[nicetrout]

I know lots of people have different opinions on the ICE books. Some have told me I don't even need to interrupt my main series read with the ICE novels, but I am none the less. I read Night of Knives and quite enjoyed it, and Return of the Crimson Guard. Each of those felt like tight, smaller stories that were adding context and depth to other parts of the MBOTF. I know some people feel mixed on those books but I really loved both of them. However I was deeply disappointed in Stonewielder, and it is my least favorite Malazan book by miles.

I essentially think of this book as a complete waste of my time.

Return of the Crimson Guard along with Night of Knives, were built that made the world I already know feel larger and deeper. It added details and allowed me to see different angles or people I already knew about. Stonewielder, primarily is a story in a completely new setting and I never became invested in any of these characters or settings. Fist? Korel? Rool? It feels to me like the book just assumes I'm going to give a shit about any of these places, and I never ended up caring. So many of the characters were just absolute dull to me.

Ivanr and Bakune, I didn't mind. Some of the few new characters I ended up carrying about. Most of the other natives of Fist I just didn't care about, I didn't find the cult around the Lady interesting. I never needed to know this much about the Stormriders. Fuck, I never needed to anything more about the ice demons. This whole region I feel is something I only need in allusion and never to know more about, and I read a whole book about it.

Iron Bars. Why do we keep coming back to this character? He wasn't an interesting/primary character in Midnight Tides when he was introduced, and I didn't care about him then. I don't care about him now.

Greymane! Kyle! So disappointing, this is what I was looking forward to in this book. I enjoyed Kyle a lot in RCG, and Greymane was alright in that book. We leave that book and their going off to make their own life. Then at the start of this book in like one chapter that whole story gets wrapped up and so quickly Greymane becomes High Fist, and Kyle is an adjunct. So disappointing to me, it feels completely weird and almost nonsensical. It feels like ICE wanted to write the story of the Malazan coming to Fist, and we just needed some characters to narrate it. I didn't give a shit about that invasion in the first place! What I was most interested in about Greymane is that he was an Ex-Malazan! That he was disgraced. I understand he was qualified to run the invasion, I just don't think that was interesting at all.

Kiska.
The only thing I really liked in this book. Kiska and the reveal at the end, that was cool of course. I feel like this is the only thing that feels relevant to the main story or anything at all. I would have just read a book about Kiska, a character I care about.

Anyway, so sorry if this is a bit ranty. I would love to hear any other thoughts on the book. Or where people this generally falls in the pantheon of Malazan books. To me this makes me apprehensive to read Orb, Sceptre, Throne.
I'm looking forward to reading Dust of Dreams next, hopefully that itches the itch I want Malazan to scratch. Very Disappointed in this book.

[worry]

My take is that Stonewielder rules, Hiam is one of the best characters in all of Malazan, Ussü is one of its creepiest fiends, the Stormwall is a great setting, the ship battles are exciting and unique to ICE in this series, and Ipshank & Manask live up to their reputations.

[nicetrout]

I'm really happy you enjoy it. I kind of glad I'm being a little curmudgeony, I mean. I like liking Malazan, I'm disappointed I don't like this book.

[worry]

I acknowledge your words, but don't necessarily feel your happiness.

[nicetrout]

This is funny

[Zetubal]

How can one not enjoy mothereffin Iron Bars :ooo

[nicetrout]

Idk. I liked him as a Serene Pedac side character and that one scene he had with the Segulah.

[ArchieVist]

"Skinnerrrrrr! Niiiicetroooouuuuut!"

--Iron Bars, right now, probably

This post has been edited by ArchieVist: 29 April 2018 - 04:56 PM

[Aptorian]

Manask, the stealthiest of thieves, means that Stonewielder is just barely justified in its existence.

This post has been edited by Alternative Goose: 29 April 2018 - 05:08 PM

[nacht]

Luv2B_Sassy, on 28 April 2018 - 07:41 PM, said:

My take is that Stonewielder rules, Hiam is one of the best characters in all of Malazan, Ussü is one of its creepiest fiends, the Stormwall is a great setting, the ship battles are exciting and unique to ICE in this series, and Ipshank & Manask live up to their reputations.

Second this. Plus don't forget the "Lady" . One creepy goddess.
I would take Stonewielder over RotCG, OST (and maybe Assail)

[End of Disc One]

It's a decent book, but I'm with you in that I enjoy ICE more when he's working with settings and characters that we're already familiar with. I love OST and his latest, Deadhouse Landing.

[Nevyn]

It isn't the best of books by a long shot, but if you only care about characters and settings Erickson has focused on, STOP READING ICE NOW.

Finish MBotF and then read the ICE prequel series. But seriously, Blood and Bone and Assail won't do much for you.



Korel and the Stormwall is one of the main big time places referenced but hardly visited in the main series. It and other places get visited more and expanded upon by ICE. He will put his own characters in them and if those characters don't move you those stories will have no appeal.

You might enjoy Orb Scepter Throne as the setting is more familiar, but you may not enjoy what he does with it.

This post has been edited by Nevyn: 30 April 2018 - 04:06 PM