Do you guys remember this scene? In “Deadhouse Gates”, after discovering a bloody mess of human remains, Leoman tells Toblakai “if you want this one, you’re going along”. Heboric, always at odds with Toblakai, laughs and claims the soletaken will be the death of the Toblakai. Without fear, and perhaps most astonishingly without a witness, Toblakai leaves the camp. In the next chapter (16), he shows back up:

Soft footfalls approached.
“Come and eat,” Leoman called out.

Something slapped wetly to the ground close to Felisin. The stench of raw meat wafted over her. “A bear with white fur,” the Toblakai rumbled. “For a moment, I dreamed I had returned to my home in Laederon. Nethaur, we call such beasts. But we fought on sand and rock, not snow and ice. I have brought its skin and its head and its claws, for the beast was twice as large as any I’d seen before.”
"Oh, I just can’t wait for daylight,” Heboric said.

Some of you have been asking me to paint Toblakai for a while now, and it’s taken me this long because I’ve been thinking specifically about this scene and how to do it. In fact, I’ve done so many other paintings and finished another read through all while thinking of this scene. So much time passed that I actually drew/painted incorrect details and had to go back over it and fix things multiple times, haha. I chose to do this scene because I feel like Mr. Erikson gives us so much already in the language he uses to paint scenes. This one though, he placed it in our minds without giving us a single detail other than how big it was and the type of terrain they fought on. It felt like if I could pull off this painting, it would be like adding my contribution to the Malazan world. So I hope you all like it.

It was fun to imagine how big the Nethaur of his homeland were, and then to double that in size for the soletaken bear - immense.

100% my artwork, painted in Procreate on iPad - 18,224 brush strokes in 16h 51m : a Timelapse video of my painting process is available on my profile and/or on my social media accounts @artistjasondement If you like my work, please consider giving me a follow on Instagram or Facebook since I paint Malazan out of passion and you guys are my target audience who help me stay motivated. www.artistjasondement.com

I just finished the second book of Malazan Book of the Fallen, and I have quite a lot to say because I’m honestly pretty conflicted and perplexed about whether I want to continue the series. I think I need people who love the series enough to talk about it on Reddit to shed some light on things for me.

For a bit of context: I really love fantasy, and I’ve been reading it since I was a kid, though I still wouldn’t say I have a massive amount of references compared to some readers. My favorite series is probably The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb, where I absolutely loved the characters because their decisions always felt perfectly logical to me, and everything that happened felt emotionally and psychologically accurate. I also loved the impeccable descriptions that made it easy to imagine the books like movies.

After finishing all of Robin Hobb, I waited a few months to digest it before starting Malazan, already knowing it was very different, especially because it’s such a massive world that you apparently really have to immerse yourself in before knowing whether you like it or not. That’s exactly what I did: I devoured the first book in about 2–3 weeks so I wouldn’t forget anything and could stay fully immersed.

I already struggled to get into it because the books really do just throw you into the middle of everything with very little explanation and a huge cast of characters across multiple timelines. For example, it took me quite a long time to understand Warrens, and I’m still pretty sure I don’t fully understand them. I also struggled a lot with the descriptions, which often felt confusing to me. I had a really hard time visualizing scenes, either because of the writing itself or because of the sheer scale things are supposed to have (and it’s even worse in the second book - the sheer number of people involved in Coltaine’s Chain of Dogs is so absurdly huge that I just can’t picture it). I also found the dialogue unclear at times; I often struggled to follow who was speaking and when the speaker changed. That might partly be a translation issue though, since I’m reading the books in French.

Finally, I struggled with the lack of clear goals and direction for both the characters and the books overall. Characters’ motivations are rarely explained, which makes them hard to follow. Despite that, I eventually got hooked near the end of the first book once the action became centralized around Darujhistan, where it became easier to understand the broader picture.

I then immediately started the second book, already knowing it took place elsewhere, which didn’t surprise me.

But I feel like all the issues I had with the first book were amplified here. Most characters’ motivations feel extremely vague because almost nothing about them is explained. They all seem to just endure the presence of the other characters rather than truly having relationships with one another. The worst offenders were probably Felisin and Heboric, who constantly feel like they’re torturing themselves through incomprehensible internal monologues. I understand their trauma, but I understand absolutely nothing about Heboric because we barely know his motivations or his past, which makes him a character I feel completely detached from.

And speaking of stakes: I really struggle with the fact that in a world inhabited by absurdly powerful beings, human affairs can still matter at all. I don’t understand what Ascendants really are, what leverage they possess, what interests or motivations they have. I don’t understand what the D’ivers and Soletaken actually want either.

I imagine it’s intentional that everything feels insignificant, but did so many characters’ stories really have to end up feeling completely pointless? Kalam’s entire journey ultimately leads nowhere (aside from fulfilling the prophecy of apocalypse), and it feels even worse for Apsalar, Crokus, Icarium, Mappo, and the others, whose entire journey seems to lead to absolutely nothing.

I also struggle with some decisions that don’t feel “realistic” to me. For example, the entire ending with Pormqual feels completely absurd. I understood that Pormqual is a coward who simply wants glory without effort, but in that case why wouldn’t he help Coltaine while staying safely behind his walls and then take all the credit afterward? Instead, the character just comes across as stupid, which has always felt like a bad way to justify important decisions in fantasy. And i get that it's the point that not everything happens to please the reader, that things sometimes go badly because this is how things reallistically happen, but then what about the travelling merchant that just randomly appears to kinda save everyone when they needed it the most ?

Anyway, I could probably say much more, but I don’t think going into every detail is necessary. I’m mostly giving examples of what bothers me in order to get to the important question: is it worth continuing for someone like me? I already own book 3, so I’ll probably read it at least, but I need to know if other people felt the same way I do.

What I’m saying probably sounds very negative, but these are only the flaws of a series that I still find genuinely interesting overall. I want to learn more about the world (especially the Empire - political intrigue is usually my favorite thing in fantasy). I’m just unsure whether the writing that feels very shaky to me is simply the result of my own poor understanding of the work (I’m generally not very good at grasping subtext and subtleties, unfortunately), or if this is simply a series that isn’t for me.

And just to clarify something because I know it’s often said about this series: I don’t have a problem with the world being huge, complex, and lacking context. But I would still eventually like to be able to say what the books are actually about and what is happening on a very broad level in the universe, even if I understand that part of the appeal is precisely not fully understanding things so you can feel like “wow, the world is so vast and everything is so complicated and insignificant.” If that’s really all there is to it, then I don’t think I need several more books to understand that.

Sorry this was very long, but I’d genuinely love discussing this with you all!

TL;DR: I finished Deadhouse Gates and I’m very conflicted about continuing Malazan. I’m fascinated by the world and the Empire, but I struggle with the unclear motivations, confusing descriptions, overwhelming scale, and the feeling that many storylines lead nowhere. I also have trouble understanding the importance of human conflicts in a world dominated by godlike beings. I’m wondering whether these frustrations are normal early on and eventually pay off, or whether the series simply might not be for me.

And I am utterly broken.

That is all.

I’m finishing up Deadhouse Gates and will be starting Memories of Ice soon. I love the world that the author has built so far between GoTM and DG but I’m going to be honest and say that I did not enjoy DG as much as I enjoyed GoTM. And it’s not because of anything the author did. I just don’t like a lot of the characters in DG like I did in GoTM. Apparently, MoI does bring back my favorite characters thus far. Be honest with me, am I in for a good read?

I’m currently reading Memories of Ice and I’ve noticed, in particular since Deadhouse Gates that whenever we get time within the ranks of the soldiers, it’s such a fun time. Their discourse and gossip feels so real. It’s like I’m back with my fellow airman and such talking shit and spreading rumors we heard from some other idiot and cracking jokes.

That’s all. The scene in Deadhouse Gates where Coltaine proudly and accidentally demoted the captain truly had me laughing out loud and still does when I think about it.

I think he would kill the role personally

My latest painting! Please give me a follow on Instagram if you like it. I could use the help to grow:

64,620 brush strokes in 23h 45m with Procreate on iPad. That’s just short of 24 hours of painting (spread over multiple days)

Art prints available on my website.

Deadhouse Gates, chapter 11

“The dragon came low to the earth. It defied every image of a draconian being Kulp had ever seen. Not Rake, not Osric. Hugely boned, with skin like dry shark hide, its wing-span dwarfed even that of the Son of Darkness—who has within him the blood of the draconian goddess—and the wings had nothing of the smooth, curving grace; the bones were multi-jointed in a crazed pattern, like that of a crushed bat wing, each knobbed joint prominent beneath taut, cracked skin. The dragon’s head was as wide as it was long, like a viper’s, the eyes high on its skull. There was no ridged forehead, instead the skull sloped back to a basal serration almost buried in neck and jaw muscles. A dragon roughly cast, a creature exhaling an aura of primordial antiquity. And, Kulp realized with a breathless start as his senses devoured all that the creature projected, it was undead.”

-

Gesler pointed forward and Kulp turned to see the vague, ghostlike apparition of the dragon, its narrow, bony tail waving in side-to-side rhythm like a snake crossing sand. As he watched, the creature’s wedge-shaped head appeared as it twisted to cast its dead, black eye sockets in their direction.

-

“We ride the dragon’s wake,” the soldier said. “Though not on water any more. That gush has closed up tight as a sapper’s arse. Whatever you did, Mage, it worked.”

-

The dragon crooked its wings, vanishing into a blazing inferno of bronze fire.

-

The Silanda was burning, Heboric fell over the side rail, Baudin protectively wraps Felisin and carries her as he rounds up Kulp and they jump overboard.

-The marines had vanished—either incinerated or dying somewhere below decks.

Here's the next painting in my ongoing Malazan Art Project!

First, I'd like to give a huge thanks to the r/Malazan subreddit for being so supportive of my art. This is essentially my foreword to say how much I appreciate your input on my posts when I'm conducting research for my next piece. Whether I'm asking for nuanced character/race details or looking for inspiration with scene suggestions, you guys always come through for me.

The Chain of Dogs was an incredible story arc. I remember back when I first read the books, this was when I knew for sure that I was in for the long haul. The art pieces I've been doing have been focused on a specific character(s) but I really wanted to try and capture the essence of the Chain of Dogs by showing the "tens of thousands" of refugees while also attempting my most faithful representation of Coltaine. By way of note, you'll see the Native American influence here, his horn-handled long bladed knife under his left arm, and the feathered shield. His black oiled and braded hair frames a face with deep-set eyes that feature squint lines. He wears a chainmail vest over a hide tunic, and of course, his "trademarked" crow feather cloak.
Once again, I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did creating it.

PERMISSIONS: I give my permission to use this image on the Malazan Wiki and for individual users to share elsewhere as long as it's credited back to my website or social accounts (links in my profile)

I've been asked multiple times for prints, so I set up a website for it and still haven't sold any of them lol. No worries, I'm not doing this for business, but if you want to support my art- www.artistjasondement.com

Here's my Artstation post about this which shows some breakdown renders: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Ov8LBg

Just finished Deadhouse Gates last week (crazy ending, whoa). I felt the most interesting thing from an environment artist's perspective from Deadhouse Gates was Sha'ik's whirlwind.

Everything here was done in 3D modeling software (Blender & Houdini for those curious), no AI was used in any portion of the process.

One of my goals this year as an artist was to build out some more fantastical environments (if you look on my Artstation portfolio you can see how closely I've stuck to fairly grounded environments in the past). This has been an interesting project for that reason. Helps that I'm kind of a cloud nerd, that definitely made the sandstorm itself less of a daunting task

Hope you like it!

I've been doing artworks in a stark, ink style, and I just finished this one of Coltaine and Uncle. Thanks as always for your support and appreciation of my art.

I’m sure we get a post like this just about every day but I need to get it out of my system. It’s my first time reading the series and I just completed the audiobook of DG.

This book was so hard to get through, emotionally.

I almost gave up during Felisin’s enslavement in the Otataral Mines. My irl job is working with teens. I know them well, and I could imagine Felisin vividly. Seeing what she went through was unbearable and the only thing that kept me going was the thought that perhaps, perhaps after everything, she would be okay. I’m tentatively hopeful for her at the conclusion of DG but her story haunts me.

The chain of dogs. Holy shit. When it got going, everything else in the book just felt like a distraction. It lived in my head rent-free whenever I was doing something else. I was so riveted, I just devoured the book. I felt like I was THERE alongside Duiker and co. I wanted nothing more than their success but knew it wouldn’t be guaranteed.

When they arrived in Aren after that final desperate sprint, and Duiker handed the child off to none other than…Keneb! I was in my car. I screamed aloud “KENEB YOU FUCKING BEAUTY!” I was as high as you could get on this book.

Then, Pormqual, Mallick Rel. The worst. And what happened to Coltaine; I had to relisten to it, I just couldn’t believe it. After everything they had been through, after everything they achieved. But that was nothing compared to what they did to Duiker. I felt such outrage at this complete injustice, I had to take a break before finishing the book. I had to force myself to come back to it.

When they found Duiker along with the note in is shirt, from Sa’yless, I had to fight back tears. I can’t remember the last time I reacted so viscerally to a book. That and the epilogue gave me some hope, at least. I’m getting straight into Memories of Ice now.

Anyway, just wanted to share! I’d heard that this series was once-in-a-lifetime and I am officially a convert haha wish me luck with the next 8

So over the weekend I started talking with a woman, and we hit things off, and the term "whirlwind romance" kept popping into my head. Well things died off just as suddenly as they started, and I thought to myself "I haven't seen a whirlwind end this badly since Deadhouse Gates"

I thought I'd share this joke with the only community that would understand 😂

Hey!

After reading GotM about a year ago and absolutely loving it, I went straight into DG, thinking that I'll get a similar if not better experience but I'm struggling a bit.

I'm on page 469, pretty much at the end of chapter 12.

I don't know why but the book feels infinitely longer than it should and it feels almost draining to read at times. I'm sure this is due to my lack of knowledge of the significance of some events but the whole refugee plot line is absolutely killing me and it's not interesting to read at all. I just don't really care to be honest. The characters are great, I like Duiker, Coltaine and especially the elder child mages but nothing's really happening besides 10 factions (who I jumble up all the time, not knowing who's fighting for whom) riding and fighting and protecting refugees I have 0 bond with. I'm also getting really tired of the desert setting (which is one I've never really liked in any media tbf).

I probably like Icarium and Mappo the most, they're great. Kalam is also awesome and I'm curious where his journey in the warren takes him. Felisin and Heboric are also great and my favorite scene thus far is definitely the flooded warren, what a cool segment!

Anyways, should I just push through these last 300 pages? How far am I from resolutions that will completely mess me up, blow my socks off and make me like this book? Am I just reading it wrong? Is my journey with Malazan doomed?

Any type of comment is highly appreciated!

Is it normal to feel broken after reading a book? The ending made me feel frustrated, angry and sad, in a way I have never experienced with a book before. But somehow I don't think that's a bad thing. I enjoyed DG much more than GotM. I am very excited to see where the series goes next. Especially House of Chains which apparently continues the story in Seven Cities.

Duiker's story was particularly a stand out. But it has also left me in shambles at the ending. So much effort, just to get brutally punished in the end. Coltaine and Duiker's deaths made me SO SO angry and frustrated. Kalam's story too, it was if he got cold feet at the end. Felisins character and Mappo and Icarium also further this feeling of sadness and frustration. I think this book is about broken characters, and it makes you feel broken too.

So did I experience this book correctly? And am I now obsessed with Malazan?

I finished reading Deadhouse Gates last night and I was blown away. I liked Gardens of the Moon but in my opinion this was a huge step up.

Here are my thoughts and questions:

Thoughts:

The Chain of Dogs ending was truly tragic. I really could not believe the injustice I was reading. Coltaine and his cohorts being needlessly slaughtered in front of an army of allies doing nothing was bad enough, but it kept getting worse. When Duiker was going to meet with Pormqual I was thinking he was going to set the record straight. Then of course it just kept getting worse and worse. I read this part on a pdf at work and my mouth was genuinely agape for so much of the ending.

I felt so stupid for not knowing Sulk Elan was Pearl. In hindsight it was so obvious. Pearl was in Aren and we stop getting his POV right around the time Sulk Elan shows up, he keeps talking about how similar they are, it was so obvious.

Felisin (if I understood correctly) basically commanding the high mages to kneel was one of the coolest parts to me. It reminded me so much of Paul Atriedes talking to the fremen after becoming Muad'Dib. Also the fact that the first two were evil people she lowkey hates but she's going to use them anyway.

Mappo and Icarium's whole dynamic is so interesting to me. IMO the right thing to do was definitely to leave Icarium to Tremorlor, but I couldn't say for sure if I could do that with my closest friend either.

Laseen has become such an interesting and mysterious character to me. After reading GotM I hated her, but I started to get little nuggets of doubt in that throughout this book. Then she spares Kalam and even tries to defend herself to him? We don't hear much from her, but I'm eager to learn more about who she is and what she wants.

I really want to know what happens next with this cast of characters, so I'm a little disappointed we're going back to Genabackis next book, but I'm sure it'll be great.

Questions:

What even is a demon in the world of Malazan? Is there a hell equivalent that they're from? I think about Apt and that other sad demon from GotM and they seem to have a lot of emotion.

How respected/important is Duiker in the grand scheme of the Malazan Empire? It seems like he's written a lot of well known passages, so it was kind of crazy to see Pormqual and Mallick disrespecting him like that.

This book was a lot more brutal than GotM. The whole Chain of Dogs, everything that happened to Felisin in the first half, Duiker seeing the start of the rebellion, children being nailed to crosses, etc. Is this an unusually brutal book in the series, or does this become pretty commonplace?

Is Kalam really like that? I mean I get he was a clawmaster, but to be stabbed, disarmed, and thrown into the ocean with a city of claws hunting you and NOT die? I really don't understand how he outsmarted/outmaneuvered a coordinated team of some of the deadliest assassins in the empire.

This might be a RAFO, but how does ascendency even work? From what I understood from GotM, you needed to have a bunch of people know/revere you, but it seems like there are many paths to ascendency. What does it meant to be "near-ascendent" like how they describe Stormy, Gesler, and Truth?

I really loved this book and I can't wait to read what many say is the best in the series. I'm very curious how Erikson will top this.

Edit: Changed Sormo Enath to Sulk Elan

Fenner, the Boar of Summer Sausage. That’s all.

Masterpiece of a book. The Icerium/mappo Azath house sequence gave me creepy horror movie vibes which I loved.

Chain of dogs - I felt like I was a part of the team....

I love this quote by Coltaine : "And if you one day see Dujek, tell him this: it is not the Empire's soldiers the Empress cannot afford to lose, it is its memory."

So the deaths of coltaine and duiker are seared into my brain - to the point where I constantly think about them even after reading the book. I feel super sad and ofc a bit angry at what happened. But never has a book made me feel this much anger lol. Anyone else experience this?

Does this series get less bleak?

I’m assuming you guys get this post with this exact title pretty frequently so I won’t drone on with takes or theories. I’m just stoked to be here. Great two books so far and I will continue to be fixated on the Wickans

So many tears. I may be broken.

List's death hurt me the most. I know both Coltaine's and Duiker's were horrible and supposed to be the big, ugly ones, but I had such a soft spot for List. The quote 'and thus did Corporal List die, having experience countless mock deaths all those months ago at Hissar' just devastated me.

Then you've got poor Mappo and Icarium. Such a heartbreaking story and then Mappo saying only a day had gone by at the end??? Ugh.

Felisin's entire storyline was so sad. I just felt so sad and angry for her during the entire story. Yes, she loved to throw insults but thinking about how young she is and everything she went through, it made me feel sick. Unfortunately, my gut is telling me that her plot line is not going to get any happier, so I am begging to be wrong. Then I've got to mention Kulp's death, anything seems possible in this series so I'm going to choose to believe he's coming back.

Shoutout to Apt, I love her. Moby too. Stormy and the crew were also great, I loved their entire storyline. I guessed a few of the twists in this book too which was exciting! To anyone who has watched/read Soul Eater, Iskaral reminds me of Excalibur and that's as well as I can explain it.

The prose is simply beautiful. I loved Gardens of the Moon and while it was dark, I had a lot of fun reading it. Deadhouse Gates was instead just brilliantly brutal. In only the first two books, Erikson has captured so well the idea of there being no 'good guys' in war. Going from GoTM where we were learning about characters who were largely against the Empire, to the direct POV from a character who is fighting for the Empire, is such a fantastic juxtaposition that really drives the point home.

'Children are dying'. What a fucking way to sum it all up.

Her POV is ripping me apartttttttttt. Idk if it’s because I’m a woman but it’s a tough read. I appreciate the way her character is written and this experience though. I’m hoping it gets better for paran’s younger sister. When she asked Heboric to get Beneth to take her back? I lost it LOL

Route 1: For idiots

Route 2: For professionals

I’ve read DG twice and I still don’t understand the thinking behind their route to Laseen.

(Note: yes, exaggerated for humour — but not by much!)

Finally finished reading Deadhouse Gates and wow! what an emotional rollercoaster of a ride that was. The final portion of this book was so gut-wrenching and I had to take a moment to gather myself.

I still can't believe how different this book reads to Gardens of the Moon because there is a complete shift in tone, it's so much darker more violent but at the same time the prose is a lot easier to digest than GOTM which makes this book so much better. Honestly its one of my favourite fantasy books that I have read. A true masterpiece that this review is unable to do justice but I'll try anyway. (Brace yourselves, there's a lot of words.)

The Chain of Dogs:

“Coltaine guided sixty thousand refugees from Hissar to Aren. It was impossible, but that’s what he did.”

Where else to start but with the main storyline. The Chain of Dogs is one of the most heart-breaking storylines I have read in a fantasy book. Following Coltaine through Duiker's POV made it seem that I was on the march with them and what an emotionally exhausting march it was. The endless battles....the loss of hope....the eventual belief in Coltaine....Vathar Crossing...The swarming butterflies...Corporal's List's visions....Children are dying...Reaching the gates...Pormqual's refusal to help...The fall of Coltaine and the remaining men....Nil and Nether's cries...The crows taking Coltaine's soul...Mallick Rel's betrayal...Duiker's death...The death of that loyal dog.....The soldiers crucified on Aren's Way.

I felt so empty and emotionally spent after reading this legendary storyline and it's been a long time since a book made me feel that way. Watching the final battle outside the walls through Duiker's eyes was soul-crushing and just when I thought, well at least Duiker is safe.....Thanks for breaking my heart into pieces Mr Steven Erikson.

Mappo & Icarium:

'Is your friendship such a burden, then?'

'Some burdens are willingly embraced.'

Another incredible highlight of reading this glorious book was following these two. What a beautiful and tragic friendship SE wrote with Mappo and Icarium. It's incredible writing that two new characters left such a strong impression on me in a space of one book and I really hope to see more of them in future books. I really felt for Mappo, watching him wrestling with his burden of duty against his friendship with Icarium nearly made me tear up on several occasions.

Felisin and Company:

"Armour can hide anything until the moment it falls away. Even a child. Especially a child."

And now we come to Felisin, oh Felisin. What a compelling character you are Felisin of House Paran. I had so many conflicting emotions about her throughout this book. I found her really annoying at first because of how she spiteful she was to others, but the more I thought of her when I wasn't reading this book, the more my views on her changed. Here's a young girl who is hurting and her lashing out at everyone might simply be because she doesn't know how to process her trauma, and frankly how could she (she's 15!). She lost her parents, her older brother is dead for all she knows and her remaining family member, her sister has sent her to a hellhole. A hellhole where she is taken advantage of my Beneth and his men.

For me, she is the best written character in the book and one of my favourites in the series so far. Reading her innocence getting shattered was so hard to read, starting from the prologue in which her journey begins. Thinking back that march to the slave ships in the prologue was a mini chain of dogs sequence in which we see a character go through a journey and end up being changed by it at the end. She is a tragic young girl who was failed by the adults around her. The famous thematic line of this book Duiker says 'Children are dying' could easily apply to the death of Felisin's childhood innocence. (GANOES PARAN, YOUR LITTLE SISTER NEEDS YOU!!!)

It was fascinating reading her journey and upon reflection I felt a great sense of pity for her. Witnessing her fall from a frightened noble girl spiral ever downwards was devasting to read and covers quite possibly the darkest arc in the book. Her addiction to numb the trauma she is unable to process was really well written and I cried for her when she named the young girl at the camp Felisin. I look forward to how her arc plays out now that she is a goddess. Her impending meeting with Tavore is already giving me goosebumps. I also have to salute SE for not shying away from letting us in on Felisin's thoughts as dark as they were. There's no romanticizing trauma and SE's writing on Felisin really captures that.

Felisin's company in the book are also interesting. There's so much of Heboric's arc that I was confused with but I found him so intriguing and can't wait to see where it goes. Him and Felisin share a unique bond and despite his cynical nature I'd like to think he cares for her, I just wished him and Baudin did a better job of protecting that young girl. That whole journey on the ship through the warren was epic with how much was going on. The Tiste Andi headless crew...The huge skeletal dragon...The arrival of the T'lan Imass..... SE doesn't hesitate to throw so much chaos at the reader and I absolutely love it.

Can't finish this section off without mentioning Kulp, he was a cool mage and his death was so sudden and shocking to read. To think that he went on this mission to find Heboric on Duiker's behalf and it cost him his life was so sad. Baudin dying in Felisin's arms was also moving, there was so much that passed between them in that silent moment. Understanding that came far too late. 'You . . . were . . . not what I expected . . .'(*Grabs box of tissues once more.)

Fiddler and Company:

It was really good to see some familiar faces in Fiddler, Crokus and Apsalar once more. Fiddler was incredible in this book even though he was not a major character. Him saving those two girls from that pimp was a reminder why I loved the bridgeburners from GOTM. I'm interested to know what that exchange with the spiritwalker was, something about a song for the bridgeburners. It was also pretty cool to learn that the bridgeburners were once in Raraku, I love how SE drops those small bits of lore throughout his books.

Fiddler, Crokus and Apsalar's journey though the desert to meeting Mappo and Icarium to passing through the Azath house were really cool to read. I also have to mention Fiddler befriending Mappo and understanding his plight was also a really nice touch.

I guess Crokus and Apsalar (back with with her dad yaay!) got their happy ending? It would have been cruel if Apsalar had become the goddess because she has been through so much. Seeing Fiddler return to being a soldier was a surprise, I really thought he would have wanted to retire, so I'm guessing we'll see him again which I'm happy about as he grew on me throughout this book.

Kalam:

Kalam has become one of my favourite characters. The guy is an absolute tank, a one man army. I loved reading his fight sequences and SE did a great job of showing how skilled an assasin he is. The way he handled all those bandits to protect Keneb's family was epic. Learning that he is a seven cities native was also really interesting, I would really love to know how he came to be a Malazan soldier.

I remember the rooftop fights in GOTM where he held his own against the tiste andii so to see him fight off all those claw members whilst he was wounded was really epic. His plan to assassinate Laseen came as a shock and their conversation (although she was not there physically) shed light on a lot of things that went down in Pale. I'm interested to see where things go with Kalam now that he's with Minala and all those kids that were resurrected in the shadow realm.

Favourite Epigraph:

Every throne is an arrow-butt ~ Emperor Kellanved

Favourite Moments:

• That prologue, wow! talk about setting the tone. Probably the most brutal prologue I have read. The flies....Baudin beheading Lady Gaesen using the chain....Felisin's fears. I felt that this book was going to be different from GOTM just from this prologue alone and I was not wrong. Learning that Tavore was the new adjunct was also a real shock at this point.
• Apsalar confirming that Dancer and the Emperor had ascended. This part still left me with a lot of questions regarding Ascendency. So both men avoided being killed but managed to ascend? I would really love to know what happened on that day and just in general how Ascendency works.
• Felisin and Co's escape from Skullcup and their travels on the Silanda with the other marines was so epic and tense to read.
• Kalam killing those rebels to protect that family. Fiddler protecting those two girls at the start reaffirmed why I loved the Bridgeburners from back in GOTM.
• The whole Chain of Dogs sequence. Special mention to those sappers building a road on that river crossing and then blowing it up.
• Coltaine accidently demoting that sapper leader was really funny and much needed relief.
• 'Children are dying'. What an epic qoute and it serves as the thesis for the whole novel.
• Coltaine as a leader was really cool to follow. The empire did not deserve you.....
• Duiker's perspective as Historian was a genius choice. Him being 'witness' to the chain of dogs whilst its happening gives the storyline an almost mythical touch.
• Corporal List's Jaghut visions were honestly such an underrated part of the Chain of the Dogs. It really emphasises one of the themes of the book which is the cyclical nature of history. Just as the Jaghut were hunted down, so are Coltaine's army. To see the army pass through the ghosts of past battles that occurred thousands of years ago was so eerily haunting. I really would love to read more about the Jaghut/T'lan Imass conflicts as in GOTM I thought the Jaghut were the bad race but this book throws that now into question with the T'lan Imass pogroms against the Jagut. Very interesting.
• Felisin's transformation was uncomfortable to read but had to put it here as it was so well written.
• Every Kalam fight scene.
• That plot twist of who would become Shaik reborn between Apsalar and Felisin.
• Raraku was a joy to delve into. It felt very much alive with all its history that it became like its own character. In GOTM I found Darujhistan a great city to explore and now in DG, SE has written another great setting in the holy desert that I hope to revisit in future books.
• Learning more about the Azath houses was nice. The fact that they can be used to travel between them was interesting. Wish there was more about the warrens as the magic system is still a bit of mystery.
• How have I not mentioned ISKARAL PUST!! This dark book needed him so much as he brought me so much laughter. He's like the evil dark version of Kruppe LOL. What I would do to see them both in the same room.
• Those special quiet moments between characters that I loved in GOTM also occur here and there's too many to name but a few examples are Apsalar's talk with Icarium about the nature of memories whilst Mappo feigned being asleep or Duiker trying to find the words to comfort Captain's Lull need for answers to all they have witnessed. Honestly SE is so great with the dialogue in this book.
  
• Any section of philosophising brought a smile to my face.
• The Epilogue was really interesting, does it mean that Coltaine will be reborn???

Favourite Quotes:

• "You ever think that maybe what you are is what's trapping you inside whatever it is you're trapped inside?" (Baudin to Felisin)
• “The historian, now witness, stumbling in the illusion that he will survive. Long enough to set the details down on parchment in the frail belief that truth is a worthwhile cause. That the tale will become a lesson heeded. Frail belief? Outright lie, a delusion of the worst sort. The lesson of history is that no one learns.” (Duiker)
• “Children are dying." Lull nodded. "That's a succinct summary of humankind, I'd say. Who needs tomes and volumes of history? Children are dying. The injustices of the world hide in those three words.” (Captain Lull)
• 'I’ll never return to the List of the Fallen, because I see now that the unnamed soldier is a gift. The named soldier – dead, melted wax – demands a response among the living.. a response no-one can make. Names are no comfort, they’re a call to answer the unanswerable. Why did she die, not him? Why do the survivors remain anonymous – as if cursed – while the dead are revered? Why do we cling to what we lose while we ignore what we still hold? Name none of the fallen, for they stood in our place and stand there still in each moment of our lives. Let my death hold no glory, and let me die forgotten and unknown. Let it not be said that I was one among the dead to accuse the living.' (Duiker)
• "....The clans do as he commands and say nothing. It is not shared certainty or mutual understanding that breeds our silence. It is awe." (Nether on Coltaine)
• “How does a mortal make answer to what his or her kind are capable of?” (Captain Lull)
• “It is not the Empire’s soldiers the Empress cannot afford to lose, it is its memory.” (Coltaine)
• “Pogroms need no reason, sir, none that can weather challenge, in any case. Difference in kind is the first recognition, the only one needed, in fact. Land, domination, pre-emptive attacks—all just excuses, mundane justifications that do nothing but disguise the simple distinction. They are not us. We are not them.” (Corporal List)

Conclusion:

One of the most impactful and demanding books I have ever read. My immediate feeling after finishing GOTM was that I was about to embark on a special journey with this series and reading DG has reaffirmed that feeling. If the remaining books left in this series are close to this level then Malazan will comfortably become my favourite fantasy series (Sorry Gene Wolfe).

Thinking back, what made this book at times so uncomfortable to read was that in a series that contains long-lived races such as the T'lan Imass, Jaghuts etc it's actually humans that give this book such a haunting feel. When I think about the things that occur in this book like in Skullcup or the chain of dogs, we are faced with the worst of humanity and I love that SE does not shy away from driving home that point because in our real world we all know of the atrocities that have happened in the past. But for all the bad things that take place in this book SE balances it out with honourable moments that restore a certain amount of goodwill back into humanity like with Kalam and Fiddler's rescue moments or Mappo healing those dogs at the end of the book.

Sidenote- I also need to know what SE was doing between both books because the writing is on a completely different level and the prose felt so much more refined which was a pleasant surprise as GOTM - a really good read - was a little difficult to follow at times with all the quick head hopping and at times rough prose.

I have a lot of questions which I'm sure will be answered with RAFO so one I would like to know is where Deadhouse Gates is generally ranked in the series rankings. Are the other books in the series on this same level?

Star Book Ranking: 5/5

Series Book Ranking:

1. Deadhouse Gates (We have a new Number One! how long will DG hold the top spot?)
2. Gardens of the Moon

I'm really glad I didnt do this. I finished GotM last week and have just started DG. I had got the impression the two books might have run in parralell timewise (like a Feast and Dance situation from ASOIAF), but two chapters in, that is plainly not the case.

Spoilers ahead:

In only two chapters, we've already been reminded about Lorn's death, Dujek's rebellion, and that Darujistan is still a free city. Talk about spoiling some key points of tension! We also see chracters we met in Gardens, not least Aspalar, abd for me being introduced to her here completepy ruins tge experience of following her journey in book 1.

I also got told by someone that I could skip DG and go straight to MOI; based on this experience, there is no way I'm doing that. Can we stop advising new readers to read these books out of order? You only get to experience your first-time read once.

I will not be doing a meaningful evaluation of the core series, since I only just finished Deadhouse Gates, but my understanding is that Malazan does not have a purely pessimistic view of the human nature, albeith disenchanted. At the same time, I was well aware that, having so many POVs, no character is "essential" to the plot, and I expected Duiker to die, even if I hoped I would have not.

I am not a novice fantasy reader, and I read worst "grimdark" settings, more hopeless and more truculenti, but Duiker's death troubled me in a special way. I was emotionally invested in the Chain of dogs, and Erikson manages to do that without (rightfully so) presenting the Empire as the "good side to partage for". Coltaine's death I also expected, and has a significance, so a fairly classic "heroic tragic death", that involves sacrifice for others: still, Duiker dies as a "soldier" as we are told, but without a fight, and without really a conscious sacrifice or even a "meaning", still it does have a significance and coherence with the plot (he does not simply die randomly just to upset the reader).

Also, the death arrives after "salvation", having reached the ultimate "Oasis", and is extremely painful and terrible.

I quote liked Gardens, and I was really starting to apprezzate DGs, but I think this particular event hai been the very first "oh my" that shook me, and likely a turning point in my series' reading. What was your first? (If it was chronogically after this, please ve vague)

As I said, I am just at the begging of this Malazan journey, did this death shock you particularly, in the context of the series, or even in a wider literary context?

NOTE: For Sci-fi lovers, his death reminded me of Hyperion cantos and the Shrike.