General Antony
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I just started reading the first book, Gardens of the Moon. About 25% in and I feel like I have no idea what is going on. Is this normal? Does the story become more coherent?
Starting Malazan Series
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Rime
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It does. You are going to be very confused for a while, they really toss you into the middle of it all and many books lump in new threads/characters, but it starts to make sense as it goes along. Stick to it. Read through Deadhouse Gates and if you are not set in the series by then, toss it.
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Not explaining everything(right away) is one of the things I like about this series. Whiskeyjack and Quick Ben aren't going to discuss Dassem Ultor's history every time he comes up in discussion. It makes the conversations feel more organic. He sometimes goes a bit overboard with it. A little bit of exposition never hurt anyone.
Intrinsic
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Just about every new book you'll be confused maybe up through the first third (it was more like all of Midnight Tides as it was a new location?) as new characters are introduced, plot lines, and locations. Fortunately the world building and sense of scope is large enough that it typically served to fuel my interest rather than distract. But if you aren'tin tothat, it would make sense how one could really dislike it. Erikson's method of establishing a living and evolving world was very compelling if you are okay not having answers, resolutions, or endings. It wouldn't be uncommon for someone to read something in book 8 that all of a sudden explained something in book 1 (if you can remember like 8k pages ago, which is a completely valid complaint. Not remembering it won't detract, it just may pick at you).
I have read a ton of huge epic series, SOIAF, WoT etc and i have the same problem. They toss you in the middle and you have no idea what is going on. I have tried to do this series like 5x now and I can't get very far before I just kinda lose interest because of it.
Skinner
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It's somewhat normal. Someone at the old FoH board years ago compared it to A Song of Ice and Fire, but instead of starting slow from the perspective of the Starks where many things are spelled out for you from the start and you get to see bad things happen from their perspective to build the story, the Malazan series literally dumps you into the middle of an active war and the surrounding chaos as if the series started at the Battle of the Blackwater. Most of the first book can come across as overwhelming but by the end things should start to come together somewhat. Not everything is explained in the first book and a lot of the things that happen and much of the mystery/history that is introduced is further explained in the proceeding novels. Most people find the first book the hardest to understand because of this and if you don't read slowly or carefully the confusion could be laid on extra thick.
Just curious, but where in the book are you exactly and what was the last thing you remember reading about?
Randin
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In terms of the overall story arc for the entire series, don't expect to have even the slightest idea what's going on until like book three (at least; it's been a while since I last read them). Best you can do until then just just try to figure out what's going on in that one particular book.
Rime
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I slogged through the first book, then when I got to the Chain of Dogs storyline, I was sold on the series. The next eight books could have been pictures of crudely drawn dicks and I would have bought them. The ninth book was a difficult read, and the 'last' book had some rough spots, but overall, I enjoyed the series enough to recommend it to people with a lot of time on their hands.
No, it doesn't. Some of the storylines are much easier to follow, but in terms of the complete thing, a large number of people still weren't sure what had happened immediately after reading the last book.
Some people have trouble following a series for several thousand pages when they still don't know what one of the main characters is or what he looks like. If you can just accept that you have no idea what a Trell is and never will, it has a lot of great scenes though.
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Kreugen
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K'Chain Che'mall army out of nowhere was awesome bro. Probably one of these best "holy fuck" moments of the series. Do we still not know who the hell the god-in-disguise with the Stormrider powers was?
But yes, the series sets the gold standard for being confusing or outright meaningless for the reader. Especially chapters from the POV of some godlike being that has lived for hundreds of thousands of years whose thought process is quite incomprehensible. Gothos and Osserc in the lastest Esselmont - what in the name of fuck?
The new series takes place what, 300,000 years in the past? And changes nearly everything we thought we knew about the how and why of everything presented in the first 10 novels. It probably doesn't help to tell a new reader that everything the characters are telling you about history and Gods and magic etc is all completely wrong, laugh. And some things that sound metaphorical are actually quite literal, as well as the reverse.
Still, I've read books that were more dense than this. Dune, for sure.
But yes, the series sets the gold standard for being confusing or outright meaningless for the reader. Especially chapters from the POV of some godlike being that has lived for hundreds of thousands of years whose thought process is quite incomprehensible. Gothos and Osserc in the lastest Esselmont - what in the name of fuck?
The new series takes place what, 300,000 years in the past? And changes nearly everything we thought we knew about the how and why of everything presented in the first 10 novels. It probably doesn't help to tell a new reader that everything the characters are telling you about history and Gods and magic etc is all completely wrong, laugh. And some things that sound metaphorical are actually quite literal, as well as the reverse.
Still, I've read books that were more dense than this. Dune, for sure.
The Chain of Dogs story line is a masterpiece. I haven't finished the series yet since I started GoT, but that whole part of the book was incredible.
Intrinsic
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I don't know. The new series really serves to ground the previous series. There was, in my opinion, a thread throughoutBook of the Fallenthat always reminded us the gods weren't Gods. Whether that be from an Ascendant stand point, a newly created God, or old God that lost their followers (power) and were coming back in to power. The Kharkansas Trilogy turns a lot of things on its head, but kind of confirms some speculations left over concerning the creation of these players and how they obtained the power they have, while also broadening (if that is even damn possible) the history and hierarchy of players within this universe. Retcons notwithstanding...
Asmadai
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I love this series to death but to me, these forums over hype the hell out of the Chain of Dogs arc.
I mean its good, but out of the whole series its not really even in my top 5 favorite parts.
I will say though, this quote from Duiker in Chain of Dogs is one of my all time favorite quotes in anything real or fictional, ever.
I mean its good, but out of the whole series its not really even in my top 5 favorite parts.
I will say though, this quote from Duiker in Chain of Dogs is one of my all time favorite quotes in anything real or fictional, ever.
"Names to faces are like twinned serpents threatening the most painful bite of all. I'll never return to the List of the Fallen, because I see now that the unnamed soldier is a gift. The named soldier--dead, melted wax--demands a response among the living... A response no one can make. Names are no comfort, they're a call to answer the unanswerable. Why did she die, not him? Why do the survivors remain anonymous--as if cursed--while the dead are revered? Why do we cling to what we lose while we ignore what we still hold? Name none of the fallen, for they stand in our place, and stand there still in each moment of our lives. Let my death hold no glory, and let me die forgotten and unknown. Let it not be said that I was one among the dead to accuse the living.".
Skinner
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The series is great but most people that I know have trouble getting through book one because of the nature of his writing and the chaotic plot, which seems to confuse some readers while preventing some/most attachment to the characters or story early on. By the time you start catching on, or think you're catching on, or find a character you can relate to or like during all of this, the author usually changes the character you're following and you have to start all over again. The end result is early frustration.
I don't remember many people over on FoH loving the first book on the first read through, but many who reread it after they finished the series felt the book went from one of the worst and weakest of the series to one of the better ones all because they knew what was going on this time and weren't frustrated. This doesn't help new readers much obviously and people saying they put the series down at/during book 1 is unfortunately more common than it should be.
The good news is the people saying to read book 2 before you quit on the series if you can finish book 1 aren't pulling shit out of thin air. Deadhouse Gates is just vastly better, there is an elaboration on many points of confusion including magic and the warrens, gods and ascendents and politics involving the Malazan Empire, and the Chain of Dogs story is just infinitely clearer and definitely more emotionally compelling. It's still not without its faults, but book two seems to be the anchor that really sells the series. If you made it to the end of book two and you're not sold and eager to read more then you'll probably never enjoy the series.
I also think the writing and story telling seems to improve with each book (with a couple exceptions).
I don't remember many people over on FoH loving the first book on the first read through, but many who reread it after they finished the series felt the book went from one of the worst and weakest of the series to one of the better ones all because they knew what was going on this time and weren't frustrated. This doesn't help new readers much obviously and people saying they put the series down at/during book 1 is unfortunately more common than it should be.
The good news is the people saying to read book 2 before you quit on the series if you can finish book 1 aren't pulling shit out of thin air. Deadhouse Gates is just vastly better, there is an elaboration on many points of confusion including magic and the warrens, gods and ascendents and politics involving the Malazan Empire, and the Chain of Dogs story is just infinitely clearer and definitely more emotionally compelling. It's still not without its faults, but book two seems to be the anchor that really sells the series. If you made it to the end of book two and you're not sold and eager to read more then you'll probably never enjoy the series.
I also think the writing and story telling seems to improve with each book (with a couple exceptions).