115 replies to this topic

[Jussi]

This novel will be published in August (UK) / September (US). The first synopsis has been revealed:

Quote

Enter the New York Times bestselling Malazan universe... at a time that sets the stage for all the tales already told

Steven Erikson entered the pantheon of great fantasy writers with his debut Gardens of the Moon. Now Erikson returns with a trilogy that takes place before the events of the Malazan Book of the Fallen. The Forge of Darkness takes readers to Kurald Galain, the warren of Darkness, and tells an epic tale of a realm whose fate plays a crucial role in the fall of the Malazan Empire.

It’s a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, the warren of Darkness, where Mother Dark reigns. But this ancient land was once home to many a power… and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners’ great hero, Vatha Urusander, longs for ascendency and Mother Dark’s hand in marriage, but she has taken another Consort, Lord Draconus, from the faraway Dracon Hold. The idea of this union sends fissures throughout the realm, and as the rumors of civil war burn through the masses, an ancient power emerges from the long dead seas. Caught in the middle of it all are the Sons of Darkness, Anomander, Adarist, and Silchas Ruin of the Purake Hold.

Steven Erikson brings to life this ancient and important tale set in the world he introduced in the Malazan Book of the Fallen in a way that should appeal to fans of George R. R. Martin.

http://edelweiss.abo...&sku=0765323567

Edited by Jussi, 15 March 2012 - 07:54 PM.

[End of Disc One]

I thought Erikson planned on slowing down his pace after finishing the main series.  I guess this is technically more than a year but I like his idea of slowing down!

Synopsis looks great.  I was always more excited for the Toblokai trilogy than this one, but this definitely piques my interest.  Any book that features a character whose name ended an awesome chapter in another book (Draconus, Kallor) is worth looking forward to IMO.

[Bastard of Godsgrace]

928 pages
I thought Erikson mentioned somewhere Kharkanas books are going to be shorter.

[Jussi]

Now we have the cover art:

http://www.randomhou...80593062173.jpg

[Werthead]

Bastard of Godsgrace, on 16 March 2012 - 04:00 AM, said:

928 pages
I thought Erikson mentioned somewhere Kharkanas books are going to be shorter.

In manuscript, the book is apparently about the same size as Deadhouse Gates (long, but nowhere near the length of the longest books in the series). Not sure how they've stretched it out to 928 pages in hardcover (which is about 200 pages longer than it should be).

[Calibandar]

It's not going to be 928 pages, that is just the page count of the previous book in the series. They do that all the time. Crippled God in US hardcover was 928 pages, so that is now shown for "Forge" as well, until they have the final page count.

[Gormenghast]

Erikson says this one is 292k so closer to House of Chains. He also sometimes uses somewhat conservative numbers. So I expect something around 300k compared to usual numbers.

Essentially it's the size of The Gathering Storm or A Game of Thrones if you want comparisons.

I also think he mentioned that beside the novellas he's also some project non-malazan related. No idea what it is. I guess this is his idea of Malazan volumes taking longer.

[Jussi]

Another blurb, this is from Amazon.co.uk:

Quote

Steven Erikson returns to the Malazan world with the first book in a dark and revelatory new epic fantasy that tells the tragic story of the ruin of a realm...

Here is the story of the early years of Anomander Rake, and his brothers Andarist and Silchas Ruin.

It is a tale that begins within the Age of Darkness and the Birth of Light and involves the forging of a sword unlike any other, and tells of the tragedy that was the collapse of the realm of the Tiste Andii.

It is a tale of bitter family rivalries, of jealousies and betrayals, of wild magic and unfettered power, of death and terrifying destruction.

It is the story of how the goddess of the Tiste, Mother Dark, abandoned her children and turned her back on her people. It is the story of a devastating civil war that tore a world apart...

http://www.amazon.co...32886122&sr=1-1

[Calibandar]

Looks like the release date in the UK has been brought forward, it is now showing late July.

[Jussi]

Here is the new UK cover art:

http://ecx.images-am...51w-alv-SFL.jpg

[kcf]

I got a copy earlier this week and started it, though I'm not far into it yet. There will be a few maps (though they aren't in my galley) and the dramatis personae includes some unexpected folks that make much more excited about this novel than I previously was.

[pat5150]

There is a map of Kharkanas, one of Kurald Galain, as well as one of the Thel Akai, Jaghut, and Tiste Realms. . .

Patrick

[Bastard of Godsgrace]

Can you tell how long it is, compared to MBotF books?

[pat5150]

Shorter than the Malazan books; 662 pages.

Patrick

[Rhom]

Interesting.  I didn't know that this was so close to release.

[Calibandar]

No reviews yet on the Net, I am quite curious about this one.

[kcf]

Calibandar, on 13 July 2012 - 02:27 PM, said:

No reviews yet on the Net, I am quite curious about this one.

Well I know several reviewers have copies now (Mark at SFFWorld, pat, myself) and can guess that means that quite a few others do as well. Realisitcally, I expect to have a review done around the end of the month (which is the UK release date). I imagine that others will publish reviews before then.

So far it's good, but I'm only just getting started.

[Calibandar]

Pat's been kind enough to drop a few tidbits over at Malazan, as well as this general impression.

Quote

So far, SE is laying A LOT of groundwork for the rest of the series. Hence, with about 150 pages left to go, I'm wondering how well FoD will stand on its own. Though epic in scope, it's not as sprawling as TMBotF. More structured, also, which at times feels a bit odd, given the style of the 10-book cycle (where everything could happen at any given moment). There is a panoply of POV characters, some working better than others.

As is usually the case with trilogies, it looks as though FoD will be a vast introduction that will serve as the opening chapter for what is to come. Still, SE knows how to cap it off in style, so I'm looking forward to the finale!

So far, it's good. Not great, but TtH kind of sucked until SE brought it to close in a mindfuckingly awesome manner. Still about 150 pages to go, so we'll have to wait and see...

Pat, I've been wondering, you've mentioned how we get to see Anomander, Silchas and Andarist as well as Scabandari as young men/teenagers, and that the structure of the world/mythology seems to you very different at this point in history than during The Book of the Fallen series. So this is the Tiste people before they became Soletaken? What sort of powers, if any, do they display? Are they more like humans at this point in time, or is there something "special" about them already.

Also a bit worried by the comment that these 3 get so little air time. Perhaps more time is reserved for this Vatha Urusander and Draconus?

Edited by Calibandar, 22 July 2012 - 05:53 AM.

[pat5150]

Calibandar, on 22 July 2012 - 05:52 AM, said:

Pat's been kind enough to drop a few tidbits over at Malazan, as well as this general impression.



Pat, I've been wondering, you've mentioned how we get to see Anomander, Silchas and Andarist as well as Scabandari as young men/teenagers, and that the structure of the world/mythology seems to you very different at this point in history than during The Book of the Fallen series. So this is the Tiste people before they became Soletaken? What sort of powers, if any, do they display? Are they more like humans at this point in time, or is there something "special" about them already.

Also a bit worried by the comment that these 3 get so little air time. Perhaps more time is reserved for this Vatha Urusander and Draconus?

FoD is set millennia in the past, before the Elder Gods, before the Holds, before the Warrens, before most of the races we know. For example, there is talk of the Imass' ancestors, the Dog-Runners. Also, as the story begins, the Tiste people have vanquished a previous incarnation of Forkrul Assail not that many years before. And considering that the Imass were part of the Malazan Stone Age, it gives you an idea of how far back this trilogy takes us.

It looks as though this series is about how Kurald Galain was destroyed. In FoD, regardless of the factions and the dissenssion, there is only a united Tiste people. There is no such thing as Tiste Andii, Tiste Edur, and Tiste Liosan. Only one race has access to anything resembling sorcery. Dragons are just a legend, so though there are Soletaken, no Tiste can veer into a dragon.

There is nothing special about the Tiste, other than the fact that they are long-lived. Or so it seems. The cult of Mother Dark is gaining power and that will have repercussions...

And sadly, with less than 100 pages left, all three Sons of Darkness, Anomander, Sichas Ruin, and Andarist get very little "air time." And even more disappointing, none of them are POV characters.

Draconus gets some attention, as he is at the heart of everything that's happened and will happen. But the better part of the narrative focuses on a bunch of new characters.

That's it for now...

Patrick

[Gormenghast]

pat5150, on 22 July 2012 - 05:56 PM, said:

FoD is set millennia in the past, before the Elder Gods, before the Holds, before the Warrens, before most of the races we know. For example, there is talk of the Imass' ancestors, the Dog-Runners.

I think these appear already in House of Chains...

And more of my suspicions/hopes are confirmed (No Anomander PoV, Tiste being "normal").