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A review by akiaki_oioi
Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Spoilers ahead. This review will be a bit disparate as I'm mainly writing it to help myself remember what happens in this book.
Probably one of my least favourites (my favourites being Deadhouse Gates, Memories of Ice, Midnight Tides and maybe Bonehunters) although it's still a Malazan book so towers over most others.
Highlights:
- Oh Beak, you broke my heart.
- Malazan soldier shenanigans, especially Hellian had me laughing.
- Tehol and Bugg continue to delight and I am so glad they and Janath came out alive at the other end. I hope we get to see what the Letheri empire looks like under their rule.
- the tragic end of Rhulad Sengar, the Emperor of a thousand deaths.
- TOC IS BACK. Oh no, Toc is no longer back.
More complex thoughts:
- Trull's death was just.... I can't talk about it yet.
- Trull and Onrack's friendship was so beautiful, so much so that their romantic love stories paled in comparison. In fact, I didn't quite understand why Trull and Seren Pedac loved each other so much.
- SA was a big theme in this book- Janath, Udinaas, Seren... I do think the devastation of such an act was pretty well-handled, especially as it was brought up again and again in the way it affected the characters' psyches? Potentially? I think I need to think about it more.
- Karsa and Icarium did a lot of waiting around and I'm not sure if their climaxes made up for it ( I preferred Karsa's more than Icarium's though)
- Silchas Ruin and the three dragon sisters (Menandore, etc.) ended up not being much of a threat in the end which was kind of funny.
Lowlights:
- Masan Gilani has to put up with a lot of leering
- that's the end of the Grey Swords from Memories of Ice?? Really??
- that's the end of the Awl and Redmask? Really? Do we figure out who he actually was?
- the sudden appearance of Tool and the Barghast came out of left field which I know is pretty normal in Malazan but this was a really left field.
Overall excited to continue onto the last three books.
Probably one of my least favourites (my favourites being Deadhouse Gates, Memories of Ice, Midnight Tides and maybe Bonehunters) although it's still a Malazan book so towers over most others.
Highlights:
- Oh Beak, you broke my heart.
- Malazan soldier shenanigans, especially Hellian had me laughing.
- Tehol and Bugg continue to delight and I am so glad they and Janath came out alive at the other end. I hope we get to see what the Letheri empire looks like under their rule.
- the tragic end of Rhulad Sengar, the Emperor of a thousand deaths.
- TOC IS BACK. Oh no, Toc is no longer back.
More complex thoughts:
- Trull's death was just.... I can't talk about it yet.
- Trull and Onrack's friendship was so beautiful, so much so that their romantic love stories paled in comparison. In fact, I didn't quite understand why Trull and Seren Pedac loved each other so much.
- SA was a big theme in this book- Janath, Udinaas, Seren... I do think the devastation of such an act was pretty well-handled, especially as it was brought up again and again in the way it affected the characters' psyches? Potentially? I think I need to think about it more.
- Karsa and Icarium did a lot of waiting around and I'm not sure if their climaxes made up for it ( I preferred Karsa's more than Icarium's though)
- Silchas Ruin and the three dragon sisters (Menandore, etc.) ended up not being much of a threat in the end which was kind of funny.
Lowlights:
- Masan Gilani has to put up with a lot of leering
- that's the end of the Grey Swords from Memories of Ice?? Really??
- that's the end of the Awl and Redmask? Really? Do we figure out who he actually was?
- the sudden appearance of Tool and the Barghast came out of left field which I know is pretty normal in Malazan but this was a really left field.
Overall excited to continue onto the last three books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Rape