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The Kharkanas Trilogy #1
Forge of Darkness
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fantasy (2012)Now is the time to tell the story of an ancient realm, a tragic tale that sets the stage for all the tales yet to come and all those already told...
It's a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, the realm of Darkness, where Mother Dark reigns. But this ancient land was once home to many a power. and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners' great hero, Vatha Urusander, is being promoted by his followers to take Mother Dark's hand in marriage, but her Consort, Lord Draconus, stands in the way of such ambitions. The impending clash sends fissures throughout the realm, and as the rumors of civil war burn through the masses, an ancient power emerges from the long dead seas. Caught in the middle of it all are the First Sons of Darkness, Anomander, Andarist, and Silchas Ruin of the Purake Hold...
It's a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, the realm of Darkness, where Mother Dark reigns. But this ancient land was once home to many a power. and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners' great hero, Vatha Urusander, is being promoted by his followers to take Mother Dark's hand in marriage, but her Consort, Lord Draconus, stands in the way of such ambitions. The impending clash sends fissures throughout the realm, and as the rumors of civil war burn through the masses, an ancient power emerges from the long dead seas. Caught in the middle of it all are the First Sons of Darkness, Anomander, Andarist, and Silchas Ruin of the Purake Hold...
724 pages, Hardcover
First published July 31, 2012
778 people are currently reading
24460 people want to read
About the author
Steven Erikson
133 books15.2k followersSteven Erikson is the pseudonym of Steve Rune Lundin, a Canadian novelist, who was educated and trained as both an archaeologist and anthropologist. His best-known work is the series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 568 reviews
December 8, 2018
Forge of Darkness displayed Erikson at the top of his prose but unfortunately, the book was bogged down by too much too much too much TOO MUCH philosophies.
Before I get to that though, let me just say that it’s quite baffling that there’s a list that recommends starting Malazan from Forge of Darkness instead of Gardens of the Moon. I’ve read and loved the main series but this novel took the cake for being the most difficult to get into. If I haven’t read the main series, this would be at best a 2 stars read. I’m not kidding, the saving grace of this novel was Erikson’s prose and the knowledge on what the characters will do in the future, this is only possible if the reader has read the main series, Malazan Book of the Fallen.
Forge ofPhilosophy Darkness is the first book in Steven Erikson’s Kharkanas trilogy. It’s a prequel trilogy to Malazan Book of the Fallen. The main series is one of my top three favorite series of all time, knowing that I’ll get to learn more about the background of the Tiste Andii truly excited me. But honestly? I’m disappointed with this one. Forge of Darkness is so different than what I thought it would be. I truly thought we’re going to learn about the Tiste race more than anything but this seems to be a book about Draconus more than anything else.
Don’t get me wrong, Draconus and Arathan’s storyline were easily the best perspectives to read out of the entire novel. Their storyline was full of meaningful philosophical discussions, engaging dialogues, well-paced, and most of all crucial in giving even more insight into the main series. The last quarter of the book (chapter 16 and 20 being my favorite chapters) in particular was amazing because we get to see more familiar faces from the main series appearing. It was a joy to read more out of these characters and see some revelations on how they meet and what drove their motivations unfolds.
However, I do wish that we get to see more of Anomander Rake and the Tiste Andii more. Instead, readers are forced to read—again—new characters that totally felt like fillers. I don’t give a damn about most of the new characters, not only they’re not interesting, I’m reading this trilogy to learn more about the characters I have come to love in the main series.
Erikson’s inclusion of philosophies and social commentaries were some of the factors I loved the most about Malazan Book of the Fallen. Sure it can get a bit too much at times but the majority of the times, they were there to add value to the narrative or characters. In here though? Nope, remember that anything that’s too much is never good and Erikson really went out of control with philosophical content and rambling here. The eighth book in the main series, Toll the Hounds is very well known for its colossal philosophical content; the reception towards it was quite divisive among the fans, but for me, that book somehow managed to become one of my favorite installment from the main series. Forge of Darkness philosophical content is at least twice more than the one I found in Toll the Hounds. I started this book highlighting some brilliant passage because my brain was still fresh from starting the book. By the 26% sections of the novel, I was often sick and dizzy by the barrage of philosophical rambling and just couldn’t care less by how smart Erikson was as an anthropologist.
Look, I LOVE reading philosophies and social commentaries in my fantasy read, often times they are some of the aspects that make the book memorable to me. But this was simply too much that most of the times the book felt like reading Erikson giving a speech to me directly about civilization, faith, and how cruel humanity are rather than actually reading a novel. The sense of escapism was gone, characters lose their distinctive voice, and to make things even worse, there were a lot of times where no main POV character’s name was used in five-ten pages of philosophical rambling that it was very easy to forget who was actually talking. The quality and advancement of the main story got lost in the flood of contemplation that doesn’t add any value other than to preach and the pacing also ended up moving at an extremely slow pace.
Erikson has mentioned that Kharkanas trilogy has been selling really poorly, after reading this book I’m really not surprised at all. If it weren’t due to the reasons that Malazan Book of the Fallen is one of my favorite series of all time and I have a strong attachment towards the series and characters, I would’ve rated this book at best a 2 stars. In my opinion, this is Erikson’s weakest work in the entire Malazan world after Dust of Dreams. As I mentioned above though, it’s not all bad. Some of the revelations on how the characters met and how some pivotal events occurred were awesome. I also think that prose-wise, this was Erikson at his top. It’s just a shame that his prose wasn’t implemented into things that actually matter like advancing the main plot, better characterizations, engaging dialogues, action sequences; Erikson channeled all the best of his prose into one thing: philosophical content, and there was simply too much of it that it ends up bringing the quality of the entire book down for me.
Although I sounded more negative than positive within this review, I did enjoy reading the book and the last chapter concluded the book brilliantly. Everything in this novel seems more like a prelude and because of this, I feel like there’s still hope that the sequel, Fall of Light will be superior. With that notion in mind, I will proceed to the sequel immediately with the right expectation.
(Update: I gave Fall of Light a go and I have to DNF it after the end of the first part; just couldn't give a damn anymore. Maybe I'll come back to it one day but for now, nope.)
You can buy the book with free shipping by clicking this link!
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Before I get to that though, let me just say that it’s quite baffling that there’s a list that recommends starting Malazan from Forge of Darkness instead of Gardens of the Moon. I’ve read and loved the main series but this novel took the cake for being the most difficult to get into. If I haven’t read the main series, this would be at best a 2 stars read. I’m not kidding, the saving grace of this novel was Erikson’s prose and the knowledge on what the characters will do in the future, this is only possible if the reader has read the main series, Malazan Book of the Fallen.
Forge of
Don’t get me wrong, Draconus and Arathan’s storyline were easily the best perspectives to read out of the entire novel. Their storyline was full of meaningful philosophical discussions, engaging dialogues, well-paced, and most of all crucial in giving even more insight into the main series. The last quarter of the book (chapter 16 and 20 being my favorite chapters) in particular was amazing because we get to see more familiar faces from the main series appearing. It was a joy to read more out of these characters and see some revelations on how they meet and what drove their motivations unfolds.
“We are all interludes in history, a drawn breath to make pause in the rush, and when we are gone, those breaths join the chorus of the wind. But who listens to the wind?”
However, I do wish that we get to see more of Anomander Rake and the Tiste Andii more. Instead, readers are forced to read—again—new characters that totally felt like fillers. I don’t give a damn about most of the new characters, not only they’re not interesting, I’m reading this trilogy to learn more about the characters I have come to love in the main series.
Erikson’s inclusion of philosophies and social commentaries were some of the factors I loved the most about Malazan Book of the Fallen. Sure it can get a bit too much at times but the majority of the times, they were there to add value to the narrative or characters. In here though? Nope, remember that anything that’s too much is never good and Erikson really went out of control with philosophical content and rambling here. The eighth book in the main series, Toll the Hounds is very well known for its colossal philosophical content; the reception towards it was quite divisive among the fans, but for me, that book somehow managed to become one of my favorite installment from the main series. Forge of Darkness philosophical content is at least twice more than the one I found in Toll the Hounds. I started this book highlighting some brilliant passage because my brain was still fresh from starting the book. By the 26% sections of the novel, I was often sick and dizzy by the barrage of philosophical rambling and just couldn’t care less by how smart Erikson was as an anthropologist.
Look, I LOVE reading philosophies and social commentaries in my fantasy read, often times they are some of the aspects that make the book memorable to me. But this was simply too much that most of the times the book felt like reading Erikson giving a speech to me directly about civilization, faith, and how cruel humanity are rather than actually reading a novel. The sense of escapism was gone, characters lose their distinctive voice, and to make things even worse, there were a lot of times where no main POV character’s name was used in five-ten pages of philosophical rambling that it was very easy to forget who was actually talking. The quality and advancement of the main story got lost in the flood of contemplation that doesn’t add any value other than to preach and the pacing also ended up moving at an extremely slow pace.
“There is but one god, and its name is beauty. There is but one kind of worship, and that is love. There is for us but one world, and we have scarred it beyond recognition.”
Erikson has mentioned that Kharkanas trilogy has been selling really poorly, after reading this book I’m really not surprised at all. If it weren’t due to the reasons that Malazan Book of the Fallen is one of my favorite series of all time and I have a strong attachment towards the series and characters, I would’ve rated this book at best a 2 stars. In my opinion, this is Erikson’s weakest work in the entire Malazan world after Dust of Dreams. As I mentioned above though, it’s not all bad. Some of the revelations on how the characters met and how some pivotal events occurred were awesome. I also think that prose-wise, this was Erikson at his top. It’s just a shame that his prose wasn’t implemented into things that actually matter like advancing the main plot, better characterizations, engaging dialogues, action sequences; Erikson channeled all the best of his prose into one thing: philosophical content, and there was simply too much of it that it ends up bringing the quality of the entire book down for me.
Although I sounded more negative than positive within this review, I did enjoy reading the book and the last chapter concluded the book brilliantly. Everything in this novel seems more like a prelude and because of this, I feel like there’s still hope that the sequel, Fall of Light will be superior. With that notion in mind, I will proceed to the sequel immediately with the right expectation.
(Update: I gave Fall of Light a go and I have to DNF it after the end of the first part; just couldn't give a damn anymore. Maybe I'll come back to it one day but for now, nope.)
You can buy the book with free shipping by clicking this link!
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
June 4, 2017
First things first. Do not read this before the main series. It will not have the same series impacting ramifications. With no frame of reference of where these characters go and the deeds they do it will lack the impact of ages.
Second this is heavier on social-political theorizing than BotF. I know, how much heavier given if you’ve read it could it possibly be? I think the difference is this book lacks the levity given by the Marines and the Tehol and Bugg type relationships.
Much like in the main series we are given a smattering Anomander. I had thought going in this would be his series and he certainly has a large presence in his limited screen time but SE always leaves us wanting more from the first son of darkness. Although this book belongs to many of our beloved characters the centerpiece of this book is Draconus. His origins, actions, plots and schemes are central to everything else going on.
Likewise to Anomander we get peeks into Silchas and Andarist and also the relationships of the three. I think the two characters I came out of this book with a new appreciation for from BotF were Andarist and Kadaspala. There characters in the main series were POVs that seemed to lack some life. Reading their backstories was brilliant. SE’s message of never judge a person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes was brilliant.
The two stories that were intertwined that I loved the most were Gothos and Hood. One chasing the sunrise and the other the sunset. The folly becoming so much clearer as did the goal described as “He is such a fool I fear my heart will burst.” in reference to Hood.
Although there was a convergence it wasn’t quite like BotF. This was a building book and there’s so many open storylines that I cannot wait to get to.
Second this is heavier on social-political theorizing than BotF. I know, how much heavier given if you’ve read it could it possibly be? I think the difference is this book lacks the levity given by the Marines and the Tehol and Bugg type relationships.
Much like in the main series we are given a smattering Anomander. I had thought going in this would be his series and he certainly has a large presence in his limited screen time but SE always leaves us wanting more from the first son of darkness. Although this book belongs to many of our beloved characters the centerpiece of this book is Draconus. His origins, actions, plots and schemes are central to everything else going on.
Likewise to Anomander we get peeks into Silchas and Andarist and also the relationships of the three. I think the two characters I came out of this book with a new appreciation for from BotF were Andarist and Kadaspala. There characters in the main series were POVs that seemed to lack some life. Reading their backstories was brilliant. SE’s message of never judge a person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes was brilliant.
The two stories that were intertwined that I loved the most were Gothos and Hood. One chasing the sunrise and the other the sunset. The folly becoming so much clearer as did the goal described as “He is such a fool I fear my heart will burst.” in reference to Hood.
Although there was a convergence it wasn’t quite like BotF. This was a building book and there’s so many open storylines that I cannot wait to get to.
November 11, 2017
“Do you know, when you see in darkness, nothing is hidden.
Nothing, but darkness itself.”
Was there a slightest doubt in my mind how this would be anything less than a beginning of an epic journey?
Not even for a moment. Because one of the characteristics of the great book is that it has capacity to realize whatever its readers are dreaming of reading.
Greatest book ever written? No.
Best book I have read this year? Out of 90 fantasy books - absolutely.
Story.
Forge of Darkness is an epic tale of family and relationships within. What kind of rift can jealousy and betrayal create, or what kind of festered wounds can unspoken words inflict.
What sorts of tragedies could eventually come out of it.
It’s also a tale which is heavily focusing on a decadency of an empire and exploration of what is its actual cause.
Is threat coming from the outside, influenced by a foreign magic or is it coming from within, created by envy and greed?
With soldiers’ yearning for battles in the midst of peace, religious strife within the clerics and ever-changing world relentlessly moving forward, Kurald Galain is faced with a civil war.
And you’ll get the front seat.
Worldbuilding, History and Lore.
“What I do not recall I shall invent”
First, there was Darkness. Darkness so absolute, so palpable it could be grasped, held cupped in the palm, sifting down through the fingers. If any entropy dared forming back then, it would be nothing but a feeble promise of potential.
Potential patiently awaiting for a spark, a gentle push of disorder in this endless tranquility.
Chaos that would stir a life in opposition to nothingness, declaring war on it.
The sun opened its eye, dividing reality into Light and Dark, forever condemning them to battle each other in the struggle of life itself.
But one without the other could not exist. Because Light could not be defined without Darkness, and Darkness could not be explained without the Light.
Opposition best explained in their comparison – or simple lack of it – to those minds hidden and trapped in shadows they have created.
Mother Dark had, before embracing Darkness, been a mortal Tiste woman, known by her birth name; beautiful, vivacious, possessor of unimaginable strengths and unexpected frailties – a woman like any other.
Upon death of her Queen and half-sister, out of envy and spite they tried to deny her throne her sister kept, throne that was now rightfully hers.
Until the day she found the Gate.
"'Tell me, when you were a child, did you not fear the darkness?'
'I imagine we all did.'
'And what was it about darkness that we feared?'
'The unknown, I suppose. Where things might hide.'
'Ahh, but we are no longer children. Darkness holds no terrors; we are past the time when the unknown threatens us.'"
Darkness consumed her, because Darkness was many things; but most of all, it was selfish.
With the help of her consort Draconus, she did not hesitate, she leapt into the wild realm, straight into Chaos itself.
And returned, but not the same woman she had been before.
Now they call her goddess. Now they know her face as Dark’s own, her presence as the elemental force itself.
Settled in Tiste’s ancient land adjacent to those of Jaghut, Azathanai, Forulkan and rest of ancient founding species, she named her realm Kurald Galain, Breath of Chaos.
A much needed breath for already dying land.
She ruled, from the city of Kharkanas, capital of the Hold of Darkness, a society intertwined with lesser and greater houses, highborn families, their bastards and hostages. Because at this time it was a common Tiste practice for a High House family to guarantee a treaty by holding one or more hostages from a family of equal status.
Upon the blessing of Nimander, for his service to Mother Dark, all land holdings he possessed were given to Mother Dark, and all those Tiste born to the bloodline, and their attendant staff, warriors, mendicants and scholars, now served her, taking the name of Andii, Children of Night.
First among those children, first among three brothers – Anomandaris of the High House Purake.
On the edges of Kurald Galain poisonous sea is forming, a Vitr. In its expansion it’s polluting and corroding, taking bit by bit, with each oncoming wave, claiming the realm of Kurald Galain for itself.
And from that poisonous sea a figure emerges. Carrying a gift for Mother Dark. Carrying Light. ‘Liossan.
Magic System.
"'A moment, master. Is this a tale?'
'It is. I seek to give you knowledge!'
'Useful knowledge?'
'That depends.'
'Oh.'"
Those of you who are familiar with the main series probably have (at least) a vague notion how magic worked in that world. Those of you who don't... brace yourselves:
Warrens. Basic definition of a Warren is: a realm from which sorcerer, mage, shaman, priest, or whomever else might use magic, draws their power from.
Warrens could be used as a physical manifestation, which means how those who can wield magic can enter these Warrens and use them for quicker travel, as sort of transportation;
or they can use certain aspects of these Warrens on elemental basis to shape magic in real world and use them to heal, mend, hurt, break, scorch, freeze, sink etc.
Now, there are two classes of these Warrens.
Elder Warrens which belong to certain races (e.g. Kurald Galain belongs to Tiste Andii, Kurald Emurlan to Tiste Edur, Omtose Phellack to Jaghut, Starvald Demelain to Dragons etc.);
Paths which are being used mostly by humans and which derive from K'rull's blood.
Ah, there we go. My point. K'rull of race Azathanai.
Who or what are Azathanai? No one knows. Not even themselves. But they are powerful. Extremely powerful. Godlike powerful.
They are not bound by flesh, they can choose whichever form they wish to.
Are they immortal beings? No one knows, since no one witnessed any of them dying.
So. Among Azathanai, there was one chap who liked to experiment. And to test his immortality on one lovely day he decided to slit his own wrists and bleed out.
But he didn't. Actually, from his wounds he opened upon himself, in the blood itself, he gave mysterious power. Sorcery. Magic in many currents and flavors.
Each one for every founding race. Jaghut have their own, as do Forulkan's. As do Tiste.
The blood leaks from him, in thin trickles, in heavy drops, and so his power passes out into the world.
"'Is your tale at an end?'
'It is.'
'But you ended nowhere!'
'I did warned you.'"
Characters.
“It is not Anomander’s tale alone… He is perhaps the least of it”
I think it was clear from the very first book in Malazan Book of the Fallen series, Gardens of the Moon, that with Steven, you’ll be thrown in the middle of action, that there’s no slower setting and gradual buildup of the story awaiting you.
Not even when you get to go back 300 000 years in the past.
Yes, we do see all those legendary characters, Anomander and his brothers, we see mothers, elder sisters and younger versions of those characters we loved in the main series, we see them in different forms and, some of them, different shapes, literally.
We get to see Envy and Spite being even more terrifying. As kids!
And we get unpleasant introduction with sister we haven’t met so far, Malice.
We started this journey with Tiste’s not even yet divided into Andii, Liossan and Edur casts; but on the other hand, with Mother Dark already at the very peak of her ascension, Draconus on the move and schism already been created within followers of Darkness.
We get to experience Kurald Galain, that utopian world Anomander would longingly speak of so often, at its end, dying.
So everything we were promised and expected hearing what this book is about – which is prequel and beginning – and connecting the dots when reading its tittle is: twisted.
And it’s wonderful.
Wonderful because in our thwarted expectations we get to be pleasantly surprised with new characters, such as Arathan, Draconus’ bastard son, who at age of 17 still doesn’t know who his mother is, and if it can get any worse, his own father won’t even acknowledge existence of this unwanted child, destined for mediocrity.
And as always with Erikson, we get to intrude characters deepest thoughts and desires, mother’s longing, brother’s madness, lover’s grief...
We get to share everything that defines their actions and understand them like they were, not just real, but closest friends and family as well.
3.83/5
I can't wait to start next book!
Fall of Light 3.91/5
Walk in Shadows ~/~
Nothing, but darkness itself.”
Was there a slightest doubt in my mind how this would be anything less than a beginning of an epic journey?
Not even for a moment. Because one of the characteristics of the great book is that it has capacity to realize whatever its readers are dreaming of reading.
Greatest book ever written? No.
Best book I have read this year? Out of 90 fantasy books - absolutely.
Story.
Forge of Darkness is an epic tale of family and relationships within. What kind of rift can jealousy and betrayal create, or what kind of festered wounds can unspoken words inflict.
What sorts of tragedies could eventually come out of it.
It’s also a tale which is heavily focusing on a decadency of an empire and exploration of what is its actual cause.
Is threat coming from the outside, influenced by a foreign magic or is it coming from within, created by envy and greed?
With soldiers’ yearning for battles in the midst of peace, religious strife within the clerics and ever-changing world relentlessly moving forward, Kurald Galain is faced with a civil war.
And you’ll get the front seat.
Worldbuilding, History and Lore.
“What I do not recall I shall invent”
First, there was Darkness. Darkness so absolute, so palpable it could be grasped, held cupped in the palm, sifting down through the fingers. If any entropy dared forming back then, it would be nothing but a feeble promise of potential.
Potential patiently awaiting for a spark, a gentle push of disorder in this endless tranquility.
Chaos that would stir a life in opposition to nothingness, declaring war on it.
The sun opened its eye, dividing reality into Light and Dark, forever condemning them to battle each other in the struggle of life itself.
But one without the other could not exist. Because Light could not be defined without Darkness, and Darkness could not be explained without the Light.
Opposition best explained in their comparison – or simple lack of it – to those minds hidden and trapped in shadows they have created.
Mother Dark had, before embracing Darkness, been a mortal Tiste woman, known by her birth name; beautiful, vivacious, possessor of unimaginable strengths and unexpected frailties – a woman like any other.
Upon death of her Queen and half-sister, out of envy and spite they tried to deny her throne her sister kept, throne that was now rightfully hers.
Until the day she found the Gate.
"'Tell me, when you were a child, did you not fear the darkness?'
'I imagine we all did.'
'And what was it about darkness that we feared?'
'The unknown, I suppose. Where things might hide.'
'Ahh, but we are no longer children. Darkness holds no terrors; we are past the time when the unknown threatens us.'"
Darkness consumed her, because Darkness was many things; but most of all, it was selfish.
With the help of her consort Draconus, she did not hesitate, she leapt into the wild realm, straight into Chaos itself.
And returned, but not the same woman she had been before.
Now they call her goddess. Now they know her face as Dark’s own, her presence as the elemental force itself.
Settled in Tiste’s ancient land adjacent to those of Jaghut, Azathanai, Forulkan and rest of ancient founding species, she named her realm Kurald Galain, Breath of Chaos.
A much needed breath for already dying land.
She ruled, from the city of Kharkanas, capital of the Hold of Darkness, a society intertwined with lesser and greater houses, highborn families, their bastards and hostages. Because at this time it was a common Tiste practice for a High House family to guarantee a treaty by holding one or more hostages from a family of equal status.
Upon the blessing of Nimander, for his service to Mother Dark, all land holdings he possessed were given to Mother Dark, and all those Tiste born to the bloodline, and their attendant staff, warriors, mendicants and scholars, now served her, taking the name of Andii, Children of Night.
First among those children, first among three brothers – Anomandaris of the High House Purake.
On the edges of Kurald Galain poisonous sea is forming, a Vitr. In its expansion it’s polluting and corroding, taking bit by bit, with each oncoming wave, claiming the realm of Kurald Galain for itself.
And from that poisonous sea a figure emerges. Carrying a gift for Mother Dark. Carrying Light. ‘Liossan.
Magic System.
"'A moment, master. Is this a tale?'
'It is. I seek to give you knowledge!'
'Useful knowledge?'
'That depends.'
'Oh.'"
Those of you who are familiar with the main series probably have (at least) a vague notion how magic worked in that world. Those of you who don't... brace yourselves:
Warrens. Basic definition of a Warren is: a realm from which sorcerer, mage, shaman, priest, or whomever else might use magic, draws their power from.
Warrens could be used as a physical manifestation, which means how those who can wield magic can enter these Warrens and use them for quicker travel, as sort of transportation;
or they can use certain aspects of these Warrens on elemental basis to shape magic in real world and use them to heal, mend, hurt, break, scorch, freeze, sink etc.
Now, there are two classes of these Warrens.
Elder Warrens which belong to certain races (e.g. Kurald Galain belongs to Tiste Andii, Kurald Emurlan to Tiste Edur, Omtose Phellack to Jaghut, Starvald Demelain to Dragons etc.);
Paths which are being used mostly by humans and which derive from K'rull's blood.
Ah, there we go. My point. K'rull of race Azathanai.
Who or what are Azathanai? No one knows. Not even themselves. But they are powerful. Extremely powerful. Godlike powerful.
They are not bound by flesh, they can choose whichever form they wish to.
Are they immortal beings? No one knows, since no one witnessed any of them dying.
So. Among Azathanai, there was one chap who liked to experiment. And to test his immortality on one lovely day he decided to slit his own wrists and bleed out.
But he didn't. Actually, from his wounds he opened upon himself, in the blood itself, he gave mysterious power. Sorcery. Magic in many currents and flavors.
Each one for every founding race. Jaghut have their own, as do Forulkan's. As do Tiste.
The blood leaks from him, in thin trickles, in heavy drops, and so his power passes out into the world.
"'Is your tale at an end?'
'It is.'
'But you ended nowhere!'
'I did warned you.'"
Characters.
“It is not Anomander’s tale alone… He is perhaps the least of it”
I think it was clear from the very first book in Malazan Book of the Fallen series, Gardens of the Moon, that with Steven, you’ll be thrown in the middle of action, that there’s no slower setting and gradual buildup of the story awaiting you.
Not even when you get to go back 300 000 years in the past.
Yes, we do see all those legendary characters, Anomander and his brothers, we see mothers, elder sisters and younger versions of those characters we loved in the main series, we see them in different forms and, some of them, different shapes, literally.
We get to see Envy and Spite being even more terrifying. As kids!
And we get unpleasant introduction with sister we haven’t met so far, Malice.
We started this journey with Tiste’s not even yet divided into Andii, Liossan and Edur casts; but on the other hand, with Mother Dark already at the very peak of her ascension, Draconus on the move and schism already been created within followers of Darkness.
We get to experience Kurald Galain, that utopian world Anomander would longingly speak of so often, at its end, dying.
So everything we were promised and expected hearing what this book is about – which is prequel and beginning – and connecting the dots when reading its tittle is: twisted.
And it’s wonderful.
Wonderful because in our thwarted expectations we get to be pleasantly surprised with new characters, such as Arathan, Draconus’ bastard son, who at age of 17 still doesn’t know who his mother is, and if it can get any worse, his own father won’t even acknowledge existence of this unwanted child, destined for mediocrity.
And as always with Erikson, we get to intrude characters deepest thoughts and desires, mother’s longing, brother’s madness, lover’s grief...
We get to share everything that defines their actions and understand them like they were, not just real, but closest friends and family as well.
3.83/5
I can't wait to start next book!
Fall of Light 3.91/5
Walk in Shadows ~/~
November 1, 2014
Book one of Erikson's new prequel trilogy that provides an easier access point for new readers to his 10 book Malazan series. Forge of Darkness is a Shakespearean influenced epic narrative detailing family, politics and the approach of civil war to a decadent empire. Again Erikson uses multiple character points of view of seemingly disparate events to weave an elegant narrative tapestry. The focus of the story is of mounting tensions, political and familial, in the realm of the Tiste. Yet the feel of this story is one of a tighter narrative, more focused, than some of his earlier fantasy novels. The depth and complexity of language, the intricate character portraits and his use of convergence to bring apparently unrelated plotlines to remarkable intersections remain a strength of his writing.
There is plenty in this novel to please fans of the previous series, while knowledge of the Malazan universe is not necessary to enjoy this novel. For those who enjoy challenging, intelligent fantasy writing, Erikson is a 'must-read' author and he consistently rewards careful readings of his work.
The Malazan books are one of the few fantasy series that match Tolkien's breadth and depth of vision of a fantasy world, and one of the very few that still surprise, entertain and engage a reader over multiple readings.
There is plenty in this novel to please fans of the previous series, while knowledge of the Malazan universe is not necessary to enjoy this novel. For those who enjoy challenging, intelligent fantasy writing, Erikson is a 'must-read' author and he consistently rewards careful readings of his work.
The Malazan books are one of the few fantasy series that match Tolkien's breadth and depth of vision of a fantasy world, and one of the very few that still surprise, entertain and engage a reader over multiple readings.
March 19, 2016
One star less than every other Erikson I've read and reviewed.
I loved the moments of revelation, where we find out exactly how these people met or this weapon was forged, when this split happened and why. Reading it has added so much more to some of my favourite characters, their motivation and origins.
However, there is a lot of philosophical introspection. A lot. Some of it was interesting, but then it was a bit much. It loses its power when it becomes the go-to way of thinking for every character.
Nevertheless, it hasn't toppled Erikson from the top seat. On to the next...
I loved the moments of revelation, where we find out exactly how these people met or this weapon was forged, when this split happened and why. Reading it has added so much more to some of my favourite characters, their motivation and origins.
However, there is a lot of philosophical introspection. A lot. Some of it was interesting, but then it was a bit much. It loses its power when it becomes the go-to way of thinking for every character.
Nevertheless, it hasn't toppled Erikson from the top seat. On to the next...
February 6, 2021
Having previously read the Malazan Book of the Fallen series it was great to discover the origins and development of the characters I've met before. I enjoyed the challenges inherent in all of Erikson's works. The prose is excellent and the narrative is compelling. It is the epic story of realm whose fate plays a crucial role in shaping the world of the Malazan Empire.
A really great and well written beginning of the trilogy.
A really great and well written beginning of the trilogy.
June 9, 2023
"Questa storia sarà come Tiam stessa, una creatura dalle molte teste. È nella mia natura indossare maschere e parlare con una moltitudine di voci attraverso labbra non mie.
Anche quando avevo la vista, vedere attraverso un solo paio di occhi era una specie di tortura, perché potevo sentire nella mia anima che a noi con le nostre singole visioni manca la maggior parte del mondo.
Non possiamo farne a meno. È la nostra barriera alla comprensione. Forse sono solo i poeti a risentirsi veramente in questo modo.
Non è importante; quello che non ricordo lo inventerò."
Poeta Gallan (Prologo)
"Forge of Darkness" è il primo romanzo della trilogia di "Kharkanas" prequel ambientato nel Kurald Galain migliaia di anni prima degli eventi narrati nel "Libro dei Caduti".
Un evento fuori dal comune è in procinto di sconvolgere la civiltà del popolo dei Tiste dopo che Madre Oscura ha ricevuto i poteri del Trono della Notte ed è divenuta una dea.
La minaccia di una guerra civile è ormai una triste realtà.
Erikson è famoso per le partenze lente, i numerosi punti di vista e per la complessità dei suoi romanzi, comunque sempre pieni di personaggi strepitosi ed eventi straordinari che dalla metà in poi decollano in ritmo ed intensità incollando il lettore alla narrazione con tanto di ovazione finale assicurata. Qui mi aspettavo più o meno lo stesso ma, aimè, non avviene.
Pur conoscendo il suo stile non mi aspettavo un romanzo così tanto appesantito da riflessioni e divagazioni e così poco coinvolgente nella trama.
In tutto il romanzo si viene sommersi da una moltitudine di punti di vista, per lo più di personaggi secondari, che non fanno altro che lanciarsi in digressioni filosofiche.
Affascinante e profondo ma eccessivo.
Tutto parte ad azione avviata, come nei "Giardini della Luna", quindi nessuna presentazione diretta dei personaggi coinvolti. I punti di vista sono brevi e con cambi troppo repentini, i capitoli lunghi decine e decine di pagine dove accade poco o nulla. Alcuni personaggi forniscono il loro punto di vista e poi svaniscono dal racconto, si fatica a sviluppare affinità con la maggior parte di loro.
Il lettore rimane generalmente indifferente alle questioni narrate, si legge ma non si è mai veramente coinvolti, ogni personaggio sul palcoscenico rimane troppo statico e in ombra e il lettore ha la brutta sensazione di osservare il tutto da molto lontano.
Tuttavia sono molte le informazioni fornite che faranno la felicità dei veterani della saga Malazan, andando a chiarire misteri fondamentali della trama narrata in precedenza.
Con Erikson, si sa, bisogna far funzionare il cervello e collegare gli eventi ma non è bastato questo per renderlo un romanzo soddisfacente, troppo morbosamente riflessivo.
A sua difesa potrei far notare che siamo stati avvisati nel prologo dal poeta Gallan, il quale ci fa percepire che la storia da lui narrata è talmente antica e leggendaria che i personaggi e gli eventi non sono altro che figure mitiche ormai perse nel vortice del tempo e i dialoghi presentati sono volutamente aulici e artificiosi, quasi da testo teatrale (è pur sempre un poeta a narrare e i personaggi non sono umani). Erikson dimostra di saper scrivere ancora una volta a livelli eccelsi.
Strana la scelta di Erikson, pur avendo in mano personaggi del calibro di (Anomander, Silchas Ruin, Andarist, Scara Bandaris, Hood, Gothos, T'riss, Caladan Brood, Errastas, Sechul Lath, Draconus, Olar Ethil, Kilmandaros, ecc.) si limita a narrare il preludio di una guerra civile utilizzando per lo più punti di vista di personaggi secondari e dimenticabili, sommergendo l'epicità attesa con dialoghi e pensieri infiniti.
Anche quando avevo la vista, vedere attraverso un solo paio di occhi era una specie di tortura, perché potevo sentire nella mia anima che a noi con le nostre singole visioni manca la maggior parte del mondo.
Non possiamo farne a meno. È la nostra barriera alla comprensione. Forse sono solo i poeti a risentirsi veramente in questo modo.
Non è importante; quello che non ricordo lo inventerò."
Poeta Gallan (Prologo)
"Forge of Darkness" è il primo romanzo della trilogia di "Kharkanas" prequel ambientato nel Kurald Galain migliaia di anni prima degli eventi narrati nel "Libro dei Caduti".
Un evento fuori dal comune è in procinto di sconvolgere la civiltà del popolo dei Tiste dopo che Madre Oscura ha ricevuto i poteri del Trono della Notte ed è divenuta una dea.
La minaccia di una guerra civile è ormai una triste realtà.
Erikson è famoso per le partenze lente, i numerosi punti di vista e per la complessità dei suoi romanzi, comunque sempre pieni di personaggi strepitosi ed eventi straordinari che dalla metà in poi decollano in ritmo ed intensità incollando il lettore alla narrazione con tanto di ovazione finale assicurata. Qui mi aspettavo più o meno lo stesso ma, aimè, non avviene.
Pur conoscendo il suo stile non mi aspettavo un romanzo così tanto appesantito da riflessioni e divagazioni e così poco coinvolgente nella trama.
In tutto il romanzo si viene sommersi da una moltitudine di punti di vista, per lo più di personaggi secondari, che non fanno altro che lanciarsi in digressioni filosofiche.
Affascinante e profondo ma eccessivo.
Tutto parte ad azione avviata, come nei "Giardini della Luna", quindi nessuna presentazione diretta dei personaggi coinvolti. I punti di vista sono brevi e con cambi troppo repentini, i capitoli lunghi decine e decine di pagine dove accade poco o nulla. Alcuni personaggi forniscono il loro punto di vista e poi svaniscono dal racconto, si fatica a sviluppare affinità con la maggior parte di loro.
Il lettore rimane generalmente indifferente alle questioni narrate, si legge ma non si è mai veramente coinvolti, ogni personaggio sul palcoscenico rimane troppo statico e in ombra e il lettore ha la brutta sensazione di osservare il tutto da molto lontano.
Tuttavia sono molte le informazioni fornite che faranno la felicità dei veterani della saga Malazan, andando a chiarire misteri fondamentali della trama narrata in precedenza.
Con Erikson, si sa, bisogna far funzionare il cervello e collegare gli eventi ma non è bastato questo per renderlo un romanzo soddisfacente, troppo morbosamente riflessivo.
A sua difesa potrei far notare che siamo stati avvisati nel prologo dal poeta Gallan, il quale ci fa percepire che la storia da lui narrata è talmente antica e leggendaria che i personaggi e gli eventi non sono altro che figure mitiche ormai perse nel vortice del tempo e i dialoghi presentati sono volutamente aulici e artificiosi, quasi da testo teatrale (è pur sempre un poeta a narrare e i personaggi non sono umani). Erikson dimostra di saper scrivere ancora una volta a livelli eccelsi.
Strana la scelta di Erikson, pur avendo in mano personaggi del calibro di (Anomander, Silchas Ruin, Andarist, Scara Bandaris, Hood, Gothos, T'riss, Caladan Brood, Errastas, Sechul Lath, Draconus, Olar Ethil, Kilmandaros, ecc.) si limita a narrare il preludio di una guerra civile utilizzando per lo più punti di vista di personaggi secondari e dimenticabili, sommergendo l'epicità attesa con dialoghi e pensieri infiniti.
December 13, 2012
This is not a review. This is sort of a praise.
First, a paragraph from the book:
"That said, he knew that he was a poor teacher. He wove his
histories as if they were inventions, disconnected and not
relevant. Worse, he preferred the sweeping wash of colour to
obsessive detail, ineffable feeling over intense analysis, possibility
over probability; he was, by any measure, a dreadful historian."
Oh the irony!
Apparently what Steven Erikson finds dreadful in a historian, I cherish in a fantasy writer. Let me say, I can't see myself dipped into a 10-book fantasy world if i don't like the writer. Better than OK story put aside, I linger on the pages Steven Erikson focuses on the countless number of characters. I like the way he tells about them from their own point of view. The word "ineffable" loses its meaning on those pages (for me anyway). No other writer has done this for me and as a fantasy fan who flipped through a large array of fantasy books, i think i'm safe to say no one ever will.
A confession: When i read the prelude which was published here a couple of months ago, i thought it was uninteresting and he was losing his touch.
But when i got the book and read past the prelude, i remembered "this is how he rolls". It's like he hides bits of ordinary fantasy in the story. The more you find these bits, the more you're committed to the book and when you read say a hundred pages you put the fantasy on second place and indulge in his intense story-telling, marvel at the detail of the world he created and his unique characters.
I am delighted to be in the same world of Malazan series and especially in a different time.
First, a paragraph from the book:
"That said, he knew that he was a poor teacher. He wove his
histories as if they were inventions, disconnected and not
relevant. Worse, he preferred the sweeping wash of colour to
obsessive detail, ineffable feeling over intense analysis, possibility
over probability; he was, by any measure, a dreadful historian."
Oh the irony!
Apparently what Steven Erikson finds dreadful in a historian, I cherish in a fantasy writer. Let me say, I can't see myself dipped into a 10-book fantasy world if i don't like the writer. Better than OK story put aside, I linger on the pages Steven Erikson focuses on the countless number of characters. I like the way he tells about them from their own point of view. The word "ineffable" loses its meaning on those pages (for me anyway). No other writer has done this for me and as a fantasy fan who flipped through a large array of fantasy books, i think i'm safe to say no one ever will.
A confession: When i read the prelude which was published here a couple of months ago, i thought it was uninteresting and he was losing his touch.
But when i got the book and read past the prelude, i remembered "this is how he rolls". It's like he hides bits of ordinary fantasy in the story. The more you find these bits, the more you're committed to the book and when you read say a hundred pages you put the fantasy on second place and indulge in his intense story-telling, marvel at the detail of the world he created and his unique characters.
I am delighted to be in the same world of Malazan series and especially in a different time.
October 10, 2012
There is nobody NOBODY like Erikson. The only one who comes close in creating a world is China, even so I don't become as obsessed when reading him.
Whoa, we've got the ancient crew here. Draconus is the main character. Mother Dark is still a Tiste altho she has been to the gate so has transcended with power but she isn't a goddess until the end. She's lost in her darkness, reveling in it and having great sex with Draconus. Her children are dividing over this, they don't like Draconus. And who is he anyway? Many are also agitating against the nobility. They war with the Assail is over, but during it the hero was a regular guy, and that's who the middle and lower class want Mother Dark to marry. Soap opera among the Tiste! Squabbling just like humans! Class warfare! Except they are a dark people, tending to gloomy thoughts.
We also have here the Azath, I loved learning more about them.
This is not the action Erikson so some of you might be disappointed. Lots of philosophizing and no battles. Not yet. The war is over, there's major discontent, another war looms. Oh we still have the armies, 2 of them, and we get the army scenes, the subterfuge and conspiracies, but it hasn't become all out war with the battle coming at the end of the book, like the Malazan books. But this is most definitely the Malazan world, well pre-Malazan, pre-human even. Even so we are back in the Erikson universe.
LOVE IT. When is bk 2 coming out, argggggh.
Whoa, we've got the ancient crew here. Draconus is the main character. Mother Dark is still a Tiste altho she has been to the gate so has transcended with power but she isn't a goddess until the end. She's lost in her darkness, reveling in it and having great sex with Draconus. Her children are dividing over this, they don't like Draconus. And who is he anyway? Many are also agitating against the nobility. They war with the Assail is over, but during it the hero was a regular guy, and that's who the middle and lower class want Mother Dark to marry. Soap opera among the Tiste! Squabbling just like humans! Class warfare! Except they are a dark people, tending to gloomy thoughts.
We also have here the Azath, I loved learning more about them.
This is not the action Erikson so some of you might be disappointed. Lots of philosophizing and no battles. Not yet. The war is over, there's major discontent, another war looms. Oh we still have the armies, 2 of them, and we get the army scenes, the subterfuge and conspiracies, but it hasn't become all out war with the battle coming at the end of the book, like the Malazan books. But this is most definitely the Malazan world, well pre-Malazan, pre-human even. Even so we are back in the Erikson universe.
LOVE IT. When is bk 2 coming out, argggggh.
November 7, 2012
Story: 5/5
Wow, just Wow!
I have to admit, that when I heard that the first of the ‘new’ stories was going to be based on early Kharakas and Mother Dark I was disappointed and started reading with some trepidation. I am not a big fan of the Tiste Andii or Liossen, I really don’t like Anomander Rake (yes, really, I don’t) and prequels, regardless how far back to the beginning are never my favorites.
But, when I started reading I really started to get into the story and by the middle of the book I was completely hooked and having an OMG! moment each day as new light was shed on my knowledge or thoughts of the entire story. There is so much to this story, in true fashion, it probably raised more questions than it answered and I was constantly posting to the group as i was amazed as history unfolded before me.
THe pace is typical Erikson and the only thing lacking in this compared to his MBotF series is the lack of humour. Not because he has lost his touch, but because the Tiste are pretty dour humourless bunch and don’t exactly have a comedy festival each year. The Azantanai play a major part in this story, as does the Vitr sea and there is some absolutely jaw dropping one liners.
Characters: 4/5
Typical Erikson style, plently of meat on his characters. Beginning with some well known characters, the Purake brothers, Caledon Brood, Draconus and some of the nasty wenches like Spite and Envy. There are a couple of really good character developments in this story, as usual, Erikson takes a simple soldier and weaves an amazing story around the horror of war, with the battles on the field and the battles in the soldiers heads as they try to maintain some semblance of humanity and empathy as each step towards depravity is forced upon them.
I am going for four stars on the characters only because as I mentioned before, there is not the humour and i don’t like the Tiste Andii, so nothing against the writing, but not my favourite people. (I wanted Black Swamp and the Mott’s for the next books).
Read Weight: Heavy
If you are not used to Erikson, you’ll find it heavy, there is no easy read with this author. You have to put the time and concentration into reading his books. Your knowledge of an entire world, races and characters, when you do so will blow you away.
Engagement: 5/5
I was lucky I did a lot of flying. I got to read ig chunks at once. I wish book two was available.
Recommend: 5/5
ONLY if you have read his Malazan series. If you haven’t you need to first. Technically this book is a stand alone, but you’ll miss so much of the reference material that I am not sure how good a read it would be,
1: Being Vague, rambling plot with no little believable storyline
5: Ripping yarn, clever, thought provoking
Wow, just Wow!
I have to admit, that when I heard that the first of the ‘new’ stories was going to be based on early Kharakas and Mother Dark I was disappointed and started reading with some trepidation. I am not a big fan of the Tiste Andii or Liossen, I really don’t like Anomander Rake (yes, really, I don’t) and prequels, regardless how far back to the beginning are never my favorites.
But, when I started reading I really started to get into the story and by the middle of the book I was completely hooked and having an OMG! moment each day as new light was shed on my knowledge or thoughts of the entire story. There is so much to this story, in true fashion, it probably raised more questions than it answered and I was constantly posting to the group as i was amazed as history unfolded before me.
THe pace is typical Erikson and the only thing lacking in this compared to his MBotF series is the lack of humour. Not because he has lost his touch, but because the Tiste are pretty dour humourless bunch and don’t exactly have a comedy festival each year. The Azantanai play a major part in this story, as does the Vitr sea and there is some absolutely jaw dropping one liners.
Characters: 4/5
1: Unrealistic/unbelievable. Feel nothing for these characters
5: Fully engaged with the characters, believable. Researched.
Typical Erikson style, plently of meat on his characters. Beginning with some well known characters, the Purake brothers, Caledon Brood, Draconus and some of the nasty wenches like Spite and Envy. There are a couple of really good character developments in this story, as usual, Erikson takes a simple soldier and weaves an amazing story around the horror of war, with the battles on the field and the battles in the soldiers heads as they try to maintain some semblance of humanity and empathy as each step towards depravity is forced upon them.
I am going for four stars on the characters only because as I mentioned before, there is not the humour and i don’t like the Tiste Andii, so nothing against the writing, but not my favourite people. (I wanted Black Swamp and the Mott’s for the next books).
Read Weight: Heavy
Fluffy, Light, Solid, Heavy, Struggle
If you are not used to Erikson, you’ll find it heavy, there is no easy read with this author. You have to put the time and concentration into reading his books. Your knowledge of an entire world, races and characters, when you do so will blow you away.
Engagement: 5/5
1: Not fussed about finishing
5: Could stay up all night
I was lucky I did a lot of flying. I got to read ig chunks at once. I wish book two was available.
Recommend: 5/5
1: Would advise you to read something else
5: Go read it now. It is THAT good
ONLY if you have read his Malazan series. If you haven’t you need to first. Technically this book is a stand alone, but you’ll miss so much of the reference material that I am not sure how good a read it would be,
August 11, 2013
The Forge of Darkness is Steven Erikson's first novel after he finished his 10 book Malazan cycle. It delves into the ancient history of the same world and tells us about the struglles of a vast cast of characters set before the picture of a looming civil war in Kharkanas, home of the self-proclaimed goddess Mother Dark, head of the Tiste nation.
As typical for Erikson the novel goes far beyond the concept of characters, plot and setting. Often characters are just invented to present a philosophical debate. Those debates range from genius, if you are interested in the topic to lackluster and annoying, if you're not. If you're not interested in those questions at all, this book is not for you.
Trying to say more about the content, is trying to explain the ocean to a goldfish, who only knows the inside of his bowl.
One theme within the book is definately the concept of childhood and its implied innocence in contrast to the harsh world of adult, where actions have consequences, you are responsible for what you do and the look into the mirror exposes a stranger, whose soul is stained with regret.
We have eager, young characters who want nothing more than grow up and we have old and broken ones, who yearn for the simplicity of childhood.
But beware, the concept of birth and childhood goes way beyond the characters. But see for yourself, the rest would be telling.
The second dominating concept is how we answer loss of loved ones. Do we just grieve for them, or are we filled with the rage of vengeance? This question comes up again and again in different disguises and as the book goes on and on gets more difficult to answer.
But this is not the only difficult question. Erikson looks into your soul with this books. He asks uncomfortable questions that you normally tend to hide in a dark place of your mind. If you don't really want to know what you might be capable of under the wrong circumstances. this book is not for you.
On the contrary, you should be very stable, cause this read is not for the feint of heart. The sheer brutality of some images, the helplessness of the onlooker and all the truths you learn about yourself, might leave you scarred.
The book had at least three images and a few questions that will haunt me for the next couple of years and may never leave me. After finishing the book, a 10 hour carebear marathon might just be, what your soul demands to get in balance again. And so I warn you for the third time. If you're not mentally stable, this book is not for you.
But if you are all this, the novel is delight of insight and Malazan history come to life. Take my hand and journey with me to the shores of the Vitr, into the towers of the Jaghut and through the world of Kurald Galain. Sleep with gods, run with Soletaken and hear the wail of your Hust Sword. Be ready to be beaten into a new reader, a mere child before the world at the Forge of Darkness.
As typical for Erikson the novel goes far beyond the concept of characters, plot and setting. Often characters are just invented to present a philosophical debate. Those debates range from genius, if you are interested in the topic to lackluster and annoying, if you're not. If you're not interested in those questions at all, this book is not for you.
Trying to say more about the content, is trying to explain the ocean to a goldfish, who only knows the inside of his bowl.
One theme within the book is definately the concept of childhood and its implied innocence in contrast to the harsh world of adult, where actions have consequences, you are responsible for what you do and the look into the mirror exposes a stranger, whose soul is stained with regret.
We have eager, young characters who want nothing more than grow up and we have old and broken ones, who yearn for the simplicity of childhood.
But beware, the concept of birth and childhood goes way beyond the characters. But see for yourself, the rest would be telling.
The second dominating concept is how we answer loss of loved ones. Do we just grieve for them, or are we filled with the rage of vengeance? This question comes up again and again in different disguises and as the book goes on and on gets more difficult to answer.
But this is not the only difficult question. Erikson looks into your soul with this books. He asks uncomfortable questions that you normally tend to hide in a dark place of your mind. If you don't really want to know what you might be capable of under the wrong circumstances. this book is not for you.
On the contrary, you should be very stable, cause this read is not for the feint of heart. The sheer brutality of some images, the helplessness of the onlooker and all the truths you learn about yourself, might leave you scarred.
The book had at least three images and a few questions that will haunt me for the next couple of years and may never leave me. After finishing the book, a 10 hour carebear marathon might just be, what your soul demands to get in balance again. And so I warn you for the third time. If you're not mentally stable, this book is not for you.
But if you are all this, the novel is delight of insight and Malazan history come to life. Take my hand and journey with me to the shores of the Vitr, into the towers of the Jaghut and through the world of Kurald Galain. Sleep with gods, run with Soletaken and hear the wail of your Hust Sword. Be ready to be beaten into a new reader, a mere child before the world at the Forge of Darkness.
October 16, 2012
Sadness! It is over!
What can I say about Erikson's shit that I haven't said before?
That y'all fuckers need to stop reading your YA and your classics and your ironic shit and read some Malazan goodness?
That I don't understand how this fucker its not on those fancy award winning lists?
Fuck! This is fucking brilliant! So many questions answered only to raise twice as many! !
Anomander will come to understand that you cannot control anything
Andarist will known grieve.
Silchas still scares me.
Draconous... fuck! Poor Draconus! Such a fool!
Spite, Envy and Malice scare me! Sick little fuckers! Still! In a few millenia ima develop a crush on envy!
Arathan should have stayed home.
Kadaspala! You poor bastard! The fact that I know what awaits you almost breaks mah heart!
Spninnock you fool! You should have stayed home too!
Mother Dark! I think I know why she does what she does!
In other words! This shit is so well written that I started talking with the characters! Im missing ghothos,and hood,!
How does Erikson hold all this shit in his head!? Anybody knows?
What can I say about Erikson's shit that I haven't said before?
That y'all fuckers need to stop reading your YA and your classics and your ironic shit and read some Malazan goodness?
That I don't understand how this fucker its not on those fancy award winning lists?
Fuck! This is fucking brilliant! So many questions answered only to raise twice as many! !
Anomander will come to understand that you cannot control anything
Andarist will known grieve.
Silchas still scares me.
Draconous... fuck! Poor Draconus! Such a fool!
Spite, Envy and Malice scare me! Sick little fuckers! Still! In a few millenia ima develop a crush on envy!
Arathan should have stayed home.
Kadaspala! You poor bastard! The fact that I know what awaits you almost breaks mah heart!
Spninnock you fool! You should have stayed home too!
Mother Dark! I think I know why she does what she does!
In other words! This shit is so well written that I started talking with the characters! Im missing ghothos,and hood,!
How does Erikson hold all this shit in his head!? Anybody knows?
May 24, 2019
Despite my love of the Malazan Book of the Fallen it’s taken longer than I anticipated to get around to the Kharkanas prequel trilogy mainly because I discovered the Wheel of Time and have been reading the Ian C Esslemont related series. Although ICE’s series of books are brilliant, he’s still second fiddle to the king of complex fantasy Steven Erikson.
There was a little less enthusiasm for Forge of Darkness because I was expecting an Anomander Rake lovefest and although he’s a great character I fear a full book dedicated to the great man may have lessened his impact. This wasn’t even close to the truth as Rake barely appears and isn’t the centre of attention.
The book takes place in Kurald Galain just after the Tiste race’s victory over the Jheleck, who sound like a variation of K’Chain Che’Malle. Mother Dark sits on the Throne of Night and is cavorting with Draconus, which is proving to be an unpopular choice among the rest of the highborns. Legend of war Vatha Urusander is the preferred choice to court Mother Dark but he’s holed up in his castle slightly bitter that it’s peace time and his Legion (army) is surplus to requirements. His most loyal captains are also annoyed at the lack of action so they take it upon themselves to start a civil war. There’s also a couple of the usual ‘side quests’ you’d expect from an Erikson book.
A great many themes are tackled in Forge of Darkness including religion, genocide, class war and communism. It is heavy on philosophy and could be classed as self indulgent but Eriksons writing is so genius it doesn’t feel that way. Everything he writes is relevant to the story.
It’s slow going but it’s book 1 of the trilogy so it’s expected. Over half the book is story building and seed planting and when the meat of the story does start there still isn’t a lot happening. I can only imagine this is an intro and Fall of Light is where the real action is at. Despite the pace it’s brilliant and is as good as any of the main Malazan books. My final score was never in doubt.
There was a little less enthusiasm for Forge of Darkness because I was expecting an Anomander Rake lovefest and although he’s a great character I fear a full book dedicated to the great man may have lessened his impact. This wasn’t even close to the truth as Rake barely appears and isn’t the centre of attention.
The book takes place in Kurald Galain just after the Tiste race’s victory over the Jheleck, who sound like a variation of K’Chain Che’Malle. Mother Dark sits on the Throne of Night and is cavorting with Draconus, which is proving to be an unpopular choice among the rest of the highborns. Legend of war Vatha Urusander is the preferred choice to court Mother Dark but he’s holed up in his castle slightly bitter that it’s peace time and his Legion (army) is surplus to requirements. His most loyal captains are also annoyed at the lack of action so they take it upon themselves to start a civil war. There’s also a couple of the usual ‘side quests’ you’d expect from an Erikson book.
A great many themes are tackled in Forge of Darkness including religion, genocide, class war and communism. It is heavy on philosophy and could be classed as self indulgent but Eriksons writing is so genius it doesn’t feel that way. Everything he writes is relevant to the story.
It’s slow going but it’s book 1 of the trilogy so it’s expected. Over half the book is story building and seed planting and when the meat of the story does start there still isn’t a lot happening. I can only imagine this is an intro and Fall of Light is where the real action is at. Despite the pace it’s brilliant and is as good as any of the main Malazan books. My final score was never in doubt.
February 3, 2013
I reached the 60% mark before I'd finally had enough. Either Erikson is writing more tortured melodramatic unconvincing philosophising than he did in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and less of the crazy stupid awesome fun that I read those books for, or I've just completely lost my tolerance for it. It's probably a bit of both.
Any sort of prequel has an inherent weakness - we know how the story is going to end. This is a big deficit for a writer like Erikson, whose strength lies in his fast-moving, action-packed plots and big WTF moments, such as a wooden sword-wielding, magically immune giant beating a dinosaur to death with his bare hands (this is a thing that actually happened and it was awesome) With the climax of the story already determined, the book has to fall back on the strength of it's characters, and Forge of Darkness offered up a bland and boring cast of whiney teenagers along with the standard grizzled, emotionally scarred veterans that populate any Erikson book. None of them interested me in the slightest. Forge of Darkness also falls prey to the other inherent weakness of any prequel - winking at the reader. The perfect example of this in my mind is that scene from Attack of the Clones where Boba Fett's daddy get's his head cut off and we get a quick cut of baby Boba Fett holding up his daddy's severed head and staring at the helmet contemplatively, and you can practically feel George Lucas elbowing you in the ribs and saying "Eh? Ehh?? Remember Boba Fett? He was cool, huh? Aren't you glad I decided to tell you the totally unnecessary story of how he got that cool armour?" Forge of Darkness is FILLED with moments like that.
I should be fair and reiterate that I didn't finish this, so it's entirely possible that I'm talking out of my ass and the last third of the book is amazing, but I have absolutely no desire to find out. I'm done. DONE.
Any sort of prequel has an inherent weakness - we know how the story is going to end. This is a big deficit for a writer like Erikson, whose strength lies in his fast-moving, action-packed plots and big WTF moments, such as a wooden sword-wielding, magically immune giant beating a dinosaur to death with his bare hands (this is a thing that actually happened and it was awesome) With the climax of the story already determined, the book has to fall back on the strength of it's characters, and Forge of Darkness offered up a bland and boring cast of whiney teenagers along with the standard grizzled, emotionally scarred veterans that populate any Erikson book. None of them interested me in the slightest. Forge of Darkness also falls prey to the other inherent weakness of any prequel - winking at the reader. The perfect example of this in my mind is that scene from Attack of the Clones where Boba Fett's daddy get's his head cut off and we get a quick cut of baby Boba Fett holding up his daddy's severed head and staring at the helmet contemplatively, and you can practically feel George Lucas elbowing you in the ribs and saying "Eh? Ehh?? Remember Boba Fett? He was cool, huh? Aren't you glad I decided to tell you the totally unnecessary story of how he got that cool armour?" Forge of Darkness is FILLED with moments like that.
I should be fair and reiterate that I didn't finish this, so it's entirely possible that I'm talking out of my ass and the last third of the book is amazing, but I have absolutely no desire to find out. I'm done. DONE.
October 28, 2015
This is the first time I've read anything by Erikson si I had no idea what to expect. Safe to say I was not disappointed. It has everything you could possibly want in an epic fantasy. Great worldbuilding in a wonderful setting, strange creatures and impending civil war.
But its the characters that shine for me. Rich, detailed creations with flaws, insecurities, and most importantly history. Every character has a backstory, filled with regret and pain and everything else that makes up a life. So much so that they almost real. The triumph in this book for me is the shift in the dynamic of relationships throughout the book, especially among the Borderswords. All this adds up to make the book even more 'real'.
Recommended for anyone who loves epic fantasy and true to life characters and who isn't afraid to work for it.
But its the characters that shine for me. Rich, detailed creations with flaws, insecurities, and most importantly history. Every character has a backstory, filled with regret and pain and everything else that makes up a life. So much so that they almost real. The triumph in this book for me is the shift in the dynamic of relationships throughout the book, especially among the Borderswords. All this adds up to make the book even more 'real'.
Recommended for anyone who loves epic fantasy and true to life characters and who isn't afraid to work for it.
June 8, 2014
Nope, didn't work for me.
I've read maybe three of the Malazan series, so I knew to expect long, rambling sequences with a zillion characters, some weirdness, some battle stuff, ...
This is a tawdry combination of gloomy philosophy, implausible magic, and a large dose of violence porn in the Game of Thrones model. And mostly it's boring and confusing.
I can only assume that the high ratings here are from people who have read ALL the Malazan books, most of them more than once, and can recite the family trees of all the participants without notes. The kind of people who a generation ago learned to speak Klingon, and a generation earlier Elvish.
Mother Dark is amazingly powerful, apparently, but here her magic consists mostly of turning people's skin black when they get near her. Draconus is powerful beyond belief but doesn't do much, and can turn into a - well, if you know any Latin you'll figure it out - but doesn't use that ability for any practical purpose. Urusander is just Thomas Covenant, sulking in his tower while everyone else in the world thinks he's The Ultimate Warlord. Feh. The only fantasy trope I hate more than each-character-is-more-ridiculously-powerful-than-the-previous is players-with-awesome-powers-don't-use-them. Grrr.
Every time we meet a new character, we know that person is going to go one of three ways: (a) spouter of gloomy philosophy (b) listener to a spouter (c) victim of an extremely gory and explicitly detailed death. Some get to be all three!
Every armed troop has one noble philosopher and one lout. Inevitably the noble is going to give the lout a fearsome wallop, inflicting serious injury or more, just so discipline can be maintained.
Every time a soldier prepares for action, we get a detailed description of armour and weapons, which is OK but can get tedious, and Eriksen never fails to mention the vambraces because what a cool word.
And he can write good descriptive and action scenes. Probably because he has had so much practice in a career of kilopage books.
Several times we get a big buildup scene and at the climax something magical happens, but it's the WTF? What just happened? kind of magic. Kinda like building us up for a big football game, with detailed biographies of the coaches and players, and analysts making predictions, and when the Big Moment comes the author blows up the stadium, or has the two owners decide not to play the game at all. Feh.
And there's a lot of who did THAT? and WHY???
If you want to spend a thousand pages in a pre-Malazan world, you'll like this book.
If you want a good fantasy that stands on its own merits, look elsewhere.
I've read maybe three of the Malazan series, so I knew to expect long, rambling sequences with a zillion characters, some weirdness, some battle stuff, ...
This is a tawdry combination of gloomy philosophy, implausible magic, and a large dose of violence porn in the Game of Thrones model. And mostly it's boring and confusing.
I can only assume that the high ratings here are from people who have read ALL the Malazan books, most of them more than once, and can recite the family trees of all the participants without notes. The kind of people who a generation ago learned to speak Klingon, and a generation earlier Elvish.
Mother Dark is amazingly powerful, apparently, but here her magic consists mostly of turning people's skin black when they get near her. Draconus is powerful beyond belief but doesn't do much, and can turn into a - well, if you know any Latin you'll figure it out - but doesn't use that ability for any practical purpose. Urusander is just Thomas Covenant, sulking in his tower while everyone else in the world thinks he's The Ultimate Warlord. Feh. The only fantasy trope I hate more than each-character-is-more-ridiculously-powerful-than-the-previous is players-with-awesome-powers-don't-use-them. Grrr.
Every time we meet a new character, we know that person is going to go one of three ways: (a) spouter of gloomy philosophy (b) listener to a spouter (c) victim of an extremely gory and explicitly detailed death. Some get to be all three!
Every armed troop has one noble philosopher and one lout. Inevitably the noble is going to give the lout a fearsome wallop, inflicting serious injury or more, just so discipline can be maintained.
Every time a soldier prepares for action, we get a detailed description of armour and weapons, which is OK but can get tedious, and Eriksen never fails to mention the vambraces because what a cool word.
And he can write good descriptive and action scenes. Probably because he has had so much practice in a career of kilopage books.
Several times we get a big buildup scene and at the climax something magical happens, but it's the WTF? What just happened? kind of magic. Kinda like building us up for a big football game, with detailed biographies of the coaches and players, and analysts making predictions, and when the Big Moment comes the author blows up the stadium, or has the two owners decide not to play the game at all. Feh.
And there's a lot of who did THAT? and WHY???
If you want to spend a thousand pages in a pre-Malazan world, you'll like this book.
If you want a good fantasy that stands on its own merits, look elsewhere.
August 29, 2013
Who are you?
If you're thinking of reading this book you're one of two people. 1 you've enjoyed the Malazan universe immensly, and can't wait to delve into this new arc. Or, you've heard great things about this epic, and are a little intimidated about getting into these massive volumes.
If you're in this second group it seems to be a great place to start. There's just as much history, and mystery built into the Tiste era, and if anything Erikson's writing skills are more polished, this time around.
What did he do?
Erikson has taken a mythical race from his epic Malazan series, and turned them into foot soldiers, and regular people at the breaking point of their civilization. It's awesome to see the iconic Malazan Characters in their immaturity. I never pondered the Tiste as being young, dumb and full of .... He takes his time building each character from the ground up. Every character is oozing with introspection, complex thoughts, and memories. The dialogue is out of control Erikson spins metaphores, and analogies with beautiful poetic grace. He put's Shakespeare to shame
On the sexier side way to go Erikson.
I couldn't believe that after 10000 plus pages no one got it on in the Malazan series. This book has it's moments. It's good to see Erikson come out of his comfort zone. It just makes the books that much more dynamic.
Genre blending.
Horror- You get some creepy characters from Olar Ethil, to Draconus' Devil spawn spite, envy, and malice.
Mystery- Draconus is full of surprises. Triss interested me. well pretty much all of the Azathanai raised enough questions to keep me reading.
Comedy- Grizzan Farl is hilarious. However, for the most part this story was definately on the heavy side. No Gentlemanly Bastards to be found here.
Final thoughts
Overall a wicked most recent installment into the universe. another five stars to Eriksons talents. He shows that he still leads the genre with his mad skills. Enjoy.
If you're thinking of reading this book you're one of two people. 1 you've enjoyed the Malazan universe immensly, and can't wait to delve into this new arc. Or, you've heard great things about this epic, and are a little intimidated about getting into these massive volumes.
If you're in this second group it seems to be a great place to start. There's just as much history, and mystery built into the Tiste era, and if anything Erikson's writing skills are more polished, this time around.
What did he do?
Erikson has taken a mythical race from his epic Malazan series, and turned them into foot soldiers, and regular people at the breaking point of their civilization. It's awesome to see the iconic Malazan Characters in their immaturity. I never pondered the Tiste as being young, dumb and full of .... He takes his time building each character from the ground up. Every character is oozing with introspection, complex thoughts, and memories. The dialogue is out of control Erikson spins metaphores, and analogies with beautiful poetic grace. He put's Shakespeare to shame
On the sexier side way to go Erikson.
I couldn't believe that after 10000 plus pages no one got it on in the Malazan series. This book has it's moments. It's good to see Erikson come out of his comfort zone. It just makes the books that much more dynamic.
Genre blending.
Horror- You get some creepy characters from Olar Ethil, to Draconus' Devil spawn spite, envy, and malice.
Mystery- Draconus is full of surprises. Triss interested me. well pretty much all of the Azathanai raised enough questions to keep me reading.
Comedy- Grizzan Farl is hilarious. However, for the most part this story was definately on the heavy side. No Gentlemanly Bastards to be found here.
Final thoughts
Overall a wicked most recent installment into the universe. another five stars to Eriksons talents. He shows that he still leads the genre with his mad skills. Enjoy.
June 30, 2017
Magnificent.
I feel like I needed this. Great writing from Erikson, I just love his prose. I really enjoyed this story. Not as exciting as the main series IMO but immersible non the less. It just ticked boxes, I finally get to learn more about the tiste, Kharkanas, Kurald Galain, Shake, Azath(finally!), so much lore! an absolute joy for a reader who's been so intrigued by these things from 10 amazing books.
Characters: The amount of big names in this book is mouth watering. We have: Rake, Silchas, Draconus, Olar Ethil, Brood, Grizzen Farl, Spinnock Durav, Osserc, Hood, Gothos, Scabandari, Triss...I could go on and on, heck, we even have Mother dark herself.
My favorites in this book are: Arathan (son of Draconus). Osserc, Ivis (Captain of House Draconus), Orfantal(Hostage of House Purake), Kadaspala(an artist), Scara Bandaris(a captain of the Legion) Gripp Galas(soldier of house Purake), Anomander Rake(First Son) and Haut(a Jaghut).
The realm at the beginning of the book and the realm at the end are not the same. Changes have come, I look forward to learning more in the next one.
I feel like I needed this. Great writing from Erikson, I just love his prose. I really enjoyed this story. Not as exciting as the main series IMO but immersible non the less. It just ticked boxes, I finally get to learn more about the tiste, Kharkanas, Kurald Galain, Shake, Azath(finally!), so much lore! an absolute joy for a reader who's been so intrigued by these things from 10 amazing books.
Characters: The amount of big names in this book is mouth watering. We have: Rake, Silchas, Draconus, Olar Ethil, Brood, Grizzen Farl, Spinnock Durav, Osserc, Hood, Gothos, Scabandari, Triss...I could go on and on, heck, we even have Mother dark herself.
My favorites in this book are: Arathan (son of Draconus). Osserc, Ivis (Captain of House Draconus), Orfantal(Hostage of House Purake), Kadaspala(an artist), Scara Bandaris(a captain of the Legion) Gripp Galas(soldier of house Purake), Anomander Rake(First Son) and Haut(a Jaghut).
The realm at the beginning of the book and the realm at the end are not the same. Changes have come, I look forward to learning more in the next one.
November 1, 2023
What’s not to love? There’s Draconus, Anomander Rake, Silchas Ruin and Jaghuts – almost all my favorite things in one place.
Don’t listen to anyone in the reviews that say this book is OK to read without having first read the Malazan Book of the Fallen. This book is great because we (MBotF “veterans”) have already spent so much time in the Malazan world – these are people we already know and love (or hate). The beauty of FoD is that (in general) we already know what happens and we know who lives and dies. We’ve invested significant time and emotion into this, and it’s discovering how it all started that makes this book amazing. If you don’t have the context from the other books, you’ll be reading an entirely different story than the rest of us. You’ll “meet” Anomander and Silchas and they will be nothing to you. You’ll see a name like Scara Bandaris and you will not be hit with a jolt of recognition. You’ll see a character who makes a blood vow to Anomander and you will not feel a sudden stab of pain in your heart knowing how that ends. Trust me – start with Gardens of the Moon if you want to read Erikson.
If you have read MBotF, but not FoD, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I have seen that people seem to complain more about this book than the others. I’m not sure why - it is in my top three of the series. The book does end in the middle of things – kind of like the ending of Dust of Dreams - but I kind of expected that. We all already know what the story arc is and what events need to happen to finish the trilogy. I think maybe a lot of people wanted a huge Erikson-style convergence at the end? To be fair I did think the last 25% of the book was the least interesting. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I felt that is where the book got super bogged down with the boring philosophizing monologues (which I skipped) and there were too much time spent on all the little skirmishes the outlaws were doing – how many times do I need descriptions of killing the Deniers or village people. I thought it was getting repetitive a bit. I get it – these guys are bad, they are doing bad things (and getting away with it). Maybe another issue for some is that FoD doesn't have the humor of the other books – but we do have Jaghuts proving some comic relief. Haut is my surprise favorite character, and there's a scene with him and Korya and Varandas that was my favorite scene of the book.
Bottom line for this book – It will deliver on your expectations to start getting answers – and not just answers that start a new mystery but some solid answers to some big questions. That said, you’ll also be left with more questions too. You will for sure have some moments that shock you and some where you’ll feel like pieces are starting to fall into place.
Below is 100% spoilers about this book – It's mostly thoughts and questions that I am putting to "paper" to reference later when the other books are out.
Don’t listen to anyone in the reviews that say this book is OK to read without having first read the Malazan Book of the Fallen. This book is great because we (MBotF “veterans”) have already spent so much time in the Malazan world – these are people we already know and love (or hate). The beauty of FoD is that (in general) we already know what happens and we know who lives and dies. We’ve invested significant time and emotion into this, and it’s discovering how it all started that makes this book amazing. If you don’t have the context from the other books, you’ll be reading an entirely different story than the rest of us. You’ll “meet” Anomander and Silchas and they will be nothing to you. You’ll see a name like Scara Bandaris and you will not be hit with a jolt of recognition. You’ll see a character who makes a blood vow to Anomander and you will not feel a sudden stab of pain in your heart knowing how that ends. Trust me – start with Gardens of the Moon if you want to read Erikson.
If you have read MBotF, but not FoD, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I have seen that people seem to complain more about this book than the others. I’m not sure why - it is in my top three of the series. The book does end in the middle of things – kind of like the ending of Dust of Dreams - but I kind of expected that. We all already know what the story arc is and what events need to happen to finish the trilogy. I think maybe a lot of people wanted a huge Erikson-style convergence at the end? To be fair I did think the last 25% of the book was the least interesting. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I felt that is where the book got super bogged down with the boring philosophizing monologues (which I skipped) and there were too much time spent on all the little skirmishes the outlaws were doing – how many times do I need descriptions of killing the Deniers or village people. I thought it was getting repetitive a bit. I get it – these guys are bad, they are doing bad things (and getting away with it). Maybe another issue for some is that FoD doesn't have the humor of the other books – but we do have Jaghuts proving some comic relief. Haut is my surprise favorite character, and there's a scene with him and Korya and Varandas that was my favorite scene of the book.
Bottom line for this book – It will deliver on your expectations to start getting answers – and not just answers that start a new mystery but some solid answers to some big questions. That said, you’ll also be left with more questions too. You will for sure have some moments that shock you and some where you’ll feel like pieces are starting to fall into place.
Below is 100% spoilers about this book – It's mostly thoughts and questions that I am putting to "paper" to reference later when the other books are out.
March 12, 2015
4.5 stars
I had heard it said that The Kharkanas Trilogy would be a good starting point to the uninitiated who fear the monster that is the Malazan Book of the Fallen (10 books) or, together with the Esslemont's books (six), the entire Malazan world. That may be so, but it is undoubtedly true that Forge of Darkess will bear sweeter fruits to those who had walked through the fire of Erikson's genius before. They would be on the familiar ground - in his complex language, seemingly unconnected threads, the inevitable convergence.
Erikson plunges the reader in the world of Tiste, before their division into Andii, Liosan and Edur. The K'rul's blood is still flowing and its gifts are unknown and yet unknowable. The Azathanai are not as yet revered as gods. High King rules the distant shores and is still in high regard. Mother Dark is on the way to ascendancy.
The soldiers' dissatisfaction with peace, the nobles' dissatisfaction with Mother Dark's chosen Consort (Draconus), the religious strife and personal petty ambitions lead Kurald Galain into the civil war. Many familiar faces, including Anomander, Andarist, Silchas Ruin, Hood, Gothos and others, are faced with the changing world. They are not as yet the people we know, though you can see the seeds of what they will become. From the horror brought by the Draconus's daughters to the pain of Andarist's loss, Erikson tugs at your heart left and right and the fact that (some of you) know the result does not help. At all. Like always, he will break you and make you whole again over and over again.
If the book has a significant flaw, that is the fact that it is not really an independent book as the books of previous Erikson's series were. More than anything, it reads as the first part of one larger work. The one huge convergence that marks all previous author's work is missing, replaced by several smaller ones. There is at least one setup that will bring us the big bang in the next book - Hood's war on death. Thus, I cannot give the books the highest rating the author's writing certainly deserves. But, I could change my mind after reading the remaining books.
If you are new to Erikson, wait for the trilogy to end before you give his work a try. Or, better yet, gird up your loins and try the Malazan Book of the Fallen. You will not be sorry, I guarantee it. If you are already an Erikson's fan, the book will reward the many hours you have spent in his world. The consequences of The Kharkanas Trilogy echo through time of his world and the books you have already read. The richness of his world is growing. Feast on it.
I had heard it said that The Kharkanas Trilogy would be a good starting point to the uninitiated who fear the monster that is the Malazan Book of the Fallen (10 books) or, together with the Esslemont's books (six), the entire Malazan world. That may be so, but it is undoubtedly true that Forge of Darkess will bear sweeter fruits to those who had walked through the fire of Erikson's genius before. They would be on the familiar ground - in his complex language, seemingly unconnected threads, the inevitable convergence.
Erikson plunges the reader in the world of Tiste, before their division into Andii, Liosan and Edur. The K'rul's blood is still flowing and its gifts are unknown and yet unknowable. The Azathanai are not as yet revered as gods. High King rules the distant shores and is still in high regard. Mother Dark is on the way to ascendancy.
The soldiers' dissatisfaction with peace, the nobles' dissatisfaction with Mother Dark's chosen Consort (Draconus), the religious strife and personal petty ambitions lead Kurald Galain into the civil war. Many familiar faces, including Anomander, Andarist, Silchas Ruin, Hood, Gothos and others, are faced with the changing world. They are not as yet the people we know, though you can see the seeds of what they will become. From the horror brought by the Draconus's daughters to the pain of Andarist's loss, Erikson tugs at your heart left and right and the fact that (some of you) know the result does not help. At all. Like always, he will break you and make you whole again over and over again.
If the book has a significant flaw, that is the fact that it is not really an independent book as the books of previous Erikson's series were. More than anything, it reads as the first part of one larger work. The one huge convergence that marks all previous author's work is missing, replaced by several smaller ones. There is at least one setup that will bring us the big bang in the next book - Hood's war on death. Thus, I cannot give the books the highest rating the author's writing certainly deserves. But, I could change my mind after reading the remaining books.
If you are new to Erikson, wait for the trilogy to end before you give his work a try. Or, better yet, gird up your loins and try the Malazan Book of the Fallen. You will not be sorry, I guarantee it. If you are already an Erikson's fan, the book will reward the many hours you have spent in his world. The consequences of The Kharkanas Trilogy echo through time of his world and the books you have already read. The richness of his world is growing. Feast on it.
March 3, 2016
The ground is bare and hard/and will hold all secrets/
and the sky cares not/for the games of those beneath it
This won't be a proper review just some random thoughts. The Malazan series is one of my favorites but I wasn't sure how I would feel about this new series set in the distant past so I held off reading it for quite some time. If you come this book looking for similar military/fantasy scenes you will be disappointed. This book is about intrigue, politics, splinter factions, unseen plots and setting the scene for what is to come. The action did pick up at the end but don't come looking for battles, you won't find them here.
As far as whether to read this before the main series-IMO there are so many nuggets pertaining to the main series that would be missed by a new reader and because of that the story may seem almost impenetrable.
Quite a few thoughts on religion and civilization:
'It is the legacy of most intelligent beings to revel in slaughter for a time.' Haut replied. 'In this way we play at being gods. In this, we lie to ourselves with delusions of omnipotence.
There is but one measure to the wisdom of a people, and that is the staying hand. Fail in restraint and murder thrives in your eyes, and all your claims to civilization ring hollow.'
Now you must contend with what you purport to worship, and give answer to the many things you have done in its name. Is it any wonder your friend quails?
Civilizations in decline are notable when certain of their members escape justice and do so with impunity
Written law is in itself pure, at least in so far as language can make it. Ambiguity emerges only in its practical application upon society, and at this point hypocrisy seems to be the inevitable consequence. The law bends to those in power, like a willow or perhaps a cultured rosebush, or even a fruit-bearing tree trained against a wall. Where it grows depends upon the whims of those in power and before too long, why, the law becomes a twisted thing indeed.
There are some slow moments but overall I enjoyed the story and am looking forward to the next book.
Oh, and the scene with the bridal party and later when Kadaspala comes upon that same scene...brutal!
What we desire in our hearts, Arathan, and what must be....well,
that is a rare embrace, so rare... you're likely to never know it
and the sky cares not/for the games of those beneath it
This won't be a proper review just some random thoughts. The Malazan series is one of my favorites but I wasn't sure how I would feel about this new series set in the distant past so I held off reading it for quite some time. If you come this book looking for similar military/fantasy scenes you will be disappointed. This book is about intrigue, politics, splinter factions, unseen plots and setting the scene for what is to come. The action did pick up at the end but don't come looking for battles, you won't find them here.
As far as whether to read this before the main series-IMO there are so many nuggets pertaining to the main series that would be missed by a new reader and because of that the story may seem almost impenetrable.
Quite a few thoughts on religion and civilization:
'It is the legacy of most intelligent beings to revel in slaughter for a time.' Haut replied. 'In this way we play at being gods. In this, we lie to ourselves with delusions of omnipotence.
There is but one measure to the wisdom of a people, and that is the staying hand. Fail in restraint and murder thrives in your eyes, and all your claims to civilization ring hollow.'
Now you must contend with what you purport to worship, and give answer to the many things you have done in its name. Is it any wonder your friend quails?
Civilizations in decline are notable when certain of their members escape justice and do so with impunity
Written law is in itself pure, at least in so far as language can make it. Ambiguity emerges only in its practical application upon society, and at this point hypocrisy seems to be the inevitable consequence. The law bends to those in power, like a willow or perhaps a cultured rosebush, or even a fruit-bearing tree trained against a wall. Where it grows depends upon the whims of those in power and before too long, why, the law becomes a twisted thing indeed.
There are some slow moments but overall I enjoyed the story and am looking forward to the next book.
Oh, and the scene with the bridal party and later when Kadaspala comes upon that same scene...brutal!
What we desire in our hearts, Arathan, and what must be....well,
that is a rare embrace, so rare... you're likely to never know it
March 23, 2020
It's hard to describe just how much I've hated every minute I spent on this. DNF @ 18%.
Overlong - 687 pages, but only 21 chapters. Storylines switch within the chapters, making it very confusing.
Too many characters - I can't keep them all straight. I got interested in 1-2 characters at the beginning of the book, and they haven't turned up again.
Finally - Nothing is happening! Over 120 pages in, and I couldn't tell you a single significant thing that has moved the book forward.
Throwing this one out the window.
Overlong - 687 pages, but only 21 chapters. Storylines switch within the chapters, making it very confusing.
Too many characters - I can't keep them all straight. I got interested in 1-2 characters at the beginning of the book, and they haven't turned up again.
Finally - Nothing is happening! Over 120 pages in, and I couldn't tell you a single significant thing that has moved the book forward.
Throwing this one out the window.
Want to read
September 21, 2016OMG how can it be that I only now found out there is a trilogy specifically about Anomander Rake and his... family? OMG
January 3, 2015
Wow.
This is a book about so many different things....fathers and sons, lovers, faith, jealousy...and the giving of gifts.
As a prequel to the Malazan book of the fallen, it also gives insight to the lives of some characters who are enigmatic...Caladan Brood, Draconus, Gothos, Hood, and yes, the Purake brothers. All before the time of the elient.
This book was so much more thani expected...
My only critique would be the moralizing behind the story arcs.
This is a book about so many different things....fathers and sons, lovers, faith, jealousy...and the giving of gifts.
As a prequel to the Malazan book of the fallen, it also gives insight to the lives of some characters who are enigmatic...Caladan Brood, Draconus, Gothos, Hood, and yes, the Purake brothers. All before the time of the elient.
This book was so much more thani expected...
My only critique would be the moralizing behind the story arcs.
October 21, 2012
Erickson has a habit of having inner monologues or dialogues that tend to ramble for pages as he tries to get across some philosophical point. Normally these are interspersed with good scenes, and especially towards the end of a book, lots of action. In this book it has gone overboard. I struggled just to finish it. We'll see if the next in the series picks up. I sure hope so.
January 13, 2026
97/100
This is a slammer. Heavy, introspective, a Shakespearean tragedy steeped in betrayal and grief. Potentially Erikson’s best
This is a slammer. Heavy, introspective, a Shakespearean tragedy steeped in betrayal and grief. Potentially Erikson’s best
September 12, 2014
Wow. Having passed so much time since reading a Steven Erikson novel, I had forgotten what the experience was like. The Forge of Darkness has sat unread on my Kindle for almost two years and I'm not really sure why. I think it was because I dreaded starting it because that meant I would finish it. You see, finishing a Steven Erikson novel is one of the most bittersweet accomplishments one can experience. And now I have finished it. And it is indeed every bit as bittersweet as I remember the experience from the other novels of his that I've left in my wake. His tales are so dripping with emotional gravitas and raw storytelling power that to read them is akin to walking back into some deep, dark, forgotten history where everything - no matter how seemingly insignificant - has a tale and nothing is to be taken at face value.
The Forge of Darkness is the first in Steven Erikson's Kharkanas Trilogy. Basically it's a prequel to his 10 volume Malazan Book of the Fallen epic. If you can call a novel which takes place hundreds of thousands of years earlier a prequel... Regardless, The Forge of Darkness details the events which bring about the state of the world and characters who inhabit Erikson's other works. If nothing else, it is a masterpiece of human frailties amidst a cast of tragic heroes and loathsome villains.
As with everything Steven writes, the verbiage is beautiful and weighty. His use of the English language to convey emotion and set moods for various scenes is delicious to experience and, for this reason, I believe Steven Erikson is the single greatest fantasy author currently living. I am at a loss to put another contemporary alongside him for comparison. If you're looking for depth and grandeur in your fantasy, look no further.
The plot was interesting and took some delightful twists even though - to anyone who has read his other books - the final outcome is already (at least vaguely) known. The pacing was a tad slow at certain points, but there was always plenty enough to keep my interest that I never found myself getting bored or overly bogged down with minutia. Erikson's characters are wonderfully three dimensional and bear all the baggage - good and bad - which lend them life and charisma. They are believable in their motivations and interesting in their decisions. All in all, The Forge of Darkness was the perfect recipe for mesmerizing fiction.
I often dread giving books five stars because I fear it implies a certain lack of discrimination upon my part in that I could find no flaws within the book. But I know I've given out five stars before. And if any of those deserved them, The Forge of Darkness definitely deserves them just as much - if not a wee bit more. Five stars for Mr. Erikson's masterpiece. I'm now looking forward to February of 2015 when this tale will resume in Fall of Light.
The Forge of Darkness is the first in Steven Erikson's Kharkanas Trilogy. Basically it's a prequel to his 10 volume Malazan Book of the Fallen epic. If you can call a novel which takes place hundreds of thousands of years earlier a prequel... Regardless, The Forge of Darkness details the events which bring about the state of the world and characters who inhabit Erikson's other works. If nothing else, it is a masterpiece of human frailties amidst a cast of tragic heroes and loathsome villains.
As with everything Steven writes, the verbiage is beautiful and weighty. His use of the English language to convey emotion and set moods for various scenes is delicious to experience and, for this reason, I believe Steven Erikson is the single greatest fantasy author currently living. I am at a loss to put another contemporary alongside him for comparison. If you're looking for depth and grandeur in your fantasy, look no further.
The plot was interesting and took some delightful twists even though - to anyone who has read his other books - the final outcome is already (at least vaguely) known. The pacing was a tad slow at certain points, but there was always plenty enough to keep my interest that I never found myself getting bored or overly bogged down with minutia. Erikson's characters are wonderfully three dimensional and bear all the baggage - good and bad - which lend them life and charisma. They are believable in their motivations and interesting in their decisions. All in all, The Forge of Darkness was the perfect recipe for mesmerizing fiction.
I often dread giving books five stars because I fear it implies a certain lack of discrimination upon my part in that I could find no flaws within the book. But I know I've given out five stars before. And if any of those deserved them, The Forge of Darkness definitely deserves them just as much - if not a wee bit more. Five stars for Mr. Erikson's masterpiece. I'm now looking forward to February of 2015 when this tale will resume in Fall of Light.
June 11, 2013
There’s a lot of reading ahead if you’ve never read any of Steven Erikson’s ten-volume Malazan Book of the Fallen, plus a three-volume prequel that begins with “Forge of Darkness” (Tor, $27.99, 662 pages) – but I’m not too sure about the “good.”
That’s not to say Erikson isn’t a good writer, because he is. His command of the voices of the various characters, and the narrator, is superb, and his ability to create characters with depth and texture is also way above average. The problem for me, though, is the unrelentingly bleak and violent world and narrative that Erikson chooses to present.
“Forge of Darkness” is set some time before the Malazan Book of the Fallen (of which I read two or three installments, but never could get through them all), and I thought this might be a way for me to re-engage with Erikson’s 10-volume, highly acclaimed, series. Unfortunately, “Forge of Darkness” pushed me to the brink of actually not finishing a book – which in my compulsive professionalism, is something I do maybe once a decade. Why? The book was just too painful to read, in great part because of Erikson’s ability to transform words into living beings (even if not quite human) that matter to the reader. So what happens is that those living beings get raped, brutalized, tortured, wounded and killed in various extremely unpleasant, and meticulously described, ways, and after a while, it simply wears you down.
Add to that an incredibly complex plot with many, many characters, and many different points of view, and you have a work that not only details an unpleasant world at the beginning of an even more unpleasant civil war, but also requires constant reference to the cast of characters thoughtfully included at the start of the book. (And it doesn’t help that one major character is named Risp and another Rint, or that you can go hundreds of pages before returning to one narrator, and then are immediately plunged into twists in a complex and constantly evolving plot.)
Presumably, all of these various threads will unite in one grand tapestry by the end of the third book, but that tapestry is going to be dyed in blood and depict nothing but treachery, torture, agony and death – and you know, I can find all that just by reading the paper every morning.
So even though Erikson is clearly talented, and even though the reputation of the Malazan Book of the Fallen suggests that the Kharkanas Trilogy, as this is called, will be at the worst an above-average fantasy series, it’s just too dark and bloody for me.
That’s not to say Erikson isn’t a good writer, because he is. His command of the voices of the various characters, and the narrator, is superb, and his ability to create characters with depth and texture is also way above average. The problem for me, though, is the unrelentingly bleak and violent world and narrative that Erikson chooses to present.
“Forge of Darkness” is set some time before the Malazan Book of the Fallen (of which I read two or three installments, but never could get through them all), and I thought this might be a way for me to re-engage with Erikson’s 10-volume, highly acclaimed, series. Unfortunately, “Forge of Darkness” pushed me to the brink of actually not finishing a book – which in my compulsive professionalism, is something I do maybe once a decade. Why? The book was just too painful to read, in great part because of Erikson’s ability to transform words into living beings (even if not quite human) that matter to the reader. So what happens is that those living beings get raped, brutalized, tortured, wounded and killed in various extremely unpleasant, and meticulously described, ways, and after a while, it simply wears you down.
Add to that an incredibly complex plot with many, many characters, and many different points of view, and you have a work that not only details an unpleasant world at the beginning of an even more unpleasant civil war, but also requires constant reference to the cast of characters thoughtfully included at the start of the book. (And it doesn’t help that one major character is named Risp and another Rint, or that you can go hundreds of pages before returning to one narrator, and then are immediately plunged into twists in a complex and constantly evolving plot.)
Presumably, all of these various threads will unite in one grand tapestry by the end of the third book, but that tapestry is going to be dyed in blood and depict nothing but treachery, torture, agony and death – and you know, I can find all that just by reading the paper every morning.
So even though Erikson is clearly talented, and even though the reputation of the Malazan Book of the Fallen suggests that the Kharkanas Trilogy, as this is called, will be at the worst an above-average fantasy series, it’s just too dark and bloody for me.
March 14, 2022
NOTE: This review is not intended for Steven Erikson's fans. For those of you who have never read his books, I guess there is no harm in trying it out (if you want a painful reading experience)
This is the worst experience I have ever had trying to read a fantasy novel. It was excruciatingly painful to finish it because of how he writes the book. Take note of some of the points below:
1. DO NOT READ this book unless you have read the entire Malazan series. This book will be completely meaningless otherwise
2. Take note that he has a tendency to write really philosophical bull****. If you enjoy constantly reading about what is going on in people's heads, thinking about really mundane and dumb stuff like morality, then you might just be able to get by and finish this book
3. THERE IS LITTLE TO NO ACTION. The action that does happen is all mindless murders. I can't even understand what is the point of killing some of the characters the way he did
4. I know Steven Erikson's fans will probably bash me since I am a fan of Brandon Sanderson (yes, his books are predictable and much much livelier than Steven Erikson's books) but to whomever who reads Brandon Sanderson books or other similar authors, honestly just don't waste your time reading this book.
This is the worst experience I have ever had trying to read a fantasy novel. It was excruciatingly painful to finish it because of how he writes the book. Take note of some of the points below:
1. DO NOT READ this book unless you have read the entire Malazan series. This book will be completely meaningless otherwise
2. Take note that he has a tendency to write really philosophical bull****. If you enjoy constantly reading about what is going on in people's heads, thinking about really mundane and dumb stuff like morality, then you might just be able to get by and finish this book
3. THERE IS LITTLE TO NO ACTION. The action that does happen is all mindless murders. I can't even understand what is the point of killing some of the characters the way he did
4. I know Steven Erikson's fans will probably bash me since I am a fan of Brandon Sanderson (yes, his books are predictable and much much livelier than Steven Erikson's books) but to whomever who reads Brandon Sanderson books or other similar authors, honestly just don't waste your time reading this book.
June 2, 2024
“Every gift I give is carved from my own flesh, and by every wound and every scar upon my body, I map the passage of my loves.”
•
🌟5/5🌟 After finishing the main series I was put immediately into a reading slump that I feel I am just now getting out of. Even while reading other books that I have enjoyed, all I could think about was being back in the world of Malaza. I picked up the Esslemont books for a bit but I have struggled adjusting to his different writing style. Sooo I picked up FoD to start the Kharkanas trilogy and once again Erikson has given me everything I could ever want in a book.
What I loved:
* Draconus - they could never make me hate you.
* The Purake brothers - although at times I was conflicted about Anomander (which feels like a sin because he is my absolute favorite.
* Learning more of the Azathanai - and on that note getting to hear about the K’rul (iyfyk 👀)
* Just like in MBoTF the themes of: environmental degradation, the dynamics between gods and their worshippers, and of course compassion.
* More history on Dragnipur
What I didn’t love:
* My only complaint is that I HATE the format of this book - I wish these came in mass market paperback 😤
•
🌟5/5🌟 After finishing the main series I was put immediately into a reading slump that I feel I am just now getting out of. Even while reading other books that I have enjoyed, all I could think about was being back in the world of Malaza. I picked up the Esslemont books for a bit but I have struggled adjusting to his different writing style. Sooo I picked up FoD to start the Kharkanas trilogy and once again Erikson has given me everything I could ever want in a book.
What I loved:
* Draconus - they could never make me hate you.
* The Purake brothers - although at times I was conflicted about Anomander (which feels like a sin because he is my absolute favorite.
* Learning more of the Azathanai - and on that note getting to hear about the K’rul (iyfyk 👀)
* Just like in MBoTF the themes of: environmental degradation, the dynamics between gods and their worshippers, and of course compassion.
* More history on Dragnipur
What I didn’t love:
* My only complaint is that I HATE the format of this book - I wish these came in mass market paperback 😤
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