Reaper's Gale: Malazan Book of the Fallen #7 (UK Tradepaper; Steven Erikson) [Paperback]

Steven (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Bantam Press (2007)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000QC5ODA
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,334,584 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Erikson's monumental saga continues...another masterpiece!, June 21, 2007

By 

R. Nicholson - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Reaper's Gale: Malazan Book of the Fallen #7 (UK Tradepaper; Steven Erikson) (Paperback)

Another great addition to the "Malazan Book of the Fallen" series.

Erikson's latest book (the 7th in the series) is set in the locale of Lether; an area that has been conquered by the Tiste Edur but is stilled "governed" by the Letheriis (with some non-too subtle direction from the Edur). Some internal strife is beginning to show and the backstabbing and double dealing has begun. As with previous books in the series, there are several side tales that add to the overall enjoyment of this latest installment.

The book is rife with the Erikson's usual host of intriguing characters; some kinky, some downright perverted and some with unusual talents and skills. Needless to say these various personalities can make for interesting exchanges at times...with sometimes unexpected results.

As well as the usual cast of our favorite Malazan army regulars (although not introduced until about halfway through), this novel reacquaints us with two old friends from "Midnite Tides"; that being Tehol and Bugg. These were two of my favorite "benign" characters from that novel and they've returned with their usual weird (but often funny), devious schemings.

In addition, at the front of the book there is a good map and a list of characters (with brief descriptions) that you'll meet in this novel.

What makes this (and others in the series) so good?...it's Erikson's extraordinary skill with prose; that ability to seemingly transport you to the scene of the action using the vehicle of the written word on paper...amazing. I've been a devoted Erikson fan ever since the first book ("Gardens of the Moon") and feel his works easily rank beside the upper echelon of writers of the fantasy genre.

My only minor complaint of this work would be that I found one side story a little hard to follow at times...but this doesn't take away anything from the overall quality of this excellent novel.

900 pages long and these seemed to just fly by; I can hardly wait for the next installment. 5 Stars... more if I could.

R. Nicholson

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Saga Keeps Rolling, August 15, 2007

By 

M. Schroeder (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Reaper's Gale: Malazan Book of the Fallen #7 (UK Tradepaper; Steven Erikson) (Paperback)

The Malazan Book of the Fallen is my favorite fantasy series going on right now. It has a beautifully developed world, interesting characters, and epic action. But if you've made it to Book 7 of the series, Reaper's Gale, then you already know all this. For fans of the first 6 books, this latest entry will not disappoint...and will leaving anxiously waiting for book 8.

Reaper's Gale starts off right where Bonehunters left off and picks up some of Midnight Tides loose threads. The Malazan 14th Army under Adjunct Tavore and featuring the remaining Bonehunters is heading to the continient of Lether to deal with another empire. Also heading to Lether are two champions recruited to face the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths in combat: Karsa Orlong and Icarium. Meanwhile, Trull, Onrack, and Quick Ben are recuperating in the realm of Shadow, but they won't be able to remain inactive for long. Picking up from Midnight Tides Tehol and Bugg continue their conspirtacy to undermine the Empire and Fear, Slichas Ruin, Udinaas, Kettle, and Seren Pedac continue their quest, as fugitives, to find the sould Scabandari Bloodeye. All the storylines really begin to come together and this makes for a great read.

That being said, Erikson does add a few new storylines that are tangential at best. We read from the POV of many new Letheri characters, most of whom are part of sinister organizations - and are not very compeling. There is also a storyline featuring a war between the Letheri and a neighboring tribe that seems to bear no relevance to the overall story. Some characters feature briefly and then fade away quickly or seem to be thrown in; Featherwitch and the Errant come to mind.

So while the story does sag with the weight of these additional storylines this is still a great read for all fans of everything Malaz. It has definitely whetted by appetite for Book 8 A Toll of Hounds.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Erikson Delivers again, September 6, 2007

By 

A. Nealon "nealon3" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reaper's Gale: Malazan Book of the Fallen #7 (UK Tradepaper; Steven Erikson) (Paperback)

Once again Erikson has delivered.

Most authors that take on such an expansive series tend to suck after the 4th or 5th book (ex: Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, etc.) because they try to extend the series too long or lose sight of their original goal.

Erikson on the other hand has defined this series as only being ten books. He has thought out each book in advance and how all the main and side characters interact leaving a breathtaking glimpse into the world he has created. If you decided to go back and chronical all interactions and time frames I am sure they would match up perfectly. A VERY well thought out series and some incredible writing.