[Aptorian]

2020 MALAZAN RE-READ: REAPER'S GALE

Book description for Reaper's Gale

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All is not well in the Letherii Empire. Rhulad Sengar, the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths, spirals into madness, surrounded by sycophants and agents of his Machiavellian chancellor, while the Letherii secret police conduct a campaign of terror against its own people. The Errant, once a farseeing god, is suddenly blind to the future. Conspiracies seethe throughout the palace, as the empire - driven by the corrupt and self-interested - edges ever-closer to all-out war with the neighbouring kingdoms. And the great Edur fleet - its warriors selected from countless peoples - draws ever closer. Amongst them are Karsa Orlong and Icarium Lifestealer - each destined to cross blades with the emperor himself. That yet more blood is to be spilled is inevitable... Against this backdrop, a band of fugitives seek a way out of the empire, but one of them, Fear Sengar must find the soul of Scabandari Bloodeye. It is his hope that it might help halt the Tiste Edur, and so save his brother, the emperor. Yet, travelling with them is Scabandari's most ancient foe: Silchas Ruin, brother of Anomander Rake. And his motives are anything but certain - for the wounds he carries on his back, made by the blades of Scabandari, are still fresh. Fate decrees that there is to be a reckoning, for such bloodshed cannot go unanswered - and it will be a reckoning on an unimaginable scale...

January 1st 2020 we began the re-read of the main series of the Malazan books. The plan being to read one book a month. We've now added additional Erikson and Esslemont publications to the schedule, to be read roughly according to the publication order.

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2020
January: Gardens of the Moon
February: Deadhouse Gates
March: Memories of Ice
April: House of Chains
May: Midnight Tides
June Night of Knives & The Bonehunters
July: Return of the Crimson Guard
August: Reaper's Gale
September: Stonewielder
October: Toll the Hounds
November: Orb Sceptre Throne
December: Dust of Dreams

2021
January: The Crippled God
February: Blood and Bone
March: Assail
April: Forge of Darkness
May: Fall of Light

You can read our thoughts from earlier months in these threads:

2020 Malazan Re-read: Gardens of the Moon

2020 Malazan Re-read: Deadhouse Gates

2020 Malazan Re-read: Memories of Ice

2020 Malazan Re-read: House of Chains

2020 Malazan Re-read: Midnight Tides

2020 Malazan Re-read: Night of Knives

2020 Malazan Re-read: Bonehunters

2020 Malazan Re-read: Return of the Crimson Guard

August 1st we begin the re-read of Reaper's Gale, the 7th 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 Reaper's Gale?

This book was cool and yet I remember the ending feeling tainted. Mainly for the reason that so many convergences didn't properly come to pass. Ruin descends upon the Capital and gets blasted by a Cusser. Icarium and Karsa doesn't fight. Icarium is once again teased as going nuts but it doesn't quite happen. Rhulad is heralded as the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths but he doesn't really have any progression beyond what we knew from Midnight Tides. There's a lot in there that I wish had been given a nudge.

I also don't remember having much love for the Tiste kids or the Shake/Twilight stuff.

But there is a hell of a lot of other cool stuff. We finally get to see why the Malazan marines are so effective. It's some of Erikson's best "war writing". There's Beak's sacrifice. Quick Ben, Trull, Onrack, Hedge. Tehol and Bugg are always awesome, etc.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 16 July 2020 - 08:04 AM

[Aptorian]

Dramatis Personae copied from the Malazan Wiki:

https://malazan.fand...amatis_Personae

The Letherii
Tehol Beddict, a destitute resident
Bugg, Tehol's manservant
Shurq Elalle, an itinerant pirate
Skorgen Kaban, Shurq's First Mate
Ublala Pung, an unemployed Tarthenal half-blood
Ormly, a member of the Rat Catchers' Guild
Rucket, Chief Investigator of the Rat Catchers' Guild
Karos Invictad, Invigilator of the Patriotists
Tanal Yathvanar, Karos's personal assistant
Rautos Hivanar, Master of the Liberty Consign of Merchants
Venitt Sathad, Rautos's principal field agent
Triban Gnol, Chancellor of the New Empire
Nisall, First Concubine of the old emperor
Janall, deposed empress
Turudal Brizad, ex-consort
Janath Anar, a political prisoner
Sirryn Kanar, a palace guard
Brullyg (Shake), nominal Ruler of Second Maiden Fort
Yedan Derryg (The Watch)
Orbyn "Truthfinder", Section Commander of the Patriotists
Letur Anict, Factor in Drene
Bivatt, Atri-Preda of the Eastern Army
Feather Witch, Letherii slave to Uruth

The Tiste Edur
Rhulad, ruler of the New Empire
Hannan Mosag, Imperial Ceda
Uruth, Matriarch of the Emperor and wife to Tomad Sengar
K'risnan, warlocks of the Emperor
Bruthen Trana, Edur in palace
Brohl Handar, Overseer of the East in Drene

Arriving with the Edur Fleet
Yan Tovis (Twilight), Atri-Preda of the Letherii Army
Varat Taun, her lieutenant
Taralack Veed, a Gral agent of the Nameless Ones
Icarium, Taralack's weapon
Hanradi Khalag, a warlock of the Tiste Edur
Tomad Sengar, Patriarch of the Emperor
Samar Dev, a scholar and witch from Seven Cities
Karsa Orlong, a Toblakai warrior
Taxilian, an interpreter

The Awl'dan
Redmask, an exile who returned
Masarch, a warrior of the Renfayar Clan
Hadralt, War Leader of Ganetok Clan
Sag'Churok, a bodyguard to Redmask
Gunth Mach, a bodyguard to Redmask
Torrent, a Copperface
Natarkas, a Copperface

The Hunted
Seren Pedac, a Letherii Acquitor
Fear Sengar, a Tiste Edur
Kettle, a Letherii orphan
Udinaas, a Letherii runaway slave
Wither, a shadow wraith
Silchas Ruin, a Tiste Andii Ascendant

The Refugium
Ulshun Pral, an Imass
Rud Elalle, an adopted foundling
Hostille Rator, a T'lan Imass
Til'Aras Benok, a T'lan Imass
Gr'istanas Ish'Ilm, a T'lan Imass

The Malazans

Bonehunters
Tavore Paran, Commander of the Bonehunters
Lostara Yil, Second to Tavore
Keneb, Fist in the Bonehunters
Blistig, Fist in the Bonehunters
Faradan Sort, Captain
Madan'tul Rada, Faradan Sort's lieutenant
Grub, adopted son of Keneb
Beak, mage seconded to Captain Faradan Sort

8th Legion, 9th Company
4th Squad

Fiddler, sergeant
Tarr, corporal
Koryk, half-blood Seti, marine
Smiles, Kanese, marine
Cuttle, sapper
Bottle, squad mage
Corabb Bhilan Thenu'alas, soldier

5th Squad
Gesler, sergeant
Stormy, corporal
Sands, marine
Shortnose, heavy infantry
Flashwit, heavy infantry
Uru Hela, heavy infantry
Mayfly, heavy infantry

7th Squad
Cord, sergeant
Shard, corporal
Limp, marine
Ebron, squad mage
Crump (Jamber Bole), sapper
Sinn, mage

8th Squad
Hellian, sergeant
Touchy, corporal #1
Brethless, corporal #2
Balgrid, squad mage
Tavos Pond, marine
Maybe, sapper
Lutes, squad healer

9th Squad
Balm, sergeant
Deadsmell, corporal
Throatslitter, marine
Galt, marine
Lobe, marine
Widdershins, squad mage

12th Squad
Thom Tissy, sergeant
Tulip, corporal
Ramp, heavy infantry
Jibb, medium infantry
Gullstream, medium infantry
Mudslinger, medium infantry
Bellig Harn, heavy infantry

13th Squad
Urb, sergeant
Reem, corporal
Masan Gilani, marine
Bowl, heavy infantry
Hanno, heavy infantry
Saltlick, heavy infantry
Scant, heavy infantry

8th Legion, 3rd Company
4th Squad

Pravalak Rim, corporal
Honey, sapper
Strap Mull, sapper
Shoaly, heavy infantry
Lookback, heavy infantry

5th Squad
Badan Gruk, sergeant
Ruffle, marine
Skim, marine
Nep Furrow, mage
Reliko, heavy infantry
Vastly Blank, heavy infantry

10th Squad
Primly, sergeant
Hunt, corporal
Mulvan Dreader, mage
Neller, sapper
Skulldeath, marine
Drawfirst, heavy infantry

Others
Banaschar, the Last Priest of D'rek
Withal, a Meckros Swordsmith
Sandalath Drukorlat, a Tiste Andii, Withal's wife
Nimander Golit, a Tiste Andii, offspring of Anomander Rake
Phaed, a Tiste Andii, offspring of Anomander Rake
Curdle, a possessed skeletal reptile
Telorast, a possessed skeletal reptile
Onrack, a T'lan Imass, unbound
Trull Sengar, a Tiste Edur renegade
Ben Adaephon Delat, a wizard
Menandore, a Soletaken (Sister of Dawn)
Sheltatha Lore, a Soletaken (Sister of Dusk)
Sukul Ankhadu, a Soletaken (Sister Dapple)
Kilmandaros, an Elder Goddess
Clip, a Tiste Andii
Cotillion, The Rope, Patron God of Assassins
Imroth, a broken T'lan Imass
Hedge, a ghost
Old Hunch Arbat, Tarthenal
Pithy, an ex-con
Brevity, an ex-con
Pully, a Shake witch
Skwish, a Shake witch

[D'rek]

I suspect people are going to find the first two thirds of RG more of a slog this time around. There's a loooot of time spent by the marines chugging through the forests, and elsewhere a lot of other characters that kind of sit around not doing much until the end of the story. Are people really going to care about an entire scene explaining Skulldeath's backstory and bisexual lust triangle this time around?

The Awl'dan plotline is supposed to provide some contrast to that, with it being generally simpler and having battles to cut over to when the other plots are treading water too much, but people traditionally haven't liked the Awl'dan plotline much in the past.

 Aptorian, on 16 July 2020 - 07:58 AM, said:

Rhulad is heralded as the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths but he doesn't really have any progression beyond what we knew from Midnight Tides.

Same for a lot of the other MT characters, timeline-wise it's been years since MT but Seren Pedac's group and most of the people in Letheras feel like it's been only a couple months since MT. Goes hand-in-hand with how MT tried to connect to Togg & Fanderay's ascension in MoI and various other things we've had to <timeline is not important> handwave away - Erikson definitely wanted to have all of this fit into an (illogical) closer timespan.

[Traveller]

I didn't find the first third has dragged, I've really enjoyed it so far. The malazans dont show up until book 3 anyway; Ive only just reached the marines invasion.

The Awl story is good, but I still have all the same questions regarding Redmask and his motives, even knowing what happens later on. Finding out the Wolf soldiers from MoI were all wiped out was a bit harsh too.

What I've liked the most so far is the info dumps, the amount of dot connecting that goes on during conversations about the holds, tiles, deck and the warrens. Stuff that we were questioning since the beginning is given away here in full over a few paragraphs. Mostly through the Errant, Hannan Mossag and Feather Witch.

The moment the Errant realises the extent that he's been usurped; that the holds and cedence are primitive compared to the warrens ('like blood running through the gaps between the tiles') is just great; the whole pantheon is opened up and linked with the Letheras version in one scene.

The Udinas/Fear/Clip party isnt easy to read with all the sniping, but its had its moments; like Ruin taking out a fort on his own just because he wants some information.

[Macros]

Snap post.

Through book 1.

Eh, the Awl story always annoyed me with regards the fucking futility of the grey swords, why even bother with the new investure story in MoI?

Just give us another random Perish mercenary company and butcher them

[Traveller]

 Macros, on 16 July 2020 - 10:39 PM, said:

Snap post.

Through book 1.

Eh, the Awl story always annoyed me with regards the fucking futility of the grey swords, why even bother with the new investure story in MoI?

Just give us another random Perish mercenary company and butcher them

It's also kind of weird because he's trying to establish that the Barghast and Malazan trip across the sea is almost unprecedented - and then he throws in another company that made the journey.

It was probably just a way to get Toc over there.

[Macros]

Seems the world wants me to be a soldier
Well, the world can go fuck itself


One of the best lines in the entire series

[Traveller]

Ah shit, I'd forgotten the conclusion of the Awl battle. Got to say, this face taking thing is horrible.

When Redmask does it at the start, it seems like an Awl tradition, as we assume he's Awl - but then we see a Letherii do it, just before Redmask is revealed as a Letherii. It's such a nasty, dishonorable thing to do - and so bad when it happens to someone that's been in it since the start.

I'd forgotten that part. Redmask dying, I remember, but I'd forgotten this heartbreaking moment with Tool and Toc.

And this while scene, right after Beak. Damn you Erikson.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 30 July 2020 - 11:09 PM

[Traveller]

Finished.

Not entirely sure how I feel about the entire Awl substory, especially how it ended. It dragged on throughout the entire book, and one of the best characters only appeared for a few lines and stole the show - the guy protecting Brohl from assassins. Bivatts decision to charge her army into a mud bath when they had all but won was just crazy and made no sense strategically. Ok they'd all had enough by then, but still.

Trull really should have stayed in bed with Seren for a bit longer. Even half an hour would have been good.

Still surprised Karsa didnt drop-kick the CG into the sea after the shit he'd put him through up to that point.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 03 August 2020 - 10:17 PM

[Macros]

Oh beak

[Traveller]

Beak - SE's short story writing at its finest.

So much emotion packed into so few pages. Not just the backstory, but the scenes with Faradan Sort where he comes out with all this info about the area and the ghosts and she just looks at him with this dawning realisation at how gifted he is.

And that ending... even the follow up at Hoods gate and beyond.

[Cyphon]

I haven't even started yet. I've done like 1 hours reading in the last week so haven't finished the book I wanted to before picking this up. Hold on, I'm coming!

[Macros]

And fuck the errant.

Fucking fuck him

Trull didn't deserve that.

In fact, fuck you Steve for not having Mael kill the errant 2 books ago

I think the ending of a lot of the stories in RG is where I really started to give up on the main series. TtH just compounded the misery of pointless side stories that drag and grate (Imass tyrant and giant coach anyone?)

Not looking forward to it. What's next in the grest reread?

This post has been edited by Macros: 05 August 2020 - 07:57 PM

[Macros]

I've got myself a sweet sweet 4 week break before stoneweilder then.

Time to tackle my trp

[Traveller]

I've just been flicking through Stonewielder. Just.. no.

I'm reading TtHs.

[Stalker]

I finished during the last week. This was my first reread (I think) of RG. With earlier releases, and when I had more time, I’d try to reread the whole series before the newest release. That stopped somewhere around this point.

Some fantastic scenes with Tehol and Bugg. Karsa is still a favorite and I had forgotten how he eventually offs Rhulad. Some tough deaths - Beak, Trull, Toc. Didn’t care for the Redmask / Awl storyline. The description of a vase early in the book of a crucified Coltaine when found by Shurq was neat. With the discussion of a Coltaine religion, it’s interesting to start seeing the pieces come together little by little.

[Cyphon]

Started, nice that you scary mob at Malazanenpire.com get a mention in the acknowledgements.

[Coltaine -]

I have finally some weeks off. Time to reread Reaper's Gale

I don't think that I have read it in english until. Atleast my book version looks new.

Currently 1/5th in. Got to say, the scene where Buggs returns with a naked, unconscious and barely alive Janal and Tehols first reaction is to make a joke about eating her and Ublala punching Bugg feels really off. Also I remember that I liked Ublala in Midnight Tides and was really annoyed by him in the Crippled God. I guess it started here

Also Tomad is an idiot for not teaming up with Bruthen Trana, the only Edur who really tries to help Rhulad

[Cyphon]

Finished the prologue. All the info dumping, but a nice hit all the same. I still dont understand why the new investiture was just killed off. It doesnt add to the Letherii stature that we saw in MT. Is it supposed to be a comparator for what the Malazans are about to walk into and highlight how well they do?

[Cyphon]

Finished the first book. Ignore the timeliness.

Clip is annoying as intended.

Quite a good job is done on setting up the bad guys. Only the ascendants seems to sit in the moral grey. Which I think makes it easier to read but less interesting to dissect.

You only really feel pity for Rhulad though.

Tehol and Bugg steal the book for every scene they're in. I'm a bit meh about Shurq's scenes, don't seem to add much.

This book does far more of the no perspective is wholly accurate or true line, particularly around the eons ago.

The Awl bit is so far so straightforward rejuvenation of the clans, but I'd agree you really have to take the motivations on face value...

The info dumps are fantastic though.