Just finished GOTM

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by Boaz

I did not mention how much I do appreciate how much effort Erikson and his co-creator have put into the genesis and backstory of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. They have impressed me with their care in crafting their fantasy world.

But (you knew it was coming didn't you?), the pace at which the information regarding different races (Moranth, Malazans, Tiste Andii, Jaghut, Trell, and various other humans), different organizations (Malazan army, Claw, Talon, Darujhistan councils, etc.), different religions, and different magic sources is so sporadic that I feel confounded.

Maybe my whole issue with Erikson is merely the fact that he cannot live up to expectations generated by the extreme praise I read here. This happens so much in life... how can one person be expected to have the exact same response to art as another person? For example, I know a guy who was set up on a blind date with a former Miss America... that poor lady never had a chance... how could she live up to that billing forty years after her title?

Erikson has a lot of good stuff here, but I'm not thrilled yet. I'm going to finish Deadhouse, but we'll see if I go any further into the series.

One caveat... Some of you may know me from the George Martin forum. I'm an admitted fan (and a big Tolkien fan, too), but I want to say that I'm not attempting to build Martin up by tearing Erikson or any other author down. TLOTR, ASOIAF and TMBOTF stand on their own merits.

What do you think about Felisin in?

She was like 70% the reason i didnt finish DHG.

Her part of story was meh. I liked the crippled old man Heboric(?) but not the rest of characters in that side of the story.

I agree with your first post Erikson created really interesting world but what else does he have is the question. Interesting world is nothing if the story doesnt get anywhere.

I didnt like either how little the mages was in the first two books. I liked armies with battling mages but they werent important.

Let me know how the last 200 pages of DHG is compared to the first 200.

[Wiggum]

Originally Posted by Connavar

Let me know how the last 200 pages of DHG is compared to the first 200.

Just my two pennies, the last 200 are really good.

I'll be the first to say that the Chain of Dogs storyline went on way too long, but that the ending is great and gut wrenching.

[Boaz]

viZ, can't help ya.

Conn, I'm not looking for huge battles... so I don't know if my views will help you. I really felt that Felisin's character really came around. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that she's only fourteen or fifteen and forced to deal with the deaths of her parents, being sold into slavery by her elder sister, being forced into sexual slavery and prostitution... How does someone deal with all that? How does one vent her frustrations? Felisin poured forth all her vitriol upon Heboric and Baudin. And they took it to keep her alive.

Finally, Erikson really connected his story of injustice and actions of social conscience in Coltaine's story. Historian Duiker became the conscience of the series... I enjoyed his commentary immensely.

Erikson really showed some writing skills with Duiker's commentaries and observations.

The historian, now witness, stumbling in the illusion that he will survive. Long enough to set the details down on parchment in the frail belief that truth is a worthwhile cause. That the tale will become a lesson heeded. Frail belief? Outright lie, a delusion of the worst sort. The less of history is that no one learns. - Deadhouse Gates, Book Three, Chapter Twelve

The Chain of Dogs was improbable and stretched on and on. Yet Duiker was the one character in the book with whom I could identify. I missed Rallick Nom and Coll from Gardens of the Moon... I identified with them as well. But if you have any curiosity regarding Coltaine and the Seventh Army's battles and retreat across Seven Cities, then by all means finish the book with those chapters alone.

I really should be posting these thoughts in a different thread, I suppose.

[Connavar]

I dont really care about huge battles either. I just wanted to know more about battling mages. The first book had several of those characters.

Im interesting in the world. From the empress,the gods,the cities,places that is getting conquered,Rake's people etc

I miss most of the characters GOTM that was in Darujistan. Paran,Rallick Nom,Kruppe etc

Those made GOTM for me.

Felisin i just disliked how he wrote her specially sexually. I know he planned to be that you care for her when you have seen how far she had fallen. She just seemed lifeless and uninteresting for someone who was struggling in that kind of place.


Im really thinking about reading wiki spoilers on what happens in DHG and get to the next book.

[HoopyFrood]

I absolutely hated Felisin. I wanted to slap her every time she opened that whiny mouth of hers. Didn't care for her at all. If I were Baudin or Heboric, I would've left her on a rock in the desert to moan herself to death.

I also will say that the first time I started reading Deadhouse Gates, I couldn't get into it. I, too, missed all those great characters that I'd finally managed to memorise in Gardens of the Moon. But then I restarted it and got into it and was glad that I persevered because, and I know it's always said, but the ending really is something else. I've never read an ending like it.

I was glad to get onto Memories of Ice, though, and get back to all those characters I love.