Malazan Empire: TheRetiredBridgeburner - Viewing Profile - Malazan Empire

Cause, on 03 April 2026 - 08:12 PM, said:

I really recognise this for me too! I'm mildly irritated to this day that I have no explanation for why Quick Ben was having a chat to Mother Dark as if he knew her in whichever of the last three books it was. I can absolutely be content with things not being explained - just don't bait me with the possibility of an explanation that never arrives.

Cause, on 03 April 2026 - 08:12 PM, said:

I'm a mixture of hesitant and slow to read new fantasy series, so I haven't really got into a new one in quite a while.

I unashamedly love Firefly, but never took to anything else Whedon did (I admit I missed the boat with Buffy so haven't tried it). I'm glad he's given his blessing for the animated series to go ahead but am far more glad he's otherwise staying under his rock and isn't involved.

Having said that, we're now rewatching it in light of the news and whilst still very enjoyable, there's definitely the odd "yikes" moment that is ageing like milk. Watching it post all the revelations about Whedon, it's a bit uncomfortable how much you can see those fingerprints on particularly the character of Inara.

QuickTidal, on 27 March 2026 - 02:04 PM, said:

My memory (read it on release, so it's a good while back) is that the second one was even more dense and felt like wading through treacle.

QuickTidal, on 27 March 2026 - 11:44 AM, said:

You know, that's something I hadn't thought about but you're absolutely spot on. Even if I could get through the series again, I'm never going to be able to recapture what finishing TCG and wrapping up the series felt like (largely, reading the last 40 odd pages through tears up until "You were always the best of us Fid" and then descending into full on ugly crying for a solid five minutes) - and not just the ending either. The first time reading the climax of the Chain of Dogs, the first "It was time for the First Sword of the T'lan Imass to announce himself", the first time I read any of the other moments that really stayed with me.

Whereas other things that I'll never recapture the "first time" feeling have transcended into being comforting things to return to, so I don't feel the loss. Malazan is many things but it's never going to be comfortable by its very nature.

Tiste Simeon, on 27 March 2026 - 12:15 PM, said:

A very fair point - none of us have the time to read/listen to everything we might want to as it is!

Macros, on 27 March 2026 - 12:58 PM, said:

I got rid of my Esslemont (never did it for me in quite the same way) and Kharkanas hardback books a long time ago - actually getting through those two and being in a "Bloody hell, never again thank you" headspace should have been a bit of a clue to the direction of travel.

Thanks all, I really appreciate the answers and getting it "out" so to speak was helpful

I think this thread is the best fit - but I've come to the conclusion that I'll be letting my Malazan books go. I've held on to them for years because I'm very sentimentally attached (they helped me get through some very tough times) - but the reality is I can't imagine being in the headspace to read them again. I tried I think seven or eight years ago and crashed out hard mid series. I can't remember which book, but I remember it was largely down to finding Scillara's abject cyncism absolutely unbearable and wondering why I was forcing myself to read something I clearly wasn't enjoying, and feeling very weird about it considering I re-read the series probably getting on for ten times.

Looking back I'm amazed at what I could cope with from the books (Hetan etc). I suppose it's good to have moved past a point of feeling they're something I need to read again given what they represent for me, but I still have a mixture of feelings about it. I think I've said in a reading thread elsewhere that non-fiction aside I very much read to relax and for comfort these days because I have significantly less time to read in general.

Overall I'm still very glad I read them and experienced them, but I think the worth of an experience isn't necessarily in having the will or desire to repeat it. I shared an email exchange with Erikson about what the series meant to me years ago, and I still keep and treasure the very in depth and kind reply he sent. Maybe it's just accepting it's a chapter of life that's closed.

I guess if I changed my mind years down the line there's always audiobooks.