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Books of the Fallen: Malazan thread


Michael Seswatha Jordan

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So a question, when Ganoes Paran meet up with One arm's host in TB. He takes up the name Captain kindly. So is Captain Kindly already dead or did he make it through Y'Ghatan? Sorry he could've been mentioned the previous chapter, just don't wanna backtrack. Thanks.

Have no fear, you will meet the real Captain Kindly and Lt. Pores again. And this will not be the last time that Captain Kindly has problems with identity theft.

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/05/malazan-re-read-of-the-fallen-the-bonehunters-chapter-thirteen

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  • 2 weeks later...

Reading TRCG before RG. I think I know who traveler is, but is it ever revealed.

Yes, Traveler's identity is confirmed at some point, although I can't really remember when it first happens, maybe in Toll The Hounds?

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I hope its in some epic scene.....it should be that way if its who I think it is. Can't wait!

I think that you will be satisfied in your hope for an epic scene involving Traveller in TTH.

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I recommend MBOTF to you, bearing in mind the following.



1. The first book may seem strange. In starts in media res, and the author explains just about nothing, treating the reader with respect and challenging their intellect. Books two and after will be much, much easier to comprehend once you have digested one.



2. The books are large. Borrow them from the library, or download them in audio form from Overdrive before committing to purchasing them. In some countries the expense of all ten MBOTF bought new would easily be > US$250. In addition, the audio narrations from John Haag (better than either Lister or Page) is quite suitable for these books.



3. The Tor re-read makes the experience of reading them much, much richer. Chapter by chapter a new reader and a re-reader give their impressions of each book, and then many of us commentators participate and ask and answer questions in the forum. We are just finishing Dust of Dreams, book nine. http://www.tor.com/features/series/malazan-reread-of-the-fallen



4. Reference to the Malazan Wiki as you move into the meat of the books may be necessary, as remembering who is who can be daunting. I imagine that I looked up at least one character or location in every chapter. http://malazan.wikia.com/



5. Don't worry about being spoiled. Individuals both in person and online told me of things that would happen ahead of where I was reading, effectively spoiling major plot points. It didn't matter. The world that Steven Erikson creates is so rich and so full of incident that even major spoilers ("X is a god!" or "Y kills Z!") don't matter, mainly because you can't imagine how Y would ever run across Z to begin with, nor remember that you had heard of the Y/Z incident even as you approach it.



Enjoy, they are really different from ASOIAF, but well worth the effort.


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I like getting books in physical form... I have a new bookshelf to fill! I think I'll pick 'em up, then. I heard the quality drops, but that's probably said by people who aren't fans of such big books. I enjoy being thrown in at the deep end of lore, it makes rereads much more interesting. :) Thanks, guys.


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I like getting books in physical form... I have a new bookshelf to fill! I think I'll pick 'em up, then. I heard the quality drops, but that's probably said by people who aren't fans of such big books. I enjoy being thrown in at the deep end of lore, it makes rereads much more interesting. :) Thanks, guys.

Oh I wouldn't say that its said by people who don't like big books... I have lots of big books... many of them leather bound that smell of rich mahogany.

Anyways, kidding and Ron Burgundy jokes aside... the quality drops precipitously and while some may call it "the author explains just about nothing, treating the reader with respect and challenging their intellect," many would call it poor writing. No one is going to accuse Gardens of the Moon of being a well written book.

Don't take what I'm saying as if I didn't like the books. Enjoyed them thoroughly. No one hits the highs quite like Erikson, unfortunately few authors get bogged down in the slog quite like him either.

I also take serious issue with his lore primarily due to the fact that the timeline is a colossal wreck. There's little internal consistency within the series. Erikson hand waves it with a "it makes sense in the grand scheme" and he is correct, but when characters born three years ago (and not aged up inside a warren) are now suddenly ten years old; we have problems.

The books are worth reading, but don't just write off criticism of them as if people aren't into "big books." On this forum (and especially in this subforum), that's particularly insulting considering how well read most people here are.

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Oh I wouldn't say that its said by people who don't like big books... I have lots of big books... many of them leather bound that smell of rich mahogany.

Anyways, kidding and Ron Burgundy jokes aside... the quality drops precipitously and while some may call it "the author explains just about nothing, treating the reader with respect and challenging their intellect," many would call it poor writing. No one is going to accuse Gardens of the Moon of being a well written book.

Don't take what I'm saying as if I didn't like the books. Enjoyed them thoroughly. No one hits the highs quite like Erikson, unfortunately few authors get bogged down in the slog quite like him either.

I also take serious issue with his lore primarily due to the fact that the timeline is a colossal wreck. There's little internal consistency within the series. Erikson hand waves it with a "it makes sense in the grand scheme" and he is correct, but when characters born three years ago (and not aged up inside a warren) are now suddenly ten years old; we have problems.

The books are worth reading, but don't just write off criticism of them as if people aren't into "big books." On this forum (and especially in this subforum), that's particularly insulting considering how well read most people here are.

Sorry, I wasn't meaning to insult anyone. I'd heard it from my friend who's not a particularly heavy reader, that's where I based it from. I'm trying to find out people's views on them, that's why I'm on this thread! :P I think I'll check them out, then. Unfortunately once I start a series I have a tendency to finish it even if I'm not enjoying it... I'll read Gardens of the Moon and judge for myself. Thanks for the information. :)

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Malazan is a colossal, glorious mess. I personally love it - the quality does drop in the second half, but not that much, and all of the timeline issues and suchlike are made up for by the sheer energy of the creation and writing.

It really is a series that any fan of fantasy should at least try. Not everyone will like it, but many of those who do, really do.

Like me.

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