Malazan Book of the Fallen Series

Raging_Ninja

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Out of curiousity, has anyone seen anyone reading these IRL? I saw someone on a plane with a Czech version of The Crippled God and a chap on the bus one day with The Bonehunters.

Lived with a guy who read them another of my friends has a few on his bookshelf.

Mickeroo

Nope never, I probably would never have heard of them but for someone mentioned them in the Game of Thrones forum a while ago tbh.

ancapailldorcha

I'm about two thirds of the way through Reaper's Gale. The story is somewhat stagnant but if I know Erikson the final act will more than make up for it.

Mickeroo

I finished Deadhouse Gates the other day, didn't find it as gripping as Gardens of the Moon and it took a while for some of the new characters to grow on me. Much like Gardens it picked up towards the end but there was certainly times it felt like a slog.

Looking forward to catching up with some of the characters from the first book in the next one, though I'm going to tak a little break and read Rivers of London first.

ancapailldorcha

Mickeroo wrote: »

I finished Deadhouse Gates the other day, didn't find it as gripping as Gardens of the Moon and it took a while for some of the new characters to grow on me. Much like Gardens it picked up towards the end but there was certainly times it felt like a slog.

Looking forward to catching up with some of the characters from the first book in the next one, though I'm going to tak a little break and read Rivers of London first.

I wasn't that fond of Deadhouse Gates either. I preferred Memories of Ice.

Tar.Aldarion

Finished night of knives and return of the crimson guard, on stonewielder now. Loving them now

nesf

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Out of curiousity, has anyone seen anyone reading these IRL? I saw someone on a plane with a Czech version of The Crippled God and a chap on the bus one day with The Bonehunters.

Yeah, early/mid 00's I used spot people reading them. Since Kindle/whatever became a thing I notice fewer of the big thick fantasy books out on trains etc.

Jayd0g

nesf wrote: »

Yeah, early/mid 00's I used spot people reading them. Since Kindle/whatever became a thing I notice fewer of the big thick fantasy books out on trains etc.

I started on these a few months ago, they're to heavy for the train.

So reading a non-Malazan book for commute and keeping the current (Memories of Ice) for home and leisure.

Really enjoying the series so far, especially the Whiskeyjack and Quick Ben sections.

fizzypish

Finished the crippled god last night. Been reading this series for under a year with a few unrelated books dotted between (excluding the books not directly in the books of the fallen sequence). Need to read something else for a while, books that explain an reference or comment made in the chapter it was made and not in 3 books time.....

2 questions for someone else who finished the series?

How the **** did the host end up on the lether continent involved in a siege? I remember nothing about that. His last mention was when he killed poliel. Are we to assume that he opened a portal for the host, took the city and then events unfolded?

Also what happened the remaining Wickans after Laseen had them blamed for the fall of coltaine? Is that covered in another book?

Those two point stick in my mind. These books thought me that sometimes not understanding most of the references in a paragraph means just ploughing through until something clicks. And woe is the poor bastard thats confused before beginning a chapter with more than one god or ascendant involved.

Was going to re read the wheel of time as it was years ago when I read it first but **** that, thats another year of literary commitment.

AbusesToilets

fizzypish wrote: »

Finished the crippled god last night. Been reading this series for under a year with a few unrelated books dotted between (excluding the books not directly in the books of the fallen sequence). Need to read something else for a while, books that explain an reference or comment made in the chapter it was made and not in 3 books time.....

2 questions for someone else who finished the series?

How the **** did the host end up on the lether continent involved in a siege? I remember nothing about that. His last mention was when he killed poliel. Are we to assume that he opened a portal for the host, took the city and then events unfolded?

Also what happened the remaining Wickans after Laseen had them blamed for the fall of coltaine? Is that covered in another book?

Those two point stick in my mind. These books thought me that sometimes not understanding most of the references in a paragraph means just ploughing through until something clicks. And woe is the poor bastard thats confused before beginning a chapter with more than one god or ascendant involved.

Was going to re read the wheel of time as it was years ago when I read it first but **** that, thats another year of literary commitment.

A lot of the Wickan stuff continues in Esslemont's series.

With reference to your first point, I think that is what happened.

fizzypish

AbusesToilets wrote: »

A lot of the Wickan stuff continues in Esslemont's series.

With reference to your first point, I think that is what happened.

Cool. How does Esslemont's writing style differ?

AOH77A

Hi, I found Esslemont's writing style similar to Erikson's but easier going. Really enjoyed Esslemont's books, would highly recommend.

Mickeroo

I only became aware of Esslemont's books last week when I saw one recommended to me on kindle. What's the deal, are they a continuation of Erikson's or are they just seperate stories set in the same universe?

AOH77A

Hi, Separete stories in the same universe. Some of the same characters pop up. I also wasn't aware of Esslemont's books until I had finished the Malazan books. Very pleasant suprise. Enjoy.

AbusesToilets

Esselmont is ok, he definitely improves in the latter books. For me, the biggest issue I had with his series wasn't the writing so much as his plotting. Some of the books don't come to very satisfying conclusions, and can be quite opaque in terms of what is actually happening. I felt he didn't always use the characters he had as well as he could have. That said, I enjoyed being able to find out more on the Ur world and what happened post Crippled God.

ancapailldorcha

Finished Reaper's Gale at the end of last week. It was good but somewhat underwhelming, especially given that it followed The Bonehunters. The showdown with Rhulad and Karsa and Icarium was built up a lot and turned out to be a bit disappointing. That said, it was nice to get some closure on Letheras and it'll be interesting to see how it develops when the narrative returns. I'm quite curious how the rest of the series will pan out. I fully intend on not googling any more terms from it until I am finished with The Crippled God.

AbusesToilets

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Finished Reaper's Gale at the end of last week. It was good but somewhat underwhelming, especially given that it followed The Bonehunters. The showdown with Rhulad and Karsa and Icarium was built up a lot and turned out to be a bit disappointing. That said, it was nice to get some closure on Letheras and it'll be interesting to see how it develops when the narrative returns. I'm quite curious how the rest of the series will pan out. I fully intend on not googling any more terms from it until I am finished with The Crippled God.

I really liked the fight between Karsa and Rhulad myself. I loved how calm and measured Karsa was in dealing with him.

Series only gets better, I can honestly say that I didn't feel like any of the books were a let down.

ancapailldorcha

AbusesToilets wrote: »

I really liked the fight between Karsa and Rhulad myself. I loved how calm and measured Karsa was in dealing with him.

Series only gets better, I can honestly say that I didn't feel like any of the books were a let down.

It was good, though something of a let down given that it was resolved in only a few pages after a whole book's worth of buildup.

Zapp Brannigan

I thought it was perfect. Erikson is amazing at doing that, he constantly keeps his readers guessing.

fizzypish

I understand Erikson really doesn't give a fiddlers if the reader is lost in the story. One thing about the crippled god irritated me though.

Karsa killing Fener. Just why?. I know he was breaking chains and he'd no respect for the gods but why Fener first. It was a bit out of no where. I was expecting him to return home and raise his treblor army

ancapailldorcha

fizzypish wrote: »

I understand Erikson really doesn't give a fiddlers if the reader is lost in the story. One thing about the crippled god irritated me though.

Karsa killing Fener. Just why?. I know he was breaking chains and he'd no respect for the gods but why Fener first. It was a bit out of no where. I was expecting him to return home and raise his treblor army

Fantastic!

Also, thanks for using spoiler tags though the quote function does not hide them. I managed to avert my gaze in time.

AbusesToilets

Yea, as a Karsa fan, the last few books were something of a let down. It's a bit odd actually, he appears in Esslemont's books too, in Orb, Scepter, Throne, just hanging out in the hills around Darujhistan. His character is in limbo until Erickson gets around to writing his trilogy.

AbusesToilets

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

It was good, though something of a let down given that it was resolved in only a few pages after a whole book's worth of buildup.

Really more like two books tbh. I was hoping for something more between himself and Icarium; although I loved the meeting they have in the market place.

ancapailldorcha

The market scene was fantastic. I'm quite interested to see how both Karsa and Icarium develop from here on in I must say. I only really got into the series with House of Chains the beginning of which was devoted entirely to Karsa.

Tar.Aldarion

what is this market scene, cant remember

Thargor

Holy crap there is a Karsa trilogy coming, long way off though, beware spoilers here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Malazan/comments/2i1l8u/botf_spoilers_karsa_orlong_trilogy/

ancapailldorcha

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

what is this market scene, cant remember

Karsa is affronted that he must wait until after Icarium to face Rhulad. He angrily confronts Icarium in the market and demands he go first. Icarium acquiesces and doesn't seem to be bothered who goes first.

Tar.Aldarion

fizzypish wrote: »

I understand Erikson really doesn't give a fiddlers if the reader is lost in the story. One thing about the crippled god irritated me though.

Karsa killing Fener. Just why?. I know he was breaking chains and he'd no respect for the gods but why Fener first. It was a bit out of no where. I was expecting him to return home and raise his treblor army

Massive spoiler so read after the books:

If we go back a little way to a seemingly innocuous paragraph at the start of DG we have mention of a priest of Fener covered head to toe in tattoos. There's a bit of background about what they mean offered in the conversation and we are told "There was a key...The High Priest's warren to his god. Tattooed on the palm of his right hand. Held to the sacred mark - hand to chest, basically - as simple as a salute". We also know that Heboric was a priest of Fener who was booted out of the order and had his hands chopped off as part of the punishment (Fener's Reve) but he still has his tattoos.
So, Heboric touches the Jade Giant with one of his 'ghost-hand's' and falls unconcious. Baudin, being the bright spark that he is, then touches the stump of that arm to the 'sacred mark' on his chest and all hell literally breaks loose;
'The air screamed. The sound battered them, flung them both down to scrabble, claw, mindlessly dig into the rock - away...away from the pain. Away! There was such agony in that shriek, it descended like fire, darkening the sky overhead, spreading hairline fissures through the bedrock, the cracks spreading outward from under Heboric's motionless body...Blood streaming from her ears...Heboric's tattoos had blossomed out from his body, leapt the unfathomable distance from skin to stone...turning the rock into something slick and greasy...Everything had begun to shake. Even the sky seemed to twist, yanked down into itself as if a score of invisible hands had reached through unseen portals, grasping the fabric of the world with cold, destructive rage...The scream was unending. Rage and unbearable pain meshed together like twin strands in an ever-tightening rope...the sound blocked the outside world - its air, its light...Something struck the ground, the bedrock...shuddering...a glimpse of something beyond the basin, lifting ponderously from the plain in a heaving cloud of dust. Two-toed, a fur-snarled hoof, too large for her to fully grasp, rising up, pulled skyward into a midnight gloom...The tattoo had leapt from stone to the air itself, a woad-stained web growing in crazed, jerking blots, snapping outward in all directions...The tattoo hung like an after-image across the entire sky, slowly fading...Have you come from the Abyss, Fener? It's said your sacred warren borders Chaos itself. Fener? Are you among us now?'
Quite why the Jade touch forced Fener from his realm and/or why it caused him so much pain is subject to debate but his reasons for fearing the worst were made clear in the many discussion throughout the series on the deadly games played by both gods and mortals alike in the quest for power.
Laseen had also banned the cult and any individual worship of Fener from the ranks of her imperial armies and in the same timeframe as DG we also have the events of MoI taking place, including, of course, the sacking of Capustan and the resultant deaths of the last of Fener's chosen warriors; the Grey Swords.
All of this left Fener in a pretty bad position so he headed off to Lether to see his 'old buddy' Errastas (the Errant) to ask for sanctuary, which he was duly granted but probably just because Errastas wanted to kill Fener himself and was trying to figure out a way to harvest his power. Featherwitch puts paid to that idea, however.
By the end of TtH Whiskeyjack et al are dead and walking, Tavore somehow knows of the Forkrul Assail's hidden treasure (Kaminsod's heart) and has resolved to go to war against them for it - and him - and sets off to cross the desert, Hood is dead and walking and gets a proper shock when WJ and the BB's turn up with the host of his realm all spoiling for a fight with Chaos (a bit of one-upmanship, maybe, over Hood's war on death? I think so...).
After Rake saves the world there's a bit of a discussion about what to do next and it's generally decided that Tavore is now Wu's last hope and she will need a lot of help. We are not privy to the details of the resulting plan of action and rightly so as there would then be no point in the last two books. We can surmise, though, from the actions taken in DoD and tCG that the plan was to use the walking dead Imass - fronted by a dead Onos T'oolan whose anger made his Tellan warren so powerful it made a new ritual that covered his new army - to bolster Tavore's ranks (a risky business as it meant making him REALLY angry to the point that he wanted to kill all the humans instead of the Forkrul Assail).
The only way to offset that danger was to make all the newly T'lan-ified Imass mortal again, and the only way to do that was to use the blood of a god.
Hi, Fener! Bye Fener!
So they had all this planned when they sent Picker to Karsa to tell him what he was needed for. We don't see her outline the whole plan to him and explain that it was ultimately to help free Kaminsod and destroy the FA but it is inferred later on.
Fener wasn't dead, despite Heboric's mad ravings. He was hiding in the crypts under the Palace in Lether. The cult had found a last bastion in Darujhistan and taken over an old temple and sanctified it in Fener's name and all the worship of him that could be done was being done through that temple, at that altar.
When the battle at the Spire started raging and Korabas was being hunted down by her entire Eleint kin, Fener, still a designate god of war, got a boost of power and briefly manifested over the battle, Karsa up and popped the altar, Fener couldn't survive and died in the sky, raining blood down on all the undead fighting below him. That was part of Whiskeyjack's plan, the other part relating to saving both Korabas and Kaminsod, though not as either would have liked, as it turned out.

ancapailldorcha

Someday, I will finish the series and go through every page of this thread and see what these spoiler tags are concealing.

Tar.Aldarion

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Someday, I will finish the series and go through every page of this thread and see what these spoiler tags are concealing.

Muahahaha hahahaha hahahaa
I wonder will you read this, it could say anything, the mystery is very intriguing.