Ending Question. SPOILER WARNING.

#1 derick30

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Posted 25 September 2011 - 02:43 PM

I definitely liked the book. It was fast paced and had a lot of legendary characters in it but goddamn that new emperor! I am actually very much demoralized right now. I think it actually sucked my enthusiasm to finish the series. I don't know why. Urgh. Now everytime I remember the words, Malazan and Emperor, that bastard comes to mind. He actually usurped Kellanved as Emperor in my mind(Laseen is female, so Empress). FU**! How can such a very annoying character be the emperor?! Can somebody please tell me that is not permanent without giving much of a spoiler to the other books? Haven't read TtH by the way. Please please please.

#2 Aptorian

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Posted 25 September 2011 - 02:52 PM

Read Stonewielder. You will get a new impression of Mallick Rel.

I think he is just the Ruler the Empire needs.

#3 derick30

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Posted 25 September 2011 - 02:59 PM

For real?! FU**! Damn. I think I'm gonna be stuck at this book for awhile. Maybe a few days. I don't know. Man that is really disheartening. I've been reading Malazan books non-stop for months. I have never been afflicted like this ever from other books. Damn. If ever, should I go directly to SW or allow myself some breathing room and choose TtH instead?

#4 Bauchelain the Evil

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Posted 25 September 2011 - 03:11 PM

Go to TtH. A few storylines follow directly from RotCG

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#5 Sinisdar Toste

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Posted 25 September 2011 - 06:00 PM

And rel doesn't factor into it. I didnt much like it when that slimy bastard became emperor either, but once I calmed down a bit and then saw his actions in SW, well, you may not like him, but he is good for the empire

There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.

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#6 tiam

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Posted 25 September 2011 - 07:05 PM

derick30, on 25 September 2011 - 02:43 PM, said:

Not liking a character because they are ruthless and slimy does nothing to diminish their competence. Laseen only really becomes likeable and competent in this book. Before hand in BH and other earlier works she seems at fault for not crushing the 7Ciities rebellion in time and for being manipulated by Rel and Korbolo Dom, yet in ROTCG we see she is competent and actually a likeable character to an extent. Thats what makes the shock value of her death so potent. After all this time ICE manages to turn around the appearance of the Empress yet kills her off in the same book. Rel is an incredibly adet politician and while he may not have the individual abilities of the Empress (assasin) and Kellenved (powerful mage) he is still exceptionally competent.

#7 Kanubis

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Posted 25 September 2011 - 10:14 PM

And he did humiliate Korbolo which is worth something.

It's not ideal by a long shot but ultimately the Wickans, who had more reason to hate him than anyone, were in a position to kill him and leg it or allow him to rule. They basically had him by the balls. I just make myself be ok with it because the Wickans were. Anyway, they got the histories corrected at least.

It's still very hard, upon rereading DHG, to accept that a man who caused the most horrific death of the most loyal members an Empire could imagine would then go on to rule the empire and have their part of the betrayal probably hidden from history forever.

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#8 D'rek

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Posted 25 September 2011 - 10:25 PM

It's not like Kellanved or Laseen were such saints... you know, burying entire countrysides (where I'm sure lots of innocent farmers lived) or assassinating your predecessor and hunting down his right hand's loyalists.

It seems the basic qualifications for the Malazan Empire's throne is to do some nasty things but have some redeeming qualities.

worrywort, on 14 September 2012 - 08:07 PM, said:

I kinda love it when D'rek unleashes her nerd wrath, as I knew she would here. Sorry innocent bystanders, but someone's gotta be the kindling.

#9 derick30

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Posted 26 September 2011 - 01:25 AM

Orb Sceptre Boat, on 25 September 2011 - 07:05 PM, said:

derick30, on 25 September 2011 - 02:43 PM, said:

Laseen's fate wasn't much of a shock to me. All throughout the book Possum was a bit paranoid about her safety with the compromise affecting the Claw. But somehow when he kills Coil and she reveals that she's the High Mage, I considered her death as one of the possible twists. Honestly, even though ICE made her an extremely capable fighter that she rivaled Dancer before and killed several Avowed, it still did not redeem herself for letting the empire be controlled by Mallick.

What did Mallick really do? Spread rumors about a civil war in another continent in which he displayed Korbolo as a hero and condemned the Wickans. She was supposed to be an all knowing capable strategist and tactician. She should have been able to control the situation before it became worse. After BH, her being powerless to Rel's unknown abilities made sense because at that point it was as if there was something bigger than his false control of the empire and it seemed to me that Laseen was only waiting for things to unravel. Lo and behold, Rel was actually a capable guy. He defeats Laseen on her own game. Assassin versus assassin. There wasn't an unknown conspiracy. It was just him. Shit.

But after reading the replies here and a good night sleep, I am going to reserve my judgement of him. I hope it would make sense in the future books because for me, everything up to that point still did.

#10 Sinisdar Toste

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Posted 26 September 2011 - 05:08 AM

derick30, on 26 September 2011 - 01:25 AM, said:

There wasn't an unknown conspiracy. It was just him. Shit.

well, there kind of was an unknown conspiracy. that half-demon assassin you just alluded to was it, i think. aside from that, up until right before the final battle in RotCG, rel had the power of an elder god at his fingertips. that's serious enough mojo to make anyone think twice before moving against him.

There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.

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#11 Salt-Man Z

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Posted 28 September 2011 - 03:05 PM

If it makes any difference, the rest of SE's books don't concern the Empire, so you don't have to fret over reading about Rel there.

"Here is light. You will say that it is not a living entity, but you miss the point that it is more, not less. Without occupying space, it fills the universe. It nourishes everything, yet itself feeds upon destruction. We claim to control it, but does it not perhaps cultivate us as a source of food? May it not be that all wood grows so that it can be set ablaze, and that men and women are born to kindle fires?"
―Gene Wolfe, The Citadel of the Autarch