I just finished both Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates after about 1.5 weeks. Pretty much all I've done is work, sleep, and read. I love them both and have started Memories of Ice now. In my opinion, Gardens had a more satisfying climax (which built for several hundred pages I thought) whereas Deadhouse had a number of more minor climaxes, yet the story itself was more engaging and a pleasure to follow. I gave them both 7.5 out of 5 ;)
Your reviews are phenomenal. You are so into it. I can't wait for your final review after you finished the series. It will bend and blow your mind. This series has made me a better person. I love it so much.
Don’t worry yet about the two major questions you asked about the scenes. Erikson left them open as they should. By know you probably see that everything goes somewhere in this series and not necessarily right away will give you the answer. As Memories of Ice will move back to the other continent, leaving behind this, but not forgotten, you will see how things can connect even that far. Yes, the headless wear Tiste Andii, the people of Anomander. As the dead in the captain’s room were not. They were Edur. It will have its importance later what happened there and who killed the first and the second. Very good review of the book! Fantastic observations.
@@storytoob reread will help. I read that book like 2 years ago last time but I remember everything still. 3-4 reads during the decade… And you were right in one other thing. It’s not a race as some booktuber shows it. They read 100+ book in a year but they can’t remember one after a week. I remember books as you see after years. I can comment to their videos yet I read books long ago. I read 50-100 books a year but I am a very fast reader and it’s my favorite hobby besides traveling. I always have a book with me for 25+ years now.
Excellent review! currently I just got to the chain of dogs section myself. you are very eloquent and I enjoyed the style you present this in! If you enjoyed these, you'd love the wars of light and shadow by Janny Wurts. Similarly epic, prose that is the epitome of beauty, and a really emotionally resonant wider story arc as the series develops
I think the Chain of Dogs stuck with me more than anything else from this book because at the time I read it that was probably one of the most brutal things I had ever read. I gave Deadhouse Gates a 99/100. It ranks #6 for me.
@@storytoob My favorite is Toll the Hounds. But I gave half of the books in the series 100/100. Maybe those ratings will change when I finally get around to a reread.
One of us! Loved Duiker's pov and the idea of a historian witnessing what ends up being very epic events. Like you said, the layers of history and culture that each of the characters go through are great to see. Looking forward to your thoughts on not only book 3, but especially book 4 since it's kind of a follow up to Deadhouse Gates. Cheers, Carlos
I love your reviews man. Weirdly enough for me I initially did not like deadhouse as much as gardens, mainly because i had set expectations based on how gardens ended and was structured, and it took me a couple days to sit back and really think about this book and what the ending really meant, and after thinking back on it. I was absolutely in love with this book. I think Coltaine is one of the best characters for me personally because he went from my least favorite character in the beginning to earning his strips by the end and it was just powerful.
Excellent review man!!! I love the Duiker perspective from both sides of the conflict. It really makes you think about, who really is our Protagonist(s) in this story. The third story line(Kalam) in this one didn't pull me in until the end. Awesome video brother.
Thanks Dan! Yeah I didn't mention Kalam too much in the video, just briefly in the non-spoiler bit, but I enjoyed it. Found the ship crew a little boring. Cheers!
Watched this and the earlier video - well done! I have read all ten, and it's fascinating to listen to your fresh take on what I know, love and seriously admire. Keep up the good work!
Hi Johan! Oh thank you, that's very kind! Really appreciate that. I really wanted these videos to appeal to those who find the series daunting or intimidating but also still maybe have a fresh spin for fans. I didn't want to repeat everything that's already out there so I stayed away from other videos or reviews until after. Thanks again!
As you already correctly assume, the re-reading value of this series is enormous. I have re-read the first three, and am now busy with House of Chains: the lore and world-building are incredible. It's even made me re-read Gardens of the Moon again, concurrently with House of Chains. There is so much to discover and ponder. I'm 62, a writer of literary fiction (Dutch), whose first great reading experience was Tolkien, age 12. I think Erikson is his equal, and in some respects even his superior. A genius. Keep reading and reporting!
Amazing! I'm currently halfway through Memories of Ice now and it may be my favourite of the first 3 so far, but of course that could be immediate excitement for each new instalment 😃 Well, The Lord of the Rings is probably my favourite thing in the world but I have a very good feeling about Erikson. He's unleashed my imagination with his own. Bedankt!
Great video! Deadhouse Gates was what sealed the deal for me. I knew I was in for the long haul after reading it. Mappo/Icarium and the Chain of Dogs are what did it for me.
Excellent review, loved this review even more than your GOTM review. Deadhouse Gates is my favorite book in the whole series, and the Mappo Icarium storyline in this book is my favorite too. You are spot on with the analogy of onion, with layera beneath layers in the environment as well as in the narrative. Regarding what happened to Coltaine, as we have already known from this book that Wickans are reborn when their souls are taken away by crows, like Sormo Enath. So the Epilogue of the book may be a hint. Regarding Duiker, remember that the trade guild gave an amulet to Coltaine, but Coltaine gave that away to Duiker, saying that Duiker is more important, as his story is more important. Later 2 agents of Baruk the alchemist came to collect the body of the person who wore that amulet. One thing you didn't mention is Kalam's journey, and especially his confrontation with Laseen, and how that gives us another perspective on Laseen than the one we knew so far. Can't wait for your reactions in Memories of Ice.
(Deadhouse Gates SPOILERS AHEAD, dear comment reader!) Love it! Especially love your affection for Felisin and the Mappo/Icarium plot lines. I, too, am not big into the specifics of military movements and strategy, etc. etc., so those sections were somewhat challenging for me. However, I did love Duiker so so so much, so seeing the military side of things through his eyes was a big help. I especially loved his first part in the novel, when he's using his knowledge of the cultures in Seven Cities to stealthily navigate his way to the army. It was a fun spy-intrigue way of going about things, while also teaching us about Seven Cities. It's always wild to me, the hate that Felisin gets from readers. While I get that she makes frustrating decisions, just consider the first things that happen to her in the prologue and then the opening of her next scene is her being r****. Maybe I'm a bleeding heart but forgive the child if she isn't super well-adjusted! A scene that I will truly never forget and I go back to read often is Duiker's crucifixion. It makes me tear up just thinking about it. How much he's witnessed. And then he's the final one left standing from the chain of dogs... and the Jaghut ghost appears to bear witness for him so that he's not alone (and is possibly just a hallucination anyways, who knows...) Man. So powerful. Truly love your videos and excited for you to continue your journey, at whatever pace it takes. Why are all the best Malaz-tubers Irish?! 😂
Haha cheers! There must be something in the water on this island 🤣 And yes totally agreed on Duiker and the Chain of Dogs... His POV was the hook for me, and without his voice I would have struggled through those sections.
Dude. Awesome review!! I probably said this on your GotM review too, but you pretty much are the target audience for Malazan. You love fantasy but you also love looking deeper for the themes and symbolism, and Malazan rewards that richly, as you’ve seen. And you’re spot on with the themes of history/civilization/memory, and well spotted on the cyclical nature of things as well as the mirroring. It’s good you can spot the mirroring because it’s a favorite technique of Erikson’s and he does it often throughout the series. Other people have already corrected or clarified minor things - I have nothing to add on that front 😁 I’ll just say that part of the greatness of Malazan is the variety in each book. For instance, the Chain of Dogs (besides the ending) wasn’t your favorite? That’s okay, there’s so many other things to latch onto!! Anyway, excited to see you continue your journey - on to MoI!!
Hey Chris! Yeah, plenty of meat to chew on and I appreciate the variety in the storylines, it does have layers for every type of reader. Thanks for coming back to watch and comment ❤
Carlos knows what the craic is!!! I've been trying to fight against the gatekeeping, misinformation and elitism surrounding the series in the comments section as much as possible, trust me, its a losing battle, and in my opinion, most of this comes from people who either haven't read the series or don't like it (which is fair). But I'm a stubborn man. I always say, unless you hate Gardens, at least try Deadhouse Gates. If Deadhouse still does nothing for you, bail right then and there. I think people who say push through to Memories of Ice are offering false hope. A man of culture! A fellow Shrekologist! Felisin is one of my favourite characters in the series. Unfortunately, she's divisive to such a degree I'm continually baffled by to this day.
Haha cheers lad! ❤️ Well I'm delighted to have a real flavour of Malazan now that I've cracked the first two, and I shall be here to stay. Yeah, I'm not sure I'll want to engage in any comment-section discourse about Felisin with people 😂 I thought she was an extremely well written character
I kinda wish I discovered Malazan on my own and started it without knowing anything or its reputation but thus is life. Anyway, fucking excellent review mate, DHG is my favourite out of the four malazan books I’ve read, it’s grown on me a lot since I finished it. I really enjoyed the section with Mappo and Icarium in the Azath House, that might be my favourite section but I can’t wait to reread it when I do pick Malazan up again!
I still know next to nothing about what people think about each subsequent book so I'm trying to keep it that way mostly. And yeah absolutely... I love everything to do with the Azath houses.. so cool. Cheers big man! ❤️
I bought the first three books when the third one was released and I had a single co-worker who was also reading them. We'd bump into each other at the bookstore after work on release day for most of the other books, Erikson, Esslemont, didn't matter, it was new malazan. This would have been 2001/2002, before even FB or RUclips existed. Too many opinions now, it's harder to get a simpler picture of the things coming out.
This second tale of Malazan Book of the Fallen stays with me forever. I hope it also has the same impact with you as you progress through the series. Themes are important from here on. That's the layer of the onion that needs to be peeled as well.
epic review for an epic book! The Chain of Dogs storyline is one of the most impactful I've ever read. Right with you on this book being easier to digest than Gardens of the Moon, and that it's not particularly dense, and I also never found any of it alienating.
How did you find the Esslemont books? I picked up Night of Knives to throw in after Book 5 because I think I'll follow Erikson's publication order advice
@@storytoob I found them a real mixed bag. I’d highly recommend Knight of Knives after bk 5 like you’re planning. It was a fun fast-paced book that worked really well for me and does do some things that made bk 6 even better. Orb Sceptre Throne is also a direct sequel to Toll the Hounds, and I had a great time with that one too. That’s the only other one I’d advise working in. the other books are all part of the Crimson Guard arc and mostly fell very very flat for me, and working them in alongside Erikson’s books ended up not being a good choice since it really slowed down my momentum for little payoff (particularly Return of the Crimson Guard…I did both Blood and Bone and Assail a little while after finishing everything else and those became two of my least favorite reads of all time). If you’re in the right mood for more atmospheric Malazan books that de-prioritize character and plot then you’d have a better time with those.
@BooksWithBenghisKahn interesting okay! Then I'll stick with the current plan, but I'll drop the Crimson Guard stuff maybe until I've finished the main 10.. I don't wanna lose that momentum whenever I get there. Cheers Ben, appreciate it!
If you say Coltaine in a mirror three times, you might summon Allen. You know this book will be different than GotM right at the prologue. But now you have also met another controversial character - Iskaral Pust. And also a lot more humor in an otherwise very grim tale.
Spoiler follows . . . . . Coltaine was gifted a certain "item" that he passed on to Duiker, perhaps he had some idea of how the whole thing might play out. Doing this enabled his martyrdom (perhaps not the correct term here) and possible future ascendancy as his death becomes more.
@@storytoob Erikson is great at the little details that come back in five books, and even the little details that don't. Sorry's dirty brown feet when she reaches the guards at the beginning of Gardens, who react by musing that it had been a dry period, not cluing in that its dried blood...
@@storytoob It depends on my frame of mind. Gardens will be close because it's the one that hooked me, right now it might be Bonehunters, perhaps just for "that chapter". Not a spoiler, but DG and MOI take place at the same time, MOI is the continuation of Gardens and HOC is the continuation of DG.
@@storytoob As a side note, I had no difficulty with this series as I started in 2001 and had zero preconceptions about it, I agree with your approach here of just reading it and experiencing it outside of the on-line environment.
I've heard great things from friends about the marine humour in Bonehunters, I'm excited for that. And yeah I'm enjoying reading and listening to people's thoughts and discussions, but only after I finish each book
I nearly quit the series after finishing Deadhouse. That ending ruined me. But I read to be moved, so I carried on and never regretted doing so.
That's great to hear! I'm excited to continue... And am continuing
I just finished both Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates after about 1.5 weeks. Pretty much all I've done is work, sleep, and read. I love them both and have started Memories of Ice now. In my opinion, Gardens had a more satisfying climax (which built for several hundred pages I thought) whereas Deadhouse had a number of more minor climaxes, yet the story itself was more engaging and a pleasure to follow. I gave them both 7.5 out of 5 ;)
Noiiiice!
I do love the climax to Gardens a little more too
Your reviews are phenomenal.
You are so into it. I can't wait for your final review after you finished the series. It will bend and blow your mind.
This series has made me a better person. I love it so much.
Cheers, you're very kind!
I shall continue on!
Currently 7 chapters in and I’m enjoying it immensely so far
Yay!
Absolutely fantastic review/discussion. This has now got me thinking about rereading it all again, but slowly. Great stuff.
Thank you!
Squint was the name! Great video!
Ah yesss.. cheers Kai! ❤️
Don’t worry yet about the two major questions you asked about the scenes. Erikson left them open as they should. By know you probably see that everything goes somewhere in this series and not necessarily right away will give you the answer. As Memories of Ice will move back to the other continent, leaving behind this, but not forgotten, you will see how things can connect even that far. Yes, the headless wear Tiste Andii, the people of Anomander. As the dead in the captain’s room were not. They were Edur. It will have its importance later what happened there and who killed the first and the second.
Very good review of the book! Fantastic observations.
Ah thanks for the clarification! Couldn't remember that bit exactly.
Cheers!
@@storytoob reread will help. I read that book like 2 years ago last time but I remember everything still. 3-4 reads during the decade… And you were right in one other thing. It’s not a race as some booktuber shows it. They read 100+ book in a year but they can’t remember one after a week. I remember books as you see after years. I can comment to their videos yet I read books long ago. I read 50-100 books a year but I am a very fast reader and it’s my favorite hobby besides traveling. I always have a book with me for 25+ years now.
This video convinced me to read the series. Stopped at the spoiler section, will be back!
Yesssss! Mission accomplished! ❤️
Hope you enjoy
Excellent review! currently I just got to the chain of dogs section myself. you are very eloquent and I enjoyed the style you present this in! If you enjoyed these, you'd love the wars of light and shadow by Janny Wurts. Similarly epic, prose that is the epitome of beauty, and a really emotionally resonant wider story arc as the series develops
Oh thanks very much! And here's me thinking I just word vomit at the camera 😂 cheers yeah I actually have the first book on my shelf!
@@storytoob nah it was really well put together! its hard to talk about it in a non spoiler way. brilliant! the audio just came out today as well!
I think the Chain of Dogs stuck with me more than anything else from this book because at the time I read it that was probably one of the most brutal things I had ever read.
I gave Deadhouse Gates a 99/100. It ranks #6 for me.
Which one's your favourite?
@@storytoob My favorite is Toll the Hounds. But I gave half of the books in the series 100/100. Maybe those ratings will change when I finally get around to a reread.
@@Rogue_VI Honestly, they generally only improve on a reread. It’s wild.
Not a big WW2 buff I take it?
One of us! Loved Duiker's pov and the idea of a historian witnessing what ends up being very epic events. Like you said, the layers of history and culture that each of the characters go through are great to see. Looking forward to your thoughts on not only book 3, but especially book 4 since it's kind of a follow up to Deadhouse Gates. Cheers, Carlos
Thanks Nate! Onto Memories of Ice now!
I love your reviews man. Weirdly enough for me I initially did not like deadhouse as much as gardens, mainly because i had set expectations based on how gardens ended and was structured, and it took me a couple days to sit back and really think about this book and what the ending really meant, and after thinking back on it. I was absolutely in love with this book. I think Coltaine is one of the best characters for me personally because he went from my least favorite character in the beginning to earning his strips by the end and it was just powerful.
Cheers man! I think I also liked Gardens more than Deadhouse, but I do appreciate Deadhouse a lot! And House of Chains so far is elevating it
Excellent review man!!! I love the Duiker perspective from both sides of the conflict. It really makes you think about, who really is our Protagonist(s) in this story. The third story line(Kalam) in this one didn't pull me in until the end. Awesome video brother.
Thanks Dan! Yeah I didn't mention Kalam too much in the video, just briefly in the non-spoiler bit, but I enjoyed it. Found the ship crew a little boring.
Cheers!
Watched this and the earlier video - well done! I have read all ten, and it's fascinating to listen to your fresh take on what I know, love and seriously admire. Keep up the good work!
Hi Johan! Oh thank you, that's very kind! Really appreciate that. I really wanted these videos to appeal to those who find the series daunting or intimidating but also still maybe have a fresh spin for fans.
I didn't want to repeat everything that's already out there so I stayed away from other videos or reviews until after.
Thanks again!
As you already correctly assume, the re-reading value of this series is enormous. I have re-read the first three, and am now busy with House of Chains: the lore and world-building are incredible. It's even made me re-read Gardens of the Moon again, concurrently with House of Chains. There is so much to discover and ponder. I'm 62, a writer of literary fiction (Dutch), whose first great reading experience was Tolkien, age 12. I think Erikson is his equal, and in some respects even his superior. A genius. Keep reading and reporting!
Amazing! I'm currently halfway through Memories of Ice now and it may be my favourite of the first 3 so far, but of course that could be immediate excitement for each new instalment 😃
Well, The Lord of the Rings is probably my favourite thing in the world but I have a very good feeling about Erikson. He's unleashed my imagination with his own.
Bedankt!
Great video!
Deadhouse Gates was what sealed the deal for me. I knew I was in for the long haul after reading it. Mappo/Icarium and the Chain of Dogs are what did it for me.
Yep, I'm in for the long haul too man
Excellent review, loved this review even more than your GOTM review. Deadhouse Gates is my favorite book in the whole series, and the Mappo Icarium storyline in this book is my favorite too. You are spot on with the analogy of onion, with layera beneath layers in the environment as well as in the narrative.
Regarding what happened to Coltaine, as we have already known from this book that Wickans are reborn when their souls are taken away by crows, like Sormo Enath. So the Epilogue of the book may be a hint.
Regarding Duiker, remember that the trade guild gave an amulet to Coltaine, but Coltaine gave that away to Duiker, saying that Duiker is more important, as his story is more important. Later 2 agents of Baruk the alchemist came to collect the body of the person who wore that amulet.
One thing you didn't mention is Kalam's journey, and especially his confrontation with Laseen, and how that gives us another perspective on Laseen than the one we knew so far.
Can't wait for your reactions in Memories of Ice.
(Deadhouse Gates SPOILERS AHEAD, dear comment reader!)
Love it! Especially love your affection for Felisin and the Mappo/Icarium plot lines. I, too, am not big into the specifics of military movements and strategy, etc. etc., so those sections were somewhat challenging for me. However, I did love Duiker so so so much, so seeing the military side of things through his eyes was a big help. I especially loved his first part in the novel, when he's using his knowledge of the cultures in Seven Cities to stealthily navigate his way to the army. It was a fun spy-intrigue way of going about things, while also teaching us about Seven Cities.
It's always wild to me, the hate that Felisin gets from readers. While I get that she makes frustrating decisions, just consider the first things that happen to her in the prologue and then the opening of her next scene is her being r****. Maybe I'm a bleeding heart but forgive the child if she isn't super well-adjusted!
A scene that I will truly never forget and I go back to read often is Duiker's crucifixion. It makes me tear up just thinking about it. How much he's witnessed. And then he's the final one left standing from the chain of dogs... and the Jaghut ghost appears to bear witness for him so that he's not alone (and is possibly just a hallucination anyways, who knows...) Man. So powerful.
Truly love your videos and excited for you to continue your journey, at whatever pace it takes.
Why are all the best Malaz-tubers Irish?! 😂
Haha cheers! There must be something in the water on this island 🤣
And yes totally agreed on Duiker and the Chain of Dogs... His POV was the hook for me, and without his voice I would have struggled through those sections.
Dude. Awesome review!! I probably said this on your GotM review too, but you pretty much are the target audience for Malazan. You love fantasy but you also love looking deeper for the themes and symbolism, and Malazan rewards that richly, as you’ve seen.
And you’re spot on with the themes of history/civilization/memory, and well spotted on the cyclical nature of things as well as the mirroring. It’s good you can spot the mirroring because it’s a favorite technique of Erikson’s and he does it often throughout the series.
Other people have already corrected or clarified minor things - I have nothing to add on that front 😁
I’ll just say that part of the greatness of Malazan is the variety in each book. For instance, the Chain of Dogs (besides the ending) wasn’t your favorite? That’s okay, there’s so many other things to latch onto!!
Anyway, excited to see you continue your journey - on to MoI!!
Hey Chris!
Yeah, plenty of meat to chew on and I appreciate the variety in the storylines, it does have layers for every type of reader.
Thanks for coming back to watch and comment ❤
Carlos knows what the craic is!!!
I've been trying to fight against the gatekeeping, misinformation and elitism surrounding the series in the comments section as much as possible, trust me, its a losing battle, and in my opinion, most of this comes from people who either haven't read the series or don't like it (which is fair). But I'm a stubborn man.
I always say, unless you hate Gardens, at least try Deadhouse Gates. If Deadhouse still does nothing for you, bail right then and there. I think people who say push through to Memories of Ice are offering false hope.
A man of culture! A fellow Shrekologist!
Felisin is one of my favourite characters in the series. Unfortunately, she's divisive to such a degree I'm continually baffled by to this day.
Haha cheers lad! ❤️
Well I'm delighted to have a real flavour of Malazan now that I've cracked the first two, and I shall be here to stay.
Yeah, I'm not sure I'll want to engage in any comment-section discourse about Felisin with people 😂 I thought she was an extremely well written character
@@storytooboh yeah no way am I wasting my time on those guys
Ima have to agree with you on the malazan reputation coming from people who don’t like the series or never read it
I kinda wish I discovered Malazan on my own and started it without knowing anything or its reputation but thus is life.
Anyway, fucking excellent review mate, DHG is my favourite out of the four malazan books I’ve read, it’s grown on me a lot since I finished it.
I really enjoyed the section with Mappo and Icarium in the Azath House, that might be my favourite section but I can’t wait to reread it when I do pick Malazan up again!
I still know next to nothing about what people think about each subsequent book so I'm trying to keep it that way mostly.
And yeah absolutely... I love everything to do with the Azath houses.. so cool.
Cheers big man! ❤️
I bought the first three books when the third one was released and I had a single co-worker who was also reading them. We'd bump into each other at the bookstore after work on release day for most of the other books, Erikson, Esslemont, didn't matter, it was new malazan.
This would have been 2001/2002, before even FB or RUclips existed.
Too many opinions now, it's harder to get a simpler picture of the things coming out.
Great review, it was definitely emotionally draining but well worth the journey. Love the onion analogy 🤘🏽
Cheers Usman! How's House of Chains?
@@storytoobI’ll be starting that in April or May
This second tale of Malazan Book of the Fallen stays with me forever. I hope it also has the same impact with you as you progress through the series. Themes are important from here on. That's the layer of the onion that needs to be peeled as well.
Very excited to continue!
Excellent video. Read this book way back...you may be tempting me to dive back in to the Malazan series.
Thank you!
Dare I say.... Just DO IT 😂
Nice review. I’ll come back for the spoilery section once I’ve read it😊
Thanks Vero! Hope you "enjoy" it
epic review for an epic book! The Chain of Dogs storyline is one of the most impactful I've ever read. Right with you on this book being easier to digest than Gardens of the Moon, and that it's not particularly dense, and I also never found any of it alienating.
Hey Ben! Did you finish the whole series?
@@storytoob yep a few years ago, plus the 6 Malazan Empire ones and Erikson’s sequel book. I still need to do all the prequels and novellas
How did you find the Esslemont books?
I picked up Night of Knives to throw in after Book 5 because I think I'll follow Erikson's publication order advice
@@storytoob I found them a real mixed bag. I’d highly recommend Knight of Knives after bk 5 like you’re planning. It was a fun fast-paced book that worked really well for me and does do some things that made bk 6 even better.
Orb Sceptre Throne is also a direct sequel to Toll the Hounds, and I had a great time with that one too. That’s the only other one I’d advise working in.
the other books are all part of the Crimson Guard arc and mostly fell very very flat for me, and working them in alongside Erikson’s books ended up not being a good choice since it really slowed down my momentum for little payoff (particularly Return of the Crimson Guard…I did both Blood and Bone and Assail a little while after finishing everything else and those became two of my least favorite reads of all time). If you’re in the right mood for more atmospheric Malazan books that de-prioritize character and plot then you’d have a better time with those.
@BooksWithBenghisKahn interesting okay! Then I'll stick with the current plan, but I'll drop the Crimson Guard stuff maybe until I've finished the main 10.. I don't wanna lose that momentum whenever I get there.
Cheers Ben, appreciate it!
If you say Coltaine in a mirror three times, you might summon Allen.
You know this book will be different than GotM right at the prologue.
But now you have also met another controversial character - Iskaral Pust.
And also a lot more humor in an otherwise very grim tale.
Hahaha 🤣 is Allen a fan?
Kruppe > Iskaral Pust for me!
@@storytoob Pust or Bust!!!!
@@slidenaway 🤣🤣
Ahem.... Kruppe or... Shut.. up?
@@storytoob hahahaha thats perfect
What a journey and what an ending!
Yes indeed 😅
Top 5 books in the series for me.
Spoiler follows
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.
.
.
.
Coltaine was gifted a certain "item" that he passed on to Duiker, perhaps he had some idea of how the whole thing might play out. Doing this enabled his martyrdom (perhaps not the correct term here) and possible future ascendancy as his death becomes more.
Oh yesss I'd forgotten about the thing he gave Duiker.
Very interesting
@@storytoob Erikson is great at the little details that come back in five books, and even the little details that don't. Sorry's dirty brown feet when she reaches the guards at the beginning of Gardens, who react by musing that it had been a dry period, not cluing in that its dried blood...
yea!!!
Of all the books in this series that could be the number one book, this one solidly remains in 2nd place.
Hi Paul!
Which one is top for you?
@@storytoob It depends on my frame of mind. Gardens will be close because it's the one that hooked me, right now it might be Bonehunters, perhaps just for "that chapter".
Not a spoiler, but DG and MOI take place at the same time, MOI is the continuation of Gardens and HOC is the continuation of DG.
@@storytoob As a side note, I had no difficulty with this series as I started in 2001 and had zero preconceptions about it, I agree with your approach here of just reading it and experiencing it outside of the on-line environment.
I've heard great things from friends about the marine humour in Bonehunters, I'm excited for that.
And yeah I'm enjoying reading and listening to people's thoughts and discussions, but only after I finish each book
Ochre is like onions? 🤣