[bwub60]

do I need to read them in order or can I bounce around? Really want to sink my teeth into Assail and Return of the Crimson Guard.

[Gorefest]

Although the ICE book arcs are sort of stand-alone stories for each book, there are a few characters in there who's journey you follow throughout the various books and those storylines would make no sense whatsoever if you hadn't read the previous ICe ones. So I strongly recommend reading them in order.

This post has been edited by Gorefest: 15 October 2015 - 02:43 PM

[Mentalist]

You don't need to read NoK (it's pretty much a standalone).

Without spoiling anything, after RotCG the rest of the books follow somewhat of an arc concerning the things you appear to be most interested in, so you're best off reading them in order.

Not to mention that they interweave (somewhat) with SE's books, so if you haven't read those yet, you may encounter some spoilers.

There are several threads dealing with what the forumites think is the best reading order, most of them spoiler-free. Check those out.

[Nevyn]

bwub60, on 15 October 2015 - 01:57 PM, said:

do I need to read them in order or can I bounce around? Really want to sink my teeth into Assail and Return of the Crimson Guard.

I would read them in order.

RotCG is the second one anyway and NoK is good and not long.

ICE has some characters SE does not. Going in order gets you introduced to them as intended.

[Gorefest]

Mentalist, on 15 October 2015 - 02:59 PM, said:

You don't need to read NoK (it's pretty much a standalone).

NOK introduces Kefka and Temper, Kefka being a major character in the ICE books going forward and Temper reappearing as well in both SE and ICE. On top of that NOK gives you very interesting insights into the events prior to ST and Dancer's ascension.

[Mentalist]

Gorefest, on 15 October 2015 - 04:04 PM, said:

Mentalist, on 15 October 2015 - 02:59 PM, said:

You don't need to read NoK (it's pretty much a standalone).

NOK introduces Kefka and Temper, Kefka being a major character in the ICE books going forward and Temper reappearing as well in both SE and ICE. On top of that NOK gives you very interesting insights into the events prior to ST and Dancer's ascension.

True, Kiska's background can be considered important. And I am in no way denying that NoK is good.
I was trying to address the OP's specific question, since he's mostly interested in CriGs. In terms of that on its own, NoK is skippable.
But it's never as simple as that with Malaz,

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 15 October 2015 - 04:12 PM

[Nevyn]

Gorefest, on 15 October 2015 - 04:04 PM, said:

NOK introduces Kefka and Temper, Kefka being a major character in the ICE books going forward and Temper reappearing as well in both SE and ICE. On top of that NOK gives you very interesting insights into the events prior to ST and Dancer's ascension.

Yep, I started down the same road (thinking of things one can skip) and then you start remember what characters pop up.

The one thing I would say is that as far as I recall, OST can be read after all the other books instead of in its place. I don't think it sets up anything you need to know for Blood and Bone or Assail

[koehkont]

Nevyn, on 15 October 2015 - 04:24 PM, said:

Gorefest, on 15 October 2015 - 04:04 PM, said:

NOK introduces Kefka and Temper, Kefka being a major character in the ICE books going forward and Temper reappearing as well in both SE and ICE. On top of that NOK gives you very interesting insights into the events prior to ST and Dancer's ascension.

Yep, I started down the same road (thinking of things one can skip) and then you start remember what characters pop up.

The one thing I would say is that as far as I recall, OST can be read after all the other books instead of in its place. I don't think it sets up anything you need to know for Blood and Bone or Assail

It kinda does. As I recall there is a

Spoiler

Thaumaturg in OST? in some basement somewhere I thought. Nothing major but it is some sort of a setup for Blood and Bone

. And doesn't Fisher walk in on them in the end.

Spoiler

two the Badlands brothers are with him which kinda sets up for Assail.

[Nevyn]

Fair point.

[Itwæs Nom]

Gorefest, on 15 October 2015 - 04:04 PM, said:

Mentalist, on 15 October 2015 - 02:59 PM, said:

You don't need to read NoK (it's pretty much a standalone).

NOK introduces Kefka and Temper, Kefka being a major character in the ICE books going forward and Temper reappearing as well in both SE and ICE. On top of that NOK gives you very interesting insights into the events prior to ST and Dancer's ascension.

Kefka
And I thought Kiska sounds ridicolous enough

[Gorefest]

Oh yeah, that one. I find it difficult remembering names of unmemorable characters.

[Tarthenal Theloman Toblakai]

You do need to read NoK. Cuz it's fucking awesome!

But I would seriously read the lot in order of release. Various characters progress through the lot, and you will be left missing alot of history and therefore miss alot of dem feels about various characters as they thunder through your mind

[bwub60]

Thanks for all the replys. Im about half way through with TCG and just really wanna know what the deal is with Assail and The Crimson Guard.

[Mentalist]

I'm almost done re-reading RotCG.

In retrospect, some stuff will make a bit more sense if you read through NoK first. Not Kiska, but the other main char. There are off-hand mentions of CriGs in NoK that link up to some comments in RotCg to help you piece together how things went down way back when.

And there's one scene of epic awesome in RotCG, towards the end, that will be so much more awesome if you have the proper context for it from reading NoK first.

[bwub60]

I also really wanna know what the deal is with the undead Segulah who wants to kills Skinner. So. many. questions.