[Abyss]

Traveller, on 30 January 2020 - 07:41 PM, said:

Don't forget the whole Mhybe/new warren refuge/togg/fanderay/beast throne/Toc/Matron... situation in MoI.

A workmate has just reached that part, and it's not easily explained!

We all try to forget the Mhybe.

....but not really, tho she is WAY more tolerable and interesting on the reread.

[Macros]

Stop lying to yourself Abyss

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 31 January 2020 - 03:15 PM, said:

Traveller, on 30 January 2020 - 07:41 PM, said:

Don't forget the whole Mhybe/new warren refuge/togg/fanderay/beast throne/Toc/Matron... situation in MoI.

A workmate has just reached that part, and it's not easily explained!

We all try to forget the Mhybe.

....but not really, tho she is WAY more tolerable and interesting on the reread.

Macros, on 31 January 2020 - 04:01 PM, said:

Stop lying to yourself Abyss

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Almost done. How did Pran Chole compel Tool to stall the Finnest? Tool was Unbound and should not have been beholden to anyone. Is it because Pran was casting from the past when Tool was technically not Unbound?

[Aptorian]

I think Tool was just on Auto pilot. Being the good soldier until it struck him what he was actually doing.. probably also seeing himself reflected in the Adjunct.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Aptorian, on 07 February 2020 - 02:45 AM, said:

I think Tool was just on Auto pilot. Being the good soldier until it struck him what he was actually doing.. probably also seeing himself reflected in the Adjunct.

I mean later on — he tells Lorn that he's going to watch and not interfere. Next thing we see, he's fighting the Finnest until the Azath has time to grow. K'Rul says he was made to fight by Pran Chole.


Also, Whiskeyjack's leg

[Aptorian]

Eh, Kallor would have killed him, broken leg or not. Cross bow bolts at close range didn't do much.

Team Kallor FTW.

[champ]

I could have finished this book over a week ago but when I am in a high mood phase (mania), I tend to read over and over parts of the book that I find awesome… and when you are getting to the end of a much loved book… it all becomes awesome… you're living and loving every single line that you read, it is the one part of mania that is great to live through and the downsides are almost worth it…

Any way, I managed to finish the book over the weekend and I was writing down comments / thoughts and some questions as I was going along so the below is a bit of a ramble!!

Quote

No. He's a man who cares for those he is responsible for and to. He's the best of the Empire. If he's forced to turn, Tayschrenn, then we're the traitors. Am I getting through?

I love this little part about Dujek between Lorn and Tays, it really hits home to you how much of a legend Dujek is and how respected he is throughout the Empire…

Quote

Warrens, Adjunct. Tellann, Thyr, Denul, D'riss, Tennes, Thelomen Toblakai, Starvald Demelain…

When Tatts and Bellurdan clash and blow up, it lists off a name of warrens that are obviously T&B's but it then lists Starvald Demelain too… any ideas why it lists this warren or is it simply present because it is the "first warren" as per below…

Also off the back of that…

Quote

Three? No, there were many, Adjunct, all born of one. Starvald Demelain." Lorn wrapped her cloak tighter about herself, eyes on the column of fire. "Who could manage such a conjuring?" "There was one . . . once. Of worshipers there are none left, so he is no more. I have no answer to your question, Adjunct…

Is Tool talking about K'rul there?

We also see the discussion on Convergence here and the big running theme of the series, it's an interesting chat between the two.

Quote

The wizard had focused his talents on such doors. While within the Warren of Chaos, he had learned the ways of shaping their energy. He'd found means of altering the barriers, of sensing what lay beyond them. Each Warren of magic possessed a smell, each realm a texture, and though the pathways he took were never the same as those he'd taken before, he had mastered the means of finding those he sought…

I hadn't really thought about it before but the above shows how practiced QB is with Chaos and how familiar he must be with the Warren… I know we get the Spar of Andii scene but that part of text just hints to "more."

Quote

OK," Crokus grumbled, "what kind of information are we looking for, then?" "All that yon ravens overhead can see," Kruppe said, waving a hand in the air.

Kruppe knowing Kruppe things… yon Ravens overhead, I like to think this is referring to the Great Ravens kicking about…

Quote

Paran cried out, twisting to see Toc thrown from his mount. The Claw cartwheeled through the air. A jagged tear opened in the air in front of him.

Poor Toc… the start of his journey… next time we see him it is MoI with Togg riding his body…

Quote

Gethol's Breath," the stranger gasped. "Will they never cease?"

From when Paran enters the sword and talks to "the stranger," I thought this was an interesting use of the curse with us getting "Gethol's Breath," and not Hood's… shows how old the stranger is knowing Gethol and I think we meet Gethol in MoI?



~ Paran, Coll and the War Mule chat is just glorious…
~ There is so much meaning in the Rake/Baruk talk where we learn what motivates Rake (if anything) and it is easy to see how Rake ends up where he does after this talk…
~ Grallin… do we see or hear any more of him throughout the series? Something is niggling at the back of my mind that we may hear more of him in the ICE series but I may be wrong…
~ The scene with Ocelot, Paran, Coll and Rallick is tense on an epic scale…
~ Randomly thought that it was interesting that we the Finnest as an acorn and we have QB using acorns all the time…

Quote

The lesson was learned, and no matter what the world had become since that time, Raest was ready for it.

Oh Raest, if you only knew…

Quote

He'd met another man, similarly clad and riding a horse. He killed both man and beast, irritated at their intrusion.

We get the above tidbit about Raest and we also see him destroying the little stone bridge for shits and giggles… I'm sure both are mentioned later in the series… IIRC the rider killed is the rider sent to negotiate with the Malazans by Turban Orr? I may be totally wrong with that…



~ Kruppe vs Raest… glorious!! I love how Kruppe turns series too when he get's back to the garden…

Quote

Blood of a Hound! Blood no one can enslave —Paran launched himself at the Finnest…

We see here the first hints of what the Hound's blood has done to Paran… With what happens to Paran throughout the series, how much was driven by the Hound's blood and how much was driven by other circumstances around him do you think?

Quote

Paran spat blood and splinters from his mouth, wiped his lips with the back of a hand. He bent down and retrieved Chance. "Damned luck turned," he mumbled, sheathing the weapon. "Do you have something to say, Imass?" "You are a long way from home, mortal."

Absolutely love the sass Paran gives Tool here and Tool's response is brilliant… a scene I was laughing away at for sure…



~ Hedge and a Cusser… name a more iconic duo…

Quote

Alone once again, Rake turned his attention to the street below. An apparition arrived. It paused to sniff the air, then began changing— veering . A Lord of the Galayn, and a Soletaken. "Well," the Lord of Moon's Spawn growled, "so am I." The Tiste Andii spread his arms wide, then rose upward.

Just imagine seeing that scene on the big scene… "So am I." Epic!!

Quote

The Empress and her Empire had challenged him again and again, willful in the desire to test his strength. Each time he'd withdrawn, unwilling to commit himself. Very well, Empress, my patience is at an end.

Goosebumps knowing what was about to come… The battle between the Galayn Lord and Rake is one of my favourite battles throughout the series…



~ Oh WJ… "As soon as there is time…"

[Abyss]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 07 February 2020 - 03:07 AM, said:

Aptorian, on 07 February 2020 - 02:45 AM, said:

I think Tool was just on Auto pilot. Being the good soldier until it struck him what he was actually doing.. probably also seeing himself reflected in the Adjunct.

I mean later on — he tells Lorn that he's going to watch and not interfere. Next thing we see, he's fighting the Finnest until the Azath has time to grow. K'Rul says he was made to fight by Pran Chole.

The Finnest did belong to one of the worse Jaghut Tyrants ever. That means something to an Imass First Sword, unbound or not.

Quote

Also, Whiskeyjack's leg

And his headaches!

Aptorian, on 07 February 2020 - 07:11 AM, said:

Eh, Kallor would have killed him, broken leg or not. Cross bow bolts at close range didn't do much.

Would he tho...? Even given the eventual reveal that Kallor is Azathanai and aspected, Krul's curse is still in effect against 'full' ascension... a stab through the heart might have done it.

Remember the second of the two marines guarding Silverfox gets Kallor in the stomach and he calls on the CG to heal him...

Quote

The other woman rushed Kallor, sword thrusting high for the warrior’s face.

A side-step, a downward chop, severing the arm—

But the marine had already surrendered it, and her left hand, gripping a pig-sticker, was unimpeded as it punched through the chain-links covering Kallor’s stomach.

The edge of Kallor’s sword carved up through the marine’s throat. She spun in a red spray, toppled.

Gasping, the ancient warrior reeled back, yellow-streaked blood spurting from the hole in his stomach. ‘Chained One!’ he screamed. ‘Heal me!’

In theory a perfect killing blow wouldn't give him the opportunity to do that.

[D'rek]

champ, on 12 February 2020 - 03:42 PM, said:

Quote

Gethol's Breath," the stranger gasped. "Will they never cease?"

From when Paran enters the sword and talks to "the stranger," I thought this was an interesting use of the curse with us getting "Gethol's Breath," and not Hood's… shows how old the stranger is knowing Gethol and I think we meet Gethol in MoI?

Yeah, he's still working for Hood at this point and in MoI switches to working for the CG, and briefly shows up again in tBH, too.

[champ]

D, on 12 February 2020 - 05:15 PM, said:

champ, on 12 February 2020 - 03:42 PM, said:

Quote

Gethol's Breath," the stranger gasped. "Will they never cease?"

From when Paran enters the sword and talks to "the stranger," I thought this was an interesting use of the curse with us getting "Gethol's Breath," and not Hood's… shows how old the stranger is knowing Gethol and I think we meet Gethol in MoI?

Yeah, he's still working for Hood at this point and in MoI switches to working for the CG, and briefly shows up again in tBH, too.

You posting that just made me remember that he is the brother of Gothos too, I'd let that slip from my mind. Lightbulb moment...


I had another random thought last night, do we ever actually learn what became of Chance and what ST/Cots used it for... I don't think we do. I can't recall Oponn appearing much throughout the later books..


Maybe that was the use, to force Oponn from the game... or there is something obvious that I am not remembering... I wouldn't be surprised haha...

[D'rek]

champ, on 13 February 2020 - 02:02 PM, said:

D, on 12 February 2020 - 05:15 PM, said:

champ, on 12 February 2020 - 03:42 PM, said:

Quote

Gethol's Breath," the stranger gasped. "Will they never cease?"

From when Paran enters the sword and talks to "the stranger," I thought this was an interesting use of the curse with us getting "Gethol's Breath," and not Hood's… shows how old the stranger is knowing Gethol and I think we meet Gethol in MoI?

Yeah, he's still working for Hood at this point and in MoI switches to working for the CG, and briefly shows up again in tBH, too.

You posting that just made me remember that he is the brother of Gothos too, I'd let that slip from my mind. Lightbulb moment...


I had another random thought last night, do we ever actually learn what became of Chance and what ST/Cots used it for... I don't think we do. I can't recall Oponn appearing much throughout the later books..


Maybe that was the use, to force Oponn from the game... or there is something obvious that I am not remembering... I wouldn't be surprised haha...

IIRC Shadowthrone gets someone (Obo?) to blast Oponn in Malaz City at the end of The Bonehunters. I'd say that's the best bet of how it was used, as far as things in the book go - ie Oponn would normally not be so directly detectable/accessible or could see such a thing coming, but ST did some bananas with the sword to put Obo in their blindspot, or something like that. Pretty sure there's never any actual reference to the sword or its use in any of the later books though.

[ContrarianMalazanReader]

Many consider GotM the weakest entry in the series, but I feel differently. I find this one to be one of the most enjoyable reads in the entire series and definitely one of my favourites. I also found several complaints that it's too much and that it's too hard to read and keep up with what's going on, but I didn't struggle at all reading it.