The Bonehunters

Malazan Book of the Fallen #6

by Steven Erikson

The Seven Cities Rebellion has been crushed. Shaâ ik is dead. One last rebel force remains, holed up in the city of Yâ Ghatan and under the fanatical command of Leoman of the Flails. The prospect of laying siege to this ancient fortress makes the battle-weary Malaz 14th Army uneasy. For it was here that the Empireâ s greatest champion Dassem Ultor
was slain and a tide of Malazan blood spilled. A place of foreboding, its smell is of deathâ ¦

But elsewhere, agents of a far greater conflict have made their opening moves. The Crippled God has been granted a place in the pantheon, a schism threatens and sides must be chosen. Whatever each god decides, the ground rules have changed, irrevocably, terrifyingly, and the first blood spilled will be in the mortal world. A world which contains a
host of characters, familiar and new, including Heboric Ghost Hands, the god-possessed Apsalar, Cutter, once a thief now a killer, the extraordinary warrior called Karsa Orlong and the two wanderers Icarium and Mappo â each searching for such a fate as they might fashion with their own hands, guided by their own will. If only the gods would leave them alone.

But now that knives have been unsheathed, the gods are disinclined to be kind. There shall be war, war in the heavens. And the prize? Nothing less than existence itself â ¦ Here is the stunning new chapter in Steven Eriksonâ s magnificent Malazan Book of the Fallen â hailed as an epic of the imagination and acknowledged as a fantasy classic in the making.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

1232 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Steven 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...

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Brilliant is an understatement, The Bonehunters is a leviathan of a masterpiece in convergence.

With this installment, Steven Erikson has cemented himself as an irreplaceable author for the genre of epic and military fantasy. This is already the sixth book in the series and it’s simply unbelievable how he was able to keep producing such an amazing book. I thought Memories of Ice would end up being the absolute best installment of the series but as it turns out, The Bonehunters ended up being another best of the series so far; it’s truly up to the masterpiece quality of Memories of Ice and it's even superior if we're speaking of overall content. Let’s just say I’m honestly shocked by how incredible this installment was. It took six books of the series but I’m extremely confident about putting Erikson into my list of favorite authors of all time now.

Picture: The Bonehunters Lettered Edition cover art by Noah Bradley



It’s really difficult to review this book. Not only this installment is filled with enough content to fit an entire trilogy, The Bonehunters marks the first time Erikson converged almost all the plotlines, characters, and world-building within his previous five books into one. To save future readers who read this review from spoilers, I’m going to refrain from mentioning any characters’ name from now on and just explain what I loved about the book. The story of the book started after the end of House of Chains, which is approximately seven months after the epilogue in Memories of Ice. This was a story that revolved heavily around humanity, conceit, leadership, loyalty, companionship, life and death; and of course, gods, religion, and fanaticism.

“All those bickering worshippers, each one convinced their version is the right one. Imagine getting prayers from ten million believers, not one of them believing the same thing as the one kneeling beside him or her. Imagine all those Holy Books, not one of them agreeing on anything, yet all of them purporting to be the word of that one god. Imagine two armies annihilating each other, both in that god's name. Who wouldn't be driven mad by that?”

One of the main reason why this book stands out from all the other book in the series so far was due to one thing: pacing. Pacing-wise, it’s even better than Memories of Ice; I enjoyed reading literally every page of this tome. The previous installments, as amazing as they were, always had one or two plot lines that bored me; the Barghast subplot in Memories of Ice or the barrage of dream sequences in Midnight Tides to name a few. But in this book? None; there’s simply no dull moment here. Excluding Erikson’s improvement in writing skill and the converging of plotlines, the extraordinarily enjoyable pacing was achieved because unlike the previous five books, Erikson only introduced relatively few new characters in an already familiar settings here; the majority of the POV characters were someone we have known and accustomed with, in places we have been, like The Seven Cities and Malaz City (Not in BotF, but in Night of Knives). The flow of the book was never hindered; the balance between actions, dialogues, and philosophies culminate to bring the compelling ability of the book to a new height for the series.

I am simply in awe of the sheer characters’ development that engulfed this book. There was one character I really disliked but here I finally changed my mind. Plus, seeing all the world-building sprawled in the previous installments started to converge in one book was one heck of a rewarding experience. Erikson’s capability in constructing the scenes within each chapter while at the same time preparing the awesome setup for the next chapter was simply masterful; every page, every sentence, and every word, all of them have tremendous value in progressing the story, characters’ development, and world-building. However, the grand scope of the action sequences in this book in my opinion deserved an extra standing ovation.

“Show me a god that does not demand mortal suffering.
Show me a god that celebrates diversity, a celebration that embraces even non-believers, and is not threatened by them.
Show me a god that understands the meaning of peace. In life, not in death.”

Chapter seven of this book was roughly 120 pages long, that’s a size of a novella in a single chapter; for the majority of other epic fantasy series, what happened in this chapter alone could well be the conclusion their respective trilogy or series. However, instead of just one incredible action sequences in one chapter, Erikson gave another 100 pages long action sequence in the climax sequence of the book. In this climax sequences, Erikson displayed his superb improvement in writing close quarter combat scenes. The atmosphere, the precision accuracy in prose, the depiction and description of the military tactics and assassinations that shows the battle of cunning and wills were absolutely top-notch.

Erikson imbued the themes of this book into the brilliantly destructive action scenes. Once again, the power of sorcery in this series never ceases to impress me; they’re capable of shaking my heart as if there was really a trembling blast near my surroundings. Erikson painted an escapism experience of the highest level that can only be born from the imagination of the master of the genre. A cloud of darkness and death gathered; humanity must rise against god’s machinations once again. Giants, undead, and the descending gods, glory and despair battled for supremacy. With the addition of the berserkers in fanaticism and the searing firestorm that cloaked its victim in flame and boiling blood; all of these demonstrated a festival of destruction that humanity, gods, and fanaticism can bring and also at the same time, displayed a celebration of perseverance that made me shook my head in penitence and awe.

Picture: One of the interior artworks in the Subterranean edition by Noah Bradley



Erikson’s prose provided readers with visceral and vivid imagery; portraying savagery and brutality while making sure that they evoked meaning to the scenes, not just shock value. Horizon painted with smokes, palpable emotions and atmosphere; Erikson is a genius and he was able to inflict a massive amount of impact just by putting one short closing sentence in his chapters such as:

“The sun, rising to meet its own child.”

I don’t know how Erikson will be able to top this book with the remaining four books of the series; this is epic fantasy at its best and shows why I absolutely love the genre. The Bonehunters without a doubt was another one of those incredibly rare 6 out of 5 stars read. Reading the sixth book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen was truly a magnificent experience and just like Memories of Ice, it’s with temerity that I claim that The Bonehunters deserves to be included into one of the top ten novels I’ve ever read.

You can order the book HERE!

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my YouTube channel where I show my instant reactions upon finishing reading fantasy books.

One of the greatest fantasy books of all time

I am in awe with how good this book is, and it makes me sad to go through this series because I know that there is no other author besides Erikson who can deliver in the same way as he can.

If you are reading this review, you have either already read Malazan or are too daunted by the prospect of such an intimidating series. If you are in that later category, I implore you to give this series a try for at least the first three books. If you even get a fraction of the enjoyment that I have, you will be a very happy camper.

Without spoiling anything: the "Bonehunter" section of this book is perhaps my favorite moment of any fantasy book that has ever been written.

Malazan continues to impress, and is likely going to wind up as my favorite fantasy series of all time by the time I finish this series.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

On to the next!!!!!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Choko · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 5+++ ***

A buddy read with the ones who persist with the series @ BBB! Because we love us some crazy!!!

This is so unfair! How the heck do you write a review for a mega book like this? No way can you go into the plot, because it is a convergence of dozens of story arcs, colliding, exploding and continuing in new configurations from here on. You also could not name names, because that would be a spoiler too, in this world where characters survive impossible situations, rename themselves, are resurrected in different persons, dimensions or their souls continue on or are reborn into new bodies... So, if you mention names you give out who is still with us and who is not, who made it as their original form or who "ascended", nor can you say who traveled with whom, since that might give away some of the new alliances, which are constantly changing, while undercurrents and backstabbing are virulent. The only thing that I feel comfortable talking about is how I felt about the whole experience and if it is worth the time, which by itself is a big commitment.


"...'Yet, maybe concepts are all that's needed, if the purpose of the elements is to give shape and meaning to all that surrounds us on the outside, and all that guides us from within."..."


IT IS WORT IT!!! Is it an easy read? Hell no! It is one of those books that you might give a bit more time because even I, who am very good at remembering arcs and players and usually have no problem figuring things out, even I had to return to previously read pages and check again on a name and see who did something, because the details, the action, and the stories within the story, on top of the vast mythology and history of the Malazan World, are monumentally vast and the smallest details matter.


"...'What you don’t understand, Cutter, is the spiritual necessity for reward, not to mention the clarity that comes to one’s mind during such repasts. And in not understanding, you instead feel resentment, which sours the blood in your heart and makes you bitter. It’s that bitterness that kills people, you know, it eats them up inside.’

He studied her. ‘Meaning, I’m actually jealous?’

‘Of course you are, but because I can empathize with you, I am comfortable withholding judgement. Tell me, can you say the same for yourself?"..."


However, the writing itself is so beautiful, so sharp, so witty, so colorful, so flowery or simple, depending on the situation, that I am in love!!! The Malazan World is at a constant war and war is ugly and cruel. The atrocities of this constant battle for survival might overwhelm the reader with their seemingly meaningless perpetuation, but the strong plot lines, the way an arc started in book one or two finds its continuation in books five or six, the way some of our core characters are always there to center the story for us, and the constant introduction of new quirky and crazy characters with hilarious logic and laughter-inducing banter, make this otherwise tragic themes not only bearable, but even enjoyable!


"...‘Alas,’ she said, leaning now on the rail, her face to the wind, ‘there is nothing simple in seeking to oppose such a host of threats. First, one must recognize them, and to achieve that one must think in the long term; and then one must discern the intricate linkages that exist between all things, the manner in which one problem feeds into another. From there, one must devise solutions and finally, one must motivate the population into concerted effort, and not just one’s own population, but that of the neighboring kingdoms, all of whom are participating in the slow self-destruction. Tell me, can you imagine such a leader ever coming to power? Or staying there for long? Me neither. The hoarders of wealth will band together to destroy such a man or woman.’"..."


While my whole being rebels at the faith of some of the children and the horrors inflicted upon them, braking and twisting their humanity, it is balanced by the strength and perseverance of those who make it, not unscathed, but overcome and still striving for a better future. While I am frozen with horror at the idea of thousands of civilians and soldiers dying in a fiery inferno, the coping mechanisms the survivors employ in order to make it through, as self-destructive as they otherwise might be, are a true study of the human strive for life under extreme conditions. While the seriousness of wasting human and animal lives for reasons most who do suffer have nothing to do with, is very important and not a laughing matter, the irony, satire and humor the old soldiers are still capable of is why I feel pure joy when some of those moments of relief come. No one emerges as perfect or heroic, but some are just more humane than others, and those who can survive a horror of this proportions and keep a softer spot in their hearts, those are the ones that end up stealing the readers' hearts.


"...So much had changed inside him. He was no believer in causes, not any more. Certainty was an illusion, a lie. Fanaticism was poison in the soul, and the first victim in its inexorable, ever-growing list was compassion. Who could speak of freedom, when one’s own soul was bound in chains?
He thought, now, finally, that he understood Toblakai.
And it was all too late. This grand revelation. Thus, I die a wise man, not a fool. Is there any difference? I still die, after all.
No, there is. I can feel it. That difference – I have cast off my chains. I have cast them off!"..."


The story itself starts several months after the previous finished. The action is in Seven Cities with the Malazan Fourteenth Army, headed by Adjunct Tavore Paran and nick-named by her The Bonehunters, are in pursuit of the remnants of the Whirlwind rebellion and its leader. They take a stand in Y'Ghatan, the city which in itself is a leading lady, with its architecture, history and character. The intensity of this battle there and what followed was good for a book of its own! I thought that just in several sentences of this book I had more emotions and vivid pictures in my mind than I have had in some series!!! We also have the arcs agitated by Cotillion, Shadow Throne and his revenge on the Empress, The Nameless Ones pulling the strings of one very confused Icarium, and the very independent of mind Karsa Orlong, who just gets better with every page! We also get my favorite crazy demon, ghosts, or just insane priest and a mule, who collectively are responsible for my complete joy and manic laughter in the time it took me to read this:):):) I love them all!!!


"..."It's a fact that men don’t need words, but women do. We have penises, after all. Who needs words when you have a penis?"..."


I concentrate on the humor, because it was badly needed and very welcome while reading the book. The thematic of the series as a whole is not funny nor easy, it is downright harsh and uncomfortable. There were moments when I felt Steven Erikson was a prophet, predicting the reasons and the appearance of our political leaders of today, as well as perfectly explaining why people still support them and let the bad things roll... The complete dismissal of facts and the art of weaving stories in a way to change history and the meaning behind historical events, and the utter normalization of fiction above all reality, makes for a society of victims, all screaming for justice, when such is impossible if the truth is not only ignored, but distorted in such a way, that it becomes unrecognizable. This is the path to dystopia, the way for a world to mirror Malazan, the complete obliteration of innocence... No, it is not a comfortable read, but I cherished every second of it!!!


"...“Burdens were born from the loss of innocence. Naïveté. While the innocent yearned to lose their innocence, those who had already done so in turn envied the innocent, and knew grief in what they had lost. Between the two, no exchange of truths was possible. He sensed the completion of an internal journey, and Paran found he did not appreciate recognizing that fact, nor the place where he now found himself. It did not suit him that ignorance remained inextricably bound to innocence, and the loss of one meant the loss of the other.”..."


This book, this series, is awesome!!! If you have the inclination and the time to give it some concentrated attention, I strongly recommend it!!!!


Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what You Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!!

[TS Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malazan Book of the Fallen really hit its stride coming into its sixth chapter of this massive tale. However, now that we have moved past the midway point of the series, it will get more and more difficult to compose a review without giving away too much. As such, you may see the length of these reviews getting shorter as I progress towards the finale.

Firstly, I have to say that in The Bonehunters, Erikson started to reveal a larger picture of the intricate tapestry that he has so masterfully woven. Almost every character that we have met from the beginning and their respective arcs or subplots were coming together to form a more cohesive narrative across all the volumes of the series so far. While the prose maintained its dense philosophical slant, the books were progressively getting easier to read. Easier being solely relative to its predecessors.

The return of familiar and favourite faces was definitely a welcomed change after being taken off tangent in Midnight Tides. However, I do recognise that the confluence of all the various seemingly disconnected plots would not be appreciated as much without the lengthy and periodically disjointed journey a reader of this series had to undertake.

As long as the book was, the pacing was almost spot on. The multiple switches between POVs in a single book chapter (which can be very long in itself) worked really well, conveying a tension of what's happening 'on-screen' in a cinematic manner. As much as Erikson excelled at internalisation of the mind and soul, albeit a bit too much sometimes, he was also superbly adept at visualisation and crafting landscapes or scenes that befit its grimdark tag. One can also call the level of sorcery in this series to be ridiculously OP but in the course of this reread, I found it somewhat appropriate.

So. Much. Power!

Art by Noah Bradley

With the numerous characters, both familiar and new, and almost too many individual arcs or subplots to bother counting, I will only mention the highlights of this book for me. Without a doubt, character development continued to shine. The novel was mainly for me an empathetic story about soldiers. The Adjunct and her Fourteenth Army took up a significant chunk of the book and I am ever glad for it. While we were given glimpses of how the Bridgeburners were created, all that happened in the past. The forging of the Bonehunters was portrayed with much conviction. The interactions between these soldiers are both hilarious and heart-warming at the same time; hope, faith and friendship with lots of black humour and sarcasm. And to quote an in-world poem titled Soldier Dying:

"When the day knew only darkness
the wind a mute beggar stirring ashes and stars
in the discarded pools beneath the old
retaining wall, down where the white rivers of
sand slip grain by grain into the unseen,
and every foundation is but a moment
from a horizon's stagger, I found myself
among friends and so was made at ease
with my modest list of farewells."

The Master of Deck taking control was a joy to behold. It was infinitely fascinating to gain some understanding of what powers or capabilities were availed to him. As he slotted himself into the war between gods, all hidden and not-so-hidden hands moving pieces on a massive chessboard, it was heartening to see how he finally embraced his role.

"Mess with mortals, and you pay."

Then we have the shadowy ones. Cotillion furthered his conquest up my favourite character list with his empathy and compassion. Shadowthrone had been an enigma and still remained more or less as such. As such, his direct intervention in the matters at hand was intriguing and pretty cool to witness. What endgame was these two ultimately working towards? At this point, I have no idea.

"The webs are set. And the traps, in their elaborate elegance, were never empty for long."

A testament to Erikson's ability to draw a climax, each volume's had so far been epic and this one was no less so. A night of betrayal under a sorrowful refrain of a fiddle, a befitting soundtrack to the hatred, violence and vengeance unleashed within a fateful city. The action scenes were bloody in a manner that only assassins can muster from gruesome killing tempered with finesse and skills which boggle the mind. The book then ended with closing threads that point to a greater convergence of powers that have yet to come.

"And so we weep for the fallen. We weep for those yet to fall, and in war the screams are loud and harsh and in peace the wail is so drawn-out we tell ourselves we hear nothing.
And so this music is a lament, and I am doomed to hear its bittersweet notes for a lifetime."

You can purchase the book from Book Depository (Free Shipping).

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review now posted!

When you reach a certain point in a large series it’s hard not to be repetitive in your reviews. Not about the specific book you are reviewing, but your thoughts and what you enjoyed about it. So, bear with me if this looks like I plagiarized myself from a previous review.

“As with all things, layer settles upon layer, and in time the deepest, darkest ones become forgotten – yet they have shaped all that lies above”

HOLY SHIT! This book was amazing. The Bonehunters is vying for my top spot out of the six books I have read so far. It will be hard to beat MOI, but it is right there with it. The story starts out back in Seven Cities with the Malazan Fourteenth Army in pursuit of what remains of the Whirlwind rebellion. The end result of this meeting would put the final sequence of most books to shame, but it’s not even halfway through the damn book. Unbelievable! Meanwhile we have the separate story arcs of Cutter, Karsa Orlong, Icarium and Mappo, Apsalar, Trull Sengar, and Ganoes Paran. There are a couple of new story arcs thrown in the mix too, but the majority are familiar characters from previous books. At 1,200+ pages this is one gigantic work of literature. This was a 3 week expedition for me, so be sure to clear your calendar before you crack open this tome.

What you can expect in The Bonehunters?

Some of the gods start to play a more active role in this installment. Not that they were idle before, but they are starting to show their intentions a bit more. A push here or a nudge there. Who is to blame if a believer in a specific god commits an atrocious act in that god’s name? The believer or the god?

“The gods place knives into our mortal hands, and need do nothing more.”

There are some awesome battle scenes and fights in this book. One on one and involving many different characters. If you are a sucker for these like me, then you are in for a treat. Not just the action itself, but who they include.

“This is what you were born to do. You are the final weapon of justice – do not waver before this flood of inequity. Feed upon what you have witnessed – and all that we might see on the voyage ahead. Feed on it, to fuel the justice within you – until it is blinding with power.”

It’s no doubt one of Erickson’s strong points is how he ends each book. The final sequence in The Bonehunters is no exception, and it occurs in a place we have spent very little time until now. I didn’t feel there was a big build up to the end of this one like in some of the other books. More of a steady progression to a final destination that all goes to hell. It delivers with flying limbs, surprising revelations, and unforeseen betrayals. If definitely succeeded in closing this chapter and setting up events to come in the next book.

This is a huge series to take on. It can seem daunting when looking from the outside in, but believe me when I say it is so worth reading. One of the best series out there and it is completed. So, no waiting around for the next book. You can just devour them at your own pace. Or you can take the advice my GR mate Craig gave me, “No breaks, go, go!” Either way, your collection is incomplete if you are a fantasy reader and you don’t have The Malazan book of the Fallen series in it.

[Markus · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A war is coming. Only a few years away. And it will, I suspect, draw into its fray virtually every ascendant from all the realms."

This sixth book seems to be a full convergence of all the important characters and plotlines of the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Seven Cities, Malaz City and the Letherii Empire; the former Bridgeburners, the remnant of the Fourteenth Army and the Apocalypse, all the greatest and most cunning ascendants and generals. Icarium, Trull Sengar and Karsa Orlong. They are all gathered on the pages of this giant tome of a book.

The rebellion in Seven Cities is now totally crushed. But dark times are ahead for the Malazan Empire. New enemies await outside and inside the corridors of power. The pieces of the board are moving in new directions. And hidden intrigues are mixed with open battles as the future of the world begins to unravel.

I'll have to concur with the popular view that The Bonehunters is probably the best book in the Malazan series. So far, that is.

Malazan Book of the Fallen reviews:
#1 Gardens of the Moon
#2 Deadhouse Gates
#3 Memories of Ice
#4 House of Chains
#5 Midnight Tides
#6 The Bonehunters
#7 Reaper's Gale
#8 Toll the Hounds
#9 Dust of Dreams
#10 The Crippled God

[Deborah Obida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never bargain with a man who has nothing to lose.

Its official, this series is now my favourite series, it keeps getting better with each book. This book even surpassed MOI, my former favourite in the series. Here we are reunited with the old characters that we know and love, with some new ones. The events in this book happened after HoC and MT, finally a normal succession. There is no shortage if race or religion in this book, this book is so diverse and the female characters are as great as the male ones, not to mention the representations of handicapped and Simpletons.

Certainty was an illusion, a lie. Fanaticism was poison in the soul, and the first victim in its inexorable, ever-growing list was compassion. Who could speak of freedom, when one's own soul was bound in chains?

World building and Writing
The world building and writing just keep getting better, Each book has at least one new location with explicit world buildings, not the type that the author will use pages to depict it, no just a paragraph and the location is imprinted in your mind. The writing is amazing, we have some new characters and POVs but that is not new in Malazan, the only issue I have here is the internal monologue, this book has more of that than the previous ones. Just like its previous books this is also written in third person multiple POVs.

We are contrary creatures, us humans, but that isn't something we need be afraid of, or even much troubled by. And if you make a list of those people who worship consistency, you'll find they're one and all tyrants or would-be tyrants. Ruling over thousands, or over a husband or a wife, or some cowering child. Never fear contradiction, Cutter, it is the very heart of diversity.

Characters
The Bonehunters which include Tavore and the whole 14th army, the 14th is far becoming another Bridgeburner, their banter is out of this world, even when death is staring them in the face. Some of my favourites in the 14th include Strings, Bottle, Balm, Gesler, Stormy, Hellian the drunkard, Lastora Yil, Nil and Nether and a host of others.

'The captain been by since?'
'No. The bitch. We're going to kill her, you know.'
'Really. Well, I won't shed any tears. Who is this "we" anyway?'
'Me and Cuttle. He'll distract her, I'll stick a knife in her back. Tonight.'
'Fist Keneb will have you strung up, you know.'
'We'll make it look like an accident.'

'Wipe that grin off your face, Lieutenant,' Kindly said, 'or I'll conclude you've lost your mind and promote you.'
'Apologies, Captain, I promise I won't do it again. Please don't promote me.'
'You two are idiots,' Faradan Sort said.

'Waste, Flashwit. They're soldiers, for Treach's sake. Soldiers. So who needs brains to soldier? They just get in the way of soldierin' and it's no good things gettin' in the way. They figure things out and that gives 'em opinions and then maybe they don't want t'fight as much no more.'
'Why wouldn't they want to fight no more 'cause of 'pinions?'
'It's simple, Flashwit. Trust me. If soldiers thought too much about what they're doin', they wouldn't fight no more.'

This series features the best duos ever, and more than one made an appearance in this book.
Quick Ben and Kalam are back and more mischievous than ever, these two are the best and worst at the same time, that depends whether or not they are on your side, it’ll be bad to be against them. A High Mage and an Assassin as best friends.

'Careful, he might toss a sharper at your feet. He don't like assassins.'
'Who does?' Quick Ben commented.
Kalam frowned. 'And here I thought I was popular ... at least with my friends.'
'We're only playing it safe, Kalam.'
'Thanks, Quick, I'll remember that.'

Trull and Onrack, this is the weirdo duo, a Tiste Edur and a T’lan Imass, how they became friends is so surprising, they are both honourable and great warriors, can’t wait for more of them.

Icarium and Mappo are also here, anytime I read their part it makes me so emotional, I either want to curse the Nameless Ones or outright curse them, to say they are wicked is an understatement, I hope Mappo succeeds.

Karsa Orlong and Samar Dev, yeah Karsa with someone else, reading this remind me if how far he has come, the old Karsa won’t even befriend a human and a woman for that matter, Torvald really did a number on him. Am so loving the mature him. His conversations with Samar is one of my favourite things in this book, he even listens to her.

My beloved Cotillion has a POV, though it was sporadic I loved it, it helped me to know him better, he is so unlike a god, even Trull and Apsalar said that, I hope he doesn’t change, not that it will stop me from loving him.

'We first met him,' Cotillion said slowly, 'the night we ascended. The night we made passage into the realm of Shadow. He made my spine crawl right then, and it's been crawling ever since.'
She glanced over at him. 'You are so unsuited to be a god, Cotillion, did you know that?'
'Thank you for the vote of confidence.'

We got a scene with Laseen and I want to say this if I haven’t said this already I loathe the bitch, I never liked the traitorous bitch cause of what happened with Kelanved and Dancer, but somehow she gets worse.

Barothol Methkar , Kalam’s cousin and Spite, Envy’s sister are some of the new characters.


Apsalar was also in this, she is even more badass that even Shadowthrone had to compliment her. Ganoes Paran is in this too. Same as Cutter, Scillara, Felisin Younger, Heboric, Iskaral Pust, Mogora his wife etc.

Plot
The Bonehunters chased Leoman to Y’Ghatan a cursed city in the Seven Cities. Apsalar is on a mission for the Shadow realm. Trull and Onrack are where we left them in HOC. Ganoes is back from retirement, Cotillion is on a personal quest, The Edur are invading more than the Letherii, Karsa is on a mysterious journey and many more.

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another fantastic instalment in the Malazan series. This series is definitely one of the very best! It had all the usual stuff that makes the Malazan books such an exciting read. Fantastic world building, a complex plot, a huge cast of characters each with their own set of motivations and goals, an incredibly cool magic system, fantastic action scenes featuring battles that were both mundane and sorcerous in nature, dragons, demons, strange non-human creatures, and a whole bunch of meddlesome gods! Add to that the fact that Erikson has an engaging writing style and his dialogue is always witty and entertaining.

In this sixth Malazan Book of the Fallen instalment the action focused on three major story arcs:
1. The ending of the Seven Cities rebellion. Sha'ik may be dead by Tavore and the 14th army still need to deal with Leoman of the Flails and the last remaining rebel army.
2. A brewing ciivil war withing the Malazan Empire itself.
3. The war of the Gods.
All the story arcs were entertaining and included a whole host of surprises along the way!

The cast for Bonehunters included a real mix of characters from the last 5 books as well as a few interesting newcomers. It is always good to follow the old Bridgeburner guys like Quick Ben, Kalam, Fiddler, and Ganoes Paran. It was good to catch up with other old favourites like Cutter, Apsalar, Karsa, Lostara, Trull, and Mappo. Then you had the Gods and Ascendants like Icarium, Shadowthrone, and Cotillion throwing their weight around. We finally saw what Icarium was capable of in this book and it was a scary as advertised!

I know some fans have a problem with Erikson's tendency to indulge in a tiny bit of philosophizing but it does not bother me. Mostly because I tend to agree with his opinions!

I really loved Bonehunters. I think the books in this series might be getting better as they go.

Rating: 5 stars.

Audio Note: Micheal Page was fantastic with the audio.

[Overhaul · Rating 5 out of 5]

"No se puede, no de debe, subestimar a Tronosombrío"

La rebelión de Siete Ciudades ha sido por fin aplastada. Queda una última fuerza rebelde oculta en la ciudad de Y'Ghatan bajo el mando fanático de Leoman de los Mayales.

La perspectiva de sitiar esta antigua fortaleza inquieta al agotado Decimocuarto Ejército de Malaz. Fue allí donde cayó asesinado el mejor paladín del Imperio y se derramó una marea de sangre malazana.

Pero eso no es más que una distracción. Hay agentes de un conflicto mucho mayor que ya han empezado sus primeros movimientos.

Al dios Tullido se le ha concedido un lugar en el panteón y amenaza con abrirse un cisma.

Hay que elegir bando. Pero decida lo que decida cada dios, las reglas han cambiado, y la primera sangre que caerá será en el mundo de los mortales.

Un prólogo, otro más a añadir la lista, genial y muy arácnido. Nos vuelve a mostrar la maestría de Erikson a la hora de crear, moldear, cambiar y dar giros sorpresa desde civilizaciones, todas sus costumbres, diversas religiones, diversas razas, arquitectura, ciencia y tecnología, magia, personajes y personalidades.

IMPECABLE, IMPRESIONANTE.

Malaz se ha consolidado, tras este libro como la mejor saga de fantasía épica y militar. Sexto libro de esta titánica saga y es increíble cómo Erikson puede seguir creando, libro tras libro, tan asombrosos. Pensé que "Memorias de Hielo" sería la mejor entrega de la saga, pero "Los Cazahuesos" tiene algo que decir al respecto.

Marca algo importante, Erikson convergió casi todas las tramas, personajes y la construcción del mundo dentro de sus cinco libros anteriores en uno.

Una historia épica en la que vuelven las locuras del ejército malazano, joder, que colgados xomo me gustan.

Ver lo que es una campaña, un asedio que no es como ver una película, se tardan meses o años, ver la unión que se forja entre el Decimocuarto y como pasan el tiempo con sus locura.

Cómo ven e intentan llevar el miedo constante o antes de entrar en batalla, es de lo mejorcito militar que he leído nunca.

Esa tensión, el miedo, la lealtad, las decisiones pues todo cambia, da vueltas, la rueda gira y en un momento te introduce a un personaje que en una sola página te cae ya bien, y luego muere.

Esa incertidumbre de qué pasará y a quién. Ver cómo todas esas tramas se juntan.

Gira en torno a la humanidad, la presunción, el liderazgo, la lealtad, el compañerismo, la vida y la muerte; y por supuesto, dioses, religión y fanatismo. El camino de Apsalar en este libro me encanto, sombras y asesinatos. Cotillon un dios y cómo termina en el libro. Brillante.

Con Malaz no puedes dar NADA por sentado, nunca, es básicamente IMPOSIBLE anticiparse a Erikson y qué hará o hacia donde.

Toques de locura y muchísimo humor, del bueno.

El regreso de caras familiares y diálogos que leería una y otra vez fue definitivamente un cambio grabde después de haber sido sacado de la tangente en "Mareas de Medianoche:.

Sin embargo, la confluencia de casi todas las tramas aparentemente desconectadas no se apreciaría tanto sin el largo y periódicamente inconexo viaje que un lector de esta serie tuvo que emprender. Delicioso, meticuloso y brutal.

Doy testimonio de la capacidad de Erikson para llegar al clímax, a lo inesperado y las sorpresas con cada volumen hasta ahora había sido épico y este algo más.

Como un director de orquesta, Erikson mueve la vatuta, guiando el odio, la violencia, la sangre y la venganza desatados dentro de una ciudad ya apocalíptica.

Todo es tan complejo, hay tantas cosas, tantos personajes que no sé que van a hacer o qué es lo que planean. Tronosombrío, mismo Tayschrenn y muchos más.

Las escenas de acción fueron sangrientas de una manera que solo los asesinos pueden lograr a partir de asesinatos espantosos templados con delicadeza y habilidades que aturden la mente. El libro terminó con hilos de cierre que apuntan a una mayor convergencia de poderes, personajes, revelaciones, decisiones, que aún está por venir. Los Cazahuesos han resurgido de las cenizas y escombros.

Una obra maestra de un maestro. Y ese final, esas escenas de Kalam. BRUTALES..⚔️💀⚔️

Las piezas del tablero se van acercando a su final aún todo muy desconocido pero todo está en camino y casi todo está dispuesto.

De lo que acontecerá, seré testigo..✍️

"¿Qué queda por entender? Elegir es una ilusión. La libertad es arrogancia. Las manos que se extienden para guiar cada uno de tus pasos, cada uno de tus pensamientos, no son de los dioses, pues ellos no están menos engañados que nosotros, no, amigos míos, esas manos vienen a cada uno de nosotros… de cada uno de nosotros."

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to know what to say when you first put the book down.

This instalment fights hard to be the best of the series, it is in my top 3 without doubt. There's enough epic drama going on that another author could have made a 10 book series out of the events it contains. The fall of Y'Ghatan should have been enough to crush any normal writer, but no...Erikson uses it as a handy mid season finale. Other BIG THINGS (no spoilers) include: my serious crush on Cotillion being deepened in to true love; 'I'd kill the mule' (wait for it); the climax of death which is of such a grand scale that when you get up from reading you expect your feet to squish down into the blood and viscera still leaking from the pages.

Anyway, if that doesn't make you want to read it, what will??

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And so we weep for the fallen. We weep for those yet to fall.
And in war the screams are loud and harsh and in peace the wail is so drawn-out we tell ourselves we hear nothing."

Can a sixth book in the series have a 'second book syndrome'?
Syndrome where book serves as a bridge we need to cross in order for the story, plot and characters to move forward? A bridge from introduction in the first book towards final conclusion?

Considering how three out of five books so far were a constant introduction of new characters and new settings, where story and world were developing - outward and inward - when I look back from where we came from, pause and try to figure out where are we heading, it seems to me that this book have everything we need in order to say it suffers from that second book syndrome.
Especially when I think about second half of this book.

Now, I’m not one of those naysayers of this issue, it’s actually not an issue for me, at all.
I understand why authors need this bridge, especially if series are far shorter, like in trilogies.
Introductions so far, for Erikson, were almost stellar. He has this ability to suck you in, in the world, in the setting, with the characters and their stories, no matter how new and strange and different from previous books they were.
And with those introductions stories in them moved forward and we went fluently with them.
Who would say that almost three years have passed since the beginning of the story in Gardens of the Moon?
And yet, in book before this one we had an introduction. In book before that one we had an introduction as well.

And this is the book that finally gathers around parts of all those worlds in previous five books and they finally get to introduce themselves to each other. We finally see convergence of different worlds.
But, it’s too early for conclusions. In words of Achilles: "It's too early in the day for killing princes."
Sort of speak.
So, in my opinion, second half of this book has this syndrome. It (necessarily) prolongs and it’s far too long.
And, unfortunately, some of the characters suffer because of it.
(Quick Ben, where art thou?)

Story.

I would divide this book in two parts.
First is pre-siege of Y’Ghatan and second… well, the consequences of it.

14th Malazan Army is on Seven City continent, with Adjunct Tavore Paran, Fid, Kalam, Quick Ben, Gelser, Stormy, Truth, Bottle - and with the rest of the amazing Bonehunters - across the Raraku Desert they pursue what remained of Shaik rebels; hurrying to finally suffocate the rebellion, while, at the same time, desperately trying to outrun ‘Mistress of Pestilence’ and goddess of plague – Poliel.
Which leads them to the siege of Y’Ghatan, an unprepared night attack, and fiery inferno that will follow.
This siege is 150 pages long single chapter. It’s a beautifully structured novella inside of this novel.
It’s emotionally exhausting and gut-wrenching, but it delivers on so many levels. You will have so many new characters to root for.

Also, characters that have an appearance are former Captain Ganoes Paran, who is back from his retirement and has a few pairings, one of which is with Apsalar. Which was quite interesting given their history and I have to admit, I actually like this pairing. A lot.
Apsalar is in company of two ghosts, Telorast and Curdle, that animate two reptile skeletons, and in their back and forth banter, they serve as a comedic relief.

Crocus, Heboric, Scillara and Young Felisin, on the other hand are a quite miserable gathering and company. Which doesn’t surprise me, since anyone that accompanies Heboric must be a miserable fellow.

Second part of the book, of course, deals with the aftermath of the siege of Y’Ghatan.
And here is that problem I was talking about. We see far too many chapters (and considering how Erikson’s chapter is 50 pages long per average, that’s a quite amount of pages) where characters are aimlessly roaming around the desert or the sea.
And I understand, the reason for that is to give other characters time to catch up or finish their stories in this book, and give opportunity for all of us to enter that final crescendo, together, with a bang.
Which we undoubtedly do.
This is not me complaining, I really don’t mind this, but it is a fair warning that story will stretch out a bit.

Characters.

Karsa Orlong V Samar Dev

Challenger. That is what Karsa needs in order to be an interesting character.
A challenger. Not of his vast prowess, Gods know that any skirmish Karsa enters, by the end of it, he is the sole survivor of it.
And that’s dull and boring and there’s really no emotional investment, not just in the character but in the story itself, when you already know an outcome of it.

Is it really the entirety of the emotional span we can have about him in the fact that we are easily amazed how strongly, quickly and viciously he deals with his enemies?
Yes, indoor battle with K’Chain Nahruk is great, forest skirmish with the entire Tiste Edur tribe is awesome, but at some point, whenever a new challenger crosses his path with Karsa, we already know that he is an expendable cannon fodder.

And this is why I think that Karsa hurts the series; that giving him, and characters such as Anomander Rake, these unproportionately powerful beings, a POV is a bad thing.

By giving a character more powers and making him all-powerful, you’re actually restricting that character. You’re confining him into a single sandbox and only certain characters can play with him.
Either you have to invent an even more powerful character to challenge him or you have to strip away your character of those powers you already attributed to him in order for him to play with others.

So yes, in my opinion, Karsa needed a challenger of his wits, of his philosophy of living, of viewing the world around him, and by fighting those types of battles, show us that he is more than one-dimensional character.
I think that Erikson himself recognized this, because he introduced to us Samar Dev, an inventor and a witch.

And Samar Dev is perfect for him. She is smarter than most people in Malazan world, she is independent, a scholar and explorer. She is almost completely opposite from everything he represents.
She is also a witch that wields magic, ancient magic of this world, and she sees spirits and ghosts.
And one thing that we know about Karsa is that he carries all of his ghosts, all the spirits of people he had killed – and he was busy in that work – chained around him.

So, who better to understand this mess that Karsa Orlong of a character is, to whom better to give to, us readers, an access into a POV – than a person who spent her life exploring, inventing and dealing with things that Karsa is troubled? And when she finds the answer, we will find one, too.

“’Sorcery, Karsa Orlong, that is the heart of the problem.’
‘What problem now, woman?’
‘Magic obviates the need for invention, beyond certain basic requirements. And so we remain eternally stifled-’
‘To the Faces with stifled, witch. There is nothing wrong with where we are now, how we are. You spit on satisfaction, leaving you always unsettled and miserable.
I am a Teblor – we live simply enough, and we see the cruelty of your so called progress. Slaves, children in chains, a thousand lies to make one person better than the next, a thousand lies telling you this is how things should be.
Madness called sanity, slavery called freedom. I’m done talking now.’
‘Well, I’m not. You’re no different, calling ignorance wisdom, savagery noble. Without striving to make things better, we’re doomed to repeat our litany of injustice.’
‘Better is never what you think it is, Samar Dev.’”

What I found interesting from their relationship is that, even though Karsa is a savage brute that spend most of his life secluded and is yet to learn of the world, while Samar Dev in contrast is a sophisticated explorer that traveled around half of that world – one can learn from the other.
No matter how plain the language Karsa uses, how simplified his views on certain matters can be – those words and those truths have much to teach a scholar that recognized there’s a potential for learning.
There’s no ego in Samar Dev because of her knowledge, no need for pretentiousness when debating with Karsa to showoff that knowledge, while on the other hand, her approach to him isn’t one of scientist’s to a sample that needs dissecting.
But nonetheless, she is there to understand Karsa. In his core.

First half of this book is amazing because of their relationship. The second half, unfortunately, we lose that Samar Dev I have described here, and instead of her we get another Karsa’s follower.
And that’s a shame.

In conclusion:

I believe that first half of this series is a cynical representation of the Malazan world. Of everything that is wrong in it. Everything that is poisoned and infected by malice of the Crippled God and his pain.
The series had some recurring themes: misery, chains, honour, indebtedness, anti-war and just cause.
In this book main theme, however, was relationship between Gods and their followers.
Misinterpretation of how to worship and Gods misapprehension of their worshipers.
That, as worshipers can denounce their Gods, so do Gods can denounce their worshipers, if one side goes too far.

“Wouldn’t surprise me if all the Gods are just aspects of one God, and all this fighting is just proof that one God is insane. Or maybe just confused.
The gentler and kinder the God, the more harsher and cruel its worshipers, for they hold to their conviction with taut certainty, febrile in its extremity, and so cannot abide dissenters.
They will kill, they will torture, in that God’s name. And see in themselves no conflict, no matter how bloodstained their hands.
Who wouldn’t be driven mad by all that?”

And in this theme we finally see change and distancing from cynicism.
After we see the peak of that cynicism, funnily enough, beneath the fiery flames of the city of Y’Ghatan, we start to descend from that peak and start the journey to long way down.
From those ashes something new will arise, something we haven’t seen in this series so far.
Hope.



3.58/5

Kharkanas Trilogy
Forge of Darkness
Fall of Light

Path to Ascendancy series
Dancer's Lament
Deadhouse Landing

Malazan Empire series
Night Of Knives

Malazan Book of the Fallen series
Gardens of the Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories of Ice
Midnight Tides
House of Chains

Ultimate Malazan Chronological Reading Order

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Coged aire,
respirad hondo,
y ahora no lo soltéis, amigos míos,
aguantad con fuerza,
pues el mundo,
el mundo se ahoga".

Vale. He terminado el sexto libro de Malaz. ¿Quién me lo diría? Han sido casi tres años desde que empecé la saga y una relectura de los 4 primeros. Sinceramente no me creo que haya llegado ya a la segunda mitad de la saga. Ahora llego al quid de la cuestión. ¿Me ha gustado este libro? La respuesta es sí. ¿Me ha encantado? No lo sé, la verdad.

¿Cuántos de nosotros, si vosotros, ¿cuántos de vosotros odiáis lo que sois? No merece la pena, ¿sabéis? Que el Embozado se lleve todos esos egos abrasadores, hagamos destellar nuestra luz patética una vez más y después rindámonos a la oscuridad”.

Me explico: por un lado, me ha gustado mucho la vuelta a Siete Ciudades así como la aparición de los nuevos personajes. Asimismo, el libro ha estado lleno de tensión, lo he pasado incluso mal en algunos momentos de no querer abrir el libro. La ambientación y el wordbuilding también muy bien creados y la filosofía está muy buena. Se nota el trabajo que le ha llevado a Erikson.

“Yo también debo estar loca, ¿qué queda en la vida que se pueda amar? ¿Por qué me aferro todavía al borde cuando el Abismo me ofrece todo lo que ahora anhelo? El olvido. Un fin. Dioses…un fin”.

Ahora por el otro lado, hay algo que se me escapa, algo que no me ha gustado. Por este motivo, aparte de que no he tenido tiempo, he tardado un poco más escribir esta reseña. Aunque después de mucho darle vueltas creo que ese “algo” ha sido el argumento en sí, sobre todo de las últimas 400 páginas. No me malinterpretéis la idea es muy buena, pero siento que Erikson en estas últimas páginas nos dejó con argumentos colgando y me sucedió que no entendía nada de nuevo y acabó medio frustrándome. Era como vuelta a empezar. Un dejà vu de mi primera lectura.

“Y así lloramos por los caídos. Lloramos por los que aún han de caer, y en la guerra los chillidos son altos y duros, y en la paz los gemidos son tan prolongados que nos decimos a nosotros mismos que no oímos nada.
Y así esta música es un lamento, y yo estoy condenado a oír sus notas agridulces durante toda una vida”.

Es por esta razón que la nota oscila para mi entre las cuatro y cinco estrellas. Sin embargo, he de ser objetiva y ponerle la quinta estrella porque se lo merece. La saga está muy bien y aunque no sea de mis predilectas ni de mis favoritas, sigue siendo desde un punto de vista literario una muy buena saga. ¿Me puede gustar más un argumento que otro? Sí, pero lo dicho una cosa no quita a la otra.

“Muéstrame un dios que comprenda el significado de la paz. En la vida, no en la muerte.
Muéstrame…”

Volveré a por ti Malaz. Solo dame tiempo ya nos queda esta recta final.

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best one so far.

Erikson is getting better and better as writer, he was always great storyteller he is getting better in other spheres as well. We seen that in Midnight tides which as much better pace, great worldbuilding and more balanced PoVs and now we see it in more familiar setting.

Again backbone of this book are interesting character and they are better than ever.Some of my favorites:

Ganoes Paran has finally accepted what he is become and we are seeing different face of him. More determined and proactive, he is now shaping events instead of being carried by them.

Tavore Paran: formerly just side character she is more developed here and she is intriguing one.

Old Bridgeburners: Always fun, always plotting something.

Cotillion: New PoV and PoV is one of the highlights in this book. One of the best characters in this series.

Greyfrog: This demon is also one of my favorite characters, initially appears to be comic relief but he is surprisingly well developed.

Karsa: Mad and cocky as always and with his new companion makes interesting duo, their interactions where pure fun to read.

Trull and Onrack: Not a lot of "screen time" but their relationship has developed into true bromance.

Icarium and Mappo: ok not one of my favorite story arcs but he at least that story is getting somewhere finally but I wasn't really fan of newly developed bro triangle.

[Chris Berko · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite one in the series so far, so much going on. This one was the most "cinematic" for me. Erikson does such a great job with large scale and small scale fighting, I never have to reread fist-to-fist more up close personal scenes or the longer wider battles and he keeps the shit believable. I have a nine year old nephew who is reading Harry Potter right now and I was saying today I can't wait for him to get a little older so I can introduce him to these gems. Beyond amazing storytelling that does not insult your intelligence.

[Mayim de Vries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epilogue: You think the hunt has ended? The true one is only beginning now and is clearly transcends puny things like ascendants, empires and the bones of power they fight over.*

Chapter 24: Dear me, I can breath now. for a while at least.

Chapter 23: The things that can happen on the Malaz Isle in one night. This single chapter was so much better than the whole Night of Knives. (And you tell this surly bitch, Adjunct!)

Chapter 22: Never play games with Fiddler. He makes up the rules as he goes.

Chapter 21: Apocalypse of denial versus Apocalypse of excess. Both Felisins in extremes.

Chapter 20: I get Itkovianesque vibes!

Chapter 19: T'Lan Imass with emotions is at least as unnerving as would Icarium be with memories.

Chapter 18: Who can wave at passing enemy ships? Someone singularly irregular, of course. (by the way, where is that Bole Sister, Mr Erikson?)

Chapter 17: Genabackis had Pale and Seven Cities Aren and Y'Ghatan. The Malazan Empire has the Malaz City and I hope it survives the reckoning.

Chapter 16: Captain Kindly, now that is a true hero of the empire.

Chapter 15: Dealing with the Apocalypse, one goddes at a time.

Chapter 14: The fourteenth! Yes, the fourteenth!

Chapter 13: This series is full of siblings, going so to say, fist in fist. And sometimes, it is hard to say who is the push and who is the pull.

Chapter 12: There is a bridge from the frozen time to the flowing time. And this bridge is burning.

Chapter 11: The end of book two get me truly dismayed and unable to hop.

Chapter 10: The greatest spell of all magi and sorcerers and wizards: "I hope this works". I use it a lot. When cooking.

Chapter 9: OK, next to Kruppe the second most mysterious protagonist in this series is Iskaral Pust's mule. And not only because he puts up with that madman without complaint!

Chapter 8: Kruppe friend (bon appétit!), how long will I have to wait who are you in this vortex of converging powers?

Chapter 7: I think I shall stop using olive oil for a while.

Chapter 6: Kalam, Kalam, don't tug Cotillion's rope, he has a weird sense of humour.

Chapter 5: I hope they will find Mournful Reunion and put it into this woman's bedroll!

Chapter 4: Suspicion. A thing that makes even Greyfrog lose appetite must be truly awful. Cautious commiseration!

Chapter 3: Small talk between the gods guidelines: Instead you look a little pale say "you look a bit insubstantial." (Presumably the answer is: nah, I am OK just don't have my warren on).

Chapter 2: I knew the time will come for dragons to meddle.

Chapter 1: Sneaking into the city on a flesh-eating horse and with two giant heads trophies for dummies: do it like Karsa.

Prologue: You know how it goes. As a hopeless Malazan nutcase I am going to update you with every chapter as this book pares me to the very bones.* Now, go have a drink if you were never afraid of a spider (if you did, drink twice!)

* I am not going to even pretend that I could in any way give a pale shadow of justice to this book or indeed a whole series in a proper review. There are many better than me, here on Goodreads (and many of those I'm lucky to have among my friends), who managed to grasp and convey the sheer brilliance of what awaits those who open the Malazan Book of the Fallen. All I can give you is a chapter breakdown of my own boning out (or maybe boning in?).

The Malazan Book of the Fallen:

1. Gardens of the Moon ★★★★★
2. Deadhouse Gates ★★★★★
3. Memories of Ice ★★★★★
4. House of Chains ★★★★★
5. Midnight Tides ★★★★★
7. Reaper's Gale ★★★★☆
8. Toll the Hounds
9. Dust of Dreams ★★★☆☆ (and the third star is a testament to my generosity)
10. The Crippled God ★★☆☆☆

[Conor · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Aye,' he said in a rasp, 'we went hunting… through the bones of the damned city. And then we crawled outa that grave.'

The Adjunct's gaze left the ragged man, traveled slowly, along the line, the gaunt faces, the deathly eyes staring out from dust-caked faces. 'Bonehunters in truth, then.' She paused, then said 'Welcome back, soldiers.'

Another really strong installment in this series. The return of a load of my favourite characters with loads of really cool developments in the world and plot. Also it had possibly the best pacing of any book in the series so far with very few uninteresting sections and compelling stuff happening throughout the story rather than just at the end.

Full review to come...

P.S: R.I.P. Joyful Union, Squished but not forgotten.

[Scott Hitchcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread

It is hard to improve on perfection but this was even better on reread. I'm able to enjoy the prose and pick out little nuances that I missed the first time around. Knowing the big picture and end game you see crumbs cast long before you did the first time.

The first time through it was hard to choose between Deadhouse Gates, Memories of Ice, The Crippled God and this book. I still have TCG to reread but this on reread is the best of those three titans.

The Deck of Dragon readings in particular are so much run now, not that they weren't before, because you know who the cards signify and can see the brilliance so much clearer. Lifestealer, Queen High House Life, Knight of Shadow.....

This book just has convergence after convergence. Y'Ghatan, Poliel's Temple, Malaz City, Shadow Realm......nothing is more epic.

Original Review
Oh SE you treacherous bastard how I want to smack you for some of the decisions of your characters in this book. Not because it wasn't a terrific story, as good as DHG and MOI if not better, but because they elicited rage from me at the unfairness of it all. Which of course is the point and what any great author is looking for.

Rel and Dom must die soon.

Shadowthone I don't know why Cottilion didn't dump your scheming ass long ago. I hope Laseen also gets what she has coming to her and good luck dealing with Rel and Dom and the rest of the vipers nest.

Most great books have an epic ending. This one had a few. With convergences and characters clashing at different point throughout the book but especially at the end where duplicity ruled the night.

[Books with Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Y’all come for me. Still deciding on the rating.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy hell, Batman, what a book!

This is the book where things start to get going. The basis has been laid, the necessary history lessons have passed the revue and now we really get to it. The whole story was fast paced with quick POV changes that usually only show up around the climax. There were so many climaxes in this book, so many great scenes, the punches kept on coming, battle after battle, from large scale to one on one.

5 stars to the nth power (Malazan is in a class of its own).

[Graeme Rodaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oil Scandal! Market Clearing Event Evaporates Stocks! "Well, my first plan was to retire as an olive-oil vendor, but that went by the way side once I got into the business of summoning fire elementals." - Leoman of the Flails - Olive Oil Marketer

I'm in awe of Steven Erikson's story telling ability. He handles a vast array of characters with a deft touch that blows my mind with how seamless and varied his characterization is.

I've got a sneaking suspicion that some of the characters could provide more insight than my gushing fanboying, so let's ask them.

Iskaral Pust: "This series should be titled, 'The Book of Iskaral Pust the Great,' - but does anyone listen to me?"

Mogora: "Of course not, husband dearest."

Dejim Nebrahl: "I am the great T'rolbarahl destined to rule the world. Wait! What? Who is this weedy little unkempt wizard that assails me?"

Mappo Trell: "Cast aside like old trash. Am I annoyed? You bet I am! When I catch up with that Taralack Veed guy, there's going to be hell to pay."

Icarium: "I miss my besty! Mappo, where are you?"

Karsa Orlong: "Witness! Samar Dev, I have brought you a gold bikini. You shall wear this as befits a companion of mine!"

Samar Dev: "Oh Karsa! That's lovely. I have a sudden urge to fall at your feet and fling my arms around one of your huge thighs while looking adoringly up at your manly visage."

Bottle: "I want to marry Y'Ghatan and I don't care what you think."

Kalam Mekhar: "Don't you just love it when the author almost writes you out of the story, but just leaves a sliver of hope for a return."

Quick Ben: "Shadowthrone! You bastard!"

Apsalar: "So, I'm an ascendant, or not quite there yet? It remains to be seen. Tune in to the next episode of the Book of the Fallen to find out."

Cotillion: "This god business is not all its cracked up to be."

Iskaral Pust's 'black-eyed mule': (Swishes tail meaningfully) "Look into my eyes, look closely, yes, that is the universe swirling within... I am Steven Erikson! Bwhahahahahaha!!!"

Greyfrog: "Admiration. Fortunate author extended contract for another season. Will save juicy authorial head-swallowing for future lamentable termination repast."

And there you have it.

Strongly Recommended. 5 'Burn it all down,' stars.

[Michael Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not really sure how much I can say without spoiling the book, so this will probably be a short review. We'll see.

I stated this all throughout my updates, but this is by far the best book in the series, so far. Up til this point, Memories of Ice was the only time that we've had more than a few characters come back. So it was awesome to see such a huge cast of characters that we're so familiar with make a comeback. For one, it helped the story be less confusing. Although, after Memories of Ice, it really hasn't been all that hard to follow along.

Erikson's writing in this book is just above and beyond. The pacing and character development were superb. It never once felt like the story got stagnant. This installment and Memories of Ice were honestly the only 2 that I never got bored during. That's not a jab at Erikson: with characters that are as grey as these, you almost need a lot of internal dialogue to help you understand why they do what they do. But that can get boring, sometimes. So, I came to grips with that fact a long time ago. It was awesome to get a book where you never felt that boredom. There is still quite a bit of inner dialogue, but it felt different this time. Maybe due to where they were at in the story? No idea. I will say that I'm ecstatic to get to our battle royale between 3 certain warriors. That's all I can really say without spoiler tags.

The characters in this book were what helped make this book as great as it was. We were also introduced to a few smaller characters. Grub and Chaur becoming some of my favorite of the minor cast. We also get some great insight into T'Amber, and she might have stolen the book for one of the best scenes. Along side an old favorite. Again, wish I could say more. This book was full of people starting to tap into their powers and let loose a bit. I had chills during so many scenes. There was justice and some injustice both being served. The justice far outweighed any bad, though.

The plot had taken on such a great route and it also has set up for some truly amazing scenes later on. So many different story arcs are turning out to be way better than I would've thought back when they first made their appearance. So much so that I wish we could start the next book right where we're leaving off, but this is Malazan so I'm pretty sure I'll be waiting until at least book 8 to get some resolution. It's definitely worth the wait, if that's the case.

All-in-all, very solid addition to the Malazan series! Based off this book, alone, I'd recommend the whole series. Witness!

[Ana Tijanić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Treba mi kraća pauza između knjiga, zaboravljam neke likove koji su se pojavljivali u prethodnim delovima. Oni već imaju neku izgrađenu priču a ja ne mogu da se setim ničega u vezi njih, samo mi je ime poznato. Znači, ili kraće pauze ili reread. :)

Kao i prethodne i ova Eriksonova knjiga je odlična. I u ovoj mračnoj knjizi Erikson se ne boji da ubija likove, zapleti su duboki i složeni. Sve više bogova je uključeno u ovu priču, što ima smisla jer njihova uloga u Eriksonovom svetu postaje sve istaknutija.
Po meni, najspektakularniji deo ovog romana je opsada Y'Ghatan-a. Zauzima dobar deo knjige i nisam mogla da prestanem da čitam.

Kod Eriksona me malo nervira to što usred nekog jako zanimljivog poglavlja ubaci neku manje bitnu scenu ( tipa ubaci scenu sa meni jakoooo dosadnim Karsom Orlongom usred nekog bitnog dešavanja). To zna da bude vrlo frustrirajuće. Sa opsadom Y'Ghatan-a to nije radio, već je čitavo poglavlje bilo samo o tome. Veliki plus za to.
Kad sam već kod Karse, taj lik mi je u prethodnoj knjizi bio zanimljiviji. Ovde je dosadan i iritantan.

Ponovo se srećemo sa Paranom. Volim njegovu priču i kako se snalazi u ovoj novoj ulozi. Isto tako drago mi je da ponovo vidim zajedno Bena, Kalama, Fiddler-a i Apsalar. Nihova putešestvija su uvek zanimljiva. Tavore i Cotillion su vrlo intrigantni likovi i jedni od mojih favorita u ovom serijalu.

Eriksonov smisao za humor i dalje je prisutan, možda više nego ikada. Posebno mesto u mom srcu zauzimaju dva brbljiva " duha"- Telorast i Curdle. Poput Tehola i Bugg-a ili Iskarala Pusta i Mogore imaju jako duhovite dijaloge i trenutke.
Zaista sam uživala i u ovom romanu. Jedva čekam da započnem sledeći.
I, da :
After reading 6, below are my rankings.

1. Midnight Tides
2. Memories of Ice
3. Deadhouse Gates
4. The Bonehunters
5. Gardens of the Moon/ House of Chains

[Joshua Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how to review the sixth book in a series without spoilers? Put simply, while reading this book this series went from being a series that I was enjoying to a series that I love. Particularly in this book, you start to see Erikson's genius (a term not used lightly) in bringing together so many aspects of all five of the preceding books, while somehow making it feel detailed but not bloated. The grand stakes seemed higher, and the narrative at several points surprised me. While I didn't feel this book had the emotional weight of some previous installments, it's nonetheless a killer read and I can't wait to continue!

[Jenna Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a little sad that I only have 4 books of the main series left - I never want to leave Malaz.

After Midnight Tides, I was so happy to see some familiar faces again. I still loved the 5th book, but this was an extra level of epic to return to the characters I love after some awesome worldbuilding in book 5.

Cotillion is one of the best characters who doesn't even show up that much, but you know he's always working behind the scenes and when he does appear, you can't put the book down.

I love Ganoes Paran's character development. At first, when he becomes Master of the Deck, he's a bit like a whining child. It's a realistic reaction to a life-altering event that you can't even control. He didn't want or know how to take on all that responsibility, but he has really grown into his role in this book.

We have all the favourite Bridgeburners - Kalam and Quick Ben, Fiddler and Bottle as well as some fun new characters in the ranks. Other favourites like Apsalar and Karsa Orlong who are intriguing to follow and create a lot of humour (at least on Karsa's part).

The biggest surprise for me was that I really liked Tavore in The Bonehunters. I think that is what really makes Erikson brilliant. He can change your opinion on any character and creates sympathy in you for characters you never thought you could have any interest in.

The pacing throughout The Bonehunters was better than previous books, but as always, the ending was beyond expectations. The coolest thing about the ending of this novel is that you have a lot of the characters in previous novels finally coming together and the last 3 or 4 chapters, I did not want to put the book down at all.

[Paula Nácar · Rating 5 out of 5]

4'5/5
Absolutamente brillante.
Es bastante probable que esté haya sido mi libro favorito en lo que llevo de saga. Ver que cada vez se van acercando más todos los hilos argumentales y que todo va tomando forma (el imperio Edur encontrándose en el mar con el imperio de Malas me hizo lanzar un chillido) es lo que llevo esperando durante estos seis libros.
Mi parte favorita ha sido sin duda la escena de la "prueba" que tienen que atravesar los cazahuesos para convertirse precisamente en eso. Y me parece maravilloso el contrapunto que se ve entre los acontecimientos de Las Puertas de la Casa de la Muerte y cómo está narrada la historia aquí y el desdén que se tiene hacia los héroes en beneficio de lo que se considera "el bien de la mayoría". Erickson sin duda ha vuelto a enseñarme lo mejor y lo peor de la naturaleza humana.
Ha sido también muy bonito volver a reencontrarme con ABSOLUTAMENTE TODOS los personajes. Bueno, falta alguno pero es el que menos personajes nuevos ha metido.
Mención especial a Botella por convertirse también en uno de mis nuevos personajes favoritos.

[Kitty G Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

--- INITIAL THOUGHTS ---

So happy to have finished this up! It's the longest book I've read EVER I believe.
I have a lot of thoughts to sort through before I review this so my review will follow very soon.
Suffice to say it was very very good!

--- FINAL REVIEW ---

So, this book is the book which I was a little intimidated by when I saw the size and this coming from someone who read a LOT of very big books. It's a whopping 1,200 pages, and much as I love the Malazan characters and world I did find myself baulking a little at the size when I first got it in the post and saw the amount of pages!
However, with that said I still thought it was a very good book on the whole and one which I enjoyed a lot. I found myself drawn deeper and deeper into the world of these characters and saw more of the horrors, joys, problems and mysteries as they unfolded before me.

This book in particular focuses on a lot of convergence of our previous plot lines.
Remember the Edur we met in Midnight Tides? This book harks back to more trouble with them.
Remember the Bridgeburners? There's still stuff unresolved there.
Remember our new Master of the Deck? Well this book brings him back with a will and a vengeance.
Remember the terrible struggles we've seen our characters face before? Oh yep, that's definitely back!
Remember the Gods who like to meddle? Yeahhh, they're still doing that.

Basically a lot of the different plot lines which we have so far seen or been focusing on almost exclusively get to come together and join up in various ways in this book which for me marked that this was the turning point of the series... we're over halfway and this monster of a book helped to push us there.

As for the enjoyment levels whilst reading this I would say that this is a hard one to talk about because whilst I did really adore some of the book (e.g. the sections with the Y'Gatan tunnel and Karsa and other fab characters) I didn't necessarily think it needed to be quite as long as it ended up being. This book has some really dark, miserable and desperate moments and throughout those I was filled with awe and sorrow for our characters. It made me want to give them all hugs and cry along with them, but they're used to the horrors of this world and they know what to do and how far to go to get through some of the worst that Erikson can throw at them.

The characters in this book included the return of some of my favourites.
- We have The Master of the Deck who is being a real badass at times in this book and not only works with the dead and has control of some of the gods, but has some really very redeemable, heartwarming moments too. I liked seeing him step up and not be afraid to embrace his new role and go for it with gusto.
- Karsa is a character I have been fully in love with since we first met him and so the return of Karsa is always a fabulous thing in my mind. I love that he's so bloodthirsty and fierce and crass at times, but at other times his compassion and care for the tribes and people of the world do shine through.
- I loved seeing Icarium and Mappo back and I have to say that seeing an angry Icarium and a sad Mappo at time made me so emotional and choked up too. They're a fabulous pair and seeing the ways that their stories went made me worry for them all the more.
- Seeing Trell come back into the story was also great because since we know his people's past now, due to reading Midnight Tides I like him so, so much more as a character than I did before and I admire the bravery he had in order to leave his tribe and become a wanderer essentially.
- Iskarul Pust and his wife had me laughing a lot, they were for sure the comic relief in this book and with the Malazan books you always learn to appreciate the more bizarre creatures because the humour they bring makes you see that maybe there is a little bit of hope in this dark, harsh and lonely world.
- Even seeing Cutter and his crew made me intrigued because they were given some pretty interesting challenges to overcome along the way.
- Tavore was a character that I have to say I wasn't a fan of to begin with but seeing the way that she handled herself over the course of this book made me rethink and re-evaluate her a little.
- Apsalar is a character who has certainly come a long way since when we first met her and seeing her with Telorast and Curdle made me wonder and chuckle a lot too. She's dancing the shadows and working for the Gods, but she's got her own plans and ideas along the way.
- Even Kruppe makes a little appearance and I hope that he'll be back in the next few books because I still really enjoy him and his eccentricities.

There are so many more characters that have an impact or an emotionally charged moment within this book, but if I did I'd go one forever and so those I've mentioned are the most important ones and the ones that I remember and love or feel for the most.

In terms of the writing style Erikson once more manages to bring to life so many wonderfully thought-provoking scenes and moments with his skill at crafting sentences. He's a genius when it comes to how to fit all the pieces slowly and gradually into place, and he's also very very good at making you question and think like the characters in their situations. I love the darkness and sorrow he can provoke within me, and the fun and wit he can inspire too. By this point in the series I don't think you'd have continued did you not really admire his skills and the way he goes about creating this epic.

I will say that after having read last month which was a very different style of writing but still within the Malazan world this was for sure a big improvement on that. I felt that this book, despite being too long in places, it drew me into the story and forced me to watch and sympathise with everything and everyone.

On the whole I had mostly ups with this book and a few slightly drawn out moments which means that I can only give it a 4.5*s rather than a 5*s, but I think this may also have been down to the reading mood I was in at the time. I have read a lot of books this month and last and this was by far the longest which meant it felt a lot longer and I noticed the drawn out parts a lot more in comparison to my smaller books. However, if you've enjoyed the rest of the book in this series this is of course a must-read and it's a brilliantly complex continuation and convergence of so many plotlines. I can't wait to see how (the even-longer!!!) goes now! A solid 4.5*s :)

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t get over the fact what a genius Erikson is. His prose is unparalleled, his imagination limitless, every book a masterpiece. Even if not every installment is always compelling – that is a tall order if your books are 1200 pages long –, I am always driven to go on, always invested and in awe. So while not every book is a 5-star experience for me, this one unquestionably was, as was the previous one, Midnight Tides. I do need a break before I go on with Reaper’s Gale as reading one of these novels is such a giant undertaking for me, what with the complexity of the worldbuilding and the plethora of characters, but I‘m already looking forward to it. Ever onward.

Edit: I‘m reading the next book already. Couldn’t get into anything else. I tried. 😂

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erikson is Brilliant.
These books keep getting better and better. I think at the end of Bonehunters you really start to grasp how Epic this tale is, and why it can never be matched. The character development was superbly done and as usual different plots converge in the end into arguably the best climax i've read so far, i mean i held my breath for three chapters straight, it was intense and very rewarding.
some notable characters: Cotillion, he was amazing. Ganoes Paran, Fiddler, Kalam/Quick Ben, Bottle, Karsa, Aspalar, Tavore(finally i like her), Faradan Sort(legend), Corabb and we cant forget Hellian.
I feel privileged to read this series.

[Duffy Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10/11 - This series keeps getting better. This book doesn't work as a standalone novel, but that's not too surprising in a book for number six in an ongoing saga. Rather, this one felt to me like two novels in one. First, there is the baptism by fire of the Bonehunters. And then second, there is the Return of the 14th Army to Malaz Island. Both of these sections stand up with anything already in the series.

GRR Martin got famous by killing off a beloved character. He did it once, and since then the main characters have been pretty much safe. Not so with Erikson. By now, he's killed off many of his main characters, and I don't have the sense that anyone in these books is at all safe. I have pretty much zero idea who is going to make it through to the end. Also, I've now gotten over Erikson bringing back the dead in these books. It no longer feels to me like Gandalf redux, and is simply a part of his world.

The main difficulty I'm now having with these books is my level of confusion with some of the characters motives. Almost every character we see in these books is both a puppet and a puppet-master. They are all manipulating things according to their own plans, while at the same time being manipulated by others. This makes things fascinating, and it makes the characters very intricate, but it also keeps me more than a little disoriented at times. For example, its not easy for me to figure out the relationship between Quick Ben and Shadowthrone.

For that reason, my poor simpleton brain gets a strange feeling of relief whenever Karsa is on the scene. He's refreshingly blunt, and unmoved by the manipulations of others. More than anyone else in this book, he is simply his own man. He's a bastard, but a pure one. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I suppose, is Quick Ben. Instead of being his own man, he's twelve people literally rolled into one. He deals and double-deals with gods. At no point in these books have I been fully clear where he stands, nor with whom he is truly allied (except probably Kalam). He's an amazing character, and very cool, but I find him to be very confusing.


When I'm done with this series, I may have to go back and re-do my ratings for the individual books. Even though I haven't given any of the books five stars yet, the series as a whole is shaping up to be a five star series.

Reread 9/14/13

OK, I'm doing my re-read before finishing the series. I did this for some other series, rereading the series as each new book came out. Then I decided never to start a series until the author was finished with it. That's a vow I've already broken, both accidentally and deliberately, but I still think its a pretty good rule of thumb. Now that we are through book six, I'm getting pretty excited that we are only two books away from new territory for me.

I got very frustrated at two points in this book. First, there's a conversation between Paran and Hood. During the conversation Paran asks Hood what he really wants in exchange for a big favor. Hood tells him, and the narrator hides the information from us. There's an enormous amount of stuff in this series that you have to remember and store away. There are connections you need to make on your own. But usually, you don't have the narrator deliberately thumbing his nose at the reader. And for the life of me, I can't figure out what Erikson is gaining by deliberately hiding this stuff.

My other frustration arose from trying to figure out what Laseen is doing. If you assume that she still has a firm grasp on her power, then her actions make no sense. So, the only conclusion I can draw is that she's lost her grip on her power. Somehow she let Mallick Rel and Korbolo Dom subvert her authority. This should have been a great story on its own, but here it is simply elided.

From another standpoint, the elision makes sense. I was expecting a book about the Malazan Empire, and while the books are the Malazan Books of the Fallen, the story they tell does not center on the Malaz Empire. Instead, the story Erikson is telling deals with the clash between the gods, and how some mortals get involved in that clash and influence the outcome. The Empire is decidedly secondary.

Here, the story is how the Bonehunters become its own, independent functioning unit, and its a great story. The seige at Y'Ghatan is a remarkable set piece. The conflagration itself is done amazingly well, but the aftermath in the tunnels underneath the city is even better. Later, there is a set piece where dozens of jade meteorites, all filled with millions of souls, comes crashing to the earth, threatening to destroy the world. Here, we finally get to see what the true meaning of "shield anvil" as Heboric catches and absorbs all that energy into himself and saves the world.

The first time through the book, I didn't understand this passage at all. There's only so much of the book I could focus on at any time, so there were fairly wide swaths that I just let roll over me. The same thing goes for the entire involvement of the Eresal. This time, I have more appreciation for what Erikson is doing on the more cosmic levels, and its truly extraordinary, and unlike any other fantasy I've read.

Then, despite my frustration with the motivations of the Empress, the finale is amazingly well done. There are so many different things going on at once, and they are all done almost perfectly. The last two chapters are a tour de force. And Erikson does this while keeping everything fairly grey (or should I say shadowy). For example, Pearl is functionally a villain, leading the assassins who are trying to kill Kalam, Tavore and T'Amber. And he uses dishonorable means to poison Kalam. And yet, it pretty much tears my guts out when his lover finds him dying and has to put him out of his misery. Conversely, T'Amber seems like a true hero and a badass, and then its revealed that she's been possessed by a "good" god, and all I can do is feel terrible for a person that we never even got to know, and to have some reserved doubts for a god who I basically thought was a good guy.