Malazan Empire: Finished the book. Thoughts with questions (spoilers throughout) - Malazan Empire

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Finished the book. Thoughts with questions (spoilers throughout)

#1 User is offline   TheHoundsCall 

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Posted 16 November 2017 - 09:50 PM

Hey everyone. Another exciting read finished. I enjoyed this book a lot but some things don’t make sense to me.

1. The power structure of characters here baffles me sometimes. While Icarium is delivering what I can only describe as a major ass whooping on everyone in his path, here comes the mysterious Eres’al and with a single touch defeats him. Uh...what? Will the books explain how that happened? I thought Icarium was supposed to be one of the most powerful characters in this story and then that happens... can’t help but feel like an eye roll is deserved there.

2. Will the nature of Telorast and Curdle as dragons be expanded on? Seems when Bottle told Fiddler that they are dragons he was simply shocked and that seemingly huge revelation doesn’t get developed...yet?

3. When Icarium is talking to Taralack Veed at the end and says he feels more hopeful than he’s ever been and then says “you don’t understand, there is no need” is he implying that he remembers what happened?
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#2 User is offline   Zetubal 

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Posted 16 November 2017 - 10:12 PM

As many users here like to say, in the world of Wu there is no such thing as solid power structures. Most often, people prevail because they make use of an opportunity, outsmart foes, use their opponent's weakness to their advantage, don't play by the rules etc.. The confrontation between the Eres'al and Icci is one of the many examples where two forces meet in a fundamentally uneven way.


Icarium's famed power is purely martial in nature. If his killswitch is pushed, he becomes an embodiment of violence. So, if the Eres'al were to raise her fists and brawl the Hood out of Icarium, I'd wager she'd be pretty dead in a matter of seconds. Thing is, the Eres'al does not aim to physically overpower Icci. She has other powers and knows how they would affect one such as Icci. Hence, the odd "fight".

The tragedy here is that Icci, while he's famed across the world for his power, is probably a lesser powerhouse than many other players in Wu, simply because he lacks control of his power.



As for your questions 2 and 3...read on and you'll get the answers :thumbsup:

This post has been edited by Zetubal: 16 November 2017 - 10:12 PM

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#3 User is offline   Gorefest 

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Posted 16 November 2017 - 11:00 PM

The Eres’al doesnt really ‘defeat’ him, she just rendered him unconscious by targeting his rage. I dont really know how much can be said at this point, as you will get more info on Icarium in the next few books which will clarify events, but suffice to say that the Eres’al did something to Icarium which links in with his rage and his memory and that you already make sound connections on judging by your third question. So RAFO.

And yes, there will be more on Teloras and Curdle too.
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#4 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 17 November 2017 - 03:25 AM

1. Consider that Iccy had just fought two Imass weapon masters, a soletaken Bonecaster, a demon matron, a High Mage with a bunch of High Mage souls, turned a small army into mush, AND gone three rounds with an Edur weapon master fighting to protect a bunch of shadowsworn kids... he was distracted, tired, disoriented, lost in his rage, and had been generating his chaos cuisanart warren for some time by then. We didn't know much about the Eresal witch, but she seemed powerful, and she didn't kill him. From his attitude when he wakes, she did something likely no one has ever thought of doing or been able to get close enough to even try.
2 RAFO.
3 RAFO. ...but that may be what he's implying.
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#5 User is offline   TheHoundsCall 

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Posted 17 November 2017 - 01:43 PM

I see all your points regarding the fight. It just seemed like when reading it no one else he was fighting besides Trull had time to even lift their weapon. He basically sliced Ibra Gholan into 20 pieces. All those Edur and Letherii were in a pile of bodies in a matter of seconds. I guess he just seemed unstoppable. And yes “defeat” was a poor choice of words. I’m interested to see what her effect on Icarium stirs up.

This post has been edited by TheHoundsCall: 17 November 2017 - 01:47 PM

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Posted 17 November 2017 - 05:22 PM

View PostTheHoundsCall, on 17 November 2017 - 01:43 PM, said:

I see all your points regarding the fight. It just seemed like when reading it no one else he was fighting besides Trull had time to even lift their weapon. He basically sliced Ibra Gholan into 20 pieces. All those Edur and Letherii were in a pile of bodies in a matter of seconds. I guess he just seemed unstoppable. And yes "defeat" was a poor choice of words. I'm interested to see what her effect on Icarium stirs up.


Onrack managed a short exchange, the Matron actually got a serious bite in, and QB blasted him about seven times... he wasn't just cruising, and yeah the army was toast but remember he's expending his warren to do that.

Anyhow, it's obvious that part of the story isn't done. I think you'll enjoy what's ahead.
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