[HoosierDaddy]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is not my favorite Malazan book, that still remains probably Midnight Tides, but it is a very, very good book.

STYLE
First, as Steve made it clear, it is definitely more in line with Malazan than Kharkanas. More importantly, it is very much moreso in line with EARLY Malazan than late Malazan. I say that as a positive. Later Malazan, which I truly, truly loved, could take massive detours into philosophical exploration and more nuanced thoughts on life . TGINW takes some minor detours that are definitely in that vein, but they are more so very similar to the same meandering that would typically be present in books 2-5 in Malazan. Worldbuilding detours that helped add layers to the themes and events occurring in the novel. The humor is just about right... it provides somewhat of a balance. The

CONTINUATION
While not a direct sequel to BotF, TGINW provides so much information as to the world post TTH/TCG. While it was to be expected we would receive a lot of information on current Genebackis and it's recent history leading to present events, this book also provides so many tantalizing hints as to what is going on elsewhere in the world. I delighted in a further expansion of the world. What is Malazan if not the pinnacle of world-building? TGINW continues to build more and more: expanded pantheons, magic systems, peoples (FFS who is Goro + 2 arms and where'd he go????). It's part of what makes this world stand apart. Fully fledged and ever-evolving as denotes someone who has studied the ever-shifting playing field everyone is standing on in this world.

ENTRY-POINT
It shouldn't be ignored that this could be an entry point for a new reader. There is nothing in this book that says you have to have read the earlier books to get it. Of course you won't pick up everything, but I've read this series a lot and I still pick up new things each and every read. Maybe I'm wrong... but I don't think so. You have basically all new characters, in an a mostly new setting, with pretty much a new field of playing field rules.

SELF-CONTAINED
We know there will be more books... but there doesn't have to be. This is a self-contained book that stands on its own. It will be enhanced with later books as themes are further paid off, as plot points reach their final resting points... but you can read this book and call it a day. There is no cliff-hanger. There is no "To be continued!". It simply comes to a well defined ending that promises more to come but NOT NEEDING more to come immediately.

HOOKS/MYSTERY
This book has them and it's what I think everyone is latching on to in their enjoyment. I'm reading tantalizing hints, brief appearances, touched on philosophies and these are all pricks into my imagination as to what just might be. Of what is further down that line. It is what made early Malazan so damned addictive. It's why this board exists... people what to discuss the possibilities that exist in the little teases and hints that Erikson is providing as to this huge world and what is going on in it. You'll know them when you see them. WHERE IS THE SERIES GOING NOW? WHAT ARE WE TO WITNESS?

That's enough for now. I finished this last night and I've been thinking on it. I'm excited. I'm reenergized as a fan as to just what Erikson has in store for the rest of the ride.

Highlights:

Stillwater was a lawyer. L O Fucking L. Less bloody.
Goro+2. You have 4 skykeeps? I raise you Mortal Kombat's Goro with two additional arms. What an exciting little WTF section.
Karsa isn't in this book.... His absence is all the presence he needs. Befitting a god's absence has profound influence just as much as their presence.
The people of Silver Lake yelling numbers whenever a marine looked at them. That was brilliant.
The fact that basically every Marine is a fucking mage. Which ones AREN'T? Gruff? Is he it?
The fanservice in seeing Rake, Cotillion and Shadowthrone... as much as Stillwater kept going into Emurlahn you had to know at some point Cots would show up.
The ANSWERS! What is bloodoil? It's fucking otataral affected stuff. Erikson explained Karsa and the Jaghut Ohdan.... Where's Rake? Still around in some non-form in Galain. What happened with Icarium's warrens? Well they seem pretty fucking effective! It was great.
The MYSTERY... with the Teblor and northern invasion for all intents and purposes over... where do we go from here?

This post has been edited by HoosierDaddy: 20 August 2021 - 08:42 PM

[Mentalist]

HoosierDaddy, on 20 August 2021 - 08:31 PM, said:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is not my favorite Malazan book, that still remains probably Midnight Tides, but it is a very, very good book.

STYLE
First, as Steve made it clear, it is definitely more in line with Malazan than Kharkanas. More importantly, it is very much moreso in line with EARLY Malazan than late Malazan. I say that as a positive. Later Malazan, which I truly, truly loved, could take massive detours into philosophical exploration and more nuanced thoughts on life . TGINW takes some minor detours that are definitely in that vein, but they are more so very similar to the same meandering that would typically be present in books 2-5 in Malazan. Worldbuilding detours that helped add layers to the themes and events occurring in the novel. The humor is just about right... it provides somewhat of a balance. The

CONTINUATION
While not a direct sequel to BotF, TGINW provides so much information as to the world post TTH/TCG. While it was to be expected we would receive a lot of information on current Genebackis and it's recent history leading to present events, this book also provides so many tantalizing hints as to what is going on elsewhere in the world. I delighted in a further expansion of the world. What is Malazan if not the pinnacle of world-building? TGINW continues to build more and more: expanded pantheons, magic systems, peoples (FFS who is Goro + 2 arms and where'd he go????). It's part of what makes this world stand apart. Fully fledged and ever-evolving as denotes someone who has studied the ever-shifting playing field everyone is standing on in this world.

ENTRY-POINT
It shouldn't be ignored that this could be an entry point for a new reader. There is nothing in this book that says you have to have read the earlier books to get it. Of course you won't pick up everything, but I've read this series a lot and I still pick up new things each and every read. Maybe I'm wrong... but I don't think so. You have basically all new characters, in an a mostly new setting, with pretty much a new field of playing field rules.

SELF-CONTAINED
We know there will be more books... but there doesn't have to be. This is a self-contained book that stands on its own. It will be enhanced with later books as themes are further paid off, as plot points reach their final resting points... but you can read this book and call it a day. There is no cliff-hanger. There is no "To be continued!". It simply comes to a well defined ending that promises more to come but NOT NEEDING more to come immediately.

HOOKS/MYSTERY
This book has them and it's what I think everyone is latching on to in their enjoyment. I'm reading tantalizing hints, brief appearances, touched on philosophies and these are all pricks into my imagination as to what just might be. Of what is further down that line. It is what made early Malazan so damned addictive. It's why this board exists... people what to discuss the possibilities that exist in the little teases and hints that Erikson is providing as to this huge world and what is going on in it. You'll know them when you see them. WHERE IS THE SERIES GOING NOW? WHAT ARE WE TO WITNESS?

That's enough for now. I finished this last night and I've been thinking on it. I'm excited. I'm reenergized as a fan as to just what Erikson has in store for the rest of the ride.

Highlights:

Stillwater was a lawyer. L O Fucking L. Less bloody.
Goro+2. You have 4 skykeeps? I raise you Mortal Kombat's Goro with two additional arms. What an exciting little WTF section.
Karsa isn't in this book.... His absence is all the presence he needs. Befitting a god's absence has profound influence just as much as their presence.
The people of Silver Lake yelling numbers whenever a marine looked at them. That was brilliant.
The fact that basically every Marine is a fucking mage. Which ones AREN'T? Gruff? Is he it?
The fanservice in seeing Rake, Cotillion and Shadowthrone... as much as Stillwater kept going into Emurlahn you had to know at some point Cots would show up.
The ANSWERS! What is bloodoil? It's fucking otataral affected stuff. Erikson explained Karsa and the Jaghut Ohdan.... Where's Rake? Still around in some non-form in Galain. What happened with Icarium's warrens? Well they seem pretty fucking effective! It was great.
The MYSTERY... with the Teblor and northern invasion for all intents and purposes over... where do we go from here?

Blood-Oil being Ottataral wasn't new. Don't ask me where it comes from, but some discussion on Otattaral mentioned the Laederon Plateau and the TTTs that lived there and rubbed it into their weapons.

Other than that, I completely agreey with you. Stillwater quitting law as "too cut-throat" to become a sneaky mage assassin tomb raider moonlighting as a Malazan Marine was pretty great.

As for the big mystery, I suspect we're looking at Rant confronting Karsa, and it would not surprise me to have more Refugiums coming undone with more nasty things.


Or SE could pull a fast one on us, with the Fenn ranges in Quon Tali melting, and Emperor Rel trying (once again) to get rid of the Wickans. Don't care what Spin says, still hate the guy.

[Siergiej]

I agree with Rant/Karsa and I also think we'll see more of K'Chain. Sky keeps in the beast hold, a spirit of a Shi'gal... there's probably a reason SE is planting that in the story.