[BeLeG]

MT had two-dimensional characters?
Did we read the same book?

[sylar]

The reason I was hooked to the Malazan series is that, unlike other authors, SE kept up a relentless pace. The huge scale, engaging battles and evolving plot made this series a real page turner.
But unfortunately, off late the focus has been too much towards pandering to the requirement of extensive character development. Especially in the latest edition TTH, the snails pace for the first 800 pages made me wonder why exactly I hadn't spent the money on a .. bus ride perhaps. The ride would have definitely been more eventful. The last few pages do make up a bit, but again the momentous battles are just rushed through. I mean, before we even get into imagining the fight between Dassem and Rake, Rake is dead. Its like, "Their blades were a blur and Rake dies". How engaging?
Guys, dont mistake me I still like this Malazan world. I only hope that it will get back to the basics that won over many of us in the first place.
I guess 'Change we need'.

[blackzoid]

sylar, on Feb 10 2009, 11:29 AM, said:

The reason I was hooked to the Malazan series is that, unlike other authors, SE kept up a relentless pace. The huge scale, engaging battles and evolving plot made this series a real page turner.
But unfortunately, off late the focus has been too much towards pandering to the requirement of extensive character development. Especially in the latest edition TTH, the snails pace for the first 800 pages made me wonder why exactly I hadn't spent the money on a .. bus ride perhaps. The ride would have definitely been more eventful. The last few pages do make up a bit, but again the momentous battles are just rushed through. I mean, before we even get into imagining the fight between Dassem and Rake, Rake is dead. Its like, "Their blades were a blur and Rake dies". How engaging?
Guys, dont mistake me I still like this Malazan world. I only hope that it will get back to the basics that won over many of us in the first place.
I guess 'Change we need'.

Isn't an author allowed to experiment?

[sylar]

Sure he is, just that this particular experiment failed, and spectacularly at that.
Any experiment that will increase the slam boom fantasy quotient and do away the anthropology in the book (at least to a degree) is welcome by me.
I mean guys, aren't we rather overloaded with reality(livelihood, religion, business, RECESSION etc) in our very world to actually be interested in like intricacies of an imaginary world/s?

[blackzoid]

sylar, on Feb 10 2009, 06:22 PM, said:

Sure he is, just that this particular experiment failed, and spectacularly at that.
Any experiment that will increase the slam boom fantasy quotient and do away the anthropology in the book (at least to a degree) is welcome by me.
I mean guys, aren't we rather overloaded with reality(livelihood, religion, business, RECESSION etc) in our very world to actually be interested in like intricacies of an imaginary world/s?

But thats just your opinion. I loved TTH. You need those details to make an imaginary world feel real. Real problems generate real feelings in the reader.
Not every book has to be about armies fighting.
After reading RoTCG earlier on in the summer, which was just full of mindless action followed by mindless action followed by the most telegraphed ending imaginable (How I hate those indestructible sappers with their endless supply of cussers that solve EVERY problem) TTH was a great relief.
For me, RG was the weak spot for SE. Not TTH, which I would put up there with MT and MOI.

This post has been edited by blackzoid: 11 February 2009 - 10:55 AM

[Illuyankas]

I'm sure you've already seen it in other places, blackzoid, but in the last two books? The Malazans are pretty much out of cussers.

[Salt-Man Z]

Didn't stop them from blowing the dragon sisters apart in RG.

[Illuyankas]

Yes. They were the last.

[Aptorian]

And then Hedge stepped out of the Refugium with a big bag of christmas cussers...

[Illuyankas]

Word of Steve, the Malazan armies in Dust of Dreams and The Crippled God are fresh out of high explosives.

[blackzoid]

Illuyankas, on Feb 11 2009, 08:39 PM, said:

Word of Steve, the Malazan armies in Dust of Dreams and The Crippled God are fresh out of high explosives.

Thats sometime I do not believe. Not for an instant. Never!

I didn't mind the cuusers too much in RG, although it was a bit annoying.
I absolutely hated their over-use in RoTCG.
The point that the hoary legend from the past/invading magical force can be blown up by a cusser has been made! We get it.
It was made in GoTM (Raest) , DG (soletaken on trail of hands) ,MOI(Kell Hunters), HOC (Tiste Liosan) and RG (3 sisters, and Silchas Ruin and demons)
by the time RoTCG came along I was heartily sick of cussers. (Although to be fair this was the only book that ICM overused cussers, so I should be fairer on him)

Its about time for an anti-cusser tactic.
Because I now expect those plucky sappers to ALWAYS have a cusser or two somewhere to blast their way out of any problem.

[Aptorian]

But the use of munitions in RCG was interesting.

It's first time we see how the malazan forces would use them in an open field clash against a strong opponent. It is made doubly fun because this is probably the first time both sides of the battle has munitions.

[blackzoid]

Aptorian, on Feb 12 2009, 07:12 AM, said:

But the use of munitions in RCG was interesting.

It's first time we see how the malazan forces would use them in an open field clash against a strong opponent. It is made doubly fun because this is probably the first time both sides of the battle has munitions.

Aha! . This is a point I made in the RoTCG forum. The other side (who included the damn INVENTERS of the things) just didn't have those amazing plucky sappers with them to cause havoc. Cos we all now that only sappers are any good with them. Not the Moranth of course. They may have invented them but only Malazan Sappers can use them properly and in a devastating fashion.

Aerial bombardment on the Malazan's from cussers dropped from quorls would have been cool. But we can't have the Malazan's incurring casualties as a result of cussers can we? Thats just not on!

[Xardean]

ICE ruins everything..... the more i read in on RotCG the more i dislike it... especially after I've read it.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Xardean, on Feb 15 2009, 01:40 AM, said:

ICE ruins everything..... the more i read in on RotCG the more i dislike it... especially after I've read it.

I haven't read any of the ICE stuff yet, and am not sure iif i will. I've seen too many comments about how it was fun because it was a malazan book, but not especially well written. Ah, who am i kidding. I'll probably read ICE, but maybe from the libary.

[redJAKO]

Cussers are always talked about being "too dangerous" to even throw (proximity), yet are done with abandon

[Ben Adephon Delat]

My problem is that most of the relationships bar those already in actions or those that have failed to get off the ground tend to be love at first sight. Nobody seems to gradually fall in love they tend to simply look at each other and bam that's it. Even those that never go anywhere seem to be like this Apsalar/Crokus was pretty much love at first sight.

[Kruppe of Darujhistan]

Things take place on Genebackis or Quon Tali and fifteen minutes later the loweliest Malazan private on Seven Cities knows about it in detail.

[NemoTheImperfect]

' date=, on 11 May 2004 - 11:43 AM, said:

How does someone ascend ? Dunno, nobody knows except Erikson I guess. Maybe he doesn't even know yet . It has something to do with wisdom and experience. Personally I think you need an "ultimate goal/mission/purpose" to ascend aswell as those. You are willing to sacrifice all else for that one purpose. Just my thoughts (I just thought that idea up, good eh?). . .

if you look closely to the novels you'll see that there is no rule of ascending. the humans don't know, the founding races don't know and even the gods are unaware of rules, if there were some.
look at Gesler and Stormy who nearly ascended "accidentaly", or The Shield Anvil of the Grey Swords, Itkovian, ascending after death. a purpose or goal in life is not neccesary. maybe it helps, maybe not.
I guess on every hard working mage or assasin or hero who ascended there are countless with the same abilities who tried as hard and did as well as them but didn't ascend

[Old Magic]

since MOI and RG ended major story arcs for the most part I was hoping for a HoC start to TtH, a new beginning with a new major player.. I'm wading through so many loose ends and old characters I'm stuck reeling back to faint memories or figuring the weight of some passages on the rest of the book.. should iron out soon eh?