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abbysbookwor1d 's review for:
House of Chains
by Steven Erikson
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!!