The Malazan Books of the Fallen - Doorstop Fantasy at its finest?

[tonic]

Im Queue 26 of 28 for Midnight Tides....This is Infuriating.

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

Well it's a good time to re-read the older volumes and figure out more of what was going on, then.

 

[rune]

I did read Gardens of the Moon which I felt was a complex story. There quite a few character plot lines, and I felt that the author tried to spread these stories to thin, (all that jumping around from to each characters storyline left me dizzy)
I can't complain about the writing style it was really well done, the scenes I felt were gritty and well written. I did find it a struggle getting through this first book and though I enjoyed how magic was used in the story and the dark, realistic description of the battles and characters lives, I felt it was a hard slog.

So when I started Deadhouse Gates and had to try and learn about new characters, it was just too much and I put it down

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

Rune, may I suggest you do what I did - read Memories of Ice second, as it follows the fates of the Bridgeburners through and then move back to Deadhouse Gates, by which time you will be immersed in the overall flow enough to take on the new settings and people? As a matter of fact, there are several characters from Gardens in Deadhouse Gates. Deadhouse Gates is my favourite in the series so far by the way - you really have to read about the Chain of Dogs!

 

[rune]

Rune, may I suggest you do what I did - read Memories of Ice second, as it follows the fates of the Bridgeburners through and then move back to Deadhouse Gates, by which time you will be immersed in the overall flow enough to take on the new settings and people? As a matter of fact, there are several characters from Gardens in Deadhouse Gates. Deadhouse Gates is my favourite in the series so far by the way - you really have to read about the Chain of Dogs!

I don't actually have to books now. If I can't get into a book the 1st time I gets donated to my local library

 

[dwndrgn]

My library doesn't have it yet and the online stores are only still selling the hardcover versions. I don't know if a paperback version is available yet in the states but I'll get it as soon as I can. After all of knivesout's accolades, I'd feel foolish to not at least give it a try!

 

[erickad71]

If you join the Sci Fi Book Club you can get it in hardback for (if I'm remembering correctly) under 15 dollars. Don't know if you're interested in anything like that, but I thought I'd let you know about it

 

[Falagar]

A big fan of Erikson and Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen here. Currently about 200 pages into Midnight Tides, so far so good. I really like Erikson's description of military campaigns. And though his characters' possess pretty similar philosophies (everyone seem to have given up on life and humanity) it's a pretty nice (and fresh, at least to me) approach.

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

Ah, you're a lucky one then. I'm still waiting for the mmpb of Midnight Tides.

 

[Falagar]

Must...resist...urge to post...spoilers...

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

Heh. You can post a spoiler-less assessment of the book though, if you want to and can. I'd certainly like to hear your take on it.

 

[Falagar]

I think I'll wait untill I've finished the book. But if you liked Trull Sengar from House of Chains you're going to love this one. (hope that wasn't too much of a spoiler).

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

Look, Salon has a write-up on 'em: http://www.salon.com/books/review/2004/06/21/erikson/print.html

 

[Falagar]

Yeah, I read that article and it pretty much describes why I'm into the series as well. Finished MT a few days ago but have been working + training and way too tired to come up with anything...

 

[seerdon]

Reply to this please... I just noticed that the last post was about six months ago

Haven't posted for a while... but I got Gardens of the Moon for my birthday and I am waiting for an opportunity to buy Deadhouse Gates. I am not as far through the series as the rest of you, not having the financial means at my disposal with which to stock up on the rest of the books, but I'd like to add something to the general feeling of awe that this post has built up. The climax to Gardens of the Moon was f**king the best thing I have read, ever. Over the last couple hundred pages I could start to see the different threads come together, and I actually felt genuinely nervous as it all started to center around Dajhuristan, which is not a feeling I often get when reading. I don't know how Erikson managed to hold so many plot threads in his mind as he wrote it, God knows I could hardly manage to make sense of it (I had to stop every few chapters and assimilate what I had read!) but it is genius. Looking forward to Deadhouse Gates, you all seem to think it's the best... don't know how I'll cope with new characters and places, but that's part of the whole attraction of the series, I think. Amazing stuff.

I also got A Game of Thrones, which was brilliant too in a different way. To my mind it had more solidity to the plot, and it was definitely easier to read. Martin is also an excellent author, although I would agree with what other people have said on this post, that his prose has less of a unique style to it than Erikson's. I don't think we can really compare the two, because they are trying to do different things with their books, and they are both sublime anyway. Fantasy is so amazing...

Whew!

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

Reply provided as requested.


Glad you're enjoying the books, Seerdon. It's been a while since I read Gardens of the Moon, but I do recall that it built up to a resounding climax in Darujhistan. Deadhouse Gates is a bit disorienting at first, but what a book - filled with honour, hardhsip and tragedy. I understand that there are plans to film just parts of this book as a standalone movie - the whole Chain of Dogs plotline. That would make a great movie if done well.

 

[Rane Longfox]

Its true, the climax is absolutely stunning. Many people complain that after the first few hundred pages they're too confused too read on. Glad you didn't have that problem, and realised how good a books it is. Ekirson is very good at his climaxes all the way through the series... Especially Deadhouse Gates, but I'll say no more than that

Hope you enjoy the rest of them as much

 

[Lord of Winterfell]

Doorstopper fantasy at its best? Not quite IMHO. At its best (Deadhouse, Memories) the Malazan series can match ASoIaF blow for blow. Unfortunately, its position in the fantasy hierarchy will always be hampered by a troublesome opening act. Let's face it, alot of people have trouble getting through Gardens of the Moon. I know I did, and I'm glad I did because Deadhouse rocked my world. But some stop reading the series at this point. A very big problem for a series wanting to play with the big boys. And after the very good Memories of Ice I felt let down by House of Chains - the expected brilliant Erikson climax just kinda fizzled... and Karsa... don't get me started on that one.

I guess I'm just trying to say the the series feels a bit uneven. When its great, it is something special... but it has its rough patches. People praise Erikson for the pace in which he gets his books out, and bemoan GRRM for the glacial pace he writes. I think Martin's series benefits greatly from the extra time devoted in creating a cohesive narrative which is of high quality from book to book.

I sometimes think it would benefit Mr. Erikson to re-write Gardens of the Moon, especially the first half... he is losing alot of potential readers who don't have the determination to get through that book. But I would guess that the chances of this are slim...

I hope to pick up Midnight Tides soon in the hope that it improves on House of Chains.

Oh yeah, I'm new here.

 

[Rane Longfox]

I would argue that anyone who couldn't make it through the first one probably wouldn't enjoy the rest of the series anyway.
The Karsa episode was weird, and I didn't like it very much. It's not his normal style of writing, and it didn't fit in... I'll forgive him that though, of the quality of the rest of it

Midnight Tides is again very different to Erikson's usual style of writing. There is more comedy in it, and some people thing this detracts from the storyline, but I disagree. It concentrates a bit less on the soldiers' side of things (which I think is Erikson's strength), but still manages to be a very good novel in the same vein as the previous ones. The best way I can describe it is as if you're observing the whole story from further away, as opposed to the very close-at-hand narrative of the previous books. This is not the case throughout the entire book, but you are generally more aware of the bigger picture than you have been before.

One of the main characters is no where near the inevitable fighting, which has never really happened before either, but Erikson writes him well, even though he has to use the comedy aspect of his style to make it work...


Welcome to the forums, by the way

 

[Lord of Winterfell]

Thanks for the welcome Brood.

Yeah, its things like the Karsa storyline - which lasted for 200 pages and felt out of place - that hurts the argument that this is the best series out there. Like I said, at its finest moments (end of Deadhouse) its mindblowingly good. But there are too many lulls... do I even need to mention the Mhybe storyline? That was goddawful boring. If he could just reign his story in a bit it would really help. At times it feels like he is not in full control of this great beast of a story he has created.

My screen name suggests that I worship at the GRRM altar and I plead guilty on that count, but Erikson is a worthy contender for sure.