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Most books in this series include depictions of sexual assault, some fairly detailed. I wouldn’t argue that you should never include rape (or other kinda of violence) in your fantasy novel, but in Malazan it often feels gratuitous, and it’s sometimes hard to see how it advances the plot or the characterization. (I know opinions in the fandom are divided on this.) I had to stop with this one because of two characters, one whose assault is described almost casually and one whose repeated victimization is laughed off by the characters around him. Sexual assault is usually not condoned in the books (either implicitly by the narrator or by the characters), but this was one of multiple exceptions. I see what the author is trying to do, but it’s not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Saying too much about any one Malazan novel is always risking spoilers, but my series rule holds true: my least favorite Malazan novel is the first 150 pages of a Malazan novel; my favorite is the following 600 pages.
Midnight Tides feels a bit like a "check-in," where Erikson pivots something a bit new and takes the opportunity to make sure the reader is up to speed regarding the world and provide some much appreciated context for whatever happens next. Tides introduces quite a few new (and excellent) characters, but keeps a pretty tight narrative, especially relative to the first four books in the series. If you've made it this far, you'll definitely want to keep going through Midnight Tides.
Midnight Tides feels a bit like a "check-in," where Erikson pivots something a bit new and takes the opportunity to make sure the reader is up to speed regarding the world and provide some much appreciated context for whatever happens next. Tides introduces quite a few new (and excellent) characters, but keeps a pretty tight narrative, especially relative to the first four books in the series. If you've made it this far, you'll definitely want to keep going through Midnight Tides.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
This tide is rising, and there are scant few who would stand before it.
I was considering rating this a little lower than House of Chains because… let’s admit it, it’s good but it gets a little too clunky and slow (same could be said in HoC but at least we spend time with familiar characters). Also, I do have one other complaint.
I’m fine with it in the first four books, even as I sometimes rolled my eyes, I thought it was necessary to convey the depth of a character’s mind and the profoundness of all that is happening. I mean, the obfuscation (hope this is the right word) of concepts and complex emotions got a little too much for me in Midnight Tides. I know this is a Steven Erikson thing. Nothing is ever explained in a straightforward manner. He excels in creating extraordinarily convoluted conversations to the point that it becomes irritating and if you don't get it, that's your fault for you're not paying attention. I love how Erikson doesn't spoonfeed but sometimes I hate him for it.
Thoughts and feelings are often written in a way as if you’re reading a paper on philosophy or psychology instead of simply experiencing it with the characters. No other book series does it better in this aspect and that is the beauty of Malazan Book of the Fallen. Unfortunately, that didn’t quite work for me in Midnight Tides. I feel that a lot of these “obfuscations” aren’t that relevant or essential to drive the plot. For the first time, I feel that these mini studies on complex emotions and ideas are just only there to fill the pages. For the first time, I skimmed read sections of the book and didn't regret it. (I never skim read Malazan. I don't recommend it. This is a first for me.) In short, certain parts could’ve been better trimmed down.
I'm rambling here. Now that's out of the way, let's go back a little. I’ve given Midnight Tides the same rating as HoC, - though I didn’t love it as much - because I’m constantly in awe at how each installment never fails to be as immersive as the previous ones. I may consider this a weaker book (entirely due to preference) compared to DhG or MoI but it’s nothing short of fantastic.
Unpopular opinion: At this stage, rating MBotF lower than 4 stars is a crime.
The sheer epicness of this series overshadows any issues I might have in the previous books or will have in the next ones. I said this in my review of House of Chains and I will stand by these words: The character development alone more than make up for the flaws in writing.
Speaking of characters, I will mention a notable few.
Trull walked to a nearby boulder and sat down on it.
He lowered his head into his hands and began to weep.
Trull Sengar. I wanted to weep with him too.
He's stuck in a nightmare, completely isolated and helpless against the tide of madness that has poisoned his people.
No-one wanted to listen. Independent thought had been relinquished, with appalling eagerness, it seemed to him, and in its place had risen a stolid resolve to question nothing.
I liked him in House of Chains, I like him even more now
My heart breaks for him. For the Sengar brothers. For the Tiste Edur.
We were fallen, and the emperor proclaims that we shall rise again. He is insane, for we are not rising. We are falling, and I fear there will be no end to that descent. Until someone gave answer.
Rhulad Sengar. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger... except... for young Rhulad here. Oh I don't hate him, I just really feel sorry for him. He was a fool and a brat. He might've desired power and recognition but the price he must pay is beyond terrible.
I am not an evil man ... yet I have just vowed to stand at his side. Errant take me, what have I done?
Udinaas. He's one of the characters that stood out for me the most. I am always anticipating how he'd respond to the situations forced upon him.
He'd done well. I think he's such an incredible character. He knew his place.
A Letherii slave. A tool. Blood tainted. Gifted with wisdom. He'd unwittingly become an important presence to Rhulad. His anchor. His guide back to sanity.
...the history of this decade, for our dear Letheras, can be most succinctly understood by a faithful recounting of the three Beddict brothers. And, as is clear, the tale's not yet done.
Tehol Beddict and Bugg. And friends. A lot of people love this master and manservant duo for the comic relief they offer. I love them for that too. But at times, the humor feels forced and repetitive. Perhaps I just prefer the macabre duo Korbal Broach and Bauchelain or the dark fatalistic humor of the Bridgeburners, either way I think people are giving too much credit on Tehol and Bugg's banters. Don't get me wrong, they're also my favorites. How can I not, when they're so charming together? Sharing questionable if not, outright disgusting meals and beverages. A diet consisting of the hardly edible sorts. This and that. Living like paupers when they could probably own the whole city. Impressive duo. The humor though? Much less so.
The half-blood women Shand, Hejun and Rissarh. The two quirky undead, Shurq Elalle and Harlest with their half-Tarthenal criminal Ublala Pung. The eccentric Rat Catcher's Guild. Tehol's associates. While I find them all amusing, I'm quite disappointed by their lack of direct contribution during the conquer of Letheras. I was expecting them to affect some change or at least create more chaos to complicate matters. Of course, their interests lie elsewhere at that moment so I guess it makes sense.
Brys Beddict. The youngest of Beddict brothers. A phenomenal swordsman, modest and loyal too. I wish we could've seen more of his formidable skills. I wish he'd been one of the key players but oh well...
Turudal Brizad. By the Errant! The First Consort...
If I'd known this was going to be a day for killing gods, I might have paced myself better.
Iron Bars. Corlo and company.
Did I just become a fan of the Crimson Guard? Absolutely.
Kettle. Rud Ellalle. Kids you might want to adopt except if you ain't nice they might murder you.
Silchas Ruin. I'm starting to suspect that besides the enigmatic vibe, being late to the party is a trait shared by the sons of Mother Dark.
You still don't understand, do you? The more pain you deliver to others, god, the more shall be visited upon you. You sow your own misery, and because of that whatever sympathy you might rightly receive is swept away.
Withal, the Nachts, Sindalath Dukorlat and The Crippled God.
The exchange of words between the Meckros swordsmith and the Crippled God were very interesting. My favorite part of the book, actually.
Build a nest.
Kick it down.
Build a nest.
Kick...it...down!
How enlightening.
Withal's incessant praying has paid off. No doubt, it bugged the Elder god of the seas. And that ending... so good.
5 gargantuan books done! Half-way through. I'm so excited for The Bonehunters. But I will either take a long break after this or read the next a few pages at a time because at this rate I feel like I might actually finish the whole series by end of the year (which i will surely regret) and I'm not ready to feel that sense of emptiness that always comes after finishing a great book.
He saw the sea for what it was, the dissolved memories of the past witnessed in the present and fertile fuel for the future, the very face of time. He saw the tides in their immutable susurration, the vast swish like blood from the cold heart moon, a beat of time measured and therefore measurable. Tides one could not hope to hold back.
I’m fine with it in the first four books, even as I sometimes rolled my eyes, I thought it was necessary to convey the depth of a character’s mind and the profoundness of all that is happening. I mean, the obfuscation (hope this is the right word) of concepts and complex emotions got a little too much for me in Midnight Tides. I know this is a Steven Erikson thing. Nothing is ever explained in a straightforward manner. He excels in creating extraordinarily convoluted conversations to the point that it becomes irritating and if you don't get it, that's your fault for you're not paying attention. I love how Erikson doesn't spoonfeed but sometimes I hate him for it.
Thoughts and feelings are often written in a way as if you’re reading a paper on philosophy or psychology instead of simply experiencing it with the characters. No other book series does it better in this aspect and that is the beauty of Malazan Book of the Fallen. Unfortunately, that didn’t quite work for me in Midnight Tides. I feel that a lot of these “obfuscations” aren’t that relevant or essential to drive the plot. For the first time, I feel that these mini studies on complex emotions and ideas are just only there to fill the pages. For the first time, I skimmed read sections of the book and didn't regret it. (I never skim read Malazan. I don't recommend it. This is a first for me.) In short, certain parts could’ve been better trimmed down.
I'm rambling here. Now that's out of the way, let's go back a little. I’ve given Midnight Tides the same rating as HoC, - though I didn’t love it as much - because I’m constantly in awe at how each installment never fails to be as immersive as the previous ones. I may consider this a weaker book (entirely due to preference) compared to DhG or MoI but it’s nothing short of fantastic.
Unpopular opinion: At this stage, rating MBotF lower than 4 stars is a crime.
The sheer epicness of this series overshadows any issues I might have in the previous books or will have in the next ones. I said this in my review of House of Chains and I will stand by these words: The character development alone more than make up for the flaws in writing.
Speaking of characters, I will mention a notable few.
Trull walked to a nearby boulder and sat down on it.
He lowered his head into his hands and began to weep.
Trull Sengar. I wanted to weep with him too.
He's stuck in a nightmare, completely isolated and helpless against the tide of madness that has poisoned his people.
No-one wanted to listen. Independent thought had been relinquished, with appalling eagerness, it seemed to him, and in its place had risen a stolid resolve to question nothing.
I liked him in House of Chains, I like him even more now
My heart breaks for him. For the Sengar brothers. For the Tiste Edur.
We were fallen, and the emperor proclaims that we shall rise again. He is insane, for we are not rising. We are falling, and I fear there will be no end to that descent. Until someone gave answer.
Rhulad Sengar. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger... except... for young Rhulad here. Oh I don't hate him, I just really feel sorry for him. He was a fool and a brat. He might've desired power and recognition but the price he must pay is beyond terrible.
I am not an evil man ... yet I have just vowed to stand at his side. Errant take me, what have I done?
Udinaas. He's one of the characters that stood out for me the most. I am always anticipating how he'd respond to the situations forced upon him.
He'd done well. I think he's such an incredible character. He knew his place.
A Letherii slave. A tool. Blood tainted. Gifted with wisdom. He'd unwittingly become an important presence to Rhulad. His anchor. His guide back to sanity.
...the history of this decade, for our dear Letheras, can be most succinctly understood by a faithful recounting of the three Beddict brothers. And, as is clear, the tale's not yet done.
Tehol Beddict and Bugg. And friends. A lot of people love this master and manservant duo for the comic relief they offer. I love them for that too. But at times, the humor feels forced and repetitive. Perhaps I just prefer the macabre duo Korbal Broach and Bauchelain or the dark fatalistic humor of the Bridgeburners, either way I think people are giving too much credit on Tehol and Bugg's banters. Don't get me wrong, they're also my favorites. How can I not, when they're so charming together? Sharing questionable if not, outright disgusting meals and beverages. A diet consisting of the hardly edible sorts. This and that. Living like paupers when they could probably own the whole city. Impressive duo. The humor though? Much less so.
The half-blood women Shand, Hejun and Rissarh. The two quirky undead, Shurq Elalle and Harlest with their half-Tarthenal criminal Ublala Pung. The eccentric Rat Catcher's Guild. Tehol's associates. While I find them all amusing, I'm quite disappointed by their lack of direct contribution during the conquer of Letheras. I was expecting them to affect some change or at least create more chaos to complicate matters. Of course, their interests lie elsewhere at that moment so I guess it makes sense.
Brys Beddict. The youngest of Beddict brothers. A phenomenal swordsman, modest and loyal too. I wish we could've seen more of his formidable skills. I wish he'd been one of the key players but oh well...
Turudal Brizad. By the Errant! The First Consort...
If I'd known this was going to be a day for killing gods, I might have paced myself better.
Iron Bars. Corlo and company.
Did I just become a fan of the Crimson Guard? Absolutely.
Kettle. Rud Ellalle. Kids you might want to adopt except if you ain't nice they might murder you.
Silchas Ruin. I'm starting to suspect that besides the enigmatic vibe, being late to the party is a trait shared by the sons of Mother Dark.
You still don't understand, do you? The more pain you deliver to others, god, the more shall be visited upon you. You sow your own misery, and because of that whatever sympathy you might rightly receive is swept away.
Withal, the Nachts, Sindalath Dukorlat and The Crippled God.
The exchange of words between the Meckros swordsmith and the Crippled God were very interesting. My favorite part of the book, actually.
Build a nest.
Kick it down.
Build a nest.
Kick...it...down!
How enlightening.
Withal's incessant praying has paid off. No doubt, it bugged the Elder god of the seas. And that ending... so good.
5 gargantuan books done! Half-way through. I'm so excited for The Bonehunters. But I will either take a long break after this or read the next a few pages at a time because at this rate I feel like I might actually finish the whole series by end of the year (which i will surely regret) and I'm not ready to feel that sense of emptiness that always comes after finishing a great book.
He saw the sea for what it was, the dissolved memories of the past witnessed in the present and fertile fuel for the future, the very face of time. He saw the tides in their immutable susurration, the vast swish like blood from the cold heart moon, a beat of time measured and therefore measurable. Tides one could not hope to hold back.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Suicide, Xenophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Colonisation
Minor: Drug abuse, Incest, Excrement
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
slow-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
An amazing installment in an amazing series, Midnight Tides perfectly captures themes of betrayal, greed, and brotherhood through parallel storylines, wonderful character development, and a gripping storyline.
Central to the plot is the relationship between brothers, the three Senegar brothers of the Tiste Edur and the three Bennedict brothers of the Letherai. Through these pairs we see how envy and jealousy can tear brothers apart, while at the same time see how love and acceptance can bring them back together.
My favorite part of this book is probably seeing Trull Senegar story.Appearing in House of Chains, we knew little of Trull other than that he was an exile of his clan. During Midnight Tides we get to see his full story—a talented spearman who fought bravely for his brothers and clan who is slowly ostracized due to his refusal to bend his knee to the tainted ideology spreading between his people
Another favorite would be Tehol Bennedict and his manservant Buggs, whose endless minor plots come together beautifully in the end to serve the greater narrative—with a surprising twist. These snippets provide refreshingly light, funny moments in an otherwise dark, emotional tale.
Central to the plot is the relationship between brothers, the three Senegar brothers of the Tiste Edur and the three Bennedict brothers of the Letherai. Through these pairs we see how envy and jealousy can tear brothers apart, while at the same time see how love and acceptance can bring them back together.
My favorite part of this book is probably seeing Trull Senegar story.
Another favorite would be Tehol Bennedict and his manservant Buggs, whose endless minor plots come together beautifully in the end to serve the greater narrative—with a surprising twist. These snippets provide refreshingly light, funny moments in an otherwise dark, emotional tale.
Overall, I rate Midnight Tides up there within the Malazan Series among Memories of Ice and Deadhouse Gates. Can’t wait to see the aftermath of this story and the return of these characters.
Bold
Italic
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual violence