Reaper's Gale Spoilers Thread

[Caligula_K]

I think its safe to say that about half the characters in Malazan are Gary/Marty Stus. Though despite this, Tehol is still one of my favourite characters.

Anyway, I've reflected on this further and decided that Toll the Hounds will actually be the worst book of all time. I don't know if I buy into the whole decline of the series thing like most people (Midnight Tides is my favourite, and I enjoyed Reaper's Gale a helluva lot more than Gardens, Memories and House of Chains) but really, this book could wipe the series off the map.

[kuenjato]

I think SE may have gone too far in his desire to avoid convention and chosen lame plot twists for their unconventionality even though they are unconventional because they are lame.

This is the reason I stopped reading the series after volume 4.

[IheartTesla]

It does seem as though the physical location of the "convergence" (a favored Erikson term) is to be at Darujhistan. I suppose that location is as good as any although it might be of passing interest to see how everyone ends up there from different continents.

Its not that single POVs are bad. Indeed, most fantasy/SF novels operate in that mode, we've only recently been spoilt by a spate of books that use the multiple POV approach. But some characters are just insufferable, speaking-in-third-party geniuses whose internal monologue will be a drag. As of now I'm glad its just a rumor though.

[RedEyedGhost]

It does seem as though the physical location of the "convergence" (a favored Erikson term) is to be at Darujhistan. I suppose that location is as good as any although it might be of passing interest to see how everyone ends up there from different continents.

Its not that single POVs are bad. Indeed, most fantasy/SF novels operate in that mode, we've only recently been spoilt by a spate of books that use the multiple POV approach. But some characters are just insufferable, speaking-in-third-party geniuses whose internal monologue will be a drag. As of now I'm glad its just a rumor though.

I thought the final big convergence was supposed to happen on a continent that we haven't seen before, and TtH will be the last book set on Genabackis.

[hurga]

I'm currently catching up with reading the malazan books, and have finished RG yesterday.

It is always the same for me since reading the 3rd volume in the series:

The story starts so strong and fast, but by the end of nearly every book I am simply disappointed how everything worked out.

I truly love the world Erikson has created, that weired pantheon and all the crazy background stories. On the other hand; when it comes to story-telling itself, Erikson messes up nearly every time:

*Villains: God, I cannot stand his villains any more. We are told throughout the books how clever and tricky the villains are, but after they were carefully introduced and looked truly interesting, nearly all the villains turn out to be stupid and arrogant.

Additionaly, by now you truly have to wonder who is so stupid as to ally himself with the chained one, as nearly all his henchmen simply fail because of the guy.

*Fights! His fights are simply boring. Most often we have to follow one indistructable hero/group, who handels hundreds of enemies. Adittionaly, Erikson tends to replace thrilling action by far too detailed descriptions of how this and that body part was severed (Kalam vs. the assasins in bonehunters was one of the worst examples thus far).

*Threats: Why always introduce 20 new threats per book? Right now everyone should have realized that the only constant threat of the series will be the crippled god. I just had to laugh when reading about the warlock king and his attempt to summon the sea demon again, as it was so predictable how it would turn out by the end of the book. All those powerfull, world-threating things are just so easily countered by some random hero (Anyone remember the divers which were released by the nameless ones in BH, and who were nearly wiped-out by ONE malazan soldier?).

* Malazans: Now, this point is truly difficult. I generaly like Eriksons idea of marines, and his characters CAN be very funny. On the other hand, by now nearly all the dialogues between the soldiers are being repeated again and again. How often do we have to read about some stupid joke by a marine and his superior who tells him to shut up and/or that he will kill him.

*character development: While some of the strongest moments of the series are the scenes when one of the characters is musing about "his place in the world/how the world works", truly crucial and interesting points of character development are just cut out.

After all the strong story-telling about the Trull-Onrack-friendship (one of my favourite parts in the books) we truly do NOT see how they leave each other, and just read a hundred pages later how trull is being killed. For all the unneccessary things which he tells throughout the books, he could have used ONE page for that moment.

Don't get me wrong, I will read toll the hounds, and I'm quite sure that I will love (some parts of) it. But you truly have to wonder how great this series could be if Erikson would not walk into his own traps again and again.

[duchess of malfi]

I'm about halfway through this book right now (and have avoided all of the pages of this spoiler thread thus far).

But I just have to ask...

OK. What is the deal with the Silchas Ruin subplot?

Given that he is an ancient shape changing god of sorts - why is he walking across an entire freaking continent on foot? Why does he not simply change into a dragon and fly to Bluerose?

It just doesn't make sense to me that he has been slogging away - on foot - across an entire continent - for however many years has taken place since MT - with a bunch of really annoying emo people - when he could just fly there in what would probably be a matter of days, and not have to put up with all of the whining from his travel partners.

What is the point of this storyline?????

Is he up to something tricksy?

If so, why go to all of that effort??? How could it be worth it to put up with all that emo-ness????

[williamjm]

There is a reason for Ruin travelling with the others, but I still don't think that plotline makes much sense - particularly why they seem to have only travelled a relatively short distance in the time since the end of Midnight Times (not sure how long it is, but it feels like it must be at least a couple of years). Also, since he can fly he could presumably take his travelling companions with him somehow.

[duchess of malfi]

I have finished the book now, and that entire subplot makes no sense. Yes, why did Silchas Ruin not just gently grab Kettle and the others he wanted to protect/travel with in his claws and fly with them to Bluerose and wherever he wanted to go? Why take freaking years walking on foot across a continent when you do not have to? Just stupid. He has a dragon shape - why not use it???

And do not even get me started on how easily he was defeated by marines with cussers (with some help from Quick Ben). I know that one of the main themes of the series is that things evolve and get more powerful, and given that I can see how puny humans can defeat a dragon god - but did it really have to be that easy??? Give me a freaking break.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

And it was a slow and boring book with a ton of padding, too.

The best parts were the Malazan marines invasion - and that was not really even needed since the Empire was crumbling and falling without their contribution.

Erikson's books keep going downhill as the series progresses.

[williamjm]

And do not even get me started on how easily he was defeated by marines with cussers (with some help from Quick Ben). I know that one of the main themes of the series is that things evolve and get more powerful, and given that I can see how puny humans can defeat a dragon god - but did it really have to be that easy??? Give me a freaking break.

That was annoying as well. I can see the point Erikson is trying to make about technological progression beating old magics, but the ease with which Ruin was brought down did seem unbelievable and anti-climatic.

Erikson's books keep going downhill as the series progresses.

I know some people disagree strongly, but I did feel that Toll The Hounds was better than Reaper's Gale or The Bonehunters, despite still having some serious flaws (it's excessively long and there are nonsensical continuity errors) the actual story itself worked better than in the previous two books and the ending actually justified the lengthy build-up this time.

[Derfel Cadarn]

What exactly is the timeline for the latter book?

Trull's Shorning would indicate Midnight Tides was set a good bit in the past though it's possible time just ran different in the warren where his shorning took place. But it's clear that Midnight Tides was set before Memories of Ice, so what exactly have Silchas Ruin and Co. been doing for at least a year?

Toll the Hounds. It's set about 5 years after Midnight Tides. This is undisputable given the age of Stonny's child. But this means it's set between 3 and 4 years after Reaper's Gale. What have the Bonehunters been up to for thosee years? Why has it taken 5 years for Korlat and her brother, two dragons, to find Kallor who's on foot? Did it really take Crokus and Co. 4 years to get from 7 Cities to Darujhistan? In Deadhouse Gates they managed it in a few months.

Looking back even further, Memories of Ice is set right after Gardens of the Moon and runs concurrently with Deadhouse Gates, yet the Chain of Dogs lasts a number of months, certainly more than Memories of Ice .

I enjoy the books but the whole timeline seems off.

[delete this account pls]

5 years seemed a bit off to me as well, but the timeline is the timeline, it's just one of those things in Malazan that will never be quite right. 5 years is almost plausible I suppose, more than a year passed between Bonehunters and the start of Reaper's Gale, IIRC, and Cutter's crew were stuck in some island port for a period of time (2-3 years seems more likely to me, but what they hey)