Reviews

The Crippled God: Book Ten of the Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson

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stellarian's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

edocrave's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Uno dei finali più catartici che abbia mai letto, Il Dio Storpio è l'ultimo libro della saga del "Libro Malazan dei Caduti", e offre una epica conclusione ad una saga che ormai mi sento di aggiungere alle più belle storie fantasy mai scritte. Il Dio Storpio non solo offre epiche battaglie, ma anche esplorazione tematica come non se ne erano mai viste nella saga (a parte per forse I Segugi Dell'Ombra) e alcuni dei momenti più devastanti che abbia mai letto a livello emotivo.

Emozioni

Lei restò immobile, come scolpita nel marmo, una figura che piangeva polvere – ma no, quella sensazione proveniva dal profondo della sua anima, come se lui avesse trovato in uno specchio il riflesso della donna indefinita innanzi a lui, e in quel riflesso un migliaio di verità nascoste. Lei tornò a guardarlo, gli occhi inghiottiti dall’ombra dell’elmo.

La capacità di Erickson nel comunicare delle emozioni profondissime soltanto con una descrizione dell'aspetto esteriore dei personaggi è veramente incredibile, unisce immaginario evocativo e miticizzante con sentimenti profondamente umani, senza mai descrivere le emozioni stesse ma soltanto la reazione del personaggio ad esse in maniera talmente vivida sulla pagina che fa commuovere solo a leggerla.

Quando la voce le venne meno, tutti videro il grido proseguire nel suo viso contorto. Silenziosa, ora, non diede nulla al cielo, e in quel nulla c’era tutto

Aggiunto

Sicuramente per me una delle cose che ho adorato di questo libro è il modo di Erickson di caratterizzare in modo eccezionale un personaggio complesso come l'Aggiunto Tavore Paran senza mai utilizzare il suo POV, ma soltanto tramite ciò che offre agli altri, che siano parole o gesti, e ciò che gli altri pensano di lei. Ed è veramente incredibile come Erickson sia riuscito a farlo bene, dato che questa sua scelta rispecchia sia lo stesso personaggio di Tavore ma anche la tematica principale del libro, che quindi si completano l'un con l'altro fino ad annullare la distinzione tra esplorazione tematica e caratterizzazione.

«Non dite nulla. Siamo mura di silenzio, voi e io. Il perfetto riflesso di chi abbiamo di fronte, e ci siamo guardati in faccia abbastanza a lungo. «Il significato nel nostro silenzio non è cosa che riguardi il nemico».
- Tavore Paran

Nonostante tutta la complessità delle motivazioni e del personaggio stesso di Tavore, Erickson riesce comunque a creare un coinvolgimento emotivo nel lettore che non era mai stato così forte nei suoi confronti negli altri libri della saga, questo perchè al contrario degli altri libri dove l'Aggiunto era una figura vista da lontano per la maggior parte del tempo, qui invece grazie all'intelligente setup occorso nello scorso libro ci riusciamo ad avvicinare, quasi scostando il velo che separa lettore e personaggio abbastanza da vedere uno spiraglio di luce subito nascosto dalla mano abile dell'autore.

Conclusione

Il Dio Storpio offre tutto ciò che il finale di una saga così lunga dovrebbe offrire e anche di più, tra battaglie campali per il destino del mondo Erickson si destreggia in maniera magistrale aggiungendo esplorazione tematica e caratterizzazione dei personaggi come se andassero a braccetto, sfruttando anche la lunghezza della serie complessiva riesce a non risultare mai noioso o pesante ma anzi è quasi una corsa contro il tempo per far dire ai personaggi tutto ciò che hanno bisogno di dire prima della loro probabile inclusione in un Libro Malazan dei Caduti

E ora la pagina davanti a noi appare sfocata.
È finita un’epoca. Il libro deve chiudersi.
Siamo abbandonati alla storia.
Si leva alto, per l’ultima volta, il logoro stendardo dei Caduti.

Osservando attraverso la coltre di fumo si vedono le macchie scure sul tessuto.
È il sangue delle nostre vite, è il tributo versato per le nostre azioni, che presto saranno dimenticate. Non siamo mai stati ciò che la gente potrebbe essere.
Siamo stati solo quello che siamo stati.

Ricordatevi di noi

nickharbour's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

anomandrewrake's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

I finally finished. I feel like I've been reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen for several lifetimes. There's no way I could distill all my thoughts on this book and the series as a whole into a coherent review (at least not a digestible one) so I will give some disconnected thoughts instead.

Tavore...
I'm so glad she finally got to shine. Erikson kept her in his back pocket for basically all of the series. I'm also glad that I'm vindicated in a way. I've known since she arrived on the page that she was my favorite character, someone I'd die for in real life without even thinking about it, and I can't even articulate why. To be proven right after 3,000,000 words feels wonderful. I wish there was more explicit explanation of her motives and private journey (like what exactly she meant by her "first step") but I can be satisfied with what I got. Her sobbing in Ganoes's arms was a perfect thing, along with what she was sobbing about. I still believe that she knew what happened to Felisin. I think it's arguable at least. I hope that in the blank space after the end of the book, she can find love again somehow. T'amber's death was so hard on her.
Fiddler...
Second favorite character. Incredible. That last scene between him and Hedge made me cry like a baby. Who knew that someone who was barely a background character in book 1 would be the closest thing this series has to a protagonist? His struggle throughout the last two books was deeply moving as well. And the reveal that he was the soldier in the prologue, and then the second epilogue referencing it so closely... Chef's kiss.
The Crippled God...
FANTASTIC. His "assassination" was written so perfectly. The choice to show it from Koryk's perspective as someone desperate for meaning and a new god gave the event such a dark cast that was unexpected. This was unarguably the best option, and it certainly was not a killing but rather a freeing, but it didn't feel like it then. They won the day. But Koryk doesn't understand that, at least not emotionally. He just lost his savior. Also my prediction from book three that Kaminsod is literally the God Jehovah I will be sticking by forever because it's never directly contradicted and is in fact somewhat hinted at.
Bent and Roach... you know.
My one substantive complaint is that I wish the Kharkanas storyline had been its own story, maybe contained in a separate standalone novel. It just seems so disconnected from the rest of the series, especially with the Tiste Liosan barely appearing before book ten. Now that I think about it though, maybe not. The Andii struggle, their search for a homeland and their abandonment by their creator did need a resolution. Maybe I wish the storyline had just been more connected to the story of the Bonehunters. The Kharkanas storyline did, in fact, slap.

I don't know what I'm going to do with my life now.

syinhui's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

5.0

Malazan Book of the Fallen has set the bar too high for me, I’m quite sure there are very few series out there that come close to what Erikson had done here. That is not to say it is without its flaws, but to be able pull off a universe as expansive as this one is in itself an admirable feat.

Malazan is relentlessly bleak, brutal, and ominous. Sometimes, I couldn’t help but wish (in vain) it was a little more hopeful, a little less unforgiving to its characters and perhaps the humor a little bit more palatable and not as dry as the Wastelands or the desert of Raraku. Speaking of these immensely harsh environs, I would never forget the literal thirst I felt during these legendary long and gruelling marches. I think I sobbed a few times while reading then weirdly felt bad when a character mentions how they couldn't even afford to spit or talk lest they lose precious water or something along those lines. Anyways...

Superb in every sense of the word but has one of the most depressing and devastating views on humanity and civilization. While I may have learned a great deal and resonated with some of Erikson's philosophical musings, I have to admit I’m done with the many lessons in futility sir, thank you.

No doubt this deserves a re-read because the foreshadowing is insane. It will be so fun to discover or re-discover that lots of lines and pieces of dialogue that simply went over my head the first time around hold great implications and can be subjected to multiple interpretations. It's also a remarkable thing that after these 10 books, there are still mysteries and questions unanswered. Some of these we'll never know for sure. Some, we are free to formulate our own conjectures. Some, I've heard are given light in other series such as Ian C. Esselmont’s Novels of the Malazan Empire or the Kharkanas Trilogy, a prequel focusing on the Tiste people millenias before the events in Gardens of the Moon or Karsa Orlong's Witness Trilogy for a character arc resolution. Although for now, I’m yet of a mind to take up any of the side series. Maybe some time in the future when the Malazan itch comes back and nothing else on my tbr pile does it for me.

On a last note, I feel the need to say how absolutely bonkers it is to have 4 (at least I could think of) immediate threats of existence and 1 sure way the Malazan world could end in the last two books. At this point, I don't think this should be much of a spoiler but here you go.

1. Freeing of Korabas who is basically anathema to life triggers the manifestation of Tiam. Doesn't matter which side wins, either would've destroyed all life on earth. 2. The justice of the Assail via calling upon the full power of Ahkrast Korvalain. A world without gods and humans. Calm mentioned how the Fork'rul Assail and Eleint can share provided the Eleint can be negotiated with. 3. The Jade Strangers I imagine if released upon the world could be as castastrophic as asteroids crashing. That is why killing Kaminsod is off the table. 4. Awakening Icarium's rage. He truly is a wild card. 5. Then of course, the Death of Burn. An inevitable thing that would happen in a couple of decades. Another way to release the Crippled God but also a cleansing of all life.

One mishap and there is no way it could've ended the way it did. I mean how crazy is that right? How mad those two upstarts right?

Final Ranking and Rating

1. Memories of Ice – 5/5

2. The Bonehunters – 5/5

3. The Crippled God – 5/5

4. Deadhouse Gates -5/5

5. Dust of Dreams – 4.5/5

6. Reaper’s Gale – 4.5/5

7. Gardens of the Moon – 4.75/5

8. Midnight Tides – 4.5/5

9. House of Chains – 4.5/5

10. Toll the Hounds – 4/5

'Why are we here? The truth is, we’re not even sure. But … we think we’re here to right an old wrong. Because it’s the thing to do, that’s all.’