[MaxWilson]

I enjoy MBotF most when I remember that Steven Erikson is a painter, and just enjoy the scenes he's painting (Gruntle as a rock in a tavern, Trull when Rhulad <cough, cough, cough>). That helps me see why the boring parts exist, and then the scope and excitement of the plotty parts gets me through the rest. Plus, I love the characters.

I read the first chapter of Return of the Crimson Guard recently. Looks like it will be a great book. Also looking forward to Toll the Hounds.

I think I enjoy the first Chronicles of Amber and Lord of Light about as much as Memories of Ice, but in a very different way.

-Max

P.S. IMHO, one of the major ideas behind the series is, "What if immortality was possible?" Not just the ascendants, but the ghosts and spirits and all these things that JUST DON'T DIE, from Kettle to Kuru Qan to Baeroth Gild to everybody in Hood's realm. What if everybody lived forever unless big magic destroyed them?

P.P.S. One of my favorite "scenes" is when the Bridgeburner remnants are pinned down by a K'ell Hunter in Coral and Tool breaks through the wall in style and annihilates the Hunter in two seconds. I can just imagine them boggling.