Malazan Book Of The Fallen

  • Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!



    Go here and give us your nominations!
    Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!
ver_21

ver_21

Molten Core Raider
975
-360
wormie said:
I quit the Esselmont books after The Crimson Guard. His writing sucks donkey dick.
Click to expand...

It really does.

Night of Knives is not awful, but's that's only because it's so short.

Deathwing said:
Originally, I was like fuck the Crippled God, he got Whiskeyjack killed. By the end of the series, I was confused what I was supposed to feel. Resurrected Crippled God and Antagonist Crippled God were almost two separate characters.

The Assail are just plot devices, change my mind.
Click to expand...

I'm rusty, but
doesn't Whiskeyjack neglect to get his leg healed? It's all good and fated, though...doesn't he get a spot in House Hood?
 
Last edited:
Deathwing

Deathwing

<Bronze Donator>
17,061
8,066
The entirety of the Bridgeburners get a spot in House Hood, not just Whiskeyjack. He's just a convenient spokesperson.

And, yes, it was a long chain of events that Whiskeyjack could have easily prevented. The last event was dueling Kallor, who was in league with the Crippled God at the time. So the book plays on you emotionally that it was the Crippled God that killed Whiskeyjack even though that logically doesn't make sense.

Perhaps a bad example, but there many more where the series paints the Crippled God as the antagonist in first few books. It certainly didn't feel that way towards the end. That was probably Erikson's intent, but I'm not sure he got the reader to the same point in time.
 
wormie

Asshat wormie

2023 Asshat Award Winner
<Gold Donor>
16,820
30,968
I thought the transition from having the Crippled God be the bad guy to not so much was very jarring and not done well at all.
 
  • 1Solidarity
Reactions: 1 user
Deathwing

Deathwing

<Bronze Donator>
17,061
8,066
Well, nobody liked the Snake, not sure how you forgot that.

My memory on the other three are not as good. The K'Chain Che'Malle felt like plot devices, there to balance out the short tails. Neither of which felt like they were organically part of the story. These two elder races that most ascendants thought were extinct? Yeah, they're both still around, one's working with the Chained God, and they both still have a numerous sky keeps!

Barghast, I think could have been better if the story organically included Olar Ethil. FWIW, I like the Barghast chapters a bit more because of Draconis' entry amidst a battle. Perfectly accentuated the nihilism the battle already represented.

Forkruul have never been fleshed out well.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user
A

a_skeleton_03

<Banned>
29,948
29,763
Yeah I remembered the Snake but just didn't remember it being quite that bad. I am just flipping pages on the rest.

Oh yeah the grey swords also so far is super weak but I think like the Barghast they eventually become worth reading.
 
Aazrael

Aazrael

Avatar of War Slayer
3,680
14,363
About to finish my second go on the main series (Audible). Listened to all the Esslemonts as well. The only ones I've yet to buy are the Kharkanas ones, they worth buying? Saw he took a break on this trilogy due to lower sales.
 
Kalaar kururuc

Kalaar kururuc

Grumpy old man
561
496
Aazrael said:
About to finish my second go on the main series (Audible). Listened to all the Esslemonts as well. The only ones I've yet to buy are the Kharkanas ones, they worth buying? Saw he took a break on this trilogy due to lower sales.
Click to expand...

The first book isn't awful, but in hindsight its circling the drain that is book 2. Steven has always been wordy but the Karkanas books are borderline unreadable drivel.
 
  • 3Like
Reactions: 2 users
Ritley

Ritley

Bronze Baron of the Realm
16,078
35,277
Kalaar kururuc said:
The first book isn't awful, but in hindsight its circling the drain that is book 2. Steven has always been wordy but the Karkanas books are borderline unreadable drivel.
Click to expand...
I think I made it part way through the second book. I remember it being extremely boring and eventually just couldn’t muster the motivation to keep reading it.

Hoping whenever he gets around to the Karsa books that they are substantially better
 
Aazrael

Aazrael

Avatar of War Slayer
3,680
14,363
Any recommendations on books like the Malazan series? I really enjoyed the fact that there wasn't one special kid that saved everyone but that it was more about the everyday people/soldiers getting caught up in shit/convergence with some super powerful guys sprinkled in.
 
wormie

Asshat wormie

2023 Asshat Award Winner
<Gold Donor>
16,820
30,968
Aazrael said:
Any recommendations on books like the Malazan series? I really enjoyed the fact that there wasn't one special kid that saved everyone but that it was more about the everyday people/soldiers getting caught up in shit/convergence with some super powerful guys sprinkled in.
Click to expand...
en.wikipedia.org

The Black Company - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
  • 3Like
  • 1Solidarity
Reactions: 3 users
Grim1

Grim1

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
4,915
6,917
Love this series. Favorite fantasy series by far.

Thick read though. Going to start them up again, will take a couple of years.
 
Intrinsic

Intrinsic

Person of Whiteness
<Gold Donor>
15,445
13,908
Since SubPress just delivered the final version of their set to me a couple of weeks ago, I’ve wanted to start a reread also. Can’t use those as they’re in storage and they’re too nice to be everyday readers. May just Kindle them. What I’d really like to do is some sort of “annotated” reread of the Fallen and take my own notes and references rather than just going through the wikis. That’d probably take the rest of my known life.
 
  • 2Worf
Reactions: 1 users
Hateyou

Hateyou

Not Great, Not Terrible
<Bronze Donator>
17,454
46,860
Intrinsic said:
Since SubPress just delivered the final version of their set to me a couple of weeks ago, I’ve wanted to start a reread also. Can’t use those as they’re in storage and they’re too nice to be everyday readers. May just Kindle them. What I’d really like to do is some sort of “annotated” reread of the Fallen and take my own notes and references rather than just going through the wikis. That’d probably take the rest of my known life.
Click to expand...
I just looked these up and saw they are $125-$175 per book. Am I looking at the wrong thing or did you actually spend like $1500 on this series?
 
Intrinsic

Intrinsic

Person of Whiteness
<Gold Donor>
15,445
13,908
Hateyou said:
I just looked these up and saw they are $125-$175 per book. Am I looking at the wrong thing or did you actually spend like $1500 on this series?
Click to expand...

I did, the numbered were that price and the lettered were like $500 a piece. Keep in mind though I’ve been getting them since they did the Gardens of the Moon release so like 2007? So over 14 years one book every year and a half or so. All the same number.
 
Hateyou

Hateyou

Not Great, Not Terrible
<Bronze Donator>
17,454
46,860
Intrinsic said:
I did, the numbered were that price and the lettered were like $500 a piece. Keep in mind though I’ve been getting them since they did the Gardens of the Moon release so like 2007? So over 14 years one book every year and a half or so. All the same number.
Click to expand...
How do you get the same number? Once you buy the first that number is yours for each print?

Not knocking you for doing it, everyone has their expensive hobby. I’m sure they’re awesome, books just aren’t something I’d spend big money on personally.
 
Intrinsic

Intrinsic

Person of Whiteness
<Gold Donor>
15,445
13,908
Hateyou said:
How do you get the same number? Once you buy the first that number is yours for each print?

Not knocking you for doing it, everyone has their expensive hobby. I’m sure they’re awesome, books just aren’t something I’d spend big money on personally.
Click to expand...

Yeah, once I had the first one it locked in the same number for the rest as long as I responded during the pre-order. It is all relative and I don’t use them as readers, just display. I also have their version of a few Sanderson books. Missed the run of the Dresden Files or would have probably done that. Unfortunately they’re all packed up and in storage for the new house move.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.