Customer Reviews

Memories of Ice (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 3)

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

The third book of Steve Erikson's Malazan series picks up where the first book left off. The Empress Laseen has outlawed Whiskyjack, the Bridgeburners, and Dujek Onearm after their failure to capture the jeweled city of Darujistan. The seasoned soldiers are not long out of work. On the continent of Genabackis there is word of a terrifying new threat. A deranged prophet known as the Pannion Seer is on the march with a massive army of powerful mages, undead lethal warriors and thousands of cannibalistic zealots. He has set his sights on the city of Capustan to conquer the city and for its citizens to serve as food for his ravening hordes.

Realizing that the city's lone defenders, The Grey Swords, are woefully outmatched, Whiskeyjack and Dujek offer assistance. Because there are other more powerful forces propelling the Pannion, former enemies of the Malazans also offer alliance. The Warlord Caladan Brood and the mysterious Tiste Andii Anomander Rake march with WhiskeyJack and Dujek to Capustan amidst an uneasy truce.

In the midst of this, the child, Silverfox is aging at a rapid rate as she attempts to fulfill her destiny. Ganoes Paran learns the price of having walked within the sword Dragnipur, a tribe is reunited with their Gods, an ancient wrong is righted, ordinary people become heroic, heroes are shown that they are all too human and a mortal man attempts to save a God.

Right from the start in the first book where we are plopped in the middle of a devastating war and see a young girl possessed with the spirit of a deadly assassin, we are immediately wrapped up in the lives and fortunes of a great many interesting people. There is Whiskeyjack the beloved leader, who is weary of war and politics. There is Tattersail the clever mage whose reincarnation comes at a devastating price. There is Ganoes Paran , once a pawn to be played, becomes a master of the game. There is the fat, affable Kruppe who confounds everyone he meets. There is the mysterious (and wonderfully monikered) Anomander Rake, who has untold powers and hinted at sorrow. There is Empress Laseen, who may not be as evil as we think. And there is Quick Ben, who has many surprises up his sleeve.

Although the subject matter of bloody, horrible war (along with rape, torture, cannibalism and possible world destruction) can be quite heavy, there are still glimpses of humor and wonder in his writing. I like the world he has built. I like the deep history that we learn as the stories progress. I like the idea of the Deck of Dragons where the hierarchy of Gods manifests itself in a deck of cards. And I especially like the fact that while I am pretty sure whom to root for, I am not always sure whom I should root against. Even the seemingly unsympathetic characters seem to have good reasons to do what they do.

While I did read the books in order, I found that I actually had to go back and reread the first book in order to bring myself up to speed for this third one. The second book takes a bit of a detour and, rather than picking up right where the first book left off, it instead follows the story of Ganoes Paran's sister, Felisin and her travels in the deserts of the Seven Cities. While this was a bit of interruption in the action, it does whet the appetite for the eventual reunion of the two siblings both of whom have undergone both physical and metaphysical changes.

In his previous two books set in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, Erikson showed the promise of what he was capable of. Finally, in Memories of Ice, he truly hits his stride. From here on- and I have read this and books four and five, already published in the UK -he delivers relentlessly upon his promise.

The world he has constructued is, bar none, one of the most complex and detailed, showing echoes of Eriksons' studies in Anthropology. The complexity of this universe isn't, however, handed to you upon a silver platter- the Malazan world is a work in progress, each book hinting at deeper and deeper histories, at the myriad of cultures and peoples, both human and non, who occupy it.

In Memories of Ice, he details a truly breath-taking tale, shifting perspective between a vast array of important character. It continues the tale of the outlawed Dujek's Host and Whiskeyjacks Bridgeburners from the first tale, Gardens of the Moon.

Here, enemies become friends and friends become divided, as Erikson finally delves more into such characters as Anomander Rake and the occasionally mentioned Caladan Brood.

True to his previous books, he also introduces a whole new cast of fascinating characters: the Grey Swords, led by Brukhalian, and the tale of their desperate battle in the city of Capustan; Gruntle and Stonny, caravan guards for the mysterious trader Keruli, as they travel south. He also delves into characters of the first book, such as the undead "Tool."

This isn't fantasy for the weak of heart: Erikson delivers a brutal, heart-wrenching tale of war and betrayal, tempered by occasional moments of levity. Like in reality, in war, people die, and so goes this tale.

Each book, thus far, has surpassed the one prior, with moments of clarity and beauty, as well as a series of emotional gut-punches, that will draw the breath from your lungs and leave you disbelieving.

It is, with the exception of a rare few fantasy authors writing today, one of the truly best-told tales I have ever read. This series shall, without doubt, write Erikson's name as one of the most influential fantasy authors of this generation.

.david

Stephen Erikson is undoubtably one of the best fantasy writers in the world today! Easily as highly skilled a storyteller as George RR Martin, Guy Gavriel Kay and Tolkien, he's head and shoulders over Jordan, Goodkind, Eddings and many others who spin out their tales ad infinitum at ever descending levels...
Stephen Erikson. Having met him in Calgary, Canada two years ago at an FF/SF conference, I can relate the author somewhat to the writing. Although his first book, Garden of the Moons, starts slowly, it's not long before the discerning reader is swept along by the tale ... that later is broadened by the 2nd volume Deadhouse Gates, and now by the 3rd Memories of Ice.
How to qualify this work? In a huge world, with complex characters and a fascinating array of real life and magical events, we visit another place that also often cuts to the core of the meaning of life. I think that Stephen writes from many different places, and quite simply is a must read for avid readers of any genre.
A shortfall? Perhaps fleshing out the characters somewhat more deeply, so that the reader can more easily "feel" the yearnings, the pain, the perplexity of events and life as it churns around and in them. That would perhaps also assist the unfolding of events in his sprawling world.
I would encourage anyone reading this mini-review to get into Erikson's work today ... and spread the word. I would like to see a writer of this calibre do so well that he can focus only on furthering our reading pleasure for many years to come.

First: Why are these books having a "stealth" US realease. These are certainly better, and more enjoyable, than Robert Jordan's most recent case of episodic diarreah of the pen. Terry Goodkind gets good press (why?). Wi'it'ch War had a big release (why?), and this book is left to founder without any support? There is clearly a market for big fantasy right now, and darker fantasy, in general, has been getting remarkably good press--and these are released Amazon only? These are great, great books--I can only assume they are offered here because so many people were ordering them from amazon.co.uk, rather than waiting for the US release.

This, the most recent book in the series is excellent. A trifle cloying (near the end), but with such a richly imagined history, and excellent characters, this book deserves a much larger audience. The first in the series was a bit weak--but bear with it--it was the authors first book, while the second in this series is the authors 5th, and the added practice shows.

The action in these books is brutal, and the outlook grim. Imagine glen cook's black company series with the battles, and their attendant horror, magnified, and told explicitly. Evil has a very powerful, very real face, and it isn't hidden, or pretty.

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of the book, however, is the strong moral center. Hidden under an extraordianry world, with amazing characters and maic lies a book about compassion and tolerance. If my suspicions are born out, it is the birth of those virtues which forms a large part of the fundamental conflict in these books, and that is a powerful message. There is a moral center to these stories, and for all their gore, it is satisfying to see a reason for it. Or at least, I can hope for a reason.

Even if you don't care about those aspects, the world of Genabackis, and its attendant gods, ascendants, soletaken, and elder races, is absolutely incredible. The fantasy and world building is a fresh and interesting amalgam of religious and cultural traditions. There are only a few worlds that can match the epic nature of this series--and none hat offer such an incredible history. If big fantasy is at all appealing, then you _must_ read these books. There is nothing out there that is equivalent to the world building in these books. Enjoy them, and spread the word.

After the adolescent material that had driven me out of this genre ten or more years ago, it was so thrilling to walk unawares into "Gardens of the Moon" based on a friend's recommendation. Stephen Erikson has succeeded where so few other writers have -- in creating a work of epic fantasy that doesn't insult the intelligence or maturity of his readers. And as this series progresses, I just get more and more impressed. I have not been affected by any novel the way I was by "Memories of Ice". Not in a long time.

...If any of that sounds familiar to you, read Stephen Erikson. Now. His works are mature, sophisticated, imaginative and profound explorations of the human condition, with tons of swordfights, magical duels, freaky monsters and complex political history thrown in. These are great books in every sense of the word.

Frankly, not since Tolkien have I read anyone command this genre so masterfully. Unlike virtually everyone else in epic fantasy, Erikson is not rewriting or re-interpreting Tolkien. He is creating something entirely new. And it's brilliant.

On the other hand, if you love Jordan and Eddings and Brooks and all that gang, then these books aren't for you. But if you're fed up with fantasy that assumes you're thirteen, read these books. Read them!

This is a powerful, intriguing and disturbing book with tremendous action and great world-building. Erikson's Malazan world is a land of tyrants, armies, war, pillage, betrayal, destruction that is highlighted with themes of honor, duty, loyalty, perserverance, and some humor. The scope and depth is even greater than Jordan, and the timetable has been much better because Erikson is essentially publishing at a volume per year pace.

Memories of Ice, the third in the series, essentially continues the story after Gardens of the Moon. The Malazan warriors seeking to conquer the continent of Genabackis have been deemed traitors by their Empress. They join with former opponents to halt a mad cult that has conquered cities in the southern part of the continent. The reason: the Pannion cult acts as if possessed, and starves its followers; they become an army of cannibals to conquer new territories for (ahem) food.

But that's only a small part of the larger scope of these tales. A great war is about to begin that makes the Malazan imperial aspirations seem petty by comparison, and Erikson begins to reveal its major actors in this volume. The war includes gods, demigods, and humans. Erikson's world also is peopled with numerous (usually humanoid) non-human creatures, all of whom have different powers and abilities and different societal structures.

It's about time that Steven Erikson has begun to get some well-earned attention and kudos in the US for his Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Previously available only in the UK and Canada (US stores would purchase from Canadian stocks), Tor recently became Erikson's US publisher and the books will come out in Tor editions starting in 2004.

I am an old hand at fantasy novels. I have read all the biggies, Jordan, Goodkind, Martin, and of course, Tolkien. Steven Erikson easily joins the foresmost ranks of fantasy authors. His novels are immense both in scope and in pure imagination. The characters are not mere cariactures of humans but are humans in the fullest meaning of the word. They have dreams, fears, hopes all to rival those of a real person. Even those characters that are not human are infinitely complex and interesting. The writing is uniformly excellent, showing Erikson to be a true master of the English language. His descriptions of battles are incredibly detailed and realistic. The plot is dense and forces a reader to pay close attention to the story. One point that should be told is that the book is not for the faint of heart. The plot veers sharply into the darkest parts of the human psyche and can be disturbing. However, the novel is so excellent and mesmerizing, I would recommend it to anyone who is seriously interested in fantasy. Steven Erikson is an incredible author and you owe to yourself to pick up his novels!

When I first read Gardens of the Moon, the first 100 pages were a bit frenetic and confused, but as I got into it I couldn't put it down. The sheer scope of Erikson's imagination is overwhelming. Deadhouse Gates was even better than Gardens of the Moon, even though it introduced a host of new characters. Memories of Ice is even better than the previous two. Erikson ties together many of the characters and events of the first two novels and fits them into the framework of an even larger story. This is by far one of the best series I have ever read. The amount of detail and planning that must have gone into the creation of his world, let alone the story itself, is amazing. This series is pretty unknown, but it deserves to be on the best seller list, or at least in people's Best of lists.

I would imagine anyone who's gotten this far into the series has no problem w/ Erikson's writing style. The good side is it's consistent - If you liked the previous two, you'll love this one. The bad side: he still likes to withhold way too much information. At this point I'm resigned to knowing that this series won't be quite what I hoped. Let's put it this way: if you're the kind of person for whom the idea of a 30 day trip across every country in Europe (or state in America, etc.) sounds like a blast, Erikson's your man. If however, you're like me and prefer just a handful countries or states, etc or less, then this series may be more of a chore. Why? With the former I would start to forget names and places and faces. With that much running around and things to remember and languages, I would have less time to know a particular culture well and spend most of the time just trying to keep my bearings. That's how I feel w/ Erikson. It just gets tiring trying to keep up w/ all the new characters and places. What makes it worse is he's not a big fan of characterization, so except for obvious characers like Dujek Onearm (duh), I have a hard knowing who looks like what; many of the secondary characters sound the same, their dialogue completely interchangeable. And of course, there's the holding back of info. Neat gimmick in the first book, but now I just sigh and soldier on (I read these on the bus to/from work, so they help pass the time or I wouldn't bother). Intrigue within intrigue is great, but as I can barely get a hold of the characters or their cultures I just end up shrugging when some big reveal or twist happend. It's almost guaranteed that the characters that stick out the most will either die, just not appear as much as you want, or end up in another body so you have to try to remember what they look like AGAIN. And did the Myhbe really have to be so melodramatic for all those pages? I just skipped past that. I have limits.

But he sure does write a mean battle. And clearly he's got a crazy plot worked out. I think for hardcore fantasy readers this is a great series, as you're more likely to look past or even enjoy these faults. One thing's for sure, at an average of ~900 pages per book you get your money's worth. That counts for a lot these days...

If you have liked the first books of the Wheel of Time but you were really dissapointed with the next this series maybe just what the doctor ordered. Huge and well developed world and really complicated plot, many different cultures, races, tribes, nations. Characters who are not one-dimensional but are truely believable and for my money are among the best in the whole fantasy genre. No defined "heroes" and "villains". Emotional scenes who can bring nearly everyone to tears with their tragic feeling plus some of the funniest dialogue ever - Lady Envy anyone?:) The author uses as few cliches as possible - there is no boy-hero saving the world and such stuff. Simply stunning series with this book easily the best so far in it!