OT: Malazan Book of the Fallen

[Stryke11]

While thier length is intimidating, I can honestly say these are the best epic fantasy books I have ever read. Typically people praise them for their grittiness, and fantasy-realism (if that even makes sense) but I rather find that they are exceptional in the way they flow and the characterizations.

No one who enjoys adventure can say that the Chain of Dogs wasn't just awesome and heartrending at the same time. the siege of Capustan was shocking but so well portrayed it really seemed like you were there, and all hope was lost.

My one complaint is an echo of what was stated earlier, that everyone and their brother is immortal, and the power balance is a bit screwy. Karsa is one tough mother, sure, but if he can be captured by humans and for a short time enslaved, then I'm not buying that he can also take down gods. Some uber characters are justified in terms of the story, like Anomander Rake, but not all of them. Plus the fact that every tribe and group of people skulking around in a wasteland has their own super powerful gods and an entire race of people (the Wickans) have the potential for immortality. SPOILERS: Chain of Dogs would have meant even more if Coltaine actually died, like, for real. It was moving that he took up so many ravens or whatnot to carry his soul, but that was just unnecessary.

Still, from a lyrical standpoint, nothing compares. And unlike other "epic" fantasy writers, I think Erikson is actually going to finish what he started, and in a timely manner.

[MaxWilson]

Hmmm. What does it mean to die "for real" in the Malazan universe? To put it another way, if I believe in an afterlife, does that mean that I can't find joy and sorrow when a man gives his life for his friends?

I think the Wickans are emphatically NOT exceptional in the Malazan universe. Hood is exceptional in that he actually collects dead souls and does something with them, which I think is quite decent of him.

-Max

[Stryke11]

I guess when I say die "for real" what I mean is being taken out of the tapestry of history, and even if your soul lives on elsewhere, being unable to affect events in the mortal world. By that standard Coltaine is actually one of the least offensive, as while he was "reborn", it was as a child and it will take many years for him to grow and become relevant again.

Compare to: Paran, Silverfox, Tool, The Bridgeburners (in spirit form), the Malazan historian (can't spell his name, etc. who die and yet immediately come back and are able to impact events.

[MaxWilson]

I agree that Coltaine's death was more "real" (less D&D-ish) than the others you name. The fate of a certain Bridgeburner in Reaper's Gale was very... perplexing to me. I don't really understand the metaphysics of death and immortality in the Malazan universe but I hope Erikson is going somewhere interesting with it. Erikson has explicitly said that immortality is one of the ideas that motivated his stories in the first place: what if larger-than-life personalities didn't die but kept turning up again and again in human history? What if Alexander the Great and Napoleon and Hammurabi and Aristotle and Mohammed were all STILL ALIVE? I don't think it's merely a matter of hating to kill off characters.

Note that Duiker is still radically transformed by his experience, crippled even. Silverfox is not the same person she was before, although Nightchill still influences her. Paran is the most direct "resurrection" I can think of aside from [Reaper's Gale spoiler], whose resurrection I don't understand at all yet. And [other RG spoiler] too, actually.

-Max

Edited for spoiler

P.S. Wait a second, Tool? Are you sure you don't mean Toc? If Tool died just because Silverfox released him as First Sword that would just be depressing.

[Stryke11]

Oh heck, I didn't even consider Toc Younger. That's a good example!

When I say Tool I mean how he basically got hammered by the Seguleh but then was "resurrected" as a tribesman.

[MaxWilson]

That was just a classic "saved-in-the-nick-of-time-by-your-sister" event, though. Hardly a resurrection.

I do not think we have seen the last of Toc. K'rul predicted two future meetings with Kilava, one of hardly any consequence (which we saw in RG), and one more... momentous. It's possible of course that K'rul read the future wrongly. (Either way, I don't think he'll reappear before the end of MBotF.)

-Max

[Sleet]

Great series, on the House of Chains book right now. I like the changing/emerging character of Karsa Orlong.

This is a series where I need to take a break after each to.. soak in the gory and glorious details.