Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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

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.

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.

I love the whole series, my problem is working out how he holds it all together. This book "goes sideways" in my mind as its complex with many subplots and doesn't conclude very much. Yes its nice to learn more about the rich character set, but one was hoping for some conclusions...I also found towards the end it was getting a bit draggy and lost in its own complexity....

If you are a fan of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, it is likely that anything that I say will fly right out of your brain. That being said, I thought Reaper's Gale was a fine addition to, bar none, the best fantasy series out there. I did like the way Erikson tied the Lether and Malazan empires together and brought the storylines from Midnight Tides and The Bonehunters together.

Here's some of the things I didn't like. The Icarium storyline. I just still cannot see where this is going (though he is one of my favorite characters). The inserting of the White Face Barghast seemed very forced. How did Tool become warleader? Why are they in Lether? The Gray Swords. Huh? Where did they come from?

Here's some of the good: The coninuation of the Bonehunters. They actually get to see significant action. Tehol Beddict. Is there a cooler character than Tehol? And the bantering? Inspired. Karsa Orslong's continuing development. Who can't help but love such an arrogant, and rightfully so, character.

The death of a some very important characters left me stunned, but that is to be expected. All in all, a worthy addition to Erikson's masterpiece.

Erikson will answer all our questions with his next book, he is an archeologist originally, so he writes in layers, revealing the truth. Most of the questions asked by other reviewers are answered in previous volumes or even reading this book more closely-Tool married the Barghast warchief's daughter and he came to help Toc. I'm also sure the mystery of Red Mask will become clear. The presence of all parties will be explained in subsequent volumes. AS FOR THE "TRIPE" reviewer, Erikson's plots are intricate and built upon magnificent characters and their relationships. One must read all of his books to understand the current book. Unlike Goodkind, his plots don't repeat the exact same formula in each volume- SE's plots expand the story and are filled with surprising developments.

Read the Malazan series if you enjoy gritty, heart-pounding action, compelling personalities and character interaction. Thrilling is the best way to describe the series!

I would give it a 4.5 if it was an option. This is a very good book, probably ranked third after Book 2 and 3. There are a few new characters that make the book drag out a bit, however the rest of it is great. The interaction between Tehol and Bugg delivers again and they remain my two favorite characters in the series. If you've gotten this far, this book shouldn't disappoint.

I love this series, but do not feel they can be read as stand alone books. But the most brilliant series ever I guess in fantasy. Wish they were on audiotape or kindle.

If you like George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire", you will like these I believe. But it does take about 500 pages in the first book to really start to "get it" and like it so much.

Good luck and worth trying.

DISCLAIMER: This is the only Erikson book I have read. Therefore, perhaps I am not a fair judge I haven't read the previous books in this series. Nevertheless, one should be able to pick up in the middle of a series and get more out of a book than I did.

PROS:

- High word/$ ratio.

- Prose flows fairly swiftly, although awkward at times.

CONS:

- Too many characters (50+) - hard to follow

- Too many parallel stories

- No main protagonist/hero

- Endless filler and unnecessary detail

It's said that good writing involves sharing what the main events, skipping the boring stuff. For example, you don't need to know when the hero goes to the bathroom. Not surprisingly, Erikson, at one point in this novel, shares about a MINOR character desire to go to the toilet and having to take off his armor to do it. Must of the novel consists of random side stories that don't really move the story forward.

CONCLUSION: It's said (for garage sales) that one person's junk is another one's treasure. For me, the myriad of details in this book were often useless junk. For others, it might be a fascinating way of fleshing out the world or the characters. I prefer tighter storytelling. At 1,200 pages, this is not tight. With no obvious hero, there is no focus. If you like a fantasy that is written like a soap opera, then you will like this. It is epic in length, but not in quality.

Seventh Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, REAPER'S GALE is only for readers already entrenched in the saga. I find the series awesome, but this particular volume is a bit tedious and occasionally confusing because of the numerous changes in viewpoints, and because it does represent the middle of the story where all authors tend to bog down. Fans do need to read it, though, in preparation for promised volumes 8-10. But even with this bogging middle, Steven Erikson still remains one of my favorite authors because of his diverse skill with words, the incredible density of his story-telling, and because of his talent for taking reader emotions through an entire spectrum in just one page.

So, what is REAPER'S GALE about? We're back in Letheras (which I finally understand now to be in the same time as the Malazan Empire, just on the other side of the world). Irate Malazans--peeved for the Edur attack on their fleet, and with nowhere else to go--follow the Edur back to Letheras with the intention of repaying the favor. As Malazans attack Letheras, the people of that empire have problems of their own. Numerous subplots follow:

1. Letherii Acquitor Seren Pedac, Fear Sengar, runaway slave Udinaas, and Tiste Andii ascendant Silchas Ruin as they search for the soul of Scabandari Bloodeye;

2. Destitute resident Tehol Beddict and his elder god friend continue their plot to financially ruin Letheras;

3. Many other Letherii are engaged in sedition against their Edur masters;

4. While other Letherii and some Edur are working together on their frontier border with a violent expansion project;

5. And the Edur emperor Rhulad is oblivious to all but challengers to his throne because of isolating sedition;

6. ...can anyone kill Rhulad so he'll stay dead?...

7. And of course, we continue to follow Trull Sengar, his Imass friend Onrack, and their new companion Ben Adaephon Delat as they seek something not even the ascendant sending them will describe;

8. While Jaghut ice begins to melt (there's something horrifying in there...);

9. And treachery between the gods, ascendants, and their chosen wizards/mages/etc as magic finds new, clashing pathways;

10. and the usual mix of ghosts, undead, and bloody battles with

many other subplots not even mentioned'

The ending--both hilarious and heartbreaking--makes this read worthwhile, and I am already missing my daily dose of Erikson [alas--(in-joke grin)], for no other author can compare. ~kc