[Aptorian]

January 1st we began the re-read of the main series of the Malazan books. The plan is to read one book a month. Additional publications and spin-offs optional.

You can read our thoughts on Gardens of the Moon from last month in this thread:

1. 2020 Malazan Re-read: Gardens of the Moon

February 1st we begin the re-read of Deadhouse Gates, the second book of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series.

There will be spoilers for all published books. So beware. Spoiler blocks are not mandatory but if people want to use boxes for the latest Kharkanas books or the Path to Ascendance books for example, I'd personally appreciate it.

Are you ready? What do you remember about Deadhouse Gates?

In my mind, Deadhouse Gates is tied with Midnight Tides as the second best entries into the series. Memories of Ice of course being the first.

It's going to be bitter sweet to read about the Chain of Dogs once more.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 27 February 2020 - 07:50 AM

[Aptorian]

I'm suddenly remembering the Felisin, Baudin, Kulp, Heboric segements. I don't think I am going to look forward to bratty Felisin's chapters nor Emo Crokus transformation into a wanna be killer but we'll see.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 27 January 2020 - 10:46 AM

[Macros]

Take bratty Felisin out and and DG is the best hands down for me still.

With Bratty in it ties with MoI, I was never one of the MT superfans

Really looking forward to this reread, it's been awhile since I've touched the main series, books nine and ten soured me so much on Erikson tbh. But GotM reminded me how fucking ace the series was 1-7.

[D'rek]

Ahhhh too soon too soon I still have 4 more days to finish GotM!!!

I think the first half of the book might generate some interesting discussions - lots of little stuff outside the Chain of Dogs and Path of Hands storylines that we might have forgotten about (Kalam triggering the Whirlwind, elder Sha'ik, Coltaine preparing the army, any of the scenes in Unta, Lostara joining up with Pearl, etc). Chain of Dogs will be the Chain of Dogs, we all kinda know it pretty well by now so I don't expect much surprises there.

I think Kalam's storyline is going to be the hardest one to "feel right" in hindsight - guy sets off a sub-continent-wide civil war and goes on an epic murder quest just to have a phone call with Laseen and give up.

Path of Hands might not really hold up, either There's always been something a bit weird about how these shapeshifters - some of whom are basically Elder Ascendants - are blindly following a path that apparently weaves in and out of a bajillion warrens and takes months to travel, but it seems somewhat easy to lead them off the path and the actual "winners" of it don't follow the path at all, so why couldn't Gryllen et al figure it out?

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Hey modgods, can we do a sub-forum of General Book Topics dedicated to the 2020 Reread? This sub-forum would contain the individual month/book topics. For posterity and to make it easier for new users to browse.

(For example, it would be a bit more organized for any new users from this post on reddit https://np.reddit.co..._series_reread/)

[Traveller]

Felisin's story in DG is one of my favourites. She's so well written - her initial sudden drop from high born to drug addled, abused prisoner, and her path to Raraku that strips her of everything that she was. On previous rereads I found it hard to return to, but now it's more like watching her being prepared in the same way certain events shaped Ganoes to take the position of MoD.

It's also interwoven nicely with events in the desert and the uprising. Even Sha'ik prophesies her arrival though she misses the main, vital point! She even says something along the lines of 'old to young, I shall be reborn.'

The main thrust of the book is the Chain of Dogs though. It's good to be retreading that particular path - the military stuff as observed by a former soldier/historian is such a good way of following it.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 28 January 2020 - 01:10 PM

[D'rek]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 28 January 2020 - 12:12 AM, said:

Hey modgods, can we do a sub-forum of General Book Topics dedicated to the 2020 Reread? This sub-forum would contain the individual month/book topics. For posterity and to make it easier for new users to browse.

(For example, it would be a bit more organized for any new users from this post on reddit https://np.reddit.co..._series_reread/)

Seems unnecessarily overcomplicated/large to make a subforum for just 10 topics. Would it be enough if we just put links to all the other 2020 re-read threads in the first post of each one?

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

D, on 28 January 2020 - 01:26 PM, said:

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 28 January 2020 - 12:12 AM, said:

Hey modgods, can we do a sub-forum of General Book Topics dedicated to the 2020 Reread? This sub-forum would contain the individual month/book topics. For posterity and to make it easier for new users to browse.

(For example, it would be a bit more organized for any new users from this post on reddit https://np.reddit.co..._series_reread/)

Seems unnecessarily overcomplicated/large to make a subforum for just 10 topics. Would it be enough if we just put links to all the other 2020 re-read threads in the first post of each one?

That'd work too!

[Aptorian]

I can put in links if it's me doing the OPs.

I should warn you though. I plan on creating multiple threads some months, because I plan on reading Esslemonts books in between. And I'll probably throw in the Kharkanas books afterwards. If people have the stamina. I never bothered with Fall of Light originally.

[Abyss]

D, on 27 January 2020 - 02:30 PM, said:

Ahhhh too soon too soon I still have 4 more days to finish GotM!!!
...

GAHHHHHH
I'm so not going to make it.

[JPK]

Abyss, on 28 January 2020 - 06:12 PM, said:

D, on 27 January 2020 - 02:30 PM, said:

Ahhhh too soon too soon I still have 4 more days to finish GotM!!!
...

GAHHHHHH
I'm so not going to make it.

I'm cutting it close as well. Less than 200 pages. I can do this!

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Aptorian, on 28 January 2020 - 06:06 PM, said:

I can put in links if it's me doing the OPs.

I should warn you though. I plan on creating multiple threads some months, because I plan on reading Esslemonts books in between. And I'll probably throw in the Kharkanas books afterwards. If people have the stamina. I never bothered with Fall of Light originally.

Do it! I don't think I'll have the time for all those, but why not?

[Abyss]

JPK, on 28 January 2020 - 07:21 PM, said:

Abyss, on 28 January 2020 - 06:12 PM, said:

D, on 27 January 2020 - 02:30 PM, said:

Ahhhh too soon too soon I still have 4 more days to finish GotM!!!
...

GAHHHHHH
I'm so not going to make it.

I'm cutting it close as well. Less than 200 pages. I can do this!

Barely half way tho i have been jumping around out of sequence a lot.
Will likely skip to the finales in Darujhistan then move on with the DG reread on Feb 1.

[champ]

Abyss, on 29 January 2020 - 03:03 PM, said:

JPK, on 28 January 2020 - 07:21 PM, said:

Abyss, on 28 January 2020 - 06:12 PM, said:

D, on 27 January 2020 - 02:30 PM, said:

Ahhhh too soon too soon I still have 4 more days to finish GotM!!!
...

GAHHHHHH
I'm so not going to make it.

I'm cutting it close as well. Less than 200 pages. I can do this!

Barely half way tho i have been jumping around out of sequence a lot.
Will likely skip to the finales in Darujhistan then move on with the DG reread on Feb 1.

I am in a similar position, up to chapter 13 for me, trying to go go go!! Not sure whether I'll skip or try to catch up with DG.

[Aptorian]

You are all weak, your blood line is weak and you will not survive the spring.

[Abyss]

champ, on 29 January 2020 - 03:53 PM, said:

Abyss, on 29 January 2020 - 03:03 PM, said:

JPK, on 28 January 2020 - 07:21 PM, said:

Abyss, on 28 January 2020 - 06:12 PM, said:

D, on 27 January 2020 - 02:30 PM, said:

Ahhhh too soon too soon I still have 4 more days to finish GotM!!!
...

GAHHHHHH
I'm so not going to make it.

I'm cutting it close as well. Less than 200 pages. I can do this!

Barely half way tho i have been jumping around out of sequence a lot.
Will likely skip to the finales in Darujhistan then move on with the DG reread on Feb 1.

I am in a similar position, up to chapter 13 for me, trying to go go go!! Not sure whether I'll skip or try to catch up with DG.

I've accepted that if i try to complete every book within the month we're working with, i'll fall despairingly behind the reread.

Aptorian, on 29 January 2020 - 03:58 PM, said:

You are all weak, your blood line is weak and you will not survive the spring.

You are cheat-reading Tor.com reread summaries. And you smell bad.

[champ]

Abyss, on 29 January 2020 - 05:15 PM, said:

champ, on 29 January 2020 - 03:53 PM, said:

Abyss, on 29 January 2020 - 03:03 PM, said:

JPK, on 28 January 2020 - 07:21 PM, said:

Abyss, on 28 January 2020 - 06:12 PM, said:

D, on 27 January 2020 - 02:30 PM, said:

Ahhhh too soon too soon I still have 4 more days to finish GotM!!!
...

GAHHHHHH
I'm so not going to make it.

I'm cutting it close as well. Less than 200 pages. I can do this!

Barely half way tho i have been jumping around out of sequence a lot.
Will likely skip to the finales in Darujhistan then move on with the DG reread on Feb 1.

I am in a similar position, up to chapter 13 for me, trying to go go go!! Not sure whether I'll skip or try to catch up with DG.

I've accepted that if i try to complete every book within the month we're working with, i'll fall despairingly behind the reread.

Aye, true for me too, plus we loose the chance to discuss certain points of the books if we just rush through and quickly move on...
Though I admit for a lot of people, a month to read a book isn't really moving on quickly haha!

[Traveller]

I'm halfway through DGs. I couldn't just stop and wait at the end of GotM - and I'm not going to read something else in between! And I need to be reading at least a bit each day when I can. At least if I'm a little ahead I can still discuss.

[Brujah]

I've never done a reread so it's something that is very possible for me.

[Macros]

Fuck it, I'll jump with you Apt for a full Malaz reread.


And I've never actually finished Fall of Light, so the completionist in me will be happy