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In Northern Genabackis, just before the events recounted in GARDENS OF THE MOON, a raiding party of savage tribal warriors descends from the mountains into the southern flat lands. Their intention is to wreak havoc among the despised lowlanders, but for the one named Karsa Orlong it marks the beginning of what will prove an extraordinary destiny.
Some years later, it is the aftermath of the Chain of Dogs. Coltaine, revered commander of the Malazan 7th Army is dead. And now Tavore, elder sister of Ganoes Paran and Adjunct to the Empress, has arrived in the last remaining Malazan stronghold of the Seven Cities to take charge. Untested and new to command, she must hone a small army of twelve thousand soldiers, mostly raw recruits, into a viable fighting force and lead them into battle against the massed hordes of Sha'ik's Whirlwind. Her only hope lies in resurrecting the shattered faith of the few remaining survivors from Coltaine's legendary march, veterans one and all.
In distant Raraku, in the heart of the Holy Desert, the seer Sha'ik waits with her rebel army. But waiting is never easy. Her disparate collection of warlords - tribal chiefs, High Mages, a renegade Malazan Fist and his sorceror - is locked in a vicious power struggle that threatens to tear the rebellion apart from within. And Sha'ik herself suffers, haunted by the private knowledge of her nemesis, Tavore...her own sister.
So begins the awesome new chapter in Steven Erikson's MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN - an epic novel of war, intrigue, magic and betrayal from a writer regarded as one of the most original, imaginative and exciting storytellers in fantasy today.
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Customer Reviews
This book carries on from Deadhouse Gates, and writes about the rebellion aka "Sha'ik's Whirlind" that has sweeped across genabackis and how Adjunct Tavore (Ganoes Paran's sister) has been given the task of destroying the rebellion with a rag tag army of recruits.
We see the old characters from Deadhouse Gates in this book like, Fiddler, Kalam, Crokus, Apsalar and many more. Also what is interesting about this novel, is that it begins with the tale of a character who was barely even mentioned in Deadhouse Gates, this character is called Karsa a Toblakai who was first mentioned in the first few pages of Deadhouse Gates when the first sha'ik was assassinated by the Red Blades.
Anyway Karsa's story is set before any of the stories in the other novels took place, and tells us everything about him and the part he plays and still has to play in these truly amazing stories.
As usual Steven Erikson writes with a lot of detail which as usual compliments the story than hindering it and making it boring.
As you all will know the battles in his stories are extremely violent and grusomely detailed and this story is no exception, but I find this gives more realism to the story and the battles in general, and it makes the novels more exciting.
This novel will close a lot of doors from previous novels, but as with all of his novels they actually open more doors than they close, its this style of writing which keeps us waiting in agony for the next instalment, and making us frustrated that the books could end so soon when there is so much left to cover.
But over all it is another hit from perhaps THE BEST author of fantasy novels in this day and age, it's his attention to detail and his merciless imagination which sets him apart from most fantasy authors and puts him straight up in the big league with the likes of Tolkien.
I advise to anyone thinking of buying this novel to buy it over the net because i will tell you now you will not be able to find it in any high street retail shops, I spent ages looking for this novel, I even went to this giant book shop in Cambridge which had like four floors in it and they didnt even have it, they only had Memories Of Ice (what about the other novels, insult or what) in the end I had to order it over the net because I just couldnt find it anywhere. So avoid the hassel and just order it from Amazon.
But like I said this is a truly magnificent story from a highly under rated, and highly ignored MASTER of fantasy novels, who never seems to be given the light of day by anyone.
Also if it has been some time since you read the other books a re-read might be advantagous as a lot of the story of the last three books overlaps, indeed the last two are running parrallel for much of this book, with the closing parts of Memories of Ice happening near to the climax of this book.
To anyone who has read this series you know how good the other books are, this one is as good if not better, to those of you who havn't read the series, begin now and don't look back.
(As an aside it is so nice not to have to wait years for sequals to be published, ie Jordan (who then produced the miserable Crossroads of twighlight) or Martin (if feast is as good as the others I don't think i will care) as he seems for the moment atleast to be writing one a year, please keep it up, now I just have a few days hopfully for Midnight tides).
As others have done, I'd strongly recommend anyone new to the series to start with Gardens of the Moon, as all the books are strongly interlinked; if you start with The House of Chains, you'll quickly become totally baffled and lost...
The prologue to the House of Chains is set just before the Gardens of the Moon, but most of the rest of the book is set where Deadhouse Gates (book 2) left off. It explains some of the things that happened in Deadhouse Gates as well as continuing the history of Shaik and The Apocalypse.
As is the joy of this series, it concentrates equally on both sides (actually all three sides, but one is less obvious) of the coming conflict to give a 'true history' of the Malazan world, rather than the 'biased' view that many other fantasy novels provide of their respective worlds (concentrating only on the 'good' side). In the Malazan Book of the Fallen, you're hardly ever 100% sure which IS the good side (eg is the Apocalypse a battle for freedom from the acquisitive Malazan empire, or something more sinister?)
The book also seems to be setting the scene for Midnight Tides (book 5), with some of the side plots that took place. There are also hints about what 'actually' happened to the Bridgeburners (I wonder when this theme will be expanded)
It took me a while to get into the book. Not that it was difficult but it started with a new character, I disliked, and his people history that continued... Read more
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