Malazan Empire: polishgenius - Viewing Profile - Malazan Empire

I read Victoria Goddard's The Bone Harp, a standalone of hers (completely standalone- not in her Nine Worlds sequence) that is, essentially, an after-the-Silmarillion take, about what happens when the last Son of Feanor finally finds his rest, and tries to learn to accept it. Putting it that starkly seems an ungenerous way to describe it, but there's really no beating around the bush- there's some differences in both character and lore/worldbuilding in order to make the story work, but it is unquestionably what it is.


What it also is, however, is wonderful. I love Goddard's writing so much. This is the fifth book of hers I've read and I love them all. They're all different too.

What works well here is that Goddard doesn't forget that, in amongst all the epic grandness and hubristic tragedy, Tolkien's elves were also extra as fuck and capable of being silly and fun. Goddard's writing can itself be pretty extra, and while she doesn't write specifically like Tolkien really at all, she has enough lyricism that it works for what she's trying.


Which is not a story of the epic tales. Although they're mentioned here, in passing and in flashback- Tamsin has to reckon with his past- what this is about recovering from the epic tales.



It's not gonna be for everyone- even more than usual, she goes for a lot of flourishes, including in this instance a fair bit of repetition-for-effect, and given what it's about the pacing is not a typical adventure. But for those for whom it clicks, it's gonna really click.

Is peak hubris tweaking the nose of the Cyclops for no reason and telling him your name when you were away clean, or is it spending a week and several pages arguing passionately about the flaws of a film you haven't seen?

Well, it is at least visually spectacular.

Guess Matchbox is coming for Fast and Furious's throne.

Finally leaning into the comic-booky aspects in this trailer. Not sure about the personality of Hal, who's an asshole in different ways to the usual Hal, but in and of itself that looks really good.