Take a photo of a barcode or cover
131 reviews for:
The God Is Not Willing: Book One of the Witness Trilogy: A Novel of the Malazan World
Steven Erikson
4.51 AVERAGE
131 reviews for:
The God Is Not Willing: Book One of the Witness Trilogy: A Novel of the Malazan World
Steven Erikson
4.51 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It had all the usual beats I’ve come to expect from Erickson — cultural collapse, environment collapse, climate change disasters, 10/10 character dynamics, vast and varied mythologies, connection between man and beast, philosophizing (over philosophizing?
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Erikson is so damn good, this was everything I love about Malazan. The marines in particular are so well written. Enjoyable also in its smaller scope than the Book of the Fallen.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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:
No
Thoughtful, heart breaking, hopeful. Erikson masters these with his writing and the range of his characters.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
When you call someone your favorite author of all time, it’s nice to remember why. That was one of the many gifts this book gave me. The God Is Not Willing is Erikson at his finest. It is chaotic, insane, unceasingly fantastical. It flows from hilarious to heartbreaking and back again seamlessly. It perfectly showcases the centermost message underlying all of Erikson’s work; his firm belief in universal and unconditional compassion extended in equal measure to allies and enemies.
Erikson demonstrates his ideology fully formed in the second company of the fourteenth legion of the Malazan army, possibly his best-written group of marines yet, both for their actions and their dialogue, which continues to improve even a decade after The Crippled God. Erikson’s ability to mingle the mundane with the spectacular is on greater display than ever before with these marines, particularly Stillwater, one of his best characters to date, whose hilarious and often asinine dialogue with her fellow marines stands in contrast to her terrifying individual power, both of which stand in contrast again to a fundamental selflessness that characterizes most if not all of the second company. Balancing out this side of the army are hands down the best group of heavies he has ever written. The section of the Malazan marines often stereotyped as bumbling and uncomprehending maintain their idiotic charm in select situations, proving utterly incapable of organizing any logistical operation and often slow on the uptake as a situation unfolds. Erikson juxtaposes this with their conversations on the march or at night over drinks, as they intelligently discuss poetry, language, or the philosophical implications of their newest orders. There is endlessly more praise I could heap on the marines but suffice it to say they follow perfectly in the footsteps of the Bridgeburners and Bonehunters.
On the other side of his ideal, Erikson explores his notion of compassion in the context of growing up and losing innocence with Rant. Following the son of Karsa Orlong gives us a chance to spend time in the wreckage left in the wake of one of Erikson’s most iconic characters in a long-overdue exploration of the consequences of Karsa’s actions. Rant matures considerably over the course of the book and his growth is apparent through the changes in how he views himself and his place in the world as well as those around him. In spite of that growth, that loss of innocence, Rant remains a force for good despite his own unending hardship and tragic origins. As Rant matures, he also begins to embody the best of his father. The relentlessness and tenacity. The spectacular moments that only Erikson can write and that define so much of Karsa’s popularity.
This is all to say that this book was an incredible read, fully worthy of the legacy it follows, and probably the best book I’ve read this year.
Erikson demonstrates his ideology fully formed in the second company of the fourteenth legion of the Malazan army, possibly his best-written group of marines yet, both for their actions and their dialogue, which continues to improve even a decade after The Crippled God. Erikson’s ability to mingle the mundane with the spectacular is on greater display than ever before with these marines, particularly Stillwater, one of his best characters to date, whose hilarious and often asinine dialogue with her fellow marines stands in contrast to her terrifying individual power, both of which stand in contrast again to a fundamental selflessness that characterizes most if not all of the second company. Balancing out this side of the army are hands down the best group of heavies he has ever written. The section of the Malazan marines often stereotyped as bumbling and uncomprehending maintain their idiotic charm in select situations, proving utterly incapable of organizing any logistical operation and often slow on the uptake as a situation unfolds. Erikson juxtaposes this with their conversations on the march or at night over drinks, as they intelligently discuss poetry, language, or the philosophical implications of their newest orders. There is endlessly more praise I could heap on the marines but suffice it to say they follow perfectly in the footsteps of the Bridgeburners and Bonehunters.
On the other side of his ideal, Erikson explores his notion of compassion in the context of growing up and losing innocence with Rant. Following the son of Karsa Orlong gives us a chance to spend time in the wreckage left in the wake of one of Erikson’s most iconic characters in a long-overdue exploration of the consequences of Karsa’s actions. Rant matures considerably over the course of the book and his growth is apparent through the changes in how he views himself and his place in the world as well as those around him. In spite of that growth, that loss of innocence, Rant remains a force for good despite his own unending hardship and tragic origins. As Rant matures, he also begins to embody the best of his father. The relentlessness and tenacity. The spectacular moments that only Erikson can write and that define so much of Karsa’s popularity.
This is all to say that this book was an incredible read, fully worthy of the legacy it follows, and probably the best book I’ve read this year.