[obvakhi]

Did they really crucify that entire army at Aren? The whole ten thousand of them? Alive?! If so, DAMN! And I thought A Song of Ice and Fire was brutal.
Does it get more gritty than this? I sure hope so.

This post has been edited by obvakhi: 31 August 2013 - 01:56 AM

[lastname]

More gritty indeed. A full 20000 people get crucified 14 books down the line

[Rictus]

I never did understand why the soldiers couldn't disobey the High Fist's orders. Isn't the ability to think independently the most deadly characteristic of a Malazan soldier? Instead of blind obedience? On the other hand, I suppose they could not have known the fate awaiting them. But throwing down your weapons... Hood's hoary/hairy earlobe

A gritty bastard of a scene, indeed.

[Macros]

 lastname, on 31 August 2013 - 03:34 AM, said:

More gritty indeed. A full 20000 people get crucified 14 books down the line

the neg rep on this made me laugh

but yeah, of all the characters I despise and want to hurl a book across because of Pormqual is well up near the top of the list. Every fucking time I want to strangle him.
before he leads the army out, obviously.

[Kanese S's]

This is the Malazan Book of the Fallen.

There are a lot of unhappy moments.

[Atrate61]

 obvakhi, on 31 August 2013 - 01:51 AM, said:

Did they really crucify that entire army at Aren? The whole ten thousand of them? Alive?! If so, DAMN! And I thought A Song of Ice and Fire was brutal.
Does it get more gritty than this? I sure hope so.

I couldn't believe it when I read it for the first time, either. I wanted to bring Pormqual back to life and do to him what was done to the army. I wanted to do even worse to Mallick Rel.

And you know what is even worse? That isn't the worse thing that happens in the series. Erikson really does know how to break a reader's heart over and over again.

[Abyss]

And coming just after Coltaine's fall its that extra bit nasty.

[khan1241]

I was devastated when I read that part. While not quite up there with the Red Wedding, it shocked me. I enjoy that in books, the curve ball out of nowhere. After not enjoying GotM, this book and especially this pert made me excited to read the next book.

[Gothos]

It's one of those things in books that make you get away and hide while continuing to read. It's a confusing feeling.

[Coaster]

Does it get more gritty? Hell yes. I love these books but every once in a while I start wishing something good would happen. Ascendancy is much more common then a sunny picnic in this world

[lauragibs]

that is a lot of amount really http://jogarjogosdemoto.com/

This post has been edited by lauragibs: 11 December 2014 - 08:26 AM

[Fiddler]

The Roman empire crucified damn near 10,000 slaves along the Appian way in order to put down the revolt of Spartacus. Imagine every 100 feet of a 200 mile road there is another person nailed to a cross and dying...

That actually happened, so the fantasy version doesn't phase me too much. I did think it was brutal as hell though.

I think that Pormquals' army was already beaten down on the morale level and that contributed to their surrender. Also, they probably figured that Korbolo Dom, being a former fist, might honor their surrender but we all know how that worked out.

[Fiddler]

 khan1241, on 22 August 2014 - 12:47 PM, said:

I was devastated when I read that part. While not quite up there with the Red Wedding, it shocked me. I enjoy that in books, the curve ball out of nowhere. After not enjoying GotM, this book and especially this pert made me excited to read the next book.

As far as shock value goes the Red Wedding was fairly shocking,

Spoiler

violating guest right and all, but it wasn't like you couldn't see it coming with the welcome Walder Frey gave and the fact that he was being all friendly about it. GRRM is pretty heavy handed with the foreshadowing there, especially when he talks about making the blackfish marry his Walda first.

The fall of Coltaine kills thousands more, including Corporal List, and every single other member of Coltaine and Pormquals armies. I hoped that at some point the refugees would somehow come out and rescue Coltaine or even just the disarmed soldiers by storming the army of the apocalypse and swamping it under sheer numbers, but alas, 'twas not to be.

This post has been edited by Abyss: 18 December 2014 - 07:49 PM
Reason for edit: SoIaF SPOILERS

[Enders]

The crucifixion scenes were definitely brutal scenes even though I've been thoroughly desensitized. Almost every chapter was more and more brutality.The whole book had a very grim, dark feeling. I've read a lot of "grimdark" fantasy but all of those seem like YA fiction in comparison.

I loved it. Every minute of it. Do I need to see a psychiatrist?

This post has been edited by Enders: 16 December 2014 - 12:21 PM

[aeneas]

Nethpara...grrrr

[Avatar]

Quote

More gritty indeed. A full 20000 people get crucified 14 books down the line

You are kidding, right? And if not, which book?

[Traveller]

It does seem crazy that by the time Coltaine is in sight of Aren, someone, anyone, hasn't knocked Pormqual on the head and taken charge, no matter the consequences after.

I know the malazan military is supposed to be so effective because it follows the command structure, but elsewhere the marines are revered as they are allowed to 'think for themselves.'

I know it's a big what if, but if Blistig had taken charge, earlier, the 10k soldiers in Aren would have been able to ride out to Coltaine - and it's also unlikely that he would have been manipulated by Rel in the same way.

Unfortunately it would have prevented one of the best gut wrenchingly tragic/amazing endings to a book ever.

[Andorion]

I remember reading this scene. I had just finished Coltaine's death, and that was mind-destroyingly horrifying enough. Then the soldiers march out and when it starts by then I was totally emotionally drained thanks to the earlier scene and mentally I was just weakly mumbling "no. no this cant be happening" and it happened anyway. i wandered around for a day or so just trying to digest it.

[Abyss]

 Avatar, on 17 December 2014 - 09:49 PM, said:

Quote

More gritty indeed. A full 20000 people get crucified 14 books down the line

You are kidding, right? And if not, which book?

He's kidding.



...It was more like 50,000 but most of them were lawyers and telemarketers.

Oh, ummm SPOILERS!

[Traveller]

 Andorion, on 18 December 2014 - 05:15 PM, said:

I remember reading this scene. I had just finished Coltaine's death, and that was mind-destroyingly horrifying enough. Then the soldiers march out and when it starts by then I was totally emotionally drained thanks to the earlier scene and mentally I was just weakly mumbling "no. no this cant be happening" and it happened anyway. i wandered around for a day or so just trying to digest it.

That whole scene is so well written I find myself sort of shrinking back as I read it - Nethers reaction sums it up well.