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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
As with Gardens of the Moon, this is a perfectly competent dark fantasy by a perfectly competent writer. There was less charm in this one than in the last one, replaced by rape and slaughter and more rape, you know, the kind of shit fantasy dudes like to write about. I dunno, there wasn't a lot to motivate me to finish this but Felisin's plight, which is... strangely resolved, to say the least. And there's something very different about the way Erikson treats his female characters in this book versus the last one. Gardens had realistic female characters with disparate goals and motivations and distinct personalities and plights. This one's got Felisin, I guess. Maybe Minala. The Mother and the Whore, basically.
Some of the dogs lived. That's a plus.
Some of the dogs lived. That's a plus.
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Chain of Dogs, which takes up a significant portion of this book, is one of the greatest plotlines in the history of literature. It is just that good.
Paran is very well written in this book and I love the transformation that is taking place in him. As he becomes more, he is also becoming less, and that loss is eating him up inside. Compared to similar transformations that take place in other fantasy books, the struggle and trying to adapt just seems so well written and real.
Fiddler takes a bigger role in this book and he really starts to come into his own. He and Quick Ben are the twin strands that make up the DNA of this series. However, QB is far less relatable and has a much more questionable moral compass. So I think it is fair to say Fid is the core of what makes the Malazan series so great.
Coltaine...
Even though nobody else did until...
I know, I know. I'm making references that only those who have read the book will understand. So what are you waiting for? Stop reading these reviews and go read the real thing. This is one of the best books in one of the best contemporary fantasy series out there. And if you have already read the book, stop nodding your head in agreement and go read it again.
Paran is very well written in this book and I love the transformation that is taking place in him. As he becomes more, he is also becoming less, and that loss is eating him up inside. Compared to similar transformations that take place in other fantasy books, the struggle and trying to adapt just seems so well written and real.
Fiddler takes a bigger role in this book and he really starts to come into his own. He and Quick Ben are the twin strands that make up the DNA of this series. However, QB is far less relatable and has a much more questionable moral compass. So I think it is fair to say Fid is the core of what makes the Malazan series so great.
Coltaine...
Even though nobody else did until...
I know, I know. I'm making references that only those who have read the book will understand. So what are you waiting for? Stop reading these reviews and go read the real thing. This is one of the best books in one of the best contemporary fantasy series out there. And if you have already read the book, stop nodding your head in agreement and go read it again.
My copy differed from the online one with being over 900 pages long.
Yet again a masterpiece of story telling from steven erikson.The second in the saga that is the malazan book of the fallen, you are introduced to hoardes of new characters, and he writes in such a way that you are swept along in the adventure with them. You also can't help but fell the grief and sorrow they feel. This book has one of the saddest moments in it I have ever read. And the second go round of reading it doesnt get any easier.
I can't wait to move onto the third part of this epic,epic series.
Yet again a masterpiece of story telling from steven erikson.The second in the saga that is the malazan book of the fallen, you are introduced to hoardes of new characters, and he writes in such a way that you are swept along in the adventure with them. You also can't help but fell the grief and sorrow they feel. This book has one of the saddest moments in it I have ever read. And the second go round of reading it doesnt get any easier.
I can't wait to move onto the third part of this epic,epic series.
“The lesson of history is that no one learns.”
How does a writer evolve in his literature to the degree that Erikson has from Gardens of the Moon into Deadhouse Gates ? The second volume to the Malazan Book of the Fallen is superior to its predecessor in every aspect: in prose, in structure, in content, in themes, in character development. While Gardens of the Moon was a taste and glimpse of the world, it lacked a seemingly compelling vision. We could imagine from its reputation and from the scope of events that it was covering that Erikson teased at the later development and growth of the plot; nevertheless, that did not stop it from being weak in content, from putting off a lot of readers by throwing them into a convoluted universe that did was not even super interesting at first glance. Besides Anomander Rake and the Bridgeburners, I'd also make the case that it possessed very little in terms of characters and personalities; although for a first installment, that might be asking for a lot. However, every criticism I make is meant for me to illustrate the extent of which Deadhouse Gates innovates on all those fronts.
"Children are dying. The injustices of the world hide in those three words.”
In immersing readers within the world, Deadhouse Gates does it better than GotM. We were confused and we were lost, but we trudged on with the promise that there was a definitive direction that would make up for all of its shortcomings. This is the beginning of that promise. The reader is treated like a scholar, treated with respect and intelligence by Erikson. He forces us to remember occurrences from hundreds of pages prior and to file new events and details for future reference, but not in a manner that leaves us lost like a lot of things did in the first book - just challenging. You get out what you put in. The prose here is also a lot smoother and more refined, which to its credit creates among the most poignant and atmospheric passages to date. Readers will also start to see a bit of the philosophizing that becomes much more commonplace in the later novels.
Another thing that it does better is to create characters we care about. In fact, a lot of them become incredibly iconic. Felisin, Duiker, Coltaine to name just a few. These were all introduced here and they were all incredibly well crafted and developed over the span of 800 pages. By god, the perspectives of the members in the Seven Cities brought a lot to the table, introducing us to an even more chaotic climate and war torn arena than Darujhistan.
“We are all lone souls. It pays to know humility, lest the delusion of control, of mastery, overwhelms. And, indeed, we seem a species prone to that delusion, again and ever again."
Deadhouse Gates is a full course dinner while Gardens of the Moon was merely an appetizer. Someone cannot have a foray into the Malazan universe to see if the series is their thing without having read this because GotM is not enough and hopefully this will convince you. It certainly did for me.
Cool Malazan Resources:
Tor Malazan Re-read of the Fallen.
Deadhouse Gates Companion Guide.
Malazan Series Highlights, a Redditor's Journey.
How does a writer evolve in his literature to the degree that Erikson has from Gardens of the Moon into Deadhouse Gates ? The second volume to the Malazan Book of the Fallen is superior to its predecessor in every aspect: in prose, in structure, in content, in themes, in character development. While Gardens of the Moon was a taste and glimpse of the world, it lacked a seemingly compelling vision. We could imagine from its reputation and from the scope of events that it was covering that Erikson teased at the later development and growth of the plot; nevertheless, that did not stop it from being weak in content, from putting off a lot of readers by throwing them into a convoluted universe that did was not even super interesting at first glance. Besides Anomander Rake and the Bridgeburners, I'd also make the case that it possessed very little in terms of characters and personalities; although for a first installment, that might be asking for a lot. However, every criticism I make is meant for me to illustrate the extent of which Deadhouse Gates innovates on all those fronts.
"Children are dying. The injustices of the world hide in those three words.”
In immersing readers within the world, Deadhouse Gates does it better than GotM. We were confused and we were lost, but we trudged on with the promise that there was a definitive direction that would make up for all of its shortcomings. This is the beginning of that promise. The reader is treated like a scholar, treated with respect and intelligence by Erikson. He forces us to remember occurrences from hundreds of pages prior and to file new events and details for future reference, but not in a manner that leaves us lost like a lot of things did in the first book - just challenging. You get out what you put in. The prose here is also a lot smoother and more refined, which to its credit creates among the most poignant and atmospheric passages to date. Readers will also start to see a bit of the philosophizing that becomes much more commonplace in the later novels.
Another thing that it does better is to create characters we care about. In fact, a lot of them become incredibly iconic. Felisin, Duiker, Coltaine to name just a few. These were all introduced here and they were all incredibly well crafted and developed over the span of 800 pages. By god, the perspectives of the members in the Seven Cities brought a lot to the table, introducing us to an even more chaotic climate and war torn arena than Darujhistan.
“We are all lone souls. It pays to know humility, lest the delusion of control, of mastery, overwhelms. And, indeed, we seem a species prone to that delusion, again and ever again."
Deadhouse Gates is a full course dinner while Gardens of the Moon was merely an appetizer. Someone cannot have a foray into the Malazan universe to see if the series is their thing without having read this because GotM is not enough and hopefully this will convince you. It certainly did for me.
Cool Malazan Resources:
Tor Malazan Re-read of the Fallen.
Deadhouse Gates Companion Guide.
Malazan Series Highlights, a Redditor's Journey.
I officially have a new favorite author. Steven Erikson has gone all out on this series he has brought to life and entire pantheon of gods, old and new, and religious cults for each in addition to an entire world full of people and places entwined in his own unique brand of magic the likes of which i have never seen.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes