Customer Reviews

Deadhouse Gates

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Steven Erikson, Deadhouse Gates (Tor, 2000)

I finished up page 598 of Deadhouse Gates, and my next act was to go to my library's website and put the third book in the series, Memories of Ice, on hold.

Deadhouse Gates is Erikson's second entry in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, which, despite its rather clumsy series name, is bang-up stuff. Few authors write martial scenes quite this well in high fantasy; Tolkein's final battle in Return of the King, Elizabeth Moon's depictions of day-to-day troop life in The Deed of Paksennarion, just about every aspect of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. Yes, I'd rank Erikson with those three. Easily.

Readers of Gardens of the Moon may find themselves slightly confused when opening up Deadhouse Gates, no doubt because it takes place half a world away from Darujhistan, the city at the heart of Gardens of the Moon. You'll remember that everyone was worried, at the end of that novel, about something called the Pannion Seer. Well, you'll not see the Pannion Seer, nor most of the surviving characters from Gardens of the Moon, here (from the description I just read, that tale continues in Memories of Ice). Instead, a select few characters have fled east across the sea for various reasons, and only they link the tales.

Like Gardens of the Moon, Deadhouse Gates is an ensemble tale, but is even more sprawling in scope; at any given time, Erikson is following between two and six plot threads in alternating sections of any given chapter. There are four main plot threads, through they meander towards and away from each other, split off, and join together differently, throughout the text. The first concerns a trio pressed into slavery-- an ex-priest of Fener the Boar God, a noble-born teen, and a barbarian, none of whom seem to have anything in common, yet who are forced by circumstances to forge an uneasy bond. The second revolves around Duiker, the Imperial Historian (mentioned, but never met, in Gardens of the Moon), who accompanies the Seventh Army on a grueling overland journey from the northern city of Hissar to the southern city of Aren. The third involves Crokus, Apsalar, and Fiddler, three of the characters from Gardens of the Moon, who have come east to try and get Apsalar home to her father. The fourth involves another refugee, Kalam, who has come east for decidedly different means.

Deadhouse Gates is, essentially, a tale of journeys. In epic fantasy series (and this one is truly epic in scope; the first three books alone total close to twenty-five hundred pages), the book of journeys, or the book of transitions, is often the weakest in the series (cf. Martin's A Clash of Kings, or King's The Waste Lands). Erikson, on the other hand, has crafted an amazing piece of work in Deadhouse Gates, investing the journeys, and the underlying transitions, with more than enough action and intelligence to keep the reader going, while still getting all the boring stuff out of the way under the surface. Everyone gets where they're going, all the plot threads are eventually sewn up (except those left as obvious hooks into the remainder of the series), all the details that one almost expects, these days, to see disappear into the dust of all these riders on their journeys come to satisfying conclusions. Erikson's eye for detail is truly astounding in some cases.

One word of warning, though, in case you hadn't yet realized it after reading Gardens of the Moon. Erikson is just as hard on his main characters as is George R. R. Martin; some of the characters in this novel have a decidedly Janet Leigh air about them, but Erikson never once, in the hundreds of pages before he dispatches them, lets you know which ones they'll be, and their deaths often come with the same surprise (and surprisingly-felt sorrow) as the surprising death at the climax of A Game of Thrones (the identity of the victim of which I shall not reveal here to spare those handful of you who have not yet started that equally brilliant series).

An incredible piece of work, quite likely to find its way onto my Best-I-Read list for 2005. **** ½

It is actually a tribute to Steven Erikson's writing that this book is so hard to plow through. This is because his vivid descriptions of the central heroic event of the novel -- a retreat from a conquering army that is akin to Mao's Long March (although it's the potential "good guys" who are retreating, not a future oppressor of 1/2 of Asia) -- is so realistic. The retreating army's despair, desperation, resignation, determination, heroism, intelligence, brutality (and those of its enemy) are palpable to the point that it is difficult to read of the dire straits of the heroes. The second main plot thread is nearly as dreary as the youngest sister of Gardens of the Moon (book 1) hero Ganoes Paran is captured and sentenced to imprisonment in a mining camp. Her transformation from happy noble youth to defeated young woman to embodying a cultural icon conveys numerous tribulations, and few triumphs.

Deadhouse Gates also has three or more other major story threads that are largely separate from Gardens of the Moon (book 1 of the Malazan Empire series), and is essentially a stand-alone novel. Nonetheless, Deadhouse Gates fits squarely within the overarching narrative that connects all the books in the series (and which becomes more apparent in Memories of Ice, book 3 of the series). It contains the story elements that have launched Erikson's career -- gritty stories of heroism and villainy, vivid action, intriguing cultural elements, a long and rich history preceding the story at hand, unquestioned originality (especially in comparison to 95% of the fantasy fiction available) and the feel that the world he created is starting toward a gargantuan eruption with innumerable initial tremors.

Note that the whole Malazan Cycle is projected at 10 books total, but Erikson writes relatively fast (he's slowed to about 3 Malazan books per every four years, which is pretty good considering the size of the books and the side projects he is working on). Nonetheless, they're worth the time and effort to procure and read.

Highly Recommended.

If you're looking for a low-calorie dish of light fantasy, this ain't it. If you're looking for a nine-course riot of taste and texture, exotically spiced to make your eyes water, your heart pump faster and your brain do cartwheels inside your cranium, I know a great little Thai place downtown. Or, if you want something analogous to that in your reading, stop at the 'E's and pick up the latest from Steven Erikson.

Like 'Gardens of the Moon', and indeed like the whole concept for the 10-volume Malazan series, Deadhouse Gates is an ambitious work that is sometimes in danger of over-reaching itself. But if you can buckle down for the ride, it sure is a frightening one.

I don't know what to say, this is the greatest fantasy book I have read ever for a few years. The book starts of a bit slow and your not sure what is happening, as you read on you start to understand what is happening. The book is not just focused on one Character, but serveral. Like most fantasy goods, its good vs Evil, this is different, Good guys do bad things and bad guys do good things and sometimes things that look good are actually bad. So you don't know who's side you are on. In GOTM (Gardens of the Moon), people were say there was not enough history background info, but you find out much in this book, and I'm sure we will find out much more in the future books. The second half of the book, starts to set off fireworks, fast pace action, this book makes you think. Kalam, Crokus, Apsalar, and Fiddler are back, and they got business to sort out.

The characters have totally different personalities, and aims. Also we see alot of Parans younger sister Fesilin, and hear much about his older sister. The book is building up to a massive climax for the seven cities, where each side will later have to gamble, take risks, and have the nerves to do what they need to. Also you learn much more about Shadowthrone's and co, history. And the new characters are wicked. S.E really knows all about writing battles, and descripbing exactly what is happening. You'll know what I mean when you read about the Chain Of Dogs.

It is quite challenging to read, but when you have finished it, you'll be demanding more. I just can't wait for the next one to come out when they return to Genabackis, coming out in Sep 2001 called 'Memories of Ice'.

The sequel to the quite good Gardens Of The Moon, Deadhouse Gates continues Erikson's breathtaking invention.

Firstly, perhaps it is just me, but Deadhouse Gates is less awe inspiring in it's invention. There is no 'gawd, would you look at that' type of thing in DhG, as in GotM with Moon's Spawn and the Azath. Personally, I find this to be a good move by Erikson, as more focus is on the plot and the characters. This is where DhG truly shines. Much like Shakespearean tragedy, the characters drive the plot, not the other way around.

There is no 'most important' plot within DhG, all of them contribute to the book. In fact, what emerges is synergy, where the entirity is greater than the sum of it's parts. Each thread has it's own throbbing emotion which is beautifully lugubrious. I must make special note of the Chain Of Dogs sub-plot. The final episodes are the most amazing I have read in all of fantasy. In my opinion, fantasy has never produced anything so heartbreaking as the final few chapters of DhG.

The characters are worth special note in DhG. They are all solidly constructed, drawing our sympathy, and in some cases - Mappo especially - our empathy. That Erikson achieves this is a true testament to his writing skill. To be able to handle so many characters so deftly and sensitively is a rare feat. Duiker, Felisin, Heboric, Icarium; all are followed with our compassion throughout the novel.

While there are moments where it seems characters are walking mindlessly, with nothing going on, there is an important point to these moments. The Seven Cities is a place where the soul wanders, and returns different to what it was. Ultimately, this is what drives DhG. The development of characters. As for claims that some plots are difficult to understand, this is quite untrue. DhG is driven by emotion, not the military intrigue of GotM, or the ancient mysteries of Memories Of Ice. To understand DhG is to feel.

Last, but definitely not least: the pace of the novel is still excellent. While the journies of characters are sometimes overwhelmingly detailed, they do not move in circles like Jordan's novels. Everything in Erikson is very direct.

In short, better than GotM, and without doubt one of the greatest fantasy novels of all time.

Having been utterly amazed by the world building and utterly disappointed in the story telling of Gardens of the Moon, I started Deadhouse Gates. Had it not been for the epic world building and the positive opinions of people whose reading tastes and preferences generally aligns with my own I would have stopped right there with the Malazan Book of the Fallen. All over the internet almost everyone agrees that Gardens of the Moon is the weakest of the series, and that after you read Deadhouse Gates or (in some opinions) the third book, Memories of Ice, you will be hooked. Generally speaking, upwards of three thousand pages is a hefty undertaking, especially considering the return on investment is not so apparent. I have to say that Deadhouse Gates was a considerably better told story than its predecessor; but I'm not sure at this point if the time and energy spent was equivalent to the output received from Deadhouse Gates.

The first (and most obvious) thing to note is that this book starts a whole new storyline on an entirely different continent than the events that occur in Gardens of the Moon. This tactic works well because it establishes how epic and vast the worldly struggle is. The problem, of course, is with Erikson's writing style it is a huge personal struggle to get engaged with the new characters and the background of the area. If you enjoyed the confusion from Gardens of the Moon of being dropped in the middle of a sweeping landscape of political turmoil and magical/metaphysical trouble then you have that to look forward to again; although Erikson has definitely improved in area of character introductions. Some might be frustrated that it took 650+ pages to finally understand who the characters were in Gardens of the Moon and now they aren't in the second volume. If the third volume really plants me into this series (as it supposedly will) then having the multiple plotlines spanning multiple books will be a solid victory in establishing this series as an epic wartime dark fantasy series.

I thought the plotting of Deadhouse Gates was better than Gardens of the Moon and the storyline/character motivations were much more real and believable. In fact, I believe that Coltaine, the commander of the 7th army, is the most fascinating character of the series thus far. I was engaged with his hard nosed, duty stricken nature, cursed by both his objective of saving 30,000 refugees and his location in the heart of a savage desert. In addition to the plotting, the writing is so heavy and almost cumbersome to read at points. It takes a lot of focus and energy to read Erikson's writing.

I think the most significant struggle with Erikson's series is not that the book is not descriptive; it is ripe with description; the struggle is that it is descriptive in the wrong areas. There is still too many random occurrences and/or knowledge of the world, magic, culture, and army hierarchy that feels like it should be basic knowledge to the reader; but it isn't. I find that overall the sheer lack of information (that supposedly all comes to light in later volumes) is simply more frustrating than the benefit I received from the epic world building and the few extremely fascinating characters. A reader should not have to read seven massive tomes and over 5,000 pages to fully appreciate the first 650 pages of the series; and if a reader doesn't mind doing that or being confused, lost, or overwhelmed more power to him or her; but, I still cannot in good faith recommend this series to anyone outside the die hard fantasy junkies.

The cover art is wonderful and the maps, Dramatis Personae, and glossary are welcome additions to the overall purchase.

Am I planning on reading the third installment, Memories of Ice? Yes, although at this point I feel it would have to be an unbelievably spectacular experience in order to make the return on this reading investment worthwhile.

Good reading,

Deadhouse Gates is a potentially great 300 page novel that turns into 943 pages of hard, war-weary slog. I suppose that made me feel empathy for the suffering of some of the characters, but I didn't enjoy the book...

His world, introduced in Gardens of the Moon, is built upon dense layer upon layer of history and myth. It feels realistically *old*, the way many epic worlds don't. The magical-religious system is intricate and compelling. The conflicts are not black and white (... perhaps a bit too much so: the strategies driving the Empire and its foes are at times less intricate than simply vague...

The problem is, the book is bloated and sluggish. It's not that any single story line is bad. Rather, potentially powerful stories (like that of Fellisin or the Chain of Dogs) are all too often buried under multiple subplots and a swarm of less interesting characters in the book's cast of thousands. Individual chapters and images stand out, but you have to sieve for gold: the whole is far, far less than the sum of its parts. By the middle of the book, I didn't care what happened to anyone.

Erikson's inventive world kept me reading to the end, but I doubt I'll pick up the third book.

Deadhouse Gates and also its prequel, Gardens of the Moon, seem to defy all convention that is known to the genre of fantasy. These books are so different, in fact, that it is hard to compare them to most fantasy. For many readers who are tired of the usual sword and sorcery quest filled with heroes who are overly righteous and villains who cannot be any more villainous, these books will be quite refreshment. Deadhouse Gates shows you the real side of war that is usually untouched in most fantasy. It's a sight that at some times is so depressing that you feel that peace and happiness will never ever reign. The excellence of Erikson's writing ability shines through in this new novel. His characters are wonderfully human and have real human emotions that drive them to do human actions. There are no invincible "good guys" who always 'do the right thing' and win against impossible odds. And although Deadhouse plays out with mostly different characters, a wholly different plot, and on a totally different continent than its predecessor, the book still reads with a believable and connecting storyline. Deadhouse is not without its faults, yet is a distinct improvement from Gardens, which I felt was only adequate and sorely lacking what is necessary for a good fantasy novel.

One of Erikson's greatest achievements here in Deadhouse Gates is his viewpoint characters. While Gardens of the Moon was plagued with over 20 different character viewpoints, Deadhouse is told through the eyes of only seven people; Mappo, Felisin, Duiker, Kalam, Fiddler, Kulp, and to a lesser extent, Lostara. These characters are vivid in their portrayals of simple people trying to survive and keep their sanity while lost within the horrific wars that are unleashed across the Seven Cities. There are no super heroes in Deadhouse Gates, no flame-throwing, Forsaken-killing do-gooders. These wonderfully gray characters do what they do to stay alive and that's it. While this war-torn crowd is usually hard to like, you can't help but to be holding you breath in the hopes that they will win out in the end.

When Steven Erikson writes well, he writes superbly, drawing you into his story just like the mighty Whirlwind itself that encompasses Deadhouse Gates. His battle scenes are written so brilliantly and with such stunning ferocity that you can actually picture them in your mind down to the finest detail. In this sense, Erikson shows you a different side of fantasy that is usually shied away from, military fantasy. A large portion of Deadhouse is spent on the Chain of Dogs, an army that is `escorting' thousands of refugees to safety. Here, you spend you time in the throes of battle after battle and live though exhaustion, dehydration, and depression. Reading about the Chain of Dogs can be so disheartening that at some times you almost have to put the book down. Deadhouse Gates is for a much more mature audience for it encompasses very bloody battles. Erikson also provides some very interesting, new stories of what actually happened to the Emperor and Dancer and shows a side of the Empress that you might not have thought possible. And at the same time, he keeps you updated on what is happening with some of the characters from Gardens of the Moon on Genabackis.

Yet among the splendors that I have reaped upon Deadhouse Gates, it does have its flaws. Many times the story seems absolutely aimless and redundant on it self. These characters seem to spend so much time wandering and wandering that it can really get tiring and you wonder that Erikson is really leading to. Also, some of the storylines, especially Mappo, are rather confusing. You don't really understand the reason for the characters actions. The storyline between Mappo, Icarium, and Iskaral is rather difficult to understand. Of course, things are resolved and understood in the end, but it would have been more interesting to learn then earlier on. Also, Deadhouse Gates seems so totally depressing and unrelenting in its brutality. Many fantasy readers have commented on how brutal and cold Martin's `Song of Ice and Fire' series is. Yet, this series makes Martin's look like a Disney movie. I don't even think that the characters in Deadhouse Gates know how to smile.

Despite it disheartening storyline and sometimes slow, aimless plot, Deadhouse Gates is an excellent and very worthy read. It is extremely different from most of what is out in the fantasy market and will draw you in with its realistic writing and engaging characters. Erikson has shown himself to be an important new face in the fantasy field and have surpassed many authors whose books are only read as time-consumers between the next books in "the Song of Ice and Fire" and "Wheel of Time" series. I have heard that Erikson's next book, Memories of Ice, returns Genabackis and continues the Malazan storyline in what hopes to be an excellent new series.

Hands down, one of the best fantasy books I have ever read.

I am not usually the type to complain about Tolkien-like books, and in fact I enjoy generic fantasy books quite a bit. I tend to steer clear of books such as Deadhouse Gates and its predecessor, Gardens of the Moon, because so often authors try to be original and instead come up with an R or X rated version of Tolkien.

Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series does not fall into the previous category. The scope of history behind his work, as well as the living qualities possessed by all the societies and characters set him above any other book of this type.

Although Deadhouse Gates follows an entirely different set of characters (for the most part) from the first book in the series, it does not take long to realize that although you might not have seen the actors before they are just as important as the "main" characters who make no appearance such as Whiskeyjack.

As far as dramatic and sensational endings, this book ends on a note that will make even hardened readers cringe. Once again, it is not that Erikson employs an overabundance of violence (although plenty of that is included). Erikson brings the trials of Coltaine and his men to life, and it is through the life given to his characters that the reader ends up feeling the ending in his/her gut, right where the author intended.

One of the previous reviewers said that this book was different from other fanatasy books he's wrong. The story has been done before, in Deadhouse Gates you read echoes of Glen Cook and David Gemmell, but then there is the scope and depth of Paul Edwin Zimmer. "Deadhouse Gates" features some characters from the previous "Gardens of the Moon". The premis is simple a plot has been hatched to slay the empress against this background you have the sub plot of an entire continent in rebellion, the fulfilmet of an ancient prophecy and the corresponding jihad it set's in motion, the introduction of a pair of immortal wanderers one who is potentially the deadliest threat to mankind and all who live, the machinations of shadowthrone, more on the eternal war between the T'lan mass and the Jaghut and on a more intimate and somewhat mundane level the development of a number characters from the previous book. It is all in all a very good read, with heroism that will sate any fan of Gemmell, unrelenting brutality and humour at it's blackest for any Glen Cook fan and finally depth and scope for those few fans of Paul Edwin Zimmer.

It's nice to really have despicable villians that you can detest with relish.

One character does deserve special mention Coltraine a study of stoic fatalism and master of the wry comment, his campaign of the chain of dogs alone is worth the read.

I've been derisive of some writers who seem to write massive tomes with very little substance but Deadhouse Gates is almost 900 pages long, the pages literally turn themselves it's one of the few times that I curse my ability to read fast.

I hope Robert Jordan reads this he might get a few ideas on how to get the point. Sorry couldn't resist that but I really have come to dislike his Wheel of Time series as some sort of pointless excerise of female emancipation.

Not that there is anything wrong with female emancipation but come on surely I'm not the only one thats finding his series quite the yawn.

One of the bits of advice I gave to people interested in reading Gardens of the Moon is not to get too hung up on the details. Erikson's books have so many characters, lands, people, gods, warriors and kings that if you try to get everything straight from the get go, then you will most likely give up in disgust. If that advice was helpful or relevant for Gardens of the Moon, then double it for Deadhouse Gates.

This second entry in the Malazan book of the fallen returns some of our favorite old characters, while mixing in a healthy dose of new characters. It has all the complexity and dense quality that made Gardens of the Moon so impressive. Unfortunately, for me, it was a lot less readable and much less engaging. I finished, but I really had to push myself to go further, particularly after the second half of the book. Don't get me wrong, I still find Erikson an impressive writer. But this was seriously tough going.

As a side note, I'm currently reading Memories of Ice-- the third book in the series. I actually like it the best of all three books. I mention that only to encourage you not to give up on the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Deadhouse Gates may be hard going, but the pay off comes largely in the next book.

Erikson is a tough writer. The battle scenes are gritty and realistic and the books have very adult elements. Not for the lighter side of sword n' sorcery fandom, nor for younger readers. As always, begin with the first book or you will find yourself even more hopelessly lost than you otherwise might be.