[polishgenius]

QuickTidal, on 29 January 2012 - 03:13 PM, said:

And yeah, when the Karsa quasi-cameo happened I was like "Cool, what's gonna happen there?"....nothing I guess. After the fact to me that bit felt a bit like pandering. Like Boba Fett being dropped into the redone scene with Jabba in A NEW HOPE....as if to say "Look! I'm here. Ain't that cool?" ...well yeah sure that's cool...but why exactly?

I think that was to make it clear that he wasn't in the city itself and hence getting involved, but still near enough to fulfill his role in tCG.

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 29 January 2012 - 03:34 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 29 January 2012 - 03:13 PM, said:

And yeah, when the Karsa quasi-cameo happened I was like "Cool, what's gonna happen there?"....nothing I guess. After the fact to me that bit felt a bit like pandering. Like Boba Fett being dropped into the redone scene with Jabba in A NEW HOPE....as if to say "Look! I'm here. Ain't that cool?" ...well yeah sure that's cool...but why exactly?

I think that was to make it clear that he wasn't in the city itself and hence getting involved, but still near enough to fulfill his role in tCG.

Oh indeed, I saw that aspect of it. It just felt a BIT like a cheap thrill is all.

[tiam]

QuickTidal, on 30 January 2012 - 01:13 AM, said:

polishgenius, on 29 January 2012 - 03:34 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 29 January 2012 - 03:13 PM, said:

And yeah, when the Karsa quasi-cameo happened I was like "Cool, what's gonna happen there?"....nothing I guess. After the fact to me that bit felt a bit like pandering. Like Boba Fett being dropped into the redone scene with Jabba in A NEW HOPE....as if to say "Look! I'm here. Ain't that cool?" ...well yeah sure that's cool...but why exactly?

I think that was to make it clear that he wasn't in the city itself and hence getting involved, but still near enough to fulfill his role in tCG.

Oh indeed, I saw that aspect of it. It just felt a BIT like a cheap thrill is all.

It was a contrived way to keep Karsa out of events I think. Surely he would get involved given his hatred of Tyrants?

[Paran]

Yeah, Chekhov's gun ICE!

[Illuyankas]

I just realised the Tyrant is an evil BAFTA.

[Harvester]

My god, you are right! So OST might actually be a comment on television and film.

This post has been edited by Harvester: 31 January 2012 - 03:33 PM

[Hocknose]

here are some of my thoughts and questions about the book...

As I was reading this, probably up to about the page 350 mark I was honestly thinking the book was epic and would go on to be on par with one of Erikson's early ones. But sadly in the end it left a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

A lot of the concerns I have, have already been brought up by most of you so i won't go into detail of that. A few issues I do have though...

• The character Jannil, we get an early POV from him and he seems a very capable thief/murderer, he goes one too far with Antsy and gets his ass kicked. The next time we see him properly he's in moon's spawn...how? and secondly he's almost described like a simpleton? where did that come from...
  Also what happened to him in the end? That whole scene at the throne of night was a blurred mess for me!!
• Who were those 3 mercenaries that Fisher knew? no explanation!!
• Who was Malakai? I definitley thought he was going to be someone we had met before but in disguise...no explanation!!
• I found the whole moons spawn storyline a massive anti-climax. There was way too much time spent there walking round in the dark.
• K'rul...to change someone's gender 15 books into a series seems plain ridiculous to me!!
• Tyrant...again no explanantion (you guys have covered this loads already)
• No real explantion as to why the Moranth never take off their armour
• Was Maker the same dude who speaks to Osserc in the prologue of RotCG?

Things I did like...
The seguleh story...apart from no real mention of what happened with Mok
The woman charatcer who accompanies Sall and Lo...I liked her interaction with the Seguleh and her whole don't give a shit attitude
Torvald Nom
Barathol
Rallick
I thought the malazans were very well done, especially the dal hon sergent.
Aragan
Topper
Tayschrenn - definilety a RAFO

Overall I felt the last few hundred pages were a bit rushed and we could have had a lot more detail about the Tyrant and Moranth etc...The book was at one point gonna get an 8 or 9 from me but sadly I can only give it a 6

This post has been edited by Hocknose: 02 February 2012 - 10:10 AM

[tiam]

Hocknose, on 02 February 2012 - 10:06 AM, said:

here are some of my thoughts and questions about the book...

As I was reading this, probably up to about the page 350 mark I was honestly thinking the book was epic and would go on to be on par with one of Erikson's early ones. But sadly in the end it left a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

A lot of the concerns I have, have already been brought up by most of you so i won't go into detail of that. A few issues I do have though...

• The character Jannil, we get an early POV from him and he seems a very capable thief/murderer, he goes one too far with Antsy and gets his ass kicked. The next time we see him properly he's in moon's spawn...how? and secondly he's almost described like a simpleton? where did that come from...
  Also what happened to him in the end? That whole scene at the throne of night was a blurred mess for me!!
• Who were those 3 mercenaries that Fisher knew? no explanation!!
• Who was Malakai? I definitley thought he was going to be someone we had met before but in disguise...no explanation!!
• I found the whole moons spawn storyline a massive anti-climax. There was way too much time spent there walking round in the dark.
• K'rul...to change someone's gender 15 books into a series seems plain ridiculous to me!!
• Tyrant...again no explanantion (you guys have covered this loads already)
• No real explantion as to why the Moranth never take off their armour
• Was Maker the same dude who speaks to Osserc in the prologue of RotCG?

Things I did like...
The seguleh story...apart from no real mention of what happened with Mok
The woman charatcer who accompanies Sall and Lo...I liked her interaction with the Seguleh and her whole don't give a shit attitude
Torvald Nom
Barathol
Rallick
I thought the malazans were very well done, especially the dal hon sergent.
Aragan
Topper
Tayschrenn - definilety a RAFO

Overall I felt the last few hundred pages were a bit rushed and we could have had a lot more detail about the Tyrant and Moranth etc...The book was at one point gonna get an 8 or 9 from me but sadly I can only give it a 6

Jallin- I had no problem with him coming over to the Spawns. I think its made clear that he hired himself out as an authentic guide most likely just to get to Antsy. I wouldnt say hes portrayed as an idiot more of an alley skulker, similar to Snell in TTH. As for what happened I couldnt be sure. Theres a section where Antsy sees Malakai put something in his pack which I thought might be revenge for what he did to Antsy but its never mentioned.

Mercenaries- mountain on a blue background emblem on their shield meant something to Fisher but not to me. Pretty much all the info we have is from the DP.

Malakai- Thought he was a poorly written Topper at first but glad he turned out not to be. Saying that we still dont know he could have been anyone. Considering ICE likes hiding names then revealing them I really thought we were going to get one from him.

Krul- I agree

Maker- Probably not. The guy from the ROTCG prologue was Denuth I think, a child of Burn more or less. Maker is most likely the entity that we see in TTH, who has been trapped by Gothos to make houses of Azath for him. It makes sense that hes free, he seems a very base elemental so explains how he could build the Azath and also has a strong hatred for Jaghut and their 'meddling ways' which makes sense with Gothos trapping him for however long.

This post has been edited by tiam: 02 February 2012 - 11:14 AM

[Cause]

Malakai put the unmarred mask in Jallin's pack so the Seguleh would kill him and so Malakai could get Antsy's revenge and hence pay back his debt to him

[Moss]

Hocknose, on 02 February 2012 - 10:06 AM, said:

The woman charatcer who accompanies Sall and Lo...I liked her interaction with the Seguleh and her whole don't give a shit attitude

I liked her too, until she started weapon practise and was considered "good" at the end of the book. I think the next time we see her she wears a mask on her face.

[tiam]

Cause, on 02 February 2012 - 12:58 PM, said:

Malakai put the unmarred mask in Jallin's pack so the Seguleh would kill him and so Malakai could get Antsy's revenge and hence pay back his debt to him

I must have missed that somehow or is it just implied? Either way good catch

[Silk]

I think the implied part is the revenge bit... but it was definitley stated in the book that Malaki put something small in his pack.

[Asharak]

I thought the book was great. Sure there was a bunch of things that weren’t explained, but the book worked in spite of it.

My impression was that the Tyrant was originally a Jaghut, since the MinerT`lan Imass was certain he was until he studied his body. I might be wrong, but it seemed to me like he almost smelled him out, but was tricked by his outward appearance.Anyway, really creepy dude.

I thought The Tyrant and his demon mages, backed by the Seguleh army, was one of the best and scariest villainous forces of the Malazan series. It was very interesting to see the connections between the culture of Darhuijstan, the seguleh and the Tyrant. The reveal of what the members of the Torrud Cabal really were, was pretty surprising, but made a lot of sense. I was really relived Baruk got through this ordeal alive, after all the pain he experienced during his enslavement.


Great to have a book that gave real focus to the Seguleh, and to a lesser extent the Moranth. Finally we have a book where they are active on a bigger scale, and the last battle between them on and above Majesty hill is easily one of the most memorable engagements in the series.




9/10

This post has been edited by Asharak: 28 February 2012 - 09:09 PM

[The Swordbearer]

Warning Malaz Junkie alert!!!.

Even though I felt a little like Oliver Twist with a book having a few blank pages instead of an empty bowl.

"Please Sir may I have some more"

I found the book showed ICE is getting better at writing and as such I enjoyed the read, But then I am such a Mallazite I aint hard to please.
I just hope he improves at a consistent pace otherwise I shall have to him with a JK.

My fav moment was when after the T'Lan Imass Miner smelled ice and left Raest looked at his cards. 2nd nod goes to daddy asking Envy if she's still afraid of the dark!!!

My personal theory about the non involvment of some Char IE Karsa. is SE saying to ICE U can mention him. but dont take him out for a spin He's MINE all Mine/

One thing bugs me though C/mon ICE the cats name was Tuffty not Fluffy, bloody thing is a Malaz legend

This post has been edited by The Swordbearer: 01 March 2012 - 08:03 AM

[Vaddon Ra]

Ok I read through with relish, happily speeding through bits to see the big cataclsymic finale. I was happy, in a way by things that happened, but I wanted that extra 200 pages, that extra THING that makes malaz wonderful. I agree with every criticism, not to say I hated the book, I just didn't love it. The page of Karsa Teasing was pointless to the story as the badass in question didnt actually do anything...you'd have thought the potential destruction of a city (civilisation) might get him mobile, but alas.

I loved where the seguleh was going but to be honest I thought killing 400 off was cheap, and their manipulation by the crap tyrant was a bit boring.

Mok's being 'Broken' was never explained, which I thought was rubbish...at the end of MOI he was, well...he'd just defeated the 1st sword of the Imass...what's he got to be sad about, he's broken is he? Therule didnt seem to sad about what happened in Coral, more sad to be dismissed by Envy than anything...

AND WOULD CALADAN BROOD PLEASE HIT SOMETHING WITH HIS HAMMER

OH MY WORD!!!!


other than that I enjoyed it as a fun read... but that's it, just a fun read, nothing special. Come on ICE you have 2 books to go...Deliver