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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
Pues aqui nos topamos con una avalancha de lore que, si bien es muy interesante, igual me hubiera gustado más repartido en los tres tomo anteriores. El rollo de politiqueo no me termina de convencer y Felisin la Mayor me resulta tan poco interesante como su hermana, a excepción de cierta cosa del final. El libro esta lleno de momentazos, como todo lo referente a Karsa Orlong, toda la parte del final, la trama de Lostara y Perla o muchas de las partes de los soldados malazanos, que quedan muy humanas. A parte, el dúo añadido en este libro de Onrack y Trull Sengar vale su peso en oro. La trama de Apsalar y Azafran es un poco meh, pero apunta a que va a desembocar en algo más jugoso. En general es muy bueno, aunque se me hizo lento a tiempos y creo que desaprovecha alguna posibilidad.
This book is definately not my favorite of the series. The pace was very slow, and I felt like not much of value really happened for the first 800-900 pages, which was a change from the three preceding books. This one I found to be quite boring and eventually I started skimming for the last 200 or so pages, which I never do. I also found the ending to be somewhat anticlimactic, which was really disappointing. There is just way too much going on in these stories, and frankly I don't have the energy to try and keep it all straight. Although I do have to say that Erikson's writing has really improved with each passing book. Unfortunately I think I am probably done with this series, but time will tell.
OK, so I stayed up (way too) late last night reading the last 300 or so pages. It doesn’t help that I can’t read the clock from the couch without my glasses. Not in the least. And now I’m drinking Red Bull.
This is an odd book. The way it flows. You’ve got a 100-200 page opening section that is the backstory for a character from book 2 (!) who is suddenly a main character. Kind of. He is really, really, really obnoxious to start with but, sadly, I’ll admit he grew on me a bit. He’s funny because a) he’s one of those impossible badass types but b) he’s kind of a bad guy. OK, he’s not really so much a bad guy anymore BUT he the way he is written I’ll not be surprised if he winds up being a complete “bad guy” (not that there are many “true bad guys” in these books), nor will I be surprised if he becomes some kind of “good guy”. He’s a true wild card in pretty much every sense of the word. And probably too impossibly badass to be a good guy.
Due to this funky starting section, this book flowed kind of like the first book – a rather difficult first half followed by all kinds of shit happening culminating in a HUGE mass of shit exploding in the last couple chapters. Things were juggled. Oh yes, they were juggled. Perhaps by a D’ivers.
I think, if this series is remembered as a triumph of anything (and I think it probably will), it will be as a great triumph of plot. There is just so god damned much going on it’s crazy. And it all seems to clearly be going somewhere… headed for what may be the biggest (at least character count-wise) collision in all of fantasy. And then I flip over the next book in my pile (book 5) and see that it has an entirely NEW cast, except for ONE person? WTF AKA Steven Erikson, WTF?
I think I must be mostly used to the Erikson style of dialogue by now. It doesn’t even phase me. Sure there were a couple times where people shared some kind of brilliant revelation and I had no idea what the hell they were talking about between the lines… but who cares? If it’s important, it will come back. Everything that dies someday comes back.
It was really annoyed a couple of times when a character was pulled aside by someone with a bunch of knowledge, and this happened:
a: “Come here, I have some crazy secrets to tell you, things I guarantee would be interesting to the reader.”
b: “Alright, what’s up?”
**end section***
Annnnnnd I would want to punch someone. Because obviously whatever they learned affected them because they started doing things different. This happened… at least 3 times? (Karsa & the Jhagut, Apsalar & Cotillion, the Red Blade woman & Cotillion… and probably more). SO ANNOYING. I’m sure we’ll find out whatever it was eventually but. still. GRRR.
The random man-r#pe-in-between-times-and-worlds was random. OH. And we have two new female semi-leads that were both r#ped by the same asshat? One of whom pretty much everyone knew was going after her? REALLY? UGH. That happened. Just realized there was a pretty high r#pe quotient in this volume. Do not like.
It was good to see (some of) the Bridgeburners back together again – hopefully they meet up with the rest in book 6. But I suspect we’ll just get a whole new cast for that one too. Oof.
Did I mention that book 5 (the next one) apparently has an almost entirely new cast??? Only one returning character, and he’s one that was just introduced in this book. AND I kinda get the vibe that 5 may just be his backstory (and that of his people, the Tisti Edur). Anyway, onward!
THREE AND A HALF STARS
Because it’s still incredibly engrossing despite its (or perhaps, because of some of them) its warts.
================
2024 re-read :
Erickson's choice of the level of inscrutability to bring to bear on Tavore's character is a really interesting - and ?brave? one. We know (almost) only what her army knows. It's a strange place to be in. I really enjoyed the book and love all the pieces that I, in the glorious light of a re-read, can see coming into place. Definitely upping its rating to FOUR STARS, but can't go all the way to 5 because, while I think the book is amazing, the ways it makes it difficult to connect with some of the characters also prevent emotional investment. Ish? Something like that.
Felisin's tragedy is epic in its scope and themes. Poor girl - and the T'lan Imass who caught them both up in her own pass on the same cycle. The ending does feel a bit easy, when compared to a typical fantasy climax - but I think that's exactly the point - we are not so much witnessing fantasy as we are witnessing history. Sometimes shit just happens and people are, or are not, there to see it.
This is an odd book. The way it flows. You’ve got a 100-200 page opening section that is the backstory for a character from book 2 (!) who is suddenly a main character. Kind of. He is really, really, really obnoxious to start with but, sadly, I’ll admit he grew on me a bit. He’s funny because a) he’s one of those impossible badass types but b) he’s kind of a bad guy. OK, he’s not really so much a bad guy anymore BUT he the way he is written I’ll not be surprised if he winds up being a complete “bad guy” (not that there are many “true bad guys” in these books), nor will I be surprised if he becomes some kind of “good guy”. He’s a true wild card in pretty much every sense of the word. And probably too impossibly badass to be a good guy.
Due to this funky starting section, this book flowed kind of like the first book – a rather difficult first half followed by all kinds of shit happening culminating in a HUGE mass of shit exploding in the last couple chapters. Things were juggled. Oh yes, they were juggled. Perhaps by a D’ivers.
I think, if this series is remembered as a triumph of anything (and I think it probably will), it will be as a great triumph of plot. There is just so god damned much going on it’s crazy. And it all seems to clearly be going somewhere… headed for what may be the biggest (at least character count-wise) collision in all of fantasy. And then I flip over the next book in my pile (book 5) and see that it has an entirely NEW cast, except for ONE person? WTF AKA Steven Erikson, WTF?
I think I must be mostly used to the Erikson style of dialogue by now. It doesn’t even phase me. Sure there were a couple times where people shared some kind of brilliant revelation and I had no idea what the hell they were talking about between the lines… but who cares? If it’s important, it will come back. Everything that dies someday comes back.
It was really annoyed a couple of times when a character was pulled aside by someone with a bunch of knowledge, and this happened:
a: “Come here, I have some crazy secrets to tell you, things I guarantee would be interesting to the reader.”
b: “Alright, what’s up?”
**end section***
Annnnnnd I would want to punch someone. Because obviously whatever they learned affected them because they started doing things different. This happened… at least 3 times? (Karsa & the Jhagut, Apsalar & Cotillion, the Red Blade woman & Cotillion… and probably more). SO ANNOYING. I’m sure we’ll find out whatever it was eventually but. still. GRRR.
The random man-r#pe-in-between-times-and-worlds was random. OH. And we have two new female semi-leads that were both r#ped by the same asshat? One of whom pretty much everyone knew was going after her? REALLY? UGH. That happened. Just realized there was a pretty high r#pe quotient in this volume. Do not like.
It was good to see (some of) the Bridgeburners back together again – hopefully they meet up with the rest in book 6. But I suspect we’ll just get a whole new cast for that one too. Oof.
Did I mention that book 5 (the next one) apparently has an almost entirely new cast??? Only one returning character, and he’s one that was just introduced in this book. AND I kinda get the vibe that 5 may just be his backstory (and that of his people, the Tisti Edur). Anyway, onward!
THREE AND A HALF STARS
Because it’s still incredibly engrossing despite its (or perhaps, because of some of them) its warts.
================
2024 re-read :
Erickson's choice of the level of inscrutability to bring to bear on Tavore's character is a really interesting - and ?brave? one. We know (almost) only what her army knows. It's a strange place to be in. I really enjoyed the book and love all the pieces that I, in the glorious light of a re-read, can see coming into place. Definitely upping its rating to FOUR STARS, but can't go all the way to 5 because, while I think the book is amazing, the ways it makes it difficult to connect with some of the characters also prevent emotional investment. Ish? Something like that.
Felisin's tragedy is epic in its scope and themes. Poor girl - and the T'lan Imass who caught them both up in her own pass on the same cycle. The ending does feel a bit easy, when compared to a typical fantasy climax - but I think that's exactly the point - we are not so much witnessing fantasy as we are witnessing history. Sometimes shit just happens and people are, or are not, there to see it.
"There's little value in seeking to find reasons for why people do what they do, or feel the way they feel. Hatred is a most pernicious weed, finding root in any kind of soil. It feeds on itself."
"With words."
"Indeed, with words. Form an opinion, say it often enough and pretty soon everyone's saying it right back at you, and then it becomes a conviction, fed by unreasoning anger and defended with weapons of fear. At which point, words become useless..."
"With words."
"Indeed, with words. Form an opinion, say it often enough and pretty soon everyone's saying it right back at you, and then it becomes a conviction, fed by unreasoning anger and defended with weapons of fear. At which point, words become useless..."
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Holy shit, this series keeps getting better and better.
No words to explain that all; but for now I've to reread at least gardens of the moon. That will take me a longer time to finish the series but I have to.
;D
No words to explain that all; but for now I've to reread at least gardens of the moon. That will take me a longer time to finish the series but I have to.
;D
House of Chains is the fourth entry in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and after a thorough introduction featuring only one POV (very unlike previous entries), we have returning plots from previous books finally come together. This book marks the first definitive end of a section of the series, as the first four books coalesce in this to end some plots begun in Book 1, Gardens of the Moon.
There is so much history in all of Steven Erikson's writing, but this book in particular adds a lot more lore and backstory to some big events and characters we've known or seen mentioned before.
Be warned, the first section's character is absolutely reprehensible, and that's fully intentional. However, I would say with all confidence that it does get better so push on! Returning characters will struggle through tormenting choices, wrestle with political ambitions and personal grudges, and fight to survive in the climax of a deadly plot.
Humor, sadness, pathos, madness, honor, integrity, and the hallowed remembrance of the fallen will cement this book as one of my favorites.
The action is as brutal as ever on a large scale, and Erikson never shies away from showing us the gritty horror of fighting battles in this series. Humor and satisfaction are rare, but are fully worth it when it happens. There is much sadness in this book, similar to book 2 (Deadhouse Gates) and a return to familiar locations and characters will bring relief, stress, hope, and despair.
For me, this book's end satisfies, but some may be unhappy and say Erikson didn't stick the landing here.
There is so much history in all of Steven Erikson's writing, but this book in particular adds a lot more lore and backstory to some big events and characters we've known or seen mentioned before.
Be warned, the first section's character is absolutely reprehensible, and that's fully intentional. However, I would say with all confidence that it does get better so push on! Returning characters will struggle through tormenting choices, wrestle with political ambitions and personal grudges, and fight to survive in the climax of a deadly plot.
Humor, sadness, pathos, madness, honor, integrity, and the hallowed remembrance of the fallen will cement this book as one of my favorites.
The action is as brutal as ever on a large scale, and Erikson never shies away from showing us the gritty horror of fighting battles in this series. Humor and satisfaction are rare, but are fully worth it when it happens. There is much sadness in this book, similar to book 2 (Deadhouse Gates) and a return to familiar locations and characters will bring relief, stress, hope, and despair.
For me, this book's end satisfies, but some may be unhappy and say Erikson didn't stick the landing here.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
This became my own House of Chains dragging it everywhere with me! Absolutely fantastic read. Forget 50 shades, this is the only book with chains in that needs reading ;)
I think I had an real issue with the plotting of this book. While the Karsa story was amazing and so were servers other side tales, most of the main story was about 2 sides waiting forever to fight. Basically 900 pages of waiting that started in Book 2!