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”There is no struggle too vast, no odds too overwhelming, for even should we fail - should we fall - we will know that we have lived.��

The eighth tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen is dominated once again by Erikson’s philosophical musings. The majority of the book is an intellectual exploration of life and death, society and history, love, lust and war, on a scale not rivalled by even the political treatise that was Midnight Tides.

That is not to say, however, that nothing is happening in this book. The last few chapters are a whirlwind of major happenings and confrontations, and a convergence of the series�� most powerful characters in the streets of Darujhistan. The structure has indeed become quite reminiscent of a Wheel of Time book, with everything going down in the final fifth of the book. Most of this tale, philosophy aside, consists of setting the stage for the endgame, with the most fascinating tangent being that of Karsa Orlong and Samar Dev and their journeys with the mysterious Traveller.

Although there is little action until the end, it is difficult to give this book anything but praise. It has significantly contributed to making the Malazan Book of the Fallen an intellectual achievement within the fantasy genre, combined with the fact that it’s just bloody awesome.

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