Malazan Book Of The Fallen
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Lord Nagafen Raider
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I saw this on the just released section, seemed...odd as a choice for him to write. How do you like it?
Valorath
Trakanon Raider
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It's been pretty entertaining so far. I'm only 1/3 or so into it, but the entire thing has been from Captain Hadrian Sawback's point-of-view, so there's something I wasn't expecting with an Erikson book. I've laughed out lout a number of times. It's pretty easy reading, but enjoyable. I've stuck tightly to the fantasy genre as a reader; I've read some Michael Crichton and a couple of other books assigned in classes, and that's it outside of fantasy. Only picked this one up because it was Erikson.
It's pretty interesting take on how humans get to space. You see the start of it in the prologue and then jump ahead 100 years. Just met a squad of Terran Marines as well, hoping they turn out as awesome as the Malazan marines. Only qualm I've got is that the book seems to be laced with some of Erikson's political views. Maybe commentary on today's society would be better way to say it. Only noticed it a couple of times, anyway. Will post again when I'm finished with the book!
Edit: Also got Assail for Christmas. I liked the book. But, I'm a total sucker for anything Malazan. One of Esslemont's better books, I think.
Big Spoiler:
If what was posted before about Esslemont only writing three more books, and those being about the founding of the Malazan empire, is true then I'll be a sad panda.
It's pretty interesting take on how humans get to space. You see the start of it in the prologue and then jump ahead 100 years. Just met a squad of Terran Marines as well, hoping they turn out as awesome as the Malazan marines. Only qualm I've got is that the book seems to be laced with some of Erikson's political views. Maybe commentary on today's society would be better way to say it. Only noticed it a couple of times, anyway. Will post again when I'm finished with the book!
Edit: Also got Assail for Christmas. I liked the book. But, I'm a total sucker for anything Malazan. One of Esslemont's better books, I think.
Big Spoiler:
I wasn't particularly fond of the way he brought back Anomander Rake. I saw it coming from a mile away. But, he's the Son of fucking Darkness, one of my favorite characters of the series. So I'll take it.
Drakain
Trakanon Raider
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Amazon has the complete Malazan book of the Fallen with a $20 price drop. Was close to $90 now down to about $68. Got it last night after waffling over the price for 6 months. Looking forward to getting into this. I started Gardens of the Moon twice but I can't seem to read mass market paperbacks. Not sure if its a print thing or a texture thing. I'm a hardcover snob but damn I love my kindle.
Intrinsic
Person of Whiteness
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I regret not buying the Lettered editions of them from SubPress and am thinking about making a custom traycase for the numbered ones for fun. If the first goes well I'll consider doing the others too. Not sure if there is a place out there selling something similar.
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I'm halfway through Willful Child and it's kept me entertained. I'm listening to the audiobook, and you really owe it to yourself to listen to it because the narrator does a hilarious job with the ship's doctor. Laugh out loud funny.
My lazy ass finally got around to finishing Toll the Hounds. Then I flew through Stone Wielder. Into Dust of Dreams now. God I love Tehol and Bugg.
Stoneweilder was awesome.
I just finished Assail. Meh. I love me some Malazan but often times the subtle-reference-to-shit-I-read-10-books-ago nonsense just gets old. Every time I finish a book, I hit the ME forums and realize that I missed like 2/3 of the foreshadowing/backshadowing (is that a thing?) and otherwise important plot bits that I didn't remember because I don't have the entire series committed to memory.
Tons of spoilers here but worth poking around once you finish it:
Assail - Malazan Empire
I just finished Assail. Meh. I love me some Malazan but often times the subtle-reference-to-shit-I-read-10-books-ago nonsense just gets old. Every time I finish a book, I hit the ME forums and realize that I missed like 2/3 of the foreshadowing/backshadowing (is that a thing?) and otherwise important plot bits that I didn't remember because I don't have the entire series committed to memory.
Tons of spoilers here but worth poking around once you finish it:
Assail - Malazan Empire
Rezz
Mr. Poopybutthole
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Yeah, Tehol and Bugg's interactions are the best. For me it's a tossup between their chapters and the chapters where it is primarily marine dialogue.
Valorath
Trakanon Raider
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I've always liked Tehol/Bugg, Kruppe, and Iskarial Pust. I kinda group them all together when it comes to Malazan comic relief. That's not all they're about, because they are main characters, but I always have fun reading their chapters.
Edit: Rereads: they're better. Certain PoVs early become a lot more important on rereads.
The Pust/Kruppe "duel" is hilarious!
Edit: Rereads: they're better. Certain PoVs early become a lot more important on rereads.
i still tear up every time I read the Stormy/Gesler ending. All 4 times.
Rezz
Mr. Poopybutthole
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Book one is not indicative of the series as a whole. It's effectively a made for TV movie script that introduces a lot of characters and tries to flesh them out to some degree within a 2 hour movie (give or take) and then try to resolve the majority of the storylines in some fashion. Read it like watching a Sci-Fi original and just nod your head and smile at stuff as you work through it. Deadhouse Gates is where Malazan really starts to take off, and is one of the best fantasy military novels ever written, in my opinion. Gardens of the Moon isn't a bad book, but it doesn't do a very good job of setting up the world/pacing of the rest of the series at all.I've tried to get though book one of this like 4 times...I just can't do it.
Intrinsic
Person of Whiteness
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It is still Esslemont though, so I won't get my hopes up. His quality goes way up and down. Although this setting may be more of his wheelhouse since I thought (or think I remember, it has been years) his handling of the normal stuff was much better than the Assail and deep Malazan magic stuff.
Regarding the first book it is much more popcorn friendly than the rest. They only get more convoluted, confusing, and character heavy as they go. It was awesome to me, but takes focus and dedication (and patience) that I can understand not everyone has.
Regarding the first book it is much more popcorn friendly than the rest. They only get more convoluted, confusing, and character heavy as they go. It was awesome to me, but takes focus and dedication (and patience) that I can understand not everyone has.
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That's exactly the quality that sets this series apart. Characters show up, you don't know who or what the fuck they are. Other people talk like they are the shit or reference events/people that you have no information about, and you don't get realization of that topic until books later. It makes the story feel more organic because pages and chapters of exposition aren't shoehorned in. Characters interact with each other in a more believable manner.
This series *needs* a Silmarillion for completeness. It will never get one and that's a great thing.
This series *needs* a Silmarillion for completeness. It will never get one and that's a great thing.