Sign in with Facebook
Stefan's Reviews > Dust of Dreams
Dust of Dreams (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #9)
by
Just a little bit more of buildup. Just a little bit more of setting the right pieces on the board.
Just a bit more of listening to those selfish secrets and mysteries characters are trying to protect - until comes in Fiddler, kicking with his rusty, old helmet, and everything starts to reveal itself.
After eight books in the main Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and twenty four books overall - an end.
And like Fiddler himself, you'll weep for asking too much.
Story.
"He saw a rider ahead, a figure hunched and cowled as it waited astride a gaunt, grey horse from which no breath plumed. He saw a recurved Rhivi bow gripped in one bony hand, and he realized that he knew this rider.
This Herald of War."
We find the Bonehunters in Lether, ready to march on Kolanse, across the Wasteland and Glass Desert, to their destiny. To challenge their fate, the unknown and the gods themselves.
But, they are exhausted. And worse, they are bored. Adjunct Tavore Paran seems distant more than ever, and soldiers are starting to lose their faith in their commander.
For the first time - after the Fall of Aren;
after their first victory was taken away from them in Raraku Desert;
after they had paid a heavy price for their real first victory beneath the walls of Y'Ghatan;
after their own Empress took away the truth from them on the streets of Malaz City;
and after they have finally made the peace with themselves that on distant continent of Lether nobody will witness their true birth - Bonehunters are on the brink of mutiny.
And they have yet to start a deathly march. To seemingly nowhere. To nothing but their death.
While Malazan Army doesn't know what is it in Kolanse that Adjunct is hurrying to, other, ancient, forces in this world have a pretty good guess what awaits them there.
So the run begins.
Worldbuilding, History and Lore.
"Kneel to one or many, but never, never hold to a belief that but one god exists. Should you hold to such a belief, then by any path of reasoning that follows, you cannot but conclude that your one god is cursed, a thing of impossible aspirations and deafening injustice, whimsical in its cruelty, blind to mercy and devoid of pity."
For the first time in this series we get inside of the point of view of reptilian dinosaur-look-like race known as K'Chain Che'Malle. And, oh my god (or gods in this case?), what a profound minds they are.
So far, everything we have seen from them was physical superiority and monstrous brutality; this horde-like behavior against anyone who opposes them. And to be honest, in their badassery, they gave the sense of exactly that for which they were introduced to: a geek's dream come true.
We have also learned that they were extremely intelligent species and we were led to believe that they were pretty much extinct.
"Humans, welcome us. The K'Chain Che'Malle have returned to the world."
And here, in this book, we see their hierarchy, we see how they behave with each other and with other species, and we have our suspicions confirmed when we realize that they are indeed, not just on the brink of extinction, but that, what's left of the K'Chain Che'Malle's, have lost themselves.
Not so much in their purpose - their purpose is to survive - as much as in the terms of their faith.
Now, humans tend to believe how Elder God K'rull is responsible for releasing magic into this world, when he cut his veins; but Che'Malle's believe that life itself is magical as is everything in it.
"When we kill the beasts living on this plain, when we close our jaws about the back of the neck. When we grip hard to choke off the wind pipe. When we do all this, we watch, with intimate compassion, with profound understanding, the light of life leave our victim's eyes. We see the struggle give away to acceptance, and in our souls, we weep."
They also believe that, suitably, there are forces that work in opposition to this magic, this life, and that is naturally: death. But, in this battle of opposition between life and death, they form a balance. Balance that should not be compromised.
Now, if you remember, in this world there's something called Otataral. A rare, reddish ore, that negates magic.
Che'Malles have on multiple occasions failed to move themselves from their stupor, so they have to turn to the only thing that was left to them, the only thing they still believe in: freedom of choice.
And in that freedom they chose human Destriant to show them their way.
Yes. We might as well weep.
Magic System.
"'One long scream of horror, Badalle. Ten thousand pages long. No one will hear it.'
'No,' she agreed. 'No one will hear it.'
'But you will write it anyway, won't you?'
'I am Badalle, and all I have is words.'"
It's really hard to create a character and say to him: "You are powerful. And the way you'll express your powers is through: poems." - and not come out with something childish and cheesy.
Children of the Snake are refugees running from 'Quitors', species that have ravaged their homeland.
Somewhere along the way, in their exodus, their own parents tried to eat them when hunger struck, but they managed to escape from them and now there are children running across the wastelands.
Soon to be very hungry.
"Pendulums Were Once Toys."
One of the leaders of these children is Badalle, a child herself, who had a tendency to write and sing sad poetry. And through that poetry she would reflect on hardship they were going through.
And even more importantly, she would find the meaning of words they have lost in that wandering; she had to create new ones in order to communicate about them.
And yes, through your expressed emotions words can have power; if your words are eloquent enough they can have power.
But how can you make words, in this world, stop a physical or a magical threat? To go even further, how can you yourself impose physical or magical power as a response - and not deviate from what we already learned of basic functioning of this world's magic and not introduce this as something that is far-fetched even in Malazan world?
Her purpose in the story of the Snake is to show how incredibly powerful words can be even in the hands of a destitute child. Her words and her poetry are not only potent weapons against threats and foes but also as having the potential to reconstitute the existence and reality of the Snake.
"YIELD to your own lies!
HALT in the breathless moment!
Your lungs scream
And silence answers
Your heart drums
Brittle surfaces
BLEED!"
In a world devoid of purpose, meaning and direction for these children, where they have no authorities to consult or social structures to shape them and give them guidance and instruction, these kids cleave to Badalle's words and her poetry as the singular means of making sense of their world.
Symbolism and Allegory.
"The Hobbling."
A reminder why I cannot bring myself to like Karsa Orlong.
Without giving away any of the spoilers, I'll be very brief, because it's really hard to write about this topic. I won't be going into specifics, but I hope that you'll understand in-between the lines of which topic I'm talking about.
It's extremely important to read this chapter. Be that on your first or fourth read, like mine.
It is excruciatingly painful chapter to get through and on your first read you'll be shocked. Maybe you'll feel tempted to skip those pages - especially if you are a rereader - or to simply put book down and start cursing this author because, damn it, this is fantasy, and you're looking for an escape or a safe haven just for an hour or two from the real world.
I completely understand if you decide not to, but I would like for you to stay. At least so that you could understand why Erikson did what he did and why he wrote this chapter and what he actually tried to achieve.
There's a message here that Erikson tried to convey.
There are certain monsters in this world. They walk among us. They talk to us, they smile at us, they behave just like everyone else. And we would never know, we would never see for what they are, until it's too late. We then catch them, sentence them and they rot. But, that's an ending to an already tragic tale.
But, there are other kinds of monstrosities that happen in real world. Same in their nature. But still different. In these monstrous, backdoor, societies that exist in our world, sometimes society itself is so monstrous that they willingly participate. As part of their religious or cultural zeal. As part of their customs. They have existed through history, and they exist even today.
And as it is in human nature to be shocked, to feel disgusted, to condemn and resent them - it is also in human nature to look away. To turn their heads.
"Oh my God, that's awful. Thank God, it didn't happen to me."
Well, here, for couple of pages, for few paragraphs, nobody gets to look away.
If this entire series is about anything at all - it is about compassion.
And here, in this scenes, in this chapter, Steven implores you more than ever to show it.
Which will just briefly bring me back to this monster Karsa Orlong again.
While parts of the story he is in are indeed interesting (mostly because of the characters around him), Karsa Orlong himself is not.
For me, he is not a bad-ass warrior. He is not an amazing character. I am unable and unwilling to define him by anything more than by his first act in the beginning of his story.
I am not going to look away.
Prose.
"The machinery was coated in oily dust that gleamed in the darkness as the faint glow of the lantern slid across it, conveying motion where none existed, the illusion of silent slippage, as of reptilian scales that seamed, as ever, cruelly appropriate..."
Am I the only one who sees a rhythm here? Am I reading too much into this? Let's try another paragraph then:
"She could not find her way amount the countless twisting corridors, or through the vast chamber of silent, frozen machines, evading the pits in the floors over which flagstones had never been installed, and staying clear of the metal and cables spilling out from unpanelled walls..."
I don't know. Probably there is something there, given his history with constructing Kadaspala in Forge of Darkness
and, just recently, his explanation on constructing The Siege of Pale in Gardens of the Moon.
(I love his commentary on realizing just now that maybe we were overwhelmed with mini info-dumps. We were, Steven. We were.)
Anyhow, as for the quoted paragraphs above: there probably is something, and while I'm definitely going around all of this completely wrong, painfully mistaking in my illiterate ignorance, it's quite amusing for me, a casual reader, to make notice of such details.
3.58/5
Kharkanas Trilogy
Forge of Darkness
Fall of Light
Path to Ascendancy series
Dancer's Lament
Deadhouse Landing
Malazan Empire series
Night Of Knives
Return of the Crimson Guard
Stonewielder
Orb Sceptre Throne
Blood and Bone
Assail
Malazan Book of the Fallen series
Gardens of the Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories of Ice
Midnight Tides
House of Chains
The Bonehunters
Reaper's Gale
Toll the Hounds
Ultimate Malazan Chronological Reading Order
by
"I am throwing away
Words. You and me
It's a good place to start
We got to lighten the load
Cut down on what we carry
Today I stop carrying
You
Tomorrow I'll stop carrying
Me."
Just a little bit more of buildup. Just a little bit more of setting the right pieces on the board.
Just a bit more of listening to those selfish secrets and mysteries characters are trying to protect - until comes in Fiddler, kicking with his rusty, old helmet, and everything starts to reveal itself.
After eight books in the main Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and twenty four books overall - an end.
And like Fiddler himself, you'll weep for asking too much.
Story.
"He saw a rider ahead, a figure hunched and cowled as it waited astride a gaunt, grey horse from which no breath plumed. He saw a recurved Rhivi bow gripped in one bony hand, and he realized that he knew this rider.
This Herald of War."
We find the Bonehunters in Lether, ready to march on Kolanse, across the Wasteland and Glass Desert, to their destiny. To challenge their fate, the unknown and the gods themselves.
But, they are exhausted. And worse, they are bored. Adjunct Tavore Paran seems distant more than ever, and soldiers are starting to lose their faith in their commander.
For the first time - after the Fall of Aren;
after their first victory was taken away from them in Raraku Desert;
after they had paid a heavy price for their real first victory beneath the walls of Y'Ghatan;
after their own Empress took away the truth from them on the streets of Malaz City;
and after they have finally made the peace with themselves that on distant continent of Lether nobody will witness their true birth - Bonehunters are on the brink of mutiny.
And they have yet to start a deathly march. To seemingly nowhere. To nothing but their death.
While Malazan Army doesn't know what is it in Kolanse that Adjunct is hurrying to, other, ancient, forces in this world have a pretty good guess what awaits them there.
So the run begins.
Worldbuilding, History and Lore.
"Kneel to one or many, but never, never hold to a belief that but one god exists. Should you hold to such a belief, then by any path of reasoning that follows, you cannot but conclude that your one god is cursed, a thing of impossible aspirations and deafening injustice, whimsical in its cruelty, blind to mercy and devoid of pity."
For the first time in this series we get inside of the point of view of reptilian dinosaur-look-like race known as K'Chain Che'Malle. And, oh my god (or gods in this case?), what a profound minds they are.
So far, everything we have seen from them was physical superiority and monstrous brutality; this horde-like behavior against anyone who opposes them. And to be honest, in their badassery, they gave the sense of exactly that for which they were introduced to: a geek's dream come true.
We have also learned that they were extremely intelligent species and we were led to believe that they were pretty much extinct.
"Humans, welcome us. The K'Chain Che'Malle have returned to the world."
And here, in this book, we see their hierarchy, we see how they behave with each other and with other species, and we have our suspicions confirmed when we realize that they are indeed, not just on the brink of extinction, but that, what's left of the K'Chain Che'Malle's, have lost themselves.
Not so much in their purpose - their purpose is to survive - as much as in the terms of their faith.
Now, humans tend to believe how Elder God K'rull is responsible for releasing magic into this world, when he cut his veins; but Che'Malle's believe that life itself is magical as is everything in it.
"When we kill the beasts living on this plain, when we close our jaws about the back of the neck. When we grip hard to choke off the wind pipe. When we do all this, we watch, with intimate compassion, with profound understanding, the light of life leave our victim's eyes. We see the struggle give away to acceptance, and in our souls, we weep."
They also believe that, suitably, there are forces that work in opposition to this magic, this life, and that is naturally: death. But, in this battle of opposition between life and death, they form a balance. Balance that should not be compromised.
Now, if you remember, in this world there's something called Otataral. A rare, reddish ore, that negates magic.
Che'Malles have on multiple occasions failed to move themselves from their stupor, so they have to turn to the only thing that was left to them, the only thing they still believe in: freedom of choice.
And in that freedom they chose human Destriant to show them their way.
Yes. We might as well weep.
Magic System.
"'One long scream of horror, Badalle. Ten thousand pages long. No one will hear it.'
'No,' she agreed. 'No one will hear it.'
'But you will write it anyway, won't you?'
'I am Badalle, and all I have is words.'"
It's really hard to create a character and say to him: "You are powerful. And the way you'll express your powers is through: poems." - and not come out with something childish and cheesy.
Children of the Snake are refugees running from 'Quitors', species that have ravaged their homeland.
Somewhere along the way, in their exodus, their own parents tried to eat them when hunger struck, but they managed to escape from them and now there are children running across the wastelands.
Soon to be very hungry.
"Pendulums Were Once Toys."
One of the leaders of these children is Badalle, a child herself, who had a tendency to write and sing sad poetry. And through that poetry she would reflect on hardship they were going through.
And even more importantly, she would find the meaning of words they have lost in that wandering; she had to create new ones in order to communicate about them.
And yes, through your expressed emotions words can have power; if your words are eloquent enough they can have power.
But how can you make words, in this world, stop a physical or a magical threat? To go even further, how can you yourself impose physical or magical power as a response - and not deviate from what we already learned of basic functioning of this world's magic and not introduce this as something that is far-fetched even in Malazan world?
Her purpose in the story of the Snake is to show how incredibly powerful words can be even in the hands of a destitute child. Her words and her poetry are not only potent weapons against threats and foes but also as having the potential to reconstitute the existence and reality of the Snake.
"YIELD to your own lies!
HALT in the breathless moment!
Your lungs scream
And silence answers
Your heart drums
Brittle surfaces
BLEED!"
In a world devoid of purpose, meaning and direction for these children, where they have no authorities to consult or social structures to shape them and give them guidance and instruction, these kids cleave to Badalle's words and her poetry as the singular means of making sense of their world.
Symbolism and Allegory.
"The Hobbling."
A reminder why I cannot bring myself to like Karsa Orlong.
Without giving away any of the spoilers, I'll be very brief, because it's really hard to write about this topic. I won't be going into specifics, but I hope that you'll understand in-between the lines of which topic I'm talking about.
It's extremely important to read this chapter. Be that on your first or fourth read, like mine.
It is excruciatingly painful chapter to get through and on your first read you'll be shocked. Maybe you'll feel tempted to skip those pages - especially if you are a rereader - or to simply put book down and start cursing this author because, damn it, this is fantasy, and you're looking for an escape or a safe haven just for an hour or two from the real world.
I completely understand if you decide not to, but I would like for you to stay. At least so that you could understand why Erikson did what he did and why he wrote this chapter and what he actually tried to achieve.
There's a message here that Erikson tried to convey.
There are certain monsters in this world. They walk among us. They talk to us, they smile at us, they behave just like everyone else. And we would never know, we would never see for what they are, until it's too late. We then catch them, sentence them and they rot. But, that's an ending to an already tragic tale.
But, there are other kinds of monstrosities that happen in real world. Same in their nature. But still different. In these monstrous, backdoor, societies that exist in our world, sometimes society itself is so monstrous that they willingly participate. As part of their religious or cultural zeal. As part of their customs. They have existed through history, and they exist even today.
And as it is in human nature to be shocked, to feel disgusted, to condemn and resent them - it is also in human nature to look away. To turn their heads.
"Oh my God, that's awful. Thank God, it didn't happen to me."
Well, here, for couple of pages, for few paragraphs, nobody gets to look away.
If this entire series is about anything at all - it is about compassion.
And here, in this scenes, in this chapter, Steven implores you more than ever to show it.
Which will just briefly bring me back to this monster Karsa Orlong again.
While parts of the story he is in are indeed interesting (mostly because of the characters around him), Karsa Orlong himself is not.
For me, he is not a bad-ass warrior. He is not an amazing character. I am unable and unwilling to define him by anything more than by his first act in the beginning of his story.
I am not going to look away.
Prose.
"The machinery was coated in oily dust that gleamed in the darkness as the faint glow of the lantern slid across it, conveying motion where none existed, the illusion of silent slippage, as of reptilian scales that seamed, as ever, cruelly appropriate..."
Am I the only one who sees a rhythm here? Am I reading too much into this? Let's try another paragraph then:
"She could not find her way amount the countless twisting corridors, or through the vast chamber of silent, frozen machines, evading the pits in the floors over which flagstones had never been installed, and staying clear of the metal and cables spilling out from unpanelled walls..."
I don't know. Probably there is something there, given his history with constructing Kadaspala in Forge of Darkness
and, just recently, his explanation on constructing The Siege of Pale in Gardens of the Moon.
(I love his commentary on realizing just now that maybe we were overwhelmed with mini info-dumps. We were, Steven. We were.)
Anyhow, as for the quoted paragraphs above: there probably is something, and while I'm definitely going around all of this completely wrong, painfully mistaking in my illiterate ignorance, it's quite amusing for me, a casual reader, to make notice of such details.
3.58/5
Kharkanas Trilogy
Forge of Darkness
Fall of Light
Path to Ascendancy series
Dancer's Lament
Deadhouse Landing
Malazan Empire series
Night Of Knives
Return of the Crimson Guard
Stonewielder
Orb Sceptre Throne
Blood and Bone
Assail
Malazan Book of the Fallen series
Gardens of the Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories of Ice
Midnight Tides
House of Chains
The Bonehunters
Reaper's Gale
Toll the Hounds
Ultimate Malazan Chronological Reading Order
Sign into Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to see if any of your friends have read
Dust of Dreams.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
March 7, 2018
–
Started Reading
March 7, 2018
– Shelved
March 9, 2018
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-19 of 19 (19 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Orient
(new)
Mar 08, 2018 02:36AM
Beautiful lines, indeed and they do sound like poetry! White verse it's called, I guess?
reply
|
flag
Is that so? I honestly wouldn't know. It's just that here and there, I indeed can hear a rhythm, or a beat, of sentence while I'm reading. I heard that beat few times in Deadhouse Gates, Midnight Tides and now here. His Kharkanas prequels however are swarmed with it, as well. That's why it takes him so much time to write those books. If you have time and you are interested, check those links where he goes into details. (And the reason why I'll never attempt at being a professional writer, lol)
I read them and imagined myself in Malazan. White verse (we call it like that in Lithuanian, not sure about English) is poetry when there are no rhymed words. That's interesting about the beat, I didn't hear it, but sometimes when looking for Malazan quotes online, I feel it. Hmm, are the links safe for me? No spoilers? 😉
Oh, then I suppose that's it. Although they don't rhyme, while I'm reading, I can hear the beat: 1, 2, 3; 1, 2, 3...Yeah, they're safe. First one is Kadaspala's POV from Forge of Darkness, just couple of paragraphs where Erikson explains structure of his sentences, and the other one is Tattersail's introduction from Gardens of the Moon, where he again goes deeper explaining how every word has its place etc. It's interesting.
Stefan Bach wrote: "Oh, then I suppose that's it. Although they don't rhyme, while I'm reading, I can hear the beat: 1, 2, 3; 1, 2, 3...Yeah, they're safe. First one is Kadaspala's POV from Forge of Darkness, just co..."
Have you noticed the beat only now, in rereads or was it like that from the beginning? You can't deny your music destiny!!! Mr. Bach 😉
Ohh, interesting! Will read them for sure, thanks! 😉😉😉
Orient wrote: "Stefan Bach wrote: "Oh, then I suppose that's it. Although they don't rhyme, while I'm reading, I can hear the beat: 1, 2, 3; 1, 2, 3...Yeah, they're safe. First one is Kadaspala's POV from Forge ..."
I have noticed them now, when I started Forge of Darkness for the first time and saw how different prose was from what I used to read from him. And when I picked up that there, I was able to notice it later in his other books, whenever he used that beat.
I just only need that wand now and I can be a conductor! :D
That's interesting for sure, yay for rereads! Now I'll look for the verses more closely in the books, especially after reading what's in the links, WOW! How do you find such stuff?! Do you stalk Erikson 24/7?! Joking 😉Lol, magical Malazan wand? 😂
Orient wrote: "That's interesting for sure, yay for rereads! Now I'll look for the verses more closely in the books, especially after reading what's in the links, WOW! How do you find such stuff?! Do you stalk Er..."Look for the balance in jokes and serious themes now in Memories of Ice. For every sad Itkovian or Mhybe scene, there's the my favourite lesbian pairing of the series: Picker and Blend. :D:D But, in all seriousness, balance of hard and lighter themes is perfect in MoI.
Yes, now I want a Malazan magical wand. :D:D
There's 30 books in this series?
MikMurphy wrote: "There's 30 books in this series?"Yes. This entire series is a collaboration of two authors, so with both of their main series, all the prequels in the work, spinoffs and short stories, there's almost thirty books finished. And it keeps on growing.
Here's the chronological list, so you can check it out.
Holy cow! As if this series didn't intimidate me already. How lost would I be if I just started with Gardens of the Moon? My library only has some of them.
MikMurphy wrote: "Holy cow! As if this series didn't intimidate me already. How lost would I be if I just started with Gardens of the Moon? My library only has some of them."I know, right? It asks of reader determination, patience and above everything else: concentration. But, for what is worth, you won't get better than this from the genre. I like to say how this series is at least 20 years ahead of anything else you would find out there in ef.
Yeah, I would actually suggest for you to start with Gardens of the Moon. It's a first published book, still a good starting point, and most importantly - it works as a filter. From this book alone you'll determine if this is something you would stick with or maybe not. As simple as that.
How lost would you be? Maybe you won't be lost at all. The more people read the more I see that they have no problem with it. I had a problem. I was lost in first 300 pages. Last 300 was a smooth ride, and when I finished it I simply went back and reread first 300 pages again.
But, I was confused because I had no-one to tell me that I will be thrown into the fire from the start, from the very fist page. So, here, now you have me, telling you: You will be thrown into the fire from the start. :D
Just concentrate, pay attention, and hopefully you'll enjoy it. Again, there's nothing better out there than this. :D
Stefan Bach wrote: "MikMurphy wrote: "Holy cow! As if this series didn't intimidate me already. How lost would I be if I just started with Gardens of the Moon? My library only has some of them."I know, right? It ask..."
Hahah fire can be good! I think I'll tackle it late this year. If I like it, it will be a heck of a commitment!
Sounds like it's good to read in a group, do you guys do that often?
MikMurphy wrote: "Stefan Bach wrote: "MikMurphy wrote: "Holy cow! As if this series didn't intimidate me already. How lost would I be if I just started with Gardens of the Moon? My library only has some of them."I..."
I rarely read in group because there's a long wait between the books in the series and I am too inpatient to do that. :D There's a massive buddy read right now on GR and the group is on book 2, so when you start reading I recommend you to follow their discussions if you have any questions. And of course, feel free to ask me any question regarding the series, I'll gladly help!
Most people seem to rate DoD at the bottom of the BotF books. I thought it was so much better than HoC or TtH and towards the middle of the pack of the series. The deck reading at the start might be the best one in the series and really set the stage for me. The hobbling IMO is the most brutal set of scenes to read in the entire series. Not from a sadness perspective but from a I need to look away that's so barbaric sense. I think the parallels to today's society were clearly drawn. With Karsa much like the hobbling the point of his character is that, yes he's barbaric in an outdated, prehistoric, draconian way but yet again nobody in his village is left to starve. He's a challenge to modern society. While I may not like all of Karsa's actions I absolutely love Karsa the character. He is written with intent not random gratuitous violence.
Now see what you made me do on a Saturday morning? :)
This book, more than any other, made me sure I never want to see this series on the big or smaller screen. There is no budget, there is no technology that can truthfully convey what you as a reader imagine while reading those Erikson's descriptions.(view spoiler)
I am yet to read reviews and I'll do that over the weekend, so I don't know what people are saying about this book.
Personally, it's hard to rate it. First, it's not finished. And I understand that was the intent and that's the reason why I look at this as part 1 of the Crippled God. But, even with that, with that ending, I agree, this is structurally better than HoC and narrativelly than TtH.
My rating would be: DHG/MoI on first place. Which one is a matter of preferences. But those are the ones that will hook new reader, imo. (For me Mhybe was the hook. I know. I know! :D)
The rest would be MT, RG, Bh, DoD, TtH, GotM, Hoc.
Overall, is it the most gruesome act we have witnessed in this series? Is it worse than when women rape dying men on the very field of battle? Is it more gruesome and sad than children out of hunger eating each other, which happens in this very book? It's ridiculous to compare such things, but my point is: it isn't.
But, what made it hard to look at this, what made us wanting to look away here, was because we know these people. Because we have the POV of both sides.
I believe that was his intention: don't look away.
As for Karsa, I understand Erikson's intent with his character. "I'll challenge this cliche of romanticizing despicable barbarians.". And that's why Karsa started as he started in HoC. And for that part of the story, for that prequel within the HoC - it worked.
But, the moment we get back into the present time, and at the end of HoC - it all falls down with Erikson's intent. Because by the end of the book, he becomes likable, he becomes the hero who kills people we despise, and in that, he becomes the same trope he was created to battle against. He (a mass murdering rapist) is an instrument of justice in this world.
And considering how f**ed up place Malazan world is - yeah, it doesn't surprise me. I don't have to like it, but I understand.
Now, if I choose to forget his beginning and focus on his present story and throughout the series, I come with another problem with Karsa.
For me, he is a misplaced character. Interesting to an extent, especially when parred with Samar Dev who challenges him in non-physical ways, but overall, man, he's lost in this story.
Karsa wanders, Karsa kills, Karsa waits, Karsa kills, Karsa wanders, Karsa kills, Karsa waits, Karsa kills. From the end of HoC this is the exact pattern he goes with.
Don't get me wrong, there are bad-ass moments and parts of his story are interesting, but overall, within the story? What's your point, Karsa?
Of course, just my two cents.
Damn, for a character I don't like, I sure have a lot to say. :D Sorry for this behemoth of a comment, Scott.
Great review. Can't wait to read about K'Chain Che'Malle. Can't say the same for the Hobbling. 😱
Samir wrote: "Great review. Can't wait to read about K'Chain Che'Malle. Can't say the same for the Hobbling. 😱"Thanks! Listen, I haven't mention the half of things that happen in this book. And neither will I attempt. And not because of the spoilers; this is Erikson, you pretty much know what to expect from his books - imagine now in final how ballistic he went - but you have to read that for yourself. No-one can describe that.
There's so many great moments that your inner geek will scream from joy! Trust me. :D
Overall, amazing book and amazing finale. :D
Hobbling. Listen, I'm first against writers using that specific atrocity. There are so many others, there's no really need for that one to be used in literature. But if they have to write about it, at least send a message.
And Erikson delivered here. Message is strong, I mean, you see how much affected me.
But, in order to receive that message one has to read really carefully. And reading about that specific topic, the way he wrote it, is really hard. So just prepare yourself.
The weakest of the series. I still cannot believe how bad it was.
