines that were both old and new, House of Chains was more accessible and easier to read than the previous books while retaining the series’ trademark scope and depth. This was another great instalment in what is fast becoming one of my favourite series’.
March 8, 2022
"¿Testigo? Sí, eres y serás testigo. Aun así, no puedes imaginar lo que yo, Karsa Orlong, daré forma. Nadie puede.."
"La Casa de Cadenas", he de decir que me parece un libro bastante subestimado e infravalorado de esta magna y titánica casa. Supongo que afecta un poco lo que supuso leer antes "Memorias de Hielo" para algunos supuso cierto bajón, quizás. Por no volver a esa parte de la historia o porque al principio no lo sintió a la altura. A mí me ha flipado. De principio, que vaya principio, hasta ese pedazo de final.
Para mi cada vuelta a Malaz tiene dos aspectos a destacar. El primero sería ese pasar de sus páginas, vas muy despacio, y ya cuando aún llevas 200 dices, "Jooooder, vaya si se nota que estoy de vuelta en Malaz, tardas y exige" y eso es lo brutal. Lo segundo viene de la mano con lo primero, y es un nivel de enganche brutal, no, lo siguiente.
Malaz para quiénes lo gozamos, quienes son fans o algunos que somos fanáticos, es una obra maestra sin parangón y sin ninguna comparación posible o a la altura. Me ha dejado con ganas de más y voy a por el siguiente sin piedad en cuanto lea uno de Pratchett y empezando el primero del compañero, de la otra gran mitad de ese dios creador de este mundo, Ian Eslemmont.
Noté una mejora inmensa en Erikson, si bien ya la noté en el anterior, aquí mucho más. No hay color con la narración bastante tosca que tiene el primero, aún cuando lo disfruté.
Steven Erikson es un puto genio, yo ya no sé de qué manera decirlo y expresarlo. Lo que crea lo que cuenta, es impresionante. Desde personajes hasta civilizaciones creadas al detalle, pasando por esa filosofía tan, tan, cuidada que te deja reflexionando a través de esas maravillas de diálogos.
Soy fanático de esta saga, Erikson es mi autor favorito, ocupa el trono rodeado por otros, es un autor que destaca en muchísimas cosas a lo largo de sus libros que vas descubriendo, pero hay una cosa que noté desde el primer libro y sobretodo en el tercero, que es esa parte de arqueología y antropología. Me fascina lo que crea. Se nota su pasión en esos campos sobre los que estudió. Lo clava. Y es que Malaz tiene de todo, de todo.
Cada vez que termino un libro de la saga de Malaz, por lo general me doy un tiempo antes de comenzar el siguiente por varias razones. Las principales es que son lecturas densas a veces dada la complejidad y la maestría de Erikson a la hora de narrar. Son libros largos pero sobretodo, destrozan el alma por lo que Erikson les hace a sus personajes. Comparado con él, otros autores conocidos por matar a sus personajes yo diría que no le llegan a Erikson.
Aunque "Memorias de Hielo" me dejó el corazón tocado, siendo lo mejor que he leído de Erikson y en general, hasta que empecé este libro y lo empezó a lo grande. Alzando el libro como hizo con el anterior. Ya desde el nivel base del que goza Erikson, este sigue mejorando, puliendo, creando y sigue regalándonos adicción entrega tras entrega.
Empecé pensando que me iban a echar en medio de la batalla, pero Erikson tenía otros planes. Hizo algo que nunca había hecho antes; dedicó el primer cuarto del libro a un solo punto de vista, un personaje con el nombre de Karsa Orlong. Estaba un poco sorprendido con este comienzo y con este personaje y me preguntaba por qué estaba leyendo sobre este tío cuando hay una guerra, después de lo que pasó. Pero Karsa, es muuuucho Karsa.
Karsa es un gusto adquirido, así que me tomó un tiempo acostumbrarme a él y, a medida que leía sobre él, me empezó a gustar a pesar de que es un salvaje brutal, pero comencé a cavar en su enfoque, el suyo claro. Una vez más se ve esa pasión por la arqueología y la antropología. A traves de antiguas civilizaciones, pueblos. Es algo que personalmente me encanta de todos sus libros.
El final del libro primero o de la primera parte de la historia de Karsa, fue genial, brutal y una gran sorpresa. Cuando terminé me hizo darme cuenta de por qué Eriskon escogió comenzar el libro de esa manera. Para aquellos que lo hayáis leído sabréis a qué me refiero, y aquellos que no lo habéis hecho, bueno, os espera un puto regalo.
Me gustó bastante un marcado contraste que noté en el ejército de Malaz, tan caótico al principio, como disciplinado después gracias a los veteranos y el genial Sepia. Estaba lleno de incertidumbre sobre la capacidad y el porqué se la escogió, y personalmente, como la nueva consejera de la Emperatriz, Tavore de la Casa Paran. Y sus reclutas, que nos regala un nuevo reparto de personajes tan ricos y únicos. No ver a Tavore desde su punto de vista me pareció lo más acertado.
Erikson hizo un trabajo maravilloso al retratar con empatía los pensamientos y emociones que estos nuevos regimientos tenían que afrontar, enfocándose particularmente en los puntos de vista de individuos muy diferentes; un nuevo Puño que nunca fue más que un simple soldado que se convirtió en capitán de una casa noble y un cansado veterano de Raraku que regresaba. Hubo momentos conmovedores y divertidos. La escena de los escorpiones, inmejorable.
Las numerosas subtramas y puntos de vista en esta entrega inicialmente me parecían estar débilmente o excasamente vinculados. Pero sin embargo, e indudablemente, Erikson demostró lo magistral que es al tejer todos estos hilos en un patrón asombroso que inicialmente confunde pero que finalmente cobra un sentido a medida que las revelaciones pasan a un primer plano en el que te deja diciendo "Joooder, cómo lo haces, cómo puedes escribir así". Aprecié cierto nivel de continuidad de los eventos que cambiaron la vida de tantos y tuvieron lugar en "Memorias de Hielo" y que fluyeron bien en la narrativa.
Hay toneladas de nuevos personajes con los que familiarizarse. Pero independientemente del tamaño del gran elenco, el desarrollo de todos y cada uno de los personajes, siempre se hace de una manera excelente y soberbia.
Tomando una dirección diferente a la de los tres libros anteriores, una gran parte del libro se dedica en a presentar un personaje principal de la saga. Karsa Orlong de los Teblor, una raza gigante tribal que prosperaba con la noción de gloria por dominación y la matanza, forjada a partir de historias algo distorsionadas y dioses.
Karsa comenzó como un guerrero arrogante, sanguinario y violento que era extremadamente difícil de agradar. Pero es que a través del desarrollo de su arco, Karsa se convirtió en uno de los personajes quizás más complejos hasta el momento. Un personaje que tienes que odiar o no gustarte por lo que hace, pero Erikson te da otra cosa que no ves venir. Es a partes iguales brutal y rudo, todavía es algo arrogante, pero también posee un sentido de compasión y honor casi poco ortodoxo. Incluso con todo lo que en este libro vemos, todavía tendremos mucho que ver y que apreciar de lo que es realmente capaz y su papel dará en la trama general, tomando un camino más amplio e importante. Y yo seré testigo de tus logros, Karsa Orlong..
En esta cuarta entrega, será difícil no darse cuenta de cuán profundo y lleno de hechicería está este mundo. Hay todavía muchísimo que aprender sobre el panteón de los dioses y los ascendientes, las antiguas razas y sendas. Luz, oscuridad y sombra. Con Steven Erikson es un aprendizaje constante de Malaz, en general.
La sombra está siempre asediada, porque esa es su naturaleza. Mientras las tinieblas devoran y la luz roba. Y así, uno ve que las sombras siempre se retiran a lugares ocultos, solo para regresar a raíz de la guerra entre la oscuridad y la luz. Y esto trae a uno de mis favoritos, otro personaje complejo e intrigante que demostró una "bondad" y compasión que contradice su ascendente estatura. Cotillion, el dios patrón de los asesinos, también conocido como "La Cuerda", es un enigma y, aunque parecía estar jugando otro misterioso juego de poder, lo hace con un cierto sentido de digna desgana y pesar.
"No te pareces mucho a un dios, Cotillion"
Dejando a un lado la caracterización individual, Erikson sobresale en la creación de relaciones o amistades tanto inesperadas como realistas y grandiosas que se desarrollaron por casualidad y circunstancia. Karsa Orlong y Torvald Nom. Onrack y Trull Sengar. Estos curiosos equipos se encuentran entre los más notables quizá hasta la fecha (y no han sido pocos) que nos muestran cómo la camadería, la compasión y la lealtad a través de la amistad pueden incluso superar y trascender las diferencias de razas, culturas, odio o la propia historia. El mejor dúo, Perla y Lostara.
Dada la densidad de estos libros, es realmente difícil componer una reseña que pueda cubrir todos los aspectos de la historia, mi objetivo es destacar aquellos que me impactaron y aún asi alguno me dejaré, sin entrar en el territorio de spoilers. Lo único que nunca deja de surgir de la lectura de Malaz es el sentimiento de todas las tragedias, la desesperación y los horrores que van pasando. Erikson te prepara durante todo el libro, sigues y conoces a todos los personajes, te hace recordar a los caídos. Y todo estalla..
Muy contadas veces he llorado leyendo o me he llegado a emocionar. Una de ellas fue con la Cadena de Perros de Coltaine. Ahí me tocó la fibra. Y va en "Memorias de Hielo" y lo vuelve a hacer. Lo que logra este autorazo, es digno de aplaudir y quitarse el sombrero.
Combinando hábilmente personajes y tramas sean antiguas y nuevas, "La Casa de Cadenas" me ha parecido más accesible y más fácil de leer que los libros anteriores, al mismo tiempo que conservaba el alcance y la profundidad que es ya la marca de la saga. Otra enorme obra maestra de la que ya se convirtió en mi saga favorita.
Asesinos y magos, dioses y entidades, razas y culturas, Mastines de sombra y duros perros de guerra. Todo envuelto en tramas que no paran ni dan tregua, a través de unos personajes que son brutales. Tenía pensado esperar a terminar Malaz. Pero "La Noche de los Cuchillos" que es el inicio de la saga de Ian Eslemmont, Malaz el Imperio. Se trata de una noche muy importante en el futuro de este mundo, y sobre mis dos personajes favoritos. La Ascensión.
Como diría el gran Iskaral Pust, en sus siempre sabias palabras, Malaz exuda grandeza... ¡Sed testigos! 🙌
"La Casa de Cadenas", he de decir que me parece un libro bastante subestimado e infravalorado de esta magna y titánica casa. Supongo que afecta un poco lo que supuso leer antes "Memorias de Hielo" para algunos supuso cierto bajón, quizás. Por no volver a esa parte de la historia o porque al principio no lo sintió a la altura. A mí me ha flipado. De principio, que vaya principio, hasta ese pedazo de final.
Para mi cada vuelta a Malaz tiene dos aspectos a destacar. El primero sería ese pasar de sus páginas, vas muy despacio, y ya cuando aún llevas 200 dices, "Jooooder, vaya si se nota que estoy de vuelta en Malaz, tardas y exige" y eso es lo brutal. Lo segundo viene de la mano con lo primero, y es un nivel de enganche brutal, no, lo siguiente.
Malaz para quiénes lo gozamos, quienes son fans o algunos que somos fanáticos, es una obra maestra sin parangón y sin ninguna comparación posible o a la altura. Me ha dejado con ganas de más y voy a por el siguiente sin piedad en cuanto lea uno de Pratchett y empezando el primero del compañero, de la otra gran mitad de ese dios creador de este mundo, Ian Eslemmont.
Noté una mejora inmensa en Erikson, si bien ya la noté en el anterior, aquí mucho más. No hay color con la narración bastante tosca que tiene el primero, aún cuando lo disfruté.
Steven Erikson es un puto genio, yo ya no sé de qué manera decirlo y expresarlo. Lo que crea lo que cuenta, es impresionante. Desde personajes hasta civilizaciones creadas al detalle, pasando por esa filosofía tan, tan, cuidada que te deja reflexionando a través de esas maravillas de diálogos.
Soy fanático de esta saga, Erikson es mi autor favorito, ocupa el trono rodeado por otros, es un autor que destaca en muchísimas cosas a lo largo de sus libros que vas descubriendo, pero hay una cosa que noté desde el primer libro y sobretodo en el tercero, que es esa parte de arqueología y antropología. Me fascina lo que crea. Se nota su pasión en esos campos sobre los que estudió. Lo clava. Y es que Malaz tiene de todo, de todo.
Cada vez que termino un libro de la saga de Malaz, por lo general me doy un tiempo antes de comenzar el siguiente por varias razones. Las principales es que son lecturas densas a veces dada la complejidad y la maestría de Erikson a la hora de narrar. Son libros largos pero sobretodo, destrozan el alma por lo que Erikson les hace a sus personajes. Comparado con él, otros autores conocidos por matar a sus personajes yo diría que no le llegan a Erikson.
Aunque "Memorias de Hielo" me dejó el corazón tocado, siendo lo mejor que he leído de Erikson y en general, hasta que empecé este libro y lo empezó a lo grande. Alzando el libro como hizo con el anterior. Ya desde el nivel base del que goza Erikson, este sigue mejorando, puliendo, creando y sigue regalándonos adicción entrega tras entrega.
Empecé pensando que me iban a echar en medio de la batalla, pero Erikson tenía otros planes. Hizo algo que nunca había hecho antes; dedicó el primer cuarto del libro a un solo punto de vista, un personaje con el nombre de Karsa Orlong. Estaba un poco sorprendido con este comienzo y con este personaje y me preguntaba por qué estaba leyendo sobre este tío cuando hay una guerra, después de lo que pasó. Pero Karsa, es muuuucho Karsa.
Karsa es un gusto adquirido, así que me tomó un tiempo acostumbrarme a él y, a medida que leía sobre él, me empezó a gustar a pesar de que es un salvaje brutal, pero comencé a cavar en su enfoque, el suyo claro. Una vez más se ve esa pasión por la arqueología y la antropología. A traves de antiguas civilizaciones, pueblos. Es algo que personalmente me encanta de todos sus libros.
El final del libro primero o de la primera parte de la historia de Karsa, fue genial, brutal y una gran sorpresa. Cuando terminé me hizo darme cuenta de por qué Eriskon escogió comenzar el libro de esa manera. Para aquellos que lo hayáis leído sabréis a qué me refiero, y aquellos que no lo habéis hecho, bueno, os espera un puto regalo.
Me gustó bastante un marcado contraste que noté en el ejército de Malaz, tan caótico al principio, como disciplinado después gracias a los veteranos y el genial Sepia. Estaba lleno de incertidumbre sobre la capacidad y el porqué se la escogió, y personalmente, como la nueva consejera de la Emperatriz, Tavore de la Casa Paran. Y sus reclutas, que nos regala un nuevo reparto de personajes tan ricos y únicos. No ver a Tavore desde su punto de vista me pareció lo más acertado.
Erikson hizo un trabajo maravilloso al retratar con empatía los pensamientos y emociones que estos nuevos regimientos tenían que afrontar, enfocándose particularmente en los puntos de vista de individuos muy diferentes; un nuevo Puño que nunca fue más que un simple soldado que se convirtió en capitán de una casa noble y un cansado veterano de Raraku que regresaba. Hubo momentos conmovedores y divertidos. La escena de los escorpiones, inmejorable.
Las numerosas subtramas y puntos de vista en esta entrega inicialmente me parecían estar débilmente o excasamente vinculados. Pero sin embargo, e indudablemente, Erikson demostró lo magistral que es al tejer todos estos hilos en un patrón asombroso que inicialmente confunde pero que finalmente cobra un sentido a medida que las revelaciones pasan a un primer plano en el que te deja diciendo "Joooder, cómo lo haces, cómo puedes escribir así". Aprecié cierto nivel de continuidad de los eventos que cambiaron la vida de tantos y tuvieron lugar en "Memorias de Hielo" y que fluyeron bien en la narrativa.
Hay toneladas de nuevos personajes con los que familiarizarse. Pero independientemente del tamaño del gran elenco, el desarrollo de todos y cada uno de los personajes, siempre se hace de una manera excelente y soberbia.
Tomando una dirección diferente a la de los tres libros anteriores, una gran parte del libro se dedica en a presentar un personaje principal de la saga. Karsa Orlong de los Teblor, una raza gigante tribal que prosperaba con la noción de gloria por dominación y la matanza, forjada a partir de historias algo distorsionadas y dioses.
Karsa comenzó como un guerrero arrogante, sanguinario y violento que era extremadamente difícil de agradar. Pero es que a través del desarrollo de su arco, Karsa se convirtió en uno de los personajes quizás más complejos hasta el momento. Un personaje que tienes que odiar o no gustarte por lo que hace, pero Erikson te da otra cosa que no ves venir. Es a partes iguales brutal y rudo, todavía es algo arrogante, pero también posee un sentido de compasión y honor casi poco ortodoxo. Incluso con todo lo que en este libro vemos, todavía tendremos mucho que ver y que apreciar de lo que es realmente capaz y su papel dará en la trama general, tomando un camino más amplio e importante. Y yo seré testigo de tus logros, Karsa Orlong..
En esta cuarta entrega, será difícil no darse cuenta de cuán profundo y lleno de hechicería está este mundo. Hay todavía muchísimo que aprender sobre el panteón de los dioses y los ascendientes, las antiguas razas y sendas. Luz, oscuridad y sombra. Con Steven Erikson es un aprendizaje constante de Malaz, en general.
La sombra está siempre asediada, porque esa es su naturaleza. Mientras las tinieblas devoran y la luz roba. Y así, uno ve que las sombras siempre se retiran a lugares ocultos, solo para regresar a raíz de la guerra entre la oscuridad y la luz. Y esto trae a uno de mis favoritos, otro personaje complejo e intrigante que demostró una "bondad" y compasión que contradice su ascendente estatura. Cotillion, el dios patrón de los asesinos, también conocido como "La Cuerda", es un enigma y, aunque parecía estar jugando otro misterioso juego de poder, lo hace con un cierto sentido de digna desgana y pesar.
"No te pareces mucho a un dios, Cotillion"
Dejando a un lado la caracterización individual, Erikson sobresale en la creación de relaciones o amistades tanto inesperadas como realistas y grandiosas que se desarrollaron por casualidad y circunstancia. Karsa Orlong y Torvald Nom. Onrack y Trull Sengar. Estos curiosos equipos se encuentran entre los más notables quizá hasta la fecha (y no han sido pocos) que nos muestran cómo la camadería, la compasión y la lealtad a través de la amistad pueden incluso superar y trascender las diferencias de razas, culturas, odio o la propia historia. El mejor dúo, Perla y Lostara.
Dada la densidad de estos libros, es realmente difícil componer una reseña que pueda cubrir todos los aspectos de la historia, mi objetivo es destacar aquellos que me impactaron y aún asi alguno me dejaré, sin entrar en el territorio de spoilers. Lo único que nunca deja de surgir de la lectura de Malaz es el sentimiento de todas las tragedias, la desesperación y los horrores que van pasando. Erikson te prepara durante todo el libro, sigues y conoces a todos los personajes, te hace recordar a los caídos. Y todo estalla..
Muy contadas veces he llorado leyendo o me he llegado a emocionar. Una de ellas fue con la Cadena de Perros de Coltaine. Ahí me tocó la fibra. Y va en "Memorias de Hielo" y lo vuelve a hacer. Lo que logra este autorazo, es digno de aplaudir y quitarse el sombrero.
Combinando hábilmente personajes y tramas sean antiguas y nuevas, "La Casa de Cadenas" me ha parecido más accesible y más fácil de leer que los libros anteriores, al mismo tiempo que conservaba el alcance y la profundidad que es ya la marca de la saga. Otra enorme obra maestra de la que ya se convirtió en mi saga favorita.
Asesinos y magos, dioses y entidades, razas y culturas, Mastines de sombra y duros perros de guerra. Todo envuelto en tramas que no paran ni dan tregua, a través de unos personajes que son brutales. Tenía pensado esperar a terminar Malaz. Pero "La Noche de los Cuchillos" que es el inicio de la saga de Ian Eslemmont, Malaz el Imperio. Se trata de una noche muy importante en el futuro de este mundo, y sobre mis dos personajes favoritos. La Ascensión.
Como diría el gran Iskaral Pust, en sus siempre sabias palabras, Malaz exuda grandeza... ¡Sed testigos! 🙌
January 31, 2018
I think there’s nobody out there that haven't heard about
Conan the Cimmerian.
"The Barbarian."
The essential one, and if not the first one, then the most recognizable and influential character that shaped the genre of epic fantasy.
When it comes to books he is a talking, fighting, drinking, brooding grim-dark, sword and sorcery sub-genres trope.
Especially in past 20 years when we have witnessed not just revival but full on blossoming of such genres where anti-heroes are taking the spotlight again.
Usually the story goes like this: North. (It’s always north in these books.) Mountains, tundra and snow.
It’s only natural that such hostile environment breeds harsh society. Or stalls the progress of it. So we’re left with nomads and tribes - barbarians. Brave stoics honorable in their own way.
Driven by their own moral codes; mystery, spiritualism and connection with the nature their mantra.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, in the south, usually around some delta rivers, civilization strives. Wealth and stupidity as per usual goes hand in hand.
Boredom and greed, we mustn’t forget them. And, of course, they have a vast army.
Hence the expansion of this decadency to the remote northern mountains.
And everyone is so… villainous and despicable in the south. So evil.
They clash. Civilizations, cultures, nay, worlds collide. Atrocities are committed. And when all is finally done, there’s none alive from those northern barbarian villages.
Except this one fisherman who wanted naught but to care in peace for his family and his ducklings.
But, they murdered his family. They killed and ate his ducklings.
And he will have his revenge.
He wages war. Alone. Against the south. Against the entire world.
And of course, since, us readers, are coming from such civilized society, and since something in that remoteness of the north is strange and new, almost exotic to us - and since we are deeply moved and hurt by death of ducklings - we demand justice.
We wish for this troubled, heroic, and already fan-favourite fisherman bent on vengeance nothing but success.
Oh, just how many books with this similar beginning or entire premise have we all read?
So, it’s no wonder that Erikson, who already decided to spit in the face of the genre with his series, within the series itself, in writing his own Conan the Barbarian in character of Karsa Orlong, tried something new with this northern barbarian trope.
Tried. Because, despite the intention and despite the effort, I’m not sure that he actually succeeded.
“How far from our own sensibilities can we be pushed before it’s too much?”
Erikson tried to address this northern barbarian hero trope and in his book show us, as realistically as possible within the genre, and more importantly within the human nature, how in this barbaric warrior-based society that arrogantly and with sense of superiority looks down on everyone else, and how from certain point of view, there’s nothing heroic nor worthy of romanticizing about them.
It’s actually quite uncomfortable watching them.
And in first 200 pages of this book, which is a separate book itself where we go back in time and witness (pun intended) Karsa’s origins and travel with him until he himself, and we readers, catch up with main events, I think that Erikson managed to show us what he intended.
In those 200 pages we are following Karsa who rapes, murders his foes and endlessly belittles his friends.
There are so many shocking and jaw-droppings in disbelief that at some point you have to ask yourself: why am I doing this to myself;
and of Erikson: why are you making me following journey of this piece of sh*t?
But, by the end of this part of his story you understand the intention.
The problem kicks in when that story ends and we are left with 800 more pages of the novel.
Karsa is extremely powerful being, who in his alienated society knew nothing of dealing with problems without usage of that vast power.
“The poison itself had coursed deep within him, and the only answer he gave – when he gave one at all – was of violence, often misdirected, a lashing out on all sides.”
In seeing this estranged integrity and sense of honour he upholds, we are left with appalling atrocities committed along the way.
Until there comes a time where he lifts himself up from this one-dimensionality of a character and we witness the moment where his power won’t be enough.
Where he knows of defeat. Then struggles. Desperation. And finally weakness.
Where he finally seem like a person and not as a walking and talking proclamation.
But with each layer of Karsa’s character we get, and with each moment he fittingly for the story kills a villainous character that annoyed us in this book, he gets sympathy from us, a form of recognition and sort of a pardon for his devious acts at the beginning of the book.
And with each sympathy, pardon and cheer he gets from us, he deviates from the intention of dismissing that heroic, romanticized northern barbarian trope – and in becoming this anti-hero (but hero nonetheless), fan-favourite, we love and care about – he becomes that same fantasy trope he was created to battle against.
Now, don't get me wrong people, I do find interesting (parts of) his story, but overall, I cannot like him nor love him, due to the fact how he was introduced to us.
For example, in Kameron Hurley's Worldbreaker Saga series, there's a character called Zezili Hasaria. Main antagonist of that series.
I find her story interesting and her character's progression amazing, but I will never say that I like her or love her. She's a rapist and a genocidal maniac.
Same as Karsa here.
So, whenever I see Karsa I remember that he raped a woman beside her daughter and then proceeded into raping the entire village.
And then he continued with stupidly killing everyone on his path, and the only reason why he stopped doing that was because others overpowered him and chained him.
And the reason why there has been change in his perspective and perception of other, weaker species, wasn't when he was all-powerful so that at some point he simply said: "OK, this isn't the way" - but that change came to him when he was powerless; when he was unable to inflict even more damage on others.
Which, to me, is cowardly, weakly and most importantly - boring.
Karsa, to me, is the weakest link Malazan Book of the Fallen series has to offer.
To get back to Zezili Hasaria, the reason why I find her more interesting than Karsa, despite both having appalling similarities, is because Zezili Hasaria had a change of heart when she was the strongest, when she was most powerful.
She recognized that nobody should have that much of a power, so she decided to do something about it. She didn't had to. But she did.
That, to me, is interesting.
Enough of Karsa. As I've mentioned, there's 800 pages of this novel yet to unravel.
And they do not disappoint.
After we finish introducing ourselves with Karsa, we get back to that much dreaded for readers after the second book Deadhouse Gates - Seven Cities and Raraku Desert.
Link to enlarge
Link to enlarge
Story.
In the city of Aren, upon which walls we have seen the end of that endless suffering of refugees running through Chain of Dogs while Coltain's Wickans and Malazan army battled to protect them until they were all perished, reinforcements arrive.
Green recruits lead by equally inexperienced Adjunct Tavore Paran, sister to Ganoes and Felisin, now have to retrace the steps of their fallen comrades and go deep into Raraku desert, to battle army that waits and hopefully end the rebellion.
In the desert however, leader of the uprising is Tavore's younger sister, Felisin, possessed by a Whirlwind Goddess, growing more powerful and equally insecure as her sister and their final duel approaches.
Kalam, Apsalar and Crocus, now named Cutter, get recruited and sent to their missions by Cotillion, patron God of the assassins, to defend a certain Throne, and with it the humanity.
Many new faces, especially within the Malazan Army, as interesting as Bridgeburners (because I'll be damned if I won't defend and point at sheer awesomeness of Gelser, Stormy and Truth), that fittingly replaces their absence.
And there is Adjunct Tavore herself.
One of my favourite characters of the series. Close battle with Silchas Ruin for that No 1 spot.
Usually, when a writer decides to withholds character's point of view and grant us a direct access to their train of thoughts, he comes up with a solution that we nonetheless stand on our tiptoes when they enter a room, simply awestruck.
(khm khm, Anomander Rake)
But to manage that with a character that so far we knew only that she sold her sister to protect her from death, character that from the moment she enters the fray is welcomed with grudge, doubted because of lack of her experience even by her army and chain of command, is something that I really didn't think I would ever say about.
She doesn't have a bad-ass sword, she doesn't weer into a dragon, she doesn't have any magical ability - but the power nonetheless oozes out of her.
Because she is capable.
And for me it's always pleasure following such strong characters.
Many have expressed their frustration because of the way the book ended.
It was Shakespearean. This whole series is Shakespearean.
When we take that in consideration, I say that ending was only fitting.
Prose.
Reading that first quarter of the book, it felt to me like this whole section of Karsa's story was written earlier, perhaps maybe at the same time when Gardens of the Moon, or maybe it was meant to be implemented in Deadhouse Gates.
I thought maybe even the reason for me having issues with his writing here was the fact that, because of chronological reading order, I'm coming straight from book 5 of the series, Midnight Tides, to which this book simply fails in comparison.
But the more I thought, it actually occurred to me that also it fails in comparison with previous installments of this series.
Biggest issue I had were dialogues. They weren't as fluent as I'm used to reading from this man, and sometimes they felt too convenient for the plot and story to move forward and it felt like he was leading me with a carrot on the end of a stick.
The reason why I love this series and his writing is because he usually tends to avoid doing just that.
3.41/5
So it is closer to 4 than it is to 3. If prose was better, it would easily topple over.
Overall, 3 is anything but a bad rating.
Kharkanas Trilogy
Forge of Darkness
Fall of Light
Path to Ascendancy series
Dancer's Lament
Deadhouse Landing
Malazan Empire series
Night Of Knives
Malazan Book of the Fallen series
Gardens of the Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories of Ice
Midnight Tides
Ultimate Malazan Chronological Reading Order
"The Barbarian."
The essential one, and if not the first one, then the most recognizable and influential character that shaped the genre of epic fantasy.
When it comes to books he is a talking, fighting, drinking, brooding grim-dark, sword and sorcery sub-genres trope.
Especially in past 20 years when we have witnessed not just revival but full on blossoming of such genres where anti-heroes are taking the spotlight again.
Usually the story goes like this: North. (It’s always north in these books.) Mountains, tundra and snow.
It’s only natural that such hostile environment breeds harsh society. Or stalls the progress of it. So we’re left with nomads and tribes - barbarians. Brave stoics honorable in their own way.
Driven by their own moral codes; mystery, spiritualism and connection with the nature their mantra.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, in the south, usually around some delta rivers, civilization strives. Wealth and stupidity as per usual goes hand in hand.
Boredom and greed, we mustn’t forget them. And, of course, they have a vast army.
Hence the expansion of this decadency to the remote northern mountains.
And everyone is so… villainous and despicable in the south. So evil.
They clash. Civilizations, cultures, nay, worlds collide. Atrocities are committed. And when all is finally done, there’s none alive from those northern barbarian villages.
Except this one fisherman who wanted naught but to care in peace for his family and his ducklings.
But, they murdered his family. They killed and ate his ducklings.
And he will have his revenge.
He wages war. Alone. Against the south. Against the entire world.
And of course, since, us readers, are coming from such civilized society, and since something in that remoteness of the north is strange and new, almost exotic to us - and since we are deeply moved and hurt by death of ducklings - we demand justice.
We wish for this troubled, heroic, and already fan-favourite fisherman bent on vengeance nothing but success.
Oh, just how many books with this similar beginning or entire premise have we all read?
So, it’s no wonder that Erikson, who already decided to spit in the face of the genre with his series, within the series itself, in writing his own Conan the Barbarian in character of Karsa Orlong, tried something new with this northern barbarian trope.
Tried. Because, despite the intention and despite the effort, I’m not sure that he actually succeeded.
“How far from our own sensibilities can we be pushed before it’s too much?”
Erikson tried to address this northern barbarian hero trope and in his book show us, as realistically as possible within the genre, and more importantly within the human nature, how in this barbaric warrior-based society that arrogantly and with sense of superiority looks down on everyone else, and how from certain point of view, there’s nothing heroic nor worthy of romanticizing about them.
It’s actually quite uncomfortable watching them.
And in first 200 pages of this book, which is a separate book itself where we go back in time and witness (pun intended) Karsa’s origins and travel with him until he himself, and we readers, catch up with main events, I think that Erikson managed to show us what he intended.
In those 200 pages we are following Karsa who rapes, murders his foes and endlessly belittles his friends.
There are so many shocking and jaw-droppings in disbelief that at some point you have to ask yourself: why am I doing this to myself;
and of Erikson: why are you making me following journey of this piece of sh*t?
But, by the end of this part of his story you understand the intention.
The problem kicks in when that story ends and we are left with 800 more pages of the novel.
Karsa is extremely powerful being, who in his alienated society knew nothing of dealing with problems without usage of that vast power.
“The poison itself had coursed deep within him, and the only answer he gave – when he gave one at all – was of violence, often misdirected, a lashing out on all sides.”
In seeing this estranged integrity and sense of honour he upholds, we are left with appalling atrocities committed along the way.
Until there comes a time where he lifts himself up from this one-dimensionality of a character and we witness the moment where his power won’t be enough.
Where he knows of defeat. Then struggles. Desperation. And finally weakness.
Where he finally seem like a person and not as a walking and talking proclamation.
But with each layer of Karsa’s character we get, and with each moment he fittingly for the story kills a villainous character that annoyed us in this book, he gets sympathy from us, a form of recognition and sort of a pardon for his devious acts at the beginning of the book.
And with each sympathy, pardon and cheer he gets from us, he deviates from the intention of dismissing that heroic, romanticized northern barbarian trope – and in becoming this anti-hero (but hero nonetheless), fan-favourite, we love and care about – he becomes that same fantasy trope he was created to battle against.
Now, don't get me wrong people, I do find interesting (parts of) his story, but overall, I cannot like him nor love him, due to the fact how he was introduced to us.
For example, in Kameron Hurley's Worldbreaker Saga series, there's a character called Zezili Hasaria. Main antagonist of that series.
I find her story interesting and her character's progression amazing, but I will never say that I like her or love her. She's a rapist and a genocidal maniac.
Same as Karsa here.
So, whenever I see Karsa I remember that he raped a woman beside her daughter and then proceeded into raping the entire village.
And then he continued with stupidly killing everyone on his path, and the only reason why he stopped doing that was because others overpowered him and chained him.
And the reason why there has been change in his perspective and perception of other, weaker species, wasn't when he was all-powerful so that at some point he simply said: "OK, this isn't the way" - but that change came to him when he was powerless; when he was unable to inflict even more damage on others.
Which, to me, is cowardly, weakly and most importantly - boring.
Karsa, to me, is the weakest link Malazan Book of the Fallen series has to offer.
To get back to Zezili Hasaria, the reason why I find her more interesting than Karsa, despite both having appalling similarities, is because Zezili Hasaria had a change of heart when she was the strongest, when she was most powerful.
She recognized that nobody should have that much of a power, so she decided to do something about it. She didn't had to. But she did.
That, to me, is interesting.
Enough of Karsa. As I've mentioned, there's 800 pages of this novel yet to unravel.
And they do not disappoint.
After we finish introducing ourselves with Karsa, we get back to that much dreaded for readers after the second book Deadhouse Gates - Seven Cities and Raraku Desert.
Link to enlarge
Link to enlarge
Story.
In the city of Aren, upon which walls we have seen the end of that endless suffering of refugees running through Chain of Dogs while Coltain's Wickans and Malazan army battled to protect them until they were all perished, reinforcements arrive.
Green recruits lead by equally inexperienced Adjunct Tavore Paran, sister to Ganoes and Felisin, now have to retrace the steps of their fallen comrades and go deep into Raraku desert, to battle army that waits and hopefully end the rebellion.
In the desert however, leader of the uprising is Tavore's younger sister, Felisin, possessed by a Whirlwind Goddess, growing more powerful and equally insecure as her sister and their final duel approaches.
Kalam, Apsalar and Crocus, now named Cutter, get recruited and sent to their missions by Cotillion, patron God of the assassins, to defend a certain Throne, and with it the humanity.
Many new faces, especially within the Malazan Army, as interesting as Bridgeburners (because I'll be damned if I won't defend and point at sheer awesomeness of Gelser, Stormy and Truth), that fittingly replaces their absence.
And there is Adjunct Tavore herself.
One of my favourite characters of the series. Close battle with Silchas Ruin for that No 1 spot.
Usually, when a writer decides to withholds character's point of view and grant us a direct access to their train of thoughts, he comes up with a solution that we nonetheless stand on our tiptoes when they enter a room, simply awestruck.
(khm khm, Anomander Rake)
But to manage that with a character that so far we knew only that she sold her sister to protect her from death, character that from the moment she enters the fray is welcomed with grudge, doubted because of lack of her experience even by her army and chain of command, is something that I really didn't think I would ever say about.
She doesn't have a bad-ass sword, she doesn't weer into a dragon, she doesn't have any magical ability - but the power nonetheless oozes out of her.
Because she is capable.
And for me it's always pleasure following such strong characters.
Many have expressed their frustration because of the way the book ended.
It was Shakespearean. This whole series is Shakespearean.
When we take that in consideration, I say that ending was only fitting.
Prose.
Reading that first quarter of the book, it felt to me like this whole section of Karsa's story was written earlier, perhaps maybe at the same time when Gardens of the Moon, or maybe it was meant to be implemented in Deadhouse Gates.
I thought maybe even the reason for me having issues with his writing here was the fact that, because of chronological reading order, I'm coming straight from book 5 of the series, Midnight Tides, to which this book simply fails in comparison.
But the more I thought, it actually occurred to me that also it fails in comparison with previous installments of this series.
Biggest issue I had were dialogues. They weren't as fluent as I'm used to reading from this man, and sometimes they felt too convenient for the plot and story to move forward and it felt like he was leading me with a carrot on the end of a stick.
The reason why I love this series and his writing is because he usually tends to avoid doing just that.
3.41/5
So it is closer to 4 than it is to 3. If prose was better, it would easily topple over.
Overall, 3 is anything but a bad rating.
Kharkanas Trilogy
Forge of Darkness
Fall of Light
Path to Ascendancy series
Dancer's Lament
Deadhouse Landing
Malazan Empire series
Night Of Knives
Malazan Book of the Fallen series
Gardens of the Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories of Ice
Midnight Tides
Ultimate Malazan Chronological Reading Order
April 8, 2018
Shadow is ever besieged, for that is its nature. Whilst darkness devours, and light steals. And so one sees shadow ever retreat to hidden places, only to return in the wake of the war between dark and light.
This series is far becoming one of my favourite series, there is absolutely nothing I don’t like about this series, the world is amazing, the cultures, races, religion, gods etc. are so unique, I seriously have not seen anything like this before. Just like its predecessors this book has lots of well depicted battles, enough romance, friendship and betrayal, the worst I’ve seen in the series so far. We get to know the history of the Whirlwind goddess, a lot about the T’lan Imass, Tiste Edur, Tiste Liason and more.
World building and Writing
I adore the Malazan world, the author is a genius, the depictions are perfect, most of the book took place in Raruku desert, the other locations include Warrens, and cities and town we’ve yet to see in the previous books, still the author gave an in-depth descriptions of all. The writing also is perfect, third person multiple POVs as usual.
Characters
Well its Malazan, lots of new characters mixed with the old ones, some of my favourites in this book are:
Karsa Orlong a very grey character, I was indifferent towards him at first but that changed, I don’t agree with lots of his decisions but I totally understand. He started off as arrogant, brutal, bloodthirsty, ignorant among other things, but that changed, he made great friends and travelled a lot, that changed his world view for the better. His friendship with Torvald Nom is one of my favourite things about the book.
'Shall we pay a visit?' Torvald asked.
'Yes,' Karsa replied, walking towards the footpath.
The Daru quickly moved up beside him. 'No trophies, though, right?'
Shrugging, the Teblor said, 'That depends on how we are received.'
'Strangers on a desolate beach, one of them a giant with a sword almost as tall as me. In the dead of night. Pounding on the door. If we're met with open arms, Karsa, it will be a miracle.
Onrack the Broken is a T’lan Imass, but lacks their indifferent attitude, he is instead sympathetic and kind, just like Tool, He befriended Trull Sengur a Tiste Edur, I really enjoyed their part in the book, and what they discovered, can’t mention cause of spoilers.
Crokus and Apsalar have a weird relationship with Cotillion, mainly cause of what he did to Apsalar, his other reason are still unknown to me, so they went on another adventure that was filled with battles and near death situations, I love these two so much, the only teenagers in this whole Malazan series, apart from Felisin. I like that they act so mature.
Apsalar to Cotillion
'You don't seem much like a god at all, Cotillion.'
'I'm not a god in the traditional fashion, I am a patron. Patrons have responsibilities. Granted, I rarely have the opportunity to exercise them.'
Felisin is now Sha’ik reborn, and not just by name, I suddenly miss the old her, I wish she didn’t accept to be Sha’ik, the rebellion already had a bad foundation, due to what Korbolo Dom did in DhG, she still has her formal flaw, she never listens, but she is more likable here.
L’oric is one of the High Mages of the rebellion and the only one I like, He is so kind and noble.
Kalam Mekhar my favourite assassin, well he can stay away from a fight can he? After the incidents of DhG, I thought he won’t be involved again but no, he is back and more badass than ever.
Strings formally known as Fiddler, well he reenlisted as he said in DhG, his new Company and Squad are as crazy as the Bridge Burners, even though most are recruits, some old ones like Gesler, Stormy and Truth, the battle plan and the battle itself is always fun to read from his POV.
Then she'd spend half the night cleaning her pincers and licking her lips—'
'Lips?' Smiles asked from behind the three men. 'What lips? Scorpions don't have lips—'
'What do you know?' Bottle shot back. 'You won't even get close—'
'When I get close to a scorpion I kill it. Which is what any sane person would do.'
'Sane?' the mage retorted. 'You pick them up and start pulling things off! Tail, pincers, legs – I ain't seen nothing so cruel in my life!'
'Well, ain't that close enough to see if it's got lips?'
'Where's it all go, I wonder?' Tarr muttered.
Bottle nodded. 'I know, it's amazing. She's so tiny ...'
'That's our secret,' Strings said quietly.
Cotillion my favourite god, He is so kind for a god, also considerate, the rest gods are so selfish and indifferent to humans as long as they are not using them, but Cotillion is not like that, and for that I love him. Well he is a Patron god of Assassins, so being a badass is in the job description.
And a fifth figure was among the four Edur sorcerers now, grey-clad, gloved, face hidden in a rough hood. In its hands, a rope, that seemed to writhe with a life of its own. Cutter saw it snap out to strike a sorcerer in one eye, and when the rope whipped back out, a stream of blood and minced brains followed. The sorcerer's magic winked out and the Edur toppled.
The rope was too fast to follow, as its wielder moved among the three remaining mages, but in its twisting wake a head tumbled from shoulders, intestines spilled out from a gaping rip, and whatever felled the last sorcerer happened in a blur that left no obvious result, except that the Edur was dead before he hit the ground.
In case you are still wondering, that was Cotillion.
Other characters I adore include Heboric, Pearl, Lastori, Keneb, Gamet, Temul, Nil and Nether, Felisin younger, the whole of Strings squad, Leoman and a host of others.
Pearl and Lastori
'What do you make of that night sky, Pearl? I do not recognize the constellations... nor have I ever before seen those glowing swirls in any night sky I've looked at.'
He grunted. 'That's a foreign sky – as foreign as can be. A hole leading into alien realms, countless strange worlds filled with creatures unimaginable—'
'You really don't know, do you?'
'Of course I don't!' he snapped.
'Then why didn't you just say so?'
Plot
The first third quarter if the book focus on Karsa Orlong and his backstory, after that the story continued from where it ended in DhG and MoI, so lots of battle and desert living. Tavore is now the new adjunct, before I forgot, I loathe her more than the soldiers, she is so annoying, Sha’ik and her people are leading the rebellion, The realm of shadows and its rulers interfere for very important reasons this time. The T’lan Imass are still on their hunt for tyrants, these time renegades, throw the Tiste Edur, Andii and Liason in the mix, oh they are jaghut in this also and the Eres an elder race, that basically sum up the whole book without spoilers.
This series is far becoming one of my favourite series, there is absolutely nothing I don’t like about this series, the world is amazing, the cultures, races, religion, gods etc. are so unique, I seriously have not seen anything like this before. Just like its predecessors this book has lots of well depicted battles, enough romance, friendship and betrayal, the worst I’ve seen in the series so far. We get to know the history of the Whirlwind goddess, a lot about the T’lan Imass, Tiste Edur, Tiste Liason and more.
World building and Writing
I adore the Malazan world, the author is a genius, the depictions are perfect, most of the book took place in Raruku desert, the other locations include Warrens, and cities and town we’ve yet to see in the previous books, still the author gave an in-depth descriptions of all. The writing also is perfect, third person multiple POVs as usual.
Characters
Well its Malazan, lots of new characters mixed with the old ones, some of my favourites in this book are:
Karsa Orlong a very grey character, I was indifferent towards him at first but that changed, I don’t agree with lots of his decisions but I totally understand. He started off as arrogant, brutal, bloodthirsty, ignorant among other things, but that changed, he made great friends and travelled a lot, that changed his world view for the better. His friendship with Torvald Nom is one of my favourite things about the book.
'Shall we pay a visit?' Torvald asked.
'Yes,' Karsa replied, walking towards the footpath.
The Daru quickly moved up beside him. 'No trophies, though, right?'
Shrugging, the Teblor said, 'That depends on how we are received.'
'Strangers on a desolate beach, one of them a giant with a sword almost as tall as me. In the dead of night. Pounding on the door. If we're met with open arms, Karsa, it will be a miracle.
Onrack the Broken is a T’lan Imass, but lacks their indifferent attitude, he is instead sympathetic and kind, just like Tool, He befriended Trull Sengur a Tiste Edur, I really enjoyed their part in the book, and what they discovered, can’t mention cause of spoilers.
Crokus and Apsalar have a weird relationship with Cotillion, mainly cause of what he did to Apsalar, his other reason are still unknown to me, so they went on another adventure that was filled with battles and near death situations, I love these two so much, the only teenagers in this whole Malazan series, apart from Felisin. I like that they act so mature.
Apsalar to Cotillion
'You don't seem much like a god at all, Cotillion.'
'I'm not a god in the traditional fashion, I am a patron. Patrons have responsibilities. Granted, I rarely have the opportunity to exercise them.'
Felisin is now Sha’ik reborn, and not just by name, I suddenly miss the old her, I wish she didn’t accept to be Sha’ik, the rebellion already had a bad foundation, due to what Korbolo Dom did in DhG, she still has her formal flaw, she never listens, but she is more likable here.
L’oric is one of the High Mages of the rebellion and the only one I like, He is so kind and noble.
Kalam Mekhar my favourite assassin, well he can stay away from a fight can he? After the incidents of DhG, I thought he won’t be involved again but no, he is back and more badass than ever.
Strings formally known as Fiddler, well he reenlisted as he said in DhG, his new Company and Squad are as crazy as the Bridge Burners, even though most are recruits, some old ones like Gesler, Stormy and Truth, the battle plan and the battle itself is always fun to read from his POV.
Then she'd spend half the night cleaning her pincers and licking her lips—'
'Lips?' Smiles asked from behind the three men. 'What lips? Scorpions don't have lips—'
'What do you know?' Bottle shot back. 'You won't even get close—'
'When I get close to a scorpion I kill it. Which is what any sane person would do.'
'Sane?' the mage retorted. 'You pick them up and start pulling things off! Tail, pincers, legs – I ain't seen nothing so cruel in my life!'
'Well, ain't that close enough to see if it's got lips?'
'Where's it all go, I wonder?' Tarr muttered.
Bottle nodded. 'I know, it's amazing. She's so tiny ...'
'That's our secret,' Strings said quietly.
Cotillion my favourite god, He is so kind for a god, also considerate, the rest gods are so selfish and indifferent to humans as long as they are not using them, but Cotillion is not like that, and for that I love him. Well he is a Patron god of Assassins, so being a badass is in the job description.
And a fifth figure was among the four Edur sorcerers now, grey-clad, gloved, face hidden in a rough hood. In its hands, a rope, that seemed to writhe with a life of its own. Cutter saw it snap out to strike a sorcerer in one eye, and when the rope whipped back out, a stream of blood and minced brains followed. The sorcerer's magic winked out and the Edur toppled.
The rope was too fast to follow, as its wielder moved among the three remaining mages, but in its twisting wake a head tumbled from shoulders, intestines spilled out from a gaping rip, and whatever felled the last sorcerer happened in a blur that left no obvious result, except that the Edur was dead before he hit the ground.
In case you are still wondering, that was Cotillion.
Other characters I adore include Heboric, Pearl, Lastori, Keneb, Gamet, Temul, Nil and Nether, Felisin younger, the whole of Strings squad, Leoman and a host of others.
Pearl and Lastori
'What do you make of that night sky, Pearl? I do not recognize the constellations... nor have I ever before seen those glowing swirls in any night sky I've looked at.'
He grunted. 'That's a foreign sky – as foreign as can be. A hole leading into alien realms, countless strange worlds filled with creatures unimaginable—'
'You really don't know, do you?'
'Of course I don't!' he snapped.
'Then why didn't you just say so?'
Plot
The first third quarter if the book focus on Karsa Orlong and his backstory, after that the story continued from where it ended in DhG and MoI, so lots of battle and desert living. Tavore is now the new adjunct, before I forgot, I loathe her more than the soldiers, she is so annoying, Sha’ik and her people are leading the rebellion, The realm of shadows and its rulers interfere for very important reasons this time. The T’lan Imass are still on their hunt for tyrants, these time renegades, throw the Tiste Edur, Andii and Liason in the mix, oh they are jaghut in this also and the Eres an elder race, that basically sum up the whole book without spoilers.
![Profile Image for Anna [Bran. San. Stan].](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1593184464i/98245866._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
September 23, 2024
House of Chains is my least favorite of the novels so far. Most of my enjoyment of a novel is usually decided by my love for the viewpoint characters; this book simply had a few I just didn’t care about, made worse by the fact that their plotlines seemed less interesting to me.
And it all started so well! The first part, comprising four chapters, went by so fast, as it gave us only one point-of-view character which made it all the more immersive: Karsa Orlong, a character I was rooting for despite or maybe because of his questionable motivations, his arrogance, and his ruthlessness as an efficient killer. His character arc was my favorite of this book. There was also Torvald Nom, whom Karsa rescues, the comic relief character every Malazan novel seems to have, and I loved him like I did all the others. But, much to my chagrin, he was absent for the rest of the book.
Onrack T’emlava and Trull Sengar‘s chapters, on the other hand, in conjunction with a lot of soft magic, I dreaded every time. I simply did not care for them and I also had trouble determining their relevance for the overall plot. It seemed to me that the pair was meant to do what Icarium and Mappo did for Deadhouse Gates, with the difference that the latter were intriguing to me. I also did not really care about Adjunct Tavore; she was strangely colorless to me.
All in all though, this is still Malazan and Erikson is an amazing writer, his books works of art, and I did love parts of it. For one thing, we see characters we‘ve come to love from the previous books, like Fiddler, Kalam, Crokus/Cutter, and Apsalar. (Though I will say I missed others like Anomander Rake, Whiskeyjack, Ganoes Paran.) There were also a large host of minor characters to like, like Pearl and Lostara Yil, Captain Keneb, Iskaral Pust. For another, the avalanche, the converging of plotlines at the end of every Malazan book, presents us yet again with an epic payoff in the final 10%, even if not as brutal as we‘ve seen before. I need only say “Chain of Dogs“ and fellow Malazan readers will know what I mean.
I‘m aware that I‘m voicing an unpopular opinion here as most people seem to love this installment and I can only say I wish that was me too. Still, there are people of like mind and I‘m encouraged that book 5 will be spectacular again.
Onward!
And it all started so well! The first part, comprising four chapters, went by so fast, as it gave us only one point-of-view character which made it all the more immersive: Karsa Orlong, a character I was rooting for despite or maybe because of his questionable motivations, his arrogance, and his ruthlessness as an efficient killer. His character arc was my favorite of this book. There was also Torvald Nom, whom Karsa rescues, the comic relief character every Malazan novel seems to have, and I loved him like I did all the others. But, much to my chagrin, he was absent for the rest of the book.
Onrack T’emlava and Trull Sengar‘s chapters, on the other hand, in conjunction with a lot of soft magic, I dreaded every time. I simply did not care for them and I also had trouble determining their relevance for the overall plot. It seemed to me that the pair was meant to do what Icarium and Mappo did for Deadhouse Gates, with the difference that the latter were intriguing to me. I also did not really care about Adjunct Tavore; she was strangely colorless to me.
All in all though, this is still Malazan and Erikson is an amazing writer, his books works of art, and I did love parts of it. For one thing, we see characters we‘ve come to love from the previous books, like Fiddler, Kalam, Crokus/Cutter, and Apsalar. (Though I will say I missed others like Anomander Rake, Whiskeyjack, Ganoes Paran.) There were also a large host of minor characters to like, like Pearl and Lostara Yil, Captain Keneb, Iskaral Pust. For another, the avalanche, the converging of plotlines at the end of every Malazan book, presents us yet again with an epic payoff in the final 10%, even if not as brutal as we‘ve seen before. I need only say “Chain of Dogs“ and fellow Malazan readers will know what I mean.
I‘m aware that I‘m voicing an unpopular opinion here as most people seem to love this installment and I can only say I wish that was me too. Still, there are people of like mind and I‘m encouraged that book 5 will be spectacular again.
Onward!
August 6, 2021
4.5
" Óyelas vibrar.
Estas cadenas de vida,
ligadas a cada momento pasado,
hasta que el naufragio clama
en un velatorio ensordecedor
y cada paso arrastra
un canto funebre de lo perdido."
Ahora mismo mi yo del presente quiere coger a la Elena Rodríguez de hace un año y darle una bofetada muy grande. La primera vez que leyó este libro estaba bastante quemada de lecturas densas, sobre todo de su decepción con las memorias de Hielo y ¿que hizo? Se puso a leer la Casa de las Cadenas porque su orgullo ( bueno, su gilipollez) era más grande que otra cosa).
Ha pasado un año y ahora esta relectura...me ha dado la vida. De verdad. Erikson, siento haber sido tan escéptica contigo. Tienes mis respetos. Esta saga se lo merece. Asimismo me reafirmo que esta saga hay que leerla con calma. No hagas como yo e intentar leerte los libros en menos de una semana o dos ( como la primera vez) sino intenta ir poco a poco. Da igual que estés un mes o dos meses leyéndolo...vete con calma porque sino no podrás disfrutar.
Es una pena porque me gustaría hablar tantas maravillas ahora mismo de esta saga pero no quiero destripar a nadie sobre todo ahora que estoy en el cuarto libro y casi a mitad de esta decalogía. Sin embargo sí que puedo decir esto:
Este universo. Sus personajes. Sus frustraciones. Sus problemas. Todo. Llegan al punto de estar tan bien escritos que puedes llegar a tocarlo y sus reflexiones...bueno eso ya es otro nivel. ( Estoy fangirleando un poco, lo sé, pero no pasa nada).
"En su totalidad, Piedra, mar bosque, ciudad ( y cada criatura que haya vivido jamás), todos comparten la misma lucha. El ser resiste al no ser. El orden lucha contra el caos de la disolución, del desorden. Esta es la única verdad digna de atención, la mayor parte de todas las verdades. ¿Qué veneran los propios dioses si no la perfección? La victoria inalcanzable sobre la naturaleza, sobre la incertidumbre de la naturaleza. Hay muchas palabras para esta lucha. Orden contra caos, estructura contra disolución, luz contra oscuridad, vida contra muerte. Pero todas significan lo mismo.
Voy a seguir la saga claramente, sin embargo necesito un descanso de varios libros, como dije antes no son libros para leer rápido ni en cualquier momento ( al menos para mí).
Mareas de Medianoche, pronto voy a por ti.
I LECTURA
¡Malaz! Esa saga tan grande de fantasía que ves en las estanterías de las librerías y te dices “Madre mía que mastodonte es este, algún día intentaré leerlo. Te decides a leerlo y el propio prólogo del autor te dice “grosso modo” que se trata de una saga complicada así que atente a las consecuencias. ¡Pues que bien, dirás!
Con los Jardines de la luna he de decir que me costó un poco leerlo, pero me gustó. El segundo lo leí un año más tarde y me gustó muchísimo más, luego llegué al tercero, Memorias de Hielo, donde todo el mundo me comentaba que la historia no se hacia tan densa y mejoraba, pero a mí me costó igual que el primero.
Ahora, por fin pude leer La casa de las cadenas y sinceramente creo que me ha gustado un poco más que Memorias de Hielo, pero no llega a ser tanto como Las puertas de la casa de la muerte. Qué puedo decir, los personajes de ese libro son de lo mejorcito. Al menos para mí, luego ya cada uno que se haga su propia opinión.
Ahora hablando de la saga Malaz en general tengo que decir que estoy bastante impresionada con todo el trabajo que ha hecho el autor para realizar esto posible, los lugares, el sistema de magia (ese con el que lo maldecimos un poco), las diferentes de las razas y culturas, la historia y por no hablar de los personajes. Estos últimos son de lo más variopintos y eso es lo que yo creo que la hace una saga bastante especial.
Asimismo, si hay algo que me llega a “tirar para atrás” hablando así claro y pronto es que estoy en el cuarto libro y he llegado a tener más problemas que virtudes, es decir que me he llegado a agobiar porque el autor se está escondiendo más información de la que desearía, por lo que, a pesar de estar casi en la mitad de la saga, sigo un pelín perdida con algunos conceptos. Debido a esto he decidido releer la saga el año que viene antes de adentrarme al quinto libro. Espero que una segunda lectura me aporte un poco más de luz al asunto.
Hasta dentro de un tiempo, Erikson, ha sido un placer leerte durante dos veranos. Espero que el siguiente nos vaya mejor.
" Óyelas vibrar.
Estas cadenas de vida,
ligadas a cada momento pasado,
hasta que el naufragio clama
en un velatorio ensordecedor
y cada paso arrastra
un canto funebre de lo perdido."
Ahora mismo mi yo del presente quiere coger a la Elena Rodríguez de hace un año y darle una bofetada muy grande. La primera vez que leyó este libro estaba bastante quemada de lecturas densas, sobre todo de su decepción con las memorias de Hielo y ¿que hizo? Se puso a leer la Casa de las Cadenas porque su orgullo ( bueno, su gilipollez) era más grande que otra cosa).
Ha pasado un año y ahora esta relectura...me ha dado la vida. De verdad. Erikson, siento haber sido tan escéptica contigo. Tienes mis respetos. Esta saga se lo merece. Asimismo me reafirmo que esta saga hay que leerla con calma. No hagas como yo e intentar leerte los libros en menos de una semana o dos ( como la primera vez) sino intenta ir poco a poco. Da igual que estés un mes o dos meses leyéndolo...vete con calma porque sino no podrás disfrutar.
Es una pena porque me gustaría hablar tantas maravillas ahora mismo de esta saga pero no quiero destripar a nadie sobre todo ahora que estoy en el cuarto libro y casi a mitad de esta decalogía. Sin embargo sí que puedo decir esto:
Este universo. Sus personajes. Sus frustraciones. Sus problemas. Todo. Llegan al punto de estar tan bien escritos que puedes llegar a tocarlo y sus reflexiones...bueno eso ya es otro nivel. ( Estoy fangirleando un poco, lo sé, pero no pasa nada).
"En su totalidad, Piedra, mar bosque, ciudad ( y cada criatura que haya vivido jamás), todos comparten la misma lucha. El ser resiste al no ser. El orden lucha contra el caos de la disolución, del desorden. Esta es la única verdad digna de atención, la mayor parte de todas las verdades. ¿Qué veneran los propios dioses si no la perfección? La victoria inalcanzable sobre la naturaleza, sobre la incertidumbre de la naturaleza. Hay muchas palabras para esta lucha. Orden contra caos, estructura contra disolución, luz contra oscuridad, vida contra muerte. Pero todas significan lo mismo.
Voy a seguir la saga claramente, sin embargo necesito un descanso de varios libros, como dije antes no son libros para leer rápido ni en cualquier momento ( al menos para mí).
Mareas de Medianoche, pronto voy a por ti.
I LECTURA
¡Malaz! Esa saga tan grande de fantasía que ves en las estanterías de las librerías y te dices “Madre mía que mastodonte es este, algún día intentaré leerlo. Te decides a leerlo y el propio prólogo del autor te dice “grosso modo” que se trata de una saga complicada así que atente a las consecuencias. ¡Pues que bien, dirás!
Con los Jardines de la luna he de decir que me costó un poco leerlo, pero me gustó. El segundo lo leí un año más tarde y me gustó muchísimo más, luego llegué al tercero, Memorias de Hielo, donde todo el mundo me comentaba que la historia no se hacia tan densa y mejoraba, pero a mí me costó igual que el primero.
Ahora, por fin pude leer La casa de las cadenas y sinceramente creo que me ha gustado un poco más que Memorias de Hielo, pero no llega a ser tanto como Las puertas de la casa de la muerte. Qué puedo decir, los personajes de ese libro son de lo mejorcito. Al menos para mí, luego ya cada uno que se haga su propia opinión.
Ahora hablando de la saga Malaz en general tengo que decir que estoy bastante impresionada con todo el trabajo que ha hecho el autor para realizar esto posible, los lugares, el sistema de magia (ese con el que lo maldecimos un poco), las diferentes de las razas y culturas, la historia y por no hablar de los personajes. Estos últimos son de lo más variopintos y eso es lo que yo creo que la hace una saga bastante especial.
Asimismo, si hay algo que me llega a “tirar para atrás” hablando así claro y pronto es que estoy en el cuarto libro y he llegado a tener más problemas que virtudes, es decir que me he llegado a agobiar porque el autor se está escondiendo más información de la que desearía, por lo que, a pesar de estar casi en la mitad de la saga, sigo un pelín perdida con algunos conceptos. Debido a esto he decidido releer la saga el año que viene antes de adentrarme al quinto libro. Espero que una segunda lectura me aporte un poco más de luz al asunto.
Hasta dentro de un tiempo, Erikson, ha sido un placer leerte durante dos veranos. Espero que el siguiente nos vaya mejor.
February 26, 2023
this took me 6 months to read, oh man the shame of it. I guess I wasn't in an epic fantasy mood in 2022. overall, it was pretty enjoyable. over 1,000 pages of dense plotting and hundreds of characters can be a lot; at this point, I'm using a spreadsheet to keep track of characters across all of the books. and I'm using the Malazan wiki, and the glossary, and another spreadsheet that I found on reddit that shows how much space each POV character takes in each book and in the series overall. reading Malazan Book of the Fallen is a serious commitment!
the first 250 pages - a book itself, basically - is devoted to the very bloody adventures and I suppose finding-himself of a minor supporting character from a prior book. I guess he's not so minor after all. the gigantic, incredibly violent and vicious, but eventually sardonic and even kinda kindly Karsa was a frustrating and then very enjoyable character. he doesn't necessarily turn into a good guy and he does have a psycho-spiritual link to the ghosts of all of the people he's killed (to the second-sighted, these links look like hundreds of people chained to him), which is inarguably creepy. but he ends up being kind of a positive bright spot in the book. aww, redemption! except he's now apparently pledged to the demented Crippled God who wants to destroy the world. hopefully Karsa eventually opts out of that relationship.
after that quarter, we get typical Malazan adventures for the remaining 750 pages: a sweeping canvas with so, so many characters and places, tons of magic, a bunch of upsetting creatures, lots of great fights, lots of humor (some of it even funny), good guys who aren't actually a pain to read about (I especially liked the saintly, angsty wizard L'oric), disturbing tragedies, gods and islands and crypts and shapeshifting and secrets and characters in disguise and awesome weapons and some nice schadenfreude and so much mythology and and and best of all SPOILER RIGHT NOW the overarching plotline appears to be slowly but surely leading up to what should be a crazy intense battle with all of the characters aligned on one side or the other, each side led by a fanatical sister (great family)... but the battle just kinda evaporates and everyone ends up sorta half-assed chasing each other but mainly confused and not a little relieved. which was a great way to upend reader expectations because this series usually likes crazy intense battles. END SPOILER
one star docked because I really, really detested that female circumcision subplot.
so far:
Memories of Ice > Deadhouse Gates > House of Chains > Gardens of the Moon
the first 250 pages - a book itself, basically - is devoted to the very bloody adventures and I suppose finding-himself of a minor supporting character from a prior book. I guess he's not so minor after all. the gigantic, incredibly violent and vicious, but eventually sardonic and even kinda kindly Karsa was a frustrating and then very enjoyable character. he doesn't necessarily turn into a good guy and he does have a psycho-spiritual link to the ghosts of all of the people he's killed (to the second-sighted, these links look like hundreds of people chained to him), which is inarguably creepy. but he ends up being kind of a positive bright spot in the book. aww, redemption! except he's now apparently pledged to the demented Crippled God who wants to destroy the world. hopefully Karsa eventually opts out of that relationship.
after that quarter, we get typical Malazan adventures for the remaining 750 pages: a sweeping canvas with so, so many characters and places, tons of magic, a bunch of upsetting creatures, lots of great fights, lots of humor (some of it even funny), good guys who aren't actually a pain to read about (I especially liked the saintly, angsty wizard L'oric), disturbing tragedies, gods and islands and crypts and shapeshifting and secrets and characters in disguise and awesome weapons and some nice schadenfreude and so much mythology and and and best of all SPOILER RIGHT NOW the overarching plotline appears to be slowly but surely leading up to what should be a crazy intense battle with all of the characters aligned on one side or the other, each side led by a fanatical sister (great family)... but the battle just kinda evaporates and everyone ends up sorta half-assed chasing each other but mainly confused and not a little relieved. which was a great way to upend reader expectations because this series usually likes crazy intense battles. END SPOILER
one star docked because I really, really detested that female circumcision subplot.
so far:
Memories of Ice > Deadhouse Gates > House of Chains > Gardens of the Moon
February 7, 2017
It horrifies me a little but I'm reducing my star rating from 5 to 4 on this one. While it ends with an epic battle and has some excellent character moments, I still skipped the whole first quarter of Karsa. Yes, he shows some serious growth through the book and his answer to Bidithal has my full appreciation, but otherwise he gets on my last nerve.
One of the things that occurred to me because of this was how much more rereaders get from this series. At this point, everyone should have realised that nobody is safe, but also that each character introduction could lead to an ever deepening relationship over pages or books...or they could be gone in the next paragraph. It works for me because I can skip Karsa's origin story and jump in when he meets Keeper, where it starts to get interesting. It also means that each new meeting resonates with our emotional responses to past and future actions in a way that newbies can't yet get. It's the same for any book, I suppose, but I feel it in this series more than any other.
One of the things that occurred to me because of this was how much more rereaders get from this series. At this point, everyone should have realised that nobody is safe, but also that each character introduction could lead to an ever deepening relationship over pages or books...or they could be gone in the next paragraph. It works for me because I can skip Karsa's origin story and jump in when he meets Keeper, where it starts to get interesting. It also means that each new meeting resonates with our emotional responses to past and future actions in a way that newbies can't yet get. It's the same for any book, I suppose, but I feel it in this series more than any other.
July 2, 2018
Re-Read:
The first time through this was the weakest of the ten books for me. Although the ending still lacked the convergence power in the endings of all the other books in the series I found so many hidden breadcrumbs I missed the first time around. So many poetic moments that had more power this time around. I had forgotten, missed or misinterpreted a lot that first times. These tomes are just so vast with so much going on the sensory overload the first time takes its toll. Being able to break apart the story and knowing what's important was so fulfilling.
This is also the book when you come to realize just how compassionate a character Cotillion is. The transformation of Karsa is even more amazing and that opening quarter of the book where it's all Karsa not nearly the slog it was the first time around. I remember the relief the first time around when I finally read the word Malazan in this book for the first time.
Looking forward to the rest of my re-read.
Original:
While still a tremendous book it wasn't in the realm of greatness that are DHG or MOI and not on par with GOTM. The first few chapters with Karsa probably could have been a bit shorter. The ending while another great convergence I had issues with how some of them went down. Still when compared with everything else out there this series stands alone as truly epic.
The first time through this was the weakest of the ten books for me. Although the ending still lacked the convergence power in the endings of all the other books in the series I found so many hidden breadcrumbs I missed the first time around. So many poetic moments that had more power this time around. I had forgotten, missed or misinterpreted a lot that first times. These tomes are just so vast with so much going on the sensory overload the first time takes its toll. Being able to break apart the story and knowing what's important was so fulfilling.
This is also the book when you come to realize just how compassionate a character Cotillion is. The transformation of Karsa is even more amazing and that opening quarter of the book where it's all Karsa not nearly the slog it was the first time around. I remember the relief the first time around when I finally read the word Malazan in this book for the first time.
Looking forward to the rest of my re-read.
Original:
While still a tremendous book it wasn't in the realm of greatness that are DHG or MOI and not on par with GOTM. The first few chapters with Karsa probably could have been a bit shorter. The ending while another great convergence I had issues with how some of them went down. Still when compared with everything else out there this series stands alone as truly epic.
December 23, 2023
Sword & Sorcery Shocker! Main Character Channels Ancient Cimmerian! "'Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian Karsa Orlong, of the Toblakai; black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth Genabackis under his sandaled feet.' ... Did I read that right? (... pin drop silence ensues ...) Yeah, of course I did!" Karsa Orlong - The Cimmerian Chronicle
Whoops right quote, but wrong character, hat tip to Robert E. Howard.
I love Erickson's ability to weave a multitude of conflicts together into a coherent and seamless whole. I am in awe of his ability to do that. Frankly, I'm just in love with these "books of the Fallen," series.
The only thing that troubled me is that sometimes his story telling can bog down into "two heads talking history while a tortoise wanders by," and those who've read this book will know the reference, well at this point the pace dragged and became - with no pun intended - tortoise like.
As for Karsa - loved him from the start - what a majestic, charismatic character, and I look forward to finding out what happens next.
Strongly recommend this book and the series for anyone with a passion for epic, heroic, dark, gritty fantasy. Sure it can be confusing at times, but everything comes out and explanations become clear, it just takes time.
A highly enjoyable, moving, interesting read. Strongly recommended, 5 'Conan Approves,' stars.
Whoops right quote, but wrong character, hat tip to Robert E. Howard.
I love Erickson's ability to weave a multitude of conflicts together into a coherent and seamless whole. I am in awe of his ability to do that. Frankly, I'm just in love with these "books of the Fallen," series.
The only thing that troubled me is that sometimes his story telling can bog down into "two heads talking history while a tortoise wanders by," and those who've read this book will know the reference, well at this point the pace dragged and became - with no pun intended - tortoise like.
As for Karsa - loved him from the start - what a majestic, charismatic character, and I look forward to finding out what happens next.
Strongly recommend this book and the series for anyone with a passion for epic, heroic, dark, gritty fantasy. Sure it can be confusing at times, but everything comes out and explanations become clear, it just takes time.
A highly enjoyable, moving, interesting read. Strongly recommended, 5 'Conan Approves,' stars.
July 5, 2017
Once I get to the end of one of these books it feels like this huge accomplishment. Mostly because they are really so very dense and maybe it is close to 1000 pages but it seems like so much more.
It took a lot to get to where we were going in this book. Mainly the overall arc is that Tevore and the Malazan’s are going to march into the desert to fare Sharik and her appocolyptic sands. So that is where the various lines all converge by the end of the story. It took a long time to get there and at the end I will say that again most of my feelings are bittersweet. At least this one didn’t gut my insides out like the previous two books but again there seems to be no such thing as a happy ending when you are in the world of the Malazans.
I’m really never sure where the book is going to take me and this one again starts off with a culture and people that we don’t really seem to know. Karsa Orlong how I hated you. This started as a really difficult read because I completely hated Karsa and his cultural ways. It was difficult to real all of Book I since it was just about him and his beginnings to where we left off in Deathhouse Gates. The good news is that even though I still don’t like him per say I was rooting for him later in the book. His character went through a lot of changes so by the end of this book I grew to enjoy his arc and I have high hopes for him.
The good news about travelling with Tevore and the Malazans is that we get to be with what is left of the Bridgeburners, Coltain’s wounded that were saved and some of the other wiccan clans. I don’t really like Tevore if only for what she was prepared to do to her sister. So while she isn’t my favorite I did love being with Strings a.k.a. Fiddler and some other all stars from the prior books.
Sharik, Heboric, Felisin and a slew of others had an strange and interesting tale. I will say that while Sharik wasn’t my favorite I did like Heboric and Felisin the younger quite a bit. Heboric’s change in this was actually one of my favorite parts since I really did want the once priest to find purpose again and it seems that maybe another god saw something in him too. But the most memorable point driven home again was that if in a fantasy world of any kind never drink the tea, it doesn’t go well fore anyone. Just ask Alice, Nynaeve, Egwene or the ever murderous Marquel.
There is some stuff with Apsalar and Crocus but they didn’t get a lot of time and in the end I didn’t really understand what happened between them. But the crazy dude who is a priest for Shadowthrone in middle of the desert and his many spidered wife are hilarious. So I did enjoy when they ended up there.
There is the big buildup going into the end and then it sort of fizzled out when we were supposed to get a big battle. I know that SE did it like that on purpose but still I guess I just wanted a bigger battle sequence after all that time getting to it. Don’t get me wrong there is still some very cool stuff that happens and I especially liked what happened to the Dog Killers but I wanted Tevore and Sharik’s story line to end a little differently I guess.
One of the more followable books in the series for me. But between warrens, gods, ascendants and races it is so hard to keep track of everything.
It took a lot to get to where we were going in this book. Mainly the overall arc is that Tevore and the Malazan’s are going to march into the desert to fare Sharik and her appocolyptic sands. So that is where the various lines all converge by the end of the story. It took a long time to get there and at the end I will say that again most of my feelings are bittersweet. At least this one didn’t gut my insides out like the previous two books but again there seems to be no such thing as a happy ending when you are in the world of the Malazans.
I’m really never sure where the book is going to take me and this one again starts off with a culture and people that we don’t really seem to know. Karsa Orlong how I hated you. This started as a really difficult read because I completely hated Karsa and his cultural ways. It was difficult to real all of Book I since it was just about him and his beginnings to where we left off in Deathhouse Gates. The good news is that even though I still don’t like him per say I was rooting for him later in the book. His character went through a lot of changes so by the end of this book I grew to enjoy his arc and I have high hopes for him.
“You have learned much, Karsa Orlong."
"I have, T'lan Imass. As you shall witness.”
The good news about travelling with Tevore and the Malazans is that we get to be with what is left of the Bridgeburners, Coltain’s wounded that were saved and some of the other wiccan clans. I don’t really like Tevore if only for what she was prepared to do to her sister. So while she isn’t my favorite I did love being with Strings a.k.a. Fiddler and some other all stars from the prior books.
Sharik, Heboric, Felisin and a slew of others had an strange and interesting tale. I will say that while Sharik wasn’t my favorite I did like Heboric and Felisin the younger quite a bit. Heboric’s change in this was actually one of my favorite parts since I really did want the once priest to find purpose again and it seems that maybe another god saw something in him too. But the most memorable point driven home again was that if in a fantasy world of any kind never drink the tea, it doesn’t go well fore anyone. Just ask Alice, Nynaeve, Egwene or the ever murderous Marquel.
There is some stuff with Apsalar and Crocus but they didn’t get a lot of time and in the end I didn’t really understand what happened between them. But the crazy dude who is a priest for Shadowthrone in middle of the desert and his many spidered wife are hilarious. So I did enjoy when they ended up there.
There is the big buildup going into the end and then it sort of fizzled out when we were supposed to get a big battle. I know that SE did it like that on purpose but still I guess I just wanted a bigger battle sequence after all that time getting to it. Don’t get me wrong there is still some very cool stuff that happens and I especially liked what happened to the Dog Killers but I wanted Tevore and Sharik’s story line to end a little differently I guess.
One of the more followable books in the series for me. But between warrens, gods, ascendants and races it is so hard to keep track of everything.
July 15, 2017
I don't know what to say about this book, rn. yet again, I'm left mentally and emotionally exhausted. and sad. it is a wee bit different this time,though. encompassing one.
will try to write a review later.
will try to write a review later.
April 23, 2020
"Hatred is a most pernicious weed, finding root in any kind of soil. It feeds on itself"
-Torvald Nom
It's almost funny that what i feel is the general theme for this book in this series is perfectly captured by a minor character in the book. Like all stories in the malazan series, there is the general sense that doing justice to it in my reviews might not always be possible. So here goes nothing.
Can i just say before i delve into characters that totally wowed me that Book 4 reminded me eerily of Gardens of the Moon. In that it's not a finished picture, threads are being woven in patterns that aren't really clear for the most part.
Cotillion:
To be a god is to know the burdens of believers. Did you protect? You did not. Did you offer comfort, solace? Were you possessed of compassion? Even pity?
- Karsa
There is a general understanding among majority of the mortal characters in the Malazan world that gods are not to be trusted. There is essentially the idea that the gods take and give nothing back. and that's why it was absolutely breath taking to see an element of dare i say kindness in Cotillion.. I absolutely loved this side of the patron god of assasins and also that rope.. hot damn!!! definitely would not want to get in a fight with him.
Karsa:
WITNESSS!!!! Lol
T'Lan Imass: For me the T'lan Imass were definitely one of the biggest shockers. I think because for the most part, at least up to this book, we had only interacted mainly with Tool and he seemed somewhat reasonable but i think in this book we actually see the T'lan Imass for what they really are and it's not pretty. I think at this stage of the book, you begin to wonder was the ritual really, really a good thing?? Maybe Kilava had a point. I think centuries of undead living has rightly left the moral compass of the T'lan Imass skewered.
Felisin/Whirlwind Goddess :
"Vengence is a wasted emotion, yet i have let it consume me. I gave it like a gift to the goddess"ahh Felisin.. This was definitely a character i felt sorry for when i first met but that quickly melted away. I suppose all the anger she felt was legitimate but i couldn't help feeling that she took it too far making her succeptible to the whims of the whirlwind goddess (now that was one crazy goddess)
At the end of this book though, i could only commiserate with Felisin. She had basically walked into the goddess's arms blinded with vengence and there was no coming back from that. SOB******
All in all this was an amazing read especially when you realise it basically sets the stage for more epic things to come, i mean what's L'Oric up to exactly? and hello Minala?? What's up with her?? Who's traveler? Do we get shadowthrone's secrets?? what's the rope really up to like really??? well you get what i was saying about the uncompleted picture..
October 5, 2023
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Well, it only took me a year, but I finally finished House of Chains.
Granted, all Malazan books I’ve read so far have been dense, but the back half of this particular one gave me some extra sass. I’d heard it was the first half that most people struggle through, as the story and tone were vastly different than anything we’d seen up to that point. I, for one, found it a delightful Malazan vacation to only have a handful of characters to keep track of for a while. It was when we started getting back into the relative continuation of the series with an overwhelming mix of new and old characters that I starting losing momentum.
By all accounts, everything was still interesting, but compared to the slam-dunk brilliance that was Memories of Ice, the back half of House of Chains felt a bit lackluster. It was rather talkie/talkie and seemed to be more set-up than plot-advancing. And the few things that did happen to resolve conflicts from Deadhouse Gates hit me as anticlimactic.
The structure of this series so far is fascinating. Gardens of the Moon and Memories of Ice were linked, whereas House of Chains was more a direct sequel to Deadhouse Gates. But they’re all interconnected and overlapped, so you really do need to read them all (not that you’d likely skip if you’re committed to Malazan). I think it part of the brilliance of the series and it’s one of the reasons I’m interested to keep reading.
…I just wish fewer names started with a “K��� sound.
Overall I’m still willing to put myself through more literary torture and will be continuing the Ultimate Reading Order with “The Healthy Dead” next.
Recommendations: I can’t in good conscience hand this to anyone without a laundry list of disclaimers, but it’s good. Read it if you’re a masochist. :P
Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Melissa, Tonya, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, and Jen! <3
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
Well, it only took me a year, but I finally finished House of Chains.
Granted, all Malazan books I’ve read so far have been dense, but the back half of this particular one gave me some extra sass. I’d heard it was the first half that most people struggle through, as the story and tone were vastly different than anything we’d seen up to that point. I, for one, found it a delightful Malazan vacation to only have a handful of characters to keep track of for a while. It was when we started getting back into the relative continuation of the series with an overwhelming mix of new and old characters that I starting losing momentum.
By all accounts, everything was still interesting, but compared to the slam-dunk brilliance that was Memories of Ice, the back half of House of Chains felt a bit lackluster. It was rather talkie/talkie and seemed to be more set-up than plot-advancing. And the few things that did happen to resolve conflicts from Deadhouse Gates hit me as anticlimactic.
The structure of this series so far is fascinating. Gardens of the Moon and Memories of Ice were linked, whereas House of Chains was more a direct sequel to Deadhouse Gates. But they’re all interconnected and overlapped, so you really do need to read them all (not that you’d likely skip if you’re committed to Malazan). I think it part of the brilliance of the series and it’s one of the reasons I’m interested to keep reading.
…I just wish fewer names started with a “K��� sound.
Overall I’m still willing to put myself through more literary torture and will be continuing the Ultimate Reading Order with “The Healthy Dead” next.
Recommendations: I can’t in good conscience hand this to anyone without a laundry list of disclaimers, but it’s good. Read it if you’re a masochist. :P
Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Melissa, Tonya, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, and Jen! <3
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
April 4, 2016
This was another fantastic 5 star instalment in the Malazan Book of the Fallen saga. Just like with the previous books Steven Erikson did a great job of juggling a massive cast of characters and ongoing plot arcs before pulling them all together for an explosive and exciting conclusion.
We were back in Raraku for the battle between Tavore, and her Malazan legions, and Shai'k, and her army of the apocalypse. A battle that was far more personal than it seemed at first glance. The Gods and Ascendants in the Malazan world are not a quiet bunch and they had their own games to play. The House of Chains has been sanctified and has begun a full blown assault on the other Houses. It all made for an exciting, interesting, and engaging read.
We had a massive cast of characters and the true measure of Erikson's skill as a writer was shown as pretty much all of them proved interesting and memorable. There was not a single dull POV segment! The star of House of Chains was undoubtedly Karsa Orlong. He was not easy to like in the early stages but showed great development as the story progressed and his journey was always a gripping one. This series has always had great duos and we got two more here in the shape of Pearl and Lostara and Trull Senger and Onrack. We also got to enjoy the continued stories of a bunch of old favourite characters like Kallam, Fiddler, Crokus, Felsin, and Heboric.
In a deep world of complex plots, intense action, and cool magic I still firmly believe it is the dialogue between the characters which makes this series so fantastic. It is always amusing and engaging.
All in all I loved this latest Malazan book and cannot wait for the next one!
Rating: 5 stars.
Audio Note: This is the first book where Michael Page has taken over narration duties from the excellent Ralph Lister. Page is a good narrator and did an good job, but I'm still not super happy with the change as consistency of character interpretation really is the key when it comes to audiobook series. I just wish production companies and authors would keep this in mind!
We were back in Raraku for the battle between Tavore, and her Malazan legions, and Shai'k, and her army of the apocalypse. A battle that was far more personal than it seemed at first glance. The Gods and Ascendants in the Malazan world are not a quiet bunch and they had their own games to play. The House of Chains has been sanctified and has begun a full blown assault on the other Houses. It all made for an exciting, interesting, and engaging read.
We had a massive cast of characters and the true measure of Erikson's skill as a writer was shown as pretty much all of them proved interesting and memorable. There was not a single dull POV segment! The star of House of Chains was undoubtedly Karsa Orlong. He was not easy to like in the early stages but showed great development as the story progressed and his journey was always a gripping one. This series has always had great duos and we got two more here in the shape of Pearl and Lostara and Trull Senger and Onrack. We also got to enjoy the continued stories of a bunch of old favourite characters like Kallam, Fiddler, Crokus, Felsin, and Heboric.
In a deep world of complex plots, intense action, and cool magic I still firmly believe it is the dialogue between the characters which makes this series so fantastic. It is always amusing and engaging.
All in all I loved this latest Malazan book and cannot wait for the next one!
Rating: 5 stars.
Audio Note: This is the first book where Michael Page has taken over narration duties from the excellent Ralph Lister. Page is a good narrator and did an good job, but I'm still not super happy with the change as consistency of character interpretation really is the key when it comes to audiobook series. I just wish production companies and authors would keep this in mind!
February 28, 2020
Malazan continues to be great, which probably makes the star rating strange. What I have to admit is the difficulty of getting through these AWESOME books does drag it down for me. While I appreciate them immensely, I maintain that I will recommend this series to very few people.
Full Review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awjzJ...
Full Review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awjzJ...
March 20, 2023
This installment had a tough act to follow after a masterpiece like Memories of Ice. Yet, introducing one of the most titillating characters of the Malazan universe, Karsa Orlong, was the perfect injection of excitement to draw the reader into a fresh new story.
For me, this book is all about Karsa Orlong. He is right up there as my new favorite character, next to Anomander Rake, which is saying a lot. Yeah, I’m having a full-on man-crush moment here. Karsa is a beast! At one point he declares, “I, Karsa Orlong, yield to none. Not Gods, not the souls I have slain,” and he continues making assertions in the same vein throughout the story, promising to annihilate anyone or anything, God or ascendant, who crosses his path. If House of Chains were made into a movie, Karsa’s character would need to be played by someone like Brock Lesnar, who could do all the F-5'ing and cleaving asunder needed in order to portray him accurately.
The story opens with Trull Sengar, of the Tiste Edur, which is one of the several “Tiste” races, who is cast out of his homeland. Strange that he is not a central character in the story although he makes several appearances from the beginning, and then at the end. (I assume Trull’s presence is foreshadowing something that happens in another book later in the series). The next 250 pages were focused on Karsa and his P.O.V. as he began his journey away from home.
House of Chains dovetails tightly with the second Malazan book, Deadhouse Gates, by taking the story back to Raraku, or as I like to call it, my home away from home because I was immersed in that desert when reading Deadhouse Gates. By revisiting Raraku we were able to witness the aftermath of the chain of dogs and all the 10,000 crucified soldiers.
As with the other preceding books, this fourth one also had its quirky tertiary characters. ‘Greyfrog’ is a demon whom we can hear his thoughts, which are humorous and are always about how hungry he is and how tasty we humans are. Erikson does a wonderful job creating these fantastical preternatural characters that are not human but are full of personality, like the winged monkeyish bhok’arala or the cyclopean insectile azalan from the earlier books.
There also has been no shortage of explicit violence and gore in this series so far, but in House of Chains, there was a whole new level of disturbing savagery unveiled with the use of female genital mutilation. Thankfully, the fine details were left out, but there was enough description to imply what was happening. FGM was used in this book for the same reasons that some religious societies practice it, to take away a female’s sexual pleasure and to curb their temptation to infidelity, and it also was done here in this fictional setting for the purpose of fashioning controllable female assassins.
One of the things I have learned to appreciate about the Malazan series is the little colloquialisms unique to its world:
“Hood’s balls skewered on a spit!”
“Hood’s balls under a big rock!”
“Hood’s balls on a skillet!”
“Hood’s balls! Hood’s balls! Hood’s balls!”
Ok, now with that all out of my system, I would like to end this review with a little ditty I came up with to help memorialize one of the newest baddest mortals on the block…
Karsa Orlong will kill y’ass, Karsa Orlong will kill y’goat,
Karsa Orlong will rip off Hood’s balls and shove them down his throat!
For me, this book is all about Karsa Orlong. He is right up there as my new favorite character, next to Anomander Rake, which is saying a lot. Yeah, I’m having a full-on man-crush moment here. Karsa is a beast! At one point he declares, “I, Karsa Orlong, yield to none. Not Gods, not the souls I have slain,” and he continues making assertions in the same vein throughout the story, promising to annihilate anyone or anything, God or ascendant, who crosses his path. If House of Chains were made into a movie, Karsa’s character would need to be played by someone like Brock Lesnar, who could do all the F-5'ing and cleaving asunder needed in order to portray him accurately.
The story opens with Trull Sengar, of the Tiste Edur, which is one of the several “Tiste” races, who is cast out of his homeland. Strange that he is not a central character in the story although he makes several appearances from the beginning, and then at the end. (I assume Trull’s presence is foreshadowing something that happens in another book later in the series). The next 250 pages were focused on Karsa and his P.O.V. as he began his journey away from home.
House of Chains dovetails tightly with the second Malazan book, Deadhouse Gates, by taking the story back to Raraku, or as I like to call it, my home away from home because I was immersed in that desert when reading Deadhouse Gates. By revisiting Raraku we were able to witness the aftermath of the chain of dogs and all the 10,000 crucified soldiers.
As with the other preceding books, this fourth one also had its quirky tertiary characters. ‘Greyfrog’ is a demon whom we can hear his thoughts, which are humorous and are always about how hungry he is and how tasty we humans are. Erikson does a wonderful job creating these fantastical preternatural characters that are not human but are full of personality, like the winged monkeyish bhok’arala or the cyclopean insectile azalan from the earlier books.
There also has been no shortage of explicit violence and gore in this series so far, but in House of Chains, there was a whole new level of disturbing savagery unveiled with the use of female genital mutilation. Thankfully, the fine details were left out, but there was enough description to imply what was happening. FGM was used in this book for the same reasons that some religious societies practice it, to take away a female’s sexual pleasure and to curb their temptation to infidelity, and it also was done here in this fictional setting for the purpose of fashioning controllable female assassins.
One of the things I have learned to appreciate about the Malazan series is the little colloquialisms unique to its world:
“Hood’s balls skewered on a spit!”
“Hood’s balls under a big rock!”
“Hood’s balls on a skillet!”
“Hood’s balls! Hood’s balls! Hood’s balls!”
Ok, now with that all out of my system, I would like to end this review with a little ditty I came up with to help memorialize one of the newest baddest mortals on the block…
Karsa Orlong will kill y’ass, Karsa Orlong will kill y’goat,
Karsa Orlong will rip off Hood’s balls and shove them down his throat!
June 17, 2013
I am not going to re-write my original review because it is all still relevant. The only thing I would add, is that it is even better second time round. But since I was already on five stars there is nothing to improve.
Story: 4/5
Without doubt my favourite in the series so far. If you have read the previous three and wondering whether to start number four. Stop reading this and go read House of Chains.
So the overall rating is a 5/5, but the story I am giving ⅘, but for no other reason than, by itself it is a great book, if you have read the series, then its a awesome book.
The story brings together so many threads from Deadhouse and Memories of Ice. I still find it amazing that Erikson’s story is so freaking large, that it took nearly three books to tell a story that was all happening at the same time. His attention to detail is amazing, and often tells part of a story that links back to something you read in book 2 and you’re suddenly remembering back to Deadhouse days. Certainly the first time I have been reading a book in mid series and thought “I’d love to go back and start again now I know all this”. Maybe the story is just to big to be told?
The story brings together the Malazan Empire against the Apocalypse army of the whirlwind goddess, which has one of the strangest final battles I have ever read. Seriously, three books leading up to the final battle and it ends like that? Wow! Brave, Mr Erikson, brave. It’s what I like about the story, it can be unexpected.
As usual there are lots of stories within the main story, but I think the story of the Thelomen Toblakai is powerfully written and not only creates a wonderful character but has me excited about the story in the future.
Characters: 5 /5
When ever I start a new one of these Malazan books, I always look at the character list at the start to see if I actually know anyone from previous books. On reading this one, I must admit I was a little daunted by having to learn another thirty odd characters. But Erikson continues to bring brilliantly written roles to the story. Without doubt, you’ll see the name Karsa Orlong throughout reviews on this book, it is a hugely powerful character, not only in physical strength, but the role though-out the story. A truely terrible man, that even the gods cannot control, yet a favourite for many readers.
The book continues to bring wonderful relationships to the story, the Malazan army has units that really are made up of odd types, who like each other, hate each other, bicker, fight and die for each other. Erikson really catches the army/marine camaraderie well and makes the day to day stuff on a march to war entertaining. There are some characters that I am beginning to bore with, I do not feel they are developing, in fact, I am feeling cooler to them as I read on. Crokus/Cutter and Aspalar is a story, to be quite honest with you, I am done with.
Read Weight:
Heavy, if you havent read the 3 before, then it will be a struggle.
Engagement: 4 /5
Can’t give this 5, because I couldnt read it all night. It is so big, the story so large, that after 3 hours of reading, I need to put it down and sit and stare into space for a while to compile the story. I couldn’t wait to pick it up again though.
Recommend: 1-5/5
If you had not read the previous books, I would advise do not read this. If you have read the previous books, I would be saying, you should read it now. It is THAT good.
Story: 4/5
1: Being Vague, rambling plot with no little believable storyline
5: Ripping yarn, clever, thought provoking
Without doubt my favourite in the series so far. If you have read the previous three and wondering whether to start number four. Stop reading this and go read House of Chains.
So the overall rating is a 5/5, but the story I am giving ⅘, but for no other reason than, by itself it is a great book, if you have read the series, then its a awesome book.
The story brings together so many threads from Deadhouse and Memories of Ice. I still find it amazing that Erikson’s story is so freaking large, that it took nearly three books to tell a story that was all happening at the same time. His attention to detail is amazing, and often tells part of a story that links back to something you read in book 2 and you’re suddenly remembering back to Deadhouse days. Certainly the first time I have been reading a book in mid series and thought “I’d love to go back and start again now I know all this”. Maybe the story is just to big to be told?
The story brings together the Malazan Empire against the Apocalypse army of the whirlwind goddess, which has one of the strangest final battles I have ever read. Seriously, three books leading up to the final battle and it ends like that? Wow! Brave, Mr Erikson, brave. It’s what I like about the story, it can be unexpected.
As usual there are lots of stories within the main story, but I think the story of the Thelomen Toblakai is powerfully written and not only creates a wonderful character but has me excited about the story in the future.
Characters: 5 /5
1: Unrealistic/unbelievable. Feel nothing for these characters
5: Fully engaged with the characters, believable. Researched.
When ever I start a new one of these Malazan books, I always look at the character list at the start to see if I actually know anyone from previous books. On reading this one, I must admit I was a little daunted by having to learn another thirty odd characters. But Erikson continues to bring brilliantly written roles to the story. Without doubt, you’ll see the name Karsa Orlong throughout reviews on this book, it is a hugely powerful character, not only in physical strength, but the role though-out the story. A truely terrible man, that even the gods cannot control, yet a favourite for many readers.
The book continues to bring wonderful relationships to the story, the Malazan army has units that really are made up of odd types, who like each other, hate each other, bicker, fight and die for each other. Erikson really catches the army/marine camaraderie well and makes the day to day stuff on a march to war entertaining. There are some characters that I am beginning to bore with, I do not feel they are developing, in fact, I am feeling cooler to them as I read on. Crokus/Cutter and Aspalar is a story, to be quite honest with you, I am done with.
Read Weight:
Fluffy, Light, Solid, Heavy, Struggle
Heavy, if you havent read the 3 before, then it will be a struggle.
Engagement: 4 /5
1: Not fussed about finishing
5: Could stay up all night
Can’t give this 5, because I couldnt read it all night. It is so big, the story so large, that after 3 hours of reading, I need to put it down and sit and stare into space for a while to compile the story. I couldn’t wait to pick it up again though.
Recommend: 1-5/5
1: Would advise you to read something else
5: Go read it now. It is THAT good
If you had not read the previous books, I would advise do not read this. If you have read the previous books, I would be saying, you should read it now. It is THAT good.
August 9, 2018
One of the (many) things I appreciate about this series is, so far at least, when the author devastates his readers in one book he switches the focus in the next, allowing us to recover our equilibrium…though not completely. Never completely. And so, following the heartbreaking losses in the last book, we once again find the story lens swinging back to Seven Cities and the impending showdown between the Malazan forces under the leadership of Adjunct Tavore and Sha’ik’s army of the apocalypse.
”War needs no gods, only mortal contestants, two enemies and whatever reasons they invent in order to justify killing each other.”
Along the way we get to catch up with several old friends and that was great. In fact those chapters were my favorite ones to read. Though the book’s main focus is the looming battle between Tavore and Sha’ik, which is fraught with complications, I found I was the least interested in either of those two characters. While I admit to ending the story with feelings of compassion for Sha’ik , Tavore remains a bland spot on an otherwise colorful canvas. She is lost in a crowd of memorable – for good or ill - characters. Speaking of memorable characters, a new one bursts onto the scene in this book, Karsa Orlong. In fact, Part One of the book deals entirely with him. It made for a bit of a disjointed start in my opinion. If the author was going to devote that much page time to a character, I’d have much rather it been Anomander Rake, or Coltaine, or Anomander Rake, or Whiskeyjack, or ANOMANDER RAKE. You get the picture.
Gardens of the Moon was a great introduction to the Malazan world and Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice both had endings that gutted me, leaving me feeling sad for days. House of Chains, in my opinion, lacked that emotional punch to the gut. While there a few “aww” moments scattered throughout the narrative, overall this installment just didn’t move me in the way its predecessors did. And where the previous three books all raced to suspenseful, nail-biting conclusions, several parts of the denouement in this book came off as decidedly anti-climactic. This might be a case where appreciation for the book grows either with a reread or as its relevance becomes more apparent as the series progresses. Right now, it feels more like a bridge from one favorite spot to another. It’s still a worthy book, and no one can fault the author for the incredible world and history he’s creating, but it’s definitely my least favorite of the series so far.
”The future can ever promise one thing and one thing only: surprises.”
”War needs no gods, only mortal contestants, two enemies and whatever reasons they invent in order to justify killing each other.”
Along the way we get to catch up with several old friends and that was great. In fact those chapters were my favorite ones to read. Though the book’s main focus is the looming battle between Tavore and Sha’ik, which is fraught with complications, I found I was the least interested in either of those two characters. While I admit to ending the story with feelings of compassion for Sha’ik , Tavore remains a bland spot on an otherwise colorful canvas. She is lost in a crowd of memorable – for good or ill - characters. Speaking of memorable characters, a new one bursts onto the scene in this book, Karsa Orlong. In fact, Part One of the book deals entirely with him. It made for a bit of a disjointed start in my opinion. If the author was going to devote that much page time to a character, I’d have much rather it been Anomander Rake, or Coltaine, or Anomander Rake, or Whiskeyjack, or ANOMANDER RAKE. You get the picture.
Gardens of the Moon was a great introduction to the Malazan world and Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice both had endings that gutted me, leaving me feeling sad for days. House of Chains, in my opinion, lacked that emotional punch to the gut. While there a few “aww” moments scattered throughout the narrative, overall this installment just didn’t move me in the way its predecessors did. And where the previous three books all raced to suspenseful, nail-biting conclusions, several parts of the denouement in this book came off as decidedly anti-climactic. This might be a case where appreciation for the book grows either with a reread or as its relevance becomes more apparent as the series progresses. Right now, it feels more like a bridge from one favorite spot to another. It’s still a worthy book, and no one can fault the author for the incredible world and history he’s creating, but it’s definitely my least favorite of the series so far.
”The future can ever promise one thing and one thing only: surprises.”
May 11, 2017
This is an easy five.
This is what you'd call a tardy review (finished the book months ago)
“Hatred, sweet as nectar.
I have walked into the abyss.
I am as mad as that goddess. And this is why she chose me, for we are kindred souls...
Then what is this ledge to which I still cling so desperately? Why do I persist in my belief that I can save myself? That I can return . . . find once more the place where madness cannot be found, where confusion does not exist.
The place ... of childhood.”
Many readers find House of Chains to be of inferior quality and less engaging then the first three (or at least compared to Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice). Others complain they were cheated of an expected major, epic battle (that didn't come), and there are those that hated Karsa as a character at the beginning of the book, and complained about it till the end missing the rest of the story. (Or dropped the book eighty pages in! Who are you people?) Well, their loss.
Inferior quality? Oh. Come. On. I don't want to comment on that. We've been reading different books obviously.
Epic battle missing? I can understand that .... up to a point. The so much anticipated clash between the Malazan forces and the Whirlwind rebels would have diminished the impact of that long awaited, tragic face-off between Adjunct Tavore and her sister Felisin (now 'Sha'ik Reborn'). Epic battles are great, and I don't know if anyone does them better than Erikson. Clashes of armies, sieges of cities or those almost "nuclear" sorcerous attacks of the mage cadre ... and the devastation that follows them are always breathtaking, but very often is the small, personal, almost quiet moments like this tragic meeting of estranged sisters that hit you the hardest.
So .... no epic battle? It's just one of ten 900+ pages books, people! I suspect there will be battles galore, "blood to the knees" and so on. Epic fantasy doesn't have a requirement of one per book, most fantasy books I've read have only minor battles (if any). Aaaaanyway, we have plenty of action in this one. Don't nitpick.
Karsa haters? Hmph...
I must admit I wished for the guy to be killed for the first one hundred-ish pages. Not a bundle of love and joy, Karsa Orlong, but the despicable bastard grows up and grows on you as the story progresses, and I suspect he may become one of my favorites. I didn't care for him much in Deadhouse Gates, and when I realized that a big chunk of this book would be Karsa's backstory, I was less than thrilled ... but Erikson makes you care for unexpected characters.
And as for those (few) readers that wished
A little less interesting story-line (after their initial encounter) was perhaps the one following Trull Sengar and Onrack ( Not badly written at all.... I was just more engaged with the rest of the characters.), though now, after finishing Midnight Tides as well ....
Trull grows on you. Slowly, yes ... ( and not in this book ) but now I'm curious what will happen to the Sengar brothers. Should have paid more attention while reading this book (Erikson is one of those authors that make me want to do a re-read right away. And the length of his books is no joke).
It's again a great book. Yes, yes .... by now I'm a full-fledged Malazan fan. Sue me.
This is what you'd call a tardy review (finished the book months ago)
“Hatred, sweet as nectar.
I have walked into the abyss.
I am as mad as that goddess. And this is why she chose me, for we are kindred souls...
Then what is this ledge to which I still cling so desperately? Why do I persist in my belief that I can save myself? That I can return . . . find once more the place where madness cannot be found, where confusion does not exist.
The place ... of childhood.”
Many readers find House of Chains to be of inferior quality and less engaging then the first three (or at least compared to Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice). Others complain they were cheated of an expected major, epic battle (that didn't come), and there are those that hated Karsa as a character at the beginning of the book, and complained about it till the end missing the rest of the story. (Or dropped the book eighty pages in! Who are you people?) Well, their loss.
Inferior quality? Oh. Come. On. I don't want to comment on that. We've been reading different books obviously.
Epic battle missing? I can understand that .... up to a point. The so much anticipated clash between the Malazan forces and the Whirlwind rebels would have diminished the impact of that long awaited, tragic face-off between Adjunct Tavore and her sister Felisin (now 'Sha'ik Reborn'). Epic battles are great, and I don't know if anyone does them better than Erikson. Clashes of armies, sieges of cities or those almost "nuclear" sorcerous attacks of the mage cadre ... and the devastation that follows them are always breathtaking, but very often is the small, personal, almost quiet moments like this tragic meeting of estranged sisters that hit you the hardest.
So .... no epic battle? It's just one of ten 900+ pages books, people! I suspect there will be battles galore, "blood to the knees" and so on. Epic fantasy doesn't have a requirement of one per book, most fantasy books I've read have only minor battles (if any). Aaaaanyway, we have plenty of action in this one. Don't nitpick.
Karsa haters? Hmph...
I must admit I wished for the guy to be killed for the first one hundred-ish pages. Not a bundle of love and joy, Karsa Orlong, but the despicable bastard grows up and grows on you as the story progresses, and I suspect he may become one of my favorites. I didn't care for him much in Deadhouse Gates, and when I realized that a big chunk of this book would be Karsa's backstory, I was less than thrilled ... but Erikson makes you care for unexpected characters.
And as for those (few) readers that wished
A little less interesting story-line (after their initial encounter) was perhaps the one following Trull Sengar and Onrack ( Not badly written at all.... I was just more engaged with the rest of the characters.), though now, after finishing Midnight Tides as well ....
Trull grows on you. Slowly, yes ... ( and not in this book ) but now I'm curious what will happen to the Sengar brothers. Should have paid more attention while reading this book (Erikson is one of those authors that make me want to do a re-read right away. And the length of his books is no joke).
It's again a great book. Yes, yes .... by now I'm a full-fledged Malazan fan. Sue me.
February 11, 2022
Liberazione dalle catene
"E il mio ritorno? A Raraku, il deserto che mi ha visto cadere e poi risorgere, una rinascita che persiste, perché malgrado la mia età non sembro né mi sento vecchio. E così è per tutti noi Arsori di Ponti, come se Raraku avesse rubato parte della nostra mortalità, sostituendola con... con qualcos'altro."
"Il cuore non viene dato né rubato. Il cuore si arrende."
"Allora che cos'è questa sporgenza alla quale mi aggrappo con tanta disperazione? Perché continuo a credere di potermi salvare? Di poter tornare...e trovare ancora una volta il luogo dove la follia non ha radici, dove la confusione non esiste.
Il luogo...dell'infanzia."
La sopravvivenza passa attraverso infanzie rovinate, tradimenti dettati da inclinazioni naturali - non lo è anche la deliberata scelta di abbracciare il male? - e rimpianti da cui fuggire disperatamente.
Siete il guerriero eletto, chiamato a gran voce affinché la verità abbia la meglio sulle vostre leggende?
Siete il sergente derelitto di un manipolo di altrettanti uomini demotivati, sbiadite ombre di esistenze senza più stimoli?
Oppure il testimone silente del lento disgregamento della vostra comunità, vittima inconsapevole di un potere più grande di se stessa?
Non ha importanza.
Nessun eroe, solo tante esistenze dedite alla sopravvivenza.
Il quarto tomo, duole ammetterlo, è molto sottovalutato persino dagli aficionados di vecchia data.
Eppure la storia, lenta nel prendersi i suoi tempi per predisporre i pezzi sulla scacchiera, si avvale di un'atmosfera spietata e compassionevole; indecifrabile per larghi tratti, ma al solo scopo di squarciare il Velo di Maya quando si giunge al cospetto della verità. La Casa delle Catene, in tal senso, è rivelazione del nuovo e riscoperta del conosciuto: da qui incomincia ufficialmente la storia.
E se lo sguardo della conoscenza passa dagli occhi dell'implacabile Karsa Orlong delle Pianure Teblor, menzioni meritorie vengono guadagnate non solo dalla storia d'amore dei due assassini sotto l'Ombra, ma anche dal circolo autodistruttivo dell'Apocalisse tra le sabbie di Raraku.
"E il mio ritorno? A Raraku, il deserto che mi ha visto cadere e poi risorgere, una rinascita che persiste, perché malgrado la mia età non sembro né mi sento vecchio. E così è per tutti noi Arsori di Ponti, come se Raraku avesse rubato parte della nostra mortalità, sostituendola con... con qualcos'altro."
"Il cuore non viene dato né rubato. Il cuore si arrende."
"Allora che cos'è questa sporgenza alla quale mi aggrappo con tanta disperazione? Perché continuo a credere di potermi salvare? Di poter tornare...e trovare ancora una volta il luogo dove la follia non ha radici, dove la confusione non esiste.
Il luogo...dell'infanzia."
La sopravvivenza passa attraverso infanzie rovinate, tradimenti dettati da inclinazioni naturali - non lo è anche la deliberata scelta di abbracciare il male? - e rimpianti da cui fuggire disperatamente.
Siete il guerriero eletto, chiamato a gran voce affinché la verità abbia la meglio sulle vostre leggende?
Siete il sergente derelitto di un manipolo di altrettanti uomini demotivati, sbiadite ombre di esistenze senza più stimoli?
Oppure il testimone silente del lento disgregamento della vostra comunità, vittima inconsapevole di un potere più grande di se stessa?
Non ha importanza.
Nessun eroe, solo tante esistenze dedite alla sopravvivenza.
Il quarto tomo, duole ammetterlo, è molto sottovalutato persino dagli aficionados di vecchia data.
Eppure la storia, lenta nel prendersi i suoi tempi per predisporre i pezzi sulla scacchiera, si avvale di un'atmosfera spietata e compassionevole; indecifrabile per larghi tratti, ma al solo scopo di squarciare il Velo di Maya quando si giunge al cospetto della verità. La Casa delle Catene, in tal senso, è rivelazione del nuovo e riscoperta del conosciuto: da qui incomincia ufficialmente la storia.
E se lo sguardo della conoscenza passa dagli occhi dell'implacabile Karsa Orlong delle Pianure Teblor, menzioni meritorie vengono guadagnate non solo dalla storia d'amore dei due assassini sotto l'Ombra, ma anche dal circolo autodistruttivo dell'Apocalisse tra le sabbie di Raraku.
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