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2020 Malazan Re-read: Fall of Light Starts May 1st

#1 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 26 March 2021 - 01:41 PM

2020 MALAZAN RE-READ: FALL OF LIGHT

Book description for Fall of Light:

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Before the Malazan Empire, there was a time that set the stage for all those tales yet to be told . . .

The winter is bitter. Civil war threatens Kurald Galain for the warrior Urusander’s army has begun its march on the city of Kharkanas. Led by the ruthless Hunn Raal, it intends to cast aside Mother Dark’s consort, Draconus, and set Urusander himself on the throne beside the Living Goddess. Those who would stand in the way of the rebels lie scattered and weakened – leaderless since Anomander went in search of an estranged brother. In his stead, Silchas Ruin resolves to gather the Houseblades of the Highborn families to him, and to resurrect the legendary Hust Legion, but time is not on his side.

Far to the west, an unlikely army musters. It seeks an enemy without form, in a place none can find. And yet Hood’s call has been heard and the long-abandoned city of Omtose Phellack is now home to a rabble of new arrivals: Dog-Runners from the south, Jheck warriors, and blue-skinned strangers from across the Western Sea have come to offer Hood their swords. From the distant mountains and isolated valleys of the North, Thel Akai arrive to pledge themselves in this seemingly impossible war. Soon, they will set forth with weapons drawn under the banners of the living in pursuit of Death itself.

Such events presage chaos, and now magic bleeds into this realm. Unconstrained, mysterious and savage, it begins to run loose and wild and following its scent, seeking the places of wounding and hurt – new and ancient entities gather.
In a world becoming rotten with sorcery, can honour truly exist?


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:

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May 1st we begin the re-read of Fall of Light, the second book in the Kharkanas trilogy.

There will be spoilers for all published books. So beware. Spoiler blocks are not mandatory.

Are you ready? What do you remember about Fall of Light?

I haven't read this book yet so I'll stay far away - The book description looks pretty cool though.
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#2 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 26 March 2021 - 01:46 PM

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DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Purake Hold

Anomander
Andarist
Silchas Ruin
Kellaras
Prazek
Dathenar

Tulla Hold
Hish Tulla
Venes Turayd
Rancept
Sukul Ankhadu (hostage)
Gripp Galas

Dreth Hold
Drethdenan
Horult Chiv
Sekarrow

Dracons Hold
Draconus
Spite
Envy
Ivis
Yalad
Sandalath Drukorlat (hostage)

House Durav
Spinnock Durav
Faror Hend

Vanut Hold
Lady Degalla
Jureg Thaw
Lord Vanut Degalla
Syl Lebanas

The Citadel and Priesthood
Mother Dark
Emral Lanear
Endest Silann
Cedorpul Ahras
Rise Herat
Orfantal
Ribs

Hust

The Forge Works
Hust Henarald

The Hust Legion
Toras Redone
Galar Baras
Seltin Ryggandas

The Shake

The Yannis Monastery
Sheccanto Derran
Warlock Resh
Caplo Dreem

The Yedan Monastery
Higher Grace Skelenal
Witch Ruvera


Urusander's Legion
Scara Bandaris
Ilgast Rend
Esthala
Kagamandra Tulas (Shorn)
Tathe Lorat
Sheltatha Lore
Infayen Menand
Sharenas Ankhadu
Hallyd Bahann
Sagander

The Borderswords
Lahanis
The Deniers
Wreneck
Narad
Glyph

The Prisoners
Wareth
Listar
Rebble
Rance

The Wardens
Calat Hustain
Faror Hend
Spinnock Durav
Bursa
Finarra Stone

Neret Sorr (Town of)
Vatha Urusander
Hunn Raal
Serap
Sevegg
Renarr
Syntara

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 26 March 2021 - 01:49 PM

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#3 User is offline   Keysi 

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Posted 30 April 2021 - 10:26 PM

Badass battle between Light and Dark at the end, I remember who wins but I won't spoil.

Silchas Ruin being politically inept but a badass on the battlefield.

Draconus being...pretty impotent....

The Hood and the Army of Death stuff was all cool

House of the Azath. The Tarthenal gods who get imprisoned. There was originally more than just 5. The Hounds. The Thel Akai being fucking hilarious, as is Raest. How did that guy ever turn all psycho.

Some scene where Endest Silann goes to market, freaks out and sets some birds free. Or was that in one of the Malazan Empire prequels? A bird scene/theme is rining a bell with one of those.

Dragons, obviously. Telorast and Curdle in dragon morph. Loved it.

And that's about it.
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#4 User is offline   Cyphon 

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Posted 12 May 2021 - 12:43 PM

I remember bugger all of this book so looking forward to cracking on and finishing this reread.
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#5 User is offline   Cyphon 

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Posted 12 May 2021 - 01:11 PM

Why is Hunn Raal not under lock and key under Father Light's vaunted justice?
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#6 User is offline   Cyphon 

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Posted 14 May 2021 - 07:09 PM

Into chapter 3 now.

Illgast Rends attack feels stupid. Surely the vaunted wardens would be able to scout properly and a stupid attack. Feels like stupidity induced to drive the plot line.

Ah the Hust prisoner legion, this is familiar. And the two captains heading off to train them who as I recall are later said to be the two best trainers in the world...

The Brood and now named Rake section interesting as ever.

This post has been edited by Cyphon: 14 May 2021 - 07:09 PM

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#7 User is offline   Cyphon 

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Posted 22 May 2021 - 01:50 PM

Just finished Chapter 4.

So Narad is the watch, although not entirely clear how he acquired the powers that seem to come with it. So if Enesdeisa is Twilight, but is also a high priestess of Dark, how does that work with the formation of Shadow? Does the title sister of Cold Nights come in somewhere here then?

Also I don't understand how what Narad said to Anomander is a deceit... did I miss something or is that a RAFO?
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#8 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 22 May 2021 - 02:35 PM

You're not getting any responses. I suspect that most of the regulars never read Fall of Light.
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#9 User is offline   Cyphon 

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Posted 22 May 2021 - 04:11 PM

I shall shout out into the abyss, for posterity if nothing else.

Plus they have no chance of responding if I never venture the question and updates.

Plus the light is at the end of the tunnel and I can see completing this thing.
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#10 User is offline   Abyss 

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Posted 24 May 2021 - 06:00 AM

View PostCyphon, on 12 May 2021 - 01:11 PM, said:

Why is Hunn Raal not under lock and key under Father Light's vaunted justice?


Why indeed.

View PostCyphon, on 14 May 2021 - 07:09 PM, said:

Into chapter 3 now.

Illgast Rends attack feels stupid. Surely the vaunted wardens would be able to scout properly and a stupid attack. Feels like stupidity induced to drive the plot line.

Ah the Hust prisoner legion, this is familiar. And the two captains heading off to train them who as I recall are later said to be the two best trainers in the world...

The Brood and now named Rake section interesting as ever.


Re the Wardens, iirc they were distracted... hunting cultists...?

Loved the captains.

Brood and Rake's interactions are a high point.

View PostCyphon, on 22 May 2021 - 01:50 PM, said:

Just finished Chapter 4.

So Narad is the watch, although not entirely clear how he acquired the powers that seem to come with it. So if Enesdeisa is Twilight, but is also a high priestess of Dark, how does that work with the formation of Shadow? Does the title sister of Cold Nights come in somewhere here then?

Also I don't understand how what Narad said to Anomander is a deceit... did I miss something or is that a RAFO?


This is entirely RAFO.
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#11 User is offline   Cyphon 

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Posted 24 May 2021 - 05:04 PM

Thought so. Cheers for the reminder Abyss.

Finished chapter 5 which is quite a lot of word play interspersed with killing of Mockra, and potentially the first Eleint soletaken and interesting reveals of the Azanathai.

So the Jaghut were able to identify and kick out out one amongst them, certainly fits but no clue on who it was.

And we see Krul's plan that came to fruition up until Crippled God come together. The Azanthai not know their purpose and yet forming themselves to certain aspects.

The main series feels like the effect to these book's cause.
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#12 User is offline   Cyphon 

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Posted 25 May 2021 - 04:48 PM

Chapter 6 was an insight as Hood's army gathering. Not clear on who the blue skinned people are, Falarian ancestors?

I didn't get much striking from this chapter, lots of musing on the nature of things, not so much of the action revealing of new information (to me) or prompting questions.
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#13 User is offline   Cyphon 

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Posted 07 June 2021 - 09:33 AM

I'm still going. Chapter ten.

So Orfantal can shift his soul into Wolves, I wonder if he was able to do that when Kallor killed him and therefore he's still about.

Interesting insight from Grizzin Farl on the Forkulian Court. He speaks almost to an objective degradation of values. At some point some proper insight into their society and philosophy will be fascinating.

Edit: and now the Tiste see Draconus as an Azanthani. Nice ending to chapter 10.

This post has been edited by Cyphon: 07 June 2021 - 10:08 AM

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#14 User is offline   Cyphon 

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Posted 20 June 2021 - 07:35 AM

So I of course had lots of insightful commentary on what I'd read but the forum was down...

Chapter twenty ish now. I think this books picks up in the second half as events take on a pace.

Seeing Telorast and Curdle in the good old days is fun. Reading some of this sort of makes me want to reread the Osserc stuff in the main series to see how it's ties together. I won't but the thought does occur as its less in my memory than the andii elements.
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#15 User is offline   Cyphon 

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Posted 27 June 2021 - 09:32 PM

Finished... and only 4 days before the next malazan novel comes out.

This was definitely a book that meandered in how much I enjoyed it. The lead up to the final battle was great with all the hints and the insight we're fantastic. The battle was grim. And then the end when you think everything is tied up bar Shadow and then the final element comes through... which is well foreshadowed.

Glad I did this but it was a slog in parts. Now I read new things!?
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Posted 28 June 2021 - 09:33 PM

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And then the end when you think everything is tied up bar Shadow and then the final element comes through... which is well foreshadowed.


Thanks for these posts, my own reread wss a couple of years ago. What did you mean by this fragment?
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#17 User is offline   Cyphon 

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Posted 29 June 2021 - 05:25 AM

I meant Renarr stabbing Ursander. Lots of little bits where you get the nod it's coming.
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Posted 29 June 2021 - 07:52 PM

Ah that one, thanks!
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