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4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
The fifth entry in Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series is a departure from the earlier books - centering on two sets of brothers in a previously unmentioned part of the author's sprawling world, it is both sweeping epic tale and intense family drama. Even upon completing the book, I don't quite see where it fits in the overall narrative of the series, but it's clear that Erikson has plans for these characters and events.
Edit after second read: There is so much going on in this book, and I liked it even more on a re-read. This is a book about betrayal, in all its forms, from the most intimate to the sweeping betrayal of a people by their own values and culture.
It's a dense one, and a bit hard to get into at first, especially because it's bouncing between two entirely new (although related) settings and casts. Midnight Tides has some of the best character work yet in the Malazan series, and some of the best imagery. Erikson loves his duos, and Tehol and Bugg are a joy to read.
Edit after second read: There is so much going on in this book, and I liked it even more on a re-read. This is a book about betrayal, in all its forms, from the most intimate to the sweeping betrayal of a people by their own values and culture.
It's a dense one, and a bit hard to get into at first, especially because it's bouncing between two entirely new (although related) settings and casts. Midnight Tides has some of the best character work yet in the Malazan series, and some of the best imagery. Erikson loves his duos, and Tehol and Bugg are a joy to read.
Overall 5/5 (It's a masterpiece)
Continuing series? Of course of course
Elevator Pitch:
Some time before the events of the first four books, war threatens to break out between the traditionalist Tiste Edur and the hyper-capitalist Letherii as an ancient prophecy of empire nears its promised date.
Specifics:
I keep putting off continuing with the Malazan series just because every book is like 400,000 words. But when I do finally continue, I keep getting blown away, thinking, "Why didn't I read this immediately??" Erikson keeps finding ways to make his series phenomenal. Few authors would have the guts to introduce a brand new cast of characters, not to mention a new continent, not to mention a new structure of magic, in BOOK FIVE OF TEN. Still fewer could do it so, so well.
The characters in this book are great. Trull is powerful as a character, Rhulad is so compelling, Fear is fascinating, and those characters are all from the same plot, and same family. There are two or three other plot threads, all with their own protagonists, all so well crafted. I could go on for days just about the characters, their changes, and the way they complement each other.
Resurrection has been a theme in several Malazan books so far, but never as much as in this one. I watched Merphy Napier's review of this book on YouTube just now, and I have to say she was right on the money with her take on the resurrection in this book. The resurrection trope is extremely annoying, and I've never liked it; it lets an author get you sad because of a death but still keep around the fan-favorite character. But Erikson uses it so much better than the stereotypical fantasy story does. Resurrection is painful, it risks breaking your mind, it's a violation, you WILL NOT COME BACK THE SAME, there is always a price to pay. Extremely good fiction.
Finally, the use of economics in the narrative was wonderful and unlike anything I've ever seen in fantasy. It's so counterintuitive to me to invent a character *for a fantasy novel* whose special ability is that he's extremely good with the stock market. I'm a little disappointed there wasn't more of a fallout at the end with that storyline, but I also wouldn't trade any part of the ending that did happen, so in the end I'm just grateful I got the setup.
Notes: You can technically read this book before the other Malazan books since it takes place before them and is very barely connected to the first four. But come on, don't do that.
Also, sexual violence warning. This book contains probably both the most thoughtful and the laziest episodes of sexual violence in the series so far. It doesn't really linger on it or revel in it, but it's there, so steer clear (or skip the scene) if sensitive.
Continuing series? Of course of course
Elevator Pitch:
Some time before the events of the first four books, war threatens to break out between the traditionalist Tiste Edur and the hyper-capitalist Letherii as an ancient prophecy of empire nears its promised date.
Specifics:
I keep putting off continuing with the Malazan series just because every book is like 400,000 words. But when I do finally continue, I keep getting blown away, thinking, "Why didn't I read this immediately??" Erikson keeps finding ways to make his series phenomenal. Few authors would have the guts to introduce a brand new cast of characters, not to mention a new continent, not to mention a new structure of magic, in BOOK FIVE OF TEN. Still fewer could do it so, so well.
The characters in this book are great. Trull is powerful as a character, Rhulad is so compelling, Fear is fascinating, and those characters are all from the same plot, and same family. There are two or three other plot threads, all with their own protagonists, all so well crafted. I could go on for days just about the characters, their changes, and the way they complement each other.
Resurrection has been a theme in several Malazan books so far, but never as much as in this one. I watched Merphy Napier's review of this book on YouTube just now, and I have to say she was right on the money with her take on the resurrection in this book. The resurrection trope is extremely annoying, and I've never liked it; it lets an author get you sad because of a death but still keep around the fan-favorite character. But Erikson uses it so much better than the stereotypical fantasy story does. Resurrection is painful, it risks breaking your mind, it's a violation, you WILL NOT COME BACK THE SAME, there is always a price to pay. Extremely good fiction.
Finally, the use of economics in the narrative was wonderful and unlike anything I've ever seen in fantasy. It's so counterintuitive to me to invent a character *for a fantasy novel* whose special ability is that he's extremely good with the stock market. I'm a little disappointed there wasn't more of a fallout at the end with that storyline, but I also wouldn't trade any part of the ending that did happen, so in the end I'm just grateful I got the setup.
Notes: You can technically read this book before the other Malazan books since it takes place before them and is very barely connected to the first four. But come on, don't do that.
Also, sexual violence warning. This book contains probably both the most thoughtful and the laziest episodes of sexual violence in the series so far. It doesn't really linger on it or revel in it, but it's there, so steer clear (or skip the scene) if sensitive.
I’m not sure how it’s possible, but Steven Erikson upped his game once again in Midnight Tides, the fifth book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series.
We jump to another continent in this book with mostly all new characters, but boy did this book deliver! The atmosphere, world-building, writing, and especially the characters were so well done. We are watching two local communities, getting an omnipotent perspective of two main families, one a Letheril and the other a Tiste Edur. I love seeing how different the brotherly relationships are from the different families. This is a new favorite book in the series.
My new favorite characters in the series are Tehol and Bugg. The interactions and banter between these two had me laughing throughout the book. As a character-driven reader, I enjoyed that there was so much character development in Midnight Tides. Yes, there are new characters, but you really get to know them and want to know what is happening with them. I had no trouble flying through this 900+ page book as it was so engaging.
4.75 stars
I now have a YouTube channel called 'BookandBuJo'. Check it out - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmWi0teaBmaEhoB_b7O9kGg
We jump to another continent in this book with mostly all new characters, but boy did this book deliver! The atmosphere, world-building, writing, and especially the characters were so well done. We are watching two local communities, getting an omnipotent perspective of two main families, one a Letheril and the other a Tiste Edur. I love seeing how different the brotherly relationships are from the different families. This is a new favorite book in the series.
My new favorite characters in the series are Tehol and Bugg. The interactions and banter between these two had me laughing throughout the book. As a character-driven reader, I enjoyed that there was so much character development in Midnight Tides. Yes, there are new characters, but you really get to know them and want to know what is happening with them. I had no trouble flying through this 900+ page book as it was so engaging.
4.75 stars
I now have a YouTube channel called 'BookandBuJo'. Check it out - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmWi0teaBmaEhoB_b7O9kGg
Erickson's command of narrative and language is just obnoxious. This one is somehow the funniest book in the Malazan series, as well as the most gut wrenching in its despair.
With every book, the world of Malazan is just proving to be less a place of escape and more so an expression of the spectrum of what it means to be a living being in a world that you can never understand and you can never stop. It just goes, as tides do. New waves unfurl the batch below and the sands you grew to recognize wash away.
With every book, the world of Malazan is just proving to be less a place of escape and more so an expression of the spectrum of what it means to be a living being in a world that you can never understand and you can never stop. It just goes, as tides do. New waves unfurl the batch below and the sands you grew to recognize wash away.
Ci ho messo decisamente parecchio tempo per finirlo, ma sono piuttosto sicura che sia stato tutto necessario per assimilare poco alla volta tutto quello che succede.
Veniamo piazzati in mezzo a un conflitto tra Edur e Letherii, senza informazioni o personaggi familiari al di là di Trull Sengar (che ancora non riesco a collocare).
Questo libro centrale credo sia fondamentale all'interno di tutto l'affresco che Erikson ha in mente per Il libro dei caduti. Sono comparse divinità mai nominate prima (Mael), altre hanno acquisito corpo e agency (Dio Storpio ed Errante) e sono stati introdotti personaggi che prego riappaiano più avanti perché sono così criptici e interessanti che non posso fare altro che sperare di conoscerli meglio (Tehol, Bugg e Iron Bars).
Resta comunque l'opinione generale che ho di questa saga: non ci sto capendo in tubo ma non riesco a smettere.
Veniamo piazzati in mezzo a un conflitto tra Edur e Letherii, senza informazioni o personaggi familiari al di là di Trull Sengar (che ancora non riesco a collocare).
Questo libro centrale credo sia fondamentale all'interno di tutto l'affresco che Erikson ha in mente per Il libro dei caduti. Sono comparse divinità mai nominate prima (Mael), altre hanno acquisito corpo e agency (Dio Storpio ed Errante) e sono stati introdotti personaggi che prego riappaiano più avanti perché sono così criptici e interessanti che non posso fare altro che sperare di conoscerli meglio (Tehol, Bugg e Iron Bars).
Resta comunque l'opinione generale che ho di questa saga: non ci sto capendo in tubo ma non riesco a smettere.
== Second read review ==
Goodreads tells me that it I read this book over 3 months the last time I read it. I definitely enjoyed it way more this time when I read it in 10 days, given that so much happens in these books.
== First read review ==
3.5 rounded up to 4.
Goodreads tells me that it I read this book over 3 months the last time I read it. I definitely enjoyed it way more this time when I read it in 10 days, given that so much happens in these books.
== First read review ==
3.5 rounded up to 4.
This is the fifth instalment of the MBotF series, and from what I understood from other readers, it should be one of the best ones in the series. This means I started with high expectations, and although it is a great book and an improvement over House of Chains, I still prefer DG and MoI over this one. I do have to say that the story starts off great with one of the best prologues so far in the series! What follows is also good, but it is especially the ending that delivers. The final chapter is really one of the highlights of the book; Erikson provides some great scenes in it and shines once more with his conclusion!
What is special about this book is that it starts out on a completely different continent/world with a load of new characters. There's actually only one character that returns from the previous books, this being Trull Sengar who made his appearance in "House of Chains". As from chapter one it tells in detail what happened to Trull Sengar, his family and kin before HoC.
The fact that the story starts from scratch seems to be raised as the greatest issue by readers, mostly because it takes some time to get accustomed to the new world and characters. I have to admit that the story felt a little bit different due to this, but after the amazing prologue I was immediately immersed in the story and I didn't have too much issues reading it. Erikson’s writing was again supurb, but if there really was something that I didn't like all that much, it were the parts where Erikson got a bit too philosophical.
The main conflict in this book is one between the Tiste Edur and the Letherii. The Letherii have the practice of conquering other races by introducing them to their way of life and the importance of wealth. The result is that many of these tribes are now indebted to the Letherii and work as slaves under their creditor. The Warlock King, current leader of the Tiste Edur and the one to have united the different Tiste Edur tribes, wants to prevent this to happen to his folk. The story is actually a struggle between a modern state based on greed, war, lack of compassion with the goal of progression and the conviction to always end up on top, with the less civilised tribes in the north who prefer a status quo.
It wouldn't be a true Malazan book if a lot of other story lines were gradually introduced. Gods come into play, demons are used in conflicts, we have the death of an Azath tower that generates its own consequences in Letheras ... and all this will play a mayor role in the Seventh Closure, the rise of a new empire.
Even though a lot happens, it's not an action packed story as DG and MoI were. After the great prologue the story slows down somewhat. Erikson adds some action packed chapters here and there, but I feel the story in this book is less about military action than it is about the characters. The book brings some great new characters to the fore. Tehol and Bugg are an amazing duo and they were by far my favourite characters in this book. Their conversations were often hilarious. I also had a lot of sympathy for Tehol's brother Brys. He is an important character in the events in the book (and he features in one of the best scenes in the book as well).
Later in the story we also get an introduction to some characters from the Crimson Guard. I am really intrigued by these characters, especially by Iron Bars, and I’m looking forward on reading more about them in the following books.
Trull Sengar was a character I didn't really care for in HoC, also because I didn't think his story arc was all that interesting then, but he really grew on me during MT. He was one of the better characters in this book as well.
I'm certain a lot of these characters will return in the following books and I expect some of them to be accorded a huge role in events to come.
Mayor themes in this book for me personally were the greed that dominates the Letherii society and their quest for expansion and growth. But it’s also a story about brotherhood. On the one hand we have the story of the Sengar family with brothers Fear, Trull, Binandas and Rhulad. On the other hand we also have the three Beddict brothers: Hull, Tehol and Brys with their tragic story. Both of these families are amazingly interwoven in the overall plot ... and it wouldn't be Erikson if this didn't deliver a tragic ending for some of them.
Conclusion:
So another good Malazan book, definitely an improvement over HoC, but not the best for me personally. It does something truly special with exploring a whole new world and story with new characters, and this with already four books into the series. It broadens up the scope of the world even more by doing this. I’m really loving the epicness of this series.
Rating: 8.5/10
What is special about this book is that it starts out on a completely different continent/world with a load of new characters. There's actually only one character that returns from the previous books, this being Trull Sengar who made his appearance in "House of Chains". As from chapter one it tells in detail what happened to Trull Sengar, his family and kin before HoC.
The fact that the story starts from scratch seems to be raised as the greatest issue by readers, mostly because it takes some time to get accustomed to the new world and characters. I have to admit that the story felt a little bit different due to this, but after the amazing prologue I was immediately immersed in the story and I didn't have too much issues reading it. Erikson’s writing was again supurb, but if there really was something that I didn't like all that much, it were the parts where Erikson got a bit too philosophical.
The main conflict in this book is one between the Tiste Edur and the Letherii. The Letherii have the practice of conquering other races by introducing them to their way of life and the importance of wealth. The result is that many of these tribes are now indebted to the Letherii and work as slaves under their creditor. The Warlock King, current leader of the Tiste Edur and the one to have united the different Tiste Edur tribes, wants to prevent this to happen to his folk. The story is actually a struggle between a modern state based on greed, war, lack of compassion with the goal of progression and the conviction to always end up on top, with the less civilised tribes in the north who prefer a status quo.
It wouldn't be a true Malazan book if a lot of other story lines were gradually introduced. Gods come into play, demons are used in conflicts, we have the death of an Azath tower that generates its own consequences in Letheras ... and all this will play a mayor role in the Seventh Closure, the rise of a new empire.
Even though a lot happens, it's not an action packed story as DG and MoI were. After the great prologue the story slows down somewhat. Erikson adds some action packed chapters here and there, but I feel the story in this book is less about military action than it is about the characters. The book brings some great new characters to the fore. Tehol and Bugg are an amazing duo and they were by far my favourite characters in this book. Their conversations were often hilarious. I also had a lot of sympathy for Tehol's brother Brys. He is an important character in the events in the book (and he features in one of the best scenes in the book as well).
Later in the story we also get an introduction to some characters from the Crimson Guard. I am really intrigued by these characters, especially by Iron Bars, and I’m looking forward on reading more about them in the following books.
Trull Sengar was a character I didn't really care for in HoC, also because I didn't think his story arc was all that interesting then, but he really grew on me during MT. He was one of the better characters in this book as well.
I'm certain a lot of these characters will return in the following books and I expect some of them to be accorded a huge role in events to come.
Mayor themes in this book for me personally were the greed that dominates the Letherii society and their quest for expansion and growth. But it’s also a story about brotherhood. On the one hand we have the story of the Sengar family with brothers Fear, Trull, Binandas and Rhulad. On the other hand we also have the three Beddict brothers: Hull, Tehol and Brys with their tragic story. Both of these families are amazingly interwoven in the overall plot ... and it wouldn't be Erikson if this didn't deliver a tragic ending for some of them.
Conclusion:
So another good Malazan book, definitely an improvement over HoC, but not the best for me personally. It does something truly special with exploring a whole new world and story with new characters, and this with already four books into the series. It broadens up the scope of the world even more by doing this. I’m really loving the epicness of this series.
Rating: 8.5/10
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
Mi primer libro de este 2024, y fue una locura.
Lastimosamente es el quinto libro de una saga de diez, así que no puedo profundizar mucho sin entrar en spoilers, pero puedo hablar un poco sobre lo que este libro me hizo sentir y los temas que toca.
Hay muchas narrativas que se entrelazan entre ellas, algunas hablan sobre la hermandad y el amor incondicional que hay en ese tipo de relación. Es algo que me da cerca del corazón porque, a pesar de no expresarlo muchas veces con palabras, amo mucho a mis tres hermanos, y ver sufrir a los Sengar en este libro me hizo pensar en lo importante que ellos son en mi vida. Que a pesar de las peleas, los choques de personalidad y las diferencias que nos distinguen y a veces me separan de ellos, al final del día hay pocas personas en las que confiaría más que en ellos.
Descubrí que amo a personajes que son genios, como el caso conocido de Tyrion en ASOIAF. En este caso Tehol Beddict me parece un gran personaje que no solo me hace reír, también me hace reflexionar.
En general, el imperio de Lether me pareció una clara critica al capitalismo y a USA. Sin entrar mucho en detalles, ya que tendría que hacer un análisis extenso al respecto, simplemente voy a dejar el siguiente texto y que cada uno saque sus propias conclusiones:
Lastimosamente es el quinto libro de una saga de diez, así que no puedo profundizar mucho sin entrar en spoilers, pero puedo hablar un poco sobre lo que este libro me hizo sentir y los temas que toca.
Hay muchas narrativas que se entrelazan entre ellas, algunas hablan sobre la hermandad y el amor incondicional que hay en ese tipo de relación. Es algo que me da cerca del corazón porque, a pesar de no expresarlo muchas veces con palabras, amo mucho a mis tres hermanos, y ver sufrir a los Sengar en este libro me hizo pensar en lo importante que ellos son en mi vida. Que a pesar de las peleas, los choques de personalidad y las diferencias que nos distinguen y a veces me separan de ellos, al final del día hay pocas personas en las que confiaría más que en ellos.
Descubrí que amo a personajes que son genios, como el caso conocido de Tyrion en ASOIAF. En este caso Tehol Beddict me parece un gran personaje que no solo me hace reír, también me hace reflexionar.
En general, el imperio de Lether me pareció una clara critica al capitalismo y a USA. Sin entrar mucho en detalles, ya que tendría que hacer un análisis extenso al respecto, simplemente voy a dejar el siguiente texto y que cada uno saque sus propias conclusiones:
—¿Ver Lether conquistado? ¿No te caemos bien?
—¿Lether? No mucho. Cogéis vuestros vicios naturales y los llamáis virtudes. De las que la codicia es la más despreciable. Eso y traicionar a la plebe. Después de todo, ¿quién decidió que la competición es siempre y sin excepciones un atributo sano? ¿Por qué tomar ese camino concreto hacia la autoestima? Pisar la mano del que va por debajo. ¿Sirve de algo? Déjeme que le diga que no vale nada. Nada duradero. Cada monumento que existe más allá del momento, da igual qué rey, qué emperador o guerrero lo reclame como propio, es en realidad un testimonio del pueblo común, de la cooperación, de lo plural más que de lo singular.
—Ah —interpuso Tehol, que se las arregló para levantar un dedo para puntuar su objeción—, pero sin un rey, general o quien sea, sin un líder, no hay monumento que se construya.
—Solo porque los mortales solo conocéis dos posibilidades. Seguir o liderar. Nada más.
Es a través de este reino que podemos ver una vez más la brutalidad de este mundo, en donde los dioses usan a los mortales para librar sus guerras. Si debo intentar persuadirlos de que lean esta saga pues debo hacer referencia a la humanidad que tiene contenida. Muchas personas se preguntan si vale la pena leer o ver contenido oscuro, en donde no sabes si el héroe va a salvar el mundo y todo saldrá bien.
A esto siempre digo que lo que más me atrae de estos libros son esos momentos de luz en la oscuridad, en donde la crueldad del mundo parece desaparecer y lo único que parece importar son esos pequeños remanentes de compasión, amor y felicidad. ¿Me gustan las secuencias de acción y cuando hay batallas o duelos? Por supuesto, sobretodo cuando el contexto hace que me importe esos acontecimientos, pero lo que mas disfruto es cuando en medio de todo eso, hay personajes que sueñan y quieren un mundo mejor, un futuro donde la oscuridad desaparezca y la luz prevalezca.
En fin, mis reseñas no van a ser así de largas siempre, pero este libro de verdad que me encanto en todo sentido. Memories of Ice, que es el tercer libro, sigue estando un paso adelante pero definitivamente Midnight Tides se queda muy cerca de ser un libro perfecto para mi.
Ahora debo leer The Bonehunters, que tiene pinta que me va a costar un rato largo, pero ya estoy tan apegado al mundo y a los personajes que simplemente vale la pena.
¡No dejen que el tamaño de las historias los intimiden! Si creen que les va a gustar algo, hagan el esfuerzo, vale completamente la pena.