Eriksson Fantasy Series

Comic Book Guy

Hi All,

Finished up the latest wheel of time book few weeks ago but have to wait til next March for the final offering .

Have been flicking thru the recommendations here and keep coming across the above titled series. Starting from scratch how long do ya think it would take to read them all. On another note is this series finished yet or would it be too much to tackle this on the back of wheel of time, should i just wait another 12 months til i have completed WoT?

Thanks all.

ixoy

Comic Book Guy wrote: »

On another note is this series finished yet or would it be too much to tackle this on the back of wheel of time, should i just wait another 12 months til i have completed WoT?

The tenth, and final, book was published a month ago so you can read it all - enjoy!

sentient_6

The Malazan series is quiet a different beast to the wheel of time. Dive in & immerse yourself in the brilliance. I'm just finishing up Midnight Tides & The Bonehunters is sitting here looking at me & can't wait! You might find it hard going during Gardens & Deadhouse but i'd implore you to see it through to Memories of Ice & by then you'll be hooked.

WindmillWarrior

I gave up on the Malazan series about 1/4 way into the 2nd book. I really enjoyed the first book, for the most part, but at times it does get too bogged down in really deep high magic type stuff, and it just got too much for me in the 2nd book. Shame tho, as I really enjoyed the Bridgeburners unit and a lot of the other characters

fitz

The start of that book was slow, but man, did you miss out by not sticking with it...

Zapp Brannigan

WindmillWarrior wrote: »

I gave up on the Malazan series about 1/4 way into the 2nd book. I really enjoyed the first book, for the most part, but at times it does get too bogged down in really deep high magic type stuff, and it just got too much for me in the 2nd book. Shame tho, as I really enjoyed the Bridgeburners unit and a lot of the other characters

Wow, you missed something amazing then!

Comic Book Guy

Thanks for the replies all.

Just a quick question on how long do ya think it would take to complete the whole series?

Zapp Brannigan

It all depends how fast you read. Most of the books are 600+ pages at least. Some hit the 1000+ mark I think (don't have my books to hand to check)

pljudge321

Starting from scratch and including the 2nd and 3rd Ian Cassle Esselmont novels which accompany the series its at least as long as all the wheel of time books so far so you should be able to judge by how long the wheel of time took you to read.

fitz

I've also found I need to take a week or so off between books to absorb what I've just read, and in some cases, recover!

bonkey

Generally, I find I read about 60 pages an hour.
With the Malazan books, I found it to be closer to about 30-40 pages (on the first read)....say about 20-30 hours per book.
I also found that I couldn't do massively long stretches as easily...so while I have read one of the books in 3 days, I generally take a lot longer (at least, on the first read).

In that sense, the books are hard work (in comparison to many "ligher" authors). There's just so much stuff in there...and Erikson isn't one to hold your hand. He doesn't explain much...and when he does, its often in the case of someone making a comment later in a book (or even in a later book) that makes something you read earlier go from "huh?" to "aaaahhhhhhh" or "Woah!". Some stuff

like the real story with Quick Ben, or wtf Dunsparrow was about

never gets explained.

mcgovern

I've to agree with bonkey, the Malazan books are tough and slow going (though enjoyable).
It's hard to read them in huge sessions, but they are also not the sort of books that you can read for 5 mins and then put down...

BlaasForRafa

WindmillWarrior wrote: »

I gave up on the Malazan series about 1/4 way into the 2nd book. I really enjoyed the first book, for the most part, but at times it does get too bogged down in really deep high magic type stuff, and it just got too much for me in the 2nd book. Shame tho, as I really enjoyed the Bridgeburners unit and a lot of the other characters

You stopped just as it was getting to the best part, the Chain of Dogs. I'd recommend getting back into it from where you stopped, i've never heard anyone say a bad word about the Chain of Dogs.

fitz

Anyone else lost it while reading a Malazan book?
I literally threw the book across the room when

Kallor kills Whiskeyjack

.
Had to put the book down when

we see the end of Coltaine, or when Trull gets it in the back

.

So many "Joey" moments when you could do with putting the book in the freezer...

ixoy

It can be a tough series at times, especially if you want to take apart the story and work out all the nods and inferences. Erikson's oblique style can be highly frustrating but equally rewarding.

Reading "The Crippled God" I was torn between wanting to get to the end but also ensuring I didn't miss out on things. I'm a slow reader (a curse as a fan of fantasy) and yet I still want to re-read through all 8k+ pages of the series because I really believe it'll be one of those series that rewards a second read, knowing how it all pans out.

And I have to agree with Fitz on some points:

I'm still annoyed Whiskeyjack didn't get that leg checked out!

Comic Book Guy

Thanks for all the replies lads.

Ordered the first 3 on amazon so intend diving in next week once i complete The Whisperers (love the Charlie Parker series).

Just hope i remember the WoT series once i emerge the other side!!

sxt

I only read the first book so far... which was very good . I have read reviews of deadhouse gate, and it always mentions that chain of dogs sequence...and apparently there is going to be a film based on that as well...plus Memories of Ice (book 3) seems to be one of the best reviewed books in the series, and takes on the story from book 1... so i guess if you get to book three , you are in for a very rewarding read

fitz

No way they're making films out of this series without it being a standalone story, which will definitely lose something. Even a TV show would be incredibly difficult based on the number of characters and the scale of the storytelling.

The Chain of Dogs film project seems to be in limbo since 2004. It won't happen at this stage.

Tyler MacDurden

I've finally taken the plunge myself, after hearing rave reviews from so many sources.

One third through Gardens of the Moon and I can see how it got the daunting reputation. Some great sequences and characters, but some turgid passages. For some reason, I find Kruppe's sections rather irritating, but the cryptic description of him in the dramatis personae gives me hope.

I'll be sticking with it in any event. The only fantasy author I gave up on mid-book was Eddings (Guardians of the West). Not because it was difficult, but because it was simplistic, derivative, shallow drivel

fitz

[Kruppe]Fitz must express, with humble regret, that he did not immediately warm to the sections pertaining to esteemed Kruppe, but must also extend reassurance to above poster, namely good Tyler, that as he proceeds, he may find a more positive response extending in ways unexpected at his current juncture.[/Kruppe]

In other words - Kruppe grows on you...

regi

I started hating Kruppe but when I reread, I found myself cracking up every time I read his lines. Awesome character, but only on the reread - like so much of Erikson's stuff.

O-Deazy

I started this series a few months ago and got about half way through the first book and gave up.. I thought it was kinda hard to follow and that combined with college reading I eventually gave up! However as soon as i have these next few or work done, I'm going to dive right in again.. This time I'm committed and also I'm dying to find out what this Chain of Dogs sequence is all about. Whenever someone mentions the series this always crops up.

WorldSocksBox

Have "Midnight Tides" not started it yet though, so many other things on the go.... "Deadhouse Gates" and "Memories of Ice" were superb, the Chain of Dogs story is one of the best stories ever told IMO. The series is a major commitment though, but worth it. My 2 cents.

Tyler MacDurden

fitz wrote: »

[Kruppe]Fitz must express, with humble regret, that he did not immediately warm to the sections pertaining to esteemed Kruppe, but must also extend reassurance to above poster, namely good Tyler, that as he proceeds, he may find a more positive response extending in ways unexpected at his current juncture.[/Kruppe]

In other words - Kruppe grows on you...

Masterful impersonation, bravo. I'm already over my initial dislike, shan't be deterred by a little verbosity.

The Chain of Dogs sequence gets a mention by anyone who's recommended the books to me, I have absolutely no idea about it beyond the name but I'm suitably intrigued.

Would I be right in thinking that, like A Song of Ice and Fire, one shouldn't get too attached to any particular characters?

bonkey

Tyler MacDurden wrote: »

Would I be right in thinking that, like A Song of Ice and Fire, one shouldn't get too attached to any particular characters?

Oh no...do get attached...then when they die (probably senselessly, almost certainly tragically), you'll be even more...ummm....

nevermind.

..Brian..

I'd agree with the minority of the above it would seem. I read the first 3 or 4 books a number of years ago but found it a struggle to even get that far. It's very hard going and while most people say rewarding, I found myself getting irritated by having to put so much work into reading Erickson's style. It became too much of a chore so it's not for me. Good luck with em tho!

Comic Book Guy

Thanks for the recommendations folks. Finished first book last week. Found it a bit daunting at first, think the list and description of characters at the start of the book put me off as i was constantly flicking back to it as each new character was introduced. Once i simply read the book and let each character develop i really got into it.
Currently 200 pages thru book 2, cracking stuff!!!

pljudge321

Comic Book Guy wrote: »

Currently 200 pages thru book 2, cracking stuff!!!

Wish I could forget the books just so I could read the Chain of Dogs sequence for the first time again.

pH

OK here's a post I may regret later, but I'm halfway through Gardens and I'm thoroughly unimpressed so far.

Now I'm coming at this from my point of view (so forgive me)

- I want to enjoy a book as I read it - that's why I read it.
- I read books once - reading them twice comes under the general heading life's too short

So why am I unimpressed - well, I was aware about "thrown in at the deep end" so to speak, but I thought people were referring to the plot, but no, it's everything, the terminology, the magic, the writing, nothing has much context, it's confusing and a struggle.

I'm also struggling with his writing, things just don't make sense to me, I read a conversation and it just doesn't make sense in my mind - why would X respond to Y with that sentence?

Also I don't like his style, all the made up words, races.

Also in the whole "doesn't make sense" field is all the magic etc, there's no basis for anything, so its' all "Deus ex machina" at the moment - and boring and dull for that.

I also don't like the way he writes, I find it slow to read, uninspiring and dull. I find myself having to reread, I find his detail poor, I read a passage and find it poorly explained as to what just happened, and frankly it appears to be deliberate, as a lot of it appears to be poorly plotted nonsense, and obfuscating the details seems to cover this.

I'm also lead to believe that the books aren't really a single story, I think I've read all I'm going to.

Black Sheep

I found the first third or so of 'Gardens' a struggle, but I did feel like there was a point where I was over the hump and found myself really enjoying it. The next two or three books in the series I recall finding a fair bit more accessible and I was delighted with myself.

To be honest, though, the last few books have left me feeling like I'm at sea again (I'm up to 'Reaper's Gale'). The endless introduction of new characters, new magic systems, new sub-plots combined with a fairly impenetrable writing style and too long between reading the volumes... If I picked up the next book in the series now I would be at a loss as to who was who and what was going on with many characters and plots.

Admittedly by reading the whole series without interruption you'd probably avoid that pitfall (and the inevitable re-read I'll have to do if I want to come back to this series).

It's a hugely impressive series in some senses, but I definitely question whether Erikson's inaccessibility is something to delight in (the pride of "getting" it) or something where actually we should recognise he just needed a more ruthless editor.

CodeMonkey

I am actually reading Reaper's Gale at the moment (book7) as well. I started the series about 5 months ago so I really shouldn't struggle so much remembering who's who. Not sure I care either at this stage and I am skipping a lot of completely unnecessary and badly written verbal diarrhea. Will probably finally stop after this one as I really didn't enjoy the last 2 either but I don't like stopping in the middle of a series. It's amateurish waffle compared to A Song of Ice and Fire.

fitz

While some passages can be a bit dense, or might seem like there's too much time spent on them, I've never found Erikson to be "inaccessible." It's no more difficult to keep track of characters than in Martin's ASOIAF or Jordan's WOT.

I found his style of exposition only through characters experiences and thoughts to be really refreshing. He doesn't manufacture situations where his characters get to explain the minutiae of how magic works to the reader, for example. I thought it was enjoyable to piece together how things worked, as if you were travelling through the world and learning by observation. It's far less forced than traditional fantasy.

My only criticism is around pacing. As I said, some passages can seem slow, or overlong, and I can see why that might put someone off. But despite that, as pissed off as I've been by character deaths in ASOIAF, nobody has ever upset or delighted me more with what he's done with his characters than Erikson. I think that's the real strength of his writing.

Sarn

I've been reading this series for so long that the biggest problem I have is remembering all of the characters and their relationships with each other when I pick up the latest book (always wait for the small paperback version for my collection). Some sections can be tough to get through, but when it's good it's really good.

pljudge321

One of my favourite series though there is a relative decline in the quality of the books after he gets past number 3. That's not to say the others aren't still quality.