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Malazan Book of the Fallen Series

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    #152
    nesf
    Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    I'm on my 5th reread of Gardens of the Moon. It's because I've never finished the series and each time I try again I start from the beginning. This is a choice really, I enjoy the books very much and tend to pick up something new each time I read them and this is why I do it. :)


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    #153
    keane2097
    Registered Users Posts: 17,770 ✭✭✭✭keane2097


    nesf wrote: »
    I'm on my 5th reread of Gardens of the Moon. It's because I've never finished the series and each time I try again I start from the beginning. This is a choice really, I enjoy the books very much and tend to pick up something new each time I read them and this is why I do it. :)

    Same.


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    #154
    [DF]Lenny
    Registered Users Posts: 598 ✭✭✭[DF]Lenny


    just finished the series and couldnt reccommend them enough . I remeber in the foreword of gardens of the moon erickson says a lot of people give up after a few chapters , once you break the first book you will be hooked.


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    #155
    nesf
    Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    [DF]Lenny wrote: »
    just finished the series and couldnt reccommend them enough . I remeber in the foreword of gardens of the moon erickson says a lot of people give up after a few chapters , once you break the first book you will be hooked.

    Yeah, I found this really weird, I very much enjoyed Gardens of the Moon as a complete random pick off the shelves, I hadn't heard anything about it, didn't get any recommendations to read it and was completely ignorant of who Steven Erikson was.


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    #156
    keane2097
    Registered Users Posts: 17,770 ✭✭✭✭keane2097


    nesf wrote: »
    Yeah, I found this really weird, I very much enjoyed Gardens of the Moon as a complete random pick off the shelves, I hadn't heard anything about it, didn't get any recommendations to read it and was completely ignorant of who Steven Erikson was.

    I remember hearing about it on Reddit and hearing all about how hard it is to get into. This was during my time as an utterly busto student, but a friend of mine who also likes fantasy novels had a book voucher.

    I told him about it, he went and bought it and I watched on anxiously as the days passed by and I was asking him "is it any good yet?" to which the answer was "meh" for ages! Eventually he turned to me one evening and said, "yeah, it's class" and the relief was palpable!


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    #157
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,869 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    I just wish there was a resource like A Wiki of Ice and Fire or even a good summary of each book somewhere where you could remind yourself whats going on and where in the world its happening, loved them when I was reading them but the last 2 are sitting on my shelf now and I cant go near them because I just cant remember whats supposed to be happening and Im not going rereading the rest to find out.


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    #158
    sea_monkey
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 755 ✭✭✭sea_monkey


    Thargor wrote: »
    I just wish there was a resource like A Wiki of Ice and Fire or even a good summary of each book somewhere where you could remind yourself whats going on and where in the world its happening, loved them when I was reading them but the last 2 are sitting on my shelf now and I cant go near them because I just cant remember whats supposed to be happening and Im not going rereading the rest to find out.


    http://malazan.wikia.com/wiki/

    http://www.malazanempire.com/site/


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    #159
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,869 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    Useless, about 20% of the summary for each book done, the rest waiting to be added, been like that for a few years now so Id say the project is dead.


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    #160
    keane2097
    Registered Users Posts: 17,770 ✭✭✭✭keane2097


    Thargor wrote: »
    Useless, about 20% of the summary for each book done, the rest waiting to be added, been like that for a few years now so Id say the project is dead.

    Malazan Reread of the Fallen might be what you're looking for...

    http://www.tor.com/features/series/malazan-reread-of-the-fallen


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    #161
    ancapailldorcha
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 37,285 CMod ✭✭✭✭ancapailldorcha


    Right, just starting the Chain of Dogs now.
    Just read that Anomander Rake is a Soletaken which explains how he transformed into a dragon in Gardens of the Moon.
    I think I'm going to make up mind on whether to continue reading at the end of Deadhouse Gates.
    I do like how Erikson just drops explanations and twists so nonchalantly into conversations. You really do have to pay close attention!

    We sat again for an hour and a half discussing maps and figures and always getting back to that most damnable creation of the perverted ingenuity of man - the County of Tyrone.

    H. H. Asquith



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    #162
    fitz
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 7,947 ✭✭✭fitz


    First half takes a while to get going, but if you're not sold by the end of Deadhouse Gates, then I don't think Erikson is for you.


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    #163
    giftgrub
    Registered Users Posts: 1,309 ✭✭✭giftgrub


    I started Gardens of the Moon about 6 months ago and couldn't get into it.

    I'm on my second try, about 100 pages in so far.

    Its grabbing me more this time around for some reason


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    #164
    ancapailldorcha
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 37,285 CMod ✭✭✭✭ancapailldorcha


    fitz wrote: »
    First half takes a while to get going, but if you're not sold by the end of Deadhouse Gates, then I don't think Erikson is for you.

    I think people say to give it until the end of the Chain of Dogs. Either way, I hate not finishing novels and I'm (just) over halfway there now. Very hard going mind.

    We sat again for an hour and a half discussing maps and figures and always getting back to that most damnable creation of the perverted ingenuity of man - the County of Tyrone.

    H. H. Asquith



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    #165
    Raging_Ninja
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭Raging_Ninja


    Tbh I enjoyed Gardens of tge Moon more than Deadhouse Gates (loved the Chain of Dogs chapters though). Wasn't truly hooked until Memories of Ice though.


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    #166
    ancapailldorcha
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 37,285 CMod ✭✭✭✭ancapailldorcha


    I preemptively purchased Memories of Ice so I'll probably read it after Deadhouse Gates.

    We sat again for an hour and a half discussing maps and figures and always getting back to that most damnable creation of the perverted ingenuity of man - the County of Tyrone.

    H. H. Asquith



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    #167
    sentient_6
    Registered Users Posts: 2,780 ✭✭✭sentient_6


    I've the series read through to Dust of Dreams. I decided to take a break a good while back now before The Crippled God. I was burned out. Anyway i've just started to re read the series through starting at Deadhouse. Looking forward to it, i'm going to read the commentaries on 'Malazan re read of the Fallen' on the Tor site after each chapter/pair of chapters as i go, it gets very heavy at times so i'm hoping for better clarity this time.


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    #168
    ancapailldorcha
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 37,285 CMod ✭✭✭✭ancapailldorcha


    Right, I finished Deadhouse Gates earlier this week. I found the whole Chain of Dogs a bit meh to be honest.
    I read Stalingrad recently and the sheer amount of slaughter was reminiscent and a bit depressing.
    Don't get me wrong, it's well written but the scope prevents much in the way of character development. I rather enjoyed Fiddler and Kalam's arcs though.
    I'm about 50 pages into Memories of Ice (a lot for me in such a short space of time, especially when it's Erikson) and I think I'll wait to finish that before buying the next book.

    We sat again for an hour and a half discussing maps and figures and always getting back to that most damnable creation of the perverted ingenuity of man - the County of Tyrone.

    H. H. Asquith



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    #169
    Zapp Brannigan
    Registered Users Posts: 8,326 ✭✭✭Zapp Brannigan


    I'm doing a reread and I just don't understand why people don't enjoy Gardens of the Moon. You're dumped right into a world that has loads of history and Erikson just drops hints and mentions things quickly that just keep compelling me to read on and find out more.


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    #170
    stampydmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 2,359 ✭✭✭stampydmonkey


    Zapp Brannigan wrote: »
    I'm doing a reread and I just don't understand why people don't enjoy Gardens of the Moon. You're dumped right into a world that has loads of history and Erikson just drops hints and mentions things quickly that just keep compelling me to read on and find out more.
    Just reading it now and despite the overwhelming start am thoroughly enjoying it. Can't wait to get a few more books into it.


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    #171
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,869 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    ancapailldorcha wrote: »
    Right, I finished Deadhouse Gates earlier this week. I found the whole Chain of Dogs a bit meh to be honest.
    I read Stalingrad recently and the sheer amount of slaughter was reminiscent and a bit depressing.
    Don't get me wrong, it's well written but the scope prevents much in the way of character development. I rather enjoyed Fiddler and Kalam's arcs though.
    I'm about 50 pages into Memories of Ice (a lot for me in such a short space of time, especially when it's Erikson) and I think I'll wait to finish that before buying the next book.
    Did you really need to spoiler the fact that there was
    slaughter
    at
    Stalingrad
    ? :D


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    #172
    keane2097
    Registered Users Posts: 17,770 ✭✭✭✭keane2097


    Just launched into a reread again and I must say the start of GOTM is amazing when you're well acquainted with what comes later! Definitely easy to see how first timers, including me, hadn't a clue what was going on but you do get the sense of an amazingly textured world that you've been dropped into very early.

    Hoping to finish the series at last this time over xmas although chances are I'll get to like book 8 and find an excuse not to finish it again! If it ended up being the last series of books I ever finished I'd be happy enough with that!


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    #173
    Ardeehey
    Registered Users Posts: 193 ✭✭Ardeehey


    Also working through a re-read, just starting Toll of the Hounds. Loved the series first time around but picking up so much more this time around...makes me recommend the series even more now.


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    #174
    ancapailldorcha
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 37,285 CMod ✭✭✭✭ancapailldorcha


    Thargor wrote: »
    Did you really need to spoiler the fact that there was
    slaughter
    at
    Stalingrad
    ? :D

    No, but when I said it was
    reminiscent of the Chain of Dogs
    I thought it might be taken as spoilerish. Unfortunately, I saw a few spoliers in this thread (accidentally highlighted the tags) and read the first sentence of the "Orb, Sceptre, Throne" description on Amazon.
    I don't read a lot of fantasy so I wouldn't have appreciated the breath of fresh air that GotM is thought of as. I found it a slog to get through but I can imagine it improves drastically once one appreciates what a Soletaken is, who Shadowthorne is, etc...

    We sat again for an hour and a half discussing maps and figures and always getting back to that most damnable creation of the perverted ingenuity of man - the County of Tyrone.

    H. H. Asquith



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    #175
    lucernarian
    Registered Users Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    I just finished the series this year, and finished Ian C. Esslemont's fifth book yesterday. An extremely rewarding series. But I'm torn between rereading the Malazan Book of the Fallen series (I started 2 years ago) or going onto something else... To be honest, I'm not sure if I can get the same kind of joy and interest in a book that this series slowly built up for me!


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    #176
    nesf
    Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    I'm going to finish this time (tm). I've read as far as Midnight Tides. I was going to read the Ian C. Esslemont stuff too in the "publication order." I'm only about a third of the way through Night of Knives though and finding it hard going, not because of plot or anything (it's fairly light to be honest) but because the quality of writing, especially the dialogue, is rather poor.

    Do people recommend reading these books on a first go through? Does the writing improve a lot with time? I know it's his first book and oh, dear Lord it shows in the dialogue and exposition but should I be more forgiving given that I want to read about the Crimson Guard etc?


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    #177
    Tar.Aldarion
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,082 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    Personally left the side books til after and only did the crimson guard so far, don't feel like it needed it tbh and convoluted enough to remember the storylines and characters :p


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    #178
    Zapp Brannigan
    Registered Users Posts: 8,326 ✭✭✭Zapp Brannigan


    Esslemont takes a while to get better. His writing is way better by the time you get to 'Orb, Sceptre, Throne'.

    Still think it's worth reading if you want to know more about the universe though.


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    #179
    Evac101
    Registered Users Posts: 689 ✭✭✭Evac101


    Finished my current reread of the Malazan main series (Erickson) and have to say that they just keep getting better the more often I return to them. While it may be a comment on my own ability to pick up and retain details I find myself reading deeper and deeper layers each time around, enough to queue an anticipation of the next visit. The final book, while fan service-ish (imo), also tied many of the threads together and left enough hanging loose for later follow ups (as spin off's or what evs').

    What enriched the experience quite a bit for me was referencing this series of articles on Tor as I completed the segments. Really enjoyed seeing what other eyes had taken from the text (though I disagreed with some of their conclusions/criticisms and felt they left others pass which perhaps shouldn't have), and also Erikson and Essemont pop in at points to offer general observations on the series and their writing styles.


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    #180
    bonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 15,443 ✭✭✭✭bonkey


    Planning on re-reading these shorty.

    Main problem is that I've more or
    less moved fully to reading on Kindle and 9 of 10 books I only have on paper.

    Not that reading paper is a problem...


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    #181
    nesf
    Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    bonkey wrote: »
    Planning on re-reading these shorty.

    Main problem is that I've more or
    less moved fully to reading on Kindle and 9 of 10 books I only have on paper.

    Not that reading paper is a problem...

    The main issue for me was the transfer to Kindle was poorly done in the first 6 books. Things like Toe for Toc and section breaks being missing could get quite annoying. It wasn't a deal breaker, the books were still readable but playing "guess what the OCR ****ed up" isn't the most fun in the world.


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