We Rank 'Em: Malazan Book of the Fallen

Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen helped breathe new life into fantasy fiction, although it still has something of a limited readership. But the scale and scope are astounding. The world building is on a scale far beyond anything I have ever read, to the extent that one may never get tired of the world Steven Erikson and Ian Esslemont built. The writing is beautiful, poignant, and philosophical, with wit and charm and humour unlike much we find in fantasy fiction. This series, in my mind, is without a doubt among the best work of fantasy fiction over the past fifty years. 

So how do we rank Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen? 

10. Gardens of the Moon. Don't get me wrong, Gardens of the Moon is worth your time. After all, it introduces readers to the legendary Bridgeburners, Anomander Rake, Ganoes Paran, Shadowthrone, and the Rope. And readers are immediately exposed to a world in which mere mortals serve as mere pawns and cannon fodder in the unclear games of gods and demigods. But it is still a rather difficult entry into the Malaz world. I have known a number of people who quit the series after failing to slog through this book. And I understand their pain. The writing and pacing is uneven, and it takes time to get invested in the characters. It can be wordy and confusing. But slog through we must to appreciate the true genius of this series. 

9. Dust of Dreams. This ninth book in the series (and first half of the denouement) offers a lot in terms of action and drama. The Bonehunters slog across the eastern wastelands, along with a number of characters we've come to know and love. The K'Chain Che Malle storyline in particular is fun to read. But Dust of Dreams included far too many subplots and characters that I simply did not care about. The Icarium storyline detracted from the pacing of the book. I couldn't bring myself to care about the travels and travails of the Snake. Moreover, I had loved Tool so much as a T'lan Imass, but for some reason could not connect to his new plot with the Barghast. 

8. Reaper's Gale. Another bloody and action packed book in the Malazan world. Like Dust of Dreams, this book had a few too many narrative arcs that bogged the overall storyline down. Just to give a few examples, the Refugium arc as well as that of the Shake. And we have a rather strange denouement/new arc of the Icarium storyline. But Tehol Beddict and Bugg never disappoint, always providing the few hysterical laughs to lighten up the somber and often bloody world. We finally have the pure entertainment of the Bonehunters entering Letheras. And expect more awesomeness from Karsa Orlong, in particular. If you didn't think you could love him more... you can! 

7. House of Chains. Yes. A book dedicated primarily to the wonders of Karsa Orlong. He begins his legendary journey in Genabackis which will take him across the seas, to the Holy Desert Raraku and Sha'ik's side. Karsa Orlong is the epic anti-hero we never knew we wanted and never thought we'd come to respect. The only issue  I had with the Karsa Orlong story was the fact that it got off to a slow and somewhat meandering start. Meanwhile, Adjunct Tavore mobilizes the Malazan Army to fight against the rebellion known as the Whirlwind in the Holy Desert.

6. The Bonehunters. This is another excellent (and long) instalment in the series. The Malazan Fourteenth Army has destroyed the Whirlwind and continues its mop-up operations. The siege at Y'Gatan in particular is intense and a real wonder to read. Meanwhile, Dujek Onearm's host finds itself at the Seven Cities, confronted with a deadly plague. One of the best aspects of this book is the way the Master of the Deck, Ganoes Paran, decides to deal with this nasty plague. This volume also has a number of wonderful Quick Ben and Kalam scenes. Yet despite how good a read The Bonehunters can be at times, it is still only mediocre when compared to the rest of Steven Erikson's Malaz world.


5. The Crippled God. An excellent ending to the series. As usual, Erikson answers some questions, but leaves many, many more unanswered or somewhat ambiguous. It conveys conflicting worlds of misery, heartbreak, and hope at the same time. And it completes Erikson's inverted tragic form. A worthy, worthy ending. 

4. Midnight Tides. This is perhaps the most divisive book in the series but one of my personal favorites. The storyline follows Tiste Edur noble Trull Sengar, who watches in horror as his own people [led by his younger brother] abandon Father Shadow to follow the Crippled God. But the horror of Trull Sengar's story is offset by the wondrous humour of Letherii citizen Tehol Beddict and his manservant, Bugg, as they both seek to collapse the economy of their homeland. Tehol Beddict and Bugg make this story a true joy to read.

3. Toll the Hounds. This is a shocking ranking for me. After all, during my first read through Toll the Hounds was easily my least favorite in the series (along with Dust of Dreams). But I found so much more to enjoy my second time through. This book is really, really good. Excellent, even. I really enjoyed the Darujhistan storyline, as well as the development of Nimander. We also witness the convergence of Karsa Orlong and Traveller, Hood and Anomander Rake, Kallor and Spinnock, and Iskaral Pust and Kruppe!!! Erikson weaves so many storylines and themes [such as redemption, vengeance, and the eternal presence of the past] together in a seamless and deft manner, making this one of his masterpieces.


2. Deadhouse Gates. I had rated this at #1 my first time through. But during my second read, it lost by a hair's breadth to Memories of Ice. Even at #2, however, this is a classic. Coltaine's Chain of Dogs is guaranteed to reduce even the most hardened of souls to a whimpering puppy. This tale of heroism, of defying the odds, and of betrayal is oddly even more compelling owing to the grim nature of the way it is told. Fiddler's journey with Mappo Trell and Icarium is no less poignant. And thank god for Iskaral Pust, a man who helps provide the necessary comic relief to punctuate this dark but poignant tale.   

1. Memories of Ice. Despite the wonders of Coltaine's Chain of Dogs in Deadhouse Gates, it is with Memories of Ice that the true, heart-wrenching sorrow of this series starts to kick in. This book also served as a warning: none of your characters are safe--anyone can be killed off at any time, and for any reason. But that's just the beginning. Every story arc in this book is beautifully done. I became invested in each and every major character, from Gruntle and Tool to Whiskeyjack and Itkovian. And Erikson includes a few flickers of joy to offset the true grief found throughout this novel. But what a powerful novel indeed, the best in the Malaz world.   

POSTED BY: Jemmy, a SF/F fanatic, a failed wall gazer, and a Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

Summer Reading List: Tia

Below is my (overambitious) summer reading (wish) list. I must admit, it makes me look like a really bad fantasy reader, but thats because my fantasy reading mission in life is to absorb as many of the must-reads as possible, but not ignore the lesser known but equally as amazing stand-alones and series. So this list is composed of books I want to read this summer that I haven't gotten to yet, while still leaving room for those wonderful stories I don’t know about that will eventually find their way to my bookshelf.

1. The Philosopher Kings by Jo Walton [Tor, 2015]

This is officially the first thing on my list, since I recently reviewed and really liked The Just City, the first in the proposed trilogy. I love stories that incorporate Greek Mythology, especially ones that throw gods into the modern (or at least not Ancient Greek) world. If that’s your thing too, make sure you check out The Just City by Jo Walton, and if you haven’t already, go read Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips. I hear that’s a movie as well. Add one to my summer watching list…

2. Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson [Tor, 1999]

From the second I picked this book up, I couldn’t wait to finish the series so that I could start it over. I am a big fan of rereads in general and believe that the first time you read a book you find out what happens, and the second time you read it you find out why. I knew right away the Malazan Book of the Fallen would be in my top three rereads ever (up there with ASoIaf and Harry Potter), not because the world is so complex (which it is of course), but because Erikson so brilliantly drops you right into the thick of things and lets you figure it out on your own. I’m excited because this time around I’ll know what’s going on and what things like warrens are, and most importantly, if I’m not sure about something it will be relatively safe to wiki it.

3. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke [Bloomsburry, 2004]

With so many books and so little time, it’s hard to decide which books on your TBR list to actually read. Sometimes the hype of publicity can be the catalyst for choice. Such is the case with Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. With the TV adaption bringing it back into the spotlight and causing so many folks to (re)sing its praises, I cannot allow myself to go another summer without reading this one.

4. The Magicians by Lev Grossman [Viking Press, 2009]

This is another series I’ve been itching to give a try, something I’m repeatedly reminded of whenever a TV rumor surfaces. I’m a total sucker for magical schooling (Potter, Kingkiller) but haven’t read this one yet because (a) time and (b) mixed reviews. But the premise is too much up my alley for me to ignore it any longer, and The Magicians is officially on my reading list this summer.

5. Mistborn, The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson [Tor, 2006]

I actually started reading a sample of this book and really liked it, but it got lost somewhere in life and I never downloaded the full copy. Every now and then something pops up on Twitter about Mistborn to remind me I need to read it, and especially so now that Rebel Leader, Steve Kamb has been singing its praises. I don’t even really know what the overall plot of this series is (which makes me a bad fantasy reader but is good for reading fantasy) but I do remember that I liked the sample and I do know that this is one I have to read.

6. Dinosaur Lords by Victor Milan [Tor, 2015]

The premise of this book is just too intriguing to ignore. Basically it’s your typical medieval-type war and kingdom fantasy world but with dinosaurs. It would be higher on my summer reading list but honestly, I’m sort of suffering from gritty medieval war-type fantasy fatigue right now, and I don’t know if the inclusion of dinosaurs can sway that. Besides, I have a feeling it might be scary and I’m not really into the whole horror adrenaline rush thing. But I keep coming back to Dinosaur Lords again and again because deep down inside, I really, really, want to read it. I mean, just look at that cover!



So lets recap. This summer I intend to read a 10 book series, 2 trilogies, and 3 others; while still reading all the review copies that come my way, only one of which is included in this list. Needless to say, my Summer Reading List is really an Overambitious Summer Reading Wish List. But, just in case I have some time left before the leaves start to change and the baseball season ends, I think it's best to name an honorable mention:

-----

Posted by Tia  -- bad fantasy reader and even worse sci-fi reader, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2014

Microreview [book]: Night of Knives by Ian C. Esslemont

One Fateful, Disappointing Night in Malaz City

The Malazan Book of the Fallen series is enormous, and spans several continents, dozens of major characters, and huge stretches of time. As such, there are some stories that remain untold. In Night of Knives, Esslemont tells one such story; the death of the Malazan Emperor. What generally happened is known to anyone sufficiently far enough into the prime Malazan Book of the Fallen series written by Steven Erikson, but Esslemont fills in the blanks and digs deeper into the event. In some ways, he succeeds in bringing a major event in the Malazen series to light. In other ways, he fails to give sufficient perspective into the death of Kellanved and Dancer.

Night of Knives does not follow Kellanved and Dancer. It follows Kiska and Temper. Kiska is a talent, an untrained mage. Temper is a Malazan veteran, whose former glory came from being part of Dassem Ultor's retinue, The Sword. The entire story takes place during a single 24 hour period, in which Malaz City is in close enough proximity with the Shadow warren that it's easy for creatures from that world to cross over into the mundane world. While most of the city's denizens stay indoors to avoid meeting unpleasant deaths, Kiska is charged with delivering a dead man's message and has ambitions of finally getting out of the island city by showing her worth to the island's mysterious visitors. Temper, seemingly content with being a guard at Mock's Hold, is nonetheless drawn out by concerns for his female companion. The two cross paths a number of times, and cross paths with many major characters from the Malazan universe in the fateful night that ends Kellanved's reign.

This story is considerately smaller in scope than those of the Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen novels. Following only two characters, and primarily only focused on a single day, it makes up for the small scope by fleshing out the details of the environment much more than necessary. I noted several instances in which a room was described with more detail than most of the conflicts in the novel. Esslemont seems to gloss over the details in fights to the point that it is hard to follow what just happened. Fights are often described, more or less, as a shuffle of bodies with one standing victorious and the other lying dead. The next paragraph is a detailed description of a room. The parts that I wanted to have described in detail are lacking, while the parts I could not care less about are given many words. I also found that following the perspectives of Temper and Kiska led to many situations in which Important Things were occurring were obscured by the fact that those characters were nearby but not present for the events. What is one of the most important events in the story is described from the perspective of someone listening to it occurring one floor above them, then going to look at the aftermath. That was disappointing, to say the least.

I often found the novel also suffers from some mechanical problems. Esslemont has a bad habit of giving two characters voice in a single short paragraph. This often came in the form of line of dialog, character switch, line of dialog, end paragraph. This made dialog very hard to follow sometimes as I expect voices to change by paragraph, not within a single paragraph. It also features something common to the Malazan books that some might like more than others. Sections of the book are presented in the third person but following a single character. Everything is described from that character's perspective. If the reader knows Kiska is talking to or describing a particular character, but Kiska doesn't know them, it is written in a manner that would befit Kiska's knowledge. If I just read a section in which Temper fights something, and Kiska is observing this but does not know Temper, Kiska's observation will be written without any mention of Temper, just a description of a heavily-armored man with two swords. But the Malazan series has many heavily-armored men with two swords, so the descriptions are not unique enough to make it clear who is being described sometimes. It often left me feeling like I was seeing something important happening but didn't pick up on the full significance of events. Combine this with another Malazan trademark of characters possessing many names, and we have a story that is certainly interesting and worth reading but hard to follow at times and almost requiring a re-reading for further insights.

Finally, if you have not read any of the other Malazan books, particularly Erikson's series, you will not only be lost in the details, but miss all of what makes this story important. Night of Knives may be the start of Esslemont's Malazan contributions, but it is far from the start of the story. In fact, I would not even recommend reading this without having first read up to book six of Erikson's series, The Bonehunters. 

By now, it probably sounds like I did not enjoy Night of Knives! That is not the case. Despite being slightly difficult to follow for many of the above reasons, the story is worth reading if you're a Malazan fan. Temper is an interesting character, and the flashback to his time in The Sword is a fascinating look back at Dassem Ultor. The treachery within the Malazan empire is in full focus, and several of its best characters are given special attention in the story. There is even a subplot involving the Stormriders that is given very little attention but sounds as interesting as the story being told. Unfortunately, if you're not a Malazan fan, there are not many good reasons to start with Night of Knives.


The Math

Baseline Assessment: 4/10

Bonuses: +1 if you've read up to The Bonehunters and are a Malazan fan. +1 for the Dassem Ultor flashback. +1 for the tiny bits of Stormriders teasing.

Penalties: -1 for being a bad start if you have not read six other enormous novels before getting into Malazan. -1 for too much time spent describing scenery. -1 for mechanical problems and slavishly adhering to perspective to the point of confusing the reader.

Nerd Coefficient: 3/10 if you're going into it with no Malazan knowledge. (Just bad), 5/10 if you're a Malazan reader. (Problematic, but has redeeming qualities)

***

POSTED BY: brian, sci-fi/fantasy/video game dork and contributor since 2014

Reference: Esslemont, Ian Cameron. Night of Knives [Tor Books, 2004]

Giveaway: Blood and Bone by Ian Esslemont

Welcome to the first-ever nerds of a feather giveaway! The grand prize is your own personal copy of Ian Esslemont's Malazan novel Blood and Bone, a book we recently reviewed.

"In the western sky the bright emerald banner of the Visitor descends like a portent of annihilation. On the continent of Jacuruku, the Thaumaturgs have mounted yet another expedition to tame the neighboring wild jungle. Yet this is no normal wilderness. It is called Himatan, and it is said to be half of the spirit realm and half of the earth. And it is said to be ruled by a powerful entity whom some name the Queen of Witches, and some a goddess: the ancient Ardata. 

Saeng grew up knowing only the rule of the magus Thaumaturgs—but it was the voices out of that land's forgotten past that she listened to. And when her rulers mount an invasion of the neighboring jungle, those voices send her and her brother on a desperate mission.

To the south, the desert tribes are united by the arrival of a foreign warleader, a veteran commander in battered ashen mail whom his men call the Grey Ghost. This warleader takes the tribes on a raid like none other, deep into the heart of Thaumaturg lands. Meanwhile word comes to K'azz, and mercenary company the Crimson Guard, of a contract in Jacuruku. And their employer...none other than Ardata herself.

Ian Esslemont thrills again with another gripping entry into the New York Times bestselling Malazan World in Blood and Bone."

Details

Participants have to be 18 years of age or older to participate. Void where prohibited by law. Giveaway rules are subject to change.

This giveaway is open to anyone with a US or Canadian shipping address. The giveaway ends at 11:59pm PT on June 17, 2013. We will announce the winner later that day.

To enter, just follow the instructions on the rafflecopter widget below (if you don't do it via rafflecopter, we won't know that you entered the contest) and choose one of four actions:

1. Like us on facebook (2 pts.)
2. Follow us on twitter (2 pt.)
3. Tweet about the giveaway (1 pt. but can be done once per day)
4. Leave a comment telling us about your favorite book of 2013 (2 pts.)

Keep in mind that, as this is the first time we're doing this, technical difficulties may arise. Please be patient and we'll try to sort them out as quickly as possible!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

INTERVIEW with Ian C. Esslemont

Today we welcome Ian C. Esslemont to Nerds of a Feather. We are the latest stop on Ian's blog tour to promote his recent book Blood and Bone (which we reviewed here). Today, Jemmy and The G were lucky enough to "sit down" with Ian to discuss Blood and Bone, the Malaz world and his overall process of collaborating with Steven Erikson. We particularly appreciate his musings on the use of violence in fantasy. Read on, and enjoy!       

NoaF: Your biography mentions that you studied archaeology. In what ways have your studies of archaeology impacted your novels and world building?

ICE: As Steve and I have talked about before, we hope that our background and training in archaeology and anthropology has ‘impacted’ our work significantly (by the way, I hate that word). Anyway, while we may have taken various liberties, for the most part, our thematic concerns in the World of Malaz are very much driven by issues out of anthropology, such as culture contact and its consequences, colonialism, the nature of religion, the shift from chithonic ‘paganism’ to other religious regimes, cultural and ethnic pogroms, loss of histories, etc.

NoaF: Malazan fans will love your depictions of Jacuruku--especially Himatan, the jungle guarded by Ardata. In fact, the natural environment (which often brings to mind Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness) plays a bigger and more direct role in Blood and Bone than in any other Malazan novel we have read. What inspired you to center the novel in a deep and dark jungle?

ICE: I hope that the readers do enjoy it. I can’t recall what suggested introducing a jungle. I just always saw Jacuruku that way. When I showed Steve chapter 1, he was surprised, but pleased. ‘Hey, a jungle,’ he said. ‘No one does jungles in fantasy.’ Of course there are pieces set in tropical environments, but what Steve was getting at was the tired cliché of fantasy novels /series being nothing more than iterations on northern European peoples, climes and environs. Or Mongolian steppes, or such. I can’t think of one sword and sorcery series, or epic fantasy series, that goes deep into the jungle. Though, Conan does tramp through a few. And I believe She is set too far north in Africa to occupy a tropical jungle. Thinking about it, I suppose it would have to be a combination of one of my favourite authors, Conrad, together with having lived for three years in Thailand. My wife and I did a lot of jungle trekking there, and in neighboring Cambodia, and Laos.

NoaF: One of the most powerful themes running through Blood and Bone is man’s desire to control nature, to make it “productive” and warp it to his own ends. Could you speak to how such broader questions informed your work?

ICE: This theme runs all through the Malaz novels. Each species, or culture attempts to put its own ‘face’ on its surroundings and we see this played out everywhere in Malaz. The struggles between the species or cultures is a struggle to control this broader narrative of existence. The struggle plays out over the entire rather extended history of that world. As it has over our own. While we, the beneficiaries and descendants of this ancient struggle, are – to our discredit – still unable to let it go.

NoaF: Those of us who have read a number of other Malazan books are already familiar with Warrens and Elder Holds. The Thaumaturg mages and Shaduwam, though, seem to practice a different type of magic. Could you elaborate on this type of magic for our readers?

ICE: The magic of the Thaumaturgs and Shaduwams are rooted in existing systems (or so I hope). I saw the Thaumaturgs as practicing a sort of warped Denul (the magics of healing – medicine, if you will). They have stretched and twisted it into a monstrous mirror-image of itself. A magic of bodily torture and deformation (where plastic surgery is going, I’d say). As for the Shaduwam, I gave them the traditional elder shamanistic practices of animism, meditation, philosophy and spiritualism. I don’t believe we see anything from them that can’t be attributed to such, or so I hope.

NoaF: In some ways, the Thaumaturg magus-leadership is as coldly cruel as the Pannion Domin (and the cruelest of regimes in the Malazan world). What inspired your vision of the Thaumaturgs? Is it based off any historical precedent, or is it the product of your imagination?

ICE: The Thaumaturgs are of course a magiocracy – rule of mages. This regime I see as no different from a theocracy – rule of priests. The treatment of their people I present as no different from that of their brother regime.

NoaF: You and Steven Erikson co-created the Malazan world. Could you walk us through the creative process of collaboration? Were there unique advantages and/or challenges to this approach?

ICE: It was chance, really. We met on an archaeology dig; we found that we both wanted to write; we found that we worked well together gaming; and we didn’t annoy the hell out of each other. It was a creative friendship that brought energy and laughter to our shared material. And it’s that enjoyment that really drives creative work, I think. You have to love what you’re doing, and we both love makin’ this stuff up. All the above are the advantages. The main challenge, I guess, would be trust; trust that the other person won’t mess things up; trust that the shared vision is in fact shared – and thus there won’t be any of that messing up. And, so far, there hasn’t been any of that from either of us.

NoaF: To what degree do you coordinate stories? Do you establish a continuum prior to writing or do each of you just riff off what the other guy does in his last book?

ICE: The stories were, for the most part, all coordinated in the main arc of his ten and my five or six. These were set out long ago in their essentials. However, since then, each has also been a sort of riff on what the other guy did last.

NoaF: The Malazan books are pretty dark and violent, and as I’m sure you’re aware, darkness and violence in fantasy has been the subject of some debate lately. We weighed in on this topic a few months ago with what was basically a middle position: all of the fantasy reviewers at this site like a lot of what could be considered dark or gritty fantasy, but get frustrated when it’s just dark for darkness’ sake. We want violence, when it’s presented, to tell us something that couldn’t be told another way, and I think the Malazan books are notable for not just presenting violence, but exploring the consequences and implications of that violence in meaningful ways. Could you speak a little to your approach to these topics?

ICE: That is reassuring to hear. Steve and I believe firmly that any violence must be accompanied by its consequences, the way effect follows cause. Darkness and violence for its own sake is shallow and immature. I hope that if the Malazan world conveys anything, it is that a violent world is a scary place, and not to be desired. If there is violence, then it is the violence of the Eddas, or the Elizabethan stage, with all its stabbings, beheadings, battles, duels, poisonings, regicide and fratricide. As well as all its exploration of justice, morality, and the depths of the human soul.

NoaF: The Malazan books are known for their diverse world building, rich cultures, myriad magic systems, and the ascendants (strange and powerful individuals who have transcended death and have reached near-godlike status, for series newbies). What races/cultures and character types in particular have you enjoyed writing about, and why? Are there any that you find particularly difficult to write?

ICE: I suppose I enjoy writing about the oddities the most. The one of a kind survivals or recluses. They are … unusual, odd characters. I find normalcy hard to write. One of the groups I most enjoy writing are the T’lan Imass. To me they are fantastic in every way. Tragic, but fantastic. I find the Jaghut difficult to write as I suspect I don’t quite have the grasp on them that Steve has. I also very much enjoy writing scenes with Malazan soldiery. I find that I allow myself permission to do all sorts of things with them that I wouldn’t dare in other scenes, or with other characters.

NoaF: One of the other things the Malazan books do really well is that they pose thought-provoking questions, and only answer some of them. Often times the reader is left in the dark. How do you strike a balance between too much and too little information? How do you know when enough is enough? And do you ever second guess yourself? 

ICE: I hope that so far I, and we, have struck this balance. I suppose it’s up to each reader; some have a higher tolerance for mystery and for actively digging things up, others less. So far, my instinct has been to hand the reader very little. Readers, I think, would agree, that they have to work harder to get into our series than they have to elsewhere. This isn’t just denying rewards, or withholding facts. Rather, we hope that when the reader has figured something out, or discovered something, they’ll feel that they’ve earned it. 

NoaF: Now that Blood and Bone is out, we are already looking forward to your next book, Assail. When can we expect it to come out? Are there any other projects you’d like our readers to know about

ICE: Well, I’m not certain when Assail will come out; that’s not up to me. Late this year, early next, I’d imagine. Once I hand it over, I’ll be free of the main arc Steve and I hammered out long ago. From there, I suppose I’d like to take a hand to some non-Malaz material. But I’m also not ruling out returning to the world to periods and regions as yet unexplored.

NoaF: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us!

ICE: Thank you for the opportunity to talk about all things Malaz, and thanks to the readers and fans.

Microreview [book]: Blood and Bone by Ian C. Esslemont

Ian C. Esslemont, Blood and Bone [Tor, 2013]

The Meat

The problem with authors engaging in collaborative endeavors is that fans cannot help but compare the authors against each other. Such is the case with the Malazan world. Although co-created by authors Steven Erikson and Ian C. Esslemont, Erikson is widely seen as the face of the Malazan world. This has much to do with timing. Both authors are working on aspects of the same overall story, but Erikson started and finished first, leaving Esslemont to fill in the details. For better or for worse, Esslemont has been stuck as the second fiddle, the Robin to Erikson's Batman. 

To be completely honest, I am one of the fans who sees Erikson as the face of Malaz. I tore through all of the Malazan Book of the Fallen a few years ago, finishing the series in the span of perhaps a month and a half. Having finished the series, I could never motivate myself to read Esslemont's contributions. After all, I know what happens to the Crippled God, most of my favorite Ascendants, the Bridgeburners and Bonehunters, and witnessed the end of the vast conflict that cleaved apart the Malazan world. Why spend more time in a story I already completed? Don't we keep reading to figure out what happens next? It was thus with some apprehension that I requested for review Bone and Blood, Esslemont's fifth book and newest contribution to the overall storyline. In retrospect, I am glad that I did.

Blood and Bone does a fantastic job in capturing the overall spirit and feel of the Malazan world. The world is dark, gritty, powerful, and the site of extended power struggles among ascendants, gods, mages, warriors, and empires. Like all the novel's in Erikson's series, this book is set up as a power convergence. "Power draws power," after all, and this sets the stage for climactic scenes that test the limits of the human imagination.

In Blood and Bone, which takes place roughly simultaneously with Erikson's The Crippled God, this power struggle takes place largely on the island of Jacuruku, the site of Kallor's ancient empire and the location of the ceremony that called down the Crippled God (or the Shattered God). Various groups are working their way through the island. But the plot is so complex that it would require too much space to do it justice (and truth be told, even after reading the book I am not completely sure what happened). Suffice it to say that there are a few main stories taking place simultaneously. The Crimson Guard is moving toward a final confrontation between the Avowed and the Disavowed. A Thaumaturg army, led by a great mage, is waging a war on Himatan, a living jungle guarded by the ancient deity Ardata (who some call the Queen of the Witches). A Malazan force and a young girl with mysterious powers, Saeng, are also working their way through the Himatan. And further to the south, a foreign Warlord has united the desert tribes and convinced them to wage war on their Thaumaterg enemies.

Esslemont does a fantastic job of world building, some of the best I have seen in quite some time. He brings to life the threatening yet wonderful jungle of Himatan. And compared with most of Erikson's books, where the setting is secondary to the overall plot, in Blood and Bone Esslemont makes the setting (the jungle of Himatan) central to the overall story. In this sense, Blood and Bone far exceeded my expectations. Himatan is hot, humid, strange, and menacing in ways that draw every character into its dangerous embrace. The jungle's native populations can either be inviting and peaceful or dangerous and cruel. And the travels of various characters through the jungle's depths at times reminds of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, with all its implications of an impending conflict between civilization and savagery.

Blood and Bone is intelligent in its treatment of historical and real world issues. I was struck in particular by the "rational" Thaumatergs' desire to colonize and "civilize" the savage jungle in order to put it to "productive" use. Partly, this can be read as man's struggle for ascendancy over the natural world. But in his execution, Esslemont may also be hinting, in a nuanced way, at the ideological underpinnings of colonialism and imperialism: that the colonizer actually believes in his power and progressive mission to uplift the colonized. Equally powerful was Esslemont's foray into the ethics and cruelty of pure, unadulterated rationalism and empiricism (when taken to extremes).  

But in all honesty, Blood and Bone is at times confusing. Esslemont weaves a few too many character threads into the overall tapestry, and does not have sufficient time to develop many of them fully. Further, he has a maddening tendency to play coy with his readers. He poses many more questions than  he answers, and many times leaves readers in the dark about what actually happened. In fact, I felt much more in the dark after reading Blood and Bone than I did after reading any of Steven Erikson's books (outside of, perhaps, Gardens of the Moon, the most uninspired book of Erikson's series). Because of this, the Osserc and Celeste story lines in particular disappoint, and leave the reader wondering why they were included and whether they contributed to the volume in any noticeable way.

Further, Esslemont's attempts at humor often fall flat. Esslemont simply lacks Erikson's flair for comic relief. The relationship between Golan and Chief Scribe Thorn (and Murk and Sour) did in fact make me smile at times, but Esslemont just cannot pull off the sarcastic, sharp-witted hilarity that Erikson keeps in his arsenal. Expect no Tehol Beddict and Bugg, nor an Iskaral Pust on his cantankerous mule. The humor in Blood and Bone just feels too forced. 

This does not take away from Blood and Bone's achievements. Blood and Bone does not disappoint; it is a great addition to the Malazan world. Esslemont weaves a detailed and complex tapestry, one that fans will have a fun time unraveling. He creates a lush background and overall world that perhaps surpasses that of any other book in the Malazan world (at least the ones that I have read). He fleshes out the broader timeline and the story of the Crippled God. And, lest I forget to mention, the book is a real page-turner.

But at the same time, this book strikes me as a cautionary tale on collaboration among authors. Esslemont's series would have been much more effective had its releases been timed alongside Erikson's (the ones that take place roughly at the same time). No doubt, that was the original intention. But the fact that readers have to wait years to catch up in a story that is already complete diminishes the impact of Esslemont's (albeit very good) contributions (granted, it does give him an immediate and powerful market...). In the end, Blood and Bone is an enjoyable read, great for committed fans of Malazan Book of the Fallen. But owing to this issue of timing, in particular, I wonder whether it has the power to attract a broader readership outside the most committed of Erikson's fans.  

I look forward to Esslemont taking his considerable talents and embarking on a completely new story. But I guess I will have to wait until after he finishes Assail...

The Math

Baseline Assessment: 7/10

Bonuses: +1 for Himatan; +1 for more of Gothos's awesomeness.

Penalties: -1 for leaving the reader with many more questions than answers; -1 for too many story lines and a convoluted plot.

Nerd Coefficient: 7/10 "an enjoyable experience, but not without its flaws"

Read about our scoring system here. And remember, we categorically reject grade inflation!