Deadhouse Gates

[red_temple]

Okay, I am just about finished with Gardens of the Moon, and I've enjoyed it quite a bit. How does Deadhouse Gates compare? Is it better, worse, the same? What are its strong/weak points? I am ready to be enlightened!

[Tsujigiri]

The quality is the same, the plot different although it follows the overall story arc and the level of absorbtion into the novel is greater if anything!

[CherylMorgan]

More dead people. Way more dead people. Review.

[Rane Longfox]

red, Deadhouse Gates is quite a few people's favorite book in the series so far... its no coincedence that when they decided to do a film, they chose the major DhG storyline Again it drops you straight into the story, but after reading GotM, its much easier to understand, and the quality of the writing is, if anything, better. Introduces a whole host of new characters too, as well as developing on familiar friends from the first book.

One of the end scenes is one of about four occasions in any book I've read that has made me cry. (One of the others in in Memories of Ice)

[red_temple]

Sounds awsome, Cal! After finishing GotM, I'm very excited to get into another Malazan book. I had been told by several people that I should actually read book 3 (Memories of Ice?) before DHG, but it really goes against my nature to read a series out of order unless there's very good reason. I think you've sold me - I will read DHG next.

You also mentioned a film version of DHG? Have any more details to share?

[red_temple]

Oh.... and BTW, thank you, Cheryl, for the link to the review. That's exactly the thing I was looking for.

[Rane Longfox]

To be honest, it doesn't matter if you read Deadhouse Gates or Memories of Ice first. They take place over a very similar timescale, though, obviously, because DhG was written first, MoI will assume some of the knowledge that you were given in DhG. However, throughout the series there are things that happen which you just have to remember and wait for them to be explained later. Theres an event in MoI that isn't explained until the end of Midnight Tides, the fifth book It theres a main theme in Erikson's books, it's the uncertainty of the reader



Well, I don't want to spoil too much of the book before you read it, but Erikson and some of his associates have adapted the "Chain of Dogs" part of Deadhouse for movie use.

A screenplay for 'Chain of Dogs' is nearly ready...adapted by myself and others (including Steven himself) the movie will focus on ...[here there be spoilers, which I won't post]... The producers are negotiating with german and english financiers, and plan to film in Australia.
We have a huge amount of work ahead of us, as the script is rather long (close to 2 1/2 hours)...we have kept to the story (after all, we are fans too)...

That was posted on the malazan board last July, and there have probably been more updates since, but the thread has just turned into a long discussion about how they could get Peter Jackson to direct it, so I haven't bothered checking back...
Anyway, hopefully, when you've read it you'll see how good a film it would make
Mind you, if you're well-versed in your roman literature you may notice resembelances towards the end to a rather famous other story. But I shall say no more. Glad I got you interested. Enjoy it

[GOLLUM]

Red Temple,

Basically I felt Book 1 was the weakest of the books partly perhaps because it was as much a "setup" book for the rest of the series as anything else. Having said that it's still very good.

Form Book 2 onwards the quality of Mr. Erikson's series goes up a notch or three and never comes done. A new high watermark in EPIC fantasy IMHO

Simply the best fantasy series I've ever read with GRRM at No 2. on the hit parade.

When you get to Book 3 I feel this is where Erikson's genius really begins to come out.

Interestingly enough several readers have said the latest Book 5 is so far the best yet and I wouldn't argue about that.

BTW read Book 2 BEFORE reading Book 3 because there's some events in Book 2 that are linked to Book 3 so you may not pick this up if you read them out of order.

Enjoy!!!

[hodor]

I would definitely agree with the fact that Erikson is a GREAT writer. I am only halfway into Deadhouse Gates, and it took me some time to get used to his style and catch the storyline but it is definitely great. I have Memories of Ice waiting for me as soon as I finish the 2nd book. He is of a caliber with GRRM imo but two totally different forté's. Erikson is magnificent with the military part and GRRM is equally magnificent with Politics.

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by hodor

I would definitely agree with the fact that Erikson is a GREAT writer. I am only halfway into Deadhouse Gates, and it took me some time to get used to his style and catch the storyline but it is definitely great. I have Memories of Ice waiting for me as soon as I finish the 2nd book. He is of a caliber with GRRM imo but two totally different forté's. Erikson is magnificent with the military part and GRRM is equally magnificent with Politics.

Nice observation mate although the poiltics do kick in more as you get further into DHG and MOI. For me the world building of Erikson is also peerlees other than Tolkien.

The magic systems are also fairly mind blowing the further you get into the sereis, especially in MOI. WOW!!!!!

Certianly agree that Martin and Erikson are both different but still brilliant.

Bye now..

[hodor]

Aye!!! I agree with the magic... it is totally mind blowing. A very interesting way of writing in this regards!

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by hodor

Aye!!! I agree with the magic... it is totally mind blowing. A very interesting way of writing in this regards!

Yep, the magic systems have a certain freshness or originality to them I've not seen all that often in the fanatsay genre although I guess everything is ultimately a reinvention of previous ideas.

[Brys]

Deadhouse Gates is much better I think, and it becomes extremely moving, especially with the end of the Chain of Dogs. And then in Memories of Ice it becomes even better, with the best battle ever written (the siege of Capustan), and his worldbuilding continues to improve. One pretty minor thing that I barely noticed on the first read of Deadhouse Gates was the way the Seven Cities people called Malazans Mezla - I thought that was a nice touch.

[GOLLUM]

Another Erikson golden touch Brys.....

[Brys]

Originally Posted by GOLLUM

Another Erikson golden touch Brys.....

I've got to finish re-reading the series soon - Memories of Ice comes next! Still, I've got a load of new fantasy books to read, including many of the classics. But of those I've read/am reading at the moment (Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Gray Mouser, Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, Michael Moorcock's Elric) - they still haven't come that close to matching Erikson, though they're all very good in their own way.