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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.5
Weakest of the Malazan series so far, and is a lot messier in terms of plotting than the previous three - but has the amazing opening with Karsa and a brilliant ending. However, the 600 pages between feel so disparate, and too often feels like aimless wandering. This is the same issue I had with Deadhouse Gates, but seems far more prevalent here - especially without a Chain of Dogs equivalent storyline to keep the narrative moving forwards. This is still a great book in fantasy terms, just not so much in Erikson terms - which is testament to just how great he is
Weakest of the Malazan series so far, and is a lot messier in terms of plotting than the previous three - but has the amazing opening with Karsa and a brilliant ending. However, the 600 pages between feel so disparate, and too often feels like aimless wandering. This is the same issue I had with Deadhouse Gates, but seems far more prevalent here - especially without a Chain of Dogs equivalent storyline to keep the narrative moving forwards. This is still a great book in fantasy terms, just not so much in Erikson terms - which is testament to just how great he is
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Are you on the hunt for a book so utterly boring that it feels like you’ve been transported into an abyss of hell??? Well, get ready and buckle up, because I have the perfect recommendation that will make you rethink the very essence of boredom!
📖 House of Chains is Book 4 in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. This is a follow-up from book 2 and centres on the Malazan Empire's conflict with the rebellion in the Seven Cities.
✨ Review ✨
This series is giving me such an aggressive case of whiplash it's starting to hurt. I enjoyed Books 1 & 3, Book 2 was terrible. This book though. THIS BOOK made me wonder if I even like reading!!
When I read Deadhouse Gates even though I didn't like it I could still appreciate the story and world. Here I was so bored and disinterested that it made everything I don't like in Erikson's writing more evident. I think by now we have all heard how confusing and complex Malazan can be, but I don't think the story is as complex as it's made out to be. What makes it complex is the fact that Erikson seems to enjoy over-convoluting things for no reason. He has a very overwrought writing style. In books 1 & 3, I had other things I was enjoying so his choice in writing style didn't overly bother me and was even fun at times. Here I was so disinterested in everything happening his writing felt so obnoxious.
His weakest area continues to be his character work. I love multiple pov or a wide set of characters but for me, Erikson has overshot. We are again introduced to a brand new set of characters. I do have my favourites in this series but they are not in this book. The one that is, is barely in it. I have looked it up and according to Google, Malazan gives us 400+ POVs throughout the series. You can imagine that not many characters get the page time they deserve. Even my favourites don't hit any kind of real depth. Characters also start blurring into each other, and it's hard to remember who's who sometimes. Some characters just fade into the background and feel forgotten. This series is not a character-driven reader's friend.
When I first started this series, I was excited because I thought we had some amazing women within this series, and considering the year it was written that felt exciting. But the series has gone downhill and I feel like I'm slowly watching all the women lose their agency. Now the men in this world do face brutality like the women do but the men manage to keep their agency, defiance and strength.
Then, when we add a certain character's ARC into the mix!!! I can't begin to describe the bad taste it leaves in my mouth. I don't want to drop spoilers but please check your triggers and be kind to yourself.
Now I will still be continuing this series and I have hope that I will enjoy the next one especially considering the pattern I seem to be falling into with these books. House of Chains though, can GET F**KED!!
📖 House of Chains is Book 4 in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. This is a follow-up from book 2 and centres on the Malazan Empire's conflict with the rebellion in the Seven Cities.
✨ Review ✨
This series is giving me such an aggressive case of whiplash it's starting to hurt. I enjoyed Books 1 & 3, Book 2 was terrible. This book though. THIS BOOK made me wonder if I even like reading!!
When I read Deadhouse Gates even though I didn't like it I could still appreciate the story and world. Here I was so bored and disinterested that it made everything I don't like in Erikson's writing more evident. I think by now we have all heard how confusing and complex Malazan can be, but I don't think the story is as complex as it's made out to be. What makes it complex is the fact that Erikson seems to enjoy over-convoluting things for no reason. He has a very overwrought writing style. In books 1 & 3, I had other things I was enjoying so his choice in writing style didn't overly bother me and was even fun at times. Here I was so disinterested in everything happening his writing felt so obnoxious.
His weakest area continues to be his character work. I love multiple pov or a wide set of characters but for me, Erikson has overshot. We are again introduced to a brand new set of characters. I do have my favourites in this series but they are not in this book. The one that is, is barely in it. I have looked it up and according to Google, Malazan gives us 400+ POVs throughout the series. You can imagine that not many characters get the page time they deserve. Even my favourites don't hit any kind of real depth. Characters also start blurring into each other, and it's hard to remember who's who sometimes. Some characters just fade into the background and feel forgotten. This series is not a character-driven reader's friend.
When I first started this series, I was excited because I thought we had some amazing women within this series, and considering the year it was written that felt exciting. But the series has gone downhill and I feel like I'm slowly watching all the women lose their agency. Now the men in this world do face brutality like the women do but the men manage to keep their agency, defiance and strength.
Then, when we add a certain character's ARC into the mix!!! I can't begin to describe the bad taste it leaves in my mouth. I don't want to drop spoilers but please check your triggers and be kind to yourself.
Now I will still be continuing this series and I have hope that I will enjoy the next one especially considering the pattern I seem to be falling into with these books. House of Chains though, can GET F**KED!!
Karsa Orlong & witness & et cetera. Second time on this ride for me – I'll note that way back in the day, this is the one that I started with. Not Gardens, not Deadhouse, but the newest one that happened to be this one.
Not feeling it, however, aside from the intense first two hundred pages or so. These are refreshing purely because they eliminate 1) setting bloat and 2) pseudo-philosophy, and thus because Erikson's narrative legs get a great workout. Otherwise, it's Tanno in the Whirlwind pt. 2 and there are things that are either tired or make little sense and make me tired which, I think, is not generally what happens with a good page-turner. New names are handed out (but old names remain open secrets) and that makes things strangely more boring. What was wrong with their earlier names? What's the point? (No, rhetorical.)
It's also at this turning point that I begin again to feel the peculiar weightlessness in the Malazan world, where no one is dead for long with only a few exceptions. I get it: you like your characters! But man: do I wish that when someone died, it really felt real. That's what makes the earlier books so thrilling: a sense of stakes. They're less stakes than tent poles here – and the circus has overstayed its welcome.
Nevertheless. I turned pages.
Not feeling it, however, aside from the intense first two hundred pages or so. These are refreshing purely because they eliminate 1) setting bloat and 2) pseudo-philosophy, and thus because Erikson's narrative legs get a great workout. Otherwise, it's Tanno in the Whirlwind pt. 2 and there are things that are either tired or make little sense and make me tired which, I think, is not generally what happens with a good page-turner. New names are handed out (but old names remain open secrets) and that makes things strangely more boring. What was wrong with their earlier names? What's the point? (No, rhetorical.)
It's also at this turning point that I begin again to feel the peculiar weightlessness in the Malazan world, where no one is dead for long with only a few exceptions. I get it: you like your characters! But man: do I wish that when someone died, it really felt real. That's what makes the earlier books so thrilling: a sense of stakes. They're less stakes than tent poles here – and the circus has overstayed its welcome.
Nevertheless. I turned pages.
I think at this point I've gotten really comfortable with what Malazan is as a series and what Erikson has to offer as a writer. I think with House of Chains in particular, we find ourselves at a weird point with the story. A kind of in-between when it comes to the plot points we are building towards. HoC diverges from Erikson's usual style for the first 200 or so pages for example, and I think the rest of the book is kind of similar in execution when comparing it to the first three entries in the series. In no way is it a bad book. I think it is suffering from the "middle book syndrome" found in trilogies. There's certain plot points and characters that we need to either visit or tie up before we can progress further into the series, and I think Erikson realized this and delivers a very entertaining story, just not one as fulfilling from an overall plot/narrative perspective.
Ranking the books I've read so far in order from least to most favorite.
HoC< GotM < DG < MoI
Top 5 POVs for HoC
1. Fiddler
2. Kalam
3. Lostara Yil
4. Karsa Orlong
5. Cutter
Favorite Characters Rankings Overall
1. Toc the Younger
2. Duiker
3. Paran
4. Kruppe
5. Cotillion
6. Fiddler
7. Kalam
8. Quick Ben
9. Pearl
10. Tool
11. Felisin
12. Cutter
13. Apsalar
14. Anomander Rake
15. Whiskeyjack
-Just going off of what comes into my brain first. Could change literally in the minute after i post this tbh.
Ranking the books I've read so far in order from least to most favorite.
HoC< GotM < DG < MoI
Top 5 POVs for HoC
1. Fiddler
2. Kalam
3. Lostara Yil
4. Karsa Orlong
5. Cutter
Favorite Characters Rankings Overall
1. Toc the Younger
2. Duiker
3. Paran
4. Kruppe
5. Cotillion
6. Fiddler
7. Kalam
8. Quick Ben
9. Pearl
10. Tool
11. Felisin
12. Cutter
13. Apsalar
14. Anomander Rake
15. Whiskeyjack
-Just going off of what comes into my brain first. Could change literally in the minute after i post this tbh.
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
This continues to be a very strong series. The world building and magic continue to be outstanding. The characters are captivating, heroic, demonic, and just so well done. I have my favorites so far out of the first four books, but so many continue to be standouts for different reasons.
My biggest complaint so far is the treatment of women throughout the series so far. Iykyk.
My biggest complaint so far is the treatment of women throughout the series so far. Iykyk.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-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:
Complicated