He’s a mass murdering rapist and an arrogant cunt Spoiler very clever way of showing what happened to the Tiste Edur on the boat
Spoiler Im assuming he’s about to be stranded in seven cities and end up fighting for Sha’ik and somehow redeeming himself
The Blackfish Onrack and Trull Sengar in Reaper’s Gale Spoiler strong and powerful friendship or also a little gay vibes? Unrelated but Silchas Ruin is a badass but kinda a bitch
Reaper’s Gale end of book 3, Spoiler hundreds of burning Malazan ships roll up and I don’t remember any of that happening in the past. I guess that’s what happens when you read each book with 3 month breaks in between frustrating reading these books sometimes
Top 5 for sure. 60% through Reaper’s Gale. Spoiler Malazans joining the fighting on one side with the Awl/Redmask on the other side of the continent against the same enemy, while Tehol and Bugg are economically warring the Lether from the inside, meanwhile the Edur are scheming of internal rebellion, and Karsa doing Karsa things and Icarium just chilling out all at the same time is just peak Erikson plot weaving. Also could give a shit about the Shake Queen and witches plot line and somehow Hedge, Trull/Quick/Onrack, and Fear/Udinaas/Seren and crew are also all still traveling after 60% of the book, which is taking fucking forever
About 170 pages into Midnight Tides. It’s good, but someone please tell me eventually all this shit ties together and pays off in a satisfying way
Thank you I will stop complaining now. Although I do want an entire book told through Greyfrog’s perspective.
Malazan timeline SPOILERS FOR ALL BOOKS IN THE SERIES TO DATE, EVEN ICE'S Spoiler Prehistory: Formation/creation of the world. The K’Chain Che’Malle and their offshoots, the K’Chain Nah’ruk, arrive, possibly from another planet. The K’Chain Nah’ruk build the immense Skykeeps, including Moon’s Spawn. The K’Chain Che’Malle enslave the native Jaghut, at this time a primitive race. The Deragoth, hound-like creatures possibly artificially created by blending plains bear, hound and ay stock, arise on the largest continent on the planet and prove to be startlingly effective at destroying invading K’Chain Nah’ruk (House of Chains). The K’Chain Che’Malle are powerful enough to prevent the Elder Gods and Azathani from visiting the planet (Memories of Ice). The Forkrul Assail also evolve and live an isolated existence in remote regions. They have few interactions with other races, but enough for the K’Chain Che’Malle to identify them as enemies (The Crippled God). Prehistory: Civil war between the K’Chain Che’Mallle and K’Chain Nah’ruk. The Nah’ruk had previously gone extinct, but a later Che’Malle Matron recreated the subspecies, apparently seeking their greater inventiveness and wisdom in battling the increasingly rebellious Jaghut. The Rent at Morn is created in an effort to destroy the Nah’ruk after a particularly bloody rebellion (Memories of Ice, Midnight Tides). Prehistory: Following the collapse of most of the K’Chain Che’Malle civilisation (particularly outside of Lether), the Azathani arrive on the world. Jaghut civilisation arises and enslaves the Imass, before Gothos, the Lord of Hate, destroys the civilisation and instead the Jaghut resort to living in small family groups with their Imass slaves. The Tiste establish a powerful kingdom in Kurald Galain, leading to the Tiste Schism. The Tiste are splintered into the Tiste Andii (Children of Darkness), Tiste Edur (Children of Shadow) and Tiste Liosan (Children of Light). The Tiste Edur take refuge in the Warren of Shadow, Kurald Emurlahn (Forge of Darkness, Fall of Light, Walk in Shadow). Prehistory: Icarium is born to the Jaghut Gothos and an unknown mother. Gothos takes up residence in an Azath House located in the Jhag Odhan for a time. Icarium destroys the Odhanhouse, an act previously thought impossible, and his legendary rages and amnesia begin. The destruction of the Odhanhouse weakens the Warren of Kurald Emurlahn, paving the way for its dissolution (House of Chains). Gothos is freed from the Odhanhouse. At some point he enlists the help of Elder, a mason of incredible skill, to help build new Azath Houses (Toll the Hounds). Prehistory: The Sundering of Kurald Emurlahn. The Tiste Andii and Tiste Edur arrive on the world. The final defeat of the last K’Chain Che’Malle armies in Lether. Scabandari Bloodeye leads the Tiste Edur in betraying the Tiste Andii of Silchas Ruin and destroying his forces. The Jaghut Gothos sweeps away the detritus under vast icefields (Midnight Tides, Prologue). Prehistory: The Imass become aware that they are being abused by their Jaghut masters, who are not gods but mortal (if powerful) beings. The Imass rebel against the Jaghut, killing many. The Jaghut resist with their powerful sorcery. The Imass-Jaghut Wars begin, seeing much of the world covered in ice as a result of the Jaghut’s Omtose Phellack sorcery. 298,665 Before Burn’s Sleep: The Jaghut withdraw from the world, building vast citadels and redoubts of ice which the Imass cannot penetrate. Four Jaghut Tyrants on Seven Cities join together to destroy the land, spurring the Imass decision to undergo a ritual to become undead, the entire species, to deliver their justice (House of Chains). The chaining of the Jaghut Tyrant Raest (on Genabackis), the First Gathering of the Imass and the First Ritual of Tellann; creation of the T’lan Imass (Memories of Ice, Prologue). Gothos evades the pogroms by taking refuge in various Azath Houses (Deadhouse Gates, House of Chains), occasionally choosing to dwell elsewhere (Dancer’s Lament). 119,739: Fall of the Crippled God, devastation of Korel, birth of the Great Ravens, the First Chaining. Togg is separated from Fanderay (Memories of Ice, Prologue). 119,736: High King Kallor destroys the entire continent of Jacuruku, killing at least 7 million people. He is cursed by K’rul, Draconus and Sister of Cold Nights; he in turn curses all of them. K’rul creates the Imperial Warren. Draconus begins forging the sword Dragnipur (Memories of Ice, Prologue). c. 120,000-90,000: The First Empire of humans arises on Seven Cities. The Empire explores the world, discovering six continents and eight hundred and eleven islands. Colonies are established and massive conquests undertaken (Midnight Tides). Icarium visits a city on Seven Cities in 92,836 before Burn’s Sleep, which he gifts with an immense timepiece before falling to his rage and destroying it (Deadhouse Gates). Icarium also destroys the First Empire city of E’napatha N’apur after its guards kill his friend (The Bonehunters). Under the rule of Dessimbelackis, the Empire stagnates and then declines; Dessimbelackis’ attempts to restore order result in the creation of the T’rolbarahl, which he later regrets (The Bonehunters) and then the Soletaken and D’ivers. The Empire is consumed by civil war and madness, an entire city destroyed and the western provinces breaking away (Deadhouse Gates) (later to become Perish, Nemil and the Shal-Morzinn Empire). The colonies on Lether also break away, but retain a strong memory of the First Empire, possibly due to the presence of Gothos’s sorcery-created icefields, which also seem to inhibit both technological and sorceress advancement across the continent and ossify the past (Midnight Tides). Dessimbelackis splits his soul between the last seven surviving Deragoth (House of Chains). The T’lan Imass begin a secondary war against the D’ivers and Soletaken, slaughtering many of them (Deadhouse Gates). The collapse of the First Empire leads to a lengthy period of human stagnation lasting for tens of thousands of years, before a renaissance begins in the last few thousand years. 3411: Temal begins construction of the Stormwall (Stonewielder, Prologue). c. 758: Seven renegade T’lan Imass swear loyalty to the Crippled God, becoming the Unbound. Pahlk Orlong journeys to Silver Lake (House of Chains, Book I). 837: Darujhistan founded (Gardens of the Moon). 363: Anomander Rake and Caladan Brood meet with Icarium and Osseric (Gardens of the Moon) (Mappo Runt also said to be present, but this appears to be a timeline error, as he did not start travelling with Icarium until c. 950 Burn’s Sleep). 1 Burn’s Sleep: Burn goes into a slumber to better survive the poison of the Crippled God’s presence in the world, placing her essence in a magical hammer which is gifted to Caladan Brood (Memories of Ice, Chapter 5). c. 100: Mappo Runt born in a Trell settlement west of the Jhag Odhan (Deadhouse Gates). c. 500: Mappo Runt abandons his clan’s peaceful lifestyle and joins a clan that instead enjoys the ways of battle and slaughter (Deadhouse Gates). c. 950: Mappo Runt returns to his village to find it destroyed. The Cult of the Nameless Ones convinces him that Icarium was responsible and ask Runt to serve as Icarium’s guardian to make sure it never happens again. Runt agrees, joining Icarium on his travels. The Nameless Ones themselves were responsible for the destruction of the village as a way of manipulating Runt into their service (Deadhouse Gates). c.1050: Wu and Dorin Rav meet on the Seti Plans and ally before meeting Dassem Ultor in Li Heng. Itko Kan besieges Li Heng but is repulsed. By this time Greymane of Geni is already known as a great and famous warrior (Dancer’s Lament). c. 1051: Wu and Dorin Rav – now called Kellanved and Dancer – arrive in Malaz City and ally with a band of Napan refugees and local criminals. After a short but brief war for dominance, they usurp the command of the island from the criminal Mock and his wizardess lover, Tattersail. Rather than contest these events, Tattersail leaves for the mainland. Kellanved and Dancer meet Surly, Cartheron and Urko Crust for the first time. Dassem Ultor arrives in Malaz City and allies with them. Tayschrenn, High Priest in the Cult of D’rek, is usurped from Kartool Island and likewise takes refuge with “the family.” They also recruit locals, including Dujek and a young man named “Jack”, and have agents in the Napan Isles including Amaron and Noc (Deadhouse Landing). c. 1051-58: The “family” conquers the Napan Islands, Kartool, the Quon Tali city-state and Unta. They begin slowly expanding across the continent. 1058: Official founding of the Malazan Empire. 1066: After the conquest of the D’avore holdings in Quon Tali and the destruction of their redoubt in the Great Fenn Range, the Citadel, the Crimson Guard vow vengeance against the Malazan Empire, becoming the Avowed. Kellanved seizes the First Throne of the T’lan Imass and unleashes them against Li Heng. This is likely the storyline of the upcoming novel Kellanved’s Reach. c. 1067: Approximate date of the Crimson Guard diaspora following an aborted Malazan attack on their strongholds in Stratem (Return of the Crimson Guard). c. 1080: Approximate birth year of Karsa Orlong (House of Chains, Book I), although Leoman believed he was only 18 years or so in 1164. Given the length of Toblakai lifespans, this may be relatively correct (Deadhouse Gates). c. 1100: The Last Chaining of the Crippled God (unclear, except that Kellanved, Dancer and Dassem Ultor are present, putting it in the last century or so). c. 1135: The Malazan Empire, having recruited the great and long-lived warrior Greymane, invades Fist. As part of this war, the Malazan Empire declares the Stormriders its enemies (Stonewielder). 1150: Pannion Seer returns from the mountains to Bastion in Genabackis bearing his holy word. Birth of Anaster, First Child of the Dead Seed (Memories of Ice). c. early 1152: Kellanved and Dancer embark on a two-year exploration of Kurald Emurlahn (Night of Knives), leaving Laseen/Surly in charge of the Empire. Invasion of Genabackis begins (Gardens of the Moon). c. late 1153: Aren Rebellion. Massacre unleashed by the T’lan Imass. Upon their return from Shadow, Dancer chides Laseen for the massacre (Deadhouse Gates). 1154: Riots in the Mouse Quarter of Malaz City (Gardens of the Moon, Prologue). Night of the Shadow Moon, apparent assassination of Kellanved and Dancer (Night of Knives). c. 1155: Tired of a long and apparently fruitless campaign in Korelri, Greymane negotiates with the Stormriders (who killed his own father) and discovers that the people of Korel have occupied the Stormriders’ own homelands, to which they must make pilgrimage. They reward him with a great stone sword. Greymane is declared a traitor and dismissed from command of the 6th Army. An infuriated Greymane disappears and is believed dead, but in reality, he joins the Crimson Guard (Stonewielder). 1158: The Malazan Empire’s 6th Army rebels on Fist, leading to the loss of the entire Korelri Campaign. The rogue 6th Army takes control of the Kingdom of Rool on Fist Island (Stonewielder). A new 6th Army is constituted and sent to aid the campaign in Genabackis (Gardens of the Moon). 1159: A Meckros city is destroyed by rogue Jaghut sorcery on the high seas. A survivor, the master-smith Withal, is rescued by the Crippled God. In return for his life, he agrees to forge a monumentally powerful blade (Midnight Tides). 1160: The Pannion Seer’s armies begin invading neighbouring cities, founding the Pannion Domin (Memories of Ice). Cartheron Crust is replaced by Pormqual as High Fist of Seven Cities (Deadhouse Gates). Presumably shortly after this event Cartheron and Urko “drown” to escape Laseen’s attention. Under aliases Catheron becomes captain of the Ragstopper, operating out of Falar (Deadhouse Gates) and Urko establishes a remote hideaway on the north coast of Seven Cities, east of Ehrlitan (House of Chains, The Bonehunters). 1161: Itko Kan Massacre (Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 1). Bauchelain and Korbal Broach travel on the Suncurl from Lamentable Moll in Korelri to Spendrugle in Genabackis, across Laughter’s End and the Reacher’s Ocean (Blood Follows, The Lees of Laughter’s End, The Wurms of Blearmouth). 1162: Most likely date for the Letherii Seventh Closure, rise of the Tiste Edur Empire and the conquest of Lether. Start of the Search. Rhulad Sengar becomes Empire of Lether and uses the power of the Cripple God to flood the Nascent (Midnight Tides). 1163: Karsa Orlong departs the Laedaeron Plateau, is imprisoned by the Malazans and then sent to Seven Cities (House of Chains, Book 1). Note: the 1159 date has been acknowledged by Erikson to be an error. Siege of Pale concludes, release of the Jaghut Tyrant Raest in Darujhistan, death of Adjunct Lorn, defection of the Malazan 5th Army (Gardens of the Moon). Late 1163/early 1164: A Tiste Edur Search force led by Binadas and Trull Sengar capture the Silanda off the coast of Drift Avalii. They enter the Nascent, which is being used to speed Tiste Edur fleets across the globe. Sengar rebels against his fellows, is Shorn and imprisoned on the wall of the Nascent (House of Chains, Prologue). Shortly afterwards, Karsa Orlong and Torvald Nom are swept into the Nascent, board the Silanda and kill the entire crew. They flee, abandoning the vessel (House of Chains, Book 1). 1164: The Whirlwind Rebellion begins on Seven Cities. The Chain of Dogs takes place. Heboric, Kulp, Felisin, Stormy and Gesler enter the Nascent and discover the Silanda adrift, taking it as their own (Deadhouse Gates). The Crimson Guard depart Genabackis. Siege of Capustan, Battle of Coral, destruction of Moon’s Spawn (Memories of Ice). The 14th Army arrives in Seven Cities and crushes the Whirlwind. Trull Sengar is rescued from the wall of the Nascent by Onrack. Dancer recruits allies to help defend the First Throne of the T’lan Imass below a city on Quon Tali (House of Chains). At the end of the year, the army seizes Y’Ghatan, forging the Bonehunters (The Bonehunters). 1165: Bauchelain and Korbal Broach travel to Quaint (The Healthy Dead). The Crimson Guard undertake a contract in Bael and recruit Kyle into their ranks (Return of the Crimson Guard) 1166: The Malazan Civil War, culminating in the Battle of the Plains. Laseen is killed, Mallick Rel becomes Emperor of Malaz (Return of the Crimson Guard). Hood and Anomander Rake are killed in Darujhistan (Toll the Hounds). The Tyrant arises in Genabackis (Orb Sceptre Throne: it is two years since Moon’s Spawn crashed into the Rivan Sea). After a year at sea, the Malazan 14th Army arrives in Lether and helps overthrow the Tiste Edur Empire. Rhulad and Trull Sengar are killed. (Reaper’s Gale). Note: references to Toll the Hounds taking place 6 years after Memories of Ice are unworkable and Harllo’s age is therefore a continuity error. 1167: The Malazan Expeditionary Force arrives in Korelri and destroys the renegade 6th Army. Destruction of the Stormwall (Stonewielder). The 14th Army departs the Lether Empire, barely survives the Glass Desert, and engages the Forkrul Assail at the Battle of the Spire. They are victorious, if barely. The Crippled God is freed (Dust of Dreams, The Crippled God). The Crimson Guard travel to Jacuruku where they are reunited (Blood and Bone). Reported gold rush in Assail (Assail). Deviations from the Book Timeline: The date of 1159 is given for Karsa's adventures in HoC Book I. This is not possible, as Karsa also hears about the battle at Pale and the destruction of the Bridgeburners, which dates Karsa's Odyssey firmly to mid-to-late 1163. Erikson has noted the date of 1159 was in error and should be disregarded. The Letherii timeline is seriously problematic, but fortunately a lot of the times and dates are given including stints in the Nascent and time on the Silanda, both areas where time moves differently (so 943 days of the Search, some of them in the Nascent, translate to a lot less than two-and-two-third years in real terms). The date of 1162 for the Closure is therefore possible, with Team Sengar discovering the Silanda and entering the Nascent explaining away the rest of the time. Trull can therefore go on the wall in late 1163 or early 1164, in time for Onrack to find him a few months later. The Toll the Hounds timeline mega-error, with Harllo being six years old, is unsalvageable. Stonny got pregnant during MoI in mid-1164, so would have given birth in early 1165, putting Harllo at between 12 and 18 months old at best. Orb Sceptre Throne, which takes place almost immediately after TTH, puts the date at firmly two years after the fall of Moon's Spawn, making Harllo at around 15 months old at that point. How is he a 6 year old in TTH? No idea, but there's probably some short story that could be inserted in which Stonny went on some Warren-related journey and crazy things happened and she ended up with her baby growing old really fast (the same thing for Karsa's kids, although they have at least the excuse of not being human). The odd timeline for the rest of the series is also an issue. A huge amount happens in 1164, then nothing at all (almost) in 1165 and then everything kicks off again in 1166. Ideally, I'd move the Malazan Civil War to 1165, have Tavore reach Letheras in late 1165 or early 1166 and then wrap up everything else in 1166 to early 1167 (this marks the Harllo situation even worse, but still). As it stands it feels like everyone took 1165 off for a beer. Oh well. One former problem - Gothos being imprisoned in the Azath Houses, Icarium trying to rescue him but destabilising Kurald Emurlahn which leads to the latter's destruction, but Gothos then being present to create the icefields on Lether after Emurlahn's shattering - is now solved by it being made much clearer (in Dancer's Lament) that Gothos was a voluntary inhabitant of the Azath Houses and could wander in and out as he wished.
This is great. Really enjoyed it. Spoiler during my first read through I didn’t realize they chained the CG multiple times. I thought Dancer Kel and Dassem were at the first chaining which made me think they were somehow ancient which confused me for a long time
Reaper’s Gale 65%: Fuck Triban Gnol Also why doesn’t rhulad Spoiler just take off the fucking coins? Also I think the character building in book 7 of the Malazan marine squad members is some of the best character building of “random” Malazan characters so far through the entire series. (Ie. smiles, Tarr, korryk, corabb, hellian, super powerful autistic mage with all the warrens, etc). Also Errant is a whiney ass bitch.
Reaper’s Gale is my favorite book in the series so far, I think, at 89% through. That fight outside Starvald Demelain, holy shit. Spoiler RIP Fear Although with that Azath planted there can’t he be saved by it? Also I literally said out loud “oh SHIT” when Silchas fucking butchered the little girl with the Finnest
Having 100s of characters and incredible complexity really allows Erikson so much freedom. Like there’s a scene where he’s setting up a lake of ice melting since we know there’s a big fucking demon trapped in the ice under it to add to the building tension in Letheras, but instead of having the marines or Ublala or another known character just “happen” to be there, he just invents two random Letherii and makes a 3 page story about their relationship and them hanging out for a picnic at the lake as a premise for setting up this major plot point. Really good writing but in a less complex/less detailed series it wouldn’t work.
Also this would be a negative of having 100s of characters when I can’t remember the names of all your fucking elder gods
Spoiler: 96% And now EVERYTHING single thing is converging at Letheras. Brys saving Tehol, Elder Gods, Demons, Icarium, Rhulad vs Karsa, Silvhas Ruin in Dragon form, All the Malazan squads, Quick and Hedge, Trull and Acquitor.... This book is amazing so far please don’t fuck up the ending.
What a book. 9.0/10 overall very enjoyable. Big fan of Reaper’s Gale. The Errant is still a bitch. I feel like now that I understand the characters, setting, magic and gods I need to reread the first several which I probably didn’t understand enough to appreciate at the time. MFW I open Toll the Hounds and read the Dramatis Personae and see Kruppe