Title: Deadhouse Gates
Author: Steven Erikson
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Series: The Malazan Book of the Fallen
Pages: 864
Pages to Date:7,893
The Good:
After I read the first installment of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, Deadhouse Gates had some very high expectations to meet, and it delivered in full. The interwoven story lines are beautifully executed and the characters are breathtaking, even in tragedy. Heboric, Felisin, Kalam, and Baudin stood out as a few of my favorites, along with Icarium, Mappo, and Iskaral Pust. I wish I could say more, but the very reasons I love these characters are major spoilers.
The Bad:
Like it's predecessor, Deadhouse Gates, starts off pretty slow. It is very much a traveling book; many of the stories take place really far from each other. However, once I began putting the pieces of the puzzle together this became a non-issue. I just wanted to continue on until certain parties collided.
Additionally, Duiker's sections for the first half of the book are pretty dry, littered with military talk. This may not hinder some readers, but for me it was a bit rough. In the end, though, I came to love Duiker as a character and his sections vastly improved.
The Verdict:
Deadhouse Gates is amazing. It lives up to it's predecessor's reputation and, though a bit slow at first, is a must read.
Showing posts with label Steven Erikson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steven Erikson. Show all posts
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Book #4- Deadhouse Gates
Book #4
Title: Deadhouse Gates
Steven Erikson
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 864
Pages to Date: 2273
The Good:
Deadhouse Gates is one of the strongest offerings in the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Erikson creates cultures that are rich and feel as if they have the weight of history pressing down on them. The same goes for characters and this book introduces some of the best characters in the series. Duiker, the cynical, fatalistic historian, is one of my favorite characters in the series. I also enjoyed the deeper look the reader gets into characters from the first book such as Fiddler and Kalam.
The Bad:
To be completely honest, this is my favorite book in the series so its very difficult for me to find anything bad about this novel.
The Verdict:
Read this book! By the time I reached the end of this novel I was nearly in tears. Even though it is long it is well worth the read.
Title: Deadhouse Gates
Steven Erikson
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 864
Pages to Date: 2273
The Good:
Deadhouse Gates is one of the strongest offerings in the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Erikson creates cultures that are rich and feel as if they have the weight of history pressing down on them. The same goes for characters and this book introduces some of the best characters in the series. Duiker, the cynical, fatalistic historian, is one of my favorite characters in the series. I also enjoyed the deeper look the reader gets into characters from the first book such as Fiddler and Kalam.
The Bad:
To be completely honest, this is my favorite book in the series so its very difficult for me to find anything bad about this novel.
The Verdict:
Read this book! By the time I reached the end of this novel I was nearly in tears. Even though it is long it is well worth the read.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Book #20- Gardens of the Moon
Title- Gardens of the Moon
Author- Steven Erikson
Series-The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1
Genre- Epic Fantasy
Pages-657
Pages to date- 6,084
The Good:
Gardens of the Moon is massive in scope and ambition. Erikson weaves countless tales together with expert writing. The book is remarkably cinematic; it establishes setting perfectly and follows numerous distinct characters. The Malazan Empire and its bordering continents are infused with rich and enduring histories that rival those of countries in our world. As a writer, I found myself endlessly jealous of Erikson's ability to craft a world so concrete and blooming with intriguing heritage. Since the budding of fantasy as a relevant literary style, few have proven to be worthwhile storytellers while avoiding common tropes of the genre. Steven Erikson is one of those few.
Gardens of the Moon contains countless story arcs that compete for the reader's attention, but never win. Every plot and subplot is interesting, important to the ongoing plot of the series, and flat-out fun to read. This is done through careful characterization; Erikson imbues each character with such emotion that it is impossible for the reader to remain indifferent.
The Bad:
Honestly, I had to deliberate for some time when deciding whether there was something I didn't like about Garden's of the Moon. The only thing I could think of was this: because the cast of characters is so large, the piece starts off slow. Once past the 100-page mark, though, everything picks up and the novel is a quick (but by no means easy) read.
The Verdict:
Gardens of the Moon is a must-read for any fantasy fan. This book is absolutely stunning in its scope and is nearly perfect.
Author- Steven Erikson
Series-The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1
Genre- Epic Fantasy
Pages-657
Pages to date- 6,084
The Good:
Gardens of the Moon is massive in scope and ambition. Erikson weaves countless tales together with expert writing. The book is remarkably cinematic; it establishes setting perfectly and follows numerous distinct characters. The Malazan Empire and its bordering continents are infused with rich and enduring histories that rival those of countries in our world. As a writer, I found myself endlessly jealous of Erikson's ability to craft a world so concrete and blooming with intriguing heritage. Since the budding of fantasy as a relevant literary style, few have proven to be worthwhile storytellers while avoiding common tropes of the genre. Steven Erikson is one of those few.
Gardens of the Moon contains countless story arcs that compete for the reader's attention, but never win. Every plot and subplot is interesting, important to the ongoing plot of the series, and flat-out fun to read. This is done through careful characterization; Erikson imbues each character with such emotion that it is impossible for the reader to remain indifferent.
The Bad:
Honestly, I had to deliberate for some time when deciding whether there was something I didn't like about Garden's of the Moon. The only thing I could think of was this: because the cast of characters is so large, the piece starts off slow. Once past the 100-page mark, though, everything picks up and the novel is a quick (but by no means easy) read.
The Verdict:
Gardens of the Moon is a must-read for any fantasy fan. This book is absolutely stunning in its scope and is nearly perfect.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Book #2- Gardens of the Moon
Title: Gardens of the Moon
Author: Steven Erikson
Series: Malazan Book of the Fallen
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 497
Pages to date: 1185
The Good:
Reading this book is like reading no other fantasy book out there. You will find no elves, orcs, or evil sorcerers between the the covers of this book, although there is one mysterious scheming mage, actually several. This is also not a book that will baby you through it, Gardens of the Moon requires close reading because there are no huge info-dumps to get you through it.
The Bad:
The only problem I have with this book is that it is by far the weakest offering in the series. This is also a very difficult book to get into, and the first hundred or so can be difficult to get through.
The Verdict:
A great introduction to an amazing series, but it can be a difficult book to get into.
Ryan Knott
Author: Steven Erikson
Series: Malazan Book of the Fallen
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 497
Pages to date: 1185
The Good:
Reading this book is like reading no other fantasy book out there. You will find no elves, orcs, or evil sorcerers between the the covers of this book, although there is one mysterious scheming mage, actually several. This is also not a book that will baby you through it, Gardens of the Moon requires close reading because there are no huge info-dumps to get you through it.
The Bad:
The only problem I have with this book is that it is by far the weakest offering in the series. This is also a very difficult book to get into, and the first hundred or so can be difficult to get through.
The Verdict:
A great introduction to an amazing series, but it can be a difficult book to get into.
Ryan Knott
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Book #1-The Forge of Darkness
Title-The Forge of Darkness
Author-Steven Erikson
Series-Kharkanas Trilogy
Genre-Fantasy
Pages-688
Pages to date-688
The Good:
"The Forge of Darkness" is the first installment in Steven Erikson's newest trilogy detailing the split between the Tiste Andii and the Tiste Liosan. As a hardcore Erikson fan the I was very excited to see how events that I could only guess at before. Longtime fans of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series will be pleased to see many of their favorite characters of the series make appearances. While there's something for readers of MBOF in "The Forge of Darkness" this is also a great book for people looking to get into the Malazan world because it requires no prior knowledge of the the world.
The Bad:
Some fans of Erikson may be dismayed by the switch in his writing style away from the epic to something much more poetic, although I did not find it that distracting. Another thing that may disappoint readers of MBOF is the lack of scenes from Anomander Rake's POV.
The Verdict:
This is an amazing book. Everybody should read it.
Ryan
Author-Steven Erikson
Series-Kharkanas Trilogy
Genre-Fantasy
Pages-688
Pages to date-688
The Good:
"The Forge of Darkness" is the first installment in Steven Erikson's newest trilogy detailing the split between the Tiste Andii and the Tiste Liosan. As a hardcore Erikson fan the I was very excited to see how events that I could only guess at before. Longtime fans of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series will be pleased to see many of their favorite characters of the series make appearances. While there's something for readers of MBOF in "The Forge of Darkness" this is also a great book for people looking to get into the Malazan world because it requires no prior knowledge of the the world.
The Bad:
Some fans of Erikson may be dismayed by the switch in his writing style away from the epic to something much more poetic, although I did not find it that distracting. Another thing that may disappoint readers of MBOF is the lack of scenes from Anomander Rake's POV.
The Verdict:
This is an amazing book. Everybody should read it.
Ryan
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