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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
Title: House of Chains
Series: The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 4 of 10
Author: Steven Erikson
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Personal Rating: 3.5/5
After the rollercoaster rides that were Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice, I began House of Chains ready for another harrowing journey, full of twists, turns and stories I could never have imagined on my own. And while the book did deliver some of those, the pacing was…disappointing.
The Malazan books are taking me an astonishingly long time to read, courtesy of their sheer density, but Book 4 was an absolute slog. There were parts of it that seemed to drag endlessly, with the plot going nowhere. For example, the first part of the book which deals with Karsa Orlong’s departure from his home mountains into the world of the “lowlanders” — did we really need almost a third of this 1000-page-book describing every single step they took? Honestly, it was easier to not pay attention. My mind would frequently drift off, and then I’d realize I’d read right past important scenes without even realizing it.
Coupled with the jarring effect of having the audiobook change narrators (from the hypnotic rhythms of Ralph Lister to the much gruffer tones of Michael Page), this was a book I almost gave up on.
I read and listened at the same time, so that helped some, but I’m worried about other, less patient readers.
I miss Lister. I want him back. Can someone please bring him back?
Don’t get me wrong — this wasn’t a “bad” book. It’s just that, in comparison to the incredible awe that the last two installments inspired in me, House of Chains just falls woefully short. I suppose it is too much to expect any writer to maintain such insane quality levels for more than two books at a time. It’s a shame, though, because we’re introduced (once again) to some characters that I’m already daydreaming about.
My new discovery: the Thelomen Toblakai, Karsa Orlong of the Teblor. Take your typical fantasy barbarian character, and then watch as Erikson turns it inside out. He’s not a mindless killing machine. Well, he is a killing machine, but with intelligence to match — you simply have to put him into context. And boy does he suffer with context. The sheer growth of the Karsa Orlong from page one to the Karsa of the final paragraph left me in literal tears of joy. Oh, he has his flaws, and there’s no shortage of them, but it’s also fascinating to watch how he learns from them. For example, his view of women. He goes from viewing them as breeding tools to living, intelligent creatures more than capable of matching him in every aspect. He even half-adopts a little girl — and then brutally murders her abuser in her name and in the name of the countless other children that monster had scarred.
And that is a man who loves his animals. Good God, he loves his animals!
As always, we are left with no choice but to admire and then fall in love with a number of characters, only to watch them die in quick succession. The deaths here, however, felt fitting. Appropriate.
I miss Paran and Rake, though.
I give Book 4 a steady 3.5 out of 5 — points lost for the sheer boredom of much of the volume, but gained for the breathtaking sea-storm that was the last three chapters. I’m a little hesitant about beginning Midnight Tides because, AGAIN, it seems to be about a completely different continent and a completely different cast of characters, but I supposed that’s what the Book of the Fallen is all about: discovery.
Series: The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 4 of 10
Author: Steven Erikson
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Personal Rating: 3.5/5
After the rollercoaster rides that were Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice, I began House of Chains ready for another harrowing journey, full of twists, turns and stories I could never have imagined on my own. And while the book did deliver some of those, the pacing was…disappointing.
The Malazan books are taking me an astonishingly long time to read, courtesy of their sheer density, but Book 4 was an absolute slog. There were parts of it that seemed to drag endlessly, with the plot going nowhere. For example, the first part of the book which deals with Karsa Orlong’s departure from his home mountains into the world of the “lowlanders” — did we really need almost a third of this 1000-page-book describing every single step they took? Honestly, it was easier to not pay attention. My mind would frequently drift off, and then I’d realize I’d read right past important scenes without even realizing it.
Coupled with the jarring effect of having the audiobook change narrators (from the hypnotic rhythms of Ralph Lister to the much gruffer tones of Michael Page), this was a book I almost gave up on.
I read and listened at the same time, so that helped some, but I’m worried about other, less patient readers.
I miss Lister. I want him back. Can someone please bring him back?
Don’t get me wrong — this wasn’t a “bad” book. It’s just that, in comparison to the incredible awe that the last two installments inspired in me, House of Chains just falls woefully short. I suppose it is too much to expect any writer to maintain such insane quality levels for more than two books at a time. It’s a shame, though, because we’re introduced (once again) to some characters that I’m already daydreaming about.
My new discovery: the Thelomen Toblakai, Karsa Orlong of the Teblor. Take your typical fantasy barbarian character, and then watch as Erikson turns it inside out. He’s not a mindless killing machine. Well, he is a killing machine, but with intelligence to match — you simply have to put him into context. And boy does he suffer with context. The sheer growth of the Karsa Orlong from page one to the Karsa of the final paragraph left me in literal tears of joy. Oh, he has his flaws, and there’s no shortage of them, but it’s also fascinating to watch how he learns from them. For example, his view of women. He goes from viewing them as breeding tools to living, intelligent creatures more than capable of matching him in every aspect. He even half-adopts a little girl — and then brutally murders her abuser in her name and in the name of the countless other children that monster had scarred.
And that is a man who loves his animals. Good God, he loves his animals!
As always, we are left with no choice but to admire and then fall in love with a number of characters, only to watch them die in quick succession. The deaths here, however, felt fitting. Appropriate.
I miss Paran and Rake, though.
I give Book 4 a steady 3.5 out of 5 — points lost for the sheer boredom of much of the volume, but gained for the breathtaking sea-storm that was the last three chapters. I’m a little hesitant about beginning Midnight Tides because, AGAIN, it seems to be about a completely different continent and a completely different cast of characters, but I supposed that’s what the Book of the Fallen is all about: discovery.
So. A few mysteries are resolved. Some are just beginning to be understood. And new undergirding mysteries are introduced.
After a long passage where we are introduced to a “new” character, the story breaks into parts, and we follow several groups and pairs and individuals through various adventures. Having read several Erikson novels up to this point, we should predict that these stories will all converge on a single location.
Some characters that only got brief play in previous books are becoming some of the most interesting. And a couple of new characters get major p.o.v. action.
I’m excited to find out where all this is going.
After a long passage where we are introduced to a “new” character, the story breaks into parts, and we follow several groups and pairs and individuals through various adventures. Having read several Erikson novels up to this point, we should predict that these stories will all converge on a single location.
Some characters that only got brief play in previous books are becoming some of the most interesting. And a couple of new characters get major p.o.v. action.
I’m excited to find out where all this is going.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
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:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
So, Malazan book 4 starts in a far more linear fashion and follows a single character for quite a period of time, which is unusual for this complex, complicated and at times almost impenetrable series of novels. But never fear, the multitude of characters and frequent changes in points of view intersecting both within this novel and with those preceding it, appear in due course. All the storylines are interesting in their own right. That and the massive and incredibly imaginative world of these novels is, I think, respectful of the readers intelligence and more enjoyable as a result. Attempts to actually understand the bigger picture are futile in general, but there are tiny glimmers of understanding appearing now…the best approach appears to be to let it flow over you and with time and persistence, comprehension will follow.
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
This is pretty much a direct sequel to Deadhouse Gates. We follow the same characters - plus a few new ones - and all of the remaining storylines from that book get wrapped up here. The characters definitely grew on me after spending more time with them; though I still prefer the characters from books 1 and 3.
Of course we also get the iconic "wtf is going on" moments, but as opposed to the previous book where those moments get woven into the plot, in this book they happen with characters that are completely unrelated to the rest of the characters. Which is my main gripe with this book because not knowing what is happening with an entire character is not much fun, and while I'm sure that storyline will get explained later on, going back and forth to that plot felt a bit jarring, especially because every other character in the book is part of the main plot.
Of course we also get the iconic "wtf is going on" moments, but as opposed to the previous book where those moments get woven into the plot, in this book they happen with characters that are completely unrelated to the rest of the characters. Which is my main gripe with this book because not knowing what is happening with an entire character is not much fun, and while I'm sure that storyline will get explained later on, going back and forth to that plot felt a bit jarring, especially because every other character in the book is part of the main plot.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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