Zachary May 30, 2016

really liked it bookshelves: my-books, fantasy, malazan

's review

** spoiler alert ** 3.5/5, but I'm rounding up because I like this series so much.



I have a lot of very conflicting thoughts about this book. I enjoyed it a lot, but I feel like my experience with it was tainted by how much I loved Memories of Ice. This book was good, and I'd probably have loved it if I hadn't been constantly mentally comparing it with its predecessor.



Let's start with the good. Karsa-freaking-Orlong!!!! I loved that this book started with a solid 200 pages focused on a single character. That's a first for Malazan and I thought it worked well. I didn't always like Karsa, but I always found him interesting. He's the kind of character I like to read about even though I don't fully understand or agree with his motivations. He's also the kind of character I would High tail it and run away from if I knew he was within 1000km of me.



I love Fiddler so much. Every section of his is a favourite. When he learns the "fate" of the Bridgeburners, I felt like I was right there with him. In fact, all the military parts of this book were great. Gamet was a great character as well.



The ending was riveting, and sure the whole "ghosts" things is a bit of a Deus Ex Machina, but I honestly don't care, it was awesome. I was in public when I read the showdown between Tavore and Felisin. I literally had to remove myself from the room and collect myself. I can't explain why, but that hit me harder than any moment in the series thus far. For her sanity I really hope Tavore never learns the truth about that "fight."



The conversations towards the end between Cotillion and Cutter and Apsalar were incredible. Again I can't explain it but they tweaked something in me. This book helped me see that Cotillion is a man, from the hints of the story of them taking the throne to his very human emotions.



And now we come to some of the things I didn't like about this book. Having the extended section with Karsa made it feel like I was starting a new book at 25% done. It's a minor complaint, but I found the first couple chapter of part 2 a little slow.



The plot of this book felt way less focused that the previous three. I had a hard time caring about Trull Sengar and Onrack until literally the very end. Kalam felt under/misused for most of the book. Lostara and Pearls sections were good, but mostly seemed to muddle the plot, as they more or less retraced the events we read in DG.



I wanted more military sections. Those are the best part of Malazan for me, and in this book I wanted way more of them in this book, because I loved every one of them so much. Seeing Fiddler reunited with QB made me sorely miss the Bridgeburners and their interactions with each other.



Apsalar and Cutter's story also felt largely tangential to the majority of the book. I understand that the next boon deals with the various Tiste races, and they interest me, but this book felt like it focused on them so much, and then didn't really have any payoff for that plot.



This is an extremely minor quibble, as I'm sure it's was SE intended but I hated every time Bidithal was on page. This includes his very fitting, but disgusting death. I had to go get a drink of water and put the book down for a few minutes after I read that.



Overall, this book was good, but not great. It ranks below MoI and DG but slightly above GoTM for me so far, but only because I am already invested in the world. I fully expect them to switch places on a reread. Time to read a palate cleanser book and then on to Midnight Tides!!