Paperback, 1024 pages
English language
Published March 5, 2007 by Tor Fantasy.
In Northern Genabackis, tribal mountain warriors raid southern flatlands. Years later, Tavore, Adjunct to the Empress, enters the last Malazan stronghold. New to command, she must hone 12,000 recrutis to resist the Whirlwind of her sister Sha in the Holy Desert. The power struggle of the seer's warlords threatens the soul of the rebellion.
When reflecting on individual books their flaws stand out, but it's the incredible scope and scale of the series as a whole that gives it its value. I would rate individual books 2.5-3 stars, but the series as a whole 4 :)
Not as good an ending as memories of ice, but still fantastic.
Review 2012: So far my favorite Malazan book. I think I'm in love with all the characters but especially Kalam and Cotillion :) Oh and Apsalar. And Whiskyjack and ... at first the longish and seemingly unconnected story of Karsa put me off, then I remembered who he was and I enjoyed all the revelations and connections that this book delivered in the same superb writing style as the first three books.
If you like long and epic fantasy series and have not started this one or quit reading after the first book, you are making a mistake!
Review 2017: Still very good but not quite as much ahead of the first three books in being my favorite. Maybe because the ending isn't quite as traumatic as book 2 and 3.
Overall I enjoyed a break from the drama that happened with the Chain of Dogs and with the war …
Review 2012: So far my favorite Malazan book. I think I'm in love with all the characters but especially Kalam and Cotillion :) Oh and Apsalar. And Whiskyjack and ... at first the longish and seemingly unconnected story of Karsa put me off, then I remembered who he was and I enjoyed all the revelations and connections that this book delivered in the same superb writing style as the first three books.
If you like long and epic fantasy series and have not started this one or quit reading after the first book, you are making a mistake!
Review 2017: Still very good but not quite as much ahead of the first three books in being my favorite. Maybe because the ending isn't quite as traumatic as book 2 and 3.
Overall I enjoyed a break from the drama that happened with the Chain of Dogs and with the war against the Pannion Domin. This book is a lot less bloody on the protagonist's side as the final battle is fought by ghosts instead of Tavore's army and Karsa, Leoman, Heboric ... make it out of the Oasis alive and instead of further decimating my favorite characters it features the wonderful Tanno Spiritsong ascending the Bridgburners, whatever that means, and a lot of screen time for all my favorite assassins and shadow dancers.
Karsa Orlong is a glorious warrior despite and because of his faults. While I still didn't like his beginnings, knowing what was to come helped understand him earlier. Like in my last read it took me until the end to connect Onrack's story with the rest and that made for difficult reading.
Karsa-freakin'-Orlong. About half of the book revolves around him, and it's hard to decide if he's a completely despicable dirtbag or if he's a really cool guy.
The rest of the book ties up the Whirlwind/Apocalypse plot from the last couple books (in somewhat lackluster fashion).
And, this book proves yet again that nobody ever really dies in the Malazan books. That part is getting a little too predictable.
What matter the colour of the collar around a man's neck, if the chains linked to them were identical? Better to struggle against helplessness, as far as he was concerned.
This was my favourite book in the series so far. It started on an unknown character who I immediately enjoyed. And unlike past books, the scale started small and you followed the character for several chapters. Then the story opened up and brought back familiar story lines and merged with the first half of the book.
Either the story was more engaging or I am getting used to Erikson's writing but I was able to follow along with most of the story here than I have in past books.
