Bonehunters

[Rosemary]

Originally Posted by nixie

I'm having a reread sometime later this year.I can see me rereading this series even more than Feists Riftwar.

Are you re-reading because you enjoyed it so much, or is there parts of the series you were unsure of?
I would be very surprised it it were the latter...

[nixie]

Rereading for the enjoyment

[Rahl Windsong]

I think Erikson's Malazan series really needs to be reread as some point, its just so complex and so many characters no way can you take it all in with one go.

As for the bit about Kalam's death being still in question, or is he trapped in the Deadhouse? The thing is we all knew even if he died that he would ascend so I was pretty sure a different fate awaited Kalam, and that is the part that bothered me the most, am I starting to be able to predict which way the story will go now? Erikson seems to be unable or unwilling to actually let someone die and leave the story, has he become so attatched?

Now having said that I suspect there is a reason for this talented author's apparent lack of the intestinal fortitude to actually kill someone important off. Hopefully as the end to this fantastic story draws near we will be astounded instead of knowing when Erikson reveals his reason for ever lasting life after death. Why MUST they all be there? That is the burning question I have now.

Rahl

[Jason_Taverner]

just finished it really enjoyed it

[Rosemary]

That's great Jason...looking forward to the next volume just like the rest of us now I hope!

[Lostara]

Originally Posted by Rahl Windsong

I think Erikson's Malazan series really needs to be reread as some point, its just so complex and so many characters no way can you take it all in with one go.

As for the bit about Kalam's death being still in question, or is he trapped in the Deadhouse? The thing is we all knew even if he died that he would ascend so I was pretty sure a different fate awaited Kalam, and that is the part that bothered me the most, am I starting to be able to predict which way the story will go now? Erikson seems to be unable or unwilling to actually let someone die and leave the story, has he become so attatched?

Now having said that I suspect there is a reason for this talented author's apparent lack of the intestinal fortitude to actually kill someone important off. Hopefully as the end to this fantastic story draws near we will be astounded instead of knowing when Erikson reveals his reason for ever lasting life after death. Why MUST they all be there? That is the burning question I have now.

Rahl

Rahl - I can understand your point, but he has killed a few off. WJack is dead and gone. Looks as if Dujek has had his chips. Itkovian's a gonner, as is Felisien (mind you I'm glad she's gone!). Pearl had a rather nasty demise and in the very first book poor old Calot was blasted to bits.

If he did kill Kal I think I would have to sue for the trauma I would undoubtedly suffer!

[Brys]

Ok, I've just finished it. I plan on doing a blog post on it in quite a bit more detail, but here are my thoughts.
The Bonehunters was a disappointment. IMO it's one of the weakest in the series, possibly the weakest. It was more polished than GotM in terms of writing, but not a lot - and GotM had an aura of fun that was mainly lacking in TBH. And it didn't possess the same seriousness that Deadhouse Gates, Memories of Ice or Midnight Tides did. There were good ideas in it - but they just weren't used well. I've never said this before about an Erikson book - but the Bonehunters felt drawn out and badly paced. Y'Ghatan came much too early to be a serious climax, and then there were about 300 pages following it in which barely anything happened. And then there was a great ending, but the Icarium part had to be condensed into about 10 pages, when it needed a lot more.
As I said, there were good ideas - eg Y'Ghatan, Dujek's death, Kalam's death, but it felt poorly executed to me. Y'Ghatan was too early on and then didn't have anything like the power of Capustan or even Coral, Dujek died, but it lacked impact because it was pretty much the first sight of him in the book, and Kalam's death was too... heroic. He survived much too long (seriously, 3 people against literally 100s of assassins? He barely survived at the end of DG against a tiny proportion of the claw) and dragging him into the Azath gives the irritating implication that he didn't die.
That said, the Wickan pogrom idea was very good.

And Hedge still being alive (ok, dead, but can still existing) was a terrible mistake. That was ridiculous and it ruins his death in Memories of Ice. That was the worst moment of the book.

Ok, I did enjoy the Bonehunters, especially the last book (which other than being a little over the top was generally pretty good), but I had thought Erikson was improving as the series went on, especially in the basic aspects of writing, but this read more like Gardens of the Moon than any of the others, and it wasn't a worthy successor to Midnight Tides. I saw potential in this, but unlike in the previous books, it wasn't realised.

So an order of the series so far:
1. Memories of Ice
2. Deadhouse Gates
3. Midnight Tides
4. House of Chains
5. The Bonehunters
6. Gardens of the Moon (these last two are interchangeable - Gardens is more fun than BH, but BH could have been a much better novel than GotM and there's a lot of evidence in the book that it could have been more, while GotM's about as good as it could be).

Edit: I've now posted a review on my blog: http://illusoryreality.blogspot.com/...n-erikson.html

So Kalam survived? I wasn't sure about what happened then, but if Kalam truly survived that completely ruins that ending for me. The final battle was a little OTT but generally quite good, but if Kalam survived it's a wasted scene, because it shows he's an unkillable character. I had thought Erikson above this.

[Rahl Windsong]

We are not sure about kalam, but the thing is we are not really sure about anyone in this story, are they dead or just moved on to their next part of life? Someone in this post said that some characters are dead and have stayed that way. Well all I can say to that is the series is not over yet, until it is I say they might still be a part of the story in their new form. Whiskeyjack was mentioned as being dead and staying dead, well the thing is he is a Bridgeburner and we all know they all get to ascend, so WJ ain't dead either, err well he's dead but still in the story. Anyone want to bet WJ shows up in a future book?

I thought Erikson was above things like this but....

Byrs: Your review says it all for me, exactly my thoughts about BH.

Rahl

[Brys]

I really hope Whiskeyjack doesn't show up again - until BH I thought these dead people who still exist were the exceptions - the whole idea of the abyss suggests that they wouldn't be able to just come and talk to their old friends, doesn't it? Strangely enough, those who seem to die most completely seem to be the gods, while mortals ironically keep coming back to life (in various forms).

Erikson said (after MT) there would be one more resurrection in the series, and it's what everything is leading to. I have enough faith in Erikson that he won't bring back Whiskeyjack and he tends to pay attention to what his fans say, and I gather I wasn't the only one disappointed with the Hedge scene, so maybe the dead will start to stay dead if we're lucky.

[Green]

Good review - I agree wholeheartedly with pretty much everything in there. I posted one on this forum a while back...

http://www.chronicles-network.com/fo...n-erikson.html

And I think Ben has one a few threads down, too.

[GOLLUM]

Mt favs in order, looks like MOI is most people's favourite. I also voted it as Book 1 in my top 10 reads of all time for stand alones, suprised no?..

Moi
Mt
Dhg
Bh
Hoc
Gotm

[Rahl Windsong]

Well it may have sounded like I wanted Wj to show up again but I just wanted to point out that as a Bridgeburner he would be ascended and with the Hedge scene now in the story it is possible Wj could have more to do. I really hope he doesn't because his death scene, I thought, was very good and it would be a complete waste of it to bring him back now in any shape or form.

I would list 'em like this...

Mt
Moi
Dhg
Hoc
Gotm
Bh

Rahl

[Jason_Taverner]

Does anyone know when the next one is out I can't wait

[Rane Longfox]

Current estimated UK release date for Reaper's Gale is March 2007. Erikson has already finished the book, but it obviously need editing etc before it's released. They're also hoping to piggyback the release of Esselmont's "Return of the Crimson Guard" onto it.