[worry]

Anyone else still read every ICE book waiting for him to give Halfdan a chance do something awesome?? And it never comes!

[amphibian]

We want Halfdan to havadang bit of screen time!

[Blend]

amphibian, on 08 June 2019 - 01:53 AM, said:

Oof, I forgot his last name is Bluenth.

There's also the thing where he likes to fight with two short sticks, which, if I remember correctly, was a very Blues thing to do.

[MillionSpots]

Hello. Didn't want to make a new thread so please excuse me for jumping in.

The communication device that Tayschrenn developed, is it similar to the one that Quick Ben used to contact the Grey Swords in Capustan? Once the phone call ends, we see Tayschrenn, Calot and Hairlock exhausted from generating and actually communicating using the device.

Quote

The table held some sort of glowing object, not unlike a lantern, except that the pale light was constant, not flickering.
...
Grunting, the burly mage went to the table and raised his hands to the globe.
...
Something flickered in the glow, a blurry shape, and a voice whispered faintly, wavering in and out, "Who would speak?"

I am just sad it isn't the bone phone of GotM.

This post has been edited by MillionSpots: 28 June 2019 - 07:41 AM

[Abyss]

MillionSpots, on 28 June 2019 - 07:39 AM, said:

Hello. Didn't want to make a new thread so please excuse me for jumping in.

The communication device that Tayschrenn developed, is it similar to the one that Quick Ben used to contact the Grey Swords in Capustan? Once the phone call ends, we see Tayschrenn, Calot and Hairlock exhausted from generating and actually communicating using the device.

Quote

The table held some sort of glowing object, not unlike a lantern, except that the pale light was constant, not flickering.
...
Grunting, the burly mage went to the table and raised his hands to the globe.
...
Something flickered in the glow, a blurry shape, and a voice whispered faintly, wavering in and out, "Who would speak?"

I am just sad it isn't the bone phone of GotM.

The description had me thinking it was a precursor to the bone phone... which i have, since GotM, wanted to see used as a weapon with a completely predictable pun along the lines of 'he can't take your call right now, he's been boned'.

[WhiskeyJohn]

amphibian, on 31 May 2019 - 09:10 PM, said:

I think one of the things that this novel put forward is that the Empire as constructed when Surly assumes power was never her idea AND that she avenges a wrong as first priority even when there's better priorities to have.

She had different ideas to go about constructing the Empire and Kellanved constantly wrong footed her. That somewhat explains the disarray and distrust we see in the main series.

I don't think Surly ever had ideas of a empire. She was narrow to focus on Nap and revenge. She was caught up in Kell's broader objective and no wonder they had different priorities. She was focused on Nap and his ideas were bigger. It was just sheer opportunistic that she was third in line and Kell and dancer ascended.

[amphibian]

Surly grew up as a possible ruler of Nap. She's long had her own ideas of exerting power and the book makes clear that she's trying to do so, even if she's ostensibly subordinate to Kell and ved's rule. What she's not able to do is repeat what she was trying to do with Nap (have covert agents in place, then rock up with some troops to do an inside outside simultaneous attack) elsewhere. Events moved too fast with the T'lan and the decision to go after Li Heng.

I think Surly absolutely wanted an empire, but the way it got constructed was something she's clearly not able to flex and handle well.

[Keysi]

that the falling out between Dassem and Hood was Hood's answer.


And yet, from another prequel series we all must have read, I can't Imagine Hood giving a Friar Tuck about that🤔.

[Abyss]

Keysi, on 03 October 2019 - 01:35 AM, said:

that the falling out between Dassem and Hood was Hood's answer.


And yet, from another prequel series we all must have read, I can't Imagine Hood giving a Friar Tuck about that🤔.

Fair point, but there's a loooooong stretch of time between Hood as of the War on Death, and Hood, God of Death who saved a young Dassem, trained, and aspected/invested him.

[QuickTidal]

Not reading the thread obvs as I'm only 100 pages in....but I just wanted to jump in to say DID I JUST READ A CHAPTER WHERE SURLY AND CO. RANDOMLY PICKED TITLES FOR PEOPLE WILLY NILLY?! LMAO! Amazing, I'd never have expected it, but my god it makes perfect fucking sense.

You have a claw, why not a fist?


"You're the highest mage, right? So what about High Mage?"....Tayschrenn is incredulous.

Genius.

Esselmont, you slick bastard.

Also, that teeny little bit of Kell talking about his youth in Dal Hon? What a surprisingly great little aside that weighs so much more than I'd ever thought it would.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 12 March 2020 - 01:32 PM

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 12 March 2020 - 01:31 PM, said:

Not reading the thread obvs as I'm only 100 pages in....but I just wanted to jump in to say DID I JUST READ A CHAPTER WHERE SURLY AND CO. RANDOMLY PICKED TITLES FOR PEOPLE WILLY NILLY?! LMAO! Amazing, I'd never have expected it, but my god it makes perfect fucking sense.

You have a claw, why not a fist?


"You're the highest mage, right? So what about High Mage?"....Tayschrenn is incredulous.

Genius.

Esselmont, you slick bastard.

Also, that teeny little bit of Kell talking about his youth in Dal Hon? What a surprisingly great little aside that weighs so much more than I'd ever thought it would.

Loved that scene SO MUCH.

[QuickTidal]

Finished! Well that was roundly excellent!

Some bits that felt like fluff or side quests, but nothing too rough. The main glut of the story and plot lines were all great!

Now to join the main series re-read and catchup on MOI!

[Nakorite]

Not a bad read but it did wrap up a bit too quickly, the bit with Heng was over in about 10 pages.

[Mentalist]

Finished in one sitting. Malaz still has a way of sinking its hooks into me.

Great book (then again, I'm a fan of ICE and RotCG is one of my top 5 Malaz books, so this feels like real homecoming)

I absolutely want more Crimson Guard from ICE, and this is very much where I see him heading next. I was racking my brain about where I've hear "Orjin" before, and the pieces clicked in my head about a chapter before he got his nickname. Great being Blues adds up (stonemason- sees stone veins; Blues is a D'riss mage; also, sticks as weapon)

Malaz history lesson was wonderful. I'm guessing Toc the Elder is already off to ally with the Seti (that's probably where the Chaining of Ryllandaras fits in). Orjin basically subjugated the West already; and taking the Bloor-Gris-Unta area probably won't be difficult seeing how divided they are. I also liked how much emphasis was being put on the Eastern armies relying on knights and rather outdated warfare strategies and how Blues essentially foreshadows disciplined infantry tactics making this obsolete. Good nod there.

Oh, and any chance that Nerudian= Braven Tooth? That was the thought that kept worming into my mind as I read his bits.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 17 August 2020 - 01:42 AM

[reallynotfeelingitrn]

there is a point late in kellanved's reach, i believe when gregar and haraj are leaving the crimson guard camp after gregar chooses the yellows, in which gregar calls haraj fingers. it reads a bit as a mistake to me, because most of the rest of the name reveals are more pronounced, but maybe it was intended to be subtle/sly and i just read it as clunky.

[Tiste Simeon]

Not going to start my own thread but I've finally got around to reading this and I'm really enjoying it and

Spoiler

Orjin is Greymane! I practically cheered when I got to that bit!

[Tiste Simeon]

Finished. What a fabulous book. Reading through this thread, I basically agree with what everyone has said. So I've got nothing to add hah. Will be reading Forge of the High Mage later this year.