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The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach #1
Blood Follows
Librarian note: alternative cover (bind up edition).
All is not well in Lamentable Moll. A sinister, diabolical killer stalks the port city's narrow, barrow-humped streets, and panic grips the citizens like a fever. Emancipor Reese is no exception, and indeed, with his legendary ill luck, it's worse for him than for most. Not only was his previous employer the unknown killer's latest victim, but Emancipor is out of work. And, with his dearest wife terminally comfortable with the manner of life to which she asserts she has become accustomed (or at least to which she aspires) -- for her and their two whelps -- all other terrors grow limp and pale for poor Emancipor. But perhaps his luck has finally changed, for two strangers have come to Lamentable Moll... and they have nailed to the centre post in Fishmonger's Round a note requesting the services of a manservant. This is surely a remarkable opportunity for the hapless Emancipor Reese... no matter that the note reeks with death-warded magic; no matter that the barrow ghosts themselves howl with fear every night; and certainly no matter that Lamentable Moll itself is about to erupt in a frenzy of terror-inspired anarchy.... After all, it's work... and working is better than not working. Isn't it? First in a series of novellas taking place in the Malazan Empire.
All is not well in Lamentable Moll. A sinister, diabolical killer stalks the port city's narrow, barrow-humped streets, and panic grips the citizens like a fever. Emancipor Reese is no exception, and indeed, with his legendary ill luck, it's worse for him than for most. Not only was his previous employer the unknown killer's latest victim, but Emancipor is out of work. And, with his dearest wife terminally comfortable with the manner of life to which she asserts she has become accustomed (or at least to which she aspires) -- for her and their two whelps -- all other terrors grow limp and pale for poor Emancipor. But perhaps his luck has finally changed, for two strangers have come to Lamentable Moll... and they have nailed to the centre post in Fishmonger's Round a note requesting the services of a manservant. This is surely a remarkable opportunity for the hapless Emancipor Reese... no matter that the note reeks with death-warded magic; no matter that the barrow ghosts themselves howl with fear every night; and certainly no matter that Lamentable Moll itself is about to erupt in a frenzy of terror-inspired anarchy.... After all, it's work... and working is better than not working. Isn't it? First in a series of novellas taking place in the Malazan Empire.
115 pages, Paperback
First published March 30, 2002
26 people are currently reading
4401 people want to read
About the author
Steven Erikson
129 books15k 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 172 reviews
May 22, 2022
Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.
Despite the intriguing characters, this book felt nothing more than a brief introduction to this series of short stories
This book is, at it's heart, a murder investigation - but ultimately fell flat due to a lack of plot development. It's clearly designed to introduce the three main characters characters to you and show why they are working together, and the murder mystery was just an excuse to do so.
As soon as the plot started to get interesting, the book suddenly ended. And while I did get some enjoyment out of the grim humor that was presented, the lack of a plot made this hard to digest. I would have greatly preferred this book to be twice the length (at least) so it could have explained the story in greater detail.
I have some hope though that the future stories in this series will improve now that we got our character introductions out of the way. At least I hope so.
Despite the intriguing characters, this book felt nothing more than a brief introduction to this series of short stories
This book is, at it's heart, a murder investigation - but ultimately fell flat due to a lack of plot development. It's clearly designed to introduce the three main characters characters to you and show why they are working together, and the murder mystery was just an excuse to do so.
As soon as the plot started to get interesting, the book suddenly ended. And while I did get some enjoyment out of the grim humor that was presented, the lack of a plot made this hard to digest. I would have greatly preferred this book to be twice the length (at least) so it could have explained the story in greater detail.
I have some hope though that the future stories in this series will improve now that we got our character introductions out of the way. At least I hope so.
August 9, 2018
A decent short story set in the world of Malazan following two necromancers and their time in the city of Moll. A mix of fantasy, mystery and horror that I read within a day. It was complex enough with decentish characters (my favourite was the manservant, Reece). I didn't really care that much for the ending in all honesty but I'll probably carry on with The Lees of Laughter's End as I did enjoy the 2 main characters exploits in Memories of Ice.
March 13, 2017
A cool investigation story with intriguing and mysterious characters and macabre elements in the spirit of the Penny Dreadful tv show.
Want to read
November 7, 2017Finally got this in preparation to read Malazan series in ultimate reading order I planed for early 2018.
July 2, 2015
This novella was like a regular Malazan story in miniature. It followed the familiar structure of introducing a number of characters, each with their own motivations and interests, and then weaving all their stories into an exciting converging climax. As this was a Malazan novella readers of the main series benefit from already recognizing the setting, the magic, the pantheon of Gods, and the non-human races.
Blood Follows told the tale of how Emancipor Reese can to be in the employ of the nefarious necromancers Bauchelain and Korbal Broach. With a serial killer on the loose the citizens of the city of Lamentable Moll are edging towards panic. For the unfortunate Emancipor Reese the murder of his employer leaves him without a job. A situation his demanding and socially ambitions wife will simply not tolerate! When Reese spots a job going as a manservant for two mysterious foreigners he seizes on it and counts the "will need to travel" as a welcome bonus.
Despite its small size Erikson still manages to introduce a host of new characters. The story itself was interesting and just beginning to get really engaging as the tale came to an end. Like the regular Malazan books this had plenty of dark humor and witty dialogue.
All in all a decent read that was not quite as good as the regular Malazan series. Likely a symptom of the limited size of the novella.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Blood Follows told the tale of how Emancipor Reese can to be in the employ of the nefarious necromancers Bauchelain and Korbal Broach. With a serial killer on the loose the citizens of the city of Lamentable Moll are edging towards panic. For the unfortunate Emancipor Reese the murder of his employer leaves him without a job. A situation his demanding and socially ambitions wife will simply not tolerate! When Reese spots a job going as a manservant for two mysterious foreigners he seizes on it and counts the "will need to travel" as a welcome bonus.
Despite its small size Erikson still manages to introduce a host of new characters. The story itself was interesting and just beginning to get really engaging as the tale came to an end. Like the regular Malazan books this had plenty of dark humor and witty dialogue.
All in all a decent read that was not quite as good as the regular Malazan series. Likely a symptom of the limited size of the novella.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
June 6, 2017
"Blood Follows" by Steven Erikson is set in the same world as the Malazan Book of the Fallen, but is not part of that series.
The characters are Korbal Broach wh is is a eunuch, a killer and a necromancer. He has the habit of using the dead to do his bidding.
Bauchelain is also wizard and a practicing necromancer who is friends with Korbal.
In this story, bells are ringing in Lamentable Moll to signal the death of a very important person. Several killings have occurred for the past several days and the victims are eviscerated with organs gone missing.
If one enjoys Mr. Erickson's work this will be right up your bailiwick as the characters are enjoyable and the plot interesting.
This hardcover copy is number 28 of 300 signed and numbered copies, signed by Steven Erikson and by Stephen R. Donaldson who wrote the introduction.
The characters are Korbal Broach wh is is a eunuch, a killer and a necromancer. He has the habit of using the dead to do his bidding.
Bauchelain is also wizard and a practicing necromancer who is friends with Korbal.
In this story, bells are ringing in Lamentable Moll to signal the death of a very important person. Several killings have occurred for the past several days and the victims are eviscerated with organs gone missing.
If one enjoys Mr. Erickson's work this will be right up your bailiwick as the characters are enjoyable and the plot interesting.
This hardcover copy is number 28 of 300 signed and numbered copies, signed by Steven Erikson and by Stephen R. Donaldson who wrote the introduction.
October 7, 2021
I now have a Booktube channel! Find me at: The Obsessive Bookseller
Before beginning my Project Malazan: The Ultimate Reading Order, I’d heard these Bachelain and Korbal Broach novellas weren’t worth the effort. As reading just the main Malazan saga is a colossal commitment within itself, I can see why taking precious time away from that undertaking would put one at risk of losing momentum. Personally, I figured if I was willing to take the time to read the little stuff, then I was definitely more committed to seeing this venture through. Good or not, the completionist in me was going to pick them up regardless.
That said, I believe Blood Follows is a very enriching accompaniment to the main series.
It’s a fantastic short story that introduced these characters brilliantly. I figured I knew about what I was getting into with this novella and made some predictions early on. None of them were correct. Erikson isn’t afraid to take risks and “go there” with his stories – something that makes them both difficult to read and so worth the effort at the same time. This short was just a tiny snipped into the lives of these characters, but I felt a depth and robustness in their presentation that frankly I can’t remember experiencing with any other author. He always offers complete immersion into his tales.
So, one of the main complaints people have about the Malazan series is that it takes a ton of concentration to read. Erikson throws you straight into the fire without offering one iota of context or explanation. A lot of what he writes feels ambiguous, even when read carefully. I’d wondered if it were a deliberate style choice or if his brain was just on a different wavelength. Probably both are true, but after reading this novella, which was so much more accessibly written and easy to follow, I’ve come to the conclusion that at least the former is accurate and what he’s been doing to us in the Malazan series is deliberate and calculated. At this I am both wildly impressed at his skills and sufficiently irritated haha.
Recommendations: if you want to read Malazan, Blood Follows will enhance the main series. The novellas that come after are a little more difficult to endorse, but I’m confident about the appeal of this one.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
Before beginning my Project Malazan: The Ultimate Reading Order, I’d heard these Bachelain and Korbal Broach novellas weren’t worth the effort. As reading just the main Malazan saga is a colossal commitment within itself, I can see why taking precious time away from that undertaking would put one at risk of losing momentum. Personally, I figured if I was willing to take the time to read the little stuff, then I was definitely more committed to seeing this venture through. Good or not, the completionist in me was going to pick them up regardless.
That said, I believe Blood Follows is a very enriching accompaniment to the main series.
It’s a fantastic short story that introduced these characters brilliantly. I figured I knew about what I was getting into with this novella and made some predictions early on. None of them were correct. Erikson isn’t afraid to take risks and “go there” with his stories – something that makes them both difficult to read and so worth the effort at the same time. This short was just a tiny snipped into the lives of these characters, but I felt a depth and robustness in their presentation that frankly I can’t remember experiencing with any other author. He always offers complete immersion into his tales.
So, one of the main complaints people have about the Malazan series is that it takes a ton of concentration to read. Erikson throws you straight into the fire without offering one iota of context or explanation. A lot of what he writes feels ambiguous, even when read carefully. I’d wondered if it were a deliberate style choice or if his brain was just on a different wavelength. Probably both are true, but after reading this novella, which was so much more accessibly written and easy to follow, I’ve come to the conclusion that at least the former is accurate and what he’s been doing to us in the Malazan series is deliberate and calculated. At this I am both wildly impressed at his skills and sufficiently irritated haha.
Recommendations: if you want to read Malazan, Blood Follows will enhance the main series. The novellas that come after are a little more difficult to endorse, but I’m confident about the appeal of this one.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
February 22, 2017
Right so i decided to be ambitious, and try to do the ultimate malazan reading order ish, might not follow through all the way but what the heck.
so this was a very intriguing novella and really quite good. Bauchelain and Korbal Broach are definitely characters i can't wait to meet in the malazan series proper.
September 27, 2016
This was a nice little Malazan snack (as opposed to the usual Westeros-sized dinner we usually get from Erikson.) It’s only about a hundred pages and is a little different for Erikson in that it’s kind of a murder-mystery and even dare I say a kind of Malazan police procedural, as well as being a kind of origin story for how Emancipor Reese started working for mega-creeps Bauchelain & Korbal Broach. The basic plot is that a nightly series of gruesome murders are being committed in the awesomely-named-as-usual city of Lamentable Moll. Anyone who’s had the pleasure of reading Memories of Ice will have no trouble whatsoever figuring out who’s committing these crimes and why, but that doesn’t really hurt the fun of the novella. The real fun and tension is in seeing whether or not our intrepid detective protagonist Sergeant Guld will uncover the killer without getting turned into some fucked-up fantasy Unit 731 experiment. A little bit of trademark Erikson humor helps things along nicely.
March 2, 2016
More Reviews @ The BiblioSanctum
Coming on the heels of my first foray into the Malazan empire (Gardens of the Moon) is Blood Follows, a short novella revolving around events outside the main story. Blood Follows takes place in the town of Lamentable Moll in a region called Theft. Emancipor Reese has lost yet another job as yet another of his employers dies an ill-fated death. Mancy’s, as he’s called by his friends and wife, latest employer becomes the 11th victim to a serial killer stalking the streets of Moll. Having no recourse but to find another job as quickly as possibly–lest he face the wrath of his wife–Mancy answers a warded notice for a manservant to two eccentric necromancers, the scholarly Bauchelain and the large, quiet eunuch Korbal Broach.
I read this as a gateway story while I gear up to read Deadhouse Gates, which is the second book in this Malazan series. Bauchelain, Korbal Broach, and Mancy are only background characters in the main novels, as I understand, so reading about their misadventures before the rest of the novels doesn’t really break anything in the story. This novella proves to be much like Erikson’s main offering, but on a smaller scale. Despite the short length, the book introduces quite a few cast of characters. However, given the short nature of this story, they’re not explored with the same depth. In fact, you pretty much have to make up your own mental image of most of the characters in this novel aside from the three men mentioned. There are some characters who beg for a deeper exploration while some just fall totally flat. That may or may not be a problem depending on your approach to short stories.
The plot, while basic, is entertaining enough. The description for this book makes it sound much more dramatic than it actually is, such as saying there was chaos among the people when that’s hardly noted at all in the story. There were ghastly things going on in the story, but nothing ever really felt urgent. I didn’t feel the sense of tension in this story that it was trying to convey. In fact, the murders almost feel secondary to what’s going with the characters in the story, and one of the big reveals in this story just seemed pushed out there without even a real hint that this is what was going on. Mainly, the interest in the story comes from readers meeting the necromancers and their new manservant, and the witticism found throughout this story. The joking nature gives this a sort of dark humor feel which is wildly different from the mostly serious endeavor that is Gardens of the Moon, and for that, I found this story enjoyable.
Coming on the heels of my first foray into the Malazan empire (Gardens of the Moon) is Blood Follows, a short novella revolving around events outside the main story. Blood Follows takes place in the town of Lamentable Moll in a region called Theft. Emancipor Reese has lost yet another job as yet another of his employers dies an ill-fated death. Mancy’s, as he’s called by his friends and wife, latest employer becomes the 11th victim to a serial killer stalking the streets of Moll. Having no recourse but to find another job as quickly as possibly–lest he face the wrath of his wife–Mancy answers a warded notice for a manservant to two eccentric necromancers, the scholarly Bauchelain and the large, quiet eunuch Korbal Broach.
I read this as a gateway story while I gear up to read Deadhouse Gates, which is the second book in this Malazan series. Bauchelain, Korbal Broach, and Mancy are only background characters in the main novels, as I understand, so reading about their misadventures before the rest of the novels doesn’t really break anything in the story. This novella proves to be much like Erikson’s main offering, but on a smaller scale. Despite the short length, the book introduces quite a few cast of characters. However, given the short nature of this story, they’re not explored with the same depth. In fact, you pretty much have to make up your own mental image of most of the characters in this novel aside from the three men mentioned. There are some characters who beg for a deeper exploration while some just fall totally flat. That may or may not be a problem depending on your approach to short stories.
The plot, while basic, is entertaining enough. The description for this book makes it sound much more dramatic than it actually is, such as saying there was chaos among the people when that’s hardly noted at all in the story. There were ghastly things going on in the story, but nothing ever really felt urgent. I didn’t feel the sense of tension in this story that it was trying to convey. In fact, the murders almost feel secondary to what’s going with the characters in the story, and one of the big reveals in this story just seemed pushed out there without even a real hint that this is what was going on. Mainly, the interest in the story comes from readers meeting the necromancers and their new manservant, and the witticism found throughout this story. The joking nature gives this a sort of dark humor feel which is wildly different from the mostly serious endeavor that is Gardens of the Moon, and for that, I found this story enjoyable.
April 4, 2017
I wish I followed the ultimate reading order and read this before MOI. Bauchelain, Korbal Broach and Emancipator were all characters who seemed to just "be there." I didn't love them; I didn't hate them. After reading Blood Follows, I think I would have enjoyed their adventures in MOI more so now I hope to see more of this group in the main series.
June 29, 2024
Actual Rating: 3.5
April 9, 2018
The things people do to avoid a nagging wife and/or cure infertility.
February 14, 2016
Πάνω από 20 βιβλία αποτελούν τον κόσμο του Malazan (και συνεχίζουν να γράφονται) κι αν θέλει κάποιος να διαβάσει τα πάντα - με την πιο λογική σειρά - τότε το Blood Follows είναι στη θέση No.3 σύμφωνα με το Malazan Wikia.
Το Blood Follows είναι το πρώτο μέρος της σειράς The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach η οποία ακολουθεί την ιστορία των δύο necromancers, του Bauchelain και του Korbal Broach καθώς και του υπηρέτη τους, Emancipor, ο οποίος είναι ο Κακομοίρογλου αλά Malazan και η ιστορίa αφορά την γνωριμία του Emancipor με τους δύο necromancers.
To format είναι τυπικό Erikson, διάφορα POVs τα οποία μπλέκονται μεταξύ τους και χαρακτήρες οι οποίοι δεν είναι αυτό που περιμένεις, με τη διαφορά ότι αντί να έχει έκταση 600+ σελίδες έχει μόνο ~100. Δεν είναι καθόλου βαρύ, είναι μία ευχάριστη μικρή ιστοριούλα με αρκετό χιούμορ που διαβάζεται πολύ εύκολα.
Ένα ευχάριστο διάλειμα από τα τέρατα που γράφει συνήθως ο Erikson. Αναρωτιέμαι τι θα ακολουθήσει.
Το Blood Follows είναι το πρώτο μέρος της σειράς The Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach η οποία ακολουθεί την ιστορία των δύο necromancers, του Bauchelain και του Korbal Broach καθώς και του υπηρέτη τους, Emancipor, ο οποίος είναι ο Κακομοίρογλου αλά Malazan και η ιστορίa αφορά την γνωριμία του Emancipor με τους δύο necromancers.
To format είναι τυπικό Erikson, διάφορα POVs τα οποία μπλέκονται μεταξύ τους και χαρακτήρες οι οποίοι δεν είναι αυτό που περιμένεις, με τη διαφορά ότι αντί να έχει έκταση 600+ σελίδες έχει μόνο ~100. Δεν είναι καθόλου βαρύ, είναι μία ευχάριστη μικρή ιστοριούλα με αρκετό χιούμορ που διαβάζεται πολύ εύκολα.
Ένα ευχάριστο διάλειμα από τα τέρατα που γράφει συνήθως ο Erikson. Αναρωτιέμαι τι θα ακολουθήσει.
November 18, 2023
Going into this one, I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but found myself surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Honestly though, Steven Erikson could probably write out his grocery list and I would end up loving it.
While this novella is there to introduce characters, it is a murder mystery at it's heart. Korbal Broach and Bauchelain are two characters that drive these novellas, but Emancipor Reese carried this one for me. All three characters briefly appeared un Memories of Ice so I wouldn't recommend reading this one until you have read MoI.
Erikson's writing is something I can gush about forever. He has a way with words and I never fail to get immersed in the story. Blood Follows opens up with bells ringing which signify the death of someone important. Just a few sentences in and I was eager to read on.
The missing star comes down to the enfing of this one feeling rushed. Right when the murder mystery part of the story really got going, we are slapped with a conclusion. I wish it had been longer, but enjoyed just about everything present.
While this novella is there to introduce characters, it is a murder mystery at it's heart. Korbal Broach and Bauchelain are two characters that drive these novellas, but Emancipor Reese carried this one for me. All three characters briefly appeared un Memories of Ice so I wouldn't recommend reading this one until you have read MoI.
Erikson's writing is something I can gush about forever. He has a way with words and I never fail to get immersed in the story. Blood Follows opens up with bells ringing which signify the death of someone important. Just a few sentences in and I was eager to read on.
The missing star comes down to the enfing of this one feeling rushed. Right when the murder mystery part of the story really got going, we are slapped with a conclusion. I wish it had been longer, but enjoyed just about everything present.
December 4, 2017
Give me a murder mystery/investigation - and watch me struggling not to jump off a window.
Closed one. I was in a rush.
'In the port city of Lamentable Moll, a diabolical killer stalks the streets and panic grips the citizens like a fever. As Emancipor Reese's legendary ill luck would have it, his pre...' - oh come on!
Closed one. I was in a rush.
'In the port city of Lamentable Moll, a diabolical killer stalks the streets and panic grips the citizens like a fever. As Emancipor Reese's legendary ill luck would have it, his pre...' - oh come on!
June 4, 2016
3.5*'s. Certainly not epic like the main series but some good tongue in cheek caustic humor.
September 30, 2024
20 malazan books down
December 15, 2024
3/5
Fun introduction to the characters. Very little happens and was not as funny as I had hoped.
Fun introduction to the characters. Very little happens and was not as funny as I had hoped.
June 17, 2024
ReRead 2024
Re-reading this as part of the chronological attempt to go through the seriese. There are lots of people making recomendations regarding the complete order including one on Redditt who has you reading prologs and specific chapters and books. That sounds too much like work. I'm going to follow a more general order.
I enjoyed this more as part of the re-read than the first time. I enjoyed Seargent Guld still but this time I was struck by how often Bauchelain went out of his way to avoid killing people. Certainly not because of his morals, but because it would be simpler to not.
This is a novella set in the Malazan Empire world. This story (and several of the next) follow the doings of two sorcerers that have bit parts in the larger Malazan story line. Bauchelain and Korbal Broach are in the city of Moll where a string of murders has occurred frightening most of the inhabitants. The story jumps from POV to POV with each chapter. The most interesting POV was that of the cities watch sergeant, Guld. A war veteran and a clever man as he seeks to find out who the murderer is.
The story also gives the background of the manservant of the sorcerers, Emancipor Reese. His story is a bumbling series of one mistake after another until he ends up leaving town with the sorcerers just as Sergeant Guld discovers who the murderer really is. His dawning understanding of what he is now mixed up with and his reasons for staying with it are fascinating to read.
For such a short book it was still slow reading. Erikson's prose demands attention and deserves it as well.
Re-reading this as part of the chronological attempt to go through the seriese. There are lots of people making recomendations regarding the complete order including one on Redditt who has you reading prologs and specific chapters and books. That sounds too much like work. I'm going to follow a more general order.
I enjoyed this more as part of the re-read than the first time. I enjoyed Seargent Guld still but this time I was struck by how often Bauchelain went out of his way to avoid killing people. Certainly not because of his morals, but because it would be simpler to not.
This is a novella set in the Malazan Empire world. This story (and several of the next) follow the doings of two sorcerers that have bit parts in the larger Malazan story line. Bauchelain and Korbal Broach are in the city of Moll where a string of murders has occurred frightening most of the inhabitants. The story jumps from POV to POV with each chapter. The most interesting POV was that of the cities watch sergeant, Guld. A war veteran and a clever man as he seeks to find out who the murderer is.
The story also gives the background of the manservant of the sorcerers, Emancipor Reese. His story is a bumbling series of one mistake after another until he ends up leaving town with the sorcerers just as Sergeant Guld discovers who the murderer really is. His dawning understanding of what he is now mixed up with and his reasons for staying with it are fascinating to read.
For such a short book it was still slow reading. Erikson's prose demands attention and deserves it as well.
September 9, 2023
Piccola novella fresca e briosa, scritta in un inglese di difficoltà alta (più che altro per il lessico) con alcune delle aberrazioni solite di Erikson che più che capire si intuiscono (push&pull, gli warrens), specialmente se si è arrugginiti come me.
Dopo poco torna il ricordo e gli ammoccamenti. 4 stelle sulla fiducia, perché accade pochissimo. Ma come al solito gli abbozzi sono magnifici.
Dopo poco torna il ricordo e gli ammoccamenti. 4 stelle sulla fiducia, perché accade pochissimo. Ma come al solito gli abbozzi sono magnifici.
February 10, 2019
It's more the tale of Emancipator and his attempts to avoid his (faithful??) wife and his (??) children.
If you read it in that perspective, it's almost a hilarious story. And I had great fun going through it!
If you read it in that perspective, it's almost a hilarious story. And I had great fun going through it!
May 19, 2016
Interesting. A basic back story with some interesting passages.
Not a necessary read ( doesn't have information ) that will enrich the Malazan series. Yet, an interesting read.
Not a necessary read ( doesn't have information ) that will enrich the Malazan series. Yet, an interesting read.
September 24, 2018
Before re-reading "Memories of Ice" I thought it worthwhile to read some short tales about everyone's favourite necromancers and how they met Emanicpor Reese. Worth it.
June 28, 2021
Inizia da qui la mia avventura in questo mondo gigantesco. Questo primo racconto mi è piaciuto moltissimo grazie allo stile altalenate tra descrizioni suggestive, discorsi fluidi e caratterizzanti e azioni interessanti.
Si tratta di un piccolo assaggio in un mondo immenso, un assaggio che ho gradito davvero molto!
Si tratta di un piccolo assaggio in un mondo immenso, un assaggio che ho gradito davvero molto!
August 9, 2016
”Who the hell are these guys? What is their purpose and why am I reading about them?”
That was the thought that dominated my mind at the conclusion of Blood Follows, this first short story of three that I would be reading ahead of Memories of Ice about title characters Korbal Broach and Bauchelain.
We are introduced to Emancipor Reese, jobless and luckless in a bit of a hole in the wall of a port city called Lamentable Moll. He sort of dumb luck’s his way into employment as a manservant of Bauchelain. Meanwhile, a serial killer is loose on the streets that has the city’s chief inspector Guld on edge and seeking retribution for the violence done. The events lead to a chain reaction of sorts as things beings to unravel within the city.
What doesn’t unravel by the end of this story, however, is who and what these two foreigners and newcomers that the story seems to revolve around.
Now generally, I don’t find that feeling to be a good thing for a book. But this is Malazan, where nothing is handed to the reader and it takes awhile for things to ever really be fully explained, if they ever are explained. Also, this story was less than 100 pages long. And the contents of the tale was really more of an introduction of sorts.
So I decided to give this the benefit of the doubt and held off on writing a review until after I finished the next two short stories.
Well, two novellas and close to 300 pages later, I still can’t say I know who, what and why I’m reading about the adventures of Bauchelain and Broach. But early in the third and final short story, I’ve kind of made my peace with it.
Granted, I probably would have liked this story much more if I did have a little more background on our two elusive subjects, but that just wasn't meant to be.
Here's the thing; we don’t need to know an individual’s purpose, nor do we ever truly need to know who and what they are. The fact that most stories kind of hand this information to you is more of a courtesy to make things easier on the reader than a requirement of reading.
In real life, some people just are, for no other reason than that’s just how they do things. Which is really how Bauchelain and Korbal Broach exists. They’re kind of like a chaotic neutral force. Neither good nor evil, they just are. Sure they may do things that some may not view as being kosher in any rational world, but it doesn’t come from a bad place necessarily either. It’s just the things they feel they need to do in order to survive this cruel world.
All we need to know is that whatever they are, they either will or have made a huge impact on their world. This much I do know, if not truly after the first book, then certainly after the third, that they are powerful enough to be capable of shifting the balance of power whatever way they so choose.
Maybe that is their intent; although likely it wasn’t. Honestly, it feels as if the chaos that they draw is just how things seems to work out for them and they kind of just shrug and take what comes at them in stride.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what they are and is likely not ours to know. Anymore than it was Guld’s to know their reasons for being in his city doing whatever it was that drew them there to begin with.
That was the thought that dominated my mind at the conclusion of Blood Follows, this first short story of three that I would be reading ahead of Memories of Ice about title characters Korbal Broach and Bauchelain.
We are introduced to Emancipor Reese, jobless and luckless in a bit of a hole in the wall of a port city called Lamentable Moll. He sort of dumb luck’s his way into employment as a manservant of Bauchelain. Meanwhile, a serial killer is loose on the streets that has the city’s chief inspector Guld on edge and seeking retribution for the violence done. The events lead to a chain reaction of sorts as things beings to unravel within the city.
What doesn’t unravel by the end of this story, however, is who and what these two foreigners and newcomers that the story seems to revolve around.
Now generally, I don’t find that feeling to be a good thing for a book. But this is Malazan, where nothing is handed to the reader and it takes awhile for things to ever really be fully explained, if they ever are explained. Also, this story was less than 100 pages long. And the contents of the tale was really more of an introduction of sorts.
So I decided to give this the benefit of the doubt and held off on writing a review until after I finished the next two short stories.
Well, two novellas and close to 300 pages later, I still can’t say I know who, what and why I’m reading about the adventures of Bauchelain and Broach. But early in the third and final short story, I’ve kind of made my peace with it.
Granted, I probably would have liked this story much more if I did have a little more background on our two elusive subjects, but that just wasn't meant to be.
Here's the thing; we don’t need to know an individual’s purpose, nor do we ever truly need to know who and what they are. The fact that most stories kind of hand this information to you is more of a courtesy to make things easier on the reader than a requirement of reading.
In real life, some people just are, for no other reason than that’s just how they do things. Which is really how Bauchelain and Korbal Broach exists. They’re kind of like a chaotic neutral force. Neither good nor evil, they just are. Sure they may do things that some may not view as being kosher in any rational world, but it doesn’t come from a bad place necessarily either. It’s just the things they feel they need to do in order to survive this cruel world.
All we need to know is that whatever they are, they either will or have made a huge impact on their world. This much I do know, if not truly after the first book, then certainly after the third, that they are powerful enough to be capable of shifting the balance of power whatever way they so choose.
Maybe that is their intent; although likely it wasn’t. Honestly, it feels as if the chaos that they draw is just how things seems to work out for them and they kind of just shrug and take what comes at them in stride.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what they are and is likely not ours to know. Anymore than it was Guld’s to know their reasons for being in his city doing whatever it was that drew them there to begin with.
April 19, 2020
What this book is about:
We are in Lamentable Moll where a series of murders - 11 so far - have taken place over the course of 11 nights. The people are panicking and Sergeant Guld is appointed the task of finding the killer by King Seljure. Meanwhile, Emancipor Reese, a man with a legendary ill luck, is looking for a new job. His previous employer was one of the 11 victims of the vicious murderer, but Reese cannot afford unemployment. Lucky for him though, two mysterious new-comers are looking for a new manservant and he might just be the right man for the job!
This is a novella from the short series of Bauchelain & Korbal Broach and its suggested reading order (according to the Malazan Wikia) is after both Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates of the main series: Malazan the Book of the Fallen. In order to follow and fully understand this book and some concepts presented in it, you need to have read at least the first book of the main series. As a novella, Blood Follows is quite short which is unusual of Erikson. The descriptions of the places were shorter but concise and definitely created a dark, mysterious and creepy atmosphere throughout the book. Although Erikson only used 100 or so pages he still managed to create vivid,complex characters and a quite sick but intriguing storyline. And lets not forget the twisted, dark humour which was abundant in this book as it is also in the main series.
This novella was a nice, fast and lighter read than the big, chunky books of the Malazan series. I flew through it in two days and I had a good time reading it, so I will be reading more of these small novellas again soon. But if you don't feel like reading them, these short stories are not integral parts in the Malazan series and you are definitely not missing something important. Still, I would recommend checking this one out, especially if you are undertaking the Malazan project (like I am) as it's a nice, quick addition to the Erikson tomes.
We are in Lamentable Moll where a series of murders - 11 so far - have taken place over the course of 11 nights. The people are panicking and Sergeant Guld is appointed the task of finding the killer by King Seljure. Meanwhile, Emancipor Reese, a man with a legendary ill luck, is looking for a new job. His previous employer was one of the 11 victims of the vicious murderer, but Reese cannot afford unemployment. Lucky for him though, two mysterious new-comers are looking for a new manservant and he might just be the right man for the job!
This is a novella from the short series of Bauchelain & Korbal Broach and its suggested reading order (according to the Malazan Wikia) is after both Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates of the main series: Malazan the Book of the Fallen. In order to follow and fully understand this book and some concepts presented in it, you need to have read at least the first book of the main series. As a novella, Blood Follows is quite short which is unusual of Erikson. The descriptions of the places were shorter but concise and definitely created a dark, mysterious and creepy atmosphere throughout the book. Although Erikson only used 100 or so pages he still managed to create vivid,complex characters and a quite sick but intriguing storyline. And lets not forget the twisted, dark humour which was abundant in this book as it is also in the main series.
And thank Hood for the rat-hunters, the fearless bastards will spit at a warlock's feet if that spit was the last water on earth.
This novella was a nice, fast and lighter read than the big, chunky books of the Malazan series. I flew through it in two days and I had a good time reading it, so I will be reading more of these small novellas again soon. But if you don't feel like reading them, these short stories are not integral parts in the Malazan series and you are definitely not missing something important. Still, I would recommend checking this one out, especially if you are undertaking the Malazan project (like I am) as it's a nice, quick addition to the Erikson tomes.
November 18, 2021
The re-read was fun, and I almost raised my rating to 4 stars before realizing that would be rating on the reward of what is to come. The next two novellas are the creme de la creme of this series, but they'd be lessened without this opening title. That said, this is a rather tough bit of reading to absorb, and I anticipate much questioning by my newly introduced co-reader. I am also dismayed at the surprising amount of editorial grammatical snafus that abound in this first edition from PS. Bauchelain and Reese remain the delightfully awesome characters of memory.
April 24, 2017
This book based on a murder investigation felt like a filler, nothing much in it besides some character introduction, just when things started getting interesting it got over. Also the starting is so confusing and exhausting felt like dropping the book, one can easily give it a miss without losing anything from main Malzan plot.
With the many characters introduced, the short story could easily have spun into a full-fledged novel, this felt like the introduction chapter.
With the many characters introduced, the short story could easily have spun into a full-fledged novel, this felt like the introduction chapter.
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