Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
I'm starting to realize that these books just hint at the fullness of world in which these books are situated. Odd, as I was a little annoyed at the breadth of this book. It's never good when you open a book and the cast of characters spans more than three pages. But Erikson always manages to just tell enough, to keep the world mysterious but the plot tangible.[return][return]There is some corniness in the writing, mostly the italic thoughts of characters or some dialogue, but this is a serious book of fantasy, a series I know intend to finish. And the writing gets better as the story moves. You have to trust an author before devouring all 11 books of a series.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
About 1% off being as good as Gardens of the Moon. A cracking and harrowing sequel that will leave you wanting more of this great writer.
“How does a mortal make answer to what his or her kind are capable of? Does each of us, soldier or no, reach a point when all that we’ve seen, survived, changes us inside? Irrevocably changes us. What do we become, then? Less human, or more human? Human enough, or too human?” - Steven Erikson, Deadhouse Gates
A few months after Gardens of the Moon, the Malazan Empire is rocked by a cull of the nobility, with many sent to the Otataral mines on an island off the coast of Seven Cities. The Seven Cities are being consumed by a rebellion called The Whirlwind, led by the prophetess Sha'ik in the Holy Desert of Raraku. Malazan forces in Hissar plot to evacuate to the capital of Aren, leading 50,000 refugees across 1,500 miles of desert to safety in a campaign that comes to be known as the Chain of Dogs. Interspersed with all of this action, Kalam embarked on a personal mission to assassinate the Empress, and a group from Genabackis for their own errand list.
Deadhouse Gates has almost nothing in common with Gardens of the Moon, which was interesting. Learning these new characters and jumping between the bands, which are all in close proximity to each other, during chapters was a great way to keep the action moving and tension building across hundreds of pages and 1,500 miles of the Holy Desert Raraku.
My favourite characters in DG were Felisin, Kalam, Heboric, Mappo, Iskaral, Duiker, Apsalar, and Iskaral. More and more, I find myself loving the way Erikson writes women. Felisin was my favourite new character by far. The trauma she goes through as a fifteen-year-old is mind-bending. The PTSD, Stockholm Syndrome, and general brattiness of Felisin are completely believable.
I am loving the way that Erikson is building the world, telling us about the characters, and teasing plotlines that I am expecting to pay off... eventually. I have accepted that I will not understand everything that happens, though it can be frustrating.
For all that, Deadhouse Gates is brutal. The world is taking no prisoners, and showing out the worst in humanity in terms of war, survival, violence, mob mentality, the pain we inflict on each other with tiny cuts, not gashes. It is not for everyone. But if it's for you, it's for you! I'm looking forward to Memories of Ice!
A few months after Gardens of the Moon, the Malazan Empire is rocked by a cull of the nobility, with many sent to the Otataral mines on an island off the coast of Seven Cities. The Seven Cities are being consumed by a rebellion called The Whirlwind, led by the prophetess Sha'ik in the Holy Desert of Raraku. Malazan forces in Hissar plot to evacuate to the capital of Aren, leading 50,000 refugees across 1,500 miles of desert to safety in a campaign that comes to be known as the Chain of Dogs. Interspersed with all of this action, Kalam embarked on a personal mission to assassinate the Empress, and a group from Genabackis for their own errand list.
Deadhouse Gates has almost nothing in common with Gardens of the Moon, which was interesting. Learning these new characters and jumping between the bands, which are all in close proximity to each other, during chapters was a great way to keep the action moving and tension building across hundreds of pages and 1,500 miles of the Holy Desert Raraku.
My favourite characters in DG were Felisin, Kalam, Heboric, Mappo, Iskaral, Duiker, Apsalar, and Iskaral. More and more, I find myself loving the way Erikson writes women. Felisin was my favourite new character by far. The trauma she goes through as a fifteen-year-old is mind-bending. The PTSD, Stockholm Syndrome, and general brattiness of Felisin are completely believable.
I am loving the way that Erikson is building the world, telling us about the characters, and teasing plotlines that I am expecting to pay off... eventually. I have accepted that I will not understand everything that happens, though it can be frustrating.
For all that, Deadhouse Gates is brutal. The world is taking no prisoners, and showing out the worst in humanity in terms of war, survival, violence, mob mentality, the pain we inflict on each other with tiny cuts, not gashes. It is not for everyone. But if it's for you, it's for you! I'm looking forward to Memories of Ice!
Excellent book. Very complex - people complain about how complicated this series is, and although I think that's overstated, I did find myself flipping back to check on things, frequently using the glossary, and having to re-read paragraphs to make sure I followed them. I also employed Google once or twice to confirm things. It's not an easy read, but the story is engrossing, the world-building is well-done, and the characters are fascinating. I've already started the third book and so far it lives up to its predecessors.
Spoiler
My only quibble was with the crucifixion of the Malazan troops after they have surrendered. You've got 10 000 troops who are ready to fight. They obey orders and surrender. Then all 10 000 are crucified. I find it hard to believe that they'd all stand around for that. After the first couple of hundred, I'd think the rest would say "forget this, if we're going to die anyway, we may as well die in a desperate last stand instead of just standing around and waiting for our turn." These are hardened soldiers, not just regular citizens who might be too scared to fight, and their leader who has betrayed them is dead. The patiently waiting for each one's turn to be crucified is a little too pat.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Upon doing a re-read, I found this book to be far more enjoyable than I had the first time. This is both due to me maturing as well as being able to see the events of this novel in the grand context of the series. I personally still fought it dull at times, especially in the first three hundred pages or so, but everything else was well-paced and highly imaginative, as per usual for this series.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes